How many cards did you get?

Remember when we're (a lot) younger, and getting raya cards were all the rage? With all those pantuns like

Pecah kaca, pecah gelas

Sudah baca, harap balas

Gone are the days.

For this Raya, I received a total of 5 cards, two of them were jointly named between me and Homer, the other three .... well the other three is a bit scary considering that it was addressed especially for me, at my parent's home, with the stamp ripped off ..

Signed....

Salam Perjuangan, (with photos)
YAB Tuan Guru Dato' Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat
YB Dato' Seri Tuan Guru Hj. Abdul Hadi Awang

Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS)


Three raya cards, from PAS... hand delivered to my old address!

Even my dad was amused.

Should I be scared? For now, I'll stick with being blessed.. that at least, someone thought of me.. in a "greeting card" way.

-give-Islam-a-chance-L

Eid is upon us!

Selaaaammmaaattt Haaarrrrriii Raaayyyyyaaaaaa....

Taram tum tum tum tum tarra tum.....

Just be glad you all didn't have to hear me singing ..

May all be well and happy during this blessed Eid. Raya money for lil' Ni-Mu is most welcomed...

-yum-yum-lemang-L

Short.. shorter...

So I made another trip to see Mr. Ninen yesterday.

The hair's shorter now.

But still nowhere close to V.Beckham's style. I guess I need some collagen injected on my lips and lose another 5 kilos before that can happen.

The Vain Pot that I am, (glancing sideways to see reflection on mirror) this hairstyle reminds me a lot of me 6 years ago.... when Homer will do just anything I tell him to. Based on last night, this hairstyle doesn't do that anymore. Obviously, he was on the "I'm wooing you" stage, and now that we're on the "I think I have you" stage... emphasis on the "think"..

Selamat Berbuka everybody!

-light-and-easy-L

In your Face!!!

I've been turned turned into a zombie, given hot coco for sahur, received and bought designer bags and got into trouble over sticky notes.....

Yes, I have finally made my entrance in facebook.

I don't know what took me so long...

Oh I forgot..

1. I DO have a job
2. I AM a supermom
3. And this new hairstyle needs a LOT MORE attention.

Can't really do much with #1 and #2, but I sure as hell can do something about #3... *gasp* watcha think???

-have-no-time-for-facials-L

A Grim Reminder

BLG sent this link to me..

http://nurinjazlin.blogspot.com/

It pains my whole being.
I'm not sure whether my lungs are expanding or crushing, so hard to breathe.
And everything turns a little bleary.
Every single time I read or hear about this little girl.

I cannot begin to imagine what the family is going through.

"This too shall pass" has no meaning in this context.

The monster is still at large. I wish for it to be caught, and then die a thousand deaths. Burn in hell for eternity.

-enraged-L

The Marrying kind.

So I came across this in my email, and not wanting to sound too much like Oprah (but already beginning to..) decided to put it up here.. have a read and let's analyze together.. ala Dr. Phil.. shall we?

DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON?

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question.

She said, "How do I know if I married the right person?"

I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said,

"It depends. Is that your husband?"

In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?"

Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer.

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies.

Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience.

You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love...

Because it's happening TO YOU.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet." Think about the imagery of that _expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU.

Falling is love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience.

But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown. People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work,a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it.

I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could.

And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the _expression "the labor of love." Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable...you can "make" love.

Love in marriage is indeed a "decision"... Not just a feeling.

The rules applies, no doubt, and for those who's been married and have at least celebrated their first anniversary , knows that it's HARD work. The thing is, we being women have this weakness of (over) analyzing things... So we need affirmation, like the article above, we already know this, but having it written out and spread out in mass email is important to women all over the world.

But the excerpt above will have different effect depending on who reads it, whether they're in a relatively good mood (or not), crazy in love (or not) , etc..

I'll bet my bottom dollar, that when a woman reads this, they'll share it (guilty!), but men... ahhh Men.. they'll delete it the minute they read "Did I Marry The Right Person?" on the title of the mail. Why? Because, they don't want to get into the nitty gritty of relationship analysis. If it happens, great, if it falls apart, too bad.. time to move on, people heal and happiness is around the corner.

For us delicate kind.. If it happens.. oohhh, how deliciously wonderful! The world suddenly becomes a better place, and if it falls apart, ooo what went wrong? why? is it really time to move on? healing is such long and painful process. Drama. Easier said than done of course.. I can write about how everything will be okay.. as long as you stay strong.. bla..bla.. but I'm not gonna be a drama mama today.

I'm not saying that the snippet above is total crap because it IS true, but for once, I just wish that instead of us just worrying about how hard we've worked on the relationship .. take some time out for YOU... yes, I'm talking about ourselves.. remember who you were .. and who you've become now. And for once, I wish the guys know that EVERYONE can fall in love, yes, including your partner.. You fell for her, right?

People IN love and people OUT of love share one thing in common.. They're irrational. Remember that. Love is a funny thing, marriage is not even a thing... it's everything rolled into one.. like a rainbow roll and sometimes dipping it with a little soya and wasabi mix makes it more interesting.

In the end, it's as simple as this.. Are you happy? Is this what you want? Cos, if you're not happy, you'll find ways to be happy.. it's just HOW you are going to make yourself feel better... Staying true to yourself can be hard.. but look where it has gotten you, right?

Take care of yourself, and then take care of each other. NEVER take each other for granted. Not even for a little while....

I sound more like Oprah on Vicodine.

-Merry-L

The tale of Fiji and Kiki

So, when we were in HK, G-Man wanted to take us out for dinner. First of all, it was so weird because he insisted I bring my kid along... and on top of that he went out of his way (well... he didn't do all the work..) to find a "child-friendly" restaurant to go to.. Obviously being (erm..perhaps.. thinking that..) single and HOT, the only place he goes to are in Lan Kwai Foong.

In the end I just told him that we can just go anywhere as long as it's not the pub/club scene, as I doubt that they'll have high chairs (the ones at the bar doesn't count). We decided on Ruth Christie's steak joint.

Food was great, company was even better and when it comes to getting the bill, G-Man paused... I've known this guy for 6 years now, and I've never seen him flinch when it comes to picking up the tab.

Eating out in HK is expensive.. but you'll never guess how much our precious mineral water cost us.. well him.

US$15

For less than a litre.

And we went through 5 bottles.

The water was more expensive than my meal!

The water was about 260 ringgit.

More than his wine.

... And yes, he made us finish the water we had in our glasses..

Does water from Fiji taste better than water collected at some water source in Taiping? I don't know, as far as I'm aware, I've never heard of any water tasting session...

At least it was perfectly chilled...


And for those who were curious.. When Ni-Mu caught sight of Mickey Mouse.. she hopped and clapped all the way to the town square screaming "KIKI!KIKI!"... I see a groupie unfolding right before me....

-drink-a-lot-L

I wasn't dreaming..

Was it me.. or did I just felt the room move. I swear the wardrobe sliding door shook for a little while.

No, I'm not on drugs.
No, I'm not under any medication that can cause hallucination.

Checked out latest news - Nothing.

Tomorrow is Ramadhan Kareem, as my Egyptian friends puts it.

Oh God.. Homer just confirmed that CNN has just reported of an earthquake in Indonesia.

My prayers goes to them.......

-L

M-I-C... see you real soon!

How come when I go away on business trips, I always manage to make a family trip out of it. I guess so far I go to "not boring" places as Homer puts it... (ye ke?)

And I guess I'm lucky to work with a bunch of people (yes, one of them is my boss) who insist I bring the babies (big and small) for a site visit in Macau, when they found out I brought them with me to Hong Kong.

We didn't win anything.. since we never went to the casino.. but I have to say, Macau's Venetian is HUGE.. bigger than its' original in Vegas. Crazy, right.. they're planning to replicate Vegas' strip in Macau.. I wonder if the clubs will be as "hot" as the ones in Vegas. And speaking of Vegas, G-boss have ruled out any possibility of me going for our annual meeting/training there.. Dang! I've missed out on that trip for 3 straight years.

Got tomorrow off and we're going to see Mickey Mouse speaking Cantonese. Imagine that. Can't wait to see Ni-Mu's reaction when she sees her "kiki-mouse".....

-kiki-mouse-L

Do I still need a helmet?

What does one do when they suddenly have some free time and feeling adventurous?

Unlike Subby Hubby's comment in the previous post, not everyone has the luxury of having affairs with two of their bosses..

Today, I plonked myself on Mr. Ninen's chair and let him do his magic.

45 minutes and 2 chinese teas later, my reflection stared back at me .. There I was, sans curls and 3 inches of hair..

I LOVE it...

Mr. Ninen of course loved it too.. but then, he says that to all his clients.. So, can't really take his word.

*******

So here I am, typing.. and every 3 minutes; I sneak a sideway glance to see my reflection (yes, again and again) on the wardrobe mirror.

Funny, at times, I look like I'm wearing a helmet.. and at other times, I'm loving the new do ...

Whatever it is, I am officially no longer able to sport the beehive ala Amy Winehouse. I wonder if the thick black eye liner effect can work with helmet-ish hair..

"They tried to make me go to rehab.. but I won't go.. go.. go.."

Okayyy, definitely won't work.

-my-helmet-needs-some-highlights-L

You don't know me... or do you?

I'm one complex woman. Really.

I'd like to think that I'm highly intelligent, but to date, I have no inkling on what MENSA stands for.

I'd like to think I'm tech savvy, but I still have problems creating charts from my excel files.

I buy those hard cover marketing / sales books, but I find myself drawn to the racks where pictures of Britney, Katie Holmes, Posh Becks are splashed in a collage-like manner. (..and bought those to..)

The good thing is, I know I am complicated, hence the title of yours truly's blog.

I am everything rolled into one quirky ball, the good, the bad and the ugly... but a BALL nonetheless. I do distinctly remember Barney (yes, the purple dinosaur), singing.. "if you have a ball, you have the greatest toy in the world!" .. So I guess I am the greatest toy in the world!

I forgot why I started typing this entry.. Looking back, it could have been the beginning of a very deep insightful composition on the complexity of human nature. But I've lost track of my thoughts and now it's just another account of a spaced out gal who's been watching a lot of imaginary dinosaurs, monsters and people dressed up as the alphabets on TV.

*sigh*

-not-a-shopping-complex-L

My solecism...

A long lost friend once told me that people do stupid things. And there's nothing we can do about it.

I asked him, "Have you done lots of stupid things?"

He answered, "Yes, many.. "

I asked again, "Do you think I'm making a stupid mistake now?"

"Yes.." He said , his eyes bore into mine. Pleading. " I don't want to be your stupid mistake"

That was 10 years ago.

I saw him today, as I was walking to the car, my whole life in tow.

He said hello. I smiled back, "Hey! Look at you.." . I wanted to say so many things, but just couldn't.

I wanted to tell him, he was right.. people do stupid things .. but he was not a mistake per say, because I learned so much from him. Seeing him again today, reminded me how much I have grown. Without trying to make him appear like a mere object ... he was useful after all...

-there's-always-something-somebody-can-do-L

Wanted...

I'm looking for a part time baby-sitter. Preferably someone who can make their own way to my place. If anybody knows of someone that does this kind of services, let me know.

The other option is to find a drop off nursery.. Any recommendation for Ampang area?

-stretched-out-L

Life is a stunt!

I am huggable.
I am adorable.
Made 100% to be cuddled, played with, loved.
Most importantly I am here to love without ever judging you.

Unconditional.

You dress me up, adorn me.. you even gave me flowers

And now I'm strapped at the hood of the car, going 100 kph!
Bugs splattered across my face, my beautiful soft fur is now splotchy .. almost a rag.
Whyyyyyyy????

.
.
.
.
.
.


My version of what those "poor teddy bears used as part of wedding car ornament" are thinking...

Poor teddies! Every single time I see teddies on any of those lavishly decorated cars, I kept imagining the horrors it must has gone through... It's like, so you think you're gonna be hugged and loved.... you're wrong!!! I'm gonna strap you up and let you have a taste of life in the fast lane!!

Kesian Teddy... I'd give you a hug but....

-i-love-ted-teddy-roooooo-L

I'm still here..

My.. my.. just realized how long it's been since I last updated this blog. I don't even know where to begin.. Isn't it scary how today became yesterday, and yesterday became last week, and last week became last month? Time is a funny thing.

And what, pray tell, have I been doing all this while.. BUSY.. doing I can't remember what anymore ..

All I know is that there has been a lot diaper changing, cos Ni-Mu had a bout of diarrhea.. going over endless invoices, cos it's the end of 2nd quarter.. and of course lots of making up in the "buying" department. I've forsaken my shopaholic self, and now she's back with a vengeance!

But amidst all this, I'm a woman with a goal.. To achieve this goal by end of this year I must -

1) Cook dinner every day. We spend waaayyyy too much on food. An average of 2 dinners at Chilli's every week is inexcusable.

2) Stop buying white shirts/tops/dresses. I have too many .. Other colors are permissible, I can't "kill" fashionista-L, can I?

3) Not charge anything to the old credit card.. Seeing my bank account shrink should scare me silly plus, cash is the way to go right?

On the bright side -

1) I've almost cleared my credit card. "Almost" being the key word here.. I should've never taken up that bloody "on the phone loan".. for people like myself, it's a total scam... and now I have to pay the remaining stupid loan....

2) Ni-Mu is helping out by refusing to eat her proteins... She actually prefers vegetables.. go figure! I had to sneak her chicken bits underneath the carrots and green beans. Veggies are cheaper than chickens, right?

3) The whole of Malaysia's on sale now. So basically I'm getting my stuff cheaper... (Okay, I'm not sure whether this should be categorized under "the bright side" but 50% off gotta mean something!)

And on the high note -

1) A designer cum boutique owner in KLCC actually came up to me last week in Zara's changing room and asked me whether I got my dress at Pucci, and whether it is still available. *gasp* I can carry off 99 ringgit dress as Pucci! Beat that! I normally don't make a big deal out of this.. but this woman is a designer in her own right.. I even have some of her stuff. To top it all, she showed me a beautiful Pucci jacket that she had just bought!

2) I'm grateful that my silver lined jelly-ish tummy is what it is... Did you all see that "Sextuplet" docu-drama? That woman is brave indeed!

-striker-L

GST

Short for Great Singapore Trip...

No surprise that Ni-Mu loved the Zoo... Suffice to say that she was completely knocked out! And went crazy at the gift shop.. (ke mana tumpahnya kuah kalau tak ke nasi???) ..

But the greatest surprise is the fact that I... yes, the shopaholic that I am DID NOT BUY anything while we were there!!.. Bear in mind that the Great Singapore Sale was ON!

Kenapa? Tak percaya ke??

I don't believe it myself...

-am-i-cured?-L

Is it really 6/6?

Today I turn thirty three
Wish I can go for a shopping spree...

But then..

When will I ever be debt free?

Ah well.. Happy Birthday to me!

The skinny on skin

I hate people with great skin.. And I'm talking about the skin all over our body... you do know that skin is the largest organ in our body, right???

After having the baby, I have managed to get back to my old size.. and before my friends roll their eyes.. yes, we're talking really old size.. like before I was married.. And I'm really ever-thankful for that.. (I thought my mom's genes has forsaken me.. ..) But my skin.... arghhhh my skin!!

To put it bluntly, my tummy area looks like one of those cotton shirts that needs ironing. When I button up my pants, the creases around my belly button magically turns into some flower-like decoration .. While Heidi Klum, Denise Richards even Britney Spears seems to still be able to parade around in a bikini...

Well, at least I can pretend that I'm a beautiful package, with a ribbon in the middle!

Care to unwrap me?

A year wiser? Really?

He's no zombie... he's my husband. Oookaaayyy, maybe he IS a zombie.. at the very least, acts like one from time to time.

He's gonna be 32 tomorrow.. BIG deal, I'm a good one year ahead of him, yup.. I was already walking and have had many childhood milestones before he came to the world! In so many ways, he's yet to achieve some emotional and sociological yardsticks, which sometimes just makes me wanna really ...... argghh! OK, let's not go there, it might just be used in court one day..

And he (still) dares to question my decisions ... Get it through that head of yours.. (like that bloody knife!).. I am always right, have always been .. and will always be. It's one of the many unexplained reasons, why we're together. I guess it's God's way of balancing out this crazy world.

Do I sound overly condescending? Well, I guess that's because I promised myself to be REALLY NICE to Homer tomorrow .. since IT IS his birthday.. So I just gotta let it out today, get it out of my system, you know what I mean?

So here's to you Homer, act less like a zombie.. we both know how I can't stand people who lacks consideration for others.. u-huh... yessirreeebob.. you know what I mean... and you might just surprise yourself (and yours truly) on how much you can gain (as in wisdom... not weight, okay?) when you're true to yourself.

32 years and more to come! And please do NOT wear that mask tomorow when I take you out...

-so-not-zombie-L

Another confession..

Confessions of a Drama Mama..

This is my story, I may get a lot of backlash by spilling this out but I just gotta do it.

"Mandi tak basah, makan tak kenyang, tidur tak lena".. literally and figuratively hits the mark when it comes to explaining motherhood.

How do you clean yourself while having a tiny person screaming and banging on the shower screen... How can you truly enjoy food when every other minute you're making sure that tiny little person is eating their share of food and entertained... How do you have deep sleep knowing that a tiny person relies solely on you to comfort them..

I cannot recall the last time I had a great shower.. or a nice soak in the bath. Tried having that on my last business trip, but my schedule was just jam packed, I ended up enjoying the toilet seat more.. and look at how long I raved about that. Which reminds me that I no longer have privacy during nature's call, yep, she follows me there too.

I order the same thing everytime I go to Chilli's - Triple play, because.. Firstly, Nimu can eat the chicken crispers; secondly, they're finger foods so it is easy to just pick up and gobble down; thirdly, I seriously don't remember how it tasted in my previous visit... It's like, "hang on.. didn't I like the buffalo wings? it was good right? maybe i should just order that again and remind myself how it was..". And this happens EVERY time we go there. And really, it happens every single time we eat together, wherever I am, I just don't remember how the food tasted.

Even with Nimu sleeping through the night since she's 3 months old, I don't sleep like I used to. Just before I sleep, I worry about things I should have done .. like that small plate in the sink.. or her bottle, then I'd go out and clean the damn plate and bottle, then I'd realize that the clothes have been dry for the past 2 nights and I really should take them in and fold them... the list goes on.. which in turn manifest themselves into nightmares. I'd wake up all sweaty because my laundry just won't leave me alone!

I'm a magazine junkie, and I've a pile of InStyle that I haven't gone through, let's not forget books.. Ambitiously, I bought two last week.. only to take them out of the bag last night. And I swear I bought at least four in the past 6 months or so, but I have no idea where it is now. I guess this will explain my "not been shopping" but actually has bought gazillion new outfits..

There! I've said it! In as much as I love the fact that my baby girl can't let me go, or needs me to feed her or cries for me when she wakes up in the middle of the night ... that little part of me misses the time when it used to be all about ME....

And how do I handle "Motherhood"? With MIXED feelings .. the good, the bad and the ugly all rolled into one .. making me the "DRAMA MAMA". All I know is that I'm going to give my mum a trip to the spa for Mother's Day... after all, I'm sure she went through the "Mandi tak basah, makan tak kenyang, tidur tak lena" - phase.

To everyone who can relate to this entry, Happy Mother's Day! To Homer, happy golfing! (Homer bashing welcomed, although I have taken the "lantakla" attitude which to me is considerably more than the "whatevaaaa" stand point )

-dang-i-have-to-wash-the-dishes-now-L