Monday, August 31, 2009

Yaiy -I love my curtain


I reach KLIA with a huge relief. It's good to be back. OK I know it's a very short trip but this is not an ordinary trip. Cuddling session with the kids last for the whole night. Love the kids so much.

Next day I visit my house to see the progress. Start to open the plastic for our sofa and re-arrange the hall and dining area. My mom bring me to her friend's carpet shop and she ask me to choose the carpet for the living area and my room. It's her present for our new home.

In the afternoon I have an appointment to install my curtain. Now suddenly everything fall into a perfect picture. With the curtain installed, the house become alive. The curtain lady get excited too. We clean the hall and dining area. Put down the carpet, arrange the sofa and the dining table again and the results...Pretty pretty pretty home sweet home :p. The color match in every ways. As they are rushing for Iftar, they didn't manage to iron the curtain. It's a bit crumple so I don't want to take the picture yet and post it here. Some lucky visitor manage to witness the house that very night. I am too excited I guess. At home during Iftar when my family are discussing about other stuff I can't stop talking about how pretty the curtain, carpet and sofa as they come in together.

Well they are more to do and to buy especially for the finishing of the house. Today after sending my parents to the airport, we headed straight to Ikea/Ikano. Get some idea for our laundry area and store room. Buy some stuff for the bathroom and kitchen. I found a shop that sells branded kitchen cutlery and couldn't help myself to buy few more new stuff.

As other people are busy with Raya preparation...while here I am busy dolling up my new house. :D

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Lagos Day 2 till final days...


Trying to blog from Lagos but unable and my excuse will be :

1. I stuck in the training room
2. Connection in the hotel ...very very bad.

I reached Lagos last Sunday and it has been an eye opening experience. Despite all the bad stories that people has portrayed to me, it happened otherwise to me. The people that I met generally very friendly. Of course the security is a bit tight and the part that is not safe to be alone in the city might be true. But the authorities and people that I deal with are all reasonable.

I check in a Elion House hotel, a small hotel in a compound. They are guard house and it's actually gated like a prison. The hotel maybe is a 3 star hotel at our country ...but it cost as good as you stays in Sheraton or Ritz Carlton. I am not complaining as I already set my expectation right. The bed are comfortable at least and it's clean. We are not allowed to eat out or going out to the city by ourselves as the chances to get robbed are high. So room service everyday. Food not bad at all. They use a lot of spices and sometimes can be very peppery to.. but I am ok with that.

Lagos basically is a city, so they are building everywhere. Old building...very very old. They are few big house usually in a compound and they are fenced up like prison. Interesting to see that not only the big house is being fenced up, but also the house in the slum area. When I said a slum, if you watch slumdog millionaire, well that is how it's look likes.

I went into the office the next day and finally meet face to face with my team mate. All of them are young...my age more or less so we blend in easily. Their first language is English if I'm not mistaken and they are other 3 language that makes the national language. They speak fluent English and I notice they are very straightforward. You find mat saleh straightforward...I think these people are more bold. If they ask question and you answer it in a long winding story , they will just intercept and says " I ask you a question, can you please answer it". If you are not answering the question then they will repeat it again.

There's nothing much to tell really as I am just limited from hotel to office everyday. The traffic are massive and the roads are bumpy. We stayed in the Island and according to them the Island is much more safer than the mainland. You should always lock your door as if you are caught in the traffic, high chances to get robbed. They just takes whatever you have, that is why you are not suppose to bring lot's of money with you. But overall, as long you don't take any chance, play safe by following the guideline given by the company you should be fine.

Well what do I gain from this trip?

Personally I get some me time by chilling out by myself after office until the next day. It's really rewarding as since you can't go out anyway then you get just to stay in the bed and being served like a princess. They don't even let you iron your own clothing so I have to handed over everything for them to do it for me.

I gain experience by going to an Africa country. It's an experience and it might be true as what my former boss told me. Go there once and never return ;).I might return to another Africa country cos I haven't seen African as what I saw in the TV. Must get that experience.

Work wise, of course it will be easier for me to support them from KL. As now we see each other face to face, I am sure we can work together better. Oh, you see, African people have a very nice skin especially the ladies. I cant stop staring at their skin during the training session as even they are dark....the skin looks very shiny and delicate.

I did not do any shopping there....no chance at all, as my trip is a short one. They can't bring me out for shopping unless if I have a weekend there. Even persuade me to stay one more day...but I guess I miss my kids already.

Travel with an oil company what you cannot miss is to travel in Business Class with style. I gain by experiencing different aircraft for my trips from old to the First Class seats. Now I am sitting here in the Lounge waiting for my next flight and wondering...can I set my next milestone? To afford travel in business class for family trip in the next 5 years ? Will see :D

See you peeps in KL.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Travel to Africa - Day 1


It has been a busy week for me. Hubby came back on last Sunday and I am supposed to fly to my client base for 2 weeks that night. Unfortunately (or can I say fortunately) I have a glitch with my visa application and it has delayed my trip. The trip shorten to one week and I am currently on my way to the second richest oil country in the world ( betul ke dear ?).

Anyway as usual I am no longer thrilled with the business trip …really I missed the kids even before I depart. As the flight is at 2.00 am in the morning, I get the chances to get the kids into bed before I left. Weeks of preparation telling them I will be away hopefully will work out. Since I started to work from home a lot, they kinda use to have me around 24 a day. So I keep on telling them I am going to travel for a while and they need to behave. Aariz as usual, he get too used to not having us around since his birth, so he will just nod. Now dah pandai pesan barang pun…isk. As for Fawwaz I hardly leave him around unlike his father, so he is the one that I need to prep. Each time I told him that I’m leaving he will says no. Is either you stay at home with me or take me with you that is what he keep on telling me. Just for the past 2 days when I said I am leaving for work then only he said. “Fawwaz duduk rumah with papa, and abang.” Boy I am glad that at least he let go me for a while…Need to get the update from hubby later on the kids well being.

Travel to Lagos is never part of my plan in my life. Don’t blame me…blame the people that I met and the advice that I receive before my trip. Even the Business Trip advice from the company listed a 3 pages instruction on what to do and what no to do during the visit. Example:

Do’s: Bring nothing that you cannot afford to lose (financially and emotionally) – so I leave all my wedding ring, necklace, watch at home. Ask hubby to buy me new watch teheee, alasan kan which is simple and not noticeable. Also new handbag…actually more to sling back.

Don’t: In the case of emergency show resistance. (err what kind of emergency could be …dah takut kan!!).

But well, I am already half way through it...so just need to get it done I guess. So please pray for my safe journey. Will catch up later when I arrive Lagos.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Resting


Will not update anything for a while ;).

Very happy hubby is back. Not so happy cos I need to tavel pulak...

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

When working from home is not as wonderful as it sounds


Working from home is not so wonderful either when you look it at the other side of it. Imagine the kids inoccently thought that you are at home to play with them but instead you are glued in front of the laptop trying to catch deadline.

Tonight I have unusual telecon at 11.00 my time and been trying to get the kids to sleep since 9.30. Abang is easy cos he didn't get his nap during day so he will dooze off soon after you switch on the night light. Fawwaz on the other hand always wants some one to one quality cuddling and talking time before he close his eyes. I've been trying to give him the attention while multitasking doing some prep for the presentation. He looks a bit sad but try to smile each time I look at him. Trying hard to get my attention. At 10.55 as he still talking and try to cuddle me, I have to leave the room with the laptop and he said...."Maaa why you leave me". As heartbroken it's sound I have to move the next room for my telecon. It last for 30 minutes and I rushed back to the room seeing him fall asleep waiting for me on his bed.

Well darling..sorry sometime mama have to work. Papa need to promise us that one day I should can be stay at home mom and we should have more time to have fun together.

When hubby goes shopping


I need to switch to happy mode. The negative vibes that has been with me for the past few days doesn't do any good for my mental. Hubby on the other hand does not help with my emotional up and down....he make it even worse! Oh that's my hubby by the way. He's not all the way sweet ya know...but he is generous....just to me.


Thanks to the visa officer I might now have extra few days to be with my hubby here in KL. If not the plan will be he arrive sometime at noon on Sunday and I'll be flying out at night around 2.00 am in the morning. Will be seeing each other less than a day ..great huh! So much for busy couple I guess.

Let see what he got for us for this trip. Yeap I am allowed to droll over the picture while waiting for the real stuff to arrive.

He bought my corelle set woot woot. OK la huh utk baru2 nak masuk rumah



Tak bagi yg besar yg kecik pun jadik la :( ... save budget !




Tu dia baju raya bebudak punya byk lah...so no shopping rayalah here.

Hubby were complaining that he need to do so much shopping. Well If only I can switch the place with him....I does the shopping and he deal with all the house fiasco, visa application and all other stuff. That would be nice.

Note: Dear, I still wishing that you will secretly buy me -------- ;)

Potty Train Little Fawwaz Part 3


I am really not done with this huh!. Yeah I'm not hehe.

It has been few days Fawwaz not on his diaper except that sometime my maid still put it on. She maybe lazy cleaning it up as Fawwaz sometime had accident (but for the past few days he's been teriffic) or either she worried that Fawwaz doesn't want to pass his stool. Yeah his timing to poo is a bit off when I start to strip his diaper. So far he only poo when he is on his diaper (when bibik put it on of course) but today....tadaaaaaaaaaaa....

Ok let me tell you in details (don't read if you think it's gross). I am busy working on my laptop and preparing for a meeting which I will be presenting in 15 minutes time that suddenly he pop over and tell me that he need to pee. So I bring him to the toilet and he pee. He went out put his pants on and play beside me. Just as I start to get busy again he scream... "Maaaa why I want to pee again!!!" and rush in to the toilet. I quickly undress him and put him on the throne. Well he try to pee but popping his poo instead ...yucks!. While I am smiling he is screaming again. "Maaaaaaa why I yak....?" Haha I start laughing and he has this yucky face looking at his poo and demand me to flush it out. So I did. I ask him if I can wash him and he said no. " Maaaaaaa why I want to yak again ?????" he ask each time he pass his stool and I had to flush it right away cos he is freaking annoyed with his own stool. I waited for a while and ask him again if I can wash him. He said ok at first but scream again when I start to touch his butt. He afraid that I will touch his stool when I wash him. I think he still think that the thing is still on his butt or coming out from there. But washing him there is much more easier than when he pass on his diaper. It's messy and only people with kids would know how yucky to wash it off when it's all over their bum ;).

Well what do you know...finally my little Fawwaz has really grown up. It's very quick once they learn that they can control themselve to pee or to poo by his own. Now I am happy mother cos I get to save from buying diaper every month!. Oh one more thing, I spend my most crucial 15 minutes for my presentation to trade with the experience to get my little prince poo by his own. How wonderful is that ;)

Monday, August 10, 2009

The stress continue...


I went to the embassy today to settle my visa application. OK let's back track a lil bit. To get all the documents for the visa applications is already a major headache. The process is not stated clearly and no runner allowed. Hence we have to do everything ourselves. Lucky me that my colleague has went thru all the hassle going up and down at the embassy for 4 days in a row just to get the document sorted properly. He submitted last week Friday and all accepted. They promise to come back with the visa today.

As for me...I just get my LOE last Friday and not in time to sort the application last week. So I arrange for today, witnessing a few candidates being rejected. I submit mine with confident. It pass with flying colours (of course I learn from my mates). They ask me to wait for 30 minutes and call me back just to inform me that the officer is on leave for one week. Nothing can be done this week and I was like damn!. I suppose to fly next week. Interestingly my colleague who passed his application last week also need to wait for next week! He suppose to fly today ! Aha! Now we are all stuck with this stupid process and no replacement for person in charge.

Well I am glad partly cos that is not the place that I really want to go but I have to. But the delay will not sort anything cos I will still need to go for at least 2 weeks to train the user. What concern me now if the delay makes them extend me for few more days longer (which means I'll have 2 weekend there), I might missed to greet my parents for their Umrah.

Gosh wouldn't that add on from whatever things that happend to me lately.

I also have one medical condition that I just get to know just now. Might need minor surgery..oh well. Kifarah for dosa2 maybe ?

Thursday, August 6, 2009

The day when I get stressed out!


Well, lately my life has went upside down. The house renovation that should complete before hubby fly off doesnt materialize. They are still a patch of work here and there and even is just minor, it cause a lot of headache.

On top of that my work is currently start to piling up. Training will start somewhere next week and tonnes of preparation need to be done by this week. I have been slacking a bit cos my focus now divided between monitoring the house and a bunch of idiot that make my life miserables and trying to get a visa for my business trip week after next which the process is also a living hell. Both consume lot's of my time during day and as well my energey. Leaving me working from 2 pm (client timezone) till 12.00 am every night. Still have to wake up at 8.oo am continue working and organize the kids! Tough job I guess and I am really a superwoman lately.

I get very stressed out today as when I'm not focus I can't deliver a quality deliverables to my client. What I hate is, as a customer in my house renovation world, the contractor doesn't honour their job as I do. Hence they menyusahkan hidup org lain sewenang2nya. Like if you promise to settle the interior of the house by Monday, and you didn't and I have to reschedule all the delivery of my furniture. Or like if you promise to come over to install the autogate, you didn't turn up and after several days you came in and said that ..."I have to hack the tiles cos your wireman didn't install the wire right"..and I was like ...hello first when we call you didnt pick up, when you promise to come in you didn't, when we ask if the wiring is ok earlier you said is ok and today you said you want to hack the tiles and my newly painted fence that took ages to get ready!!! Of course I am mad. Earlier the people who should install my granite suddenly realize that they need extra plywood cos my sink is a bit 'high' according to them so extra plywood to adjust the height. As they are not familiar with this place and they just deal with the granite they ask me to find the plywood and I was so pissed off as well but dont have energy to fight so I just go and find one. I dont understand why this people don't really go to extra miles to satisfy their customer and please...with this kind of attitude don't blame anyone on why you are still there if you get what I meant. To serve a small number of people, you already make a bad bad impressions.

Some of you might thought why I take this people to work for me. Well we were thinking to help our own kind, giving them business and they have been work wonderfully for my dad as well. But maybe ...just maybe we are young and they thought that we don't have the money to pay them (that is why some insist for cash cos takut cek tendang kah?) but I don't know. The treatment is difference. What you work with org kaya you give best treatment but not with people not proven have money ? tsk! or maybe we are just young that you don't feel to treat us right ? Anyway not all of them are giving me headache. Some are reasonable and some are good as well. But this few people really wreck my nerve.

K lah...I might be stressed out for no reasons...people might have worst experience than mine. I should still be thankfull despite the stunt that the autogate man is trying to pull they are a lot of help coming in between and the matter has settle. That idiot suddenly realize that he don't really need to hack anything.

I just want to tell everybody out there who are giving service to other people. Please do it with your heart, give the fullest and go for extra mile. You wouldn't know how rewarding it will be when your customer appreciate you and thank you for your effort. The return might not be now but people will start to look for you for the extra miles you give. God in return will also reward you because you do it with a good heart. Why do I said this...cos I already experience it! The more I give the more I get back. And you moron who cheat your service...will never get anywhere...and even if you manage to get it....you will be rotten in hell!!!!!!!

Sekian terima kasih dari org yg stress!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Drooling


The electrician is here today to install the lamps and wat not. I can't stop staring at my dining area lamp as I think it was beautiful... So beautiful that I keep on telling everybody in the house and also you! :)..Again no picture ..sorry eh makcik ni very lazy to take picture. Wait till the house ready you can see with your very own eyes ;)

I started to droll over a different things. Unlike most of you have a very soft spot on clothing and acessories. Mine will be on the diningware and anything related to it. So dear honeybee...my wish list for all the hardwork that I have put on to ensure the house is in the good shape while you are away will be as below :















Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Potty Train Little Fawwaz Part 2


Working from home nowdays giving me some extra time to watch the kids. Mom watching the kids against grandparents and helper definitely will be a lot of difference.

For instance, being grandparents they tend to give in with the kids. I notice the kids also become bossy and can get away with most of the things. Watching TV all days, eating junk food, ice cream, sweets anything that mommies will regard as unhealthy but healthy for grandparents (make me wonder will I be that way when I'm old later?). Well dicipline wise ... I can't count on my parents. Definitely not. But of course on a positive sides they learn a lot on life value. They will stop and take a pause to see the trees, birds, bees and do day today stuff. Listening to stories from their grandparents, taking a ride with grandpa old motorcycle and going to the village barber that cost RM3 for a haircut with a free ice cream for the kids! Well if you ask me, that part of life I dont want the kids to miss out and that is why we are not moving far in the city yet.

Back to working from home, with my extra watch I get to dicipline my little kiddo. Like do not watch TV excessively... do not drink all the vitagen or yogurt drink in one day (they can finish bottles of it if not monitored). Do not boss bibik around...haih! But the most achievement that I've got so far is......he is off from his diaper for almost 24 hours now!!!!! Well well well...at last he can sit on the throne and pee by himself even I have to trick him with a treat for that. One small cadbury choc before he went in and after he does it. It works fine because he is a fan of chocolate and not easy to get one from me. Well if we have a stock of chocolate ..yes when I mean stock it means a chocolate that can fit in at least the first tray of our fridge...it can disappear in between a week. We just get choc when any of us went back from overseas. Then everybody get a dose of a good choc...ok side track..anyway normal days we dont have a choc except a bar of cadbury or smarties that I hide it. Else everybody in the house will get tooth decay including dearie hubby which already have two holes btw and we just discover that last week...ok side track again.

So back to main topic that I want to blog today...one piece of cadbury before and after has did a good 3 trips to the toilet today... each time I have to make a ssssss sounds to trigger him peeing ..and I read somewhere that if we put the hand in warm water then it will trigger the feeling to pee as well. But that does not work for Fawwaz. I just sparkle some warm water to his private and slowly pour some water and yeap....there it goes.

Well, now I just need to train him to poo. The only things is, just now out of nowhere he came up to me with a handful on cadbury treats on his hand. There goes my tricks to get Fawwaz to the loo. No guessing on who passing the chocolate ;).

Monday, August 3, 2009

When I am suddenly stop blogging


Means hubby is away. Leaving me alone with 2 hyperactive boys...demanding job and unfinish house renovation...sighh!