Chicken pox

2 weeks ago Ammar was down with chicken pox (chicken pot as Abid calls it), and I had to take 4 days off.

And now it's Adam and Abid's turn! They are behaving quite well despite the itchiness, but I can't take leave anymore and Papaboyz is going to have an exam in 3 days.

On days like this i wish we have a maid :( (or better, i wish I'm a housewife!)

spotty boy

Adam has a very good question:

Adam: Mama, did the virus got it from the chicken?
Mama: errr no.
Adam: When did the chicken get involved?
Mama: It's a long story. But what matters now is not the chicken. It is you, ok? (ie Mama has no idea)

As promised

hehe... waaahhh cepatnyer meng-update! Saja je, takut the intention die off..

This is going to be a very busy month (and i chose to make a new azam this month? tsk tsk). I have a program that I personally designed with a close friend (who is a dietitian) to tackle one of the most embarassing problem (at least to both of us) of our hospital- 30% of our staffs are obese! This is a pilot project but I do hope that it is going to be beneficial and the template of the program can be applied elsewhere.

On top of that I would be attending 2 big seminars that I am considering as a milestone to myself. One is on real estate investment (no relation with my job whatsoever) and another is for a certificate to become an investigator for clinical trials. Our hospital is not a clinical research center yet but I am determined to make it become one. I do feel being involved in clinical trials is an important ibadah, though I don't know whether I'll like it or not.

I hope everything goes well.

"The sweetness in life is in striving"
-Imam Shafiee
(my mantra everytime i feels tired)


Childhood friend

Fazrideen, me, Fara, sis (circa 1985-86)

Sis, Fara, me, Karim (2/9/2012)

We visited her parents for hari raya (our moms were officemates) and exchanged latest news. Of course our lives are not as "happening" as compared to hers. She is as bubbly as you would see her on tv. I was very impressed with her mom's house and kept on saying " Auntie, rumah auntie cantiklah" hahaha. It is just an intermediate double storey terrace house but the interior has been well laid out that it looked spacious and functional and they even have a private Balinese style garden (I imagined myself having early morning coffee with a nice book there). Hmmm now I think I don't need a big house at all. It just have to be nice and comfy. And everything (from superstore to library) has to be within walking distance. That would be my first requirement. Just like our apartment in Manchester.

Azam baru (lagi)

Saya tergerak hati utk membaca post2 lama, terutamanya book reviews, travelling series, life in UK.. Saya hingga terlupa saya pernah menulis semua itu, dan bila melihat gambar2 lama saya tergelak melihat gemuknya jari-jemari Ammar dulu dan nakalnya Abid.

Apabila saya membaca posts mengenai medical/health pula saya merasakan yg pada ketika itu saya hmm.. how to say? Had a clearer mind maybe. I can't even write a poem now. :(

Akhirnya saya telah install Blogger apps dalam ipad saya. Saya harap saya boleh terus rajin menulis (tanpa merapu) terutamanya book reviews dan pasal budak2 nih sebab mereka begitu cepat membesar!

Kadang-kadang

Kadang-kadang rasa rindu nak menulis di blog.

Nak kata betul2 tak ada masa tak betul juga sebab kadang2 ada masa tapi tentulah buat benda lain, yang memang telah ditetapkan KPI nya eg baca buku. Tiada KPI untuk blog.

Hari tu kemas rak buku dan surprise surprise, ada banyak ruang kosong lagi rupanya (sebelum ni bersepah) kahkah... maknanya boleh pergi kedai untuk tambah lagi :)

Macammana Ramadhan tahun ini? Tahun ini saya lembik je, bencinya. Tapi orang bijak pandai kata kalau kita beribadat kerana Ramadhan (solat jemaah, baca Quran, qiam, tak mengumpat dan jaga hati atau berhijab masa bulan puasa je), maka Ramadhan telah berlalu, tetapi kalau kita beribadat kerana Allah, Allah itu Maha Kekal dan sebagai Pencipta Ramadhan lebih layak dihormati daripada Ramadhan itu sendiri.

Oklah, post gambar raya :)

tak senonoh je duit raya penuh kat poket

Weekend Getaway (Pesta Buku!!!)

Ya, kami pergi ke Pesta Buku KL (buat pertama kali).

Eyyyyy best sangat hahaha... partly because it was unplanned. Sepatutnya saya standby untuk medical team bagi acara Kejohanan Hoki Remaja Asia yang sedang berlangsung di Melaka sekarang (Malaysia is in the final, besok ok). Saya dalam hati agak kecewa tapi nak menyedapkan hati saya kata, alahh nanti2 boleh je cari buku kat kedai (tak sama ok, now I know). Takpelahh kalau tak ada rezeki nak pegi maknanya itu yang terbaik, kan.

Tapi tiba2 saya dikecualikan dari acara untuk weekend lepas kerana errrr ada insiden berunsurkan 'sexual discrimination' berlaku (hahaha tak kuasa nak layan). Yang penting tiba-tiba free jadi terus buat keputusan bercuti hujung minggu di KL. Tentunya satu-satunya pilihan hotel ialah Seri Pacific PWTC. Terima kasih Seri Pacific kerana room rate tak mahal sangat :)

The plan was, check in hotel, Papaboyz bawak budak-budak pergi berenang di kolam dan saya pergi berpesta!

Sampai je tengah hari Sabtu (5 Mei 2012), MasyaAllah! Ramainya manusia berpusu-pusu, dengan bas-bas sekolah yang beratur panjang di tepi jalan sekitar PWTC tu. Tak tangkap gambar pulak.

Lepas check in terus pergi buat tawaf sulung. Budak-budak dan Papaboyz pun ikut sekali. Tak sampai sejam budak-budak dah tak tahan sebab sesak sangat. Nasib baik jumpa booth Upin Ipin.

Di booth Upin Ipin

Lepas 1 round, balik hotel dulu

Dah rehat kejap, the boys pergi mandi kolam dan saya sambung meronda. Kalau yang first round tadi cover Bilik (Dewan?) Mawar, round kedua pula cover Bilik-bilik Negeri (siapa pernah ke PWTC tahulah kan) dan Dewan Tun Hussein Onn, dan keesokannya jelajah tingkat 2 pula.

Hasil?

Sebelum hasil tangkapan, ada hasil lain iaitu pengalaman. Tahun depan kalau nak pergi bawa troli pasar yang kecik tu (macam Mynie kat Mesra Buku), atau bawa backpack yg macam nak pergi hiking tu. Kalau tak sakit bahu nak pegang beg-beg semua. Lepas tu kalau nak betul-betul menghayati pesta buku tu, tak boleh pegi satu trip je, kena pegi banyak kali (hehe, nak cakap suruh buat macam saya lah tu kan). Baru boleh nampak publisher yang jarang-jarang kelihatan. Contohnya, ada banyak publisher dari negara luar yang join. Dari Indonesia, Singapura, Turki dan China yang saya perasan. Itu pun saya rasa terkilan juga tak sempat betul-betul tengok buku-buku diorang.

Lagi satu, pergi hari terakhir :). Ada banyak extra discount tapi tak ada buku yang habis yer jgn risau. Telaga Biru further reduced discounted books from 20% to 30% (ada as low as rm 5), True Wealth dropped from 15% to 25% and Galeri Ilmu gave extra coupons of further 20% from display prices.

Cuma saya sangat bersyukur kerana berjumpa dengan publisher dari Singapura ni, Darul Andalus namanya. Mereka keluarkan buku-buku cerita Bahasa Arab untuk kanak-kanak mengikut peringkat, dengan terjemahan BM dan English. Saya sudah lama mencari set buku sebegini dari Manchester ke Cairo ke Malaysia (overrrnya :P), tapi tak jumpa (mungkin tak bersungguh sangat mencari). Saya terus melabur untuk ketiga-tiga set. Bukan untuk budak-budak, tapi untuk saya (padan muka sekarang, masa sekolah taknak belajar arabic).

Inilah publishernya

Set Asas

Contoh dalam set asas

Set tahap II

Contoh dalam set tahap II

Set tahap III

Contoh dalam set tahap III

Ok buku2 lain:

Merchandise Ana Muslim untuk anak buah

Untuk anak buah jugak

Majalah Upin ipin

Buku latihan untuk budak (rm 1 each)

Hadiah untuk mak saya (tapi sebelum bagi dah habis baca dulu :))

Telaga Biru- harga runtuh hari terakhir

Al-Quran macam-macam gaya, rasa nak ambik je mana berkenan

Set buku untuk Abid

Antara buku yang rm5 tu, kena lah ambik satu kan, lagipun saya suka buku yang ada nama tempat sebagai tajuk :P

Ini kes terpengaruh dengan book review orang lain

Buku2 baru dari favourite authors, suka suka! especially yg paling kanan tu :)

Haaa tu pasal lah saya suka, sebab terselit puisi-puisi dalam dia

Signed by the author :)

rm 2 each

From True Wealth (penulis jutawan? hehe)

Betul ke ada 90 ubat mengandungi sumber babi?

Malam tu terus buat workbook

pagi besoknya sambung lagi buat workbook

Acara tahunan? InsyaAllah.. :)

Mommies please don't feed your kids these

We send the 3 boys to a taska during office hours and it is a good, clean and spacious taska. But what worries me is the 'jajan' they received from other parents that give them away for their kids' birthday celebration.

The ones I hid from the kids

I understand the good intentions of other parents, but probably they are not aware themselves that they are feeding un-nutritious and potentially poisonous food to the growing child. My kids are very happy when they received it, but I usually will let them have 2 or 3 items then hide the rest away.

And yesterday I chucked them all out after cleaning the kitchen cabinet.

Look at the long list of ingredients/ chemicals in it

  I know healthy items are quite pricey so I guess that's why parents resorted to cheap 'jajans' to give away in their party packs. But probably we have to reflect on the story of Prophet Adam (AS)'s sons, Habil and Qabil, and how Qabil's sacrifice was not accepted because of its poor quality. If we want to give sadaqah to celebrate our child's birthday, then spend more and give the best we can.

But one parents were very thoughtful and instead of giving 'jajan', they gave Angry Birds' bottle :). The kids really love them and imagine every time they drink from it the parents will get rewards for it. May Allah bless them always.

If you are thinking of party packs to give to your kids' nursery, some (affordable) suggestions from me:
1. Fruits (apples, oranges, bananas)
2. Milk produces (flavored milk, yoghurt, probiotic drinks)
3. Sandwhiches
4. Cupcakes / Muffins
5. Stationeries
6. Books!

Him In Other Books

 BIBLE

And the book is delivered,
To him that is not learned,
Saying, read this, I pray thee:
And he saith, I am not learned.
                        Isaiah: 12

(sangat-sangat familiar, kan :) )

 Ini pula kisah Hijrah Baginda dan Perang Badar:

The burden upon Arabia,
In the forest of Arabia shall ye lodge,
O ye travelling companies of Dedanim,
The inhabitants of the land of Tema*
brought water to him that was thirsty,
they prevented him with their bread
him that fled, For the fled from the swords...
Within a year, according to the years of an hirelling,
and all the glory of Kedar** shall fail:
And the residue of the number of archers,
the mighty men of the children of Kedar,
shall be diminished
                       Isaiah: 14-17

* Tema: a place north of Madinah
**Kedar: Prophet Ismail's son ie keturunan Nabi Ismail (Bani Quraish)

ATHARVA VEDA (900 BC)

Description of Narashangsa (sanskrit: translation- Yang Terpuji):
-He will use camels as his mounts
-He has 12 wives
-God will honour Narashangsa with 12 garlands (simbolik: sahabat/ orang kanan)
-He will receive a gift of ten thousand cows (dalam agama Hindu lembu adalah suci, ini jumlah sama dgn pengikut Baginda pada kemuncak perjuangan Baginda iaitu ketika pembukaan Kota Mekah).

PURANA (300 AC)

Description of Kalki Avatar (sanskrit: translation- Utusan Terakhir) :

-"Oh God, with the help of four brothers, I will destroy the Devil"
-He will be born on the city of Shambal (sanskrit: translation- kawasan tumpuan orang ramai yang mempunyai 60 patung berhala, dan berhampiran dengan air- sinonim dgn Mekah)
-His father's name will be Vishnu-Yash (sanskrit: translation-hamba Tuhan ie Abdullah)
- His mother's name will be Sumati (sanskrit: translation-yang baik hati- sinonim dgn Aminah)


Banyak lagi dalam buku yang saya baca kat bawah ni. Nabi Muhammad SAW juga disebut oleh Sidartha Gautama Buddha dalam wasiat terakhir beliau (nama lain of course, tapi description sama).

pinjam dari Library Universiti

*Masih lagi berfikir nak pergi KL Book Fair ke tidak. Tapi minggu depan terpaksa bekerja di padang hoki untuk Kejohanan Hoki Asia. Jadual shift duty tak keluar lagi. hmmmmm..