The Sweet and the Bitter Chocolate in the Family

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

AN OLD FRIEND!!!

Jun and Pah (tengok ape lah tu?)



Guess tangan siapa ni yg nak cover dia makan banyak? (not me tau)



Last nite i went out for dinner at a 'self-cook diner' in 1 Borneo.

18 years ago i left home and studied at a place called PPP, Shah Alam. I stayed in a hostel that was actually a 2 room flat. There were four of us; ila, min, jun and myself. We were together for 3 years (but the 3rd yr, 2 juniors joined us) Then we moved to UKM. Ila remained my roommate for 2 and a half years. Jun and Min were together. During the 6 years, we practically grew up together.

Then in 1996, we all graduated and went our separate ways. Min got married, followed by me, then Jun and lastly was Ila. However, fate brought me and Jun together again in 1998 when i first moved to Sabah. She gave me my first part time job in Sabah at UMS. Her father worked with my hubby. Me and family ended up being quite close to Jun and family. There were a few Rayas that we did not go back to KL and the first place we headed after prayer was Jun's parents house. Our wedding dates are also the same 17th Oct but different year (kebetulan).

Now after 18 years, Jun and I are still together, working in the same department. Of course she is much senior in UMS. Insyaallah, she will leave for her PHD next year.

Friday, October 24, 2008

10th wedding anniversary

Salam, on the 17th of October 2008 was my tenth wedding anniversary. I took a flight back to KL that day and i was greeted with a cheese cake. We had planned to have a small celebration but because of the move to Sabah, it was cancelled.

Then on Monday, 20th Oct, I checked my email and read a mail from my TESL friend, Norainin. She sent a story of a couple who celebrated their 40th weeding anniversary. Below is the story :

A married couple in their early 60s was celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in a quiet, romantic little restaurant.Suddenly, a tiny yet beautiful fairy appeared on their table. She said, 'For being such an exemplary married couple and for being loving to each other for all this time,I will grant you each a wish.'

The wife answered, 'Oh, I want to travel around the world with my darling husband.' The fairy waved her magic wand and - poof! - two tickets for the QueenMary II appeared in her hands.

The husband thought for a moment: 'Well, this is all very romantic, but an opportunity like this will never come again.I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me.'The wife, and the fairy, were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish. So the fairy waved her magic wand and poof!...the husband became 92 years old.

The moral of this story: Men who are ungrateful b _ _ _ _ _ _ _s should remember fairies are female.

Crystals and Pearls


Salam, when people ask which is the one place that is a must for tourist to visit in Kota Kinabalu (especially the ladies)... Well, most people will reply the Philipine Market which is right in the heart of town. What is famous there? Crystals, pearls, t'shirts etc. Tourists from West Malaysia say the pearls and crystals are much cheaper in KK.

Last friday i went and bought some for my daughter and sister-in-law. There were many patterns and quality of pearls and crystals. It was not easy making a decision on which one to buy because everything looked nice. I ended up buying three.

Friday, October 17, 2008

New Job

Salam, I have finally started work as a lecturer in UMS, Sabah. I registered on the 13th of Oct. That day, I woke up very early to catch the first flight to KK which was 6.50am. Everything went fine and a Tupperware friend picked me up at the airport. I will be using her car for the next 2 months or till my car arrives from KL.

I reported for work at the Registrar Office and then at the Pusat Penataraan Ilmu dan Bahasa (PPIB) - this is my department. The first day was like returning to work actually because i know most of them at PPIB since I had worked part time with PPIB since end 1998. Junaidah Januin is also here.

On the second day i got my own room. What a wonderful feeling to have my own work space and my name on the door. For now it is still empty since my books etc are still in KL.

At the moment i do not have any classes because it is coming to the end of the semester. I will only start teaching next year. However, i have been given the task to think of a translation and editing unit for PPIB. Anyone out there can help???

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

More Raya Pictures

Dinie

Daniel and Deena

Dino (also spent his Raya in Penang)

Delailah and Deena (2nd day of Hari Raya)

Daniel, Tok Wan and Deena (Eve of Hari Raya)


Raya in Penang

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Colourful Raya!

Deena and Delailah


Dinie, Daniel, Delailah & cousin


Dinie and cousin


The kids, cousins,uncles & auntie
TG KARANG 3 Syawal

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

What a Hari Raya 2008!!!

Salam all,

It has been awhile since i wrote anything in this blog... well, been busy with the Hari Raya celebration. To tell you the truth... not much of a celebration for me and hubby since we both were down with extremely bad fever and body ache.

It all started on Sunday (28th Sept), my hubby started feeling uncomfortable and Monday we both we flat out. I managed to start our journey back to Penang around 5pm with the kids and the hubby sitting miserably behind the driver seat. Stopped for break fast at Bukit Semanggul and finally reached home around 9pm. Next day was sleeping day for all. Then raya day came...

Managed to go any pray at USM mosque and then back home to rest. Left for Perlis around noon to visit my sister-in-law and then down to Jitra to visit my best friend. By the time i reached Jitra, i really felt terrible but luckily my hubby was much better.

The 2nd day was rest time in front of the tv because we were making our journey back to my hubby's kampung; Tanjung Karang. The routine for the 3rd and 4th raya was basically the same - little visiting and plenty of rest.

Around 3pm on the 4th day of Raya, i was back in Sungai Buluh... what a relief for the travelling has ended :-) Sunday my parents came to sent my only brother back to UKM.

Around 9pm on the 5th day of Raya, back in Bangi :(

We are still having the cough and flu and it has gone to my youngest too. Hope we recover soon since there is only 23 more days of Syawal and only 5 more days before i leave for Sabah to work.

p/s - despite the mummy and daddy being down, the kids managed to collect quite a good amount of duit raya. No family photo this year... insyaallah, during raya haji.