Malam Puisi Wuma 2010 (BM entry)

Salam,

Semalam saya tulis yg hari ini saya tak sempat nak buat entri. Tapi oleh kerana sudah terkena penyakit berjangkit serius- demam berblog, jadi hari ni sempat la jugak nak taip sikit. hehehe. Nasib baik barang2 sudah siap dikemaskan di dalam beg. Cuma esok petang, kawan kami akan datang mengambil barang2 rumah yg dibeli.

Ok, berbalik pada tajuk di atas minta maaf ye kalau tulis selalu melalut dulu sblm tulis pasal tajuk, malam ini kami tak mahu melepaskan peluang bertemu dengan Sasterawan Negara, Prof. Hj. Muhammad Salleh yang kebetulan berkunjung ke Waikato Universiti ni. Ptg ni (Pkl 2 ptg) pun ada Deklamasi Puisi di salah satu bilik kuliah tetapi yang itu terbuka untuk para pelajar saja. Malam ni WUMA (Waikato University Malaysian Association) mengajurkan satu majlis yang dipanggil "Malam Puisi 2010". Ada beberapa persembahan puisi dari pelajar dan juga jamuan Nasi Tomato dan kami yang lain digalakkan membawa makanan sampingan.


Saya kan memang minat puisi, jadi ini merupakan majlis yang saya rasa begitu teruja. Selain mendengar puisi, malam ini juga akan menjadi majlis terakhir kami dapat bersama2 kawan-kawan Malaysia yg lain. Cuma kami hanya mampu bawa air jus sahajalah malam ini sbb saya dah tak ada banyak bahan2 utk membuat mknan yg lain.

Rasanya setelah pulang ke Malaysia baru saya dapat tulis entri mengenai malam puisi. Jadi, kalau nak tahu dan nak tengok gambar, tunggulah ye.

Which should be brought back and which should we sold,thrown or donated?

Salam,

As 30th April is just around the corner, we can't help but to choose which of our stuffs should be brought home and which should be thrown or donated. We've decided that we are only going back with our personal things and some souvenirs for family and friends. Thus, most of other things would either be sold, thrown or donated.

My hubby just came back from the dumping site where we could throw some rubbish like broken electrical appliances. Yup, we had few broken electrical appliances such as an old tv (bought from second hand shop), three dvds ni sbb anak2 suka sgt pinjam dvd dr library,  an empty gas heater (w/out the gas), a microwave that broke down after 2 years of usage and few other things.

We're going to donate some of our clothes to a charity organization (can't remember the name). All we have to do is to bring the clothes and put them into the specific clothing bin. By Thursday, most of the furniture and huge electrical appliances will be taken by our Malaysian friends who had pre-booked those things. So basically we've sorted out most of our things before we leave.

Fathini and Hafizah had some problems of letting go some of their toys that my hubby and I had to explain why we have to do this. I can't help but feel a bit sentimental too when it comes to letting go. 3 years is not a short period of time! Letting go of the things is one thing, leaving our friends is another. BUT this is what we have to do. Well, we still ask our kids to choose some of their toys and books that they love so much. There's one specific suitcase just for the toys and books. nasib baikla mak ayah diaorg ni tak banyak baju dan brg2 lain kat sini

All right, enough about this leaving NZ thingy. I hope I can find sometime tomorrow or the next day to write up another entry. But if not, I might have to say "Till I see you again" or "Ka Ki Te Ano". Please pray for our safety on our journey home. I really need it as I actually have to fly back home without my hubby. So, I'm not sure will I be capable of taking care of two princesses.

ATTENTION!!! 1SUPERKIDS-MBP FAMILY DAY IS COMING SOON...........

 Salam,

Attention to all!  If you want to have something special for this MOTHER'S DAY, you can't afford tp miss this event. It's not just for mummies but for the whole family. Everybody will have something interesting to venture on.

Date:
9 Mei 2010

Time: 

2- 6 p.m.

Venue:
Wisma Bling Lustre, TanMing Bolevard,
Tmn Meranti Jaya, Puchong
(dari LDP exit Bandar Bukit Puchong/Tmn Putra Perdana)

 What's going to happen on that day? Well, read these:

INDOOR :

    * Multi-skills activities for children – face painting, interactive story telling, origami, felt craft& colouring.
    * Talk and demo from Malaysian Baby Wearers (MBW).
    * Special headscarves workshop (Bengkel ikatan tudung) with Majalah NUR.
    * Heart to heart session with Ms Maizawati (model, businesswoman, Avon spokeperson).

OUTDOOR :

    * Bling-Bling Race.
    * Bling Auto Spa Demo.

LAGI MENARIK?

    * PHDC. Yeah it’s the PLAYHOUSE DISNEY!
    * Clowns and balloons.
    * Press -Harian Metro, Mingguan Wanita,NUR dan Pa&Ma.
    *  AF  stars will be there too!
    * Meeting with the bloggers that had been chosen as 50 Malaysian Best Blogs Blog in InTrend magazine.
    * Shopping till you drop in the variety of booths there.

WHY AM I PROMOTING THIS EVENT? WELL, I'M SO EXCITED THIS TIME AS I HAVE THE CHANCE TO JOIN IN (actually I'm one of the committee members) AND OF COURSE CAN'T WAIT TO MEET OTHER BLOGGERS.

For more info. please refer to this site.

SLOW DOWN OR PAUSE

Salam,

SLOW DOWN OR PAUSE

Slow down or pause when you feel stressed,

When you think you have very little time,

When you burning a midnight oil,

When you are working on the eleventh-hour,

When you reckon there's no tomorrow for you,

When you almost losing your patience,

Losing your mind,

Losing all the things you own,

Losing everything you love,

Desperately searching for answers or solutions,

BECAUSE....

By slowing down or pausing,

You would save more time,

You would save your sanity,

You would save everything,

SO...

Just try and see,

What happens if you just,

SLOW DOWN OR PAUSE.

This is just a-spur-of-the-moment poem for everybody. I love to write poems and this has been my passion since I was in primary school. (though I started reading or reciting poems in my first language-Bahasa Melayu). I hope everybody can enjoy and read between the lines.

Hargai datuk, nenek dan orang-orang tua di sekeliling anda.(BM entry)

Salam hari Jumaat untuk semua,

Semalam saya menjenguk ke rumah jiran terdekat kami untuk memberi sedikit kek pisang yang saya buat dan sehelai baju sejuk yang saya tidak gunakan sangat. Jiran kami tu bernama "Fredda". Umurnya sudah lebih 80 tahun. (saya tak pasti umur sebenar tapi mmg sudah agak lanjut usia). Beliau tinggal seorang diri kerana suaminya sudah lama juga meninggal dunia dan beliau tidak mempunyai anak. Kami memang selalu juga menjenguk beliau di rumahnya.

Fredda sudah maklum tentang kepulangan kami ke Malaysia Jumaat depan. Jadi, sewaktu saya berjumpa dengannya, beliau memberikan sedikit cenderamata untuk anak2 saya. Beliau nampak sayu kerana bakal kehilangan kami sebagai jirannya. Saya juga terharu dengan pemberiannya. Saya juga merasa sedih kerana terpaksa meninggalkannya. Beliau mengingatkan saya pada allahyarhamah moyang saya dan nenek saya (sebelah allahyarhamah ibu). Beliau selalu juga memberikan kami lemon dari pokok yg ditanam sendiri dan juga rhubarbs.

Kalau dengan allahyarhamah nenek dan moyang saya dulu, saya suka mengorek cerita zaman2 dulu. Moyang saya yang kami panggil "Mok Esoh" pula terkenal sebagai guru mengaji. Setiap bulan Mok Esoh akan mendapat gaji bulanan dari Jabatan Agama kerana mengajar kanak2 dan juga orang2 dewasa mengaji Al-Quran. Cara Mok Esoh mengajar mengaji pula memang menakutkan kerana di tangannya mesti ada rotan panjang. Pendek kata, semua anak2 murid takut dan memang cepat saja kami pandai mengaji. Mok Esoh juga suka mengajar cicit2nya tentang Sifat-sifat 20 dan beberapa perkara lain. Kami kehilangannya sewaktu saya berumur 16 tahun dan Mok Esoh ketika itu berumur 89 tahun (tak pasti sgt sbb org2 zaman dulu tak de rekod sebenar tarikh lahir). (tahun 1994)

Allahyarhamah nenek saya pula yang bernama "Che' Supiah", seorang yang amat pintar dalam matematik. Nenek saya juga pandai membaca rumi dan jawi dan juga beberapa perkataan Bahasa Inggeris. Allaryarham datuk saya dapat menbangunkan bisnes dengan pertolongan nenek saya. Saya suka mendengar cerita2 zaman dulu dan kisah2 allahyarhamah mak saya dan makcik2 yang lain. Banyak juga perkara yang saya pelajari dari nenek saya. Nenek saya ini meninggal dunia sewaktu saya di tahun kedua di UKM. (tahun 2000)

Sekarang saya hanya ada seorang lagi nenek yang masih hidup. Nenek saya (sebelah abah)yang kami panggil "Mek Delima" (sbb beliau tinggal di Kg. Delima). Beliau sekarang tinggal seorang diri di rumahnya selepas kematian datuk saya tahun lepas. Beliau tidak mahu menyusahkan anak2nya walaupun abah saya dan pakcik & makcik2 saya semua mengajak beliau tinggal dengan mereka. Saya selalu juga menemankannya sewaktu saya masih bujang dulu. Apabila sudah mula bekerja, saya ada juga menghulurkan wang kerana ingin membalas jasanya. Saya tidak sabar untuk pulang bertemunya nanti.

Gambar bersama nenek saya dan adik bongsu yang diambil pada tahun 2008.(kami pulang seminggu slps kehilangan mak saya)

Kenapa saya membebel panjang hari ini? Saya hanya ingin kita semua menghargai orang2 tua di sekeliling kita kerana banyak yang kita boleh belajar dari mereka. Mereka kan "makan garam dulu" dari kita. Jadi tentu banyak nasihat2 berguna dari mereka. Kita tak akan rugi berbuat baik pada orang2 tua kerana untuk kita yang dah ada anak2 ni, kita sebenarnya mendidik anak2 supaya menghargai kita apabila kita tua nanti. Saya selalu ingat pesan allahyarhamah mak saya supaya sentiasa berbuat baik pada orang2 tua dan juga pada semua orang.

Apa yang anda fikir tentang tajuk ni? Anda semua masih ada datuk dan nenek? Kalau ada, selalulah jenguk2 dan bertanya khabar. Kenalkan anak2 pada moyang2 mereka supaya mereka tahu asal usul mereka.

The downside of depending too much on modern communication tools.

Salam to all,

Have you ever felt cut-off from the outside world when something's wrong with your communication tools like mobile phone, internet or even telephone? You feel that you can't communicate to other people without the help of those tools? You also feel restless and having the mind-block?

Those are the things that happened to me yesterday. Just because the computer screen suddenly turned off (apparently broke down), I felt so restless and disconnected from the outside world. Haha. I made me reconsider about my own communication skills. Evidently, I depend so much on the technologies that I tend to forgot about the basic communication skills like talking to people around you.

So, what are the downsides of this that I figured out yesterday? Okay let's see:

• I speak and spend less time with my own children. bad mommy. huhu
• I forgot that I can just go to my friends houses instead of saying hi or hello through facebook. especially those who are living not far away
• I felt awkward sometimes when I have to do the face-to-face communication. this is because sometimes I tend to say things that I would regret later. on the internet or sending message through mobile phone- I can erase.
• I didn't realized that even my hubby felt left out in our conversation since I spent too much time on the computer. mintak maaf sayang

Right now, I'm using my hubby's laptop too write this entry. nasib baik hubby bg pakai. agaknya tak tahan tengok isteri yg mcm hilang arah bila tak boleh guna komp. huhu I wouldn't be able to visit your blogs today or tomorrow. So, I'm so sorry about that. If you would like to write what you think about this topic, you are most welcome.

One of the best exercises during Autumn.

Salam,

Right now in New Zealand, we are in the middle of Autumn. Normally during Autumn, we would have the images of falling leaves by the roadside that we use to see in American movies. It could be a picturesque view and quite romantic too. sebenarnya tak faham apa yg romantik sgt tengok daun2 luruh. hehe However, not many people realize that you can do one of the best exercises during Autumn. What is it and how do you do it?

Let's see these photos first:

1. Get the rake and start raking the fallen leaves.

2. Get some help from your keen sister.

3. Ask your mummy to join. barulah mak boleh bakar lemak.:P

4. A picture of the Maple tree.

5. At last, accumulate the leaves in a pile.

Just FYI, I got this information from Wikipedia:

Autumn From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search "Fall" redirects here. For other uses, see Fall (disambiguation). For other uses, see Autumn (disambiguation). An autumn vineyard in Napa Valley, California Part of the Nature series on Weather   Seasons Spring · Summer Autumn · Winter Tropical Dry season · Wet season Storms Thunderstorm · Supercell Downburst · Lightning Tornado · Waterspout Tropical cyclone (Hurricane) Extratropical cyclone Winter storm · Blizzard · Ice storm Dust storm · Firestorm  · Cloud Precipitation Drizzle · Rain  · Snow · Graupel Freezing rain · Ice pellets · Hail Topics Meteorology · Climate Weather forecasting Heat wave · Air pollution Weather Portal  v • d • e  Autumn (also known as fall in American English) is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter, usually in March (Southern Hemisphere) or September (Northern Hemisphere) when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier. Meteorological Offset Astronomical Northern Hemisphere 1 September – 30 November[1] Autumnal equinox (22-23 September) – Winter solstice (21–22 December) [2] Southern Hemisphere 1 March – 31 May[3] Autumnal equinox (20-21 March) – Winter solstice (20-21 June) [2]
How good is the raking exercise? It depends on how big is your garden or backyard. If you have a huge backyard with lots of tree like our rented house here, you can really be sweating. If you are living in a country that's not have the four seasons like Malaysia, you can do this exercise by sweeping the rubbish in your backyard. All you need is a broom and just do it!

The first thing......

Salam to all,

This is actually a tagging game from Jiji . Since she tagged everyone who read her post, I have to do this today before I forgot. yelah sah2 balik Msia nanti 1001 urusan dan tak tahu bila nak aktif balik kat sini She actually did this in BM but I prefer to do in English. sorry poyo sikit ye akk ni Jiji. hehe

1. The first thing we used after we got married.../Barang kahwin pertama yg dipakai
Ermmm I guess it was the Bed Sheet Cover. My late mum gave that as a present for us. ye...terus dirasmikan.ehehehe

2. The first electrical appliance that you bought together/Barang elektrik pertama yg beli bersama pasangan slps sah bernikah dan dok sebumbung

Fridge. (beli kat Carrefour SBRG JAYA)

3. The first personal thing you bought using the dowry/Barang pertama milik peribadi yang dibeli guna duit hantaran

Gold necklace and a gold bracelet. (arwah ma suruh beli sbb mek2 kelate meme keno ado brg kemas yg banyok)

4. The first personal thing that you bought after you got married/Barang peribadi pertama yg dibeli slps bergelar isteri
My mobile phone. (gara2 MP kena curi masa majlis persandingan kami. ada yg pjg tgn ambik dlm bilik pengantin. huhu)




5. The first expensive thing that you bought with your hubby /Barang mahal pertama yg dibeli sbg suami isteri (beli dgn capai keputusan bersama)
I told you before- REFRIGERATOR.


Okay now…I have to tag another 5 bloggers to answer those questions.
Just help yourself and let me know if you decide to do this *wink* wink*

We're going to miss.................

Salam to all,

As we are leaving NZ in 10 days, I can't help but looking back of what we and I have achieved since we came here. Though my hubby hasn't really finished what he's supposed to finish but I myself have learnt heaps of valuable lessons. I used to be (FTWM) before I came here. The first two months I was here, I was quite depressed. dah dtg duduk bumi asing dgn mula2 tu tak ramai kwn lg. huhu But slowly, I tried to find something to do to fill up my spare time.

So, I started to sharpen my cooking skills sblm tu ada asas tapi malas .hehe and also learning more about early childhood education from Peachgrove playcentre. I realized what I've been missing out when Fathini was a baby. Thus, when Hafizah was born here, I was glad to be able to take care of her and Fathini and watched them growing up in front of my eyes.

It's true that in life, we would have to go through heaps of different journey. Right now, we're going to end just another journey on our life. The journey that we started in early 2007 until April 2010.
For the reminiscence sake, I'm going to list out what are the things that we are going to miss:

• our beloved friends here; Malaysian and Kiwi friends too.
• the beautiful scenery and the fresh air here.
• listening and sometimes using the Kiwi accent and Te Reo Maori too.
• some annual and interesting events here like Balloons Over Waikato event.
• our rented house with huge garden. 
• going to library every week to borrow books, dvds and magazines for free.
• having the Malaysian playgroups during the school holidays. 
• the overall laid back lifestyle here. tak de nak kejar apa2 sgt tau kat sini

I'll try to write somethin else tomorrow but for now, this is what I can share with whoever want to read my blog.

Busy weekend!

Salam to all,

This weekend is one of the busiest weekend for us here since there are so many invitations from our friends. They invite us to have lunch or dinner at their houses since we are leaving in about 2 weeks time.

Today I prepared some food in the morning and by noon I headed out to my friend's house (she's a resident medical doctor in Waikato Hospital). We had a simple potluck lunch and our kids were happily playing together. I'm sorry to not really bother to take photos as I just wanted to spend quality time with my friends and chilled out.

We only left her house by 5 p.m. since we really had a nice time chatting and catching up with our latest news. By the time I arrived home, we expected to have a family from Te Aroha. So, I quickly heated up Nasi Kerabu and soon after they arrived.

By the time, I writing this, I felt so exhausted and sleepy. But I've enjoyed spending time with my friends and couldn't help to feel sad that I have to say GOODBYE soon.

Malu (BM entry)

Salam semua,

Malu? Siapa yg malu? Mereka dan keluarga mereka. Anda tentu pernah dengar kan. Kenapa saya nak bercakap tentang hal malu ni?

Dalam masyarakat Melayu, perasaan malu memang sudah diterapkan dari kecil lagi. Kita diajar supaya ada perasaan malu untuk mencegah kita dari melakukan perkara2 yg tidak elok. Malah saya sendiri pun sudah mula menerapkan perasaan malu ini pada anak2 saya walaupun mereka masih lagi kanak2. Contoh yg paling senang, anak2 saya tahu malu kalau selepas mandi, mereka tidak segera memakai baju. Pernah juga sewaktu kami ikut rombongan playcentre ke "Waterworld" (kolam renang untuk org2 awam di sini), anak2 saya tak mahu menukar pakaian mandi di hadapan yg lain walaupun rakan2 mereka (kesemuanya org2 kiwi) dengan selamba berbogel sblm memakai baju renang mereka. Saya pun lebih selesa menukar ke baju renang mereka di dalam bilik persalinan.

Rasanya semakin kurang orang2 Melayu yg beragama Islam ni merasa malu. Mana silapnya? Kalau mereka masih ada perasaan malu, sudah tentu tidak banyak kes2 buang anak, bunuh bayi tidak berdosa, dera anak dan macam2 lagi penyakit yg kalau merka malu, mereka tidak sanggup berbuat perkara2 yg memalukan itu. Bukan mereka yg terlibat saja yg malu, bila yg lain2 baca di dada2 akhbar, kita pun tumpang merasa malu kerana ramai yg terlibat adalah di kalangan orang2 Melayu.

Perasaan malu ni ada kaitan juga dengan takut. Senang saja, bila kita malu nak berbuat perkara2 jahat atau yg melanggar syariat, kita sebenarnya takut dengan kemurkaan Allah. Saya bukan nak cakap yg saya ni alim sangat2. Tapi saya sentiasa nak berubah ke arah yg lebih baik. Sekarang saya fikir saya malu dengan anak2 kalau saya tunjuk contoh2 yg tidak baik. Kemudian sudah semestinya saya takut nak jawab apa nanti kalau saya tidak cuba sebaik mungkin untuk mendidik anak2 yg merupakan amanah dari Allah.

Okayla setakat ini dulu tazkirah untuk hari Jumaat ni. Tak tahu juga kenapa rasa menulis sikit tazkirah untuk hari Jumaat hari ni. Mungkin yg lain2 nak berkongsi pandangan pasal perasaan malu ni. Cuma bagi saya malu kena bertempat juga. Jangan pula kita malu bila nak bersuara atau melemparkan pandangan kita. Dari segi itu, saya galakkan anak2 supaya jangan malu untuk bertanya. "Malu bertanya sesat jalan kan".

As I promised..... The WotWots Show

Salam to all,

Yesterday, by 10 a.m. we left our house as the show started at 11 a.m.! bukan main semangat bukan apa takut tak de tempat nak letak kereta Even by the time we arrived, I had to go round and round the parking lot to find a parking space. I saw one of my friend's was parking her car but later , I lost her inside the mall. We've agreed to meet near the stage area. It was unexpectedly crowded as there were so many mummies and kids. Evidently the show's a big hit among the kids.

Just when my daughters and I were about to find the prefect spot for us, we saw my friend Fadi and her two boys. We sat together in the crowd just in the middle of the sitting area in front of the stage. That was the first time I ever sat in a crowd with Fathini and Hafizah. They became restless after few minutes especially there was not much room to move around. Fadi and her boys left the place just before the show started because she said her boys didn't like to sit on the floor in a cramp area.

At about 11 p.m. the show started when they put on the WotWots theme song. Don't ask me about the lyrics as I don't really watch this program on TVNZ. The first person on the stage was a lady in a WotWots costume and antennas. She asked the kids to stand and sing along the WotWots theme song. Fathini joined the other kids to stand and sing but Hafizah just sat on my lap and watched what the other kids were doing. The lady then asked the kids to call out the Spotty Wot and Dotty Wot. But what we saw were another two ladies dress in black and wore a Bee Hat and a Fly (?) Hat. They came to say "Hi" to the kids. Later, they came back with the Spotty Wot and the Dotty Wot on their hands. la....mcm ni ke persembahan dia. kami yg mak2 ni mcm rasa entah apa2 je kalau setakat bawa patung tu mcm tu.  Amazingly the kids including Fathini were still excited to see the Spotty Wot and the Dotty Wot. They were really into the songs and the dance movements. They follow each and every instructions given by the mediator lady and clapped their hands happily to the tunes. Only Hafizah looked kind of bored and she just wanted me to carry her.

The show lasted about half an hour. tak berbaloi rasa tapi dah show tu percuma takpela kan. hehehe Actually at 1 p.m. there'll be another WotWots show but we didn't want to wait and watch the show again. After the last song, they gave the chance to some kids who wanted to take a photo with the WotWots figures. The line was quite long and I didn't want to wait in the line as I was not really excited after what we've seen during the show.

We (my friends and I) then met in one place before we followed Fadi (a S'porean friend that I met in the playcentre) to her house to have lunch. The mummies, I reckon didn't enjoy the show but the kids loved it. Of course their main target was the kids. kalau kena bayarla nak tengok persembahan tu, sah2 sy takkan bayar dan kalau dah terbayar pun, mesti menyesal sgt2.

The WotWots.....

Salam to all,

14th April 2010
@10.30 a.m.


We went to see The WotWots show at Westfield Chartwell ( a shopping mall) not so far from our house. Now let's see this clip:



What happened during the show? What did we really see? Hehehehe I'm so sorry but I have to tell you that I can only write about what happened by tomorrow since I had to do 101 things today. I can share what is actually these creatures.

These information is taken from the Wikipedia:

The WotWots is a New Zealand children's television show which debuted in 2009.
The show features two aliens, named SpottyWot and DottyWot, who spend their days exploring a zoo where their steam-powered spaceship has landed.This show also plays on Canada's Treehouse TV which played in early 2010.

Production

The WotWots is produced by Pukeko Pictures, a production company founded by filmmaker Richard Taylor and children's author Martin Baynton. The puppet-like WotWots characters are computer-animated over live-action footage by Weta Workshop, the visual effects company founded by Taylor, and well-known for its work on the The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.
The series is filmed on location at several zoos: Auckland Zoo, Wellington Zoo (in New Zealand) and Melbourne Zoo (in Australia).^[1]
Co-creator Martin Baynton also narrates the series, interacting with the WotWots by asking them questions and translating their speech for the viewer. In the UK, the narration is performed by Nicholas Parsons. Baynton also provides the voice for SpottyWot, while New Zealand actress Nathalie Boltt voices DottyWot. Janet Roddick voices the WotWot's computer, but her voice is replaced by that of Fiona Lewis in the UK version.

Broadcast details

The WotWots made its debut in New Zealand on 23 March 2009 on the TV2 channel of the TVNZ network.^[2]
In Australia, the series debuted on ABC1 and ABC2, two channels of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, on 16 April 2009.^[3]
In the United Kingdom, the series began on 8 June on Five.^[4]
In Canada, the series began airing on Treehouse TV on 22 February 2010.^[5]

Steps in letting go all your stuffs when you're going back for good.

Salam to all,

This is the month you will be reading a lot about my preparation to go back to Malaysia for good after 3 years of residing in Hamilton, NZ. jgn ada yg muak ye utk baca I've been thinking about sharing the steps of letting go all of your stuffs when you're going back for good. This steps might rasanya amat2 berguna utk perantau2 yg lain du luar sana help those who are currently residing in a foreign country. This is because eventually, we want to go back to our beloved country sooner or later. lainlah kalau mmg dah nak jd PR dan rasa tak nak balik duduk Malaysia dah

Photo source: Google

Now the steps:

1. Make a list of all of your furniture, electrical appliances, kitchen materials and other stuffs.

    2. Decide which stuffs you are going to sell, donate or just discard.

    3. Choose how are you going to sell like using e-mails to tell your friends, advertise on the online
        trading website or organise a one-day-garage sale.

    4. Choose to whom or which organization you want to make some donations of your stuffs. jgnla 
        pulak derma brg2 buruk sgt kan sbb tak elokla 

    5. Arrange with the Post Office to have your mail redirected to your new address. tapi yg ni kalau 
        lain2 negara kami pun tak pasti mcmmana.

   6. Arrange to have the meters read and the telephone to be disconnected.

   7. If you have some stuffs that you want to bring back, you need to arrange other means of transporting your stuffs like send via mail, rent a container etc. But remember that, those will cost a lot of money.

I hope these steps will help to give you some ideas about letting go of your stuffs. As we haven't own a house yet in Malaysia, we don't want to bring back any kind of furniture or electrical appliances. dahla kepala plug Msia dgn NZ lain sgt2. jd tak berbaloi nak bawa balik And yup we're counting the days as there are only about 15 days left before we say "Ka Ki Te Ano" NZ.

Making "Curry Puff" (karipap) but not weaving ketupat.

Salam to all,

If you are not Malaysians, you might not get the meaning of my title. Sorry about that. I just want to share my activities for today. Just bear with me.

This week is the second week for school break. Since our children are always asking for more time to play together, we decided (made our mind yesterday) to make some curry puffs together. There were only three of us since it was an impromptu plan. My friend, Eija wanted to make "Nasi Dagang"(Sticky Rice steamed with coconut milk,onions and a special spice)  with Tuna Curry (Gulai Ikan Tongkol a.k.a. Ike Ayo). But at last, we decided to only cook the usual rice with the Tuna Curry and some Curry Puffs. kwn sy tak berani nak masak nasi dagang dan sy sendiri tak pernah cuba masak sendiri nasi dagang. huhu

I forgot to snap some photos as we were busy having our breakfast before we started the cooking. While preparing all the food, we chatted about so many things. Basically we enjoyed ourselves doing the food as my two good friends, Eija and Hanna wanted to learn how to prepare Curry Puffs. I'm not really an expert as I used the Curry Puffs mold to help me. hehe. siap mak mertua yg bawakan ke NZ sbb nak buat karipap sendiri punya pasal. nak kelim sendiri tak berapa pandai sbb tgn amatlah tak berseni

With some interruptions from our kids (Hanna-2, Eija-4 and I myself-2), we managed to prepared all the food by 2 p.m. and just in time for our lunch. (since we had breakfast at 10 a.m.!) oh ye breakfast mkn laksa penang sbb ada kwn lain yg bg, ada juga kebab dan spaghetti goreng. hehe

By 3 p.m. we (my daughters and I) came back home only to find there was the agent of our rented house showing a lady who seemed interested to rent this house after we leave. There were also a couple of kids selling  grapes on the foot path outside of our fence. HUH! WHAT A DAY!

How your marriage could survive in a long distance relationship.

Salam to all,

I'm going to share some tips on how to make your marriage survive in a long distance relationship. I'm going to share what we (my hubby and I) did when we first got married until Fathini (our eldest daughter) turned 10 months old. We got married on 28th November 2003. During that time, my hubby was still pursuing his Masters Degree in UPM. And I worked in USM. We only met during weekends and long public holidays. I know that there are other married couple out there who have to live separately due to their job demands. And we had to be miles away too when my hubby had to come to NZ first without Fathini and me since I couldn't fly when I just knew I was pregnant with Hafizah. I've seen my parents who had to do the same thing for a longer period of time than us- about more than 5 years!.


How your marriage could survive in a long distance relationship:

• Keep in touch almost everyday. 

         -it's so easy to keep in touch now as there are numbers of communication devices.
          We used to send e-mails almost everyday, call every two days and sometimes chat on YM.

•  Trust each other.

         -this is vital in any kind of relationships. Don't ever listen to other people's gossips without
          checking it out for yourself. fitnah boleh menghancurkan rumahtangga

• Make every weekend/holidays together special as possible.

        -we really value our time together and we made it as special as possible. I loved to cook special
         dish and my hubby would help me with the washing and also taking care of Fathini.

• Share everything with your loved one.

        -don't hide your feelings. Tell him/her every single details of what happens to you everyday.
         Penting tau tambah2 lg kalau dah ada anak. kena bgtahu hr ni apa anak kita buat atau apa
         yg dia dah pandai buat

• Tell him/her how much you love him/her.

        -don't feel shy to say "I love you". Some people think that once you are married, you don't need
         to say those three words anymore. BUT the fact is, we as a human being need to hear those
         magic words. selalu dah kawin, jd malu2 biawak nak cakap. tak patutla mcm tu :P

• Plan that one day both of you will live under one roof.

        -this might take longer as it's based on how you want to solve your problem. Most of the time,
         one of you has to sacrifice. I was the one who had to sacrifice  my job but I was determined
         to do that especially after our daughter was admitted to a hospital for 2 nights. In my case, I
         didn't have any relatives that live nearby and I was always worried if some emergency cases
         happen. pernah kereta tak boleh start pg2 nak pergi kerja. nasib baik ada jiran tolong jump-start
         dan ada juga org jahat ketuk2 pintu dapur dan nak pecah masuk rumah. huhu

I hope those tips can help those who have to be the "weekend husband-wife". I only share things based on my own experiences. I'm sure the others could add some other tips too. For those who are still single and who knows one day, they might have this kind of relationship too, I hope you'll be prepared.

Demi adik2 tercentha....(BM entry in Kelantanese dialect)

 Salam,

Aduhai adik2 ku hk Knur saye, hr ni Knur dgn Abe Ariff, Tini dgn Fizah tubik gi kedai nok caghi baju2 ko demo. Doh adik2 Knur berehi sgt ko Jersi, kenola Knur gi caghi. Mulo2 ingak nok beli hok biaso2 jah. Tapi pikir2 tok sapa hati nok beli hok selekeh2. Walaupun Knur kenola guno duit hok knur bulih lepah wat dgn jual sekut raya. Abe Ariff pulok tulung beli ko adik beradik dio. Kalu ikut duit hok ado, meme cukup2 jah. Tapi Knur pikir rege baju tokleh tukar gati dgn maso 3 thn Knur dok jauh dari demo dgn tok leh nok tulung demo. Jd, hadioh2 tu nati mace tando Knur dok teringak sokmo ko adik2. Demo pung pehe bakpo Knur keno duduk jauh ni. Buke Knur maghi suko2 pung.

Ni buke ngepek tapi sajo jah nok royak ko adik2 yg Knur ni sokmo caro ko demo. Cumo sbb bilo Knur keno caro dulu ko tok laki dgn anok2 jah, knur tok de nok carto ko demo. Lgpun demo besar2 belako doh. Panda doh jago diri sediri. Knur bulih tulung hok mano bulih jah la.

Raso mace ngepek po muloh mok Esoh pulok. Keno bereti dulula. Tok sabar nok jupo abah, adik2 dgn anok beranok hok lain. Banyok cerito nati. XOXO

Based on popular demand.

Salam to all,

All right ladies and gentlemen, based on the popular demand ececeh mcmla popular sgt blog ni. hehe asking me to share the Curry Pasta Bake recipe, I'm going to give you the recipe in this entry. Lately, most my entries were about us leaving NZ for good and the events where we had to say good bye to our friends here. I promise you, this is a happier mode entry compared to my previous entries.

Before I give you the recipe, let's see the photo of the dish:

The original recipe was taken from one of Malaysian's magazines; "Majalah Rasa". However, it has been changed a little bit to suit my family's taste. ada sikit2 perasan mcm Chef yg pandai nak ubah suai resipi hehe

Curry Pasta Bake

Ingredients:
300 g pasta (any kind but I love to use macaroni or lasagne)
250 g mince meat
3 tbsp of curry powder (diluted in 3 tbsp of water)
2 large onions
1 clove of garlic (more of you love garlic)
1/2 cup of grated carrots
1/2 cup of peas (or can be replaced with other veges)
Some salt and pepper
375 g/ 1 1/2 cups of fresh milk 
6 eggs (beaten with fork)
1 cup of grated cheese (Parmesan or Edam or your preferable kind)
3 tbsp vegetable oil/ olive oil

 Method: 
1. Preheat your oven at 180 degree Celsius. 
2. Pour the vegetable oil/Olive Oil in a pan and add the minced meat when it's properly heated. Let it brown.
3. Add the onions and garlic. Stir the mixture.
4. Add the curry powder. Stir the ingredients until they are well mixed. You'll get the nice curry smell after that. :D
5. Add the grated carrots and also the peas. Then sprinkle some salt and pepper.
6. Pour the milk when the mixture looks dry enough. Stir for few minutes.
7. Get the baking dish. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.
8. Pour the beaten eggs on top of the mixture. Make sure the whole mixture is covered with the beaten eggs.
9. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top looks brown.

So, what do you think? Does it looks quite complicated? I think this dish is actually what we used to call "Makaroni Bakar". My playcentre friends expected that I would bring a Malaysian dish but since the said for the potluck party, we were required to bring only a plate of food to be shared, I decided to make this dish. alah kira malaysia punya resipi jugak kan sbb dah tambah serbuk kari. hehe If I were to bring other special dish, I had to bring more than one plate right? They already used to eat fried rice, fried noodles or any kind of Chinese food since there are many immigrants from China who own the Oriental fast food chains.

And now, if you happen to try this recipe, you can alter a bit of here and there to make it your own recipe. That's what the Famous Chefs all over the world have been doing. They don't really come out with their own recipes but they find some old recipes and changed some of the ingredients and the presentation to make it their own. What are you waiting for? Let's get cooking. *wink, wink*.

What a memorable night! (A rather emotinal and long entry)

Salam to all,

In yesterday's entry, I told you about the potluck farewell party at Peachgrove Playcentre. The farewell was for Terena (another member who's also leaving) and me. We (my daughters and I) hubby tak nak ikut sbb dia lg suka duduk rumah  sorang2 arrived at the playcentre quite late since I wanted to perform the Maghrib prayer first.

When we arrived, they were just about to start having dinner. There were 2 types of pasta bake (including my curry pasta bake), fried rice (somebody bought it from an oriental shop), two types of salad, baked sausages and lasagna. You might wonder why I didn't prepare a Malaysian dish. Well, at first I thought I could bring special rice (like tomato, chicken or coconut rice). But then it was hard to bring the special rice as I need more than one plates/ serving bowls. The curry pasta bake is taken from one of Malaysian's magazine. (MAJALAH RASA EDISI KHAS-sebenarnya biasa org kita panggil Makaroni Bakar). I would share the recipe in tomorrow's entry. So, be patient okay....

The first agenda was having dinner while chatting and catching up in a more relaxing atmosphere compared to the usual one when we are on sessions. I could still chatting, smiling and share some jokes with the others. Fathini and Hafizah were eating while talking to their friends too. They can't wait to go out and play with other kids. So, I asked them to finish up their food quickly.And I managed to take a picture of them near our new mascot at the playcentre; Gruffollo(based from the kids favourite character taken from a storybook).

You can see from the photos that there were not so many members turned up. Only about 1/3 turned up. When it was the speech time, Annalise started off by asking the kids to make a lot of noise first before she asked them to be quiet. It worked! Annalise gave a little speech by saying that they really appreciate what Terena and I had done and they are going to miss us. Then, Leah said that Ella (Fathini's BFF) is going to miss her and she appreciates my efforts in writing learning story especially for Ella. Terena didn't say much as she was already shedding some tears. I had prepared a little speech that I wrote on a piece of paper. I prepared it because I didn't want to be speechless. I shared how I really felt about the playcentre. Would you like to know the content? Yes? All right:

Kia Ora,

I just want to say thank you to all for having us here at Peachgrove Playcentre since May 2008 until now. We've had heaps of valuable and sweet experiences while we were here. We are sure going to miss all of you and of course this place too. We've felt that you and your families are part of our family too as we've grown up and become closer each day. (I had to pause here because I was about to shed some tears...huhu). If you happen to visit Malaysia in the future, please let us know. I'll write my address and my contact no. in the next newsletter. Thank you. 

Ka Ki Te Ano and Kia Kaha.

Right after my speech, I was given some souvenirs with the farewell card signed by the other members. Annallise as one of my close friend there, gave the present and the card to me. Fathini and Hafizah couldn't wait to open it and  they asked my permission to tear up the wrapper. We discovered that we received a beautiful photo album that contains the photos of us at the playcentre and a special book called "Magic Moment". Again I felt so touched especially when we went through the photos together. betul2 dah nak nangis sgt masa tu

By 7, most of my friends had to leave as their kids had to go to bed early. (Their kids normally go to bed by 7.30 or 8 p.m.). I took some photos with those who had to leave first like with Karlene (in a white jacket), Kim (long blond haired friend), Joe (a rather new Maori friend there), Allison (in a black jacket) and Sarah Young (carrying her two kids). We said good bye, wished each other good wishes and glad to know each other.

The others like Annalise, Tracy, Sarah Hudson, Annette, Terena and Maree stayed and we had a nice coffee time with some fruit cakes brought by Annalise.  The mood was changing to happy again as we just chilled out and chatted. Leah made everybody a cup of tea/coffee. She was like the barister who took orders from us. (LOL). Fathini and Hafizah entertained themselves by playing with Maree's eldest daughter, Isla. Annette who's always like to share some jokes shared some funny stories and made us laughing. I thought that I wanted to take a photo with each of them but since I brought the tripod, I asked them to gather around for a group photo. Thus, we had two lovely group photos at the end just before the sad moment again. I couldn't hold my tears anymore when I hugged each of them as they were among my best friends at the playcentre. 

How do you handle farewell? Have you ever shed some tears when you had to say good bye?

There'll be some tears TONIGHT!

Salam to all,

I couldn't write so long today as I have to prepare Curry Pasta Bake for the event tonight. What kind of event? It's not a really big event but it'll be a meaningful event for me and another friend who is also leaving Peachgrove Playcentre this term. It's a Potluck Dinner Party and hopefully I will see most of the members there. I reckon we'll shed some tears and wish each other good luck for our future undertakings. I've prepared a speech mcmlah menang anugerah. hehe as they've told me that I'll need to say a few word. The event starts at 5 p.m. but I have to go later as I want to perform Maghrib prayer first. (maghrib pkl 6 dan majlis mungkin habis pkl 7.30. takut terlepas maghrib) . Sorry to all of my blogger friends as I'm not able to do the blog walking activity today. Till I see you all next time.

Ka Ki Te Ano.

School holidays playgroup: Making sushi and other activities.

Salam to all,

Tuesday, 6th April 2010
@10 a.m.

We had a really nice playgroup session  at our house today. There were about five mommies and 10 children took part in the session. (Each mommies have two children) They are about the same age ranges from 7 years old to almost 2.There were Hanna with her daughter, Aisya and son Adam, Hanani with her daughter Najihah and son Najmi, Sazlina with her daughter Aisyah Nur and son Aiman, Adibah with her daughters Farah and Sarah and me with my daughters.  Our main activity was making sushi but we also had colouring, drawing, decorating balloons and face painting activities.

We started of with free activities when the children warming up with each other. (some of them are still new here). While the children were playing, the mommies were busy in the kitchen preparing the ingredients of making sushi. Of course we had to cook the sushi rice, cut the vegetables (we used cucumber and carrots) and mixed smoked salmon (the canned pink salmon) with some mayonnaise. Hanna (one of the mothers) asked our children to gather in the living room and made them busy with drawing, colouring and decorating some balloons.

By the time all the sushi ingredients were ready, our children just finished doing the crafts. We took out the ingredients and we started our main activity which was making sushi. According to this website, we made the Futomaki Sushi (large Maki roll with many different ingredients) and Oshizushi Sushi (vinegar rice with other ingredients pressed into a mold). There were two experts that used to live in Japan when they were doing their first degree who told us (the other mommies) about the other types of sushi. So, we were actually sharing our knowledge about sushi among other topics. hehe.

The bigger kids were the ones who got so excited to try their hands on making sushi. They really listened to our instructions and were quite patient. When they had finished making at least a roll each, they can't wait to try the sushi. I helped them to cut their Maki Sushi and they looked so happy when they were able to try their creations. It didn't take long until most of the kids tried to make their own sushi. We, the mommies had to finish making more rolls and the Oshizushi Sushi when the children just left to resume with their own kind of play. Well, as my daughters has had accumulated a number of toys, the children were happily created their own play theme. At one time, they played in Fathini's princess hide out (a collapsible small hut/tent) and then moved on to building something with the huge blocks.

After the sushi rolls were all ready, it was time to have our lunch. We had various types of food since we combined the sushi with some readily prepared food like A Morning Sticky Rice (literally translated into B.I. atau sebenarnya ore kelate panggil Pulut Pagi), Some Dried Anchovy Fritters (cucur ikan bilis),  Tuna Pizza (from Hanna) and the desserts from Hanani- Lychee puddings. Our children didn't really sit and eat as they always couldn't wait to go back and play. Thus, only the mommies who really enjoyed the food while chatting and gossiping. takdelah mengumpat sesiapa pun. hehe Only after we said that if they (the children) wanted to try the Lychee Puddings, they had to finished eating first, our children then came back and at least ate something. They were thrilled to be able to received a small container each that had the Lychee Puddings. 

Our last activity for the day was face painting. We thought that we didn't want to proceed with that but Fathini reminded me about my promise. I told them we could do a face painting at the end. By that time it was almost 1 o'clock. So, we had to quickly helped our children to paint their faces as our initial plan was to have a two-hour playgroup session. Our children had their own ideas on how we (the mommies) should paint their faces. Some even attempted to draw on their own by looking into a  mirror. By 1.30 p.m., most of them left our house and we agreed to at least have another playgroup next week.

iPad Frenzy: Are you as excited as the others?

Salam to all,

The picture is taken from tvnz.co.nz website.

Last night I watched this news on TVNZ about the iPad frenzy in New York and Seattle. People who were so excited in buying the latest technology device, lined up in front of Apple stores even before the stores were opened for business.

Do you know what is iPad? Frankly speaking, I was not really aware about this latest hype as I don't really follow or buy the latest devices unless I really need them. Well, of course money is the biggest issue for me. The latest gadget or device would be so costly and I would think 100x times as there are other important things that I need.

Here's a bit of information about iPad from Wikipedia:

The iPad is a tablet computer developed by Apple Inc. Announced on January 27, 2010, it is positioned in a category between a smartphone and a laptop computer.^[10]

Similar in functionality to the smaller, less powerful iPhone or iPod touch, it runs a modified version of the same operating system (iPhone OS),^[11][12] with a user interface redesigned to take advantage of the larger screen.^[13] The iPad has a 9.7-inch (25 cm) LED backlit multi-touch display, 16 to 64 gigabytes (GB) of flash memory, Bluetooth, and a 30-pin dock connector to sync with iTunes and connect wired accessories.^[5] Two models have been announced: one with 802.11n Wi-Fi and one with 802.11n Wi-Fi and 3G (which can connect to HSDPA cellular networks), and Assisted GPS. 

Both models may be purchased with three different storage capacities.^[5]
As Apple's first device to use its iBookstore service and companion iBooks ebook reading application, the iPad has been compared with Amazon's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook.^[14][15][16]

So, does it sounds interesting? Will you become interested to purchase one for yourself? Or buy it as a cool birthday present for your loved one? kalau nilah hadiah harijadi, tak pasal2 ada yg kena sakit jantung sbb terkejut. maklumlah hadiah yg agak mahal. hehehe

Before you get so excited and want to join the others who had purchased it, you have the right to know about that an  iPad doesn't have a built-in camera, USB drive and CD slot. Thus it makes it offer a limited software which might not be so desirable by certain people.

If you are wondering how much does this cost? Let's see what I've found from nzherald.co.nz website:

For now, Apple is selling versions of the iPad that can only connect to the internet using Wi-Fi. Those models start at US$499. (NZ$706.) Versions that also have a cellular data connection will be available by the end of the month. They will cost US$130 more, with the most expensive at US$829. tengok tu mahal nok mapuh. baik aku sipe duit wat beli mugo lain hok pekdoh lg.
All right. Now what say you? Are you excited and can't wait to get this new device for yourself or you are like me who would rather wait until the device is proven useful first. But the downside of that by the time I want to buy one, there'll be another cool device which might be 100x better and hype. huhu. One thing you have to remember is, technology like this is evolving and easily become obsolete.

Top Blogger Award 2010

Salam to all,

I received this Top Blogger Award about 4 days ago from K.Sari from Fitrah Cinta blog.

I feel so flattered to receive this award and think it's such an honour.

First I need to thank the person who gave the award and put her link here:

Thank you, Terima kasih, Kia Ora, Toche', Syukran jazilan, Syukriya, Arigato, Messi and Gracias

to K. Sari.

Next I have to pass this award to 20 bloggers that I discovered recently and 

think that they are fantastic:

This time, I want to give this award to those who read this entry because each of you is

actually a fantastic blogger. (harap2 sudilah ambik ye)

A Simple Mussel Dish: Kirikiriroa Hot and Sweet Mussel.

Salam to all,

How are you? What are your activities this weekend? Here in NZ, this is a long weekend since it's Easter Holiday (from Friday 2nd April-Monday 5th April). We aren't going anyway except for going for food supplies shopping and maybe visiting some friends. apala melalut ni sbb sebenarnya nak kongsi resipi mudah je hehe

This morning, we went out shopping at the Pak n Save (a supermarket), Prime Halal Meat (our favourite buther-there are other butcher outlets that sell halal meats as well) and Fruitworld (our favourite vegetable and fruit shop).

The unplanned dish for our lunch today was a simple muscle dish that I called "Kirikiriroa Hot and Sweet Mussel". All right, now let's see the ingredients:

From top left: Ginger (abt 1 inch), Garlics (3 cloves), Hot Chillies (put more if you like it very hot) and Onions (2)

The most important ingredient! : 1 kg of Mussel

2 tablespoons of Chilli Paste with Soya Bean Oil (or you can use chilli powder),A glass of water and

I forgot to take a photo of the salt and abt 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. So, don't forget those ingredients too! hehe

Now ladies and gentlemen, let's see the methods:

1.Heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil.

2.Saute garlics, ginger, chillies and onions until they look brown.

3. 2 tablespoons of chilli paste or chilli powder.Cook until the mixture looks well blended.

4. Pour in the water.

5. Put all the mussels in the pan.

6. Get a pot lid to cover in order to steam it for about 20-25 minutes. Don't forget to check it from time to time. When all of the mussel shells are slightly opened, you know that the dish is ready.

7. Garnish the dish with coriander or spring onions. (It's optional)

What do you think of the dish? It's pretty easy and simple right? I really love to share some simple recipes as it makes my life easier. Plus this dish can be prepared in about 35-40 minutes (including the preparation). You can use other seafood like cockles, pipis,  or any seafood that comes in shells. teringat kat "Etok". balik Kelate mesti nok cari etok.  So, have fun cooking this!