Saturday, November 27, 2010

And The Journey Continues...


I'm leaving on the jet plane... again... I'm still traumatized by the miscarriage last year (that could be caused by my hectic journey balik raya 2009...)

Semoga Allah permudahkan perjalanan kami dan selamatkan kami semua (including this little precious in my womb)... Aminn Ya Rabb...

Monday, November 1, 2010

THE SIGN!!...


At the age of 33 I discovered the first major SIGN of AGING - my 1st UBAN (grey hair) EVER!!!... what a GREAT REMINDER FROM GOD!

Ohh... sudah tua aku ini... Saya tak takut jadi tua... saya cuma takut attitude saya yg perasan masih muda yg tak hengat dunia akhirat w/pun sebenarnya dah tua... ohh!!.. sedarlah diri wahai Hanum!!!

Jika dipanjangkan umur, Insyaallah... I would love to grow old together with Abaji... age gracefully, peacefully and wholesomely on my way to the next life...

Friends... please remind me if I see me going over the limit of my age appropriate behavior!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Mari mencampak di dapur :)

Abaji's little chef in the kitchen...

It's been ages since the last kitchen event featured in my blog... bukannya ape... sayakan malas masak busy dgn keja skolah gitu... Lagi pun aku bukanlah kitchen goddess seperti Akak Campak or Kak Gee and wanita2 mithali yg seangkatan dengan mereka. Huhuhuh... mmg jauh panggang dari ape le... jauh periuk dari stove!! hehh.. nama je SAHM... isyykk.. buat malu kaum je!

Since mak dah abis skolah ni, kerap jugak la kena paksa ngan itu budak main masak2 bila dia balik skolah... cuma yg lainnya kali ni, tgh main masak2 time Abaji balik keja... so ape lagi... Abaji pun dgn excitednya menjadi paparazi amik gambor perempuan kecik ni... maka secara automatic ade la gambar buat tatapan kenang2an utk mak yg terover malas nak mengupdate blog ni... makin xde keja.. makin malas jadinya! How mahh??..

Yes, Abaji... your anak dara ni sgt pandai dan rajin memasak!!! fuhhh... seb baik ade kitchen slave nenet for the 'after event clearance'... tidak kalu... mak fengsan nakkk!!


Dia dadar telur berejam ok nak bagi rata...


Sauteing the beef... sambil menjeling camera??...


Hasilnya... "Cheesy Weezy Scrambled Beef Egg"... heheh.. sukati je aku letak nama.. :)


Ini resepi campak2 kalau nak try.... very the easy one... ala2 kampung mat saleh...

Ingredients:
Finely chopped ground beef (lean meat) - 1/2 cawan
Eggs - 3 biji
Onion/ shallot - 1/2 biji
Garlic - 2 ulas
Oyster sauce - 1 tsp
Cheddar cheese - selambak!
Parmesan cheese - berlambak2!! (anak aku mmg hantu cheese!!)
Mixed veggie (peas, carrots and sweet corn - akak guna frozen je dekk...)
Salt & pepper to taste
Few drops of cooking oil (pakai non-stick pan, save the minyak... very the healthy!)

Method:
Marinate the beef with blended shallot, garlic & oyster sauce. Whisk the eggs with a dash of salt & pepper. Heat the oil in the pan, saute the beef till half done. Put in eggs, mix and scramble them till cook. Throw in cheddar cheese and let it melts, then throw in mixed veggie. Turn off the heat and sprinkle parmesan cheese.

Kitorang makan dgn baked sweet potato for dinner...

Sekian... terima kasih :)

Friday, October 8, 2010

Abaji is another year WISER... :)


Happy Birthday Abaji !!!!....
And many happy returns....
May Allah bless you always and forever...
We love you and always do....

It's just us celebrating Abaji's birthday with the laptop on the table direct telecast through skype with FIL & MIL in M'sia... very simple one... yet very meaningful especially when he (and me) graduating from INCEIF... double celebration lah kiranya :)

Hmmm... Abaji tak nak hadiah ape2??.... hhmmm... betul ke ni yanggg???.. hehehee...

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Akhirnyaaaa....



Alhamdulillah... syukur... grad jugak ahkak akhirnyaaa... Terima kasih pada Abaji, Hanna.. Nenet... atas segala pengorbanan dan sokongan... terima kasih pada Arwah Mak, Tok Baah, Abah, adik beradik, saudara mara, kawan2... atas segala doa dan nasihat yg diberikan. Hanya Allah sahaja yg dpt membalas budi baik kalian...

Since I'm still here... I'm gonna miss the Convocation Ceremony... tak kisah lah dekkk... x dpt pakai jubah naik pentas amik scroll salam governor pun tak perr... yg penting itu scroll dia post ke sini!!! Masuk keja thn depan nak tunjuk HR siap2!!.. mudah2an dpt $$ lebih... tidak le gaji aku ditakuk lama mcm 4 thn lepas... :) hehehe... oppss!! ape da $$... RM lerr.... huhh.. sungguh berfikiran duniawi saja aku ni.... Insyaallah... ini untuk Akhirat juga... (niat ini kena sentiasa diperbetulkan...).

Ni suatu permulaan yg baru... bukan suatu pengakhiran... (sungguh salah tajuk di atas!!!)



Thursday, August 19, 2010

Rezeki Ramadhan...

Alhamdulillah...

Just received an email from INCEIF today with the new due date for my PPP submission. The extension is until 15 Sept 2010. Thank you INCEIF... thank you lecturers for your generosity :) (haku saspek mmg ramai yg blom siap!!.. panjang je mailing list tuh...)

And THANK YOU ALLAH tuhan yang maha mendengar dan memakbulkan segala doa...
Yeah... mari bekerja keras... kerja kerass.... rajin dan rajin!!!... dan boleh grad cepat2!! Wahh... bersemangat waja!!!

Last year's batch... Congratulations!


Cerita sampingan (a.k.a nota kaki kembang - tiru Akak Campak):

Teringin nak makan bubur lambuk Kg. Baru hari tu... Abaji la ni... tanya2 pasal bubur lambuk diawal Ramadhan, aku yg terliur... and i know bubur lambuk Masjid Kg. Baru punye ingredients bukan calang2... at least 6 jenis rempah ratus, daging tetel, daun pandan, udang kering bla..blaa.. mmg tak pernahnye cukup bahan kat dapur tu kalau nak buat sebijik sejiban ikut resepi! (kalau cukup pun, aku mmg malas masuk dapur... seperti biasa). Dan tak harap jugak makcik buat, takat suh buat bubur ayam Mc.D tu mmg expert le dia...

Tanpa disangka2 di hari minggu, ada hamba Allah datang bawak bubur lambuk buat buka puasa kat rumah kitorang... Syukur sangat2... dapat jugak merasa (tanpa bersusah payah apa2... hehhee...). Walaupun ianya bubur lambuk Manhattan dan bukan bubur lambuk Kg. Baru, tapi rasanya sangat sedap!!!!... ALHAMDULILLAH... rezeki Ramadhan :)

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Dugaan... :(

I was sick for the past few weeks.... being in front of the computer screen made my sickness even worse!

Apart from procrastination yg sememangnya salah aku sendiri... (slalu last minute...), I was not able to focus and continue writing on my PPP due to my sickness (chehh.. mcm2 la alasan!!).. kalau ade pun satu dua paragraph yg sgt slow progressnye!!



Lagi sadis when my laptop crashed 2 days before the PPP submission deadline... dikala warranty sudah lama expired...Oh!!! and again my mistake was not having the latest backup on important files in my external HD (which I usually do the backup every now and then except in the recent month!!...) darn!! darn!!! darnn!!!!

But the good news is... after paying $103 (ohh!! sengat giler!!) we managed to recover all the data in the hard drive... Yeayy!! Alhamdulillah... :D

Abaji bought the new lappy on the next day (beli laptop mcm beli ikan je kat pasar... tak pk panjang... sukati u la yanggg...). Got a pretty decent one for 500 bucks... sgt puas hati memandangkan ia adalah "laptop emergency". It took us a few days to transfer and download everything needed and be familiarized with Windows 7. Still... I'm missing our old entertainment notebook PC sebelum ni yg agak "happening" that had served us non stop day and nite for 3 yrs!!! It had enslaved itself without any problem sehingga tiba2 motherboard rosak!!... Nak replace kat sini agak tidak berbaloi... so tunggu lah balik Malaya to replace the new motherboard... Low Yatt plaza, sila tunggu kunjunganku....

And the BAD news is . . .

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Hakak sudah terlepas deadline dan PPP itu masih blom siap utk dihantar hingga skarang!!! ala dekkk...alaalaa dekk!!!... aduii sakit balik.... huhuhuhu.... nanges :'(

I don't mind the penalty or mark deduction or anything... tp JANGAN LA AKU TAK GRAD TAHUN NI!!!!.... huhuhuhuuuu... nanges lagiii.... :'(



Sekian, cerita jiwa duka lara utk hari ni...



p/s utk diri sendiri yg selalu lupa dan tak sedar diri:

Rebut 5 perkara sebelum 5 perkara...
Muda sebelum tua...
SIHAT SEBELUM SAKIT!!!
Kaya sebelum miskin...
LAPANG SEBELUM SEMPIT!!!
Hidup sebelum MATI...



Monday, June 21, 2010

Days of Our Life... :)


Semalam...

Me: Hanna... today is FATHER'S DAY... go say Happy Father's Day to Abaji...

Hanna: Today is Father's day?... Last time was Mother's Day and now Father's Day?...

Me: Yes, go wish Abaji...

Hanna: But mommy... when is DAUGHTER'S DAY ???!!!

Me: (Errr... sentap kejap...) Hmmm... there's no Daughter's day... but there's Children's Day for every daughters and sons... (hehee.. seb baik dpt idea...)

Hanna: WHEN?

Me: (Sentap lagi!!!.. Aku tak tau bila!!...) Errmm... I'll check it out, and let u know when it comes...

Hanna: And I'll be getting present on Children's Day... Yeayy!! (eh.. sukati je budak ni buat conclusion sendiri... aku malas layan...!)

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Baru tadika la...


I didn't know how hard it was to enter kindergarten (don't think my mom had had a hard time enrolling me at tadika kemas...), until my little one is entering in this September '10. Starting with school tour for parents on the 1st quarter of the year before applying the school (most of the schools make it compulsory for the tour - kalo tak tak leh apply)... then isi the lengthy application form dari yg basic info kepada soklan2 yg memerlukan aku berfikir yg membuatkan aku terkebil2 nak menjawabnya seperti:
  • Describe the 3 most important aspects that needed in kindergarten...
  • Why do you thing this school is suitable for your child... panjang la pulak ruang jawapan tuh... nk suh buat karangan ke ape?!
  • Describe the character and personality of your child...
  • Describe the uniqueness / special talent / ability of your child - be specific!.. oh... has yet to be discovered!
  • Apart from monetary donation, as a parent, how are you going to contribute for the betterment of the school?...nk suh hakak jadi helper mom lagi kah??
Berejam gak la pikir bila aku isi borang secara ad-hoc right after the school tour, tak anticipate langsung soalan2 mcm ni.... seb baik apply 2 skolah je...

Alhamdulillah... Hanna dapat offer Ella Baker School last week... banyak "gagak" skolah ni. Well, I'm not racist... but they are generally associated with 'rough manner'... hhmm... dah more than 300 years kena paksa jadi hamba abdi... mana tak kasar?!.. but I don't mind sbb skolah ni dekat, and lagi pun sementara je... Oh!! nak kena balik Malaya... balik Melaya... balik Malaya...

So for admission, hakak kena la pegi ke skolah itu membawa segala documentation (offer letter, passport, proof of residency - utility bill, surat from building mgmt, immunization card... etc...) dan mengisi admission form yang... huhuuh... lagi la panjang berjela... forms for school, for NY Dept of Education, release and disclaimer form, emergency form, health/ medical declaration form, ethnicity survey form, health report form kena bagi doctor dia lak fill up and send back to the school... aduii... mcm nak masuk MRSM la pulak!!!.. anak aku baru nak masuk tadika laaaaa!!!...

Next week ade interview and induction for her... adoi aiii!!.. mak pulak yg nebes..

And balik Malaya thn depan masuk tadika lagi... kena ulang lagi ke procedures ni semua???!!!... arrrgghhh... mak pinsan!!!!



bye-bye Pre-School!...

Monday, June 7, 2010

Another year of approaching DEATH!!...


Gerun bunyinya... terutama bila memikirkan amal yang tidak setimpal dengan umur...

Apa2 pun syukur Alhamdulillah... Allah masih memberi peluang... hari ini seperti hari2 sebelumnya, masih hidup, bernafas, sihat tubuh badan, gembira bersama orang yg tersayang, makan sampai terlebih sudah... (gemok!!)



makan2 @ Persian Grill



courtesy of nenet layan camera - candid snap


my lamb shank yg sgt sedap!!


p.e.l.a.h.a.p. . . to the max... sehingga ke titisan terakhir...


oh, balik rumah ade surprise b'day cake... patut la Hanna tak bagi aku kuar bilik tadi...


hanna's pick



"mommy... can i blow the candle?!"



let's blow together...


another surprise... yg x berapa surprise, sbb aku noticed dia komplot dgn abaji siang tadi... abaji ambik 1/2 day


another self-pick by Hanna...

mak sukaaa!!!


... and this 33rd birthday is extra special because I got the greatest gift ever!! (tiada di dalam gambar) .. hehehe.. RAHSIA!!.. nak tau?! tungguuuu!!!!... :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME...

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Show that we care...


Tak habis2 Zionis laknatullah nak cari pasal!!!... Memang itu telah termaktub dalam Al-Quran. Hanya dengan kuasa Allah saja yg dapat menghapuskan mereka2 itu. Tapi itu tidak bermakna kita sebagai hamba-Nya yg mengaku beriman hanya duduk tengok membisu. The least we can do is... ambil tahu apa yang terjadi, bagi tahu kepada sesiapa yang mungkin tak tahu... dan doakan mereka yg teraniaya dengan kezaliman melampau puak2 nih... buat solat hajat... qunut nazilah... buat kecaman.... teruskan boycott!!! alamak, hari tu tak perasan makan kurma sedap from Israel!! cisss!!!..hina!!.

I extend this invitation to myself, my friends and my family and whoever read this... let's do whatever we can with our sincere hearts... although it may not stop the cruelty of the Zionist, let's show to Allah that we care, and Allah will definitely care for us !!

Here's the recent news:

Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Impulse Buyer


Another round of "mabuk handbags"... SUMMER SALE aduiiii... tak leh tahan... cantikkk... vibrant colors... AIGNER SALE... murahh... suka!! sukaa!!!! :D

Aduiii... tak leh tahan... so many distractions!!!... keja skolah terbengkalai!!!... deadline dah nak dekat.... arrr cuakk!!!

"Original For Less"... tungguuuu!!!...

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Mikasa Serving Hostess Set… I like!!


Have you ever experienced, when u dine at one place, or even at your own home, the serving spoon flop into the dish, or drown inside the gravy that you have to use your hand or another spoon to rescue the drowning spoon? It happens to me several times and what's more embarrassing, those incidents happened when I was dining and entertaining the guests!! Of course I have to use the bigger serving plate / dish bowl when having extra people eating at my house, but due to my ignorance I never bought a proper set of serving flatware (yg ade couple of pieces tu orang hadiah ye… obviously tak cukup lah kalau ade 3-4 hidang) so as usual, I just use the tablespoon instead. Maka kejadian2 itu sering lah berlaku time orang datang.

Oleh kerana saya selalu menerima tetamu, maka keharusan membeli serving flatware telah bertukar menjadi satu kemestian. Dan oleh kerana saya saya tidak mampu membeli sterling silverware (walaupun saya SANGAT SUKA!) dan saya tidak pula akan membelinya (kalau pun mampu) kerana ade hadith sahih yang menegah penggunaan bejana serta peralatan makanan yg diperbuat dari emas dan perak…. So the stainless steel is the way to go!




But good stainless steel won't come cheap either. Apa tah lagi yg designers brand! That's why I was so overjoyed when Mikasa Serving Hostess sets was having clearance sale up to 80%!!!!... Yummmeehhh!!! Maka akak telah memborong beberapa set utk diri sendiri, utk ibu mertuaku dan ibu tiriku, and for a friend whose running a restaurant called Garam & Gula (hehhe Jie… aku promote ko nih).

I thought barang yang elok akan jadi lebih baik jika lebih ramai yg dapat memilikinya, so I spread the news to my friends and family di Malaysia (sharing is caring kan… and yes I'm a caring person… hehehe poyo). The feedback that I get was overwhelming! I've been told that a piece of Mikasa serving spoon the cheapest you can get is RM60! Iye ke?... Gosh!!! So for RM80 per set (original price was around RM350), no wonder I have to buy another 15 sets for them!! And more orders coming today… Insyaallah, I try to fulfill their request while the stock last. You readers (yg tak dapai email i) kalau nak order pun boleh lagi. Give me your email and I give you the details about these products.

Mikasa Hudson Tabletop Serving Set (Stainless Steel 18/8)


Few things that I learn and I wish to share with you about buying the flatware. Apart from considering the design and the number of pieces, the quality of stainless steel is another most important thing to consider. The quality is determined by the mixture of alloy and the weight of the piece. Stainless steel is a metal alloy containing at least 10.5% chromium and more than 50% iron, with nickel added to help protect against rust and corrosion while adding a subtle, silver-like shine. The best stainless steel flatware contains 18% chromium and 10% nickel (usually 18/10 is engraved at the back of the spoon showing the percentage of chromium/nickel), followed by 18/8 then to the lower quality of 18/4 and 18/0 (no nickel – giving the matte finish of dull and darker color).

But some 18/10 (normally of an average brand) are much less expensive than 18/0 of the high end brand. JANGAN TERTIPU with the only look of shine and luster! Examine handles for durability. Durability of a flatware comes with weight! Solid steel pieces are the safest options; flatware with riveted handles can chip or break more easily, particularly with inexpensive handles. That's why it is always good to hold flatware pieces properly to test them before buying. The balance, weight, and proportion of the pieces should be comfortable to grip and turn.

Semoga bermanafaat… :)

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Letter from Pauline...



Siapakah Pauline itu??! Cuba teka?...
hehe..heee
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I received a letter today...

Sender address: COACH, Madison Avenue NYC...

Tiba2 excited!! Ada nak bagi discount lagi kah??... UNBELIEVABLE!!.. normally it's only once a year...


Sekali bukak...

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Pauline is my personal shopper... customer service mmg terbaekk!


Alaaaa... anti-climax btol la.... thank you card je rupanya...

Maka buat kesekian kalinya saya menjadi Ms. Bin Saadun !
... kwang...kwanggg... kwanggg.. ;p



Monday, May 10, 2010

Mommy's Day Everyday...

Ok la... mmg saye bersalah sbb saya malas mengapdet.... malas segala2nya infact... (uhh... sgt dosa!!)

But for the past 11 days till now, mmg hakak bz... ulang alik beli handbags... Alhamdulillah... order bnyk masuk... more than 20 biji... and beberapa accessories yg lain. Ye.. orang kedai tu sgt suka hati la melayan aku bagaikan mak datin... dapat business banyak giler, ape taknye!! Dan hakak pun sukerr... coz customer service baekkk punyer!!... They give me 2 dedicated personal shopper's assistants setiap kali aku dtg, after i brought a long list during the 1st sale visit. Tp discountnye ttp 25% jugak!!!... Takdenye nak bagi lebih... huhuhuuu... sekarang tgh terkial2 nak packing n shipping... ditambah pulak dgn Hanna yg amat suka "membantu" (she insisted!!!) Arrgghh... pengsan... suh main jauh2 tak moh...

Anyway, apart from Raya n birthdays, our family don't really celebrate other occasions as much. So my Mother's day was like every other day... after bangun yg sangat lambaattttt, I was out having my own sweet time in that evening with final round of visiting Coach boutique (last day sale...) dan kemudian mencuci mata di Prada, Michael Kors dan Cole Haan yg berdekatan.

Abaji gave me an extra good back massage treatment early in the morning (Mommy's Day treat??... hehehe) membuatkan aku rasa sgt best mau tido dan tido lagi... malas nak bangun... sampai ke tgh hari...

Seb baik la Hanna dgn rakus dan excitednye kejut mak dia yg lena diulit mimpi di siang hari sebok nak bagi card... sambil molot mengomel "Happy Mother's Day - Happy Mother's day" berkali2 with hugs n kisses... (sambil terkiss air liur basi ku?... hahha!! nasib la...)
Hahaha... kreatif btol anak aku x dpt cari envelope ngan reben.... sgt comel dia balut ngan towel Mikey Mouse yg dah lusuh tu dan ikat ngan belt dia... konon nak bagi surprise... Thank you for your effort anak mak sayang... hati mak berbunga2.... :D


Bangun2 kuar bilik je, nampak fresh colorful roses nicely blooming depan pintu, kak Wan hadiahkan last nite sempena Mother's Day.... rumah ni mmg sengaja dibiar kosong tanpa dekorasi ape2... so sesekali dapat, suka jugak... sejuk mata memandang... makin berbunga la hati aku.... I loike.... :)


Lepas makan lunch nenet masak... then bawak Hanna turun bwh gi makan eskrem sedap kat Tasti D' Lite. Biasanya Hanna la yg suke pow aku eskrem ni... Aku main colek2 sket je dia punya slalunye... coz dia makan sorang agak terhegeh2... cair je kang... sbb agak besar saiznya bersesuaianlah dgn harganya yg agak (gulpp!!) $$$ as compared to Baskin Robin or Haagen Das. Tapi akak suke sgt mother's day ni, coz moms eat free!!!... yg anak punye kena bayor lerr... maka kitorang tapau bawak balik... dan sambung makan secara berjemaah di rumah.

...hanya bekas yg tinggal...

So kesimpulannya... apart form having extravagant "me time" and delicious cooking from nenet everyday... today I got extra special back massage treatment from Abaji, beautiful pretty flowers from Aunty Wan, a nice wonderful card from Hanna and free ice cream treat from Tasti D' Lite.
Ohh.. yaa.. dan tak lupa juga great free stuff and goodie bag I got from NYC Family Club yg organized Mother's Day Fiesta Expo minggu lepas. Sukaaa!

Alhamdulillah.... saya terima semua ini dengan penuh kesyukuran. Dalam pada itu, saya perlu kembali merefleksi diri dgn persoalan... "as a mother, have I done best enough for my little one??!"

Dan jawapan yg saya temui lepas muhasabah diri amat menginsafkan... dengan kurniaan anak inilah Allah menaikan mertabat saya sebagai seorang ibu... dan dengan segala kemudahan, kesenangan, kelapangan dan peluang.... saya sepatutnya boleh menjadi lebih baik dalam menjalankan kewajiban bukan sahaja sebagai seorang ibu, tetapi juga sebagai seorang anak, cucu, isteri dan menantu... malangnya saya selalu lalai dan leka serta gagal mengoptimumkan segala peluang yg ada... :(
Semoga Allah mengampunkan saya, dan semoga ibubapa, atok, mertua, suami dan anak saya ikhlas dan redha dgn saya dan memaafkan sekiranya saya gagal melunaskan hak2 mereka yang sepatutnya saya tunaikan....

At this moment... deep down inside my heart... I'm crying missing my EMAK.... :'(
Alfatihah...

My beautiful Emak in between her cancer treatment in 2007... she was a strong woman!
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Oppsss... terlupa nak call mak tirisss wishing Happy Mother's Day... aisehmen... itu la pasal... leka lagi!!!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Hanna is 5 !!

March is the most awaited month for Hanna... kept counting days since February looking forward for her birthday... (this is one of the way I did to help her learning the concept of days, weeks, months and how to read calender). She was so excited about it! Dan aku malas la nak pening2 kepala... plan nk buat makan2 sket and doa selamat je kat rumah jemput rakan2 seagama (berapa kerat sgt kenalam Muslim kitorang kat sini selain dari org2 ofis abaji yg 2-3 org tu) and most probably mcm thn lepas, repeat small party je kat skolah dia. Hmmm... but a week before the date, tergezut jugak bila dia kata, "I don't want to celebrate my b'day at school." Her firmness on her decision made me wonder if there were anything wrong at school.

Tried to find out what was going on (it wasn't hard to find out, as I'm a part time teacher helper on volunteering basis) I didn't find anything weird or unpleasant with the school or her friends or her teacher. In fact, I was so happy (and relieved?) seeing her intellectual and social progress. That derived me with a conclusion, that she is simply her... doesn't like crowd too much (like her Abaji).

Maka dengan itu mak pun sudah melompat kegumbiraan, sbb tak yah la fikir nk beli party favors, snacks and cakes utk 11 org budak dlm kelas dia... hehehe... Kita buat kat rumah je yek?... And she gave me another surprise when she only wanted to invite Auntie Wan, Auntie Zarina, Sarah, kakak Hajar and Uncle Hamid ONLY!!!!...
Lohh?? what about Uncle Iqbal, Uncle Amir, Auntie Sara and baby Redha? (dia mmg cukup jaki kalo aku main ngan baby Redha... jeles tak hingat!!). Dia tak bagi invite... aduih laa... serba salah mak dibuatnye.
Since Zarina and the girls couldn't make it (sbb buat on the week night, weekend mak bz...), maka the guess of honor were only Auntie Wan and Uncle Hamid...

On the birthday itself (during the day), Zarina called nak blanjer Hanna kat Baskin Robin with Sarah and Hajar dgn bagi hadiah la bagai... ohh.. rupa2nye twice celebration jugak b'day dia thn ni. Thanks Zarina!!! I didn't go with her sbb hakak (std la las menet...) baru la terkedek2 nak cari hadiah dan gi Vienero's beli cheese cake super sedap dan gemok itu... Mmg sedap, no wonder it's Governor Zeti's favorite. Kalau dtg sini mesti tapau bwk balik M'sia hakak Zeti itu. Well, party utk 5 orang je, tp mak dengan rakusnya membeli kek saiz XL hehehehe... (dgn penuh keinsafan, purposely beli without toppings / decorative icings). Hehehe... ni mak ke anak yg nak makan nih??... Dgn penuh rasa guilty (sbb x jemput Iqbal, Amir and his family) Abaji tapau ler sikit bawak gi opes kesesokan harinye. And the rest, cuba teka sapa yg langsaikan??... kehh... kehh...

Happy 5th Birthday anak mak sayang... semoga membesar dengan sihat, kuat dan menjadi anak yg solehah... amiin...



Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Maid in Manhattan...


Nenet hulur $35...

"Mak... saya nak mintak belikan besday prejen utk Hanna... baju prinses2 gaun yang cantik2... tp duitnya ini aja," kata Nenet.

Aku TERSENTAP!!!...

Sebak...

Sayang betul dia kat Hanna... Alhamdulillah...

Bila bercerita pasal maid di kalangan kawan2 dan saudara mara... selalunya yg keluar hanyalah segala kelemahan dan kekurangan Nenet... Hanya sesekali aku bercerita tentang kelebihan dan kebaikan dia... (dah kwn2 tu pun dok bincang pasal perangai buruk maid masing2).

Walaupun tiap2 raya kitorang saling mintak maaf, adekah itu mencukupi?... Semoga Allah ampunkan dosa2 aku yg banyak mengumpat nenet...

Nenek bukanlah orang gaji yg perfect... banyak kekurangan dan kelemahan dia yg aku terpaksa bersabar dengannya. Tapi bila timbang balik, kelebihan dan kebaikan dia lebih banya berbanding kekurangannya. Dan aku pun bukannya majikan yg perfect... mungkin lebih banyak dia bersabar dengan kekurangan dan kecerewetan aku berbanding aku bersabar dgn dia...

Semoga Allah memberkati rezeki, kesihatan yang baik dan kebahagiaan kepada Nenet... Aminn...

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

NYC Parents Gone Crazy!

Hanya pasal anak nak masuk tadika... mak bapak yg gelabah!



Although I'm not as crazy (and obsess) as them, being a part of the community of the most "cutting throat" city in the world, I share the same anxiety and hope like those parents (featured in the youtube) since my child is going to kindergarten soon. Owh... sudah besar itu budak - 5 thn suda... umur WAJIB ke sekolah according to NY law.


Of course with the same reason ~ WE WANT THE BEST FOR OUR CHILDREN ~ and since I want to be a good Muslim and my perspective of BEST comprises of dunia dan akhirat, I have already targeted a non-conventional kindergarten/school in KL which I thought the school would be the BEST for her, for me and my family (according to my perspective of BEST). I already have this plan since she was three months old (wayyy back in 2005 - ok la... i admit... I'm an obsessed mom!!).


Tapi sapa sangka yg aku anak beranak akan terjebak kat NYC ni??!! So, my plan to get her the "best" school in Malaysia will still be on once we are back for good, (Insyaallah... kalau ade rezeki la... kalau dia layak diterima masuk skolah tu...), but at the moment I'm restless in and out of surveying the "good" school for her. (Well... that explained why I was on the silence mode for the past 1 month??.. apart from malas dan bangun sampai tgh hari seperti biasa... hahaha).


While public schools are free, they are often perceived as less good than private. Private kindergarten on the other hand, will cost us about $26,000/year (average). While money is not an issue here, I noticed even the best private schools in Manhattan are not up to my standard since they are mostly either run by the Church or a bunch of secularists yg perasan elite!! Well, don't get me wrong... I'm not an anti-Christ and I'm a living product of secular education in hedonism environment!!. It's just because my perspective of 'BEST' as I mentioned before, makes me uncomfortable with the mainstream education system - both public & private - di sini dan di M'sia.


And while other parents have applied as much as 10 schools for their kid (for there is no guarantee you'll get the school u applied - both public n private) , I only applied 2 (both public schools). And I'm considering to apply another one school - private Islamic school (the only Islamic School in Manhattan with some drawbacks in term of location and transportation) or maybe I have to consider homeschooling seriously???!!! - iskkk... mmg kena solat isthikharah nih!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Got Confused by My Own Name!

My name is Hanum... Hanum Binti Kamarudin. Short, simple and easy! Thanks to my parents for have given me a simply good classic name with such a beautiful meaning.

Orang kata "apalah ade pada nama..." Tapi Islam suruh mak bapak letak nama anak dengan nama yang baik2. Bila orang panggil jadi doa... doa yg baik2 untuk orang yg empunya nama, supaya elok juga lah perangainya seelok namanya.

Tapi ni citer bukan nama elok ke tak elok... ni citer lain...

It's written in my United States VISA...
Surname / Family Name: Kamarudin
Given Name: Hanum Binti
(tak pasal2 ade 'binti' jadi first name aku daa... sukati je diorang nih...)

In some of the events I attended, people addressed me as Miss Kemarudean... Oh, mula2 sangat janggal bunyinya... sebab tak biasa dengarkan... but after sometimes I can accept it. But some ignorant American ni mmg sengal btul lah... Kenapa? Sila ikuti contoh2 kejadian yg telah saya alami seperti di bawah:


Scenario 1:
Talipon berbunyi ring...ring... ringg...
Me: Hello?
Caller: Good afternoon, may I speak to Mr. HENAM?
Me: Err... sorry I think u've got a wrong number...
Caller: Hmm... there's no Mr. or Ms. HEANAM KEMAARUDDEAN there?
Me:
OHHH!!..Ohh... yea.. it's me, HANUM speaking... bla...blaaa... and the conversation continues...

Ni la bahasa omputeh kan... A makes 'aa' and 'ae' sound, and U makes 'yu' and 'a' sound. And apparently mamat yg call tu tak tau aku ni laki ke pompuan. Well, since you American have lidah pengkor yg pelat serta mudah tergeliat... you were forgiven for pronouncing my name incorrectly!


Scenario 2:
People also addressed me by my husband's name as in Mrs. Mohamed or Mrs. Fairuz. Hmm... standard la kan diorang ni, slang mat saleh yg pelat... Kekadang sebut Farooz... kekadang Feiroos... yg panggil Ferazz pun ade... Tapi yg tak tahan tu, there's one time when we stayed at the hotel in California, tetiba kunci (card) bilik aku tak berfungsi la pulak. So I went down to the lobby counter to get it replaced.

Man: Good evening Ma'am... How can I help you?
Me: I couldn't get into my room. Something wrong with this card
sambil bitau no. bilik mintak dia fixkan..
Man: Certainly Ma'am... sambil check computer
Man: You are Mrs. Bensadoon?...
Me: Err... Excuse me?.. I didn't get you... muka confuse sudah...
Man: The room is registered under Mr. Bensadoon Mohamed Feirooz?
Me: Oh... yaa, Mohamad Fairuz Bin Saadun.
Man: Here u go, this should be ok. Any other thing that I can help u with, Mrs. Bensadoon?
Me: Err.. no thanks...
Man: You are welcome. Have a pleasure stay
Mrs. Bensadoon...

Time tu aku dah menahan gelak... tak pernah terpikir yg nama aku ni boleh jadi Bin Saadun... hahahha.... den teringat Bin Laden la pulakk...

Dan yg paling sengal skali....


Scenario 3:

During our annual medical check-up recently, bersama Abaji ditempat kejadian... lama gak la dok kat doktor's office ni menunggu giliran... aku sudah kebosanan... tetiba Abaji cuit bahu...

Abaji: Eh, dia panggil nama you tu...
Me: Aaarr?... Mana de, tak dengar pun...
Nurse: Benti?... BENTII!!.. seakan2 menjerit, mata meliar tengok setiap patient yg menunggu...
Me: Yes... Aku terkocoh kacah bangun masuk ke examination room...

And she gave me that 'ARE-YOU-DEAF?!' look while i entered the room. Hehehehehh... mmg la nak dekat 5-6 kali aku dengar nurse tu panggil "Benti" tu... but never thought she was calling me!... hehehe... tak pernah hayat la orang panggil aku BENTI!... Seb baik Abaji ade... hehehehe...

In the examination room, aku sempat la menjeling my health record atas meja tu. Hahh!!! Sapa la yg mangkuk sangat ni isi nama aku dlm form mcm ni?!! Obviously, it wasn't my handwriting! I suspected the either insurance company or doctor's assistant yg tulis nih, coz i remembered filled up my health information exactly as per my VISA... but it turned out to be:

Last Name: KAMARUDIN
First Name: BINTI HANUM

Laaaa... patut la dia panggil aku BINTI... tak ke sengal tuh?! Terasa mcm nama aku diperkotak-katikan... tapi tengok muka nurse tu pun dah mencuka... aku batalkan je la niat nak suh dia betulkan... makcik tak koserr!!! Thn depan je la hakak suh dia betulkan...


Scenario 4:
This happened way back in early 2008. Hanna and friends participated in the Kids' Art Exhibition where they jointly drew a picture. Hmmm... what a lovely picture they made.. but I felt weird when I looked the name list... can u spot the ERROR?!



Thursday, January 28, 2010

Still Waiting...

Alhamdulillah, I've completed my Part II. Although my result this semester was as not as 'flying colors' as the previous one, I'm glad I've passed! I couldn't ask for more and I'm so thankful to Allah for granting me the success one after another. Alhamdulillah....

Now I'm waiting... and still waiting...

I'm waiting for the INCEIF to reply my application of exemption on the Articleship for CIFP Part III which if I succeed, I don't have to do the internship in the Islamic Financial Institution for 6 months and produce an article of the internship. Instead, I can continue to be at home and and prepare my Professional Practice Paper (PPP) which I already submitted the proposal of the topic. With my limited experience in the banking area, I don't know if my topic is professional enough to be accepted as PPP. Hmmm... it's even harder to think professionally when u r at home, away from working environment.

Come to think about it, I actually prefer to do Articleship where I'll be getting hands-on experience rather than theory. Well, it's just for 6 month anyway, and I eventually don't have to go to "work/office" everyday! That's what I like about it. But the problem is.... I CAN'T FIND ANY ISLAMIC FINANCIAL INSTITUTION IN THE NYC!!!!.. sengal betul la duduk negara kafir nihh!!

Harapnya pernantian ini berbaloi, Insyaallah....

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Surat untuk Hanna...

Assalamualaikum Hanna...

Mak harap mak dapat menyimpan surat ini sehingga Hanna boleh membaca dan faham tentang kehidupan dan hal2 keibubapaan. Mak letak dalam blog mak skali sebagai 'backup'. Harap Hanna tak kisah kalau orang lain baca. Mak harap mak dipanjangkan umur dan diizinkan Allah untuk menunjukkan sendiri surat ini pada Hanna supaya anak mak boleh membacanya nanti, kiranya layak dijadikan pandukan tika perlu.

Hanna...

Lagi 2 bulan Hanna dah nak masuk lima tahun. Kejap je... dah besar anak mak nih...
Banyak perubahan yang dah nampak pada Hanna walaupun tidak sangat pada tumbesaran fizikal dah setahun lebih masih di 15kg hehehe... Hanna masih belum bersekolah secara formal... Mak tau kalau kat Malaysia (mahupun di New York) ni kebanyakan kanak2 sebaya Hanna sudah bersekolah tadika secara formal setiap hari.... Hanna selalu minta untuk bersekolah setiap hari... Insyaallah nak, mak dan Abaji sedang berusaha untuk itu.

Alhamdulillah... syukur ya Allah, walaupun main2... tulisan Hanna semakin baik dan kemas, kekadang tu rasa lebih cantik dari tulisan Abaji... oppss!! jgn marah yangg... (masih huruf BESAR saja... huruf kecik belum lulus!). Hasil bermain "Cikgu2" bersama emak and Abaji, dengan menggunakan jari2, Hanna sudah faham dengan konsep penambahan dan pengurangan dan boleh menjawab soalan2 Matematik yg mudah. Lukisan2 Hanna pun semakin kemas dan cantik... lukisan rumah, pelangi, bentuk hati, bunga, reben, orang, kucing, arnab, burung, taman permainan :). Mak suka sangat bila Hanna bagi mak lukisan2 tu... mak rasa cantik sangat!!... sebab mak sendiri pun tak pandai melukis :p

Hanna suka pinjam buku-buku di perpustakaan. Mungkin sebab Hanna suka sangat suruh mak bacakan buku2 yang sangat banyak sampai emak penat dan bosan juga..., Alhamdulillah, kepenatan mak itu berbaloi nak... sbb kebelakangan ini Hanna sudah pun boleh membaca perkataan yang mudah2... (Bahasa Inggeris saja... Bahasa Melayu belum lagi...). Dan yang paling mak gembira Hanna sekarang sudah mula memunjukkan minat nak baca buku Iqra' berbanding dengan bulan2 terdahulu. Hanna masih di Iqra' 1... walaupun Hanna menunjukkan minat, mak masih lagi bermalas2an dan tak konsisten nak mengajar Hanna Iqra'... Maafkan sifat malas mak sayang... dan mak dengan mudah nk menyalahkan setan2 di sekililing emak!! Jangan diikut perangai buruk emak ni ye nak...

Hanna... :)

Satu lagi perubahan ketara pada Hanna yang mak suka... Hanna sekarang suka sangan ikat rambut, setiap masa di mana saja... sampai tidur pun nak ikat rambut. Anak mak sorang ni nampak kemas dan comel! Sifat keperempuanan Hanna pun semakin teserlah, obses pada merah jambu dan jingga, suka pada aksessori dandanan rambut... berbanding dengan Hanna tahun2 yg lepas, tak suka satu hapah pun yg diletakkan di atas kepala kecuali tudung. Cakap pasal tudung... Mak bersyukur sangat bila Hanna hulur tudung suruh Mak pakai masa ade "uncle" ketuk pintu rumah kita hari tu. Hanna belum tahu hukum bertudung, tp mak rasa seolah2 berjaya menjadikan kelaziman dan contoh yg baik kepada Hanna. Insyaallah, mak cuba istiqomah dan pakai tudung bila ade bukan muhrim termasuk sepupu sepapat dan ipar duai pulak lepas ni. Bab2 ni mak sgt cuai dan culas... Hanna doakan mak ye... Hanna seorang yang pemalu juga mudah tersipu2 terhadap perkara2 yang dikaitkan dengan perbezaan gender (seksualiti?). Bukankah malu itu sebahagian dari iman?... hhmm... mak aje yang masih tak tau malu... sampai sekarang mak masih gagal tutup aurat dengan lengkap... mak masih cenderung memilih fesyen2 yg tah apa2 tu... Hanna jangan jadi mcm mak ye sayang....

Hanna...

Anak mak ni seorang yang progresif walaupun pada umumya kelihatan sangat pasif dan senyap... tapi terkadang ade perubahan2 lain Hanna yg membuatkan mak risau dan cemas... Mak takut anak emak ini dewasa sebelum waktunya. Mak risau dengan keadaan persekitaran sekeliling yang sangat kejam dan jelek, rangsangan2 di sana sini yang boleh memberi impak negatif kepada fizikal, emosi dan spiritual kanak2 seperti Hanna. Hanna tau tak... mak sebenarnya risau bila Hanna mula tahu konsep 'boyfriend-girlfriend' seawal umur 4 tahun! Mak terkejut bila Hanna tolak dan tepis tangan mak bila mak cuba halang mata Hanna dari melihat adengan2 yg tak senonoh ala2 18SX di TV! Hanna malah marah mak bila mak tukar siaran lain, w/pun mak cakap siaran tu tak elok... tp mak pun tgk jugakk... ! Mak sedih sebenarnya bila Hanna tak mau lagi membaca surah2 lazim bersama mak atau Nenek bila nak tidur... mak terkilan bila Hanna sekarang dah tak mau solat berjemaah bersama emak dan Abaji bila diajak, tak mcm dulu. Begitu juga bila Hanna tak mau pakai tudung yang dulunya Hanna suka nak pakai bila keluar berjalan2.

Adakah ini hasil dari kesilapan dan kegagalan emak mendidik Hanna? Adakah ini indikasi yang memperingatkan mak agar jangan didik anak secara spontan?! Atau, adakah emak ini risau tak bertempat??... Mak tahu Hanna masih kecik... baru nak masuk lima tahun... belum wajib solat dan tutup aurat. Banyak lagi cabaran2 besar dan kerisauan2 yg lebih berat yg perlu emak tanggung. Insyaallah, semampunya mak akan merancang dan memberi pendidikan terbaik bagi anak mak utk dunia dan akhirat. Mak harap mak masih ada masa dan diberikan kesempatan utk itu...

Mak cuba utk perbaiki diri sebagai seorang hamba Allah. Hanna adalah amanah utk mak. Mak cuba menjadi ibu yg terbaik yg tidak membandingkan anaknya dengan anak2 orang lain yang mungkin dan sememangnya jauh lebih baik darinya. Apa yang cuba mak tekankan di sini ialah utk mengingatkan diri sendiri dan juga diri Hanna agar kita tahu potensi diri, mengenal pasti kelemahan dan berusaha memperbaiki diri agar menjadi lebih baik bukan utk di mata insan, tetapi yg terlebih penting menjadi lebih baik pada pandangan Allah.

Hanna...

Sekali lagi mak mintak maaf banyak2 sekiranya tersalah dalam mendidik Hanna. Mak mintak maaf sekiranya masih kurang perhatian yang mak berikan pada Hanna dan mak melebihkan perkara lain yang bersifat duniawi lebih dari Hanna. Nanti bila baca surat ni, Hanna tegurlah mak mana2 yg mak silap (kalau mak masih ade lagi time tu...). Mak cuma nak Hanna tau yang mak sayang sangat kat Hanna dan mak nak Hanna jadi anak yg solehah...
Insyaallah, mak bercadang nak tulis lagi surat kat Hanna dari semasa ke semasa. Mak harap Hanna sudi membacanya nanti dan ambil lah apa2 yang baik darinya.

Salam Kasih Sayang dari ibumu,
Hanum Kamarudin
Manhattan, New York.

p/s: Hanna... mak sepatutnya tulis dalam bahasa persuratan, itu adalah lebih elok... but I hope u don't mind dgn tulisan bahasa pasar mak ni... and mak terasa mcm impress sket dlm surat pertama ni, mak guna bahasa melayu sepenuhnye, takde bahasa rojak pun mcm selalu mak cakap ngan Hanna... and I laughed when i read it to myself... lol!!