Bibik ku

I don't remember if I actually updated on Bibik's status. Our rayuan with FOMEMA worked where her results were audited and they find that whatever scars she has were actually old ones. So she get to stay, Kamil did her Visa and all already. Done.

I generally do not mind her. What I do mind though is her disturbing me in the kitchen. Pantang apa aku nak buat dia mesti nak take-over. Kalau aku start rolling pastry nak buat pie, she would push me aside and take-over. Kalau aku goreng ayam pantang aku lepa jap dia dah check ayam tu and yang paling tak best if she turns it over before she should. 

Just now I was supervising Adik making brownies. Tak berjaya sebab apa saja Adik buat, she would push her ke tepi and she would do it. Sigh... camtu baik aku tak yah train anak aku kan ? Baik aku train dia aje.

Hari tu we celebrated both of my brothers-in-law's birthday at my house. My sister, CT masak nasi goreng as favoured by her husband. Tapi, Bibik pushed her aside, started doing it and as claimed by my sister doesn't taste as how she wants it.

Sigh...

Another thing I don't like is her cooking what I cook. I usually make pastas and chops and pies when I get home. However lately, there were numerous incidents where I had to change my menu or worse, makan aje kat luar because Bibik made the same thing yesterday or the day before for lunch. She can make lasagnas, my meatball sauce, heck even my minestrone now.

Now, I don't mind that she makes them for my kids but it would be good if she refrain from making them when I am around. I cook those food because they are fast. I could quickly prepare them as soon as I arrive home from work, just in time for dinner. Especially on the days when my kids have mengaji. They have to eat before 8 so pastas and chops are the fastest and easiest.

Aku tak sempat nak buat kari or sambal or sup tulang. Nak buat sayur lagi. You do it lah because you have all the time to do it. I don't ! So bila anak-anak dah makan pasta or chops for lunch, I had to masak nasi pulak malam. So selalunya, I would just buy nasi goreng or whatever.

Soalannya, how could I tell her ? Susah kan ? Kecik hati lak karang. And aku memang malas nak buat orang yang duduk satu rumah dengan aku merajuk. Dah lah baru-baru ni, there were some problems that arose due to mulut2 yang membawak cerita. Tersangkut paut pulak aku and Kamil and dia and maids rumah MIL. Oh yes, dia ada lah sedara-mara maid MIL and she was brought in pun by her.

We defintely have communication problem as I rarely could understand what she says and vice versa. Kang aku cakap lain dia ingat benda lain and people are usually wont to ingat bend yang bukan-bukan instead of benda yang baik. 

So aku akan diam. habis citer.

Weekends

So lately there were many good movies on show. The new Hobbit, 47 Ronin, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty... all good. All worth the RM12-14 we spent per person.

I especially loved 47 Ronin because it was such a noble and sad story. Having Keanu Reeves in it helped of course. I must get the number of his plastic surgeon. He looked like he isn't over 25 when in fact he is twice that age. Amazing.

Walter Mitty is thought provoking. I loved it. It made me think, it made me look deep inside, it made me self-realise. So it is good. 

We went karaoke-ing with my siblings plus all the kiddos during Christmas. That was so much fun. The weekend before that we went to have breakfast at the Westin with my family. That was really nice and cheap considering we forego lunch and dinner.  Today we went to have Dim Sum. Just the four of us, though. So it was very quiet and sedate. Although my children made me laugh loads. 

Kamil as usual looked like somebody who just came along. Not really a part of us. More like somebody hitching a ride with us, who we took pity on and invited him for Dim Sum. He was quiet as usual, very detached. Busy with his mobile... But he did make us take the new bridge from Ampang Park to the Intermark though. It was lovely. Very pretty. We took pictures on the bridge and then again when we cross the bridge to get across Ampang Park. We took pictures there too. KL is really pretty. 

We have done the back to school preparation. Kamil is also preparing to move to a new outfit. So come 2nd January he and the kids have their first days.

Yesterday, the two of them were having their 12 millionth bicker. In the middle of it, Abang asked Adik, "Why are you so ugly ?"

Without missing a beat, she answered with "You are clearly blind. I am fabulous...." Hehhehehe. She said it with so much confidence, daring her Abang to disagree. Which Abang didn't.

Anyway, I said to them that I remember how much they loved each other when they were small. I told them of however Abang was busy running around with their cousins, he would always take some time to say hello to his sister and acah-acah dia.

So, what happened ??? Abang answered, "That was before I know how to get annoyed, Mummy... And she annoys me plenty." There you go... sigh.

What I thought of in Gurun

I was in Kedah for a week. Tiring. Plus deflating and disappointing really. I can't discuss that, though.

Anyway while I was there Adik had her 10th birthday. And today is Abang's 13th. They grow so fast. No point waxing lyrical about that. I should rejoice with their maturity and growth instead of feeling emotional, eh ?

Anyway, Kedah is nice, people very friendly and tersangat-sangat berbudi bahasa. The place is also beautiful. Sometimes, development doesn't have to reach all corners of the world, right ? I like what I see in Kedah. 

Watched the Note Book while I was there. Well, not all. I caught snippets of it here and there. I have never watched the movie, but I read the book and loved the book. Apart from the story line, I also loved the copy I have itself because Kamil bought it for me. At that time, we weren't married yet. He bought the book while in Perth with his dad. He only bought me that book from that trip because he said I would appreciate it above else.

Haha... True. 

So you could see that the Note Book is rather nostalgic for me.

That is why when I saw the movie, I was surprised to see a scene where on their first date, they decided to walk instead of riding in the car with their friends. From that walk, just the two of them, they actually got to know each other and became a couple.

I was surprised because that exactly what happened with Kamil and I. We were 16 or 17 (I have no idea) and it was Raya (so cliche....) and we were at a friend's house. I knew he likes me, he made that very obvious. Very much aware of our friends watching us and whispering about us, I decided to walk home eventhough I initially came in Isa's car.

So when I informed them that I was walking, I saw Kamil looking up at me. He was putting on his shoes at that time. So I turned, and started walking amidst my friends' protestations and pleadings to get in the car.

As I went out the gate, whose footsteps actually fell next to mine but his ? I somehow expected that to happen, him following me but I was thinking that I'd rather that than facing my friends' teasings and queries in the car.

Why was I so serious about it pun ? I mean it was not the first time boys showed interests in me after all. But somehow he made me nervous and out of sorts. 

Anyway, so there we were walking on the very first day of Raya (entah kenapa kami tak balik Penang tahun tuh) from Seksyen 4 to Seksyen 8, talking and all and found a place to sit down to talk some more and somehow that day we became close. Eventually we became a couple.

So it was nice to see that. I menyampah tahap gab an with him sometimes, that husband of mine. But moments like this reminded me why I love him so.

Alahai... feeling lah pulak... Hehhehehe.....

Happy Birthday, Tuanku.

Hari ni Sultan Selangor's birthday. Happy birthday, Tuanku !

He is a kind Tuanku and bestowed us, his subjects, with a holiday. But alas, I went to work. Hehehehhehe...... Well.... am okay sebab I will be getting replacement leave. No point pun kalau nak cuti hari ni sebab tak leh ke mana. Everywhere jammed up ! I was in KL just now and KLCC was just sepelaung from where I was having my meeting. But the road was so freaking congested, what should be a 5 minute drive looked like could turn to an hour. So malas nak go through that so kami balik.

Kami is Kamil and I. If I ever have to go to KL, aku akan cari jalan for me not to drive. Hehehehhehe.....

So we went home, tapi singgah spital jap sebab Kamil's skin is riddled with rashes. Or something of that effect. Then singgah Mydin pi makan sat then home. And tiduq.

I really do not know why kalau cuti aje aku akan automatically tidur siang. Kalau kat office tak ngantuk pun...

Anyway, bagus gak aku tidur sebab I am hiding from Bibik. She asked me to deposit 100 bucks to her kids back home since Sunday but sampai sekarang I just couldn't find the time to do so. We have gone through this process 4 times this year and every single time she expects me to do it like that very day. But I can't ! The process although is short but the waiting ! I once had to wait more than an hour for my turn ! Aku kan keje. 2 hours is precious, especially for me people like me who has to clock every hour spent.

She has taken her gaji until April next year pun, so ni kira aku bagi aje kat dia. Sedekah. But still she gets upset if I don't do it immediately. First time masukkan tu memang I did manage to do it pronto, tapi the second time, aku langsung tak terbuat. For days the realisation that aku tak settle hal dia dawned only once I saw my staffs pack their bags to go home. Eh, dah boleh balik ? Eh, duit BIBIK !

Gitu lah.

Bila aku mengaku aku masih tak berjaya masukkan duit she would give me her sob stories and all. Although dia tak tarik muka, her evident sorrow to yang aku tak boleh nak handle.

So after that I took to lying that I dah masukkan and then came the hide and seek ler.

Lebih-lebih lagi aku rasa waiting for 1 hour just to hantar 100 bucks, macam tak worth it je.

Apa-apa pun I am glad she is around. She is a good one sebab tu aku took the soft approach of.... beating around the bush. Tak sampai hati nak marah pun, kan ?

We had a good scare last month when her FOMEMA tak lepas for her permit renewal. Mula lah aku tension and dok start pikir for alternatives. Admittedly we do not need maids anymore, what with Abang and Adik dah besar. But...... sapa nak teman Adik kat rumah kan once she comes home from school ? We would be okay without a maid by the time Adik masuk sekolah menengah. Masa tu, she and Abang would only arrive home around 5pm, so they would only need to mind themselves for 3 hours the most before we get home.

However for now, we need someone at home to teman dia.

Anyway, Alhamdullilah, our rayuan at FOMEMA worked. Her results were audited and they agreed that she is healthy after all.

So until then, please let this Bibik stay ........ And let me have time to deposit that 100 bucks tomorrow.

1 day camp aje pun....

Hari Ahad we sent Adik to camp organised by the company I work for. 1 day aje pun. She was super excited because this is the first time she is participating in things like this. She had her itinerary and schedule on a hard board, got things organised early and talked about it every day.

She called us about an hour and a half after she boarded the bus to report that she has arrived and having so much fun ! Baru naik bas tu. Then no news until Maghrib to say that she is preparing to pray and is having so much fun !

Okay.... malam she called to wish us a 'very quick good night because I am busy. We are having a slumber party...'. Okay.

Subuh she called to wish us a good morning with a quick description of her activities for the day. 

Then nothing until about 3 to remind me of her arrival. She is scheduled to leave camp at 4.30. Then.... a call at 5.30. She was sobbing. What happened ? Apparently she is still at the camp and she doesn't know when they are actually leaving. And... "I miss you, Mummy !"

Ha...... tu dia. Itu lah sebenaqnya. In her head, she knew that she is supposed to leave by 4.30 and to see me by 5.30. So I think she has already psyched herself that she will see me at a stipulated time. Soo... when that didn't pan out... she started pining for her mammy.

Hehehehhehe..........

Anyway, she arrived at the meeting point at 9 pm. Yes... very late. She almost jumped from the bus into my arms. She had a fever. Last night, she slept with us.

Today is Abang's turn to go to camp. 1 day thing too so he will be home tomorrow. Pagi-pagi lagi dia dah siap, so very excited. This is a first for him too. Since Adik deman, we didn't wake her up to wave good-bye to Abang. We just let her be.

Abang called around 9.30 to say that he has safely arrived and "I am having so much fun!" He texted me at around 12 to say that he has playing paint ball and 'having so much fun!'

Adik called all the time, almost at an hour's interval in fact, to whine about her dizziness, her high temperature (I despatched CY to check up on her... she is a doctor after all. CY said she is fine...) and all the other wrong things that are happening. 

And then when I answered her call at 3, I was met with the sound of her sobbing. Sakit sangat ke ? "Yes..... and I miss Abang ..."

Ha ?

HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAH.

When I came to, all I could say to her was, "Adik, please do not let Abang know that. He will laugh at you forever and ever and he will not let you forget it. EVER !"

HEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH.

And let us hope Abang is not gonna start crying if his bus is late too.

3 kenduris and a funeral

This whole week has been most unpleasant as I could not seem to shake off my spell of wooziness. I was supposed to attend company dinner on Friday but I had to bail. Pening giler kepala.

Saturday I had too many kenduris to attend so pagi2 I swallowed some pills. Alhamdullilah I was somewhat relieved of it. Went to Seremban for a wedding, braving the jams and bila sampai, we were confronted with what I could describe as chaos. At first I couldn't understand what was happening then I discovered that food wasn't enough. There weren't any cutleries, plates nor drinks either. My menyibuk-ness berjaya revealed that the caterer bailed and sub-contractor-ed the work to another caterer. At 9am that very morning. Nasib baik the new caterer sempat pegi pasar and masak. But... they could not offer services so keluarga pengantin lah terpaksa basuh pinggan and kemas meja and pi kedai beli nasik and lauk sebab tak cukup.

Kesian betullah.

Balik dari Seremban we went straight to Kamil's aunt's house for her grandson's snip-snip. On the way to Seremban we used the normal highway.... errrmmm.... KESAS agaknya.... and as usual was jammed up. But jalan balik entah macamana we ended up at LEKAS and it was marvellous. So lapang, and tak sesak and the scenery was beautiful.

Anyway, because we were late we thought there would be no more food at Kamil's aunt's house, which was really fine by us because kita orang pun dah kenyang. But we were wrong. Food was still aplenty and since Kamil's aunt was the cook, we had to partake some to show respect. It was delicious nonetheless. Heheh.... Ada gulai nenas tuh.... and I am a sucker for gulai nenas.

I was so dreading to attend the next wedding we had at 8pm, what with my full stomach. But terpaksa jugak makan as it was an Indian wedding and I just nak rasa. Kalau a Malay wedding maybe aku tak makan gak sebab lauk semua sama je kan, but since this is different I had to.

So..... sebab itu lah aku macam ikan paus bila balik rumah and still very much like ikan paus when I woke up and had to rush to SDCC to send Adik to her camp. Well... tempat berkumpul to get to camp. While waiting for the bus though, I received news that the father of a friend passed away.

Now, me and her... we are not close but... we are always sweet to each other. I am fond of her. So I called her and to hear her cry, was sad indeed. So now, sat lagi I have to go over to her house for her father's funeral.

Sigh... three kenduris and a funeral indeed.

Al-Fatihah.