It’s been a while since I last blogged. My, my, my.....life was a bit busy……
Let me tell you about the 'happenings' since the last week of Ramadhan (it's gonna be a bit long though!).
A week to Hari Raya
My office closed early for Hari Raya….for one whole week – 29/10/05 to 06/11/05 so I got the extra time to bake my cookies and cakes. Yeehaa! I was like a zombie. Cookie orders kept flowing in from my customers…. and at the very last minute. My husband kept telling me to stop taking new orders. It’s hard to say no as they were my regulars (and they are the ones who NORMALLY place last minute orders, believe me!...what other options do I have!?) I stayed up until 1-2am in in the morning, woke up again at 5am for sahur, slept for an hour or so, up again for work at 6.30am….. What a life, eh? All for two reasons….. extra CA$H and $HOPPING! hahaha…… and I managed to put off some 5kg just before Hari Raya. Yes!!!! Now I can fit nicely into my baju kebaya…. (not to worry though, I’ll gain double after raya! – my husband knows this…. he he).
Then Monday, 31st October, my husband was back from Jakarta - after a 2-dreading-long-week- trip. Yup, I was busy again cleaning the house, the room, bought some fresh flowers, running up and down the house, etc etc etc. The kids were even more excited thinking about the father coming home. At 5pm they were all set to go to the airport. We reached KLIA around 6.30pm and by 7.20pm my husband was out from the arrival area. We drove back to Subang Parade to buka puasa at TGIF and the children got loads of toys and goodies from Toys R Us. They were happy indeed!
Then, we left for my husband’s home town the very next day after buka puasa. We purposely started the journey at night so that the children slept through out the 6 hours drive from KL (or we would be extremely busy answering their “are we there yet?” question every 5 minutes). We arrived in KB at 4am on 2nd Nov 2005 – one day away from Hari Raya.
Hari Raya Week
Most of my in laws did not came home for various reasons – one of my niece will be having SPM next week so the mother decided not to come home as schedule is a bit tight, another sis-in-law went back to JB to her in-laws, another brother in law will only be coming back after Hari Raya, another niece failed to return home for some unknown reasons, another sis-in-law did not return home, again for reasons unknown!…… so the house was quite empty. Not as cheerful and havoc as usual but hey, having another 5 other in-laws (and their spouses) and 12 nephews and nieces (plus 2 of mine) around, Hari Raya was definitely a heck of a celebration, compared to my small family in Shah Alam (me & my family, my mom, my brother & his wife and their 2 children!).
Big difference! With all the food to enjoy: satay (the favourite dish in KB), curry mee, kuzi (my
fav. dish in KB!), nasi dagang (and this too!), my brother in law specialty - sup tulang (and this too!), rendang daging…… these could easily put another 2kg of fat into my already-trimmed-down waist! Hehehe...
This year we spent the shortest time in KB as Nik is unable to take long leave due to his work commitment. So we drove back to KL on Saturday, 5th Nov 2005, stopping a while in KT and Kuantan – to visit another sis-in law whose daughter will be having her SPM next week. Good luck girl!
We stopped by KT to visit father’s grave in Masjid Ladang, KT. This year is the first year I celebrated Syawal without my father. Normally I would prepare some ‘duit raya’ for him and maybe bought a pair or two ‘baju raya’ before going to his house. Thinking about him always brought tears to my eyes. It’s sad when you didn’t feel so close to him when he was alive but now, you feel like you lost some part of your life thinking that he’s no longer there. I don’t think that I have his recent photos with me, only those when I was small and still schooling. I saw him last in February 2005, didn’t call him until I was told by a relative that he had left this world…. in the morning of 16th July 2005. I rushed back to KT but was unable to meet him for the last time. He was buried that Saturday morning and I only managed to visit his grave, where I cried and cried for God knows how long. So many things were on my mind…. My husband and the people around me always tell me that I had done so much for him, but I always feel like I didn’t do enough. A lot of “IF ONLY……” and “I SHOULD…” that cross my mind until now. Sometimes we take things for granted, we take life and the people around us for granted, we take time for granted, until it’s too late for us to do anything. May Allah bless my father, Al Fatihah.
All my life, there were a lot of ups and downs and a lot of lessons learned throughout the journey. But this one particular lesson on life, I learned the hard way… and I promise myself that I would stay by my family through thick and thin, sunshine and rain…..and I pray to God that I am given the strength and patience to raise my children to be responsible and loving persons when they grow up.
Almost A Week After Hari Raya
I’m back in the office today, and I’m alone in my department. What a day! They are all on leave still, and I’m in my Hari Raya mode still! Hmm, can’t do much as most of the staffs are not around, no meetings, no emails coming in, no discussion sessions, nothing. Great! Might as well stay home and watch some good TV programs.
To all my PLUS friends - Kak Ita, Ina, Barlina, Bull, Catt, Osley, KJ, The ‘Lans’, Kak N, Kak Zaidah, Khatib, Kak Ana, Eri, Kak Aishah, Kak Odi, Eda, Masbanu, Rosli, Adi and the rest of PLUS geng;
To all my TTDI friends – Che Wan, Kak Zan, Rabiah, Dato’ Syed, Wan, Aris, Zamir, Salina, Zan, Yati, Roshidah, and the rest of TTDI geng;
To all my SCOMI friends - Nora, Rozi, RAB, Kak Liza, Mus, Sukma, Rina, Kak CT, Niza, Kak Maz, Lin, Kak Muni, Kak Shidah, Hisham, Zam, Zurin, Khalid…… and the rest (you know who you are…. too many to mention lah!)
To all my school friends - Een, Julie, Liza, Mazwan, Hani, Fazilah, Siti Noor Linda, Suhaila, Comel, Tunku Ina, Kae, Leilanie, Fidah, Haslinda, Roslinda, Rouzil, Shadiah, Zarina, and those who still consider me as a friend,
To others - Yus, CT, Wan, Che Aizan, Kak Eliz, Kak Ros, Roslinah, Aini, Zuraidah, Saliyati, Pika…..
Have a wonderful Syawal. Selamat Hari Raya & Maaf Zahir Batin.
Let me tell you about the 'happenings' since the last week of Ramadhan (it's gonna be a bit long though!).
A week to Hari Raya
My office closed early for Hari Raya….for one whole week – 29/10/05 to 06/11/05 so I got the extra time to bake my cookies and cakes. Yeehaa! I was like a zombie. Cookie orders kept flowing in from my customers…. and at the very last minute. My husband kept telling me to stop taking new orders. It’s hard to say no as they were my regulars (and they are the ones who NORMALLY place last minute orders, believe me!...what other options do I have!?) I stayed up until 1-2am in in the morning, woke up again at 5am for sahur, slept for an hour or so, up again for work at 6.30am….. What a life, eh? All for two reasons….. extra CA$H and $HOPPING! hahaha…… and I managed to put off some 5kg just before Hari Raya. Yes!!!! Now I can fit nicely into my baju kebaya…. (not to worry though, I’ll gain double after raya! – my husband knows this…. he he).
Then Monday, 31st October, my husband was back from Jakarta - after a 2-dreading-long-week- trip. Yup, I was busy again cleaning the house, the room, bought some fresh flowers, running up and down the house, etc etc etc. The kids were even more excited thinking about the father coming home. At 5pm they were all set to go to the airport. We reached KLIA around 6.30pm and by 7.20pm my husband was out from the arrival area. We drove back to Subang Parade to buka puasa at TGIF and the children got loads of toys and goodies from Toys R Us. They were happy indeed!
Then, we left for my husband’s home town the very next day after buka puasa. We purposely started the journey at night so that the children slept through out the 6 hours drive from KL (or we would be extremely busy answering their “are we there yet?” question every 5 minutes). We arrived in KB at 4am on 2nd Nov 2005 – one day away from Hari Raya.
Hari Raya Week
Most of my in laws did not came home for various reasons – one of my niece will be having SPM next week so the mother decided not to come home as schedule is a bit tight, another sis-in-law went back to JB to her in-laws, another brother in law will only be coming back after Hari Raya, another niece failed to return home for some unknown reasons, another sis-in-law did not return home, again for reasons unknown!…… so the house was quite empty. Not as cheerful and havoc as usual but hey, having another 5 other in-laws (and their spouses) and 12 nephews and nieces (plus 2 of mine) around, Hari Raya was definitely a heck of a celebration, compared to my small family in Shah Alam (me & my family, my mom, my brother & his wife and their 2 children!).Big difference! With all the food to enjoy: satay (the favourite dish in KB), curry mee, kuzi (my
fav. dish in KB!), nasi dagang (and this too!), my brother in law specialty - sup tulang (and this too!), rendang daging…… these could easily put another 2kg of fat into my already-trimmed-down waist! Hehehe...
This year we spent the shortest time in KB as Nik is unable to take long leave due to his work commitment. So we drove back to KL on Saturday, 5th Nov 2005, stopping a while in KT and Kuantan – to visit another sis-in law whose daughter will be having her SPM next week. Good luck girl!
We stopped by KT to visit father’s grave in Masjid Ladang, KT. This year is the first year I celebrated Syawal without my father. Normally I would prepare some ‘duit raya’ for him and maybe bought a pair or two ‘baju raya’ before going to his house. Thinking about him always brought tears to my eyes. It’s sad when you didn’t feel so close to him when he was alive but now, you feel like you lost some part of your life thinking that he’s no longer there. I don’t think that I have his recent photos with me, only those when I was small and still schooling. I saw him last in February 2005, didn’t call him until I was told by a relative that he had left this world…. in the morning of 16th July 2005. I rushed back to KT but was unable to meet him for the last time. He was buried that Saturday morning and I only managed to visit his grave, where I cried and cried for God knows how long. So many things were on my mind…. My husband and the people around me always tell me that I had done so much for him, but I always feel like I didn’t do enough. A lot of “IF ONLY……” and “I SHOULD…” that cross my mind until now. Sometimes we take things for granted, we take life and the people around us for granted, we take time for granted, until it’s too late for us to do anything. May Allah bless my father, Al Fatihah.
All my life, there were a lot of ups and downs and a lot of lessons learned throughout the journey. But this one particular lesson on life, I learned the hard way… and I promise myself that I would stay by my family through thick and thin, sunshine and rain…..and I pray to God that I am given the strength and patience to raise my children to be responsible and loving persons when they grow up.
Almost A Week After Hari Raya
I’m back in the office today, and I’m alone in my department. What a day! They are all on leave still, and I’m in my Hari Raya mode still! Hmm, can’t do much as most of the staffs are not around, no meetings, no emails coming in, no discussion sessions, nothing. Great! Might as well stay home and watch some good TV programs.
To all my PLUS friends - Kak Ita, Ina, Barlina, Bull, Catt, Osley, KJ, The ‘Lans’, Kak N, Kak Zaidah, Khatib, Kak Ana, Eri, Kak Aishah, Kak Odi, Eda, Masbanu, Rosli, Adi and the rest of PLUS geng;
To all my TTDI friends – Che Wan, Kak Zan, Rabiah, Dato’ Syed, Wan, Aris, Zamir, Salina, Zan, Yati, Roshidah, and the rest of TTDI geng;
To all my SCOMI friends - Nora, Rozi, RAB, Kak Liza, Mus, Sukma, Rina, Kak CT, Niza, Kak Maz, Lin, Kak Muni, Kak Shidah, Hisham, Zam, Zurin, Khalid…… and the rest (you know who you are…. too many to mention lah!)
To all my school friends - Een, Julie, Liza, Mazwan, Hani, Fazilah, Siti Noor Linda, Suhaila, Comel, Tunku Ina, Kae, Leilanie, Fidah, Haslinda, Roslinda, Rouzil, Shadiah, Zarina, and those who still consider me as a friend,
To others - Yus, CT, Wan, Che Aizan, Kak Eliz, Kak Ros, Roslinah, Aini, Zuraidah, Saliyati, Pika…..
Have a wonderful Syawal. Selamat Hari Raya & Maaf Zahir Batin.
Comments
Thanks for the Raya dedication - macam kat radio pulak, kan....
Zura, what has passed, is past. Looking at what you have today...... You are blessed to have your mother (who is with you now) who has been the pillar to you all throughout your growing years. And you're blessed to have such a nice husband and two adorable kids.
I know you will continue to strive for the future...... and you will succeed in all that you put your heart to.
For your father, may Allah bless his soul : Al-Fatihah
Thank you for your kind words and thoughts. Yes, what has passed is past, it's now formed as some part of 'memoirs' of mine... that's how I always think of all the wonderful-valuable-happy-sad-challenging experience(s) in my life. And without them I don't think I'd be where I am now...
Hmmm...ni hamster yg mana pulak ni? Ok, bila dah siap utk di baca please let me know.
Selamat Hari Raya to you, too!