Crystal Anniversary Hideaway

By the time this entry is posted (thanks to auto/scheduled/timed-posting which blogspot introduced), wifey and I are on our way to a much deserved 3-day-hideaway-break and staying in one of the heavenly abodes above....And it's a surprise for wifey (of course I have about 3 other surprises up my sleeves lined up for wifey which will be unfolded one by one by the day)! Well the weekend away is not a surprise; the destination is! I really wanted to surprise her in toto but to save myself being surprised with shock-horror, I decided dead against it! (wifey's a workaholic you see....Even on days which she is not well and gets medical leave, off she'd go clocking-in! This time she even thought of bringing her laptop along - well let's just put it in the mildest way; I forbade her. I don't mind a few of this breed in my office as my support staff, though!).

We were married on 21st November 1993 (btw, this hideaway had to be brought forward from the actual date due to an unavoidable circumstance) - that was within 3 months after we got engaged! Had it not been for my mum, on the fated day, who saw us flipping through a bridal magazine with wifey admiring some solitaires which were beyond my means, I can safely say that there wouldn't be any Khadijah, Yusof, Kauthar, Ibraheem, Umar & Hajar nor this special weekend! She put her foot down and said come let's go to the goldsmith and get wifey the engagement ring! That was how the decision was made. It's not that I was not sure about wifey....but it was my obsession with my personal goals in life which was the hindrance! I knew she was the one for me to spend the rest of my life with because I was constantly thinking about her whenever we were apart; her faith in God, her company, her wits, her intelligence, her beauty etc (like what they say nowadays, a complete package....What to do.....personal goals over happiness in life!

I was later told by wifey, after the wedding, that she was giving me time until that very year (in her heart and mind; obviously she could not tell me this as we were never an item!)...She'd, otherwise, have moved on! It was shocking for me but I knew that she would not and did not expect her to wait for me till the cows come home.....! Till this day, I thank God for guiding my mum to push her way through!

You know in life you tread on very thin lines without realising it? A thin line indeed I was walking on at that very instant!

Truth of the matter was, wifey and I had been friends for what seemed to be forever....And our relationship was entirely and truly platonic. We had never gone for a proper date,...not even once, before we got married. I would say they were just outings like with other friends. I was so obsessed with my goals in life that falling in love was never an option. My goal was to make money and settle down with a wife and children in my late 30s. Well "Man proposes, God disposes" !

Dear Yayan if you are reading this, my feeling for you is aptly captured in this song - Happy Anniversary in advance!

Tak kusangka kau hadir di hidupku,
Kau penuhi semua impian hidupku,

Sungguh Tuhan ku bersyukur padaMu

Kau izin kan aku untuk mencintainya

Kau terbaik

Yang pernah kumiliki

Jangan kau pergi dariku

Namun bila harus berpisah

Kuingin kau tahu

Kaulah yang terbaik

So to any of you out there in the same dilemma, I would say, seek blessings from God and follow your heart!!! Bollocks with personal goals (LOL!)

Kassim Nasi Kandar

Yes! Yes! After a 10-year-wait, my craving for Kassim Nasi Kandar was satiated yesterday! It's not that I have not been back to Penang all these years, but it's always for meetings etc that I always had to skip this place every single visit. So this time when the opportunity came (background : had a meeting plus signing session with a company up in Sungai Petani and the nearest airport is Bayan Lepas - perfect!), since I had 1.5 hours to kill before heading to the aeropuerto, I drove in a frenzy around Komtar area to look for this place. Penang has really transformed since I last visited! The roads are difernet now! Almost missed this Nasi Kandaq seller though because I initially thought the Nasi Kandar place along Jalan Macalister was the one!

Kassim Nasi Kandar is located opposite Gama Supermarket along Jalan Gurdwara (it's a bit run down though. In its heydeys, this was "the" shopping place! With places like Queensbay Mall, Prangin Mall, Gurney Plaza; standalone departmental stores like this, are no longer popular! Parking was a breeze for me as there is an open air car park along Jalan Macalister (next to Masjid Jamek Simpang Enam).

I can still remember when we were young, dad would bring us to Penang (well the northern states, really) every single school holiday. My paternal grandparents hailed from Pontian, Johor but led almost a nomadic life because my granddad was in the police force and was stationed in various places like Sungai Petani, Kulim, Alor Star etc. They only settled down in Ayer Baloi when my granddad retired. My dad used to cycle to Penang Island from Sungai Petani/Kulim to watch movies and have his nasi kandar fixes! So back to our school holidays......My father would bring us to eat Nasi Kandar, whenever we were holidaying in Penang, at various places 3 times a day....(yes breakfast, lunch and dinner) - different stalls of course. But the one which I remember most is Kassim Nasi Kandar! It used to be a small stall but has grown four times the size when I visited them this time. To this very day, my dad would travel, with mom of course, to the northern states to visit friends whom have become more like relatives and would along side it indulge in a gastronomic gallivant!

Now you know why I'm into Nasi Kandar!

My nasi kandar with bendi (okra), fried fish fillet, prawn and long beans!

The prices have really increased

Prayed zuhr at this nearby mosque over a century old.

The original part of the mosque

The minbar (pulpit)

Must be the imam's bike

Mak's birthday

It's mak's birthday today.

HAPPY 66 TH BIRTHDAY MAK!

LOVE FROM ALL OF US.

Cool or what?

I'm stranded at Bayan Lepas airport. Flight is delayed and it's our national carrier. This is so cool though, being able to blog using my phone! My first! Got a bit fed-up with FB and walah! access to blogspot was relatively easy. But then, it may be Penang where the network is not that congested!

I'm here just for the day - meeting and signing documents in Sungai Petani. A bit of a hiccup due to the fault of our client (not passing the buck here, but it's the truth) - thanks to superwomanwannabe who frantically scampered in KL while I was sipping tea in Sungai Petani! The wonders of cyber tech! If it happened 10 years ago, I would have had to make a return visit!

I will post about my 10-year craving totally satisfied during this trip!

I'm beginning to surprise myself for being a tad prolific. Watch out for more entries these few days.

Quickie

I'd better put these pictures here before I lose them!

What have I been up to? Don't know, really. Time seems to have been racing through like a whirlwind without me realising it.....It's almost the end of 2008 and what have I achieved? Err....not much!

I have a few drafts remained unfinished and it remains to be seen as to whether they will ever get to see the daylight.

Picture aove was taken this morning on my way out to work....Hajar was sprinting to the front gate to get in to my car in the hope that I'd bring her out for a spin..Sorry Hajar, Dad was really late! It's her fave past time now....; dashing to the front gate whenever it is ajar! She's growing too fast, I must say. We are contemplating now...another baby? May be Baby Alive will just do....LOL!

Hajar Turned One

Yes Hajar turned one two weeks ago. On the 27th September to be exact. Dad has been procrastinating, hence this late posting. She can run now....Dad on the other hand is re-learning how to walk!

I am finally walking without the aid of crutches! I have been limping when trying to walk without crutches. Thanks to Khidir, my physiotherapist, who taught me, yesterday, how to walk again! In his words...."the knee has forgotten how to walk properly". My right leg feels a bit wobbly - or rather it's psychological or they call it trauma post sports injury! My leg muscles are all gone...due to the fact that they were left immobilised post surgery. It's now working the quadriceps, hamstring and calf muscles so that I can stand properly! I can flex my knee 90 degrees now and hopefully doc will give the greenlight for unlimited mobility today! I cant wait to drive again!

We celebrated Hajar's birthday at Cozy GEM (the kids' fave place). Hajar is such an eater; she will not refuse anything! She's enjoying Ib's Thai Fried Rice in the pic above....!

Will update our Raya pics plus Hajar's khenduri doa selamat (thanksgiving) piccies soon!

Ib in his fave pose

Umar!





The two older ones, Yusof & Khadijah


















Khadijah teasing Hajar with an Oreo CupCake by Wondermilk. I told you that she's an eater! She'll get very upset not getting her food!

Discharged and rehabilitating

Hajar Showing off her teeth standing unaided

Long overdue piccie of Hajar showing off her set of teeth. We used to called her Nanny MacPhee during this stage as only one upper incisor and canine teeth surfaced as opposed to two incisors.

I was discharged from the hospital two days ago....The discharge process took about 6 hours - basically the paperwork which held me up....The insureres took a loong time to respond! I had excess to pay and the hospital refused to accept my cheque when I had already informed them I would be paying by cheque when discharged as I didnt have a clue what the excess would be...

Anyway...safely tucked in my bed that very night but kept on waking up worrying that I would fall off the bed.....

Had my first physio session at DBC today. It was brilliant....! The sports physiotherapist consultant (who happens to be the physiotherapist to the Kuala Lumpur FA) took time to explain why each rehabilitation exercise is important etc etc....Now it makes sense! The sessions which I had at the hospital was basically "doing without knowing" kinda thing! The immediate target now is to exercise the patella, the patellar tendon (a third of which was harvested to reconstruct my new ACL) and hamstring (so that it get stretched and will not impair future movement of the knee). I'm really looking forward to the day I will be able to walk and run again....It's learning it all over.....Even simple showering takes a lot of effort nowadays...- it has turned to be a cardio session for me (LOL!) and going up the stairs........!?!?

Do count your blessings and be appreciative of what you have!

Hajar seated on one of the casuarina trees on Cherating beach.

Cheeky Hajar in her car seat

Alhamdulilllah....

The surgery went on well, alhamdulillah. It took about 2 hours for the procedure of harvesting the tendon from the knee area and reconstructing the ACL.

The "grafting" was done athroscopically and the tendon secured with bio screws (which will dissolve during the healing process) hence the pain post surgery is quite minimal.

Less than 24 hours after th surgery, the ortho arranged for a physio session where I met with other sports "heros" (LOL!!!). It's a brisk business for APSH's physio unit as according to the ortho, Sports Planet nearby APSH feeds sports injury patients quite consistently - mainly futsal players!

I'm not continuing my physio here as there is one within the building where my office situates.

Currently with knee braces and walking with the help of crutches....

Anyway, RAMADHAN MUBARAK everyone!

Kuantan Pics

Wifey, Yusof & Umar playing kite

Yusof with his beach volleyball mates. I had to retire due to my torn ACL

Hajar & me in the pool
Dad & Co (sans wifey & Hajar)

Diagnosis : Torn ACL

Visited an ortho surgeon this morning....His diagnosis is that I have torn my ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) and will be confirmed by an MRI this afternoon! He jokingly said that I have joined the iluustrious list of athletes who have torn their ACL like Woods and Owen.

He has recommended a surgery for ACL reconstruction/grafting which will land me in a hospital bed for 5 days and put me on crutches for about 6 weeks (with physio). Thereafter, another six weeks with knee braces - which will set me back at least RM18k, according to the doc; which of course the insurers will foot it.

He drained about half a bowl of blood and liquid from the knee area through needle aspiration...in his clinic! When he pricked the needle through the flesh around the knee area, it felt a wee bit discomforting. My knee felt much better after that.

Will decide later whether to opt for an op this afternnon after the MRI. He has suggested this Friday for the op...Will update!!

Sun sea sand and....probable torn ligament

View from our day-rented-chalet

Ib was asking to go for a beach holiday. Wifey and I have been very busy that we did not plan anything for the school holidays...Two days ago, feeling rather guilty OR rather feeling a bit harassed, I, with the help of my partner, Superwomanwannabe, began scouring the internet as direct calls to hotels in Port Dickson, Cherating and Kuantan proved futile. We wanted a holiday which was within a reasonable distance from KL.....and decided either PD or Kuantan/Cherating. I am a no-fan of PD but wifey wanted somewhere near....PD was ok to me provided that wifey arranged for accommodation etc....Her mission became mission impossible and I took over immediately and my obvious choice was Kuantan/Cherating.

Managed to book one-night-two-chalets at Duta Sands Resort, Beserah for Friday night and left the second night open as Saturday night was impossible for me to book, then.

Fate had it yesterday that one of the suites at Swiss Garden was available! Booked it right away and we will be there tomorrow.

Only two pics available as of now as bloger.com refuses to accept piccies Or is it my 3G network....?

We left KL about half eight in the morning and had McD breakfast on the go....Reached Kuantan about ten and decided to visit Cherating beach as our first stop since check-in was 2pm. There were public shower for after-dipping session but we decided to rent a basic chalet at Tanjung Inn for three hours at a cheap price of RM45.00. It has attached clean tiled "modern" bathroom. The kids (dad included) had fun frolicking in the sun. Had lunch for RM33 - they served Ikan Patin masak tempoyak and other local dishes.

Made our way to Beserah after lunch and finally checked in at about 3 pm.... The kids didn't waste any time and headed to the pool...Yusof was more keen to play beach volleyball and forced me to play with him one on one...A 17 year old boy joined us later and Yusof paired with him against me....I was doing quite well until I fell down to return Yusof's serve...and clicked went something behind my ankle.....My ankl just gave way in a certain position.. A quick phone call to a doctor friend and was tol that my ligament might have been torn...man it was painful...I could still walk with limited movement..Haven't seen any ortho (or for that matter any doc) as at time of this entry and might just wait until we reach KL.

In the mean time, I just have a knee guard as a support (didn't realize that there are a few types of knee guard and I chose the one which has the most features among the options available which was an X-backed guard....gives one the most support, I guess). I so feel inadequate.........

On the serambi of our day-rented chalet

Day-tripping Baling

Wifey received news last Saturday that one of her aunties whom she's closed to had a stroke with a systolic blood pressure of 260 post stroke! Initially she decided to drive up to Baling with another aunt Sunday morning to return today...Since we only had a khenduri to attend yesterday in KL and no other pressing matters that needed to be settled, I suggested that we drove up ysterday and return the same day.

I drove 3.25 hrs flat to reach Baling. We just caught her in time befiore she was driven in an ambulance for a CT scan in Sungai Petani. She was in a daze...not able to talk. Not sure whether she was amnesiac but she responded with tears welling in her eyes when spoken to...

This morning, wifey was told by her cousin that there was no haemorrhage and she was discharged... Bad news is that she is still unable to talk....

Buah Dukung

Another dukung tree in Tok Wan's house ground

And....a minion hath spoken....

Owh man..Indeed I was surprised that Khadijah has spoken her mind. Well she has been an Al-Gore and Caprio's advocate/supporter all this while (Umar, dont open the fridge tool long - CFC! CFC! CFC!; Turn of the lights, mind you.....we can't afford to waste energy; etc etc....)but to finally have written something about it (read here) has truly left me reeling with pride.

Ever since her English teacher commented that she has a knack for writing, she started another blog attempting to write in Bahasa....A worthy attempt- I can't write like that (so he says enviously)!

Blogging mid-week is something new to me....aaah...freedom!

Good Progress? No?

I'm making good progress here...considering my hiatus for the last couple of months!

I love taking piccies of my children when they are asleep. This one was taken after a cupcake-meal at Wondermilk, Damansara Utama. We lurve the cupcakes there...the caramel and pinacolada are nice...Not to mention their Pesto Chicken sandwich! Obviously Umar was stuffed to the hilt that he fell asleep on our way to his language class. Hajar had her fair share of cupcakes too.....(well just a pinch..).

Work wise - the load is no longer as heavy as before..Thanks superwoman!

It's Yusof's school's open day tomorrow...He'll be performing in a drama...apparently, role of a musician...He wasn't sure what a musician should wear and I told him jeans and t-shirt should do...Rabbani is performing at the event. Yusof is selling spaghetti and cupcakes (he wanted to sell nasi lemak too but wifey just cannot cope..... - I should be getting back to help wifey at home or rather help to devour the imperfect cupcakes.....).

I have started going back to the gym.....Working alone had its side effects - increase in waistline; I was munching junk all the way while drafting documents....(yes from 8.30 am to 8.30 pm daily for the last one year!). Gone down a bit, well about one kg after three weeks of 5 sessions a week work out - but still have 7 kgs to go to my weight a year ago...(...sigh...). Wifey has started her group fitness sessions three weeks now....with great results....!

This is Hajar's latest pic taken last Sunday with her cousin, Fawwaz...This shot was tricky...Had to snap at least 8 times before getting her to sit still and smile! Her "maggie mee" hair is exact duplicate of Khadijah's - and Khadijah still has the locks!

Another busy weekend.......plus a set of documents to draft....(when will work ever end?).

....finally

Finally a quick update from me....Loads to write but have to rush off for a date with wifey...

A not so recent photo of Hajar; may be a month back or so. She's sooo cheeky and almost boisterous. Can't blame her - she has three older sifus who teach her play football and climb tables and chairs! She can stand now without support for some 30 secs (the longest) and walk around the house with support (mainly her clothes box or the kopitiam chair!). Climbing the staircase to the upper floor of the house is her forte..not to mention coffee tables, sofas and armchairs!

Ib's not well..he's had a bad bout of asthma attack. Slightly better..almost got himself hospitalised. Been off school for a few times already! He did well in school.

Umar is his usual self.....He's Hajar's best companion! He'd carry her everywhere and she'd smile everytime she sees him!

Yusof's off for a boy scouts camping, till Monday, somewhere in Ulu Yam. His mid-year exam showed some improvement - still have ample room for progress!

Khadijah's not well...as usual her tonsilitis. Been persuading her to sit for her DELF B1...The deal is she can go to Redang for her scouts camping if she'd sit her B1 exam this year rather than next year! BTW she passed her Delf A2! School is quite a breeze for her....and her mid year results were very satisfactory.

I turned 40, two months back, (wifey as well.....) without much fanfare...No cake...no pressie...no nothing...That's my request, anyway. Don't feel any much older though!

Two days ago, I welcomed my good friend Superwomanwannabe to my firm as my partner....It's a win-win arrangement for the both of us - flexi time for her and someone to assist me when I desperately need help! Here's to many prosperous and happy years to come!

Labour Day Blues

I stumbled upon this video clip from youtube which received like 8.5 million hits in April 2008 alone! She's also on wikipedia believe it or not! I like her earnestness.....

I had to do this posting - a special dedication to the person whom I made her work today and took her away from her family for the day....You know who you are! Thanks a million! If it's any consolation to you, I have three files to work on today......Hope this clip takes the Labour Day blues off you!

More of Velentina Hasan's video's here!

Long time no hear

Hajar at 6 months

Hurrows peeps! Pressure has been mounting to update this.....So here I am to update in a jiffy as there's a mountain of work waiting! SuperWoman - thanks for the constant reminders to update! Well there are a few others who have reminded me...you know who you are ; )!

Just came back from Cameron Highlands (unfortunately for work related matter - a client who wanted to form a Joint Management Body; and I had to give legal advice during their inaugural meeting!). It was work work work during the overnight stay.....Managed to buy some strawberries and fridge magnets for my staff (how predictable!) within 5 minutes - of a short stop before we made our way down...!

Hajar can climb the stairs now, has one tooth and able to stand up on her own with support...How fast time flies. What's sad is that, she's no longer a baby....Should we have another one? Err....no bl***y way.......!

Anyways...enjoy some pics and a couple of video clips to fill in the gaps.....!

View from my room.....

Hajar's first taste of solid at 5.5 months

Trying to coax her to boast her first tooth!

Celebrated dad-in-law's birthday at his abode with tiramisu "heavenly" cake from Suchan and buckets of finger lickin' good chicken as s-i-l just got discharged from hospital that very day ....So...dinner is deferred sine die

Hajar's swimming!

I'm guilty of leaving this blog of mine filled to the brim with dusts and cob webs.....Ah well....blame it on work....that's the easiest way out. But, that's the fact!

Anyway, a short update on Hajar. I've not posted on her milestones for eons! She flipped over when she was 3 1/2 months and now she's swimming and moving around without lifting her butt! Amazing.....! She can recognize her siblings and of course parents and cries if strangers pick her up. She would respond with smiles and cooing and giggles from afar...But NO TOUCHY!

Enjoy this terribly short video clip of Hajar!

Kupang explored

(Images in this post are courtesy of Khadijah)

This trip back to Kedah was different from our usual quickie trips of the mandatory hi's and byes. We actually stayed there for six days and five nights! It was over the Eidul Adha and Christmas period! We planned it months ahead but fate had it that wifey and I had to work right till the eve of Eidul Adha - we had to cut short the trip to six days rather than eight days planned.....Man proposeth, God disposeth!

Kedah or to be more specific Kupang, Baling is wifey's parents' hometown. Wifey was born there but grew up in Penang, Alor Star and Kuala Lumpur.

I remember the first time visiting Baling post married life. Then, I was still working in Johor Bahru and father-in-law insisted that we went back as a couple for the rituals of meeting wifey's both sets of grandparents...Drove up to Kuala Lumpur alone one Saturday afternoon after work as wifey was already residing in KL (yes we were a weekend couple for close to the whole time of wifey's pregnancy with our first born, Khadijah!) and father in law drove us back to Kedah upon my arrival from JB....Then, there was no Seberang Jaya - Kulim highway..So the journey took us close to seven hours from KL! My first thought was - this place is so remote and rural. I didn't enjoy the journey at all since it was all dark the whole of our journey. We arrived at the wee hours of the morning!

I had a rude shock of my life when I discovered that their daily routine started as early as 5 am...So there went my usual 12 hours of beauty sleep for my weekends! I practically didn't sleep that day!

Wifey's paternal grandfather was the imam of Kupang...hence the need for him and the whole clan to be up and perky that early....Imagine having to take our baths and be in our best at this ungodly hour! Picture this.....water fresh from the perigi (well) was the source of our bathing water and outside temperature, then, could be as low as 17 degrees! The old folks of Kupang believe that they are sitting on a mine of tin ore, I was told, and that is the reason why Baling can be very cold at night and during the early hours of the morning!

You can imagine how black and blue our lips and extremeties were during our baths at that time of the day but definitely refreshing! The perigi is gone now because it's extremely hazardous to the peghak city-born-and-bred great grandchildren. But water supply to the house remains sourced from an underground spring up till this day with the aid of an electric pump!

After the getting to know sessions, we actually returned to Kuala Lumpur on the following day after we arrived! The trip was so short and quick that I didn't realise that there are paddy fileds just right behind Tok Wan's house! My first trip to Baling, to say the least, was very boring and uneventful. And first impression really lasts (however cliched this may sound) - i.e Baling is a really boring place hence explains our whirlwind trips there over the years for Hari Raya! My wife and I has been married for 14 years now and it's not until our last trip to Baling two years ago that I realised how beautiful and pristine Baling is!

This time we had a lot of activities planned apart from visiting relatives like picnic at the waterfalls around Baling/Kulim/Sik area, Ulu Legong hot water spring and dipping ourselves in taliaiar (irrigation canal) at the paddy filed, shopping at pekan Ahad, pekan Rabu, pekan Sabtu etc amongst others! But our time was so tight that we only got to visit one waterfall (Lata Hijau) which is near to one of wifey's aunt's house and one pekan Sabtu at Lubuk Merbau, Jeniang (we had the best apam balik in the world here!)!

Tok Yam served us the best meals we could ever had. Since it was eidul adha beef was aplenty. We had fried beef and gulai kawah served with air (or ayak) asam, slightly salted fish of different sort (fresh from being dried), all sorts of ulam (I had for the first time water hyacinth flower buds [see picture below] as ulam. My kids, unbeliveably, survived without burgers and sausages! Yusof could finish two plates of rice with just salted fish and ayak asam!

I really miss Tok Che (wifey's paternal grandfather) though. He passed on a few years back. Visting him would mean a session of kahwa (a type of plant which the leaves are sun dried and brewed like tea) drinking with him! I must find out what the name of the plant is when we go back next!

The kids had fun and the best part was when Yusof (background : Yusof was the one who refused to go back to Kedah and objected that we wanted to have a long stay there) commented "Kedah ni best rupanya!" - Wifey and I just smiled....... (A little bit of background - Yusof is a typical city boy who hates nature. He's the one who objected vehemently to this longish trip! He volunteered himself to stay back with his cousins in KL which we flatly refused, naturally!)

I will post, if time permits, on the khenduri, gulai batang pisang later!

Wifey, Ib and Hajar right after eidul adha prayer.



First thing we did upon arrival was to explore the paddy fields behind Tok Wan's (wifey's maternal grandad) house


Enjoying the view of Gunung Baling

Tok Yam (wifey's maternal grandma) with her youngest (for the time being) great granddaughter, Hajar

The house which Tok Wan built and handcrafted

Tok Wan's head-shave

One of the paddy plants not harvested or rather got missed from being harvested with water hyacinth next to it.

Cofeee beans being sun dried...Tok Yam used to make her own coffee powder through the process of drying the beans over a period of time then hand-pound them...Brilliant (although I'm not a coffee person). She used to make her own cooking oil too - coconut oil (not cold pressed, though!). Now wifey's aunts would supply her with home made coffee powder and coconut oil or just buy them off the shelves.

2008 Olympics

I thought this is rather nasty and irresponsible.... - on how Beijing Olympics 2008 got its emblem which was circulated via email. Read here for the true explanation of the Dancing Beijing