The Kamachis In Our Lives

I started blogging in 2003, shortly after the birth of Adani. So, there's not much being written here about the days when Aliya and Ayisha were babies.

Anyhow, when Aliya came, we were staying with my parents but I sent her to a nursery near my office when she was about 4 months old. I could not get my mom to watch her since she was already taking care of my brother's baby. *sulk*

When there were just the four of us. Baju pun matching lagi.

Aliya around 2 months old. Hmm, abaikan itu aurat dibelakang.

With Daddy dearest.

So, the days began by dropping her off at the Kompeni's taska and often Lollies and I would chitchat and share horror stories. I knew Lollies from the UK but we didn't work together then yet. But both Haziq and Aliya, being of the same age, were in the same care until they were about 4 years old.

The thing about the Kompeni's taska is that the caregivers were so different from one another. KakTun was so caring and gentle. Nellie on the other hand scared me shitless. KakShidah was very gossipy but nevertheless very nice.

The principal KakDalilah still scares me, even when she's been relocated and works as a receptionist in my building. KakTun is now the tea lady at our eS-Vee-Pee's office and I get special treatment when I go to meetings there. Nellie, altough she knew I was scared of her, gave me special treatment at the Dispensary. Yay!

Like I said all the time, always be nice to everyone because you don't know where you'll end up and who you'll be asking for help in the future, so make friends, people!

Well, Aliya as a baby had very bad separation anxiety and I had sorrowful mornings having to tear her away from my arms into KakShidah's or KakTun's or Nellie's arms. All through the 4 years, I think I shed a lot of tears, doing this. Walking away from her, hearing her cry, just pained me to no end. I later learned that as soon as I turned away, the cries always stopped. But aku kan ada selective hearing.

So, it never got any easier. So, I'm very blessed now that the kids have Andes when Mummy's making the dosh for our living.

Aliya cried buckets and wailed and screamed. But respite came to us in the form of a small, gentle Indian lady called Kamachi. She spoke oh-so-softly and has always been super-gentle to the kids. Aliya soon got attached to her and I was told stories of how Kamachi had to put a small towel on her head for Kamachi to even go to the toilet and the mornings when Kamachi's on leave, I would cry too when Aliya cried in the not-Kamachi's arms. Mornings became easier.

Fast forward 7 years.

Last Saturday was the Kompeni's Family Day. Not personal at all as it was Kompeni wide which means that half of KL was there. I always make it a point to go, always looking forward to meet friends in the Kompeni I don't see everyday. Yes, I am that positive or sicko, some would add.

We walked and I saw Kamachi and my heart leaped cos Aliya was with us. When I greeted her and pointed to her that this was Aliya, she melted. She held Aliya's cheeks and kissed her, just like when Aliya was 6 months old. It was certainly touching.

Love has no boundaries, surely. It touches everyone and anyone and it never lets you forget.

Walaubagaimanapun, my ever so grateful daughter Aliya, looked completely tak-kenal and stood there, squirming. Well, I didn't expect her to be melting and crying buckets, but ah well. Memang dia tak ingat pun rasanya.

So, there you go. That was the Kamachi in our lives not too long ago and I'm so grateful to her for all she's done to Aliya, her love for her and her gentleness that got me to work sanely.

Thank you KAMACHI and Aliya, babe, can you at least show some emotion? Ish!

Tulis Tangan

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Hehehehehe ..

New gadget. It's called Livescribe and it's the funkiest little thing.

Hehehehe..

Well, this is what I've planned for the class I'm doing this Saturday at Cake Connection. We're doing the Wedding theme and I was blown away by the number of students who've paid up for it well in advance.

We Are the Champions

Whoohoo!!

Image via Wikipedia

Hmm .. Naib Johan is still CHAMPIONS, kan?

Anyhow, since EnScrew has retracted his doubts of me and futsal should never be in the same sentence, I feel no need to lepuk him for a bout a week or two, unless he shoots me another official letter la. He joined us for a training session on Friday and squashed his own doubts and I suprised myself and pulled a muscle or two too.

Well, leaving EnScrew topic now.

Anyhow. Sunday, we had the tourney, official Division stuff. We were short of a ladies team and Fina quickly assembled a team, inclusive of me and mosh and some other sporting gals, plus a few import players. Someone wanted to name us BELASAHAN for reasons best not to be elaborated, but someone wiser came up with Wonderpets purely their lyrics. I've never heard this song but the lyrics in BM is really cool.

Wonder Pets! Wonder Pets! kami datang,
Membantu haiwan yang dalam kesusahan!
Kami tak besar,
Dan kami tak kuat,
Bila Bekerjasama semua jadi mudah.
Yeah, Wonder Pets! Yay!
Apa yang penting??
Kerja~sama~!
Apa yang penting?
Kerja~sama~!

I, for the live of me, never thought I'd be good at futsal. Although I should add that I spent the whole of my 5 years in the UK, following all the games of Manchester United, including chasing Ryan Giggs through the Arndale Centre while he was evading the papparazzi and parading

Cover of Giggs

through the Old Trafford when they won their Treble, the day before my Final Year exams.

But I never touched the ball. Until Friday.

Image via Wikipedia

Apparently, I played a good defence and striker too, but pancitness took the best of me and I pleaded to play defend. So, all the 4 games yesterday, I played full-time at defend. And managed to not let goals through to Mosh, our goalie. Except when we played the real champion team, Naimah and the gang. Intimidated siut! And we let them scored 4 goals. Chit!

I felt like my lungs were about to burst from the sheer tiredness and pure unfitness of me. But I did hold my fort kinda well and we managed to win 2 games, drew 1 and lost 1. That gave us the 2nd place. NAIB JOHAN! Whoohooo. Moshie kecundang in his team of Perut-Jalan-Dulu. *lari*

MrGart brought his team too but the men's teams were super fast and scarily ganas. Yikes!

We came home yesterday, me with kaki lebam kena sepak dengan penat ya amat, tido sampai petang. Bangun lagi sakit! But I thought we had fun, tremendous fun!!

Whoohoo .. We Are the naib Champions!

The Aftermath of A Birthday

And yes, MrGart is walkng fine this morning. *specially directed to curious Roti*

And me too, if you're wondering still.

And no, there's not much celebration yesterday either.

Since it was a Tuesday and the girls have tuition and Ayisha needed te be picked up and 9 and Aliya at 10 so, no birthday dinner and no cutting cakes either. Maybe tonight.

Walaupun, the sidekicks of SarahFizz and Ken, brought a cake during a morning meeting. Yay!

Anyhow.

Being 36 feels .. uhmm .. the same. Although MrButterflutter clearly pointed out that 36 sucks as a number since it's rounded to 40! *what?????*

But seriously, it feels no different. No different than when I turned 24, 18 or 31. But that's life, eh?

Well, am in a very long and tiring and boring akp session the whole day today .. so wish me luck. kamarul is looking extremely bored and azlan is counting the hair on his arm. that bored!

ciao!

I Need Coffee

Today is the day. The 12th anniversary of me and GartRed's 24th birthday! Geddit?

Hahahaha ..

Ye la tu, if I were 24, I'd better not be beating round the bush. When I said so this morning at a meeting, these engineers who make and break the country mind you, added it up very intentionally wrong! Cehs!

So, there.

For you mathematically challenged folks, I'm 36 today. Yikes! But it's just a number. *gulp*

And thanks to fb, my phone has not stopped beeping since morning. Yay! Thanks for remembering today.

And to GardRed, Happy Birthday to You!

*going to get coffee, black*

Anak Jantan Sorang

Tu la orang dah kata.

I never really agree to the notion of boys are a lot of boisterous than girls are, while I was doing my rounds with the 3 girls. That's until I held Ariz in my arms.

And that was fine.

Until he turned uhmmm let's see. I guess 4 last February 14th.

Ariz now is most destructive and prone to self-inflicted injuries after naps and especially between 8 to 10pm. Remember the 3 bloody incidents. Arghhh!!

And he's a lot more talkative too. He talks back too. Sikit-sikit "Tak nak kawan dengan Mummy". "Mummy tak cantik pun". "Nanti Iz letak Mummy kat luar". Grrr !!

But he's really funny too.

These days, I make it a point to call him by his full name. Normally with a murderous tone when he's ruffled Ayisha's hair, or punched Adani at the back or ran around with Aliya's book in hand.

So, in bed, after we're done reciting the doa tidor, ayat kursi, the 3 Quls, we'd normally chat and when I asked his name, he proudly said. "Ahmad (Ar)Iz Zuhayr". *Ah well, he's still a little pelat and he still calls himself Iz, instead of Ariz. "R" is not that easy to pronounce, hokeh!

And I asked him my name, and he said "Azrina" and when it comes to Daddy. He said "Ahmad Daddy Zuhayr". What??

Eh, bukan la.

Betul! Ahmad Daddy Zuhayr! *repeat 3 times with escalating tone*

Apa-apa la labu!

Jalan Jalan Cari Gas

Ish! Dah naik bersarang dah blog aku ni. Lama eh tak update. Bukannya apa, saje je nak letak gambar Anuar Z@in kat top page. Bagi roti nyampah sikit je lagi ... hehehe

Anyhow. Am going for a overnight to Kerteh to the place where you see the gas flares on top of those structures. With a bunch of colleagues, fun ones may I add.

Yay!

Am so looking forward to this. We're doing the pool this afternoon. Mosh is planning for a skinnydipping session at midnight and I'm so locking myself in the room. Bukannya apa. Takut my innocence kena zap!

Ciao.

Fantaslistic Concert .. WhooHooo

*suara sangat serak dan hati sangat gumbira*

Let me tell you this.

Am glad that my kids didn't get to see me clapping, gasping, screaming and singing at the top of my voice and generally swooning at the very sight of Anuar Zain.

And am so glad too that they didn't get to me waving my hands up in the air and whoohoo-ing every time Anuar look at my way.

Am relieved that my kids or MrGart didn't see me with my swoon-ed expresion on my face, hands on my chin, head tilted in a dreamy kind of way, when he belted Mungkin and Terman Terulung.

Am so relieved too that they didn't see me screaming and giggling happily at the very sight of him taking him his jacket and THEN .. his tie. And they didn't hear me when I screamed "ME" when Anuar asked if anyone would help him take off his tie off.

Phew!

Where is GartRed ?

It's 5:19pm and an unusual time to find me still sitting in my room.

Normally, by 5:15pm, I would've dashed to the car headed for home.

But. Jeng jeng jeng...

Tonight is the Anuar Zain's concert. Yay! And I am going. With GartRed, since MrGart has developed a sudden allergy over the sights of MrCroon's meneran while he sings and for the life of him, he could not tolerate seeing MrCroon's whites of the eyes while he belts out his ballads. So Gartred it is.

Where is she?

Anyhow, thought I'd gloat a bit, while I wait. No?

Here's what kept me busy last night. 50 of these.


The theme was silver and white. And I am so so glad that the silver worked. Heheheheh! Serious. I've never done silver before, something about metal fear. But I did an Aztec Gold before and it was a blast.

Nah! Close-up. Obviously still swooning over my silver.

The Garties at Pulau Redang

This is turning into a photo-blog since panjangla pulak if nak tulis sebijik-sebijik.

Ariz trying his luck climbing up a coconut tree. *nasib baik tak nampak tangan MrGart propping him up*

We went in a group of 41 of MrGart's office and there were a couple of young trainees who who doing a lot of photo shoots and they were jumping and pose. So, this were the girls' attempt to emulate. Kakaka!

MrGart and his lovely model, Adani. A natural photogenic and a camera lover. She really loves to pose. *risau gak ni*


The morning. One of my favourite pictures. Looks peaceful and they're at ease. The sea looked calm, the kids looked err busyuk but they all look at ease.


Before breakfast and just after Ariz woke up, obviously pining for Mummy and not in the mood to pose.

Adani. The model. She now hates her layered hair. Sigh!

One of the snorkelling sessions. This was at the resort's jetty waiting for the boat. The kids were all wet from mandi laut at 1pm when everyone else was berehat. Tu yang berkilat semacam aje tu. Ariz especially discovered that the life jacket was a great floatation device. Duh!
At the Marine Park. All of these underwater pics were taken by Aliya. Ayisha and ALiya had a blast, snorkelling non-stop. This trip was truly theirs to own. Mummy, kena ikat dengan Ariz dok tepi je .. habis seluar aku masuk pasir.

Aliya, underwater. Enjoying it tremendously.

Ayisha, a natural swimmer.

And that my friends, were snapshots of our wonderful island holiday. We stayed at Wisana Resort, a locally run resort. And the beach was exclusive to us. Was told that the Berjaya beach was shared among 10 resorts. Tapi the sights of flesh, tattoos and beer cans, just didn't agre with me. Mrgart went for mencandat sotong and came back, exhausted from puking. Yikes ! But the huge sotongs they caught tasted super sedap, goreng tepung. Fooh and then lebih tu, buat sambal sotong for nasik lemak. Foohh!

We had fun.

Ariz's Best Friends

Being the only boy and a rather mischievous one at it has a little snag in that the sisters will soon tire of his rough games and they'll retreat from him.

So, these are his current best friends. A bunch of stegos, t-rex and triceratops. A bucketful of soldiers. Semalam aku terpijak sorang, rasa macam nak bercabut tapak kaki. Grrr!! Eh, macam cerita Toy Story la pulak.

Opps, jangan lupa, Ben10 and HeatBlast and FourArm always keep him company. Especially those nights when Mummy was catching up with missed episode of grey's at midnight.

He, by the way, talks to these friends and that never fail to amuse me. At least he doesn't do like this blogger's 5yo son. Aisey, Dilla something. Now dah lupa.

Apparently, she found his found alone, spender-less on the king-size bed with a HeatBlast in hand. Suspicious, she asked and he replied. It's like a trampoline. Referring to his test1cles. I leave it to your imagination, tuan-tuan dan puan-puan.

I, if you must know, was laughing so hard, ppl must have thought I'd gone bonkers. I guess boys are a curious lot. I've caught Ariz "experimenting" with his and quickly made a mental note to mrGart to have a little talk. MrGart has never obliged. Ceh!

Abang Micheal Dah Tak Ada

He's dead. I pray that he died a Muslim. Insyallah.

It was so shocking to hear about it in the car this morning. Not that I knew him in person. But I love his songs.

Jangan jeles ye kawan-kawan .. I was one of the thousands who were at the Stadium who rocked and swayed and shouted at his one and only concert in Malaysia. And that was in *counts* at least 12 years ago cos I wasn't married yet.

I was there with GartRed and a childhood friend, Nazli (whatever happens to him, I wonder). We were so sengkek that where we sat, he looked like a kerengga. Tiny. But the huge screens helped. That was after his Bad album and I remember getting hooked on Man In The Mirror, Black and White and who could've missed You Are Not Alone.

Suprisingly, when I was chatting with friends, somehow BigKahuna mentioned that she too went to the same concert. And since she was sitting so close to the stage (nampak sangat kitorang sengkek), she could actually see him lip-synching some songs. Yikes!

Lucky for us, I could barely make out his nose and that's supposed to be prominent, let alone his lips. Haha.

Anyhow.

I thought he was a great music influence to me. Like Madonna. Yup. I love her. And Anuar Zain. Hmm .. maybe that one I should keep a secret eh?

Saya Sedikit Sedih

Nota Kepala : Hari ni mood sangat tak bagus, so tak sempat lak nak cerita pasal the awesome Redang.

Bukannya apa.

Saya ni takde la cemerlang sangat kat ofis. Boleh la cari makan. KompeniKedekutLetrik ni, saya dah lama dah putus harapan untuk di-reward atas dasar kecemerlangan. Dah bertahun-tahun dah. Even sebelum MissKLSentral resign lagi.

Tapi sejak dua tiga menjak ni, ramai pulak kawan-kawan saya yang resign. YY for one, has finally thrown in the towel and called it quits. Years of trying to weather it, obviously not working sunny enough.

Everytime, sorang kawan resign, saya termenung sendiri,

Kenapa aku masih kat sini? Adakah aku kurang talent berbanding dengan mereka? Adakah aku ni tak marketable langsung? Terlalu niche sangat ke kerja yang aku buat selama ni?

Nagai is out there menggeleng kepala sebab dah bertahun-tahun dia suruh aku resign but aku masih disini.

Let me tell you this. *cakap mat salleh la pulak, since nak tunjuk aku ni marketable, kalau x terer, goreng jangan cabar*

The only thing that's keeping me here is my passion. I love what I do. I love doing the things I do. I love my job. I love my colleagues. I love the exposure I get from the job. I love that I get the opportunity to do what I thought I couldn't but the bosses thought I could and I found that I could. I just love it. And I love my bosses.

Bukan la nak bodek. Boss-boss aku selama ni are the out-of-the-box types. Liberal ones and I love their outlook of life. Never bureaucracti, never picky and never ones to sweat over the small stuff.

Tapi kan, lately. It doesn't feel that way anymore. Boss pun dah lain. *sigh*

In fact, aku today am in my lowest ebb that I think I've ever been in. Nak jerit pun ada. Nak nangis pun ada.

Moments like this memerlukan satu pinggan warm walnut brownies dengan vanilla ice-cream with 4 spoons to share among friends. Or Zen's little cup of tiramisu. Or Chilli's Molten Chocolate Cake. Kalau dah terdesak pun, that 5-minit chocolate cake dalam mug boleh la.

Sigh!

Nota Kaki : Takde motif langsung post ini hari. Rugi je if you're already here. Mintak maaf la.

Rants, I Have Not Done In A While

Have I?

Was doing some bloghopping and I realised that my blog has recently become boh-ring since i have not rant and I've not cuss-ed and I've not bi-atch in a while.

Hmm.

Progress?

Note: To you and you, apasal gelak guling-guling? Kelakar ke?

Whoohoo ..

I'm back! We're back from Pulau Redang. Arrived from KT at midnight and Aliya &Ayisha were up till 1am, finishing up homework and Adani was crying this morning for some unfinished coloring homework. I then had to call up Teacher Badri to warn Teacher Jeya to be "kind" to her today.

Have tonnes of pictures, some remnants of my horribly disfiguring heat rash and 4 very happy and tanned kids.

Tapinya.

Am swamped with work, right now. So will need to excite you guys later la.

Ciao.

*macam cicak kudung*