Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Take a break!
Took a few days leave before our holiday to Bali.. I was in need of a time out, motherhood + phd + work already took a toll on me. Not that I was not enjoying them, I just needed to have some "me" time; else I'll get too attached to my baby as much as she'll become too attached to me.
So, while Love was out for the weekends with his guy friends, FJoe came over and spent a day with Khaira Asyikin! :D
And the next day, I came over to her house to pick her up for a girl day out at Sunway Pyramid!
We discovered a really nice shop, Brands Outlet that sold a lot of beautiful clothes and shoes like what Jess wore in New Girl (my current obsession!) And we went crazy. Spent seriously 2 hours there, haha. Crazy..
And the day after was our (Love and I) 2 years anniversary! Wheee!! We did not have any extravaganza celebration. Just a normal date.
We were both in need of the usual dates we used to have. It's been more than 7 months since we spent a day watching movie and having fancy lunch just the two of us. That was pretty much what we did. We went all the way to Pavillion to watch Avengers.
At the end of the day, he went mohawk for Bali, just for fun. Wheee!!
That was pretty much how I spent my holiday.
Recently, I spent an evening with a dear friend who are going to be a mommy very soon.
Haha, now I'm all happy to go back to mommyhood + phd + work. What's not to love about them :)
So, while Love was out for the weekends with his guy friends, FJoe came over and spent a day with Khaira Asyikin! :D
And the next day, I came over to her house to pick her up for a girl day out at Sunway Pyramid!
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| I love this girl a lot :) |
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| Tell me how to not love these! |
We were both in need of the usual dates we used to have. It's been more than 7 months since we spent a day watching movie and having fancy lunch just the two of us. That was pretty much what we did. We went all the way to Pavillion to watch Avengers.
At the end of the day, he went mohawk for Bali, just for fun. Wheee!!
That was pretty much how I spent my holiday.
Recently, I spent an evening with a dear friend who are going to be a mommy very soon.
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| Another baby boy soon! |
Haha, now I'm all happy to go back to mommyhood + phd + work. What's not to love about them :)
Monday, June 4, 2012
A beggar in Pasar Malam
I feel so happy the moment I wrote this story. Blissful. For EVERYHTING I have, Alhamdulillah :)
Just a random story anyway..
Back when I was little, Mom would always leave a few RM1 note by her computer. So whenever someone came over to the house asking for donation, Mom would asked me to take one note of RM1 and gave it to them. As a child I figured it was an interesting thing to do. It made me happy, though I was uncertain of why I felt that way at the moment.
So, when I finally received my weekly allowance back when I was in kindergarten, I saved up some coins and changed them to RM1 note. Remember back in early 90s, we can find a lot of beggars in Pasar Malam and this one particular beggar caught my attention so badly. He was a really skinny old man, reminded me of my grandfather a lot.
The day we went to Pasar Malam, I gave the RM1 note to this old man. And Mom scolded me, "You're not being fair. You gave it to only 1 beggar when there's a lot of other beggars and they all should be treated equivalently."
Somehow, I really took that advice to heart, and tried to be fair whenever possible. Although sometimes, some beggars looked fishy; like a syndicate or something but my job is to just give sincerely, whether it's a syndicate or not; it's not up to me to judge.
Kind of reminding me of someone I knew back in high school. This person would donated whatever leftover money he had from his weekly allowance for donation during Friday prayer. And I somehow fell in love with his kindness; and later on to the person himself.
And today, he's my better half, the father of my little girl, may she turned up to be as generous as her father and her grandparents; the three most generous people I know :)
Just a random story anyway..
Back when I was little, Mom would always leave a few RM1 note by her computer. So whenever someone came over to the house asking for donation, Mom would asked me to take one note of RM1 and gave it to them. As a child I figured it was an interesting thing to do. It made me happy, though I was uncertain of why I felt that way at the moment.
So, when I finally received my weekly allowance back when I was in kindergarten, I saved up some coins and changed them to RM1 note. Remember back in early 90s, we can find a lot of beggars in Pasar Malam and this one particular beggar caught my attention so badly. He was a really skinny old man, reminded me of my grandfather a lot.
The day we went to Pasar Malam, I gave the RM1 note to this old man. And Mom scolded me, "You're not being fair. You gave it to only 1 beggar when there's a lot of other beggars and they all should be treated equivalently."
Somehow, I really took that advice to heart, and tried to be fair whenever possible. Although sometimes, some beggars looked fishy; like a syndicate or something but my job is to just give sincerely, whether it's a syndicate or not; it's not up to me to judge.
Kind of reminding me of someone I knew back in high school. This person would donated whatever leftover money he had from his weekly allowance for donation during Friday prayer. And I somehow fell in love with his kindness; and later on to the person himself.
And today, he's my better half, the father of my little girl, may she turned up to be as generous as her father and her grandparents; the three most generous people I know :)
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Stimulating your baby
I read this in "What to Expect: The First Year" and found some interesting parts I believed worth sharing.. So, I combined them and came up with these..
Stimulating your baby (below 6 months old)
1) Love unconditionally
Even during colic or tantrum.
2) Relate to your baby
Your goal at this moment is not to teach her, but rather be involved with her. Sing or talk to your baby when you're changing her nappy or when you're bathing her. Play with them, the most educational toys are useless if you don't play with them.
3) Get to know your baby
Learn what makes your baby happy or miserable, excited or bored, soothed or stimulated.
4) Take the pressure off - and have fun
Please don't pressure your baby! Let them progress at their own pace.
5) Give your baby space
Adequate attention is vital; too much can be stifling. As much as Khaira seems to be clingy with me, I realized I am also clingy to her. Urgh! Baby steps.. The tips: spend quality time playing with your baby, but sometimes, just get baby and toy together and watch from sidelines.
6) Follow the leader
As of now, baby is in lead. Let her choose what to play, when to end the play session (though it's just starting), again try to have fun with your baby.
7) Time it right
Remember your baby has VERY short attention spans.
8) Provide positive reinforcement
Hugs, cheers, applause. Khaira usually smile shyly when we did all these :)
Stimulating your baby (above 6 months old)
1) Large motor skills
Stand on your lap and bounce, pull to sitting, squat, pull to standing, anything physical.
2) Small motor skills
Soft toys, blocks, real household objects (which they love a lot eventually), balls, finger games, etc.
3) Social skills
Expose your child to a varitey of people of different ages. Do this while shopping, while visiting your frinds, try bring your baby as much possible when you go out. Teach them to say 'hi' or waving bye, blow a kiss, say 'thank you'.
4) Intellectual and language skills
Names are recognized first - Ibu, Abi, etc. Then, basic words - Yes, No, Bye. After that they will imitate what you say before saying their own words. You can encourage them by playing stimulating games like peek-a-boo, sharpening baby's auditory perception (emphasize and repeat the same words), introduce concepts (coffee is hot, wates is for drinking, etc), encourage curiousity and creativity, and always remember learning should be fun!
P/S: Also, I read What to Expect when You're Expecting, when I was pregnant, I believe it's a good read, and every pregnant mummy should have it. It makes you feel so normal. Hee :D I shall rate that 5/5 :)
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| Currently reading |
1) Love unconditionally
Even during colic or tantrum.
2) Relate to your baby
Your goal at this moment is not to teach her, but rather be involved with her. Sing or talk to your baby when you're changing her nappy or when you're bathing her. Play with them, the most educational toys are useless if you don't play with them.
3) Get to know your baby
Learn what makes your baby happy or miserable, excited or bored, soothed or stimulated.
4) Take the pressure off - and have fun
Please don't pressure your baby! Let them progress at their own pace.
5) Give your baby space
Adequate attention is vital; too much can be stifling. As much as Khaira seems to be clingy with me, I realized I am also clingy to her. Urgh! Baby steps.. The tips: spend quality time playing with your baby, but sometimes, just get baby and toy together and watch from sidelines.
6) Follow the leader
As of now, baby is in lead. Let her choose what to play, when to end the play session (though it's just starting), again try to have fun with your baby.
7) Time it right
Remember your baby has VERY short attention spans.
8) Provide positive reinforcement
Hugs, cheers, applause. Khaira usually smile shyly when we did all these :)
Stimulating your baby (above 6 months old)
1) Large motor skills
Stand on your lap and bounce, pull to sitting, squat, pull to standing, anything physical.
2) Small motor skills
Soft toys, blocks, real household objects (which they love a lot eventually), balls, finger games, etc.
3) Social skills
Expose your child to a varitey of people of different ages. Do this while shopping, while visiting your frinds, try bring your baby as much possible when you go out. Teach them to say 'hi' or waving bye, blow a kiss, say 'thank you'.
4) Intellectual and language skills
Names are recognized first - Ibu, Abi, etc. Then, basic words - Yes, No, Bye. After that they will imitate what you say before saying their own words. You can encourage them by playing stimulating games like peek-a-boo, sharpening baby's auditory perception (emphasize and repeat the same words), introduce concepts (coffee is hot, wates is for drinking, etc), encourage curiousity and creativity, and always remember learning should be fun!
P/S: Also, I read What to Expect when You're Expecting, when I was pregnant, I believe it's a good read, and every pregnant mummy should have it. It makes you feel so normal. Hee :D I shall rate that 5/5 :)
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Kapal and Ikeen to Bali with baby!
Date: 23rd - 27th May 2012
Time difference: No
Conversion: IDR 10k = RM 3++
Plug: 2 pins (round) - needs converter
Hotel: Tune hotel, Kuta
Flying with baby
I was so nervous to fly with Baby K. Though I was expecting her to sleep throughout the journey as she normally sleeps like a baby when we travel by car, the exact opposite happens. From KL to Bali, she was awake for the whole 3 hours, from Bali to KL she slept every now and then. Guess she was excited, it was her first anyway.
I would really really suggest you to book hot seats if you are travelling with AirAsia. But, please don't choose seat number 1A, 1B and 1C, it's an emergency exit, not allowed if you have infants.
Khaira is born a traveller I guess, like Ibu and Abi. She's so easy to handle, Alhamdulillah. So, we didn't need lots of toys to distract her in the plane. She inherited both things I love: 1) Books. 2) Kacau orang. That was the two things that kept her occupied in the plane.
Tune Hotel, Kuta - the review
For the price, I rate this 5/5. The location is superb! It's at the heart of Kuta where you can find almost everything down the street. We are contented discovering the area around the hotel for the whole 3 days, we need driver for just a day.
But, I wouldn't suggest if you bring in children with you. It's a very basic hotel with no tv, no kettle, no fridge. Too small that Baby K didn't seem to be comfortable in it.
Must try the calamari there. The marination is superb!! Anyway, here you must pay IDR 5k per person as donation for the animals, tips to the boatman and the tourguide.
Then, the driver bought us to Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK). Cost us IDR 6k per person. Nothing much there. Some boring dance, some statue, beautiful view though.
Since Tanah Lot was quite a distance from GWK, we went to Uluwatu instead. The entrance was IDR 2k per person, you need to wear the sarong first. The view was breath taking, I love the view so much. Would have stayed longer if not because of the monkeys.
Afterwards, to Krisna. Souvenirs here were super cheap!!
What we bought in Krisna..
Then to Discovery Mall, nothing much there. Books are cheap.
To Kuta Beach afterwards, where people were there to watch the sunset.
Had dinner from Burger King, I like Malaysian Whopper better.
On the way home, I had these custom made from Aussie's coin.. Bangle for Nurul Asyikin, pendant for Khaira Asyikin. Both for IDR 200k.
Day 4
Had a brunch at Coffee Bean and last visit in Kuta street. Bought a painting for Homer.
Then, headed to airport that cost us IDR 45k using Tune taxi. Luckily we still had enough cash as the airport tax cost us IDR 150k per person. Khaira was not being charged though.
Alhamdulillah, we arrived safely in Malaysia where Khaira been missed by everyone back at home. All praise be to Allah, our journey was a smooth one. Alhamdulillah, syukur sangat.
Bali is a religious country. I'm inspired to be a better Muslim from my trip here, insya Allah.
Fun facts about Bali
♥ Every hindu house in Bali has a beautiful temple or pura outside.
♥ The buildings there must not be higher than a coconut tree aka 5 storeys.
♥ No highway or flyover there as it opposes from their adat.
Time difference: No
Conversion: IDR 10k = RM 3++
Plug: 2 pins (round) - needs converter
Hotel: Tune hotel, Kuta
Flying with baby
I was so nervous to fly with Baby K. Though I was expecting her to sleep throughout the journey as she normally sleeps like a baby when we travel by car, the exact opposite happens. From KL to Bali, she was awake for the whole 3 hours, from Bali to KL she slept every now and then. Guess she was excited, it was her first anyway.
I would really really suggest you to book hot seats if you are travelling with AirAsia. But, please don't choose seat number 1A, 1B and 1C, it's an emergency exit, not allowed if you have infants.
Khaira is born a traveller I guess, like Ibu and Abi. She's so easy to handle, Alhamdulillah. So, we didn't need lots of toys to distract her in the plane. She inherited both things I love: 1) Books. 2) Kacau orang. That was the two things that kept her occupied in the plane.
Tune Hotel, Kuta - the review
For the price, I rate this 5/5. The location is superb! It's at the heart of Kuta where you can find almost everything down the street. We are contented discovering the area around the hotel for the whole 3 days, we need driver for just a day.
But, I wouldn't suggest if you bring in children with you. It's a very basic hotel with no tv, no kettle, no fridge. Too small that Baby K didn't seem to be comfortable in it.
Day 1
We arrived in Bali around 2pm. Took an airport taxi that cost us IDR 80k. That was expensive though, you could get half the price. But not in the mood to bargain since the first taxi offered us IDR 200k.
Check in time at 2pm. Then had our lunch at KFC. (FYI, most fast food in Bali and Padang food are halal. Bubba Gump serves pork.) KFC Indonesia serves their chicken with only rice. I like KFC Malaysia best, but this one is better than KFC Singapore.
Then we went to Kuta Art Market to buy some souvenirs. (10 mins walk from hotel).
What we bought..
Had dinner at 3 Nyonya restaurant near hotel. It said there 100% halal and no MSG. It was delicious esp the Nasi Campur Bali.
Day 2
Book a driver suggested by our taxi driver on day 1, cost us IDR300k nett in a 2 months old new Avanza. What I had in mind was to Nusa Dua and Tanah Lot.
Our driver, Wayan first brought us to Nusa Dua, by the beach..
Then, we had a breakfast at one of the Padang restaurant, it was so not good. The food in Bali was quite costly as we had to choose proper restaurants after being warned by our doctor. (We met our doctor beforehand and asked her to prescribe some medications for both Baby K and us.)
After that, our driver took us to another part of Nusa Dua where we took a glass bottom boat for a ride to Turtle Island. It cost us USD 25 per person. The boat ride was bumpy; which was fine by me. I super love boats!! But it was not fine by me since they did not provide any safety jacket, esp when I had a baby with me.
Must try the calamari there. The marination is superb!! Anyway, here you must pay IDR 5k per person as donation for the animals, tips to the boatman and the tourguide.
Then, the driver bought us to Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK). Cost us IDR 6k per person. Nothing much there. Some boring dance, some statue, beautiful view though.
Since Tanah Lot was quite a distance from GWK, we went to Uluwatu instead. The entrance was IDR 2k per person, you need to wear the sarong first. The view was breath taking, I love the view so much. Would have stayed longer if not because of the monkeys.
Afterwards, to Krisna. Souvenirs here were super cheap!!
What we bought in Krisna..
We ended our day with a romantic dinner by the beach at Jimbaran. Super romantic, nice view, nice weather with live band!
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| Khaira and Abi on a date |
Day 3
It's a day we pamper ourselves, yay! Went to Sole spa (walking distance from hotel)! Took turn with Love. I had Balinese body massage IDR 90k for an hour and reflexology IDR 35k for half an hour. Love had head shoulder and neck massage for IDR 60k an hour and half an hour reflexology. Verdict --> The best massage for both of us and we love massages a lot!!
Love discovered a shop called MBM outlet where I bought my Zara shirt for IDR99k (about RM30++) and Love's Fred Perry shirt with the same price.
Had lunch at Pizza Hut, I like the Pizza Hut there a lot! Much better than Pizza Hut in Malaysia!
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| Abi candid this pic |
To Kuta Beach afterwards, where people were there to watch the sunset.
Had dinner from Burger King, I like Malaysian Whopper better.
On the way home, I had these custom made from Aussie's coin.. Bangle for Nurul Asyikin, pendant for Khaira Asyikin. Both for IDR 200k.
Day 4
Had a brunch at Coffee Bean and last visit in Kuta street. Bought a painting for Homer.
Alhamdulillah, we arrived safely in Malaysia where Khaira been missed by everyone back at home. All praise be to Allah, our journey was a smooth one. Alhamdulillah, syukur sangat.
Bali is a religious country. I'm inspired to be a better Muslim from my trip here, insya Allah.
Fun facts about Bali
♥ Every hindu house in Bali has a beautiful temple or pura outside.
♥ The buildings there must not be higher than a coconut tree aka 5 storeys.
♥ No highway or flyover there as it opposes from their adat.
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| Bye Bali, next year Goldcoast, insya Allah! |
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Another gold, alhamdulillah!
Pardon me, been busy with this for the whole week..
Since I was the youngest in my uni (and surely one of the two who were about to get our doctorate) to participate, I needed more time to prepare compared to all the sifus.
But it's surely worth it!! Result was out yesterday, andd...
Alhamdulillah. :)
Now, I'm on leave for the whole week next week and a couple of days for the week after.
Been too busy with work, it's time to make up to Little K and Big K, and then...
BALI! :)
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| ITEX 2012 |
Since I was the youngest in my uni (and surely one of the two who were about to get our doctorate) to participate, I needed more time to prepare compared to all the sifus.
But it's surely worth it!! Result was out yesterday, andd...
 |
| The most bottom |
Alhamdulillah. :)
Now, I'm on leave for the whole week next week and a couple of days for the week after.
Been too busy with work, it's time to make up to Little K and Big K, and then...
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Oh my Khaira!
Dear Khaira Asyikin,
Masya Allah, how I miss you at this very moment! (Am now in APR's retreat, but too blur to concentrate).
This morning was by far the hardest for Ibu to go to work. You refused to let me go. I am very sorry, but I have to.
If I'm not working, who's going to teach all my students? I am sure you understand. I know you're gonna do better tomorrow.
It broke my heart seeing you crying that bad every morning. Ibu feels demotivated to go to work if you continue like this, Khaira.
I know we had a lot of fun last weekend. We sat next to each other most of the times, you held my hands; i held yours; we were bonding like never before. As much as it is hard for you to let me go, I feel equally hard to let you go.
But, we have to move on. And you know we'll spend more time once I'm home, and we'll be bonding again by the weekend. In fact next week, Ibu will take a leave just for you ok?
Be patient, my little ones. The time will come when I get to spend every minute of the day with you. Soon, insya Allah. I owe a lot to you, I know. I'll try to make it up, it's a promise.
Masya Allah, how I miss you at this very moment! (Am now in APR's retreat, but too blur to concentrate).
This morning was by far the hardest for Ibu to go to work. You refused to let me go. I am very sorry, but I have to.
If I'm not working, who's going to teach all my students? I am sure you understand. I know you're gonna do better tomorrow.
It broke my heart seeing you crying that bad every morning. Ibu feels demotivated to go to work if you continue like this, Khaira.
I know we had a lot of fun last weekend. We sat next to each other most of the times, you held my hands; i held yours; we were bonding like never before. As much as it is hard for you to let me go, I feel equally hard to let you go.
But, we have to move on. And you know we'll spend more time once I'm home, and we'll be bonding again by the weekend. In fact next week, Ibu will take a leave just for you ok?
Be patient, my little ones. The time will come when I get to spend every minute of the day with you. Soon, insya Allah. I owe a lot to you, I know. I'll try to make it up, it's a promise.
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