Girlfriends' Outing

Can you believe it? My hubby is actually letting me travel with my girlfriend, Nina, without the kids tagging along. Ok, it started out with me hinting (via sms) that other husbands are taking their wives travelling and such, while he is busy working. However, I should put a note here that he did take me and the boys to Iran, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon last year, but after 3 months without seeing the outside world, I am going crazy. At least I am giving him credit for putting up with me and my travel requests. Of course, he said he cannot go on a holiday now due to his busy schedule and I happily replied, "Oh, I am not asking you to go, just let me go on my own." And that night when he came home, he asked, "So when are you going?" I was totally dumbstruck. Of course my answer was, "HUH???" My heart was doing some somersaults and secretly I was hoping that my ears were completely functional and I had heard him correctly. He later reconfirmed that I can go to Dubai if I like and most importantly, just with my girlfriend(s). "Yesssssssssssssss!!!" My heart leapt for joy and I have already imagined myself in Dubai, SHOPPING. :P

And with just one more day to go, I find myself having mixed feelings about this trip. I am happy but also sad to leave the boys on their own. My husband is around, but it will not be the same, I guess. I am worried that they would not be able to cope without me around, not eating, not taking their shower, them getting sick and daddy's too busy with office work that the boys will be left to fend for themselves (not that I haven't ask the kakaks here to help cook lunch for them - so lunch is taken care of). Dinner, according to my husband, will be prepared by him - which I am doubtful, but luckily, the complex cafe is just a few steps away.  Ahhhhhhhh, a lot to think about. 

And today, someone asked me, do you not feel sorry that you are leaving behind Danish, all alone? It got me thinking, do people think that I am selfish to leave behind my kids so that I can enjoy myself on a holiday? There is no right or wrong here, I guess everyone has their own opinions. And of course, each of us has our own way of dealing with our problems/issues. Mine is, I need a break. Period. From the daily life of a homemaker. From cooking day in, day out. From reminding my kids to take their shower, day in, day out. From picking up all the dirty laundries all over the house every morning and night. From shouting at the kids for their loud quarreling, morning till night. From having to schedule my time around everybody else. From everything. So that I can spend my time on my own, being happy simply doing what I want to do and taking my own sweet time. So that I can come back home and realise how much I miss my family and would not want to spend another day without them until I need another break. Of course I love my husband and my three kids to pieces, but hey, I deal with my issue my way, with my husband's generous blessing. No one is the same and we do not think alike. Each family has their set of values which are different from one another. What works for me might not work for anyone else. Let us cherish our differences, always. 

So, to answer the spoken and some of the unspoken questions - yes, I am absolutely thrilled of the Dubai trip, but I will still miss my family. Bye-bye Sudan and take care peeps, see you in 5 days time!

My Latest Acquisition

My oh my... I have been waiting for these shoes for almost a year... a year for the price to reduce to my comfort level. Hehehehehe... So when I was surfing the internet and 6pm.com had these shoes at a bargain, I could not resist myself!!!

Stuart Weitzman - Kimono Wedge

So I asked Nekrock to purchase for me and wallahhhhhh.... I have the shoes that I have been drooling over all these while. Managed to get Yasir to bring them back for me (thanks Yasir!!!). Hmmm my hubby saw 'em and asked "shoes... AGAIN???" and the next question is a mandatory question of course "How much do these cost???". Obviously I have to tell him the truth, mind you, not the whole truth, else I will be banned from shopping, but he seemed quite ok with everything so I am happy. 

Perhaps I will be wearing the kimono to the dinner tonight, perhaps not. Hmmmm need to find the right baju kurung coz the dinner is a formal one. But, whether I will be putting them on tonight or not, it does not matter, coz I have already got what I wanted!!! So next purchase, Tod's loafers!!!

Al-Fatihah

I have not written for some time... Been busy, among other things with Raya and the daily chores. 

Alas, I would love to write a happy note after a long hiatus but sadly, today marks the passing of a friend's beloved husband, Tengku Feisal Tengku Kamalden. To Ereen, I am sorry for your loss and may Allah bless him always...

Al-Fatihah~

Ramadhan is back!!!

Yeay!!! Ramadhan is here again. Time for more good deeds, hopefully. Every year, it is the same resolution for me. To khatam Al-Quran again... alas, never materialise... huhu... so this year, I hope that I can achieve it, so wish me luck peeps!!! 

This is my second Ramadhan in Khartoum, the previous one was challenging, being in Khartoum and such, so this time around, I hope I am prepared to face all the hurdles. The kids are pretty happy about fasting here. They take everything in their stride, as usual. Not much fuss. I do hope that Arif can cope with full-day fasts, considering he is now eating everything twice the usual amount since we were back in Malaysia. And everybody has been commenting on his weight-gain ever since we came back. But Arif being Arif, he just smile his smile and brush off people's remarks... :)

Bazaars will be held twice a month like before and there are many new faces who will be selling, so I can't wait for the first bazaar - a hiatus from cooking, that's why. 

In view of the arrival of Ramadhan Al-Mubarak, I would like to wish everybody, happy fasting and may all your good deeds be rewarded by the Almighty Allah.

The Making of Blueberry Cheese Tarts at Min's House

I must confess, I was a bit nervous initially while on the way to Min's house. Not because that I don't know her that well but what if I was not able to make the cheese tartlets all on my own. You see, Min has warned me that she will be guiding me but everything must be done by myself - from the beginning. So I will have to make the pastry, the cheese filling, bake everything and piping etc with my bare hands... and of course with Min as the audience. Hah... coupled with the feeling that I will be laughed upon if I make any mistake (nothing serious, just embarrassment, most likely, and no, I will not die of shame) and Nekrock will obviously be enquiring both of us the outcome.

Turned out that Min is a good sifu. She gave me the instructions, prepare the ingredients and I was ready to show off my culinary skills. Hahahahahaha... probably the skills of a 1st Grader. We were jabbering away while doing the pastry and soon after Min was laughing her butt off when I made some mistakes, I had trouble holding the plastic pipe - I have never done any piping before, and my cheese fillings were somewhat flat. I was laughing too... hehe... for making those silly mistakes. But Min was very encouraging. If I did something wrong, she would show me how it was done (a few times, sometimes) and I would follow suit. All in all, it was a good class. I had a wonderful teacher, so what could go wrong?

Peep, thus I would like to share the pix taken today. I had gobbled at least 5 of the tarts and they taste wonderful. Thanks Min for having me as a student and thank you for sharing the knowledge...

Good News

Was out the whole day, accompanying my friend to the hospital to get the latest result on her breast cancer. Alhamdulillah, she's cleared. So next step - radiation and she has been scheduled for a 5 day-a-week radiation course for 3 weeks. She underwent a scan again to map the radiation area and walllahhhhh... we are done for the day. Ooooppppsss NOT!!!!

We headed to KLCC for me to sort out the monthly parking charges and found out that it has been overdue for 2 months and I had to fork out RM360 for it. Hummmppphhh... there goes my allowance... but wait - maybe this is a sign for me to visit KLCC more often. Hehehehe.... that's definitely a sign not to be ignored. Next stop, One Utama. We ended up celebrating the good news with a buffet at the Seoul Garden (it was a good one, I may add) and shopping. Covered the entire OU - old wing and new wing and by the time we headed home, I was in dire need of a nice hot shower and a good night sleep. But it was all worth it, the good news, the food, the shopping and the good company.....

Danish's Birthday

Hmmmm... Danish is finally 4 years old. How time flies, he is a year older and I am not getting younger either. And I must remind myself, he is not a baby anymore, so I should stop treating him like one. But it is really difficult doing so, I cannot stop mothering him since the elder boys are now entering the teenager stage (Thaqif more so than Arif) and they would not like me kissing them in public that much ;-) and Danish is the one who always tag along with me wherever I may go. I can even ask him about a handbag and he would either say, it's gorgeous or not. And he will be the one saying, "Mama, mama asik tengok handbag je" because he is usually by my side 24/7 and he knows what I do, day in day out.

So when he asked for a Ben 10 birthday cake, I was like phewwwwww!!! It costs a bomb if I order it from Secret Recipe and besides, nobody would be able finish the cake and it will be such a waste. So I resorted to the next best thing. I went to Bagus (bakery supplier) and managed to get two Ben 10 edible sheets at the price of RM12. Danish chose the pix himself so, I hope he will be satisfied with what I have in mind. Next, off to Secret Recipe to find a whole cake and ended up with New York Cheese Cake and I got the girl there to just place the Ben 10 edible sheet on top of the cake. Whalllahhhhhh.... a Ben 10 birthday cake. We decided to have dinner at Italiannies and when the cake was served, Danish blew the candles with a happy face.... and it made my day (and night!)... so remember, Mama loves you so much and no matter what, I cannot stop mothering you or Thaqif or Arif, for that matter.

Danish trying hard to cut the cake

the finished product *winks*

happy boys, I have...

Breast Cancer

A friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer recently and the news jolted me from my reverie. She is a close friend and has helped me a lot, and I was at a loss on what to do, what to say and so on. I wanted to comfort her, but I don't know how. So, I did what I do best. I took her out shopping and dining. I don't know if she was comforted or not, but I didn't want her to be alone and I wanted her to know that I am around, if ever she needs me... I don't pretend to know what she is going through, but I know it must be rough.

She had the operation done this morning and spent a few hours there. I wasn't able to accompany her as I am currently in JB and the op was done in KL. But a couple of our friends were there so I was glad she was not alone. I was also dreading the news after the op. Has the cancer spread? Or not? What stage is she in? And finally I got my answer - her lymph nodes are all clear. Alhamdulillah... Next stage? Probably radiation therapy. Another challenge but fear not dear, we are here to support you.

So to all women out there, get your mammogram done asap. I am going to get mine done as soon as I am back in KL. It is better to know than not knowing at all. Btw, here is one article about breast cancer - click here, so happy reading.

2 Weddings and a Doa Selamat

Arrived JB quite late on Friday night as the highway was all jammed up right from the Mahameru highway all the way to Seremban. The kids were pretty starving when we arrived at the Seremban R&R and we decided to have dinner at KFC. As soon as we arrived in JB, we were greeted by hugs and kisses from my mom and dad. Phewwwww... I have just realised, I missed them terribly and the kids did too. The kids were ecstatic to meet Atuk and Nenek and vice versa. I couldn't help but smiled... Both Atuk and Nenek didn't get enough sleep that night, attending to their grandchildren, one wanted apple juice, the other wanted something else and Danish wanted Atuk to himself. Hehehhehehe...

We were up late the next morning and left JB for Batu Pahat rather late in the afternoon. Went straight to my second cousin's wedding in Bagan (ok, we were late, but better late than never kan) and had Nasi Ambeng. Perghhhhh... sodap!!! The kampung house has a "kolong", a void under the house - sort of a basement but sits on the land itself and the  wooden house is built several feet above the ground. The kids had a blast there playing with the "bunga manggar" and running around the huge compound. My parents were happy to meet with all  our relatives, reminiscing a bit here and there and then it was time to go. 

We went straight to my grandma's house in Peserai (still in Batu Pahat, not far from town) and she was really happy to meet us. I didn't have a chance to visit her during our trip last December due to limited time and of course it was high time for us to visit her. There is nothing more that makes her happy and I could see it in her eyes. I wish I could've visited her more often and I would do so while I am here.

That Saturday night, we went for the doa selamat as another cousin was getting married on Monday. Menu was white rice with fish sambal, asam pedas and a lot more. I was filled with glee simply by looking at the dishes. hehehehhehee... Met a few more relatives, reconnecting with more people and then back to grandma's house. Of course, I had a good night sleep bearing in mind the food that I have ingested... sigh... makin tembam la...

Sunday was a wet day and we started the day late. I was supposed to take my grandma and my aunt for check-ups that morning and of course I missed it and my mom and dad ended up taking them. Everything was ok, both of them got their hypertension meds but nothing to worry about according to the doctor. My grandma is about 80 years old I think, and although she can walk on her own, she still needs someone to watch over her and my aunt, Mak Zah is the one staying with her 24/7. Luckily another aunt, Mak Yek, lives behind my grandma's house, so there are people close by that they can rely on.

Later after Zuhur, we left Batu Pahat and headed to Kluang for another cousin's wedding, errr probably a niece's wedding. I am not sure anymore of the ties, we are not that close, so a bit difficult to zoom into the exact relationship, suffice to say that she is one of my relatives. hehe.. Had Nasi Beriyani at the wedding and we left soon after.

Arrived back in JB exhausted and a few loads of laundry to do. sigh... but all in all, it was a good weekend, a lot of ticks on my to-do list and I am happy :) 

Danish's Unfortunate Accident

Danish sustained 2 deep gashes late last night. All because I was about to stumble off the stairs and due to reflex, accidentally pushed him (he was in front of me) causing him to fall face first against the edges of the stairs. Sigh.... My overwhelming guilt does not help the situation either. 

We were supposed to spend the night at my in-laws' place, instead we spent the night at the Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital. When the GP took a look at his cuts, he advised Danish to go for stitches under the general anesthesia and since he had just had dinner 3 hours before the fall, he could not have it done during the night. So this morning, the plastic surgeon, Dato' Dr Jalil, stitched him up and the whole procedure took about 15 mins to complete. 

BEFORE

a bit anxious

  posing!!

pretending to be asleep

just before going into the OT 

AFTER

still sleepy after the GA

A mere 15 minutes for everything to be completed but I could not sleep peacefully last night knowing that I was the one who caused it to happen. Which mother wants her kid/s to suffer due to her fault? None, that I know of. Sigh... I wish I could have reversed time and prevented it from happening. I wish I was watching where I was going and not stumble. I wish it was me who fell... I wish for a lot of things but I believe everything happen for a reason and this is just a minor test from Allah. All that I can hope now is that this incident will not happen twice and I would not want to experience the anguish again.

I love my kids deeply and I am truly sorry Danish, for allowing this accident to happen.

I'm Baaaackkkkkkkkk

Back in Malaysia!!! Woohoooo!!! Since Friday afternoon, actually. Came home, tired (after all handling 3 kids without my husband along was really challenging) and inadequate sleep. Hah.. economy class kan... kaki sakit la, pinggang nak patah la. Luckily the journey was only about 9 hours plus and I had Mek Na, Kak Nia, Kak Ina Wahab with family to accompany us. Otherwise, I honestly can't say, probably I would have been detained in Dubai for screaming my lungs out at my kids. Not that I didn't feel like screaming, mind you. One wanted Ben10 chocolate, the other one wanted sweets, later another one wanted some other things. And Danish... Danish wanted everything. Every single item that pleased him... sigh... kopak nak oiiiii...

My parents in law met us at the airport and of course, our luggage were too many to be dumped into the Perdana so Mekna and I decided to share a van to Kota Damansara. Of course there was barely enough space for the passengers but we managed as the kids went off with my in-laws. Reached my messy home feeling elated, of course, after a period of time spent in Sudan, anywhere in Malaysia seems like heaven. Hehe... my in-laws decided to treat us with Roti Tisu from Kayu.... wahhhhhh... sedap giler. Licin beb!!! Didn't even remember to take pictures. Sorry peeps!!!

Although I was tired, the kids wanted to go out, so I relented. Had sushi for dinner, went to Tesco to buy a few things and that was already around midnight. My hubby called a few times checking on us (probably because he was bored and was wondering what his wife is spending his money on) and also to ask where the salt is located at - yeah, after not cooking for like ages, he had to call la kan. 

All in all, I am happy to be back, the calendar is starting to get filled up and I can't wait to go shopping!!! Oooopppssss... already done that and more to come!!! Hahahahahahahaha...

Goodbye

Saying goodbyes are always tearful for me regardless who is leaving. Mata merah, bengkak, air hidung meleleh... adehhh... These past few weeks, one friend after another went back to Malaysia for good, leaving me behind to face the ups and downs in Sudan.... sigh... Tried putting up a brave face, failed every time. Hmmmppphhh, hampeh. 

So, another friend left Sudan yesterday. K.Adek arrived here about the same time as I did circa December 2009, perhaps a few days earlier. She is known for her cooking especially making soups. All kinds of soup, you name it. Bakso, Soto, Nasik Air, Sup Tulang and various other recipes. In short she must have loved cooking so much that I would usually get invitation from her for morning coffee, tea, lunch errr not dinner though.. hehe... a seller at the bazaar, a Petronita cook, eeeee macam-macam lah. She is one iron lady, she braved all challenges without fail. So I will definitely miss her cooking and her presence here. Errr don't think I will ever forget Annual Dinner! :))

A few weeks ago, K. Maz and K. Maria left. Next 2 weeks, Najwa and K. Masdiana leaving. And since I hate goodbyes, I decided to go back to Malaysia next week, on 20th May. So that I don't have to face goodbyes anymore. I will be back here in a flash (believe me, 2 months are not long enough) and a few more empty apartments will welcome me back. Ugh, not a welcoming prospect, I know.

But life goes on whether you want it or not so better make the best out of it, not that I won't be seeing them in Malaysia, in fact, K. Masdiana has invited us to come over to her mom's house on 15th June for a makan-makan session. Something to look forward to besides seeing my parents and shopping :)

To those who have left and going to leave, will definitely cherish all those happy moments always and hope that the friendship that we built will last. 

I Love You, Mummy

The day that I became a mum was the day that I truly understood my mom's sacrifices all this while.

My mom is a no-nonsense lady. She might be construed as heartless sometimes, but she has your best interests at heart. When my siblings and I were young, we were not allowed to watch tv during weekdays and limited sessions during weekends. I didn't have freedom to go out with friends to the malls and she knew all my school teachers (she is a teacher too, and the fraternity was small during that time and everybody seems to know everybody) to the point that she disapproved a friend of mine simply because a teacher in school was of the opinion that my friend was a bad influence - of course, I was pissed off at both my mom and my teacher. 

But I know now that she just wanted her kids to excel in our studies and become better people. My mom will cook whatever dishes I requested for, she is always around whenever I needed her even when she is sorely exhausted. She loves her grandsons to pieces. She wanted to resign from work just so that she can visit us more often before we moved to Sudan. Because she loves us, she loves me. 

That, I am fully aware now that I have become a mother, myself. And I love my kids. I will do everything that I can in their best interests. Period.

So, I love you, Mummy for everything that you have done for me and I will love you, always.

Birthday Bash

Yesterday, I stayed home to bake cakes for the birthday bash which was held today. 3 pieces, ugh... and K. Zue requested for Butter Cheese Cake when we had the meeting last 2 weeks. Since I was baking the whole day, I decided to bake pandan buns as well. Gave some of the buns to neighbours, especially K. Na - her plates/bowls are piling up fast, courtesy to her sending dishes (lontong, laksa, nasik ayam, the list goes on and on) to us, the faithful followers and admirers of her cooking.

Najwa came over about 9.30 pm last night to decorate the birthday cakes. I guess she was expecting me to help with the decor but helloooooooo... ME? Who knows next to nothing about ANY decor, let alone cake decor? Anyway she ended up doing the whole lot, so I was saved of making an embarrassment of myself (I don't want to upset the kids by showing up with a comot cake, now would I?) The results... jeng jeng jeng... nice huh? Trust Najwa, she can really turn a plain cake into a gorgeous one. :D

During the cake decor session, Nadirah and Danish were busy fighting over the rolling pin that Najwa brought along, and I took out mine and gave it to Danish while saying "Nah, mama ada yang lagi besar." Danish looked at Nadirah and declared "Haaaaa... mak kita lagi besarrrrrrrrrrrr!!!" Najwa and me exchanged looks and laughed outright. Hahahahaha... anyway Danish's comment is true since Najwa is the skinny one while I am the chubby one. 

Jimmy, Muadz and Mursyir ended up sleeping over and despite my asking them to sleep early in order to be in time for the early birthday bash event the morning after, all the boys continued on playing X-Box until God knows when. Luckily they were able to wake up just in time... hehe.

All the kids were of course happy to have the birthday event. It was held for the birthday boys and girls born in the month of March, April, May and June (not forgetting, the moms as well). Menu for the day were:

1. Mihun Sup
2. Nasi Impit with Kuah Kacang
3. Donuts
4. Pau Sambal
5. Jelly Cocktail

Of course, I tapau the leftovers, just so that I do not have to cook for lunch and so were many others. I think tapau is part of any makan-makan event no matter when and where, especially here in the complex.

I was totally exhausted by the time I was back and ended up taking a nap for 4 hours, not realising that the boys missed their Friday prayers because they were asleep as well... sigh... Syed actually called to ask for Jimmy who was fast asleep in Thaqif's bed and I felt bad for letting this happened... sigh again...

The jelly cocktail is still available, so probably I should be calling the other madams for a lepak session at the Laman Santai... hmmm... interesting. Ok peeps... must make a few calls. hehe.

First Rambling

Now I officially have my own blog. Wooohooooo... I wanted to start earlier but somehow it did not materialise until now. Been pretty busy with... hmmm... life actually. Being a mom to 3 growing boys is not without its challenges. But I'll live, nevertheless. Actually I think I owe the creation of this blog (partly) to K.Maz. She has been blogging for quite some time and I like the idea of sharing life as it is, to the whole world, whether the whole world is reading it or not. She was a fellow friend here in Khartoum until she went back to Malaysia recently and she can be visited here.

Anyway, as the title above suggests, being a shopaholic, I can really shop and I am an impulsive buyer. I am currently residing in Khartoum, Sudan and I still shop whenever I have the time, be it in souqs, mini markets or online shopping. I never thought that I will be able to shop as and when I want to in Sudan, but you'll never know! Sudan is full of treasure troves and one might just tumble into it unknowingly. There are antique items for grabs, curtain and upholstery materials at half the price in Malaysia and various other stuffs - kitchenware, tableware, etc. For the ladies here, it is an excuse to escape the hustle and bustle of the kitchen... hehehe..

Online shopping? It is the best, let me assure you, to the point that I'm addicted to it. Well, since money is not endless (not that I have not wish it to be so) I am satisfied if I can just view the countless handbags, shoes, sunnies and so on (on daily basis, mind you)... and there are a lot of bargains out there if you know where to find them.. I do not have to buy everything, do I (though arguably I would love to buy everything that I want to)? However, if you want good service and value for money, visit NekRock's boutique? I have done business with her many many times and she has never let me down. She will wrap all items nicely so that they are not damaged whilst in shipping, asnwer your queries promptly and try her best to accommodate to your wishes. There are other sites as well which I will share with you later but if you want some updates and sound advice on bags, why not visit Purseblog? You will get to know who wears what and reviews of the latest collections from various designers. And while you're at it, check this blog out, The Bag Connoisseur, hosted by our own Malaysian women? Ahhhh... the joys of having everything at your fingertips, including shopping, is bliss. But as I am a self-confessed shopaholic, there are always excuses for me to spend my money and you know what?? It is my money and therefore I will spend it the way I see fit! Muahahahahahaha...