The Reply
Dear Sayang,
I also want to say happy anniversary to us. Do you know what it means by anniversary? It means that we are still together stronger and stronger. Without this moment, there will be no anniversary for us. So today is the best moment in our life. Because tomorrow it will be written in our history book of marriage that we have celebrated our 9th anniversary. Forget the moment in the past because past is history and history come like a flash of memory. That's why Allah creates memory – for people to learn and treasure the relationship but the most important thing is right now, this moment. This moment means we are still husband and wife. 9th anniversary is just the number. The moments we spent together is the most important thing, be it 10 years, 15 years or 30 years.
THIS MOMENT THAT WE ARE STILL TOGETHER THAT COUNTS AND WE CAN STILL REFER EACH OTHER TO THIRD PARTIES AS MY WIFE OR MY HUSBAND.
Your hubby
Baby
P.s I know that you will shed tear when you finish reading it. Please make it big ==> (my husband sent this with tiny lettering. That's why he wants me to zoom in to get the meaning because he knows that I usually cry after reading this kind of email...hehe)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
FEEDER ENTRY 8
The Message
Today is Our 9th Wedding Anniversary
On this special day, with the advantage of technology, I sent an email to my significant half as a wish for our anniversary. And I am sharing it with you here on my blog.
My dearest Baby...
I am sitting here in my office room, taking a break from the painstaking assignments that I need to complete and reminiscing on this day exactly 9 years ago when you took my hand in marriage. Yes, people may think this is superficial, but I do feel that it was just like 9 days ago that we met. Got married. Learning to love each other (after aprroximately 2 months since the first day we laid eyes on each other). And thinking whether we made the right decision.
Alhamdulillah, undoubtedly, you are my Mr. Right. You may not be perfect but you are definitely perfect for me. You fit me like a glove. And I thank Allah that I am blessed with a good man who loves me sensibly, who understands, who is always two steps behind, who is there to help me up when I fall, who is willing to grow and live with me in our dreams, who holds the light when it is dark, who is my truest friend, and I pray that we could be together for the next 90 years or maybe more.
Baby, it takes two special people to make a loving pair, and I am so glad that I found that special someone. There's joy in just being around you (despite the arguments, good and lame ones, that we've had). A kind of feeling I like to keep for a long long time. Even if I could turn back time, I think I would still be marrying you (serious! honest! even knowing that time can never be turned).
And most importantly, Baby, on this 9th anniversary, we are not celebrating it alone anymore (maybe for many, many years to come), but with four other beautiful creatures that we could call our own. Together, we are complete, we are one, we are a team. On this day, I am proud to tell the world that I am the happiest person, subhanallah.
For the sake of the good times (and bad, too), lets again listen and sing to the lyrics of From This Moment by Shania Twain. Do you still remember this song, baby? The song that was played in the background when I came down the stairs to hold your hand and stand beside you in front of so many smiling guests sharing our happiness.
So, Baby, thank you for being you, thank you for the wonderful moments, thank you for letting me be who I am, thank you for everything, and MOST of all, thank you for loving me.
Love,
saYANG
Today is Our 9th Wedding Anniversary
On this special day, with the advantage of technology, I sent an email to my significant half as a wish for our anniversary. And I am sharing it with you here on my blog.
My dearest Baby...
I am sitting here in my office room, taking a break from the painstaking assignments that I need to complete and reminiscing on this day exactly 9 years ago when you took my hand in marriage. Yes, people may think this is superficial, but I do feel that it was just like 9 days ago that we met. Got married. Learning to love each other (after aprroximately 2 months since the first day we laid eyes on each other). And thinking whether we made the right decision.
Alhamdulillah, undoubtedly, you are my Mr. Right. You may not be perfect but you are definitely perfect for me. You fit me like a glove. And I thank Allah that I am blessed with a good man who loves me sensibly, who understands, who is always two steps behind, who is there to help me up when I fall, who is willing to grow and live with me in our dreams, who holds the light when it is dark, who is my truest friend, and I pray that we could be together for the next 90 years or maybe more.
Baby, it takes two special people to make a loving pair, and I am so glad that I found that special someone. There's joy in just being around you (despite the arguments, good and lame ones, that we've had). A kind of feeling I like to keep for a long long time. Even if I could turn back time, I think I would still be marrying you (serious! honest! even knowing that time can never be turned).
And most importantly, Baby, on this 9th anniversary, we are not celebrating it alone anymore (maybe for many, many years to come), but with four other beautiful creatures that we could call our own. Together, we are complete, we are one, we are a team. On this day, I am proud to tell the world that I am the happiest person, subhanallah.
For the sake of the good times (and bad, too), lets again listen and sing to the lyrics of From This Moment by Shania Twain. Do you still remember this song, baby? The song that was played in the background when I came down the stairs to hold your hand and stand beside you in front of so many smiling guests sharing our happiness.
So, Baby, thank you for being you, thank you for the wonderful moments, thank you for letting me be who I am, thank you for everything, and MOST of all, thank you for loving me.
Love,
saYANG
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
FEATURE STORY 10
To Be or Not To be (To Be Sad or Not To Be Sad: That's My Question)
I wanted to write about this since last Wednesday but I didn't. Today, I am better inspired to actually sit down on my never-comfy office chair with my legs resting on a small shelf underneath my not-big-enough office table and the air-conditioning is running normally (it isn't always this way) keeping me feeling dynamic to write this little story of my life.
Before I indulge into the main idea, let me just keep you abreast with the supporting details. OK, which one do I put first. Yup, I have four munchkins - one Charlie and three Angels. I am very happy to be blessed with them and could not imagine what I would be doing right now, at this age, married, with a satisfying job, an almost completed master degree, three houses I could call my own, one Malaysian-made car, and one Japan-made car, good food, both parents still kicking, the low-profile in-laws, great wonderful friends, without these four little creatures. I believe myself is then less meaningful. Anyway, what I am going to write about today is my second child, my first daughter, Yamna a.k.a. Angah.
Faqihah Yamna Putri is the name we gave her when she came into our lives more than four years ago on May 6, 2004. She was born at Ampang Putri Specialist Hospital in Ampang, at about 1.21pm, on a peaceful Thursday afternoon after my water broke at approximately 13 hours before. She weighed 3.6 kgs and after almost 2 hours of pushing, Dato' Dr. Ashar (my gynae) decided that I gave a last push and he would pull her out with the vacuum. And so he did and there was a beautiful creature being placed on my chest. I cried and I was so happy because God has granted me a baby girl.
I wanted to write about this since last Wednesday but I didn't. Today, I am better inspired to actually sit down on my never-comfy office chair with my legs resting on a small shelf underneath my not-big-enough office table and the air-conditioning is running normally (it isn't always this way) keeping me feeling dynamic to write this little story of my life.
Before I indulge into the main idea, let me just keep you abreast with the supporting details. OK, which one do I put first. Yup, I have four munchkins - one Charlie and three Angels. I am very happy to be blessed with them and could not imagine what I would be doing right now, at this age, married, with a satisfying job, an almost completed master degree, three houses I could call my own, one Malaysian-made car, and one Japan-made car, good food, both parents still kicking, the low-profile in-laws, great wonderful friends, without these four little creatures. I believe myself is then less meaningful. Anyway, what I am going to write about today is my second child, my first daughter, Yamna a.k.a. Angah.
Faqihah Yamna Putri is the name we gave her when she came into our lives more than four years ago on May 6, 2004. She was born at Ampang Putri Specialist Hospital in Ampang, at about 1.21pm, on a peaceful Thursday afternoon after my water broke at approximately 13 hours before. She weighed 3.6 kgs and after almost 2 hours of pushing, Dato' Dr. Ashar (my gynae) decided that I gave a last push and he would pull her out with the vacuum. And so he did and there was a beautiful creature being placed on my chest. I cried and I was so happy because God has granted me a baby girl.
Yamna developed into a beautiful, healthy baby and most importantly, she was so close to me. Just by looking into her eyes could make all my troubles seemed so far away. When most children acquire their speaking skills at 24 months and above, my Yamna didn't look as if she was catching up with the rest of the kids her age. People mentioned to me that I should go for further checkups on why she was not developing the "normal" language abilities at that age. Well, of course, as a mother, I wanted to deny all the possibilities that there was something wrong with her.
At first we, my hubby and I, thought that maybe she has ADHD because we noticed that her attention span is relatively short (as compared to our son) and she didn't like to watch TV or anything of the sort that required her concentration. We visited three different child specialists and none of them thought that there was anything wrong. Dr. Premila (our family child specialist) even said we shouldn't worry because she started talking when she was four (and I thought...hmm, started talking at four and she is now a specialist doctor...that's all right). Having those thoughts at the back of our mind, we (again) didn't bother to do anything further about Yamna's speaking problems.
Later, when she was three plus, and attending a kindy, we began to notice that something might be a little wrong since she couldn't pronounce some words properly. And we read articles from the net. We then thought that maybe she has speech problems. After asking around, we realised that we couldn't afford to see any speech pathologist or therapist because they are all SO expensive! And then again, we carried on with our lives and somehow "ignored" Yamna's problem.
At the end of 2007, my mother seriously told us to check if she had hearing problems (well, she has been talking about this hearing thingy since God knows when and I have been ignoring them). Finally, in December last year, we listened to her and vigorously searched for a cheaper place where we could request for tests to be done on Yamna to detect any possibilities of hearing impairment (another reason for the vigorous search is that my third child, Fajee, was speeding in her language acquisition and I was afraid if Yamna felt anywhere intimidated or lacking because her younger sister was already practically speaking before her!).
So, in January this year, I succeeded in getting Yamna registered at Klinik Audiologi dan Sains Pertuturan HUKM at Jalan Temerloh in Kuala Lumpur, where the fees are unbelievably cheap - RM 5 for every visit.
After several visits and tests, the clinicians there confirmed that Yamna has a moderate to severe hearing impairment. I would be lying if I said that it didn't bother me. It did. It ripped my heart deeply. I remembered crying and crying every time I thought of it (I can still cry now especially when she grabs the phone from her little sister, Fajee, whenever I call home from work. Eagerly telling me stories of the day with very little of what she says that I can truly understand). And it's so sad. But I keep telling myself that I shouldn't be sad. Because it is not good if I am sad. I have to be strong to show her that she's special. God takes some little thing from her because He wants to replace it with something better, inshaallah. I want her to believe that. I want her to grow up feeling good about herself and that she could do everything her brother and her sisters can (maybe better). I wish and I always pray that people in her life, especially her family, her grandparents, her aunts and uncles, her cousins, her friends, would not treat her any different from her other siblings, from other kids her age.
Why? Because Yamna is truly special. She is the life of our family. When she is not around, there's little sound. That's why Along jokingly calls her Hurricane. She is cheerful. She is caring. When I come home from work, she'll be the one at the door greeting me with "Hi Ummi. Ummi finish work? Go jalan?" How would that make you feel? Wonderful, after a long day at work. She is also the "little rascal". She jumps, she shouts, she yells, she runs, she climbs, she messes, she disturbs, she sings, she cries - she does everything as and when she likes. We also call her the runway model. You should see her pictures. She is such a natural at it. She knows exactly the right pose for every picture we take of her. And most of all, is because she is so beautiful. She has natural brown hair. She has big eyes with long, dark eyelashes. She has white, glowy skin. She has nice slender figure. She looks pretty in anything she wears. My father, her granpa, nicks her as "budak lawa".
So, 6th August is THE day. She is meeting the Audiologist, Puan Hanim, and her team is putting the hearing aids into Yamna's little ears. They said that she would be able to hear well with this. They said that then Yamna would be able to talk properly as she could hear the sounds correctly. They also said that by the time she has to go school at 7 years old, she might be able to attend normal school. For all these things they have said, I take it as promises. And, yes, I really, truly, sincerely hope all that is true, inshaallah.
Please pray that my daughter, Yamna, will hear properly so she can speak correctly and lead her life normally. Ameen.
At first we, my hubby and I, thought that maybe she has ADHD because we noticed that her attention span is relatively short (as compared to our son) and she didn't like to watch TV or anything of the sort that required her concentration. We visited three different child specialists and none of them thought that there was anything wrong. Dr. Premila (our family child specialist) even said we shouldn't worry because she started talking when she was four (and I thought...hmm, started talking at four and she is now a specialist doctor...that's all right). Having those thoughts at the back of our mind, we (again) didn't bother to do anything further about Yamna's speaking problems.
Later, when she was three plus, and attending a kindy, we began to notice that something might be a little wrong since she couldn't pronounce some words properly. And we read articles from the net. We then thought that maybe she has speech problems. After asking around, we realised that we couldn't afford to see any speech pathologist or therapist because they are all SO expensive! And then again, we carried on with our lives and somehow "ignored" Yamna's problem.
At the end of 2007, my mother seriously told us to check if she had hearing problems (well, she has been talking about this hearing thingy since God knows when and I have been ignoring them). Finally, in December last year, we listened to her and vigorously searched for a cheaper place where we could request for tests to be done on Yamna to detect any possibilities of hearing impairment (another reason for the vigorous search is that my third child, Fajee, was speeding in her language acquisition and I was afraid if Yamna felt anywhere intimidated or lacking because her younger sister was already practically speaking before her!).
So, in January this year, I succeeded in getting Yamna registered at Klinik Audiologi dan Sains Pertuturan HUKM at Jalan Temerloh in Kuala Lumpur, where the fees are unbelievably cheap - RM 5 for every visit.
After several visits and tests, the clinicians there confirmed that Yamna has a moderate to severe hearing impairment. I would be lying if I said that it didn't bother me. It did. It ripped my heart deeply. I remembered crying and crying every time I thought of it (I can still cry now especially when she grabs the phone from her little sister, Fajee, whenever I call home from work. Eagerly telling me stories of the day with very little of what she says that I can truly understand). And it's so sad. But I keep telling myself that I shouldn't be sad. Because it is not good if I am sad. I have to be strong to show her that she's special. God takes some little thing from her because He wants to replace it with something better, inshaallah. I want her to believe that. I want her to grow up feeling good about herself and that she could do everything her brother and her sisters can (maybe better). I wish and I always pray that people in her life, especially her family, her grandparents, her aunts and uncles, her cousins, her friends, would not treat her any different from her other siblings, from other kids her age.
Why? Because Yamna is truly special. She is the life of our family. When she is not around, there's little sound. That's why Along jokingly calls her Hurricane. She is cheerful. She is caring. When I come home from work, she'll be the one at the door greeting me with "Hi Ummi. Ummi finish work? Go jalan?" How would that make you feel? Wonderful, after a long day at work. She is also the "little rascal". She jumps, she shouts, she yells, she runs, she climbs, she messes, she disturbs, she sings, she cries - she does everything as and when she likes. We also call her the runway model. You should see her pictures. She is such a natural at it. She knows exactly the right pose for every picture we take of her. And most of all, is because she is so beautiful. She has natural brown hair. She has big eyes with long, dark eyelashes. She has white, glowy skin. She has nice slender figure. She looks pretty in anything she wears. My father, her granpa, nicks her as "budak lawa".So, 6th August is THE day. She is meeting the Audiologist, Puan Hanim, and her team is putting the hearing aids into Yamna's little ears. They said that she would be able to hear well with this. They said that then Yamna would be able to talk properly as she could hear the sounds correctly. They also said that by the time she has to go school at 7 years old, she might be able to attend normal school. For all these things they have said, I take it as promises. And, yes, I really, truly, sincerely hope all that is true, inshaallah.
Please pray that my daughter, Yamna, will hear properly so she can speak correctly and lead her life normally. Ameen.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
FEEDER ENTRY 7
A Sad Ending (written on 16 July 2008 about 4pm)
This morning at 8.07 am, when I was getting ready for work, I received a sms from Fara my office friend. She said that she was with Jaja (another office friend) at HKL visiting Jaja's ex-husband who was beaten the night before. In her sms, Fara mentioned that Lang's (the ex-husband) head was badly crushed by the hit. She said that it was 90% damage and he only had 10% chance to live. They were both at the ICU of HKL waiting for miracles to happen. She also informed me that Lang was beaten up by a female colleague's fiance due to passionate reasons.
When my husband came out from the bathroom, I told him about that. He was shocked, too. Even though we don't know Lang that well, but we have had a few acquaintances with him. But one thing we both agreed on that he was a good looking man. While driving to work, I kept thinking of what Fara said. Only 10% chance to live. I quietly said to myself that I was doubtful that he could even survive the day.
Later on at the office I kept going to and fro Fara's room to get the story of what actually happened. But even until about 11+ she was still not in. I was already having the worst on my mind. I kept counting the time when Fara would call and tell me something I would not want to hear though I have expected it.
At about 2.26pm, my phone rang. Fara was on the other line. She informed me that Lang has passed away about 2 hours earlier. I stunted. Fara was crying. I wasn't able to say anything. I couldn't even get "innalillah" out from my mouth. The only thing I managed to say was "ye ke?" How dumb.
Anyway, I was still in hallucination even 30 minutes after. Not being able to digest the news. I went around school informing everyone I thought should know. Everybody said that it was tragic. A very sad ending for a nice man. Indeed it was.
To the late Wan Hazlan...Semoga roh mu dicucuri rahmat Allah dan ditempatkan bersama orang-orang yang beriman, inshaallah.
This morning at 8.07 am, when I was getting ready for work, I received a sms from Fara my office friend. She said that she was with Jaja (another office friend) at HKL visiting Jaja's ex-husband who was beaten the night before. In her sms, Fara mentioned that Lang's (the ex-husband) head was badly crushed by the hit. She said that it was 90% damage and he only had 10% chance to live. They were both at the ICU of HKL waiting for miracles to happen. She also informed me that Lang was beaten up by a female colleague's fiance due to passionate reasons.
When my husband came out from the bathroom, I told him about that. He was shocked, too. Even though we don't know Lang that well, but we have had a few acquaintances with him. But one thing we both agreed on that he was a good looking man. While driving to work, I kept thinking of what Fara said. Only 10% chance to live. I quietly said to myself that I was doubtful that he could even survive the day.
Later on at the office I kept going to and fro Fara's room to get the story of what actually happened. But even until about 11+ she was still not in. I was already having the worst on my mind. I kept counting the time when Fara would call and tell me something I would not want to hear though I have expected it.
At about 2.26pm, my phone rang. Fara was on the other line. She informed me that Lang has passed away about 2 hours earlier. I stunted. Fara was crying. I wasn't able to say anything. I couldn't even get "innalillah" out from my mouth. The only thing I managed to say was "ye ke?" How dumb.
Anyway, I was still in hallucination even 30 minutes after. Not being able to digest the news. I went around school informing everyone I thought should know. Everybody said that it was tragic. A very sad ending for a nice man. Indeed it was.
To the late Wan Hazlan...Semoga roh mu dicucuri rahmat Allah dan ditempatkan bersama orang-orang yang beriman, inshaallah.
FEEDER ENTRY 6
How Stupid Can A Man Be?
It was the "stupidest" show I have ever witnessed in my entire 35 years of life. There was these two men. Both are prominent figures in the society. One is representing the government and another was, of course against the government, a de facto of the opposition party. It was a debate on the price of petrol in the country. My husband told me that he didn't want to miss the program. He said if you want me to follow you out tonight, we would have to be home by 9 o'clock. Wow, I said to myself, that this must be something important if he couldn't miss it.
Well, as planned, at 9pm sharp he switched to Channel 501 on Astro. There the show was. And I was excited because for the 1st time in 10 years that this man (whom I actually admire so much) was "permitted" to appear live on National TV. Wow, big leap for Malaysia. So, yes, I listened to how the format of the show would be for the night. Then, I saw him there. Standing behind the rostrum. Looking as always, confident and intelligent. And the other man, whom I shall address as "gundu" from here onwards, who looked entirely the opposite. I told myself, nah it's OK to look like what he did because for an uneducated person to look like that on TV was good enough. Am I right, gundu?
When they started debating, I couldn't help but to continue realizing and convincing myself that the gundu is nowhere compared to the de facto leader. All his responses were lame. No facts whatsoever. Everytime he opened his mouth to utter something, it sounded like a sour grape "makcik kampung" gossipping with some other housewife neighbours of the same kampung (no offense...it's not that I have anything against any makciks in kampungs).
"...kalau boleh ingin ku kepul awan dilangit dengan nama Dr. Mahathir dan Siti Hasmah...hehehe" - Gosh! Can you imagine? A minister speaking as such?
It was all the way a vey idiotic journey for him that night. For every brainless thing he said, there were some morons who would applause. Damn! From there the whole of Malaysia could transparently see how UMNO people are like. It's sad though that you can't even see it for yourself. You're such a nincompoop and you don't know!!! or You're such a nincompoop and you don't know??? It was there and then that I felt so sorry for my self, for being a Malaysian, for having to absorb all these nonsense. And I am more sorry for those of you who were too blind to see. Who still forwarded their support to these fools and be double fools themselves. To my children, hang in there, mommy will save you from these madness.
Anyway, for those who did not watch the show, you have missed a lifetime opportunity to see how stupid a man can be. Twas a perfect example.
It was the "stupidest" show I have ever witnessed in my entire 35 years of life. There was these two men. Both are prominent figures in the society. One is representing the government and another was, of course against the government, a de facto of the opposition party. It was a debate on the price of petrol in the country. My husband told me that he didn't want to miss the program. He said if you want me to follow you out tonight, we would have to be home by 9 o'clock. Wow, I said to myself, that this must be something important if he couldn't miss it.
Well, as planned, at 9pm sharp he switched to Channel 501 on Astro. There the show was. And I was excited because for the 1st time in 10 years that this man (whom I actually admire so much) was "permitted" to appear live on National TV. Wow, big leap for Malaysia. So, yes, I listened to how the format of the show would be for the night. Then, I saw him there. Standing behind the rostrum. Looking as always, confident and intelligent. And the other man, whom I shall address as "gundu" from here onwards, who looked entirely the opposite. I told myself, nah it's OK to look like what he did because for an uneducated person to look like that on TV was good enough. Am I right, gundu?
When they started debating, I couldn't help but to continue realizing and convincing myself that the gundu is nowhere compared to the de facto leader. All his responses were lame. No facts whatsoever. Everytime he opened his mouth to utter something, it sounded like a sour grape "makcik kampung" gossipping with some other housewife neighbours of the same kampung (no offense...it's not that I have anything against any makciks in kampungs).
"...kalau boleh ingin ku kepul awan dilangit dengan nama Dr. Mahathir dan Siti Hasmah...hehehe" - Gosh! Can you imagine? A minister speaking as such?
It was all the way a vey idiotic journey for him that night. For every brainless thing he said, there were some morons who would applause. Damn! From there the whole of Malaysia could transparently see how UMNO people are like. It's sad though that you can't even see it for yourself. You're such a nincompoop and you don't know!!! or You're such a nincompoop and you don't know??? It was there and then that I felt so sorry for my self, for being a Malaysian, for having to absorb all these nonsense. And I am more sorry for those of you who were too blind to see. Who still forwarded their support to these fools and be double fools themselves. To my children, hang in there, mommy will save you from these madness.
Anyway, for those who did not watch the show, you have missed a lifetime opportunity to see how stupid a man can be. Twas a perfect example.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
FEEDER ENTRY 5
What Makes People Happy?
Today from 2pm to 6pm I had English class with my Intermediate students. During the Speaking section, we talked about what makes people happy. So, I asked my class what would make them happy. I got all sorts of replies from my students (mind you that they are all between 18 and 22 years old). Some of their interesting responses were SEX, MONEY, LOVE, SUCCESS, POPULARITY, etc.
It was just yesterday that my office roommate asked us that same question, too. And I said SEX. At that time, yeah...I was thinking that if I had sex (like at that moment) I would be happy and not to mention satisfied (not to forget that in order to be happy with the sex, you have to reach climax...hmm...do you?).
But then again, when I asked the question to myself today, it seemed like there are many other things that I have not had that if I do, would make me very very happy. Let me just share what are some things that would fulfill my happiness.
Today from 2pm to 6pm I had English class with my Intermediate students. During the Speaking section, we talked about what makes people happy. So, I asked my class what would make them happy. I got all sorts of replies from my students (mind you that they are all between 18 and 22 years old). Some of their interesting responses were SEX, MONEY, LOVE, SUCCESS, POPULARITY, etc.
It was just yesterday that my office roommate asked us that same question, too. And I said SEX. At that time, yeah...I was thinking that if I had sex (like at that moment) I would be happy and not to mention satisfied (not to forget that in order to be happy with the sex, you have to reach climax...hmm...do you?).
But then again, when I asked the question to myself today, it seemed like there are many other things that I have not had that if I do, would make me very very happy. Let me just share what are some things that would fulfill my happiness.
- Two more sons
- M. Ed TESL completion
- Recruited as a lecturer in a public university
- Pay hike of at least RM 500
- BMW X5 or the new BMW 5 Series
- Strike the Jackpot lottery
- Winning 1st prize in the 4D with a minimum buy of RM 10
- Much bigger house with at least 8 rooms and 4 bathrooms
- Travelling to where ever I want with my family
- A pair of very good hearing aid for my daughter
- With the hearing aid then she'd be able to speak properly
- Financial freedom
- A "rich" (not desperate) housewife
- Progressing and growing online business
- Publishing my first book
- Presenting my first research paper at a conference
- Migrating "temporarily" to either Canada, Australia or New Zealand
- A much bigger kitchen with both wet and dry ones
- A much slimmer figure (haha, isn't that so obvious?)
- Dual coloured hair
And the list goes on and on. If I were to list all the things that make me happy, I believe it would take me ages to complete my list. Or maybe I would not be able to complete the list at all. Why? Because as I go through every day, I am pretty sure that I would come across different things that would make me happy. And what's the use? Most of the time we list down things that we want to get. And we say that once we have it we'd be happy. But are we?
So, after class, I sat down in my office room and I pondered upon the question. And my answer is even without all the 20 things I managed to write above, I AM ALREADY HAPPY. I am happy that my marriage is good. I am happy that I have a wonderful loving patient man as a husband. I am happy I have four beautiful, bright, physically perfect children. I am happy that I have a house to live in. I am happy that I have a car to drive in to work everyday. I am happy that I am able to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am happy that I have been to Indonesia, Thailand, Phillipines, Japan, Australia and America for holidays. I am happy that I have a fulltime, paid job. I am happy that I am in my 4th (final) semester for my masters. I am happy that I am a bit overweight but healthy. I am happy that I can blog. I am happy that I drink at least 2.5 litres of water per day. To cut a long list short, I am happy and thankful for everything that I have today. Most of all, I thank God for allowing me to have the life that I have now.
Alhamdulillah. Subhanallah. Masyaallah. Ameen.
Monday, June 2, 2008
ABOUT OUR KIDS 8
Not Talking: A Sign of Autism?
By Robert Needlman, M.D. Provided by: DrSpock.com
Every month I see a few toddlers who are not talking. Most are boys; all are worrying their parents. Some have autism, and others don't.
There are so many children with autism now, that almost everybody knows somebody who knows somebody who has an autistic child. Parents, daycare providers and teachers are all on the lookout. Ten years ago children with autism were often diagnosed as late as age 4 or 5. These days, it seems that most are diagnosed by 3, if not before.
People are also more aware of related diagnoses on the autism spectrum, including Asperger syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). As the "not otherwise specified" part of its name implies, PDD-NOS does not have a very clear cut definition. Children often qualify for PDD-NOS, even though they don't meet the full definition for autism itself.
All of this awareness -- which is a good thing -- and the open-ended nature of the PDD diagnosis makes more parents feel even more insecure. If something is not quite right with their child developmentally, the possibility of autism looms large.
Fear of autism worried the parents of two little boys I saw recently. I'll call them Jack and Tom. They were both around two years old.
Jack did not speak or use sign language, and did not turn to me when I called his name. When I offered him crayons, he took one, but he wasn't interested in scribbling or in playing give-and-take. He opened and closed the door of my toy car, and spun the wheels again and again, but did not "zoom" it across the floor. Jack's mother said she had a hard time getting him to play with her. "He does sometimes," she said, "when he wants to."
Tom looked very different. "I can ask him to get something from another room," his dad explained, "and he goes right there and gets it." He also could point to lots of pictures in books when his parents asked him to. He only said a very few words. But he did make a sound that seemed to mean "What's that?", and he would point at things with his index finger -- a sign that he expected his parents to look where he was looking. We played catch back and forth with a rolled up paper towel, and Tom could have played all day, giggling.
I think that Jack probably has a condition on the autism spectrum. It will be important for him to have a thorough assessment. He is already in speech therapy, but he will need additional therapies to help him with social interactions, attention and play.
Tom probably has a condition that is sometimes called Specific Expressive Language Delay. In other words, he is a late-talker. In general, late talkers do well. Some of them have difficulty learning to read when they're older, and it's not clear that speech therapy helps late talkers much. On the other hand, it can't hurt. I also encouraged his parents to teach him some sign language, and was pleased to learn that he already knew some signs.
Two toddlers who are not talking. Two very different problems.
P.S. My 4-year old isn't talking properly yet and the doctor found out that she has hearing problem. So, if your child isn't talking properly at after 2 years old, consult the doctor. Don't IGNORE.
By Robert Needlman, M.D. Provided by: DrSpock.com
Every month I see a few toddlers who are not talking. Most are boys; all are worrying their parents. Some have autism, and others don't.
There are so many children with autism now, that almost everybody knows somebody who knows somebody who has an autistic child. Parents, daycare providers and teachers are all on the lookout. Ten years ago children with autism were often diagnosed as late as age 4 or 5. These days, it seems that most are diagnosed by 3, if not before.
People are also more aware of related diagnoses on the autism spectrum, including Asperger syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). As the "not otherwise specified" part of its name implies, PDD-NOS does not have a very clear cut definition. Children often qualify for PDD-NOS, even though they don't meet the full definition for autism itself.
All of this awareness -- which is a good thing -- and the open-ended nature of the PDD diagnosis makes more parents feel even more insecure. If something is not quite right with their child developmentally, the possibility of autism looms large.
Fear of autism worried the parents of two little boys I saw recently. I'll call them Jack and Tom. They were both around two years old.
Jack did not speak or use sign language, and did not turn to me when I called his name. When I offered him crayons, he took one, but he wasn't interested in scribbling or in playing give-and-take. He opened and closed the door of my toy car, and spun the wheels again and again, but did not "zoom" it across the floor. Jack's mother said she had a hard time getting him to play with her. "He does sometimes," she said, "when he wants to."
Tom looked very different. "I can ask him to get something from another room," his dad explained, "and he goes right there and gets it." He also could point to lots of pictures in books when his parents asked him to. He only said a very few words. But he did make a sound that seemed to mean "What's that?", and he would point at things with his index finger -- a sign that he expected his parents to look where he was looking. We played catch back and forth with a rolled up paper towel, and Tom could have played all day, giggling.
I think that Jack probably has a condition on the autism spectrum. It will be important for him to have a thorough assessment. He is already in speech therapy, but he will need additional therapies to help him with social interactions, attention and play.
Tom probably has a condition that is sometimes called Specific Expressive Language Delay. In other words, he is a late-talker. In general, late talkers do well. Some of them have difficulty learning to read when they're older, and it's not clear that speech therapy helps late talkers much. On the other hand, it can't hurt. I also encouraged his parents to teach him some sign language, and was pleased to learn that he already knew some signs.
Two toddlers who are not talking. Two very different problems.
P.S. My 4-year old isn't talking properly yet and the doctor found out that she has hearing problem. So, if your child isn't talking properly at after 2 years old, consult the doctor. Don't IGNORE.
WHAT SAYS THE TABIB? 7
Slow Down, You're Eating Too Fast
Adapted from Health.yahoo.com by Lucy Dazinger
It's tough not to rush through your meals; some days, I barely have time to sit down for lunch till 3 p.m.! But slowing down can help you slim down: Researchers from the University of Rhode Island at Kingston found that people who ate more slowly consumed 70 fewer calories per meal than speed eaters.
Instead of plowing through your meals, pace yourself using this soothing breathing technique before you start to eat: Inhale deeply through your nose, then exhale slowly. Repeat several times, says Yvonne Nienstadt, nutrition director at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico.
As for me, I find that pouring myself a glass of red wine and sipping it slowly throughout dinner helps me savor my meal even more. (Plus it has health benefits!) And of course, part of what makes mealtimes stressful is figuring out what to eat! For easy, quick ideas, search Self.com's database of fast, healthy recipes, then roll up your sleeves and hit the kitchen.
"When you've had a bad day, cooking can have a calming effect," says psychologist Mark R. Vogel, who also studied at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. Whether you're peeling or pureeing, the repetitive motion relaxes your nerves. Don't I know it; baking my signature meringues almost puts me into a trancelike state! (Or maybe it's a sugar coma.)
Try this easy recipe:
In a bowl, whip 6 egg whites and 2 cups sugar, then add in a bag of chocolate chips. Cover a cookie sheet with brown paper (you can cut up a bag) and drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the sheet; they should be the size of a regular cookie. Bake for 40 minutes at 275 degrees, then turn off the heat and let them cool in the oven. Dig in!
P.S. Susah gak nk kurus semula ni tauuuuu......
Adapted from Health.yahoo.com by Lucy Dazinger
It's tough not to rush through your meals; some days, I barely have time to sit down for lunch till 3 p.m.! But slowing down can help you slim down: Researchers from the University of Rhode Island at Kingston found that people who ate more slowly consumed 70 fewer calories per meal than speed eaters.
Instead of plowing through your meals, pace yourself using this soothing breathing technique before you start to eat: Inhale deeply through your nose, then exhale slowly. Repeat several times, says Yvonne Nienstadt, nutrition director at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico.
As for me, I find that pouring myself a glass of red wine and sipping it slowly throughout dinner helps me savor my meal even more. (Plus it has health benefits!) And of course, part of what makes mealtimes stressful is figuring out what to eat! For easy, quick ideas, search Self.com's database of fast, healthy recipes, then roll up your sleeves and hit the kitchen.
"When you've had a bad day, cooking can have a calming effect," says psychologist Mark R. Vogel, who also studied at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. Whether you're peeling or pureeing, the repetitive motion relaxes your nerves. Don't I know it; baking my signature meringues almost puts me into a trancelike state! (Or maybe it's a sugar coma.)
Try this easy recipe:
In a bowl, whip 6 egg whites and 2 cups sugar, then add in a bag of chocolate chips. Cover a cookie sheet with brown paper (you can cut up a bag) and drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the sheet; they should be the size of a regular cookie. Bake for 40 minutes at 275 degrees, then turn off the heat and let them cool in the oven. Dig in!
P.S. Susah gak nk kurus semula ni tauuuuu......
Monday, May 26, 2008
TIPS FOR US-NESS 9
A Dozen Ways to Get to Know Your Real Partner
The Signs Are All Around You...
In my line of work -- family law -- I often hear the same old refrain when my client explains to me why they split from their significant other. It goes like this, "I guess I didn't really know my partner after all." You might ask, "How could that be?" How could you have an intimate relationship with someone only to wake up one day to find out that the person you fell in love with is not the person they turned out to be?
I believe there are at least a dozen ways to know who someone really is -- indicators -- and if we do an inventory early on, we might stand a better chance of getting to know the real person before we fully commit. The following "observance" suggestions are important ones to make in the early stages of any relationship because each offers insight into habits, patterns, and behaviors. As you ponder these observations, know that there is no right or wrong; it's a matter of acceptance. Sometimes we have to accept quirks and differences as part of the give-and-take process. As you do your assessment, however, the goal is to decide whether or not you can live with or without your real partner.
Here are the dozen indicators:
1. Protocol: First or Second? Whether it's walking through a door, ordering dinner, or taking a bite out of the freshly baked cookies you have made together, if your partner always have to go first this could indicate self- centeredness. Are you willing to always be the giver?
2. Politics: Liberal or Conservative? How your partner views what is right or wrong in a political sense tells you a lot about his deep inner beliefs about society, and ultimately, the way he will approach your relationship issues. Will his views cause a rift in your relationship?
3. Television: Sitcoms or News? If his tendency is to watch "escape" TV programs versus "newsy/event" oriented ones, you can learn a lot about one's intellect. Do you want a mate who can keep up with your every day interest in what is going on in the world or a person you can run away with to avoid the world we live in?
4. Money: Flash or Stash? If your partner throws money around while dating, he might well be reckless with your joint finances when you move in together. Do you want to hook up with a tightwad or splurger?
5. Stress: Freak or Peak? Under Pressure, does he go to pieces or rise to the top of his game? If the answer is the former, every minor incident in your relationship might become a crisis. Do you like a lot of drama?
6. Conversation: About You or Him? As you first get to know each other does he always talk about himself first or you? If he is usually the topic priority do not expect that to change. Can you subordinate yourself to the world revolving around him?
7. Pets: Warm or Aloof? Believe it or not, the way in which he treats animals will not be dissimilar to how he treats your children. How do you want him to treat your loved ones?
8. Communication: Listens or Ignores? If you have something you want to talk about and he tunes you out as a general rule, can you cope?
9. Strangers: Kind or Rude? How he treats those they do not know (waiters, grocery clerks) often reflects on how he will treat people in general, including you, shortly after the glow wears off.
10. Priorities: Family or Work? You can tell almost immediately where a person's preferences lie in terms of what comes first (a family member's illness or a business trip) by the choices he makes when faced with an "either/or" situation. Do you care if he leaves on the next plane to present the such-and-such report if you or the kids have pneumonia?
11. Appearance: Fat or Fit? How he regards his appearance screams loudly about his sense of self-esteem. Those who eat sensibly, workout reasonably, and who take pride in their appearance are the ones who have a great sense of self. Does he really have self-confidence or might it be a front?
12. Faith: Strong or Weak? If you want a peak at his soul, learn more about his spirituality, or lack of it. What a person believes deep down is often what shapes the way in which they conduct their day-to-day affairs. What is your mate's "words to live by?"
(Adapted from Yahoo! Personals by Stacy D. Phillips)
The Signs Are All Around You...
In my line of work -- family law -- I often hear the same old refrain when my client explains to me why they split from their significant other. It goes like this, "I guess I didn't really know my partner after all." You might ask, "How could that be?" How could you have an intimate relationship with someone only to wake up one day to find out that the person you fell in love with is not the person they turned out to be?
I believe there are at least a dozen ways to know who someone really is -- indicators -- and if we do an inventory early on, we might stand a better chance of getting to know the real person before we fully commit. The following "observance" suggestions are important ones to make in the early stages of any relationship because each offers insight into habits, patterns, and behaviors. As you ponder these observations, know that there is no right or wrong; it's a matter of acceptance. Sometimes we have to accept quirks and differences as part of the give-and-take process. As you do your assessment, however, the goal is to decide whether or not you can live with or without your real partner.
Here are the dozen indicators:
1. Protocol: First or Second? Whether it's walking through a door, ordering dinner, or taking a bite out of the freshly baked cookies you have made together, if your partner always have to go first this could indicate self- centeredness. Are you willing to always be the giver?
2. Politics: Liberal or Conservative? How your partner views what is right or wrong in a political sense tells you a lot about his deep inner beliefs about society, and ultimately, the way he will approach your relationship issues. Will his views cause a rift in your relationship?
3. Television: Sitcoms or News? If his tendency is to watch "escape" TV programs versus "newsy/event" oriented ones, you can learn a lot about one's intellect. Do you want a mate who can keep up with your every day interest in what is going on in the world or a person you can run away with to avoid the world we live in?
4. Money: Flash or Stash? If your partner throws money around while dating, he might well be reckless with your joint finances when you move in together. Do you want to hook up with a tightwad or splurger?
5. Stress: Freak or Peak? Under Pressure, does he go to pieces or rise to the top of his game? If the answer is the former, every minor incident in your relationship might become a crisis. Do you like a lot of drama?
6. Conversation: About You or Him? As you first get to know each other does he always talk about himself first or you? If he is usually the topic priority do not expect that to change. Can you subordinate yourself to the world revolving around him?
7. Pets: Warm or Aloof? Believe it or not, the way in which he treats animals will not be dissimilar to how he treats your children. How do you want him to treat your loved ones?
8. Communication: Listens or Ignores? If you have something you want to talk about and he tunes you out as a general rule, can you cope?
9. Strangers: Kind or Rude? How he treats those they do not know (waiters, grocery clerks) often reflects on how he will treat people in general, including you, shortly after the glow wears off.
10. Priorities: Family or Work? You can tell almost immediately where a person's preferences lie in terms of what comes first (a family member's illness or a business trip) by the choices he makes when faced with an "either/or" situation. Do you care if he leaves on the next plane to present the such-and-such report if you or the kids have pneumonia?
11. Appearance: Fat or Fit? How he regards his appearance screams loudly about his sense of self-esteem. Those who eat sensibly, workout reasonably, and who take pride in their appearance are the ones who have a great sense of self. Does he really have self-confidence or might it be a front?
12. Faith: Strong or Weak? If you want a peak at his soul, learn more about his spirituality, or lack of it. What a person believes deep down is often what shapes the way in which they conduct their day-to-day affairs. What is your mate's "words to live by?"
(Adapted from Yahoo! Personals by Stacy D. Phillips)
Friday, May 23, 2008
FEATURE STORY 9
Can you tell if you're being played out?
Well, being 34 actually gives me the opportunity to say that YES, I do know, or I can sense when someone is trying to play me out.
Life is too short to hassle our minds with this thought but sometimes you are not served with your favourite dishes and because you are hungry, you just grab whatever there are on the table. So, this is when you have a mind boggling situation.
I sometimes wonder why is it so difficult for people to be honest. I believe that honesty is the best policy no matter what. I have been put in an explicating situation before and lying made it worst. When you start lying once, you impregnate more lies to come. And when these lies grow, they grow so fast, you just cannot stop them. They are more dangerous than cancer cells.
What triggered me to write about how much I value honesty. I want the truth and nothing else b ut the truth. I always tell my son, be truthful. Don't lie. No matter how bad the truth is, I can bear it. Don't worry. I don't only say this to my son, but I also say it to my students.
Well, being 34 actually gives me the opportunity to say that YES, I do know, or I can sense when someone is trying to play me out.
Life is too short to hassle our minds with this thought but sometimes you are not served with your favourite dishes and because you are hungry, you just grab whatever there are on the table. So, this is when you have a mind boggling situation.
I sometimes wonder why is it so difficult for people to be honest. I believe that honesty is the best policy no matter what. I have been put in an explicating situation before and lying made it worst. When you start lying once, you impregnate more lies to come. And when these lies grow, they grow so fast, you just cannot stop them. They are more dangerous than cancer cells.
What triggered me to write about how much I value honesty. I want the truth and nothing else b ut the truth. I always tell my son, be truthful. Don't lie. No matter how bad the truth is, I can bear it. Don't worry. I don't only say this to my son, but I also say it to my students.
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