Work, Family, Life

I seriously think working mothers are Wonderwomen, esp. those who doesn't have a helper at home.

No, its not one of my 'masuk bakul, angkat sendiri moment', but a serious thought i have right now.

(and I don't think I'll ever be one of these Wonderwomen, as most of the time I think I suck at juggling both career and motherhood).

But seriously, how can one woman, wakes up in the morning and do all the household chores and have the energy to complete a 8-12 hours job and then balik rumah, finish up whatever she needs to do before sleep and be in the cycle again the next day....

Yes, Time management is the key. and i have yet to master it. *sigh*.

Anyway, i totally tabik spring kepada kesemua ibu di dunia, sama ada yang berkerjaya ataupun suri rumah....bila you dah jadi seorang ibu, barulah tau cabaran tanggungjawab ni kan?

My first (of many) New Year Resolution for 2011 : To become a happy mummy at home and at work.

It took me a month plus to read this :


Its taking me almost 2 years to read this and i have yet to finish it... ;-)


Now, I'm itching to read this :

Which is now safely hidden in my closet until i finish reading Stardust

Haih! Tulah menggatal lagi beli buku..LOL :-P

Si Bunga the Chatterbox

My dancing Ladybug is going to be 2 soon!

My husband and i still remember during our last visit to Aquaria last Aidilfitri when a mother asked me what my daughter can say. During that time, Dahlia was near her daughter, obviously nak berkawan., dekat depan the big tank.. It goes like this (or something along the line) :

Mom keypohchi : Anak you umur berapa?

Moi : Nak masuk dua tahun bulan 12 ni...

MK : Oh, anak saya dah 2 tahun dah....anak awak boleh cakap apa?

Moi : (taken back sebab tetiba tanya pasal tahap keupayaan percakapan anak) dia dah boleh cakap sikit-sikit, kebanyakan bahasa dia la...

MK : Anak saya dah boleh cakap, boleh baca Alif, Ba, Ta sampai Ya....

Moi : (senyum ajer).

And then, since her daughter takdelah plak nak bercakap dgn my daughter yang sedang menghulurkan tangan nak pegang utk berkawan, i just tunjuk Dahlia some of the impressive fish yang ada....

Yes, my almost 2 year-old daughter tak reti bercakap then. She can says Mama, Abah, Atuk, Papa, Nenen very well...(kalau nak susu je, sendiri amik botol and cakap nak nenen)

Yes, she can't recite the Alif, Ba, Ta until Ya yet...but i'm sure she'll be able to recite them at her own pace...

But, she is a brilliant-brilliant child, which after only a few months, dah pandai cakap and such an entertainer, a happy-go-lucky toddler...

She can sing some of Sesame Streets and Barney's song. Walaupun tak berapa jelas, but you know which song she's singing.

She can now cakap "3,2,1...blast off!" before saying "The Sky!" (please tgk Barney : The Space), she understands the concept and meaning of "Terima Kasih" and "Thank you"...and says "Akum" sebelum masuk pagar and rumah...

She can identify which one is her Abah, Mama (which sometimes she would cheekily calls us by our nicknames "Abi" or "Anne"), Atuk, Mak, Mami and Papa for her grandparents, Abang Afeeeq, Achak, Jojo for her cousin and uncles.

She would call my Bro-in-law, Yuyu or whenever she tgk logo Starbucks, Yuyu! sebabnya, my BIL tu kerja di Starbucks and of course, almost sentiasa pakai their t-shirt.

She calls my best friend, Mami Jess.

She calls herself Baby (tho we are still trying to identify isit becoz she thinks she saw another toddler dkt mirror or mmg dia panggil diri dia Baby) or Lia.

She will jawab 'OK' when u ask her to wait or something. and she can count...1 to 10 (with a few nos missing..)

And she can say "No" if she doesn't want anything....

She can handle and play with an iphone, dvd player withe ease.

Like most toddlers, she loves the phone, pc...camera! :-P

She loves to sing esp. when she's alone and dance...and would entertain us whenever she can, sometime out of the blue e.g while we were having brekkie.

And boy, can she play!


And yes, like all parents who adores their child, I'm gushing about my almost 2 year old daughter. :-)

Adilfitri 2010

“The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity.”
- Benjamin Franklin (i think)...

Dear family and friends,

Wishing you Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Maaf Zahir & Batin atas segala silap dan salah..
Jaga diri baik-baik
and have a great day!

Lots of love,
Anne & family

Taking the plunge....literally

Just sharing a memorable event - Wilderness Langkawi Challenge 2007 in Pulau Tuba, Langkawi. :-)

Berbuka puasa di pejabat

One might think berbuka puasa di pejabat is a sad, sad thing. Yelah, tak dapat berbuka bersama keluarga, makan air tangan ibu (or kaum keluarga lain) sambil menikmati gelak ketawa mesra family....

But in Utusan, keadaan a bit berbeza. Yes, you still tak makan masakan ibu, but u are definitely not lonely.

Utusan has this tradition -- Berbuka puasa beramai-ramai. Macam you pergi kenduri kawin, macam tu lah berbuka puasa di Utusan.

Akan ada dua meja panjang yang dijadikan meja bufet lauk (both placed at opposite corners) and beberapa meja panjang (and of course seats) utk mereka berbuka.

Lauk, buah and kuih-muih are usually disediakan oleh pihak katering/kantin and there are some occasions where companies like banks, glcs akan sponsor the berbuka puasa by having their own caterers datang ke our office.

i think for them lagi senang buat macam tu berbanding nak jemput sorang-sorang berbuka di hotel and tak tau sama ada akan datang ke tak....plus, it is also an opportunity for the companies to jumpa the bosses and staff sendiri and interact, daripada nak jumpa masa event biasa...

Unlike the years before where the berbuka is usually held kat dewan kecik yang nicknamed, Ballroom Utusan, this year is a bit different. We all berbuka di kawasan padang lapang (sikit) dalam compound office ni, di bawah khemah.

This is because 'Ballroom Utusan' dah jadi kecik sebab bahagian baru kosmo took over half of the dewan. Jadi tak muat dah untuk semua warga utusan.

For those yang tak tau, Kosmo is under the Utusan group and the editorial deparment yang terletak di jalan chan sow lin ni consists of Utusan, Jawi, Suppliment, Kosmo, Photography and its graphic unit.

Our marketing is based in PJ, while Corp. Comm and HR is in Wisma PGRM and Majalah and printing di Bangi. (Don't ask me why its all merata...)

So, sekali berbuka puasa adalah lebih kurang 150 orang, akan ramai esp minggu kedua, ketiga puasa sebab masa tu peak nak siapkan stock story/page sempena persediaan nak raya...

and, the majlis berbuka ni akan start dari hari pertama puasa, sampailah ke hari terakhir sebelum raya!

Although i takdela akan berbuka setiap hari di pejabat, tapi, every year since i started working here 6 years ago, this has been part of my working life.

like today - the first ramadan 2010.

In a way, i'm glad that utusan organise this every year without fail (ingatkan tahun ni takde since takde dewan). it really does mendekatkan lagi warga utusan. i get to talk/see ppl that i don't normally bump into....

eventho berbuka dengan keluarga lagi seronok, having this tradition make the company unique in its own way.

Apart from that, the surau also organises terawikh and for those who work untuk the weee hours at night, sahur pun disediakan....

Simple toys, happy days

I've been one of those mothers that would worry whenever i think Dahlia is not getting as much toys/books compared to other toddlers out there. :-( i mean, admittedly i would be envy when i see other parents would not mind spending an exuberant amount of money just for toys or books, or having the time to look for good bargains for them...

But, about a week ago Dahlia has prove me wrong. Money really doesn't matter when its for her joy or laughter.

A simple green washcloth and her cousin, Afiq (which she would say, not too clearly yet understandable enough, Abang Afeeek) and my MIL would be as good as the most expensive and colourful toy in the world.

She was having a fever, tho it wasn't as high compared to a few days after this event but yet, having a much moody time earlier the evening. Realising that her mood was much better, Afiq took the now dried green washcloth i was using to cool her body and played cak, while at the same time acting silly like those slapstick comedians with funny faces and clumsiness.

She would giggle and giggle, like my MIL likes to say - berkekek ketawa- until terbaring kat katil. We were at my in-laws room as it was much cooler compared to our room (that is the only room w an AC).

The thing was, it wasn't only Afiq that was holding the washcloth or tutup-tarik his face with it...Dahlia, being a funny and dah pandai menyakat girl, would also be doing it with herself. and tak puas hati Afiq je yang kena, she was also doing the same with my MIL who was seated by the bedside reading the kitab while waiting for the Isya' prayer (while FIL was seated kat hujung katil, also reading at the same watching the grandkids punya perangai while waiting)...

I could tell that the kids were not the only one having fun during the whole thing ;-)

Oh, i could still remember their laughters to this day. Fitri has asked me to blog about last week, but then, me as usual biasalah kan? :-P

Not just the green washcloth mind u, apparently, ugly and yet believable rubber spiders (if your kids tak takut la kan) also works wonders! :-)

Dahlia, eventho both Mama and Abah didn't have the opportunity to buy you so much toys as we wish we could give you, you have shown us that even simple, silly things meant a lot for u...Just remember that we love you very very very much and your adorable-ness could melt our hearts. everytime without fail. :-)

Apologies

my apologies to Sha, Bee and Aunty L, and those who have leave their comments into my blog. I've accidently rejected them. ingatkan approve tp sedar-sedar, salah button. huwwwaaa....seriously nak nangis.

but, i thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the kind and supportive words!

From childhood friends to married couple...

The first picture of us. The event that brought us together.

Sonnet 43 - How do I love thee? Let me count the ways by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Boy, how time has fly...sedar-sedar dah tiga tahun we've been married.

And yet i could still remember the time I asked Abah (my FIL), "Abang Fitri mana, Uncle?" masa balik sekolah dulu.... :-)

Three years of love, happiness and lots of laughter, with of course like every other couple - some not fun moments.

Nevertheless, that is life and i bersyukur dengan setiap pemberianNya.

In 3 years time, a few things that we have endured & accomplished : long distance relationship (which i am grateful it was only kl-melaka), having a beautiful baby girl, our first apartment and adjusting to our new life di luar sarang keluarga.

Suami, thank you for loving me and accepting me as i am. thank you for being there and truly listen to all my ramblings. thank you for the understanding. thank you for being a wonderful son and son-in-law, husband and father.

So, Abi dearie...semoga jodoh kita berpanjangan, sempai kita tua kerepot pun we still sayang-menyayangi, jadi romantic couple ok? :-)

I love you dulu, kini & selamanya....*hugs & kisses*

Hitting the big 3-0!

My vain moment as soon as I hit 30 :-P

Alhamdullilah I've turned 30 the last couple of months...
Yes, this entry is late.
But for those who knows me well, lateness and johanna goes hand-in-hand. hahaha.

Anyway, about turning 30.

My fashion is definitely waaay different from before.
No longer tiny baby-tee that shows my lower back (and hopefully not the butt crack..ewww)..
Since I wear the hijab, most of my bajus are hopefully decent enough, tho, not too makcik-makcik...
For me now, clothes means practical = being able to chase and dukung dahlia with ease.
Hijabwise, whatever senang. and kalau boleh tak perlu nak iron. :-)

Turning 30, is just like turning 20....25...29.
No big celebration.
Just a beautiful, normal day with the family and a yummylicious new york cheesecake fitri buatkan di tengah-tengah malam.. :-)

30 years have past and i would like to say that i've had the time of my life.
one great 'adventure', learning, ups and downs after another.

some of the highlights :
* worked (illegally) for the 1st time when i was 15
* worked in a toy store while waiting for my spm results
* matriks kat a converted shopping complex before tercampak di kem bina semangat sebab kampus baru lambat siap
* failed economics while in the 1st year (ironically i now write for the economics desk) and kena retake, which i barely passed.
* worked in an awesome outdoor education centre as a trainer (and sometime buruh kasar) and planning coordinator (something like the hr officer).
* boyfriends, crushes and now, husband (which was my 1st crush!)
* trying time that tested relationships, love and faith.
* motherhood :-)

some of the things that i wish to do before i hit 6-0
* of course, go umrah and haji
* travel to vietnam, cambodia before modernisation destroys the heritage
* run a marathon or
* join in a triathlon
* learn to swim (hahah..ada lesen diving, able to kayak really well pun tak berapa reti swim)
* learn to bake and decorate beautiful cakes and cookies
* able to cook ala chef wan and jamie o
* become an editor-in-chief, if i'm still in the media industry
* going caving in mulu
* teach my kids about learning how to use the map (a real map, not the gps ones) and compass.

Defying Gravity

I absolutely love this song when i first heard it in Glee....i think its a beautiful song. but of course the original version is from a from Stephen Schwartz's Broadway show : Wicked.



Idina Menzel Sings Defying Gravity on the Late Show


and below is the Glee's version....



Don't you think its a beautiful song??

Glee Cast : Defying Gravity Lyrics

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I am defying gravity
And you wont bring me down!

I'm through accepting limits
''cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost!

I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you wont bring me down!

I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you won't bring me down!
bring me down!
ohh ohhh ohhhh!

Dancing ladybug

My lil' ladybug dancing to rock leleh...she makes my day. everyday.

Dahlia's kitchen

Dahlia loves playing in the kichen...one of her fave things to do is rearranging her Tok Mummy's supply cabinet... :-)

Insiden ketika membeli-belah...

These happened like a month ago but i takleh lupa sampai sekarang...nak cakap geli hati,ada...nak cakap sakit hati pun ada gak...well, what do you think?

1. I*setan, KLCC

I had just finished my assignment (termasuk hantar stori) di KLCC and since i'm there, i decided to rewang-rewang sekejap before i balik rumah...malas nak rempuh jem and balik office semata-mata nak tunjuk muka padahal kerja dah siap...

anyway, my main objective was to get Dahlia a new pair of shoes esp, since she's already walking and her current pair takde tapak sangat, asyik tergelincir je...

punyalah survey...pergi mother*care, pergi isetan, even pergi adidas and nike just to bandingkan harga and the make...aiyoh, memula takmo spend sangat on expensive shoes but when i see how important it is to get those shoes yang lembut but at the same time memberi sokongan, mak pun jadi pening...

finally after dah buat purchase kat ise*tan, i pergilah the toy department..motifnya? wanted to get one of those logic game which Fitri suka sangat main...(I dapat sikit saguhati from The Company, and wanted to splurge something for the family)...bila dah dapat, biasalah pergi pula tgk toys for dahlia....

memula nak beli, tapi since tak sale and i've just gotten her a new toy about 2 weeks before, tak jadilah nak beli...(plus bila nampak the diskaun mark pada waktu tak sale, terus pikir dua kali..baik beli masa sale)...

so i went to the dvd/cd section...you see, at my parents, we don't subscribe the kiddies channel and Dahlia has been watching TVIQ that comes free...good channel but not all programs suitable for her...

so, i wanted to get her something that might interest her...then i saw sesame street sings karaoke...kan biasanya kat bahagian CD/DVD diaorg letak tv plus a player? so, i assumed u can have a look-see before purchasing it..


kat belakang that section, ada their store room and a few sales asst tgh sibuk masukkan barang...so...

Me : Adik, boleh tak akak test DVD ni
SA 1 : Takleh la akak, kena bayar dulu baru kitaorang boleh test (sambil diperhatikan oleh 2 orang SA lain)
ME : Oh? kalau akak rasa macam anak akak tak suka, kena refund balik ke?
SA 1 : A'a..
Me : ok...terima kasih la ya (padahal rasa polisi cam tu tak best la sebab the customer takde power to choose)

(masa i melangkah to see the toys nearby, i overheard this...)

SA 2 : Lor akak tu dah ada anak ke? Tak nampak pun...
Me : (hehehe...kembang kejap)

SA 2/3 : Kak, saya rasa lebih baik akak beli Quran...elok lagi untuk anak akak
ME : (Terkejut jap dan kemudian tersenyum)...Adik, akak setiap malam dengan suami akak mengajar anak akak baca muqaddam...(which we do until now)

Aiyoh, i rasa the statement from SA yang terakhir tu sangat la tak sesuai...i know he meant well, but i think tak bertempat lah juga, he kinda made me very uncomfortable.

Oh anyway, the DVD i bought? Dahlia absolutely loves it...main sampai 10 kali sehari setiap hari.. :-)


2. TTDI

After work, i went to fetch Fitri from home and bawa dia ke TTDI where he wanted to ambil his car after a week service...

Sementara he went to see the mechanic, i went into this new boutique nearby...you see butik ni jual tudung berjenama terkenal and since i tak pernah beli pun the tudung, teringin la nak tengok whats so special about it...

As i tak bawa my handbag, i pegang my phone, keys and purse (i was also still in my workclothes), i masuk the butik...

Overheard la the owner talked to her SA over the phone..apparently she just tendered her resignation and wanted to work elsewhere...lepas she hung up, the lady owner (LO) bercakap to her husband yang berada di bilik stor about loosing another worker...

I was the only customer in the butik...and of course la terdengar the conversation (the owner wasnt exactly discreet pun)...

sambil-sambil jalan around the kedai (which i have to admit cantik baju and the tudung..), and the lady owner melayan all my soalan on the baju, saiz etc...suddenly :

LO : Nak kerja tak?
Me : (Tersenyum) errrrr....tak kot.
LO : Kerja part-time pun takpe...susah sungguh nak cari pekerja sekarang
Me : Buat la iklan kat depan ke...
LO : Kalau tak pun, kenal sesiapa yang nak kerja...
Me : Taklah sorry...

Lepas tu, i keluar from the butik and try to tahan ketawa...can't help but think kenapa the LO tanya i the question...

isit becoz i was so serabai (lepas kerja, mana nak nampak anggun dah)? i definitely nampak sebagai outsider, tak setaraf seperti penduduk the posh area of ttdi? or she just meant well...

anyway, both incidences mmg lekat la dalam kepala i... :-)

My Dream Car(s)

I absolutely want this car(s) (getting it is another matter :-P)



-if u read the lower right column, it highlights the details of "my" customised v50! :-)




- ain't it a beauty??!!