Sick day

Aku demam ni....

Sian aku...

He he.... semalam half day, hari ni full day.... Selasa pun full day tapi that one was because of migraine.... Now I have the flu and a bloody painful headache...

My routine sejak Adik masuk sekolah is I have to send Abang to school. Kamil hantar Adik. Since I work nearby and to go to work at 7.20 is waaaaaaaaaaaay to early, I will singgah my mom's house first, golek-golek... sembang-sembang..

Anyway today I still had to send Abang to school. They slept late yesterday tengok the whole season of Glee. I pulak slept fitfully because of the noise and because ubat ntah apa-apa... I didn't want to take Clarinese because it is non-drowsy (although actually it gave me reverse effect... I could sleep like a log when I take them... should have trusted my own experience kan...) tapi this one yang drowsy made me restless pulak...

So I am still sick. Anyway they woke up late and Kamil tak sempat nak hantar both of them to school so I had to drag my butt, and my very heavy head. Out of habit, I found myself at mom's house. Terkejut gak macamana boleh sampai sini but then because of tak larat, masuk gak.

Mum was sympathetic. Just what I needed. She gave me panadol and cok udang. Feels a bit better although a bit disorientated. She called Ijat and ask him to switch on the net for me... macam tahu-tahu aje... he he....

Tengah dizzily browse the net (and after baca cerita hantu dari mamat dok seberang sek 8/7) , keluaq pulak mee goreng !!

Ya Rabbi ! Bestnya...

Macam ni.... seronoklah teman....

Sat lagi nak mintak Mom urut kepala lah... The panadol doesn't really work... Still feels a bit heavy. Plus I have snots and very,very sore throat....

Bye... need to recuperate now.....

PS :

As soon as I arrived and baru je melabuhkan my Beyonce butt on the chair, Ana came running down crying and put her cute tooshie on my lap.

"Ayah tak pasang tv !!! WAAAAA WAAAA WAAAAA !" Ayaq mata berjurai-jurai.

"Okaylah... let's go, Mummy pasangkan...."

"Tak nak !!!! Nak suruh Ayah jugak.. !!!!"

Lantak hang le... Ayah pi kerja... Nasib...

Then sat- sat tadi she called from upstairs "Tok kat mana ?"

"Kat bawah..."

"Bawah mana ?"

"Eii ? Berapa tingkat rumah kita ? Ad satu bawah je lah.... maih lah turun !" Said Tok.

Ha ha

Weekend...

My weekend was good.

Best !

It started 2 weeks ago I think when Kak Ezza e-mailed (or messaged through FB) wanting to plan Kak Kay’s birthday do.

It was a tad difficult to do so because of everybody’s schedule so we changed time, and number of attendees a few times but at the end, at the appointed date we all met up at Sahara Tent on Friday.

When I heard the gathering was to be made in Shah Alam, I eagerly suggested Tahara Tent. I love the food although a tad pricier than other Arab joints. I was further excited when I saw there were like 9 of us because with 9 people, I can finally request for the khemah !!

Yehaa !!!!! Well… when there were like 6, dia orang tak bagi…. Sian I.

I was entrusted to book and when I did, I drummed into the person on the other side that I WANT the tent. I NEED the tent. I positively HAD TO HAVE the tent. Nak berangan punya pasal.

Anyway, I baked the birthday cake the night before and refrained from refrigerating it. I dunno why this particular cake macam tak best when it has done some time in the ice box. It tasted lovely out from the oven where I left it overnight when I arrived home on Friday and waited to the very last minute to put cream on it. Punya tak nak refrigerate.

But alas when I got there, they still have to put in the fridge kan sebab nanti cair pulak the cream on top. WAAAA !! Planning tarak bagus punya. But what can I do kan ? It is to be a surprise birthday party. Kak Ezza managed to persuade Kak Kay that the do was a farewell for darling Kak Naz who is flying home this very week. So the cake must be sorok-ed first. Wished I had told them to keep it somewhere cool outside the fridge. It should be okay….

Anyway when I arrived, Kak Yatt was already there. He he… malunya…. She who lives in Puchong pun sempat sampai on the dot. However problem lain pulak mai. The tent is nice… it looked very cosy and definitely can highten my berangan-ess of eating and dining in Morocco (I so wanna go to Morocco). But then since it is a U-shape kind of set up with tent walls surrounding on 3 sides, it only has 2 ways to enter, both from the front at the legs of the U.

So therefore, once you go in, there is no going out again unless you want to trample on your friends along the way or you want to see your friends who were already comfortably ensconsed on their seats get out one by one before you yourself can. Dok situ diam-diam and if you feel like terkucil, tough luck.

Kak Yatt and I discussed a bit on the seating and I felt so guilty as I didn’t realize it was gonna take a bit of work just to sit.

Nak masuk while the place was still empty pun payah as being Malays, we get a bit susah hati pijak atas tilam and bantal. But trudged upon them I must as how else can I get inside ? And there I settled for the rest of the night. Inconvenient sure but….. bestnya……..

Ha ha….

That was my first time meeting Kak Yatt. We spoke on the phone before but still I got a bit self-conscious. Luckily she is lovely. We settled to talking and finding out a bit about eachother until the birthday girl arrived. After laughing while looking at her terhoyong-hayang walking on the soft tilam to sit next to me, we took the restaurant’s manager to task, suggesting ways to improve his tent, so that his customers, especially the ladies, can afford to sit down gracefully and with dignity.

“Maybe you can make a walkway between these two middle tables ? Push it a part a bit so that people sitting in the middle can just walk from the middle ?”

“Maybe you can make a flap at both sides of the tent ? So people wanting to sit in the middle can just get out via the flap ?”

Sian mamat tu. In his defense he said, “In my country, we have no tables.. so we have no problem…” He he… Okaylah, we Melayu can eat without the table also, we are used to it what… so take out the table lah…. Sorry aaa for complaining.

Anyway, Kak Ezza came next followed by Eja then Kamalia. Kak Yatt happy tangkap gambaq those yang baru datang struggling to sit. I as usual ada aje problem ngan camera so I can’t take undignified pictures of my friends. Ha ha.

Dah selamat duduk...

Minah pakai tudung keler biru and merah tu happy sebab Abang Yahya.....

The food was superb. Nasi briyani, the kebabs, the humus and the tonnes of soft, hot flatbreads. Hmmm…. macam nak pegi lagi.

Then it was time to take out the cake. I mean I knew the cake was coming as I asked for it but then the rest of my friends knew it when we heard the familiar melody of Happy Birthday being played on the radio. WAAAAAAAA ! Mati gelak kita orang because CD tu tak sophisticated langsung... Budak-budak yang nyanyi... macam buat birthday kat tadika..

Table cleared to make way for the cake...

And I took picture of the cake ... and someone's posterior.... Ha ha.. Anyway I think cik kak ni lah yang tanya kak Kay... how old aaaa ? He he.... hey....nak buat surprise pun tak leh...

HA HA HA ! Okay, that one I didn’t plan.

The cake was urrrghhh ! It hardened a bit and lost its charm. It tasted really nice at home at 7.30 pm before I slathered cream on top. Dah masuk fridge lain pulak jadinya....As usual I despaired.

We went home about 10.30 when the mall has closed. But we were happy and had a good time. I got a bit worried driving home alone in the dark night as topic hangat malam tu was cerita hantu, but then seeing Eja driving in front of me and Ya behind me I stopped reciting my Ayat Kursi.

Busy as usual on Saturday. Kamil came home chom a bit for some reason. I ignored it. Made kuew tiaw Cantonese for lunch, goreng pisang for tea, jogging with Amelia at 5.30, went out to BSC at night as I had wanted to check out their new food hall. Okaylah… There were sides of beef yang susah sikit nak cari kat Shah Alam but other than that, nothing much lah. Bought some durum wheat to make pizza though so I'd like to think that it was not a complete failure.

Met Ian and Haziq there. Ian wanted to eat at Saga but then my kids moaned in the car when they learnt where we were going. So called Ian and switched to Up Town. Apparently my children prefer gerai food than upmarket Indian food…. Hmmm….

Bought a CD that Kamil merely grunted his approval of. Dunno what was wrong with him. Didn’t get to see it though as kids slept and Kamil also took his dark clouds to sleep so I too sleep. Bo-ring.

Sunday jogged with Kamil. Chom still very much visible. Rasa macam nak ketuk-kepala his chom away (not kiss it all away....)but considering I so want to go to syurga, I changed my mind. Balik to mandi, picked up the kids then Kamil dropped us off at McD sek 3 for mommy and me time. Mommies sembang and me’s semua main together so not so much mommy and me but us and them then.

Had a lovely, long chat with Amelia and Yasmin there. Satisfying ones. Sometimes, girls just need each other to wind down and make sense of the world. That is it. Since the kids ate at McD, I made roast chicken sandwiches on ciabatta for lunch. Kamil still chom and I just don’t want to care anymore.

Baked the same chocolate cake again because I need to find away to make it nice once more after holing it up in the fridge. Found the solution, which is heating it up just before serving meaning no more whipped cream on top if I want the whole confection to survive the microwave. Tried with chocolate ganache and it behaved well in the heat so my problem was solved.

While preparing dinner, Kamil asked, “You tahu tak I marah dengan you ?” Hawau sungguh ! I thought you chom pasal office matters. "So what did I do ?" tanya aku. “I don’t know… I am just angry….” adalah jawapan bernasnya. Yeah, pelempang ndak ?

So what did I do ? Aku pun marah but then the beauty of my marah is, I am AWARE of the bloody reason !

Marah-marah pun, telan gak my delicious ravioli in tomato sauce and garlic bread. I know it was delicious because my children kept saying so.

So…. I think you know what happened lah… now aku pulak CHOM.

So actually, my weekend was not that good…

Hmmm…..

Weekend part 2

Monday we had breakfast at Cili Merah. Oh yeah, I was super duper sleepy because my sleep was a very uncomfortable affair. Due to the carpet losing its baby bottom softness. It happened when Neti took it out for a wash. Yup you heard it right, she washed our silk carpet.

When Kamil found out, he totally blew his top. I didn’t say anything as really, it wasn’t her fault. Kamil’s cat defecated on it so she took it to wash. Nobody told her she can’t wash the damn thing. So I wasn’t angry at her. Plus, I didn’t know it either ! Ha ha. To me she deserved a medal because she managed to lift up the very heavy carpet and took the initiative to wash it. Other people wouldn’t care kan ? But she did. So she made a mistake, fine just tell her not to do it againlah.

Anyway since the carpet was a tad too bristly for my liking, I moved to the sofa at some point and then I kept waking up because it was too cold. Plus too lazy to go up and get meself a duvet. So, interrupted sleep all the way.

We went swimming after breakfast. It was too hot, the kids swam for an hour before Kamil and I joined them. Actually Kamil caved in first then when I got bored sitting alone, I thought what the heck, berkilat pun berkilat lah. Metallic is the new black this year anyway so I could be in fashion.

The sun was blazing atop of me head and I swam around the huge pool trying to get a shady area. I was the party pooper sure, refusing to join in the games, but it was too damn hot. Victoria Beckham can’t think in flats and I can’t think in such heat. So sue me.

We drove to One Utama for wayang after that. Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief was scheduled to be aired around 2.30 but as usual all the good seats were taken. Kamil said nevermind lah, we stop by The Curve later on and get pukul 9 punya show.

Went to Chillies where we were forced to wait for our food for close to 40 minutes. Kamil who is usually very relaxed with matters like this got bloody irritated when 2 tables that came before us were served first. It turned out, our waiter had forgotten to key in our orders !! Apa kah ?

I told the manager, “I give you 5 more minutes or I will walk out…” Cheh.. konon. After delivering my very smug threat, I got a bit concerned if the kitchen staffs were gonna spit on my food or stamp on my salad leaves.

After 4 minutes, I started to worry, in 1 minute’s time do we have to pay for the drinks or just strode out ? Then I started to plan the most dignified way to stage a walk out but couldn’t figure out how. I can’t even think how my face should look like when I do so. Determined face ? Angry ? Relaxed ? Sombong nak kena lempang punya ? Nonchalant ?

Then I was thinking, everybody’s stomachs were growling like mad in account of our swimming so if I leave in, oh the next half a second, where can I get food to be served in like 1 minute ?

“Kamil, why didn’t I say 10 or 15 minutes instead of 5 ? Macam sekejap sangat 5 tu….” I blurted out. Kamil rolled his eyes.

He he…. Okay, please remember to give the restaurant at least 15 minutes, okay ?

Plus, I need more guts than this for a successful high and mighty walk out.

However none of it was necessary. I was bloody thankful when our food came right on the dot. No dramas required !!

But the food managed to unseat me though. The salad was towering high and Abang’s plate was filled with chips. Kamil and I as usual shared a salad and a main course but the portion was too darn big, we can’t finish off our food. Maybe they were trying to compensate for our wait, I dunno.

Then the waiter came with dessert, molten lava cake with a scoop ice-cream. Eii ? Apa ni ? Tak order pun…. Oh … olive branch from the restaurant, totally on the house.

La….. telan lah jugak eventhough we were full…because entah, macam segan….. he he….. Tak makan karang kata sombong lak.... He he

Then the bill came out to RM 65…. Hmmm…. Apasal lak murah sangat ?

Tulah… nak marah konon (although, I have to stress that Kamil and I remained courteous when we complained to the manager, with smiles on our faces lagi.. but it was still unpleasant kan ?), but when they were accommodating, segan lak. Itulah namanya orang bangang.

Anyway, we went to watch the movie still very much full from the aftermath of lunch. I was glad Abang decided not to have dinner or even snacks. I need to teach him that he must only eat when hungry.

The movie was awesome. I love Percy Jackson. I really do-oo-oo. I have always loved reading Greek and Roman mythology so I was enraptured from the very beginning. Hai…. Poseidon…… so handsome….. He he…. I totally recommend this movie, a flick full of magic, and heroes and fabled creatures with a touch of young romance…. Sigh.

I love Pierce Brosnan. To me he is Bond. Sure Daniel Craig is nice, so is Sean Connery but Mr Brosnan is more Bond than the rest of them. Even as a centaur he still looked debonair, retaining his effortless charm. I will not look at a horse the same way again....

Sweet.

*Okay… you know why I really love him ? Because he seems to still be besotted with his overweight wife. So if things get out of control for me, I can cite him as a positive example. I just happen to think nice is sexy… kindness is seductive….loyalty is sensuous. Salah ke ? Tak.

Before going home, Kamil swung by to get CDs and I managed to persuade him to buy Rebound. Yeay !

Tuesday morning we took Mum to IKEA. And taking my Mum to IKEA is a huge sacrifice for the people involved, a true test of patience. But good children we are, eventhough we felt like hiding in the woods when she insinuated her wish, we didn’t. We took her there all the same and she had a grand time so it was nice. I love Mum so it was nice to see her happy.

Lunch time at IKEA is a sardine-y affair (as in tightly packed like a tin of one) so we had lunch at a steamboat place which was very nice. Mum liked it so all is well.

I baked when we got home, lepak-lepak and played badminton. Then it rained so we watched a few dvds. Made pizza for dinner, just for the kids. Mak bapak was full from lunch.

If it was up to them, their pizza would be devoid of the base... only the pepperoni, baked with mozarella on top... Pengsan okay..

Kamil kata bukan hitam, berjelaga... whatever lah but look at my daughter... he he... Main tennis, swimming... still beautiful...

Budak-budak tidur, Kamil and I settled down to watch Rebound. Catherine Zeta Jones is one beautiful momma okay. Buat lah cara macamana pun, at any angle, she will still look as lovely and as sweet. Patutlah Michael Douglas tak tidur malam.

The movie is quite sweet. About a wife who stumbled upon a video of her husband… err…. well…. in el flagranto dilectica with what seems like a close family friend….. in the kitchen where we can not just hear his fellatious moaning (can I say that ?), but also his family and guests singing happy birthday to his son in the living room.

Yeah…classy.

Anyway they quickly separated, she had to work to support her family and inadvertantly got involved with her children’s nanny. So this is a serious cougar thing going on, so expect some embarassing scenes, seriously hilarious ones too and heart-wrenching moments. Of course at the end, you went “Awwwww……”

I love it. Kamil does too so you might as well try it.

My weekend Part 1

A 4 day weekend peeps ! Guono nak tulih satu entry. I’ll try…

Friday was nice. Kamil and I went to see Valentine’s Day at the Curve. Just the two of us. He sent me to work, picked me up then he U-turned back to PJ. Ha ha… what to do.

We had dinner at his favourite place. I wasn’t hungry but I had to order to temankan dia. Lemah okay… While we ate, received an sms from Noreen ajak minum-minum after dinner. Kamil said ask them lah if they want to join us for wayang. It was 8.30 and wayang starts at 9.30… where got tickets one !! But I relayed the message anyway, she and Ian were game, a cue for Kamil and I to rush to the box office.

As I have predicted, there were none left. Ada sure, but at the very first row, sapa nak ?

Anyway, the movie was lovely. I am so bloody in love with it. It was nice, it hit me at the right places. All kinds of love theme ada. The cad and the rat, the motherly ones, the student with a crush on his teacher, the love that forgives the the the semua adalah.

I love seeing the 2 Taylors. He was gorgeous, she was adorable, and quite a good actress too ! Dah lah lawa, pandai tulis lagu, nyanyi pun sedap, pandai berlakon lak ? So bloody unfair. Anyway, couple sebelah macam buat their own Valentine’s Day thingy so I was busy trying not to look at them… haha… SO much so, I just found out I missed like a crucial 5 minutes of the movie. DAMN ! Tu lah…. Sebok nak tengok orang berendek.

Went home with a decidedly romantic husband. And to find that our bed was hijacked by the very disgruntled kids. So we slept on the very narrow single mattress on the floor. Sigh…. My body can’t take that kind treatment no more.

Anyway, I recommend for couples to go see the movie because as I mentioned above, my husband suddenly got all romantic. He woke me up with a sexy “I love you….” I was surprised but pleased of course. Am not gonna question it as who knows how long all that will last.

He went to work and I did my thing. We stayed home the whole day because Kamil and I were scheduled to see another movie that night with Ian and Noreen at Tropicana City Mall. Since it was the day before CNY, the mall was rather quiet. That was my first time there so my first impression wasn’t that good. Had dinner at Santini which was really lovely. Oh yeah, Ian is very, very popular ! People dropped by to say hello by the droves. One even called him by his full name and remembers his favourite dish ! What do you say to that ? Well we didn’t say much, just exchanged wide eyed looks.

Oh yeah, finally found my pizza with egg and spinach, a la Pizza Express. It was awesome. We had that as a starter. My main course was Spaghetti Vongole which even in its very oily-ness, was quite lovely. Kamil as usual had ravioli. I salivated over Noreen’s mussels in tomato sauce, which is very typical of me, always hankering for other people’s food.

The movie was okay, as far as movies go. I was sleepy and hung on Kamil’s arm throughout. Lovers of severed limbs and bloody gore should see it. The ending was sad, really. And I hate sad endings. And … hmm… well…. I dunno why people can label Benicio Del Toro as handsome. Forgive me if you are a fan, but he looks like a drug addict with the very dark eyebags and hollowed cheeks. Still, he is quite an accomplished actor. Cannot lawan Anthony Hopkins who played his character so well sampai aku sakit hati dengan dia awal-awal, though. Anthony Hopkins is very, very talented.


WAAAAA !!!!! I have finished writing but then tak sempat post, and now dah hilang !! Just like that ! So below is my second attempt but a very malas one to write….

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA !!!!

So…. Urrrghhh…. I cannot do this… Ilham ran away already….


So (again)….that was Saturday. Sunday Kamil woke me up with “Selamat Hari Kekasih, kekasih ku…”. Eventhough my body was not awake yet, my legs carried it to the loo for me to barf. I was reminded of one Valentine’s Day 3-4 years ago. The day before the powers that be decreed that Valentine’s Day is haram. So on the day itself, the office was buzzing with our discussions about it when suddenly a huge bouquet, complete with a long necked vase arrived for me.

Bad timing okay. The year before tak haram tak mo bagi, dah haram baru teringat nak sua kat bini. Our discussions of course died that very minute and I got smiles. Sindiran type or genuinely happy for me type I dunno. I really hope it was the latter of course.

Kamil has no sense of timing, okay ? Malu tau because I was picturing my colleagues chanting, “Ayoyo masuk neraka… Ayoyo masuk neraka….” Ya Allah, forgive me… and him.

Moving on, after tennis class, went to visit the PILs for a bit. My children managed to persuade their Grampa to belanja makan Sari Ratu. Apa benda ntah budak2 ni. Sari Ratu yang dia orang mintak ? Ajaklah Atuk pegi makan buffet kat mana-mana ke….? Ini Sari Ratu. FIL then called all his children so it became a huge family affair.

Now… something happened on the way home. Something provocative, something risque, something that made my heart beat so fast it nearly jumped out of my body, something sigh…… I truly have no words for it. Adik was in my SIL’s car on the way to our house, with 5 of her cousins simply because my progenies invited their cousins over. Abang rode with us, sitting in the front passenger seat so I sat at the back, behind Kamil.

Anyway, Abang at that time was happily planning the fun stuffs he and his cousins were about to do. So he didn’t see his father re-positioning the rearview mirror, so that his Babah can have a direct view of me and I him. When our eyes met, my heart skipped a beat and I forego breathing. As the one that caught my eyes was not the normal Kamil but a sexy Kamil, staring at me with this uber-uber sexy look on his face. His smiles were seductive and tiltillating, his eyes smouldering with promises till I stupidly blushed.

The way he looked at me was so intensed that I had to look away to collect myself, eventhough it was too mesmerizing to ignore. I looked again and there he was, still smiling very sensuously, his eyes crinkled suggestively, never leaving my face.

I don’t know what I did to warrant such flirting from my husband, but I am not one to complain. Probably my husband was caught up with all the pinks and the reds and the hearts littered all over the country. Or probably the movie I dunno but it was heaven.

I sighed in relief when he righted the rearview mirror back to its safe position as I needed to fan myself and most importantly breathe. It proves that after 11 years of marriage and 17 years of being together, I still need him to court me and boy did he do just that. I suppose I still need to know that he still desires me.

Sigh….

Okay, again I am writing this for my memories okay ? Not to brag or whatever, just need to document it for me.

Coming back to the story, we got home to a house filled with children. So I baked cookies. My niece licked the spatula clean of the raw dough and the rest gobbled up the still warm cookies and took some home. I then made crullers which is my absolute favourite. One thing though, does anybody know how to pipe the crullers on a plate or baking paper and then transfer it to the hot oil to be fried ? Mine is too soft so I had to pipe them in the hot oil itself and thus my crullers are very, very ugly.

While I was busy in the kitchen, Kamil set up his new telly in the living room as we were having tayangan perdana of Storm Warrior. Ian and Noreen arrived around 9.30 pm. Imagine my surprise when I took the crullers and the karipap and the cookies out, my living room looked like this.

With the dimmed lights, the spread duvet on the floor it looked like we were having picnic under the stars, watching a movie outdoor. He he…. This is definitely the influence of Valentine’s Day movie, okay ?

Storm Warrior was disappointing. The only thing that saved the movie was the gorgeousness of Aaron Kwok. Kalau tak dak Aaron Kwok, memang KO okay. It had no charm of the first installment, no real story I suppose. But then, Aaron Kwok was worth watching. Sure my husband doesn’t agree, but then that was why Noreen was there, somebody to share my enthusiasm for him.

Sigh…..

Anyway after that sambung with GI Joe. Ian and Noreen finally left at close to 2 am I think. By then we had no choice but to crash at the impromptu camp site. Abang and Adik were already fast asleep and we didn’t have the heart to wake them up and chase them to bed.

To be continued. But just to warn you the rest of out cuti was boring, we did nothing.

But then again, Ian said I can write a lot about doing nothing.

Ha ha.

My Mak Tok kan masak...

Yesterday I was stumped of what to eat.

At 5 pm Kamil called to ask the venue of our dinner. I was quite taken aback that his question didn’t go as expected, which is “You masak apa malam ni ?”. I was glad though because I have no idea what to cook. Plus I have a bit of dissatisfaction at work place and funny yeah, how draining that could be ? Therefore I was too darn tired to make magic in the kitchen. Plus I just cannot think of anything exciting to make.

Kamil for some reason contracted IBS from me. Tak cukup dengan my menstrual zit, my IBS pun boleh berjangkit kat dia. His tummy gets bloated everytime he indulges in rice so now more than ever I cannot masak nasi.

“You kalau kata I tak sayang you lah, tak romantic lah lepas ni memang saja je…Penyakit you pun I ikut okay… I punya sayang kat you, semua berjangkit…” He grumbled one day, patting his very huge stomach.

Cess… aku nak romantic tang lain, jangkitan penyakit yang hang bagi kat aku… Apa punya style romantic ntah.

Anyway to cut the story short, I am horrendously bored of roast chicken and chicken chop and chicken cordon bleu, and fish and chips and the pies. I cannot tahan roast beef and meatballs and ntah apa-apa lagi.

Nak masak Melayu, si Kamil tak lalu…. Kembung perut.

Nanti, aku masak apa kat cucu aku macam ni ? Masak lauk pun dah banyak lupa. Asyik-asyik carbonara, chicken chop aje....

“My Mak Tok masak the best chicken chop in the world !!” Kata cucu berangan ku in 30 years time. Tak malu ke ?

Nak masak apa malam ni ? Apa lagi makanan omputih yang aku tak pernah buat lagi ?

Help ! Help ! Help !

Ayah's song

If you remember about 2 weeks ago I went to The Curve, had ice-cream and got all melancholy when the live band was singing my dad’s favourite song ?

For the love of me, I can’t remember what song it was but eversince that, I was constantly transported to my childhood.

We are quite a musical family. My dad can play the guitar and the organ ( do you know it is not called organ anymore but electone ? Apakah ?), my mom can play the organ too… she took lessons when we lived in Kuching. And kita orang adik-beradik could at least play one instrument.

Anyway, music is a huge element in our family life. I remember my dad sprinting upstairs when he heard the Everly Brothers singing on the telly. Of course lepas tu keluar lah cerita dia and his band in MCKK, the Wanderers and of course keluarlah cerita time The Wanderers once supported Rubiah Lubis (Siti Nurhaliza zaman tu most likely) and how they afterwards stopped talking to eachother because every one was convinced Cik Rubiah syok kat dia.

Anyway, one thing I remember most about my dad is if he hears a song that he likes, he would grab anyone that is near him, cheek to cheek, his arm around the shoulder, he would sway his victim to the rythmn and sing. His eyes would be closed, the person he grabbed would either grin happily or roll his/her eyes and the rest would just watch and smile happily.

But this song that I heard in The Curve I remember the most because when that song played oh…. ages ago, he searched for my mom, grabbed her and they cheek to cheek they swayed and danced. None of us that were within his reach was good enough for him. For that song, he needed his wife.

I felt so happy then. I dunno why. And when I heard it again, 20 years later (I can’t believe I am in the position to say 20 years later… how old am I ? Damn !) I felt safe and happy again. Amazing isn’t it ?

I think probably every child feels safe when they see their parents love each other very much. Maybe love emanating from the parents’ engulfes the children and envelopes them too. I think sometimes we failed to see that each and every one of us needed to feel safe. Not just kids, but adults too.

Everytime I hug and kiss my dad, I always feel that everything is gonna be okay. I mean, it is not that I am under police protection ke apa, or there is a bounty for my head but everyday life can be jarring too. Everyday life is definitely scary occasionally. Taking care of your kids can be overwhelming at times.

You worry and worry and wonder if you are doing the right thing. You just want a pat in the back sometimes to assure you that you are doing just fine. Or sometimes, just sometimes you want to hide under the covers to run from life just for a teensy while.

I don’t know about you but on both occasions right, I would rather if my Dad was the one patting me on my shoulder or the one that delved under the covers to retrieve me back to the real world. So Dads, please buck up and be there for your babies. And maybe show some love for your wife in front of them ? You might think it is nothing but in reality it is very, very comforting for them.

I dunno if what I am saying is right for everybody, but it is definitely right for me.

.
The question to ask I suppose is doesn't Kamil make me feel safe ? Sure he does but then when with him, I am his team mate so I have to be responsible too, you know what I mean ? With my Dad right, his sidekick is my mom so they share the burden together and we their children are usually oblivious to the danger or more appropriately problems lurking around the corner. Safe to say, I didn't have to worry.

.

But with Kamil, I am his sidekick. I am Robin to his Batman. Whatever problems there are, it is up to Kamil and me to weather the storm. I cannot ignore it as I am the half of the responsible adult. Abang and Adik shouldn't worry. I am Mummy ! Not that is my Mummy and she will make everything okay. Now there are 2 set of huge eyes expecting me to save them. To make the right decisions.

.

So that is why, in my everyday struggle to live, I need my parents to hold my hand sometimes and make me feel safe.

.

Apa masalah aku ?

.

Entah.

My weekend

Okay… Monday is here so write an entry I must. Just collecting memories, people… am doing it for the memories.

Friday was boring. Kamil had a company do. I was too lazy to cook AND too lazy to go to the ATM. So armed with RM 15 and the nafsu for apam balik, drove to pasar malam, only to find gerai apam balik was replaced with gerai putu bambu. Cess ! How could I forget the apam balik guy cuti hari Jumaat ?

Bought a RM 10 worth of Yong Tau Foo for the kids (phew ! Lega…. Still have RM 5 to spend !) then went around and around and around looking for food that could take my fancy. Sighed and settled on laksam which was okay. I so wanted apam balik jagung lebih. Hmmm…. what to do. Ada lebih RM 2 (he he… terukkan ?) so I bought air.

Picked up the kids, watched telly a bit. Was soooo sleepy that when I tucked in the kids, I tucked myself in as well. Ha ha…. Was about to doze off when I remembered Kamil was still not home. Knowing that he would call when he is about to and not wanting my much needed slumber disturbed, called him with the intent of saying, “I want to sleep now. Please don’t call me okay. Just get your butt home…” but tak dapat.

I called and called and called but no anwers. Now men might think women are consumed with irrational jelousy when women do this, leaving like 15 miss calls on their phones. Let me tell you that is a very unfair accusation and so bloody far from the truth. We do it because we love you, and care for you and worried for your wellbeing.

Why is he not answering my calls, a loving wife would ask. Is he okay ? Is he in trouble ? Is he lying in a ditch somewhere ? Is he suffering from a heart attack while being smothered between his mistress' jugs ? Is he having breathing difficulties while drinking with his girlfriend in a bar filled with smokes ? He does suffer from asthma and therefore I am oh-so worried. And a whole set of other questions playing in our heads because we love you therefore we worry. We only make 20 phone calls in a span of 2 minutes due to fear for your safety and definitely, definitely was not checking on you. No…

So what else can a very concerned, devoted wife do ? Called her spouse’s best mate who just so happens to be his colleague. I tell you, every wife needs one. Anyway, Ian didn’t answer my call either so I rolled my eyes and muttered “Men…” under my breath and got more anxious. Luckily he called a minute after that and I definitely got more anxious (or peeved, which ever lah..) because if Ian could call me, what is detaining my husband from doing the same ?

“He is actually right in front of me…” Said his his friend. So okay, he is safe. Although I could not understand why he didn’t hear my calls. Nevermind. Obsess about that later as I was super, duper sleepy. Before that though, switched the phone to silent as I really was serious about my sleep. I am the type that once my sleep is disturbed, it will be hard for me to fall back sleep again. I don’t want to be counting sheeps while he snores next to me. Aku kalau sakit hati, revenge is not far. So in order for everybody to have a nice, peaceful life, let us not disturb my slumber !

He he…. PMS. *Cue for women to nod and go “Uh-hmm” and men to snort.

Continuing on, I didn’t get my wish though. My plan didn’t work because he seriously thought that I love to be jolted off my sleep. I opened my eyes to see him smiling. “Look what I won !” He said. I looked to where he pointed and saw a huge box. I looked back at him and his grins became bigger. “TV ! I menang TV !”

Sorry babe, but I just couldn’t compute that info in my very hazy condition so I turned over and continued sleeping. Heard him had his shower so tried my darnest to ignore the sound and get back to sleep where Denzel was.

I was rudely awakened again when I felt him kissing my forehead. “Yang… I menang TV !”

Oh man… that again ? I knew that. Can I sleep now ? Even as my head was thinking that, deep in my heart I knew it will be a futile attempt. I was fully and truly awake now and not a very happy camper. SO I threw a tantrum. I am not proud of it, but you know… again it’s the PMS. “Yang… budak-budak buat pun buruk… you lagi lah….” Was his patient reply. I HAD to stop after that. Put on my glasses to look at him properly.

He smiled. Not wanting to be rude, I smiled back. Then I looked at the huge box and he grinned again. “Sorry… I am just soo sleepy… Well done. But I think I can only appreciate it tomorrow when I am more myself….”

I followed him downstairs where he tried to watch a bit of telly but soon gave up because I was restless. “Jom… I tidurkan you….” Knowing what I am accustomed to, he patted me (as per my Ayah’s way) to sleep and snored almost immediately (as per my Ayah also). So I laid in the dark, resenting every snore and wanting to kick the stupid telly.

Suddenly the sun was up and I heard Kamil said, “Boleh pun tidur kan ?” I wasn’t amused because sure I fell asleep but it came with a splitting headache. I schooled my chom though as he looked happy so I forced myself to be happy because when push comes to shove, he is really a marvelous man.

I smiled and Wow-ed at the telly. He grinned happily. The children came running to our room in their pjs and went Wow too. He grinned some more. So the four of us sat on the bed, marveling at the telly that was still in its box. My Kamil was deliriously happy.

Seriously, kalau dapat mixer ke, bread maker ke or food processor lagi best. TV dah berlambak kat rumah, okay ? Where to put this one, then ? Ha ha. By the way, when I checked my phone, I got like 8 missed calls from him and an sms from Ian.

Anyway, he got ready for work, I rushed to send the kids to class and bought breakfast but when I got home, his car was already gone. I got a bit sad because I should have treated him better. PMS ni teruk betullah. It can turn a really sweet gal like me into a monster. Ha ha ! Aku baru je buat kelakar bangsat.

I got an order of blueberry cheesecake so made that. Kamil came home at 12.30 and we watched the telly awhile before going to Cho’s house for her daughter’s aqiqah. Lepak sekejap before going to MidValley for dinner and wayang.

I dunno why I really want to see Cirque Du Freak. Getik habih okay punya nak tengok. When it came out like last month I was begging Kamil to take me tapi dia macam malas. On Saturday he finally relented and it was superb ! I love it. I really love it ! Yang tak superb was our dinner. We went to The Garden’s foodcourt because his staff recommended it. However the food sucked big time if you must know. I had kebab which tasted like crap. Literally. Since I have never eaten crap, I would imagine that is how it would taste like. Seriously.

Luckily Adik couldn’t finish off her Yee Mee so I sambung makan. Kamil who also ordered the same kebab bought bubur caca but it was too tawaq. So to fill up his tummy, Kamil munched on a huge bag of popcorn during the movie. Sian dia.

We haven’t been toMidValley in a looong time. I last went with Noreen 2 months ago. Anyway, Abang kan he loves water fountains. If we ever go to KLCC he would insist that we go and “sit outside for a bit of fresh air…” so that he can watch the water fountain show. Now between MidValley and Gardens there is a small fountain, so guess who stood there if not my lovely, romantic boy looking at the fountain, ooh-ing and aah-ing while we looked at him incredulously. He smiled and he laughed and he clapped his hands and he took a video of it. His face was genuinely delighted. No I dunno why... we do not undertsand it either. Especially since Adik was bored to tears.

Anyway, the kids got a bit spooked from watching the vampires and the vampanese so I pulled a mattress and let them sleep in our room. Send the kids to class the morning after and we went to pasar. And saw what looked like a pig’s nose lying on the grass. EEUUUUWWWW !

Picked up the kids, then got ready to have lunch with the PILs at Sari Ratu. The kids went home with their Atuk so Kamil and I went home a deux and slept in front of the telly. Atuk sent his grandkids home and we quickly got ready to go swimming at the club.

We had a grand time. I love it.

The clubhouse is under renovation therefore the kitchen was moved to the poolside. We could smell delicious food wafting to our noses and we got hungry. Again. I seriously thought I was full from the nasi but apparently I was not. Since the poolside tables were all taken up, Kamil ajak pegi Tramcar. He he….Apalah… baru je pi.

I ordered Meehoon Hainanese. Kamil for the thousandth time asked the difference between Hainanese and Cantonese so when I explained yet again that Hainanese is the kuah hitam, he said okaylah I’ll have that.

When the waitress came though, she asked “Meehoon or mee ?” I sighed and waited for the inevitable “I makan apa ?” and the inevitable “Bagi dia mee…..” from me. Boleh tak ? I mean I have to remember his food preference. He can’t be bothered to remember what he likes. I have to commit it to memory for him. I tell you, that guy is very lucky that I think he is gorgeous. Kalau tak… he heh… PMS. Don’t mind me.

When our food arrived, he had a taste of his mee hainanese, then reached for mine. “Hmm… lagi sedap dengan meehoon kuah ni….” Said he.

“Yup.. with Hainanese, it is always meehoon….”

He huffed a bit. “Then kenapa you kata I makan mee ?” Asked the lucky to be gorgeous guy.

Tolong ! Tolong !”

“Because you like it that way !”

Uuurrgghhhh !!!!

Although hmmm…… he likes it that way dekat Tony’s. Should be the same kan ?

Anyway, balik and tidur.

Am I sleepy ? Takde pulak.

Harith Iskandar

I had a late night yesterday. So late I am yawning like …. I can’t think of a suitable pharse right now… just know that my mengantukness is bloody gargantuan. I am experiencing the full gamut of sleepiness.

Anyway yesterday we went to watch Harith Iskandar’s stand up comedy at PJ Live Arts Centre. Kamil sent me to work in the morning, then at 5.45 Ian picked me up at the office. * He opened the car door for me. He just reached for the door from his seat sure but he opened it for me all the same. Very gentlemanly of him… So….. now the question remains, was it done out of habit or because he read my blog ? Hmmm ? Hmmmm ? Hmmmm ?

It was raining, although not heavily but it rained nonetheless so what happens when it rains in Malaysia ? Traffic jam.

We took a huge detour to get to his office, where Kamil is. Nak masuk balik Federal Highway kena u-turn kat Ara Damansara but it was so jammed up. So Ian lalu Subang Airport, masuk Sungai Buluh and then turn left to Mutiara Damansara or whatever Damansara that is lah.

We passed through Bandar Utama, lalu SS2 or SS1, I am not sure. Kamil called while we were in front of Masjid Sek 14, demanding to know if we actually were gonna pick him up. Merajuk dot com tau… Gilo apa… Jam lah !!!

Anyway, all in all, I think the journey was about an hour 15 minutes. That boy wanted to give me some excitement in life by driving with only 1 bar of petrol left. I mean, I kept checking his petrol gauge to make sure that I do not have to get down and push the car in the rain. I warned him. I said, “I would not be amused if I have to do so…” and he went “Relax. It’s okay. I have driven from somewhere to somewhere ( I can’t remember the details) with 1 bar and I was fine."

While we were stuck in traffic in Bandar Utama, my blood ran cold when I saw there was no bar left. Nada. The indicator was showing the amount of petrol the car still has in litres instead. It properly showed us that we are in dire need of petrol !! I mean, I do not know how far 4 litres of petrol can get me, but it just doesn't look good. Yeah, so he managed to inject some excitement in my life, dangerously riding in a car, in the rain, with humongous traffic jam, at Bandar Utama on the way to PJ Jalan 223 with 4 litres of petrol.

Sweet ! I feel so excited ! No, I wasn't being sarcastic. Pfffttt !

Anyway, dekat seksyen 14, Ian tried 2 routes to get to his office but we got stuck. We called up Kamil and asked him to come to us instead. We were to wait at our favourite restaurant, Tramcar.

I was so darn hungry at that time. It was about 7 but I was hungry ! I made roast chicken the night before for dinner and used the leftover chicken to make sandwiches for lunch. But … macam tak sedap. I was in a hurry in the morning when I prepared the sndwich, and had forgotten to put any mayo in it.. so macam tak best.

I needed good sustenance now and therefore found myself and Ian looking at the menu in Tramcar. Ian and I, we cannot decide for some reason whether to have a meal or just you know, isi perut. I asked him, why can’t we just bloody decide ? Because he said, we are nice people and think about our friends. True. Noreen was stuck in KL at that moment and asked us to have dinner first. Kamil belum sampai lagi. Ian said we should have a quick one. I asked him why should it be a quick one ? He answered with “I don’t know..”.

Since he mentioned it should be a quick one, I was thinking maybe shrimp cocktail tu just alas perut. Then he ordered shrimp cocktail and a sandwich. Ei ? Itu a quick one kah ? So aku pun apa lagi belasah Curry Laksa.

Only after that he showed me the tickets. Free seating people !!!! I thought booked seats like when we saw Jit so it didn’t matter what time we get there. Kalau free seating, then we are late !!!! 7.35 is late for an 8.30 show ! The first of my worry sweat start to trickle. It trickled faster when Noreen called to say that she was already there. When she found out where we were, she got berpeluh a bit too I think because she said, “It is free seating !!”

Dah lah Curry Laksa was panas and tambah with the extra heat I feel inside, I double peluh. Then Kamil came and ordered a 3 course meal !!! Waaa !! I kept picturing Noreen berpeluh kat Jaya One sengsorang. Mati lah aku…. We left Tramcar at 8.05 and luckily despite the jam, we got there at 8.15 and and 8.20, we entered the studio. Ian ran up and I struggled to follow him. Kamil and Noreen were following us from behind, NOT in hot pursuit. They were slowly walking, not a care in the world. Yeah, it was the guilt Ian and I carried I suppose.

Tapi tak ramai orang pun lagi. We still had good seats and everything was okay. Plus Noreen macam tak marah… so okay lah… Ha ha…

Anyway, Harith was fun. His opening act, a guy named Quah was quite good. Although they did talk about the ALLAH issue and got thundering applause from the audience. Well… everybody is entitled to their own opinion I suppose. Me ? I have no real say in this because seriously, I do not know. I can’t form an opinion on anything that I am not well versed at.

Kamil said Jit is better. I say he is different from Jit. Although his very fast hands gesticulations made me dizzy a bit. But he is okay. He made me laugh. He made Kamil laugh so maybe next year we might see him again.

The boys were a bit reluctant to go home after the show was over so we went to Uptown for supper. Noreen sent Ian to Tramcar for his car while I cleaned the toilet (for my own use).

And then you know… we got to Uptown first. Remember yesterday was the day I needed some hugs ? Considering that I have’t got a proper one yet, I tried getting one from my husband. I slowly got close to him, hugged him from the side and waited for his arms to encircle me. I looked at him, he smiled then he took a step back. “Nanti kena tangkap basah, Yang… Kita bukannya ada kad kawin ….”

I looked at him in horror. Alasan !!! Ini mesti girlfriend dia tak bagi pegang bini ni !! Mesti ! Aku kalo apa-apa hal, kepala hotak aku ingat dia ada girlfriend aje. Selama hari ni okay aje… Why today you get spooked ? Rupa-rupanya because sejak budak2 uni mana ntah kat Shah Alam buat pakatan tak nak pakai spender during Valentine’s Day, JAIS dah announce nak buat pemantauan. Ha ha…. So mamat ni takut JAIS tengah mengendap kat mana2 and nampak dua couple tua dok berpeluk-peluk, mai tangkap.

Hunny Bunny… tengok muka kita pun JAIS tahu dah bukan remaja lagi… Relax lah…. Nak pi buat kad kawin lah macam ni kalo nak peluk laki sendiri pun payah…. Tak logic sungguh. Anyway, as the Quah guy mentioned during his act, how is JAIS gonna check ? Ask, “Dik, pakai spender ke ? Cuba tengok sikit…” Ha ha…. Bodohlah budak-budak ni… Tak pakai spender untuk buktikan kasih sayang … Kalau period lagu mana ?

Anyway, we had rojak buah which was nice. On the way home, in the car after hugging Noreen goodbye, and saying thank you to Ian for the journey (he did give me some stories to tell my grandkids) and for paying for the tics , Kamil reached for my hands. Tahu pun….

I said to him, “The end of the day is the best part of the day for me. You know why ? Because it is the time for just you and me…. Just you and me now….”

He looked at me and smiled.

I then said, “I had a nice time today. I really enjoyed today. What about you ?”

He smiled and said nothing.

Aku of course benganglah. Orang dok romantic2 bagus punya, dia ni diam aje !! Chivalry IS truly dead !

I screwed my eyes at him and he smiled naughtily. “I ikut Harith… He said men only guna 2400 vocab in a day…in comparison to women who use like 7000. So I have used up all mine….”

Kureng sungguh ko Harith. Sempat ko ajar Si Kamil benda bukan-bukan.

I need a hug

Today I woke up badly needing a hug.

Looked for one from Kamil, but his’ wasn’t satisfying. It was more of a squeeze as he passed me to go to his bathroom.

The kids looked for their morning hugs too. Adik got hers while I was still on the john, which is very typical of her. “Are you going to poop ?” She asked, wrinkling her nose, eyes questioning, when she withdrew from our hug.

“No… “

“Hmmm…. macam lama je….”

With a sigh, I stood up. People just love to dictate my movements. After my bath, Abang was sitting on my bed. “Mummy….” He whined and enveloped me in a tight squeeze.

It was nice as far as hugs went, but it wasn’t what I wanted or more pressing, needed.

I want the hug just like my Bapak dispenses. Early morning when the house just stirred, and everybody was still groggy, my dad would go around the house giving away hugs. Sometimes, when I looked for him, he would be still hugging a child and I had to wait for my turn.

He would grin, say good morning sometimes and then off we go in his hands, pushed to his soft body (and protruding belly) and then the squeeze. He would then sway us from side to side, sometimes with small talk, sometimes just quiet, savoring the father/child moment.

I preferred it if I get to him first, as the first person who got his hug would be treated with a “He heh heh…”, huge grin on his face or a “Hey…….”. To me that was precious. Because the child waiting bebehind won’t get those greetings.

What I would do for that kind of loving this morning. To be enveloped in his hands again.

Must call him later on.

Aku buat dah....melalut ntah apa-apa

Chivalry is dead ?

Nope… in Malaysian only…. Okay, that is unfair. There are some nice gentlemen here who still waited for a lady to step in or out of the elevator first. And there are those who still opened the door for me.

But they are so far in between that when a guy did something gallant, I would do a double take before I can smile in gratitude.

It should be the other way around, isn’t it ? I should be shocked when a man failed to hold the door open for me, not if they do. It shows what kind of a society we live in nowadays. Maybe feminism failed us ? Maybe because we were so caught up for equal rights and equal opportunities that we forgot we actually like the attention given to us ?

Last year, I met David who flew from England for a meeting. I was shocked when he insisted to walk me to my car after the meeting was over. It was about 10 pm, at Holiday Inn Glenmarie and my car was visible from the lobby.

“Nope, nope…” he said as he extended his arm out, indicating that I should start walking, when I protested. “I have to see you safely to your car. I hardly ever allow my female staffs to work late. If they have to, I will make sure all of them get safely home. The world is dangerous nowadays. If I was the reason you had to be out of your home late at night then I must ensure that you do it safely…” He then queried about the length of my journey and if it was a safe route.

I was touched. None of my bosses ever cared to ask. None. It made me think of once when I just started working. I didn’t own a car then and relied on my colleagues and the bus to get home. One day my boss gave me the work too late and I had to stay on until 10 pm to make sure we make the deadline.

My boss left the office at 7. He knew my predicament. My car-less state that is. He also knew that the bus service at Jalan Ampang Hilir is almost non-existant. But he left anyway. Siap pesan suruh aku habiskan sebelum balik.

Macamana aku nak balik ? I remember him smiling at me as he opened the door. The dark has descended upon us, the streetlights were already lit up. His body was poorly illuminated by the dim lightings outside as the lobby’s own were already switched off. I remember his smiles and his body that looked like a shadow. I could see him now like that. How I hated him then for leaving me alone. I hate him still now actually. I remember gripping the hole puncher that I had in my hand, willing myself to not fling it to his bloody head.

Luckily Abang Man the despatch stayed with me.He shook his head in disbelief when he learned our boss had left. A colleague was to stop by to take the documents from me. Abang Man said don’t worry, our colleague will drop you off. But you know what, he refused. His wife was in the car and he didn’t want to raise her irk. She was already angry because he had to stop by the office so he was scared that having to send me off somewhere would make her angrier.

Boleh ? Abang Man was shocked yet again. I was embarrassed. We looked at each other, and I just shrugged my shoulders. What to do ? The thing is yeah, Abang Man bawak motor. He can take me sure but he only had one helmet with him at that time.

When our colleague left Abang Man said never mind, kita naik je motor ni berdua. He handed me his sole helmet. I pushed it back to him. My reasoning ? The police could spot a helmetless driver waaay before they can see the pillion.

Nak dijadikan cerita, it rained. I was soaking wet when Abang Man dropped me off at KLCC. He smiled regretfully at me and shook his head. With a sigh, he left for home. It was close to 11 pm.

Whenever I thought about that episode, aku sedih sangat. How callous can people be ? How uncaring. And how ungentlemanly. All of them. Except for Abang Man of course. He is a gem. Still is.

Anyway, Steve came with David for that meeting in Holiday Glenmarie. But he flew from Down Under. On his second trip here, he presented me with a box of macadamia nut chocolates, a local delicacy where he came from. It was a thank you because I plied him with loads of local goodies for him to take home when he was here before. It was returned gesture sure but how many would remember to do so in the first place ?

Last week I met Joe. An old mat salleh that from the looks of it is a resident of our country. He was so chivalrous, my smiles for him was tender. He wouldn’t let me open the door at all. That is his job. I must get out of the lift first. In fact, he must press the button for the lift. I was only to tell him which floor we were going to. When I dared to open the door to the meeting room first, he groaned in despair. He kept apologizing and saying thank you. Instead of rasa rimas, I was so touched.

I stood up to get the tea lady, he quickly stood up too. When I asked for his beverage of choice, it was inundated with pleases and thank yous. I was tempted to say, “Aku ambik order je lah bang. Kak Sue yang buat….” He was sweet, that Joe. I wish I could take him home.

I want my son to be like that. Once a collegue who step aside in order to let me get on the lift first, eventhough he was there first made me feel nice. He then held the door for me, indicating with his head that I should go out first. I awarded him with my best smiles, the smile that I reserved for loved ones, till he blushed.

Being polite doesn’t take much. If you are used to it, it doesn’t take any effort at all. Wouldn’t the world be a nice place to live in if we take just a minute to be nice and polite and chilvarous ? The ladies get their doors opened, and the men, the real men get to be thought of as a hero.

So why again I said chivalry is dead ? Because of the male bosses who didn’t think about their female staffs’ safety when he asked them to stay back, who let them take the cab or the busses while they drove off in the safety of their huge Merc or whatever. Even if the female employee owns a vehicle, their safety is still not guaranteed. Why criminals attack females ? Because they deemed us as weaker. Because thought that we get flustered. Of course we are stronger but to be put in that situation is horrifying and traumatic. We shouldn’t be put in that situation in the first place.

Well… of course the above example is just one of it. There are many, many ways where we can find people who refused to play nice. Besides, chilvary is not just a man’s business.

Sometimes aku rasa the higher you go, then the less effort you take to be nice. Why ? I don’t understand that myself.

Yeah… I am angry about something right now. Bloody pissed off in fact. And aku rasa, part of the problem is men yang dah tak tahu to be gentlemen. Let’s not talk about being understanding and kind lah… lagi tarak.

My boring weekend

It must be Monday today because I am having a yawning marathon….

Yeah…. Probably too because I had a bloody boring weekend. It was soooo boring terbawak-bawak sampai ke hari ni…. Ha ha…

Again, can’t remember what I did on Friday… My memory is really, really bad. Okay I remember trying out a new resipe of chocolate cake. It was really nice and moist but Kamil declared it wasn’t sweet enough.

I really do not know what to say to that since I have already decided to keep the recipe and had mentally make a note to reduce the amount of sugar next time I make them !

Oh, okay now I remember what I did Friday.. which was nothing. He he… Kamil had to work late. Management meeting katanya. I was quite happy at the fact that he won’t be having dinner with us because everytime that happens, I take the opportunity to cook food that he doesn’t like. So Friday, I made penne with spicy chorizo sausages. I can assure you that the sausages are not authentic Italians ones but was made in Penang and therefore was beef. Complete with halal certificate. Heh.

Because pasta was easy, it took no time at all to make so that was why I baked. My family are not eaters. They would take a few slices and then that was it so early next morning, I packed half of the cake for Abang and Adik to jamu their coach and fellow tennis players. Habis licin.

Since it was Thaipusam, Kamil was home so after sending the kids to class, we went jogging around the lake. I didn’t even think of going to XYZ. Mintak maap le.

Kamalia and I were supposed to go out with a Bruneian friend, tap tak jadi because she was tired, so Kamil and I took the kids out for sushi in Subang Parade. Yucks ! I really cannot abhore sushi nowadays. Tapi because the kids were hankering for it, we got no choice. The sacrifice we parents do for our children.

Kamil and I almost nak muntah tengok budak2 ni makan macam tok nenek depa nama Honda sorang, Mikimoto sorang. Went home straight away. Bo-ring but it is not my fault. Kamil led the way, aku pun tak perasan tiba-tiba we were walking to our car already. Waaaaaaa……dia ni tipu !!! Tak cakap apa pun tiba-tiba balik….

We stayed home, watching the telly (again !) and did nothing. After Maghrib we drove to One Utama for a movie but since nak masuk pun jam, we went to Curve instead with Kamil’s assurance that the movie starts at 8.45. Ropa-ropanya 7.45. Hampeh betui lah. Aku memang suspect gila dia ni malaih tengok wayang so saja bagi info salah.

There is literally nothing to do at The Curve except for wayang or makan. Kamil and I were still full from sushi, which was quite funny since we hardly ate anything. We walked around, not knowing what to do until we passed a shop advertising its sundaes on blown up posters. They looked incredibly mouth watering so we decided on those. We sat outside, looking at the crowd, enjoying the rain and a live band singing oldies. I sat there eating ice-cream feeling so melancholy. The songs they sang reminded me of my Dad so much, especially this one song …. Er… which I cannot seem to remember now. I can’t believe I have forgotten the song. I dunno how I could manage to forget something so important to me. Gosh, ini semua salah Kamil lah (whoe else can I blame ?). He put on Harry Connick Jr in the car and all I can think of right now is The Way You Look Tonight ! Spoil betul lah.

Urrrghhh !!

Anyway went to Uptown to buy CDs afterwards, and tapau rojak buah only since all of us were quite full from the ice-cream. Not my son though. Dia tapau chicken chop. Hai lah…… Setiap kali balik tennis class selak baju, tunjuk perut and proclaim, “I am thin now !” but malam-malam Mummy kena cucuk perut dia, watch it jiggle about and say, “I don’t want you to have a heart problem, darling….”

We watched It’s Complicated after tucking the kids in bed. And I tell you, the movie is superb. I love it. Didn’t know Steve Martin can do romance. He he… I totally recommend it.

Went jogging again Sunday morning while the kids slaved away on the tennis courts. Bumped into a friend which was nice. Picked up the kids, then tak pasal-pasal I found myself cooking lunch. Boleh tak ? I mean I wasn’t planning to at all. Tapi Bibik dah rendam ayam, rendam ikan then tanya nak masak apa ? I looked at her through half closed eyes sebab mengantuk Ya Rabbi (I slept about 2 am) and when I looked at Kamil he said, “Masak lah… nak makan kat luar pun kat mana ?”

Waaaa ! Aku baru lepas jogging, okay ? Penat !!!!!! Sebab Bibik ni orang tua and selalu cakap “Issshhh…. Mera ni…” when dia adalah tak berkenan dengan perangai ku, so I got up and cooked.

Sigh….

Made homemade fishball soup which was easy. Put loads of su-un because it is Adik’s favourite. Made daging masak merah (since Jubei taught me how dah tak reti masak lain dah…) next followed by sayur kacang buncis goreng.

I wasn’t hungry at all so Kamil ajak pi basuh kereta. Eja, I was at SPS again yesterday. Kamil loves the place sebab tak dak orang langsung ! We were the first in line. That is a novelty indeed.

The kids pleaded boredom so Kamil promised swimming which made me excited too. I love swimming. Then I found myself itching to bake so took out my mixing bowl. Adik seeing that, glued herself to me offering her assistance.

I was planning to bake bread for a change. Nutella bread to be precise. So measured the flour and Adik put it in the bowl. Took out the yeast and Adik dumped it in the bowl. Took out a pot, measured the milk and Adik dumped it in the bowl. I screamed in disbelief. It was suppose to go inside the pot to be warmed first.

Adik ran to Babah while I nagged for a whole minute. Seriously, that is the longest I can do. I really do not know how Kamil can manage 2 days. That guy is amazing.

What can I do ? Cold milk won’t work. The warm milk has to be at a certain temperature even before I can mix it with the flour so I know cold milk is not gonna work. What can I do but threw it away ? I sat down angrily, that was my last yeast okay ??

Aku chom.

It rained heavily therefore Astro was off. We watched The Invention of Lying which again was superb ! Please watch it. It was sooooo funny and soooo good and soooo thought provoking. It didn’t stop raining so swimming was cancelled. The kids and I were sad because we really wanted to go out. Abang kata tak dapat swimming pun takpa, we can always bowl, but Kamil can’t find the energy to move his butt so we stayed home. Bo-ring.

We had dinner at Cili Merah. Given that the kids go for tennis class on Saturdays too nowadays, they haven’t been to Cili Merah in a while. Bumped into Farid and he gave us 2 pineapples which was nice. Him being a Johorean, suggested boiling them with sugar and keeping them in the fridge. Makan slow-slow, he said.

Have never had my pineapples that way so it sounded interesting. Will do just that. Thanks, Farid.

Balik rumah and tidur.

And apparently I didn’t get enough of it as I am so sleepy right now.