Thursday, August 2, 2007

Routine


Busy busy busy day!!! There's nothing more than busy bee that i can only update i guess. And what make things worst we took shift to take care of the kids after work so that either him or me can work late at work. We took SHIFT!!. Supposed that i have a not so stress type of work now what happend :((

We went to a stress management class last monday. After all our project doesn't want their project team to get really stressed and we need to manage the stress. Stress management session that took half day for three weeks in a row ??? We get even really stress!!! But the positives sides of it...i have started to look at the greener side of our life here rather than rambling bout works or how sucks life can be .....I hope.

Let see what happend in my life lately. Wakes up around 630 or 700 to be exact. Hubbs will actually wakes up as early as 530 to attend Fawwaz. Myself ..i can't really open my eyes. Then first things ill do in the morning is cook!. This is our routine. I will prepare breakfast and lunch boxes for all of us. Most of the time i need to prepare three types of food as i want something spicy, aariz wants stgh not too spicy but adult food while fawwaz he still a baby. So ill prepare porridge or pasta with chesse for him. And i have picky hubby and kids when it comes to food and i need to be variety. Hubbs on the other hand, will be very busy bathing the kids one by one and get himself ready and feed the kids. Once we settle off we go to send them to the nursery.

Next is all work until 330 or 400 (i supposed to be off from work by 300). So i rushed back home and think hard to cook for dinner. It took me one hour now to prepare meal for the whole family as i need to go and pick up the kids at 5 together with hubby. Once we reached home, hubby will start the fire, get the kids to bath while i prepare the dinner. Usually by 6 all of us will settle for dinner. The only things now, the battle to feed the kids... Aariz somehow get very fussy during dinner. He only wants rice with no veggie or meat. And i will insist him to have some. Be it pasta, mee or bread...he doesnt want to eat meat or veggie. Just cheese and eggs...and yogurt. Convert mat saleh anak aku. Dah la makan tak nak pakai tangan. Nak pakai sudu. Fawwaz he wants attention. We need to only feed him and look at him if not he will scream out loud. No peacefull dinner time. But we do get entertained by them after all. After cleaning up the dishes....i will settle with the kids while hubbs go back to the office. And be back by 930 or 11 pm. And the clock start again.

In between we also need to manage laundry, house cleaning and other domestic works. It's pretty tiring lately. Stime i do have telecon at odd hours, where that is when hubby need to go home and take care the kids while im in the meeting. Weird working hours for me as NZ timezone is different from other country.

So what is the connection with what im saying to look at the greener side of my life. Prob ill blog about it later. As of now i need to take a bath and help hubby do some cleaning.

It's 1030 pm now. Later

Sunday, July 8, 2007

2nd Tornado - Worst in NZ history


The tornado that we had a couple of days ago, apparently is the worst in damage amount in the history of New Zealand. We got hit by the tornado for the 2nd time and a town about 15 km from here was badly damaged. The civil defense declared our area a state of emergency and about 50 people were left homeless.

The picture here is actually end of the road of where we're currently staying. Come to think of it, the tornado misses our house just by a a few hundred meters.

Placemakers

Our colleague from office had his roof blown away. Luckily, a lot of people in NZ have house insurance and even after these tragedies, they still can manage to smile and come to office!

We hope the weather's gonna be fine for a while.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Busy Bee


We are very2 busy. The project has started to heat up. There's a lot's of things to do but we don't have the luxury of time to stay back at the office. For the past few days, the kids are not helping to especially Aariz. Screaming like mad asking for this and that ....still wanting his nenek especially when he didn't get what he wants. And it's really testing our patient. As of today...hubby has to go back to the office to clear up some stuff after dinner. I had to take care the kids and get them to sleep. But they are being wonderful today.....as the little one come and hug and snug me...while the big one being nice and at least listen to my instruction. I guess the "grandparents syndrom" is over hehe.

We had a tornado yesterday....it's a baby tornado but they are still damage around our area. I'm quite shock when i get to know that there are tornado here...not to mention earthquake that hubby experienced last month. I think hubby will blog about it later.

Hurm what else to write. I have no idea...too tired.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Catching up


It has been a while myself and hubby did not post anything here. Back from Perth I was busy catching up with the kids. My son Fawwaz is having high fever. This little guys just cant be far from any of us. I think from myself to be specific as i remembered when hubby went to China, he just being fine. When i first fly to NP during the workshop for 2 weeks, Fawwaz having the same high fever while i'm away. That force me to cut my trip from 3 weeks to 2 weeks.

Let me jot down something about Fawwaz for me to remember when i'm old later. He's one cranky little boy. He hardly sleep through out a nite till today. He make an angry sounds like 'hurmmmm' 'hurmmmm' when we are late feeding him. When he cry, he likes to open his mouth wide open until his pacifier almost slip thru his mouth haha....When he faught with his big brother, he will make a sound like the world will end and always make like his brother has done a terrible thing to him .....But despite all that.. he's so manja and bubbly little boy.

He likes to lay his head to our shoulder when we carry him. He will climb at our leg and make a cute face so that we pick him up. He will make bubbles with his mouth and his brother will laugh out loud ...he will make more bubbles for his brother then. His brother will run around the house pulling his toy and he will crawl around the house try to catch his brother. When any of us sits in front of the tv, he will come and sleeps on our lap. This little boy can be annoying at one momment and can be very at the same time.

When my parents are here, they sleeps at the kids room. They put the matress down so that both of them can sleep with my eldest son Aariz. We brought Fawwaz's cot to our room. As he still unsettled little boy. While we both are away, my parents bring in Fawwaz's matress only to the room and they are gaps in between. So my dear big boys has stuffed some blanket and pillows in between. He say's "nanti fawwaz jatuh....". Sweet isn't.

Having these two little kiddos has really lighten up my life. Back from Perth i had a week off, taking care of the kids and entertaining my parents as this is their final week. They just fly back this morning. And we are back to old normal routine. 3 weeks they are quite a damage has been done to the kids haha. So it's time to fix it. It's 8.30 pm now. Fawwaz has just fall asleep. Aariz still jumping around the house..ops not the house...on top of dining table ...hurm! Later for more update.



Thursday, June 21, 2007

Winter's Here







IMG_2198.JPG


Originally uploaded by Kartini Karim.


Now it's winter over in New Zealand...and here's a picture of our lovely fireplace in our lovely home.



For your information, this is a modern fireplace with feature to control the air intake. This enables firewood to burn much slower and give much more heat at the same time.



However our house does have a problem: It's not insulated well enough Means, it feels colder because heat can escape quite easily through the floor and ceiling.



We can't wait for summer to arrive again... 3 months to go.

INGGERISH with KIWI slang


Was talking to a friend of mine last night. About my son who has pick up some english. Earlier when he's at his kindi, the only thing that he respond to his teacher or friend will be...Yupp. Everything is yupp. Soon I learn from the teacher , he start to repeat the english sentence whenever people speak to him.

Last few weeks, we notice they are a lot's of improvement. He started to speak with some slang haha. Like singing bob the builder song, but he will pronouce builder like kiwi slang not our slang. Once hubby pick him up at school, he said "see you later" to all his friend.
He tried to speak with us like, "I want to eat", "I want to pee"....."i want to berak" hahahahahahaha :p
The other day when im in his room, he wants me to switch on the light. So he said...."ma i want to light" ...oh my dear boy :p.

We have a naughty corner at our home. Where when he gets naughty we put him there rather than smack him. Most of the time he will feels sorry ....For some reasons he feel proud to tell everybody (visitors), that corner is his naughty corner. One day, im ignoring him as im watching tv. I think he get angry then he said to me. "You naughty.....go naughty corner" Hehe.... I'm impress on how he tried to speak in english and to put me at the naughty corner....

Last one i remembered is when i send hubby to the airport ....there's a cute mat saleh girl and he tried to make a conversation...."That is helicopter....hellicopter is landing". I just smile from far. The only thing for now ....every flying things with fans he thought it's a helicopter.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Happy Anniversary Dear


Today 2oth June marked our 4th year being together.
It's also the day we reflect our achievements together; afar from each other. Let's look at what we have achieved...

I've gained a good 2 extra inches on my waist :D
She gained a more manageable jantan (guy) :P

I've eaten quite a variety of good food cooked by wifey :D
She enjoy to watch me eat all of it :P

She tried pilates classes....
I tried to jog....Both of us failed miserably! :P

She's a lady that works like a consultant (Work Planning and Execution)
I'm a guy that behaves like a NATO con-sultant... (No Action Talk Only)...


Dear, thanks for making it a meaningful 4 years. Happy Anniversary. BTW, it will still be a challenging road before I can retire you to become a full time housewife :P

2nd day in Ozzie land



Today is my second day in Perth. I had a few good sessions with the user and a good therapy for myself. I take this opportunity to rejoice myself by shopping, had a good food and a good chat with my colleague here. Everything is good as my assignment to this project, you are treated like a royalties. Buss class flight, staying at big hotel and big room…..(if they have kitchen my hotel room can be an apartment already), claim actual on dining but of course high expectation to deliver!....

I reached here Sunday evening. Took a taxi towards the hotel, and I’m pretty surprised that the driver were a lady from Bosnia. Soon after that I learnt that most of the taxi driver here is not local people. But people from all over the world. I’ve meet two taxi driver from Bosnia, one from New Zealand (funny I found a NZ taxi driver in Perth), and one from Somalia. Don’t ask why I met so many taxi drivers as I’ve been here for only two days. Ermmm you still wondering aren’t you…hehe. Actually I’m lazy to walk and since I can claim actual, I took a taxi to find a nice place for my dinner.

Perth for me, it’s a quite city and a lot’s of people from different culture. Indonesian and Malaysian is everywhere. I do enjoy the food here as finally I can get some decent Asean halal food and the most important thing. I did not cook it myself haha. So dear hubby, don’t get jelous ok. I had a ‘teh tarik tonight with chicken rendang…..yummmm :p.

Since I got married to my dearest hubby, I start to get really dependant to him. Hardly being a part from him, so when I got this assignment as usual he will nag me to get all stuff sorted out in order.

Yah im a bit clumsy myself too… This morning, when I woke up, I realize that I miss place the access card to get into my Perth office. End up I search all over my bag…and guess what. I found my KL company access card that has been missing for half a year. The access card it does not really matter to me as I go back to my office once in a blue moon. But I need the perth office access card as I would like to go to the office early. There’s goes my plan …I need to wait for my workmate to reach to the office so that I can tag along. True enough the access card is on my table…

Next is after all my session finish for today, I decided to do a quick shopping. Being adventurous, I go alone to the Harbour Town where they are lots of factory outlet shop. I shopped until they closed which is around 5.30 pm. Most foreign country is unlike us where we open the shop until 10.30 pm. After shopping then I realized that errr…how am I going back to my office? I need to meet a friend there for my dinner. Long story to cut it short, I took the Yellow Cat bus (free bus) after asking a few people, then I just ring the bell as I see a landmark to my office. I walk for 15 minutes to find my way out and turn out I took the long way instead but finally manage to go back to the office. That is not just yet. I can’t go up as somehow the lift doesn’t seem like working after 6.00 pm. Luckily I bump into one of my user that showed me how to go up. After 6 they are special lift and u need to tag ur access card to go up. Yaiy….it’s like working at a secret company with a secret code gitu. Go up meet my friend then we went out again for dinner, this time i have my friend with me so things kinda in order. To just end my day for today, on the way back after dropping my friend….as the taxi took me to my place, upon payment. I can’t find my purse!!!!! OMG……keep on telling myself to calm down as I search my handbag. Then I start to search my shopping bag and thank god I found it. Quickly I pay the taxi driver and goes up to my room.

Despite all the things happened to day. I’m just a happy lazy lady…..Well dear…I can still manage myself OK! ;). Will see what’s going to happen for the next few days hehe.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Taranaki Earthquake


June 15 6.15am NZ Time, 4.2 Richer Scale 15 km underneath from where we are.

This is the first time I've experienced earthquake in my whole life. It was a brief 3-4 seconds and I really thought it was my outside gazebo chairs are falling. I was already awake because Fawwaz is an early riser....

A couple of my friends, including wifey, tak bangun! Even my in-laws didn't realize it.

When we got to work, our colleagues says it it's kinda norm to have that over this part of the world...

Link to NZ Geonet

Now, Im currently in GMT-7, Kids at GMT+12 and wifey at GMT+8....Sigh....

Quarter life


I, hubby and the kids are now in three different timezone. Not more that 1 minute when I was in the flight my tears already falling down thinking again….why do I need to do this?

When I depart from the small airport in NP just now, Aariz is just being a happy boy. You see for my kids, it doesn’t really matter already. They are just so used to be a part from us for certain timeframe. Kinda heartbreaking I would say as they will not shed a tears either me or hubby fly away from them. Look at the positive perspective, they are feeling secure to be with my parents. That eases some of my uneasiness for leaving them behind. But I will still feel guilty…:(

In my industry, people work in funny way. I do work in funny way hehe. I don’t know is it Asian people just like to do that ..i just don’t know. They are few people that I know, not really working in my company but work in the same project. Leaves their husband, or wife , or husband with kids or wife withs kids back behind in Malaysia. Not for one week or one months. But for years. And they are not young…they are at the age of 40s. Sometimes I would think, do they do this because of money or work satisfaction ? Hurm I don’t know. Reflects back to my current life. Everything goes well except the flying part. When we have to leave our family behind. There’s one time hubby goes away for 1 month. I went crazy. So far hurm so far…that the longest that me and my kids are a part from hubby. Could it be any longer ……? I don’t know.

I know for the facts that the older generations would says that... Grab the opportunities while you are young. I always ask back….how much do I need to take? And how far ? Can I just leave the opportunities to my hubby and just let me stay behind. With the kids ? As I think and think, I am still doing what I do. I think hurm…I have a quarter life crisis. You think there’s no quarter life crisis ??? You are wrong …try to wiki ;)


Thursday, June 14, 2007

Journey of life


I have promised myself not to blog bout my work, hence i delete the previous posting. I shall keep my working stories back in my closet once i reach home and think bout other stuff....haha.

Ah.. i havent mentioned that my parents are here didn't i. Yupp they arrived last Wednesday to take care and spoilt the kids. You see the first day my parents arrive my dear Aariz had a lollipop before his sleep. May not be a big deal for others but hey my kid tooth is starting to decay...the front one. And i tried my best not to make it getting worst.....Part of he's not going to look that cute and handsome...he will be in pain as well. Anyway that is for the first day. The second day he got to eat almost a whole box of master potato by himself during lunch time. There's goes his routine of having decent lunch and obediently sits and eat during eating time. So the rest ...is history.

When we are first assign to this project, we are a bit unsure on how we are going to take care the kids. You see.. we've got all the help that we want and we feels so secure that we leave the house early in the morning and be back at home just in time to get them to sleep. Once we were in Miri, alternately we leave him back in KL for a week and have been flying in and out almost every week. We do it as we thought that is the best for the kids where at least somebody that are closed to us can really love and take a good care of him while we are working. But is it really the best option ? Of course along the way the kids become super duper manja with the grandparents and yah at some point of time refused to be with us. That is the price to pay for us to get more time to work and more money i guess.

So when we accept this project, we were actually was thinking to leave one of our kid, until the very last minute we change our mind. And guess what!!! I'm glad. We reach here and the first few week are very chaotic. We manage slowly to split the house chores and put some routine for the kids. I am lucky as hubby are happy to do some stuff that i dont like to do (ie: basuh ayam, basuh baju, basuh berak budak hehe) and i guess he's also lucky as i exceed his expectation on cooking :D. As for the kids, we put them in a seperate room (both of them in the same room) and we bought a baby monitor to ensure that we are alert if they wake up, crying or so on and so forth. And after a week or two, they can just sleep by themself in their own room. A part from that, Aariz especially...happy to brush his teeth (back in KL he will scream if we want to brush his teeth) and now he can do it by his own. We toilet train him and wallaaaa in a week time he didnt wear diaper during day time. (we still put his diaper on during nite as we are lazy to clean up the mess in case accident happen). He woke up early in the morning sits on his chair and eat by himself. Lot's more things that we as a family has finally able to manage by ourself and by the second month we are here, we already settled down. The feelings of how we are actually capable of managing our own family and to see how the kids really2 love us and being independent and they actually listen to you is a bliss!. For those who stays near their parents and get help from them will know what im saying.

I would think some how our generation is being shielded to much from our parents that even that when we are married and has a kids, we are afraid to move out. Maybe not all of you but i know they are people who are like us. We are the generation who would like to spend more than what we afford, hence we are still there in the comfort zone where we get our parents to still provide. At the end of the day we get the comfort on the material ...but value of life ? ....whether are we really doing our part as a husband, wife, parents and kids for our parents?

Back to the grandparents, so they are here to actually again help taking care of the kids. Hubby going for training and i'm away for outstation. But as we start to live by our own....the grandparents will still spoilt the kids. Some routine goes down to the drain.....but the feelings now are differents. As this is our house, we pays the bills, and i do take care of them while they are here. I'm moving one step of playing my role of taking care of my parents. Not 100% yet. But i'm moving forward. I do feels somehow that my parents are proud...that finally maybe their little daughter has actually grown up. Taking the ownership of running the family and playing the role as a grown up child for the parents is somehow another achievement for the journey of life. And having them playing a truly grandparents role are also a happiness to me.

Now the grandparents may spoilt my kids, and yah they (both kids and grandparents) deserve it once a while....but not for long! Once they are back....You kids shall go back to your routine!!!!!!!! Haha :p

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

the day he bought his shoes


Living in New Plymouth is very peaceful. 5 minutes to work, to the nursery, to the mall to the groceries shop.....what can i ask more. All of sudden i have extra time to appreciate hubby, the kids and extra time to spot tiny little things around me. Like Aariz and his obsess to get things in order.

Well wat else to talk about except for my two little angle. Besides my work (you dont want to read about it) and hubby (haha tis one you dont want to know either!). We are approaching winter ...actually winter already started according to our workmate. And aariz has this little things towards his shoes. Once he loves it...that is the only one that he will wear...We bought him a black flip-flop (selipar jepun) before and he loves it so much, that even the tapak already haus....and make him fall here and there. He wants it still. Until the grandparents actually cut the flip flop into two. Then he satisfied to move to his new brown sandal....Time pass by and his new brown sandal has become old ...and as mentioned earlier...winter approaching and i want him to wear proper shoes to cover his tiny feet. So we went for shoes hunting. From one shop to another....from one week to another....there will always be stgh wrong with the shoes...that we come out from the shop empty handed. Until last weekend...we went to the mall and he point out at this one shoes...actually a boot. "Ma nak kasut tu ma....."

Hurm .....that's interesting..we went in and try few pair...ask him what colour he want and end up with a nice blue boot. So he run out happily wearing hiw new blue boot and that is a happy day for us as well i thought. Until night when we decided to go out again to buy some groceries. Of course he wants to wear his new boot. We reach the supermarket, and it's all wet as it was just raining. When he come out from the car....he accidently step into a pool of water that wet one of his boot. And he started to grumbling and ask me to wipe it off. I dont have any tissue with me at that moment...and that is when he open his favourite jacket (yah he has his fav jacket too) and start to wipe his new blue boot haha. That time hubby is busy with Fawwaz that when he saw Aariz open his jacket he's a bit confuse....and when he saw what Aariz did we look at each other and start to laugh out loud. Poor little Aariz that he's so not happy to see us laughing at him.

Yah that my kids..obsess to get things clean and in order. Once when he eats ..if the rice fall out from his plate..he will not cont until we clean it up. But we manage to adjust that ...and he's ok to eat his meal even if it's a bit messy. As long as we clean it up after that. Once i eat with different pair of fork and spoon, he point me to use the same pair....He did'nt like to see his little brother Fawwaz to cry long either. "Ma bagi puting la kat Fawwaz" or " Ma bagi susu pleaseeeee". Usually if we want to get Fawwaz to sleep we will sing him some zikir....and sometimes when we are lazy and Fawwaz just keep on crying in the car...and Aariz couldn't stand it any more...He will sing him the zikir himself...haha and guess what... Fawwaz did keep quiet after that!

Hurm what can i ask more rite....To see this two kids light up my life. Perhaps third baby ;)

Monday, May 14, 2007

Rotorua trip


Just came back from Rotorua. Will post some pics later.

Monday, April 30, 2007

Kids say the darnest things


Aariz never failed to amuse us with his funny phrases. And this is what just happened last weekend.



Scenario 1 :

We went to the park near to our house. And we bought him yogurt. Yes he wants to try it as most of the kids at his kindi have yogurt during lunch break. So while sitting on the bench facing a river….. While he’s eating his yoghurt…

Aariz : Pa benda ni sedap sangat la pa…..

Haha it may not sounds funny to u but we had a big laugh! Mainly because he gave us the face like I never thought it tastes this delicious and why you never bother to buy it for me before ?



Scenario 2 :

Our landlord Rob and Louis invites us to their house for afternoon tea. They have three lovely kids, Will 5, Max 4 and Giorgia 20mts.

We had a nice chat with Rob and Louis, our kids had a great time playing with Will, Max and Giorgia ….

Once we reach home….



Aariz : Ma tadi tu lumah lob..

Ma : Ha apa lob ?

Aariz : Tadi kita pegi lumah lob ….




And we both laugh…haha again it may not sound funny to you but it does for us cos he was saying like Rob is his friends…..it may not sounds that funny if he mention that he went to Max or Will house.

Anyway ya…that is about Aariz. Fawwaz on the other hand has started to call me Mama. And Aariz realized that.

Scenario 3 :

Almost sleeping time. Aariz on his bed and Fawwaz on his cot. And suddenly Fawwaz leg stucked between the cribs of the cot haha. And he start crying and ask for help ….



Fawwaz : Mama warrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhh cry cry

Aariz : Ma Fawwaz dah pandai sebut mama :p




I’m proud :D

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Aariz peluk penguin







IMG_2086


Originally uploaded by ladyinblack79.


Ni kes kena paksa oleh mamanya untuk peluk penguin.

Friday, April 27, 2007

Susu lemak manis...







pegang botol sendiri


Originally uploaded by ladyinblack79.


Everytime Aariz requested for milk, he will sing this song...



Ma....nak susu lemak manis! Santan kelapa muda....



Today he had the last one because they don't sell chocolate powder milk here. He said it's ok...I'm a big boy already. Hehehe. yah right.



Anyway, this is the first shot where Fawwaz can hold his bottle.

Monday, April 9, 2007

Tup..tup...tup...


Nak revive blog ke?