Thursday, April 29, 2010

Kampong Girl - part 1


While blog hopping from one to another, I stumble to this one entry. That has an interesting statement . “You can get the girl out of the kampong but not let the kampong out from the girl”. That statement make me wonder enough to make this entry. As I keep on smiling to myself, I start to reflect on my own life.

You see long time ago when my parents got married, they decided to stay in a village rather than staying in the big city. While almost all his friend buy their properties in KL, Subang and other area, my parents bought a land in village a little bit further up from Klang. They build their house over there.

Both my parents came from not a very wealthy family. At least for my father....when he was six years old he already been thought on how to sell kuih from one house to another. He was thought to identify 5 cents looks like and how to calculate. How far he has to sell and how hot the weather are. He keep on telling the story to us when we were small. At that time, we felt nothing except just a repeated story day by day. But now if I recall the story, a full stream of tears will fall down from my eyes...Imagine my sweet little boys have to endure all that. Now I understand how lucky I am and how lucky my kids are. As what my father keep on telling me.

When they first build their house, it was small with two room. Both of my parents are civil government workers. Lucky enough that my father job promotion are base on exam. His first salary was 70 ringgit stgh ( he always tell us the exact amount, but I am sanguine, how can I remember) and goes up to a 5 figure salary when he was around 40s. That was when I’m in secondary school. So you see ... life become better for us. The house with 2 room has expand to a double story bungalow with 6 rooms. But it is still a kampong house. No fancy marble floor or fancy finishing. It is just spacious.

I always thought my father’s house spacious even when I was small. We get to play around the house...and kebun. My dad love his kebun so much. I still remember when we were small we always follow him to our backyard which is a half acre kebun and help him to plant, cleaning and our most favourites...bakar sampah. Which kid doesn’t like to play bakar2 right? Then we learn how to ride bicycle. And of I went to cycle around the kampong, till one day I fell down and broke my teeth...lesson learnt for not listening to my parents!

From the kebun we get to eat durian, pulasan, rambutan, maggis, rambai...you name it! I see how papaya, banana, durian and all other stuff around me grow. I get to know many2 insects...though I am not a fan of any of it. See my neighbour tangkap ayam for hari raya and also how they sembelih and process the chicken. A lot more if I were to list it down here.

Oh ya, living in kampong also mean you have many friends. Is all around you...no restriction...no competition. We play sincere, no bragging no nothing as we afford to have more or less a similar thing around us. My best friend at that time, just live across the road..yeah..cik puan daun.
We went to mengaji at night together with his brother and few other at one of our neighbour house. They thought us every night after Maghrib. At that time, no street light. It was very dark...One night after our usual mengaji, we went back on foot. From far we can see a dark shadow ...and it’s coming nearer and nearer. We already holding each other hand...maybe around five of us. Reciting Al-Fatihah loudly....and start shaking as well. Suddenly a loud voice said”hoiiiiii buat apa tu !!!!” I think we all scream our lung out....That was my dad haha... (syura ko jgn gelak guling2..kau pun dalam ini filem).

I get to learn how to ride motorcycle at the age of 11. Some time I ride my motorcycle to school and leave it at some shop near the school. I am not sure if my parents are aware about this :D. They are one time, cik puan daun and I took a ride to somewhere else rather than just helping her mom to buy some groceries from nearby shop. Well again, for not listening and lying to our parents, we almost went into the big drain!!!! Half of my motorcycle is already going into the drain....Luckily I get to brake and syura slowly pull the motorcycle back on the road!. That is one of our biggest secret that time.

We join Scout during our primary. It was fun as we are in kampong. We cycle cross the palm tree on a small titi to reach a nice small river to get our cycling batch. We camp in front of the school with my mom bring my bantal busuk and comforter to my tent! Haih. We cook, real food for our cooking batch. We go cari kayu....really cari kayu to make a fire for our cooking day. Those were the sweetest memories when I were small.

Come secondary school, my father send me to a girl school in Klang. His intention is for me to get some exposure. Well true enough, from kampong girl to the city....makcik jakun. I think I almost messed up there...but as my father are very strict and I stayed far from the city, I get myself straight dan taklah hanyut dalam kesesatan. Being a teenage I always ask my dad on why he stays back in kampong. Why not we move to somewhere in the city. All the hormone raging as a teenager. Little that I know what are the impact of being a kampong girl has to do with me. (to be continue)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

About Aariz


The price of smiling all the way to the office is indeed priceless.

This morning I had breakfast with my kids. With all their antiques we manage to get ready by 8.00 am and off we go to send them to school. Fawwaz always like to seat next to the driver seat, while Aariz will seats behind. Today when both of them are trying to get my attention telling a different kind of stories while waiting for the traffic light to turn green...Fawwaz and I were both playing with our hand pushing up and down and hit Aariz hand. Repeated several time and Aariz were just staring at me and Fawwaz with his sheepish smile. Then all of sudden he said hey...stop hitting me..Oops ! hehe mama and Fawwaz unconsciously hit his hand (but of course not too hard) and we both (mama and Fawwaz) are laughing out loud. The moment were just funny and we all ended up laughing and smiling all the way to the kindy.

Aariz now has learn the ability joining the dots. Trying to make sense or to make a process from whatever scenario that happened around him. For example, the other night I ask him on his activity for the day as usual. Since the grandparents just came back from their 2 weeks holiday, Aariz just continue his tuition and iqra’ class for the day. So he told me that her ustazah and teacher ask her where has he been for the past 2 weeks. So he explain to them. Next he said, ma...we should always recites Quran. I asked him why ? Then he said so that we can always connect to GOD. I said that is true...who told you that ?. Then he replied again, I figure it out la ma...

Conversation continue, he ask me I know how to read Quran. I told him Quran is in Arabic and he need to learn Arabic to understand the Quran (yeah I know he can also read the translation but I just want to make a conversation with him ). Then he started to ask about what is Arabic where I give him an example about the language. Malay is a language, English is a language where I do understand the language, then we have Mandarin and Tamil, where you Chinese and Indian friend mother tongue language. As he get more interested with the language then he ask how come they are Chinese in Malaysia not China? Which I explain about long time ago when their ancestor come to Malaysia and live in Malaysia...same to the Indian and some of the Malays that came all the way from Indonesia like his great grandfather. We ended up the conversation by him saying this...So ma...long time ago they came to Malaysia get married they have son and the son get married and then have son again then the son get married and have son again and again then I get my Chinese friend ke ma? I then replied...yer la sayang betul la tu hehe.

It is just amuse me on the conversation that we have every day. He can just spill out whatever running on his mind and trying to make sense out of it. Love them to the bits! Well now Cik Puan Kartini...get back to work

Monday, April 26, 2010

Brain and Heart


At time I always think how some people can be happy and calm during the trying time. Some says try to love what you do, some says don’t focus what you dislike. Some have to keep on going as they are no other ways for not to keep on doing what you are doing. Many people has many to says. And this is what I have to say.

God give us chance to live once in a lifetime. HE gave us path to choose what we want to choose. HE never choose the path for us. We choose ourselves.

In life things will not always goes your ways. Hence the reasons GOD give you brain, like what I keep on telling my kids. And also heart to feels whether is it right or wrong, to balance with your logical thinking and what you feel most that you want to achieve.

In between that the chance to live once in a lifetime with some obstacle in your life where things will never always goes your way, we have to be smart. Smart in sense of what is the best decisions that we have to do at times, considering all other options and other people that might be effected with our decisions. Will it be the best decisions for only yourself or will it also benefit others. It might be easier to make decisions when we are alone, by ourselves, as the only person that we should think of is just you. Things get complicated when it starts to involve other people, parents, if you are married then husband, next the kids and the list can goes on. BUT the best decisions to be made of course when we are not selfish, when we don’t just think about ourselves!

So I leave it to you and of course to me to use the brain that GOD has given and heart to feel what is best for coming days.

Change


Everybody need a change in their life. I need one too!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Birthday present


We bought Aariz a desktop as his birthday presents. Both Aariz and Fawwaz are excited with this new desktop that they deem as theirs! Which is true. Guess looking at their parents having laptop make them feel honored to have their own.

For us every purchase need to have a justification. Esp a big purchase like this. Since Aariz already showing interest in computer we just think hey why not he just have one. Gaming is not one of the major reasons why we bought him this but we were thinking of more on familiarizing him with computer and maybe learn a thing or two from his geek dad.

We will see how it goes from here...if learning computer can really be a learning for him.

Looking from the other side dad is having fun as well configuring, rewiring, rearrange all his computer and geek stuff around the house. Our second common area (second floor) is now being utilized as geek lepak area haha! Little bit more effort to really furnish this house to become as cozy as per my liking ;)

For mom...with the big screen 23 inch monitor what you think I am up too :o

Surfing handbag and feasting my eyes haha! Now I can see all the bags clearly than ever. Heaven for mom too :)

Friday, April 23, 2010

The trip to Kuala Gandah


Lately I've been looking my life and my country from a different perspective. Not sure it's about the age or my hormone but yeah something has just gotten into me.

It's started with our trip to Mentakab last 2 weeks to visit cute little new born named Faheem. So cute that I want a new baby now! hehe...OK to get a new baby need to work on it..so hubby please take note :p. Anyway we were told about an activity that we can actually do in Kuala Gandah which is pretty near from Mentakab. Go to Elephant Sanctuary ...wow never cross my mind to find elephants in our own country..(of course we have them in our jungle). But sometimes we are too focus to find something from another country and forget what we have in our own beautiful country. Well see what we found ;)

We headed straight to Kuala Gandah and reach there around 3pm. Suppose if you reach earlier you can prob grab a FREE ticket, I repeat a FREE!!! ticket to ride the elephant and bath with the elephant! How interesting is that...The show start at 2pm everyday and only 100 ticket produce everyday for you to participate. But nevermind if you missed that out as you can still see the elephants and perhaps feed them like what we did.

My kids are very passionate in feeding the animals. I think in general kids just loves animal. We bought some peanuts (cost around RM3 I think) and they have a blast feeding the elephants. According to the worker there, all these elephants were saved from the villages either they were hurt bitten by tiger or left by their herd. So the sanctuary is really a sanctuary for the elephants.
Of course for us being in environment that try to improve almost everything has came out with lot's of idea and suggestion on how we can improve the place. But we just come to our sense that well maybe just enjoy what we can and leave things as it is hehe. At least something is being done and we definitely enjoy it.

Near to the Elephant Sanctuary they are another place called Deer Land. This one is a private one small animal farm and the entry rate is RM6 per adult and RM3 per child. Inside we are given chance to feed the deer and you can see how thrilled the kids are...including hubby. After feeding the deer we can actually go into the cage and have up close and personal momment with them and feed them again. Pretty interesting...We get to see many2 type of birds...peacock, wild cat, ular sawa, monkeys (yg ni si kenit2 tak heran) and also sun bear. Some of them are not really in the cage and we can actually touch them, like the ular sawa and the sun bear.
Can you spot the ular sawa from here?
Fawwaz is terrified with the snakes hehe...
The sunbear above was saved from Jerantut Pahang. I find it's interesting to know that almost all the animals is from Malaysia and the story about how they being saved and where are they coming from sounds very homely to me.

All in all is a great trip. We enjoy it so much. Week after the Kuala Gandah trip we went to Lata Kijang just to mandi air terjun. Well that is another story to share next time but we are sure that we going to start visiting all other interesting place around Malaysia and to have fun Malaysian style :)

Thursday, April 15, 2010

He turned six!


My anak bujang is six today !!!

How time flies. When I look at him I no longer sees a cute chubby little baby. But instead a grown up little boy that is very independent. He eats, he drinks, he helps people around I am very proud of him.

We throw a small birthday party for him 2 weeks ago at my sis in law house. His favourite cousins born in April as well and just to save time and of course money, we decided to do theirs at one go! Last year we did it at my parents house and this year we swap.

Kids nowdays are spoiled with party and gifts. I'm partly to be blame on and I start to think and decide that we should just have a moderate party with small group of people just for the sake of fun for it. But poor little Fawwaz as he haven't had any big party for him yet as his birthday always falls on Ramadhan. Will see how it goes...it's too tempting to host a makan2 for me :)

Well back to Aariz, since today is the day he were born I decided to bake a cake instead of buying one for him. Skill baking agak berkarat lately and true enough the cake doesn't turn out as nice as I expected. I make a choo choo train cake for my little dearie. Too lazy (actualy too busy with office work pun) to decorate the cake with icing around the empty space so I ask hubby to print his birthday banner that he has during the party at my in law house and stick it there...Keji tak hehe.

Aariz helped out a little which explain why there are smudges here and there...Though he is not that thrilled to see the end result as he did mention that his cake is small and comot!! (huk huk sedih mama dia tau) but he is one happy boy. One thing that I like abt his kindergarten is that the teacher only allow to bring only cake and also party pack for his classmate only. The party pack will be given after school. This is to avoid kid's comparing to each others. Sigh kids these days...

So to my dear Aariz. I love you so much ! It's great to have you around and I will never be tired to answer all your 1001 questions and curiosity.

Happy Birthday!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Sehati Sejiwa


You know what they said about sehati sejiwa...

Is when hubby busy getting the kids ready and I am still on my bed, and when I am getting ready and hubby is waiting .... then we realize that we are sedondon.

It happens so many time since we first got married. Well we are not the type yg suke nak match2 colour baju but it just happened. And most of the time it's happen when we are going to the office.

Sehati sejiwa ..no?

Friday, April 9, 2010

About the illusions


As we grow older we heard a lot of interesting success stories and not so success stories. It's a favourite subject between Hubby and I to talk about life in many perpective. We can discuss this for hours, going on and on about how and why people are success in life, why some people can't reach certain stage in their life, why they are people not happy in their life, what are the measure of a succefull life and happiness and the list can go on.

One thing that strike me a few days ago is the conversation about why are 2 people who are deeply in love can be seperated especially when they are young children involve. How people can fall in love with someone else after you take the vow with your wife/husband, make babies, had babies, go through the hardship together and change your mind later ? Why some people after a few years of marriage decided that his man/woman are no longer their soulmate? It is interesting to see that they are a few cases happening around me. Not that I am a close friend to any of them ...but hurm just make me wonder.

I had this discussion with hubby about this, that lead us to another discussion. Illusions of other people's life. In this current world people are so materialistic. Money and beauty is the King. We have been filled with series of drama and film about life that is sometimes not realistic at all!. Person A(F) can fall in love with person B(M) then next decided that it is just a fling then move on to person C(M). Person C(M) is actually ex to person D(F) that now fall in love with person B(M). Well if life is just that simple...God knows what would happend to our family institution and to our next generation. Well don't start about the illusions about people who lives in the mansions, having all the time to party, to shop whatever they want to buy and seems that work so little!. In my real life...that is not so true.

Those drama's that we watch amazingly being followed by some of us. The illusions of having things without working on it. What we do, we swipe on credit card. We do personal loan, we mortgage ...we do 1001 things without realizing the impact on the long run. Well guys and girls, that's for me dalam bahasa melayu is gali kubur sendiri lah.

Life in real life is not that simple. Is a roller coaster ride where they are up and down. You have to be smart and not to be fool by others. You spend below your means and save up the others. One thing for sure we are not getting any younger but older. Some might interpret that we are young just once and make full out of it. Money you spend you can always earn back...but how true is that ?

Hence back to my earlier point about how 2 people in love can hate each other. We conclude that for ourselves we both have our up and down in our marriage. Taufan, ribut petir...we had that too. When into that situation, one of us will take a step back until one of us come to our sense. We sometimes falls into that illusions of others to look sleek and glamorous,...but either him or me will wake up from the dream and said hey the reality is, we are not there yet. Take one step at a time. We know our financial situation, not just one party does it all. That makes us understand our limits better and how far we can go. Sharing is caring...yes we share almost everything. Some girly stuff that I don't share with him but I share with others...he will know who I share with and who are my friends. Some serious office stuff and career progression that I am not interested to know the details, he has his own friends to talk with and I know who they are. We share our loads and we accept each other weakness. Well it took 5 years I guess for us to accept each other weakness and we are still learning.

We sometimes felt that we are old fashioned. Indeed we are as we hardly do any hanky panky things anymore. He loves his job, and I love my family. Most of our time besides working day is spending time with each other, the kids, family members and some close friends.

At the end of the conversation, we had a long pause....each of us melayan perasaan, while the kids are sleeping at the back. Then I told him, though he might not be the knight of shining amor (as what I read in those romantic novel or those hunks -ryan reynolds in those romantic movies that I watch) but he is my soulmate. Who am I to find a perfect person without me being perfect either ?