Shai Ali's Musings

Bye 2007 and Hello 2008!

2008-01-15T14:07:00.000+08:00

It's been 7 months... since the last time I updated this blog. Friends have noticed and I think it's time that I uploaded all photos that have been taken and neglected. It's been a crazy 2007 with tuition tuition tuition and more tuition. With my crystal pin-making and cake-making craze, I seriously wonder where did i find the time to squeeze all these activities with running around after my two kids.

Let's recap, after Syuaib's birthday in May... and experimenting with icings oh yes! I was really busy organizing Abdillah's wedding lunch and dinner which was held in July. I was also have major hormonal breakouts so I fell prey to a facial beauty salon Derma Aethetics where I spent a bomb and yet, skin got worse. Haiz! Anyway, to make long story short, till now, I'm still having breakouts and i feel like a teenager again ( Wait... didn't think I had breakouts when I was a teenager.) ok so my hormones decides to give me pimple face when i'm nearing 30. I'm 30 by the way. THIRTY! just turned 30 in December last year. Luckily humans made a breakthrough in chemistry and created what we called now the "concealer".

Maybe it's because of the number 30. I got an advanced birthday gift, Samsung U600 handphone from hubby. My mom-in-law was super duper generous with me, not that she isn't always but last year, she got me a Guess bag when she got back from KL. It's not my favourite brand but so sweet of her, then I got an advanced birthday gift, a diamond pendant from her when she got back from Jakarta. She also bought for me kebayas from Bandung for Hari Raya. I'm like Whoa!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Thanks to my dearest friends, Zah, Nad and Wati for the birthday cash and vouchers. I went on a shopping craze. Took advantage of the end- year Mango sale to grab 4 tops that only cost about $90. Just realised that I need new tops badly as all my favourite tops have turned yellow at the armpits. Yucks! Thanks Shah for the Billabong Gym bag. Very thoughtful....but it would be great if it's other brand like Puma or adidas coz Billabong is so very teenagerloh! Well... anyway, the thoughts that count. I also bought myself a birthday gift.... Yahoo!!... an Olympus U790 digi cam. Waterproof and shockproof. Got it at Comex for $549. The best present that I got was from my nephews and nieces. A bookmark made of wire that spelled 'We Luv Busu' The present made me all teary -eyed. Thank you all! I luv you too!

Made a new passport, the biometric one which only lasts for 5 years. Influenced by Singaporeans kiasu mannerism, I enrolled Syuaib for Kumon English and Maths at Eastpoint. So that shopping centre is now my playground. Will roam around in Watsons, NTUC, Popular bookstore and have my noodles at Banquet there while waiting for him to finish.

I've discovered http://www.flowerpod.com.sg/. I was hooked for a while with the forum pages checking on what's the bestsellers for all cosmetics, skin care, hair products and where's the best to go for facials, hair cut and even Brazilian waxing. Seriously, I couldn't believe that a girl could spend so much for beauty.. Sigh....

Visited hubby in Perth in November for a week with parents-in-law and kids, drove up to KL and Genting with the whole gang, all 15 of us crammed into two cars and sleep in a two-bedroom suite at Awana Resort. Imagine.... 5 adults, 5 teenagers and 5 children. It was a nightmare!!! He! He! in a good sense... It was like a boot camp for the teenagers and the children. A" Disciplinary Boot Camp"! (See photos at my link under photoblogs, Genting-KL)

I have been neglecting my reading habit too last year. However, thanks to Nad, 2007 ended with an excellent read. I would highly recommend anyone to pick up " The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. A book that has all the elements that a best-seller book should have and even more!

It was a packed and very fulfilling 2007! What will it be for 2008? Another baby... maybe..

Bithday Cakes... birthday cakes and more birthday cakes

2007-07-16T06:32:00.000+08:00

It was seriously unnecessary but as I was in the mood to experiment with frostings. Syuaib had a total of three birthday cakes. His grandma bought him a cake for his birthday party that she celebrated for him inviting her brothers and sisters. The other two I baked and decorated. I used buttercream icing as it is the easiest to pipe. Cream cheese frosting is delicious but is not good for piping as it is not stiff unless you add in loads of powdered sugar.. but then it will be too sweet. The one I made to bring for the chalet was the first pix below. The second one was for him to bring to school.

The funny thing is that Syuaib does not eat cakes. However.... he luvs birthday cakes especially his birthday cakes coz he luvs the act of blowing candles on his birthday cakes.

Hair Talk

2007-06-02T23:48:00.000+08:00

It's been 6 months since my last hair rebonding. Now that I've discovered the online forums, I've gone to a new place after going through a thread on good hair stylists. The salon's name is Heatwave located at Marina Square. The forum has mentioned that Joanne is good so I've made an advanced appointment with her. She took only 2 hours for the rebonding process and sure enough after washing my hair at home, it's not as straight as I prefer it to be. Her cut was really normal. Nothing fantastic. The kerastase treatment was quite ex too. There won't be a second time.

It's always the same case. After patronising Gilbert's Hair Journal for 16 years, it seems really difficult to find any other hair stylist that can topped him. The thing is Gilbert always cut the same hairstyle for me and since I'm getting older, I want a haircut that is current... something different. 'Gilbert, I want a fringe' No! it will be flat!. "Gilbert, I want to have a bob hairstyle. No! Long hair suits you better. The thing is it's getting hotter and hotter each day and running after my two young kids makes my long hair a chore.

Carrot Cake

2007-05-18T04:57:00.000+08:00

Mazlin.... thanks for your order. It's a real pleasure to bake this for your mommy. Hope she luvs it!!

My latest craze....

2007-04-24T02:44:00.000+08:00

One of my cousins got engaged last weekend and I made this rocher flower arrangement for her. It has 21 ferrero rochers carefully wrapped with gold organza and white net. I was extremely pleased with the outcome. In fact, if there's anyone interested, I think I'll be able to offer the arrangement for $45 with options of different colour combinations for the flowers and the organza. Mind you that you can never get such a deal from the florist shop.

So much to do & so little time

2007-01-30T23:34:00.000+08:00

I was watching my fave cable channel Travel & Living. David Rocco was cooking pasta and he was throwing in sage leaves and rosemary into the pot. Since I have this vision that one day, Ill be able to whip up these gorgeous meals, I've added in 'Know your Herbs & Spices' into my Things to do list for year 2007. To date, the following are the what I have decided to conquer for year 2007:

Know your Koran
(Every week, I spelled out Arabic Alphabets and read the Koran sentence by sentence and I'm beginning to have this itch to know their meanings. So, I've found myself another Koran that includes Translations in Indonesian. Good enough for me. I hope to complete reading the Koran and understand what I'm reading before I turn 30 this year.)
Learn Conversational Mandarin
(I went to the wet market last Saturday and was stumped a few times due to my lack of language skills. Seriously, sometimes I'm ashamed of myself for living in Singapore for 29 years and not knowing even the most simple Mandarin or Hokkien words. So there... I've bought myself 2 CD-Roms to learn some Mandarin)
Know your World
(My tuition kid's mum enthusiastically recounted her great holiday last December in Turkey. If time had permitted, she would have taken a ferry across to Greece. Huh? Is that possible? The first thing I did when I reached home was to check the atlas and sure enough Greece is right next to Turkey. I'm like duh! Ok... so it's about time I know my world
Learn your Herbs & Spices
(Yup.... get to know them really well , their uses and where to get them so if I would one day in the near future cook something out of a recipe book, I know at least, I got my Spices and herbs right)

2007....what will I do?

2007-01-08T07:08:00.000+08:00

Syuaib is in nursery now at Al Iman and Syahid is 14 mths happily discovering new things . I just turned 29 in December last year and very glad that I'm back to my original weight. I've got my Quran reciting back on track, once a week and my tuition sessions have kicked in, 4 days a week sometimes one session per day and others 2. I make it a point to visit the library fortnightly to borrow books for the kids as I can see that they enjoy them.

Apart from all these everyday mundane routine, I must make some new goals for myself for this year or else I'll definitely feel like it would be a wasted year. Maybe I should learn Mandarin? Or learn how to ride a bicycle? ......... still thinking..... minutes after minutes passes by....... still thinking......oh no Syahid has awaken now. I'll come back once I've decided...

Gym VS Bedok Reservior

2007-01-03T00:08:00.000+08:00

I woke up filling bloated and extremely lethargic on New Year's Day. No wonder, I remembered clearly stuffing myself with pineapple tarts and many slices of butter cakes at my mom's place the day before. Not only that, I ate Mee Soto, rice and Mee Goreng too. Yup... all those carbohydrates and bad fats are circulating throughout my body. Hubby was at home so I told him I need to get rid of the excess food as well as the guilty feeling. "Give me an hour, I'll just drive to Laguna and have a quick run on the treadmill, a few crunches and squats and I'll be done" Hubby had other ideas in his head. He suggested us jogging at Bedok Reservoir instead. I was quite apprehensive on the idea as I'm not a fan of jogging outdoors. I'm not into hot weather, you see. He managed to persuade me saying I could jog while Syuaib rode his bicycle.

It was 4 in the afternoon and the sun was still shining. We realised that the gravel track was not suitable for Syuaib to cycle. Hubby insisted on me jogging first while he looked after Syuaib. I started jogging along the track. It was bad , really bad. It was my first time running on a gravel track. The sound of my footsteps stamping on them was very irritating. The heat from the scorching sun was unbearable. I could hear every beat of my heartbeat clearly as I did not bring my MP3 along and most of the time I was jogging alone. The place was deserted. I'm definitely not turning back so I continued jogging while cursing under my breath till I reached the point where I started. SO..... one round the reservoir is 5 km. ok... I'll be clocking 5km too if I'm on the treadmill but it will definitely be very comfortable for me at the gym. There will be air conditioning, my MP3 and a nice cushioned floor for me to run on. East Coast is much a btter place to run than this. Hard concrete and at 7 am, the air is cool and fresh.

I was so mad at hubby for his stupid idea. I told him for someone to run around Bedok reservoir at such an hour and weather, that person must be a hardcore runner. Me, on the other hand is not training for any pain endurance competition or any marathon. I should have just brushed off his idea and went to the gym instead.

Phuket again?

2006-12-03T17:27:00.000+08:00

It was an emergency holiday. Got to know that we were going to Phuket only the day before. Hubby managed to get his last day of work on the 22nd of November and guess what? He will start his new job on the 1st of Dec. It was a mad rush for him to clear all his paper work given that it was a 24 hour resignation notice.

We were crossed between Bali, Bandung and Phuket. The only flight available was Phuket so off we go bringing along Syuaib but leaving Syahid, our smallest one at home. I was actually a tad disappointed that we were not going to Bali coz the last time I went there was 9 years ago. The trip to Phuket would be my third time.

We stayed at Le Meridien Beach Resort and boy i did not regret one bit. It's private beach was gorgeous. Facing the Andaman sea, I could walk 100 m into the sea and the water was still only touching my chest. The water was not very salty, the waves were gentle, the sand very fine and there were no ships at all blocking the view of the coastal line. It was really beautiful.

Syuaib turned into a beach bum. Every morning, he would cried out, Let's go to the beach!. He loved playing with the sand with his beach toys which of course, we needed to buy a set as his own set was at home. We took a boat trip to Phi Phi Island. Shafik brought Syuaib fully equipped with his life jacket down into the water while I waited in the boat taking their pictures. We visited Monkey beach too.

We managed to chance upon two very good restaurants. A seafood restaurant and another serving North Indian. TheNorth Indian restaurant has a nice ambience and the food was delicious. I'm not really a fan of Indian food but this one was an exception. Every dish that we ordered were tasty. It's special Naan bread had slices of sweet juice mangoes on it. It's name is Ali Baba restaurant located on Ruamchai Rd, along Patong beach, opp Holiday Inn.

In the morning of the last day in Phuket, while everyone was asleep, I sat at the hotel balcony with a cup of Milo. It was about 7 in the morning. Everything looked so peaceful and it was then that all my new year resolutions came to me. The seaview was really beautiful that you couldn't help but to think of nice things. I know that this holiday would be my last with hubby in the next two years and i was really glad that we managed to have these nice moments together away from the hustle and bustle of the city back home, away from the mundane everyday routine. It was then too that I told myself to look at the positive side of everything that comes my way and to face every obstacles and problems that might arise for the next two years graciously......while hubby is away... that is

My Day off.

2006-11-01T23:08:00.000+08:00

It's been ages since i rollerblade. Zah called me yesterday to arrange for a rollerblading session at East Cost with her. Managed to find my 12 year old blades under the bed. The blades has really served me well and it did it again. No problem gliding along the pavement from Fort Road to the Food Centre. Zah fetched me with her bike in this really short shorts. I made her hurry jsut in case my in-laws caught her with her get-up. Before blading, I had one of my favourite breakfast food from Macs, Hotcakes. Yummy.... After blading, Wati joined us from lunch at Raffles Banquet. Lunch was Ban Mian, Tim Sum and Carrot Cake. All shared between the three of us.

We then proceed to this five storey building called ICON, opposite Bugis Junction. It housed as what Zah called it 'quirky' clothes and accesories. Both Wati and Zah bought clothes that look like they were made in the 80's. Most of the shops are selling these types of clothes. They kept saying the clothes look gorgeous and I seriously couldn't agree with them. Most of them are oversized tops or dresses that looked dowdy to me. Of course, I didn't tell them this as i might offend them. Zah kept saying that they're very fashionable now. Don't think I can carry the 80s look so nope... even how fashionable the clothes may be, if it makes me look like a christmas tree, I'm not wearing them. You can call me old-fashioned but I know what looks good on me.

Syahid at his most adorable poses

2006-09-10T22:15:00.000+08:00

This water tastes weird. Very different from my bath water! Yucks!

Hi... I'm 9 months old and I'm extremely happy today. Mama brought me to the playground.

Oh no...I'm falling asleep..sleeping is a such a waste of time but my eyes are damn heavy. I can't take it anymore. ZZZzzzzz

I Not Stupid Too

2006-09-07T10:38:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, cousin Nisha brought along a dvd 'I Not Stupid Too' to my place. I was quite apprehensive at first about watching the movie as I didn't want to waste 2 hours of my time watching a stupid Mandarin locally produced movie. She said it was good so I took my chance and boy it was not only good..it was excellent. I cried my eyes out! Jack Neo is brilliant. I should have watch the movie when it was first shown at the cinema. I'm sure everyone was raving about it. Well, it's better late, then never. I highly urge everyone of you to watch it. Borrow it, buy it or steal it. You will not regret it.

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL PRODUCTION!!!!
(coming from someone who claims the movie was stupid at first... Sigh)

Wati's birthday Celebration

2006-09-06T20:39:00.001+08:00

I bake a chocolate ganache cake for Wati. I must say that the cake was extremely delicious! (Shameless me) Anyway, everyone luv it too especially Wati with her love for dark chocolate. Wati, Zah and Shah came over for the cake, then we head down to Pierside. All of us ended up with their signature dish Bake Cod fish. Lovely evening under the clear sky with the river view. Had a great time catching up.....

Mcdonald Party.....

2006-09-06T04:30:00.000+08:00

Syuaib got his first invitation to a birthday party on the 2nd of September. It was Ahmad Siddique's 3rd birthday and was held at Macdonald (Queenstown). Though excited as he was, he seemed rather out of place. During the games, he was more awed by the activites and only half participated in the activites. Oh well, I guess it's time for him to go back to school. Since he's immune system is pretty strong now and the toilet-training going really well, he is definitely ready to go back to school.

After the party, we went to one of our fave place, Great World City have lunch and then Ben & Jerry's (where as always the ice-creams are so heavenly).

Happening No More

2006-03-25T23:51:00.000+08:00

It just daunt to me that I'll be 29 this year. Funny that life becomes more monotonous, less fun and no longer as carefree as what it used to be 10 years ago. Does everyone experience the same thing thing as me? When you age, does life just get boring? How do one make one's life full of LIFE? Taking care of the 2 young things definitely has made my everyday life extremely busy but looking back during my before marriage and having kids years, there's definitely something missing... you know the spark... the excitement of unplanned trips, the release of pent up anger through dance, the happening late nights...the girls' movie outings cum dessert....I guess it's just up to you to bring back the spark. But with a three year old and a 4 month old boys, everything must be planned, how to have happening late nights and is there still time for outings with friends?

I just had a 3 day's trip to KL. Went there with my 2 in-laws and my 2 kids. What I did there was mainly taking care of the kids. KL trips used to be clubbing, shopping and more shopping. Those days are gone. I missed those days where you just let yourself go and sway yourself to the music till the early hours, shop till you drop, laughing away with girlfriends at Swensens, rollerblading for hours on end. I just have to tell myself. When you age, you win some and you lose some. Whatever it is, I know my winnings....

Jakarta Trip

2006-02-11T16:10:00.000+08:00

28th January 2006

Took Garuda Airline at 7:30 am to Jakarta with hubby and Syuaib. I booked the flight from Zuji online. It's S$239 for me and Shafik each and $S202 for Syuaib, including airport tax. We stayed at Hyatt the first day. The room which has a room rate of S$280 is not worth the money. The room decor is quite cold, not welcoming. However, Syuaib's cot is really nice. The bumpers and baby blanket is thick is really comfortable. After checking in, we rest for a while in the hotel room as it is still quite early. Jakarta is an hour early than Singapore. Anyway, Shafik has to meet his distributor for lunch. Lunch was ok at an Indonesian restaurant. It's speciality is Gurame, a kind of fish and serve

After lunch, we went to Mangga Dua. There I borong Shahid's stuff. Baby's clothes are a bargain. I bought 6 sets of tops and bottoms for home wear and they cost only 120 000 rupiah which is approximately $20. I bought 2 bags $10 each and also invest in a top and bottom undergarments for body shaping. Sigh.... only two kids and my body is out of proportion. Anyway...this time round my plan on getting back to my old shape and weight is to run at least twice a week, to reduce my calorie intake and to firm up using girdles for upper and lower body. Mangga Dua is the place to get cheap replicas of branded bags and shoes. It consists of many many small shops selling undergarments, casual clothes, pyjamas, towels, shoes. The clothes are quite old fashioned though.

After Mangga Dua, we had dinner at Plaza Senayan. The salad at Bakerzinn was yummy. The strawberry smoothie was refreshing...a tad too sweet though. Syuaib as per normal, his diet for the whole trip was french fries and his milk. Plaza Senayan is the Takashimaya of Jakarta. Even their department store's cloths are expensive. seriously...nothing for me here except for Boots. I bought a Botanic body scrub from myself costs 95000, S$ 17.

29th January 2006

Shafik swam with Syuaib while I scanned the breakfast menu in the morning. After settling for Nasi Goreng, I waited by the poolside for them to finish. We checked in at Hotel Mulia very late. Hotel Mulia although is much cheaper than Hyatt is excellent. It's lobby, coffee lounge, reception and even the room is very nicely decorated. They all have somekind of majestic feel to them and extremely cozy. Our room is on the 37th floor. The view from the room is fantastic. We ordered room service and ate while overlooking the city. By the time we left the hotel, it was already late evening. We decided to check out Kemang. Kemang is basically like Holland Village in Singapore 10 years back where they have all the boutique shops which sell books, furniture, baby stuff and the prices are quite steep. We chanced upon a restaurant serving organic food. We ordered dory fish, fried mushroom and laksa. They were all extremely delicious. I'll definitely come back if I visit Jakarta again.

30th January

Went to Bandung. It was a bad choice to go to Bandung. We didn't know that there will be a bad jam. The hotel staff at Mulia told us it would take approx 2 hrs to reach Bandung by using the new expressway. Unfortunately for us, the new expressway was closed and the taxi driver had to use the small road. We reached Bandung only after 4 hours. The Bandung trip was quite ridiculous. We set off at 11 am, reached Bandung at 3.30 pm, stopped at a shopping mall for two hours, the drive back took another 4 hours. Worst of all, the cost for the car and driver is $240.

All in all, the trip was great and i'll definitely visit jakarta again and that time round, I'll make sure I visit Bandung again.

My Tiffany Collection

2006-02-05T08:08:00.000+08:00

I couldn't really remember who introduced me to Tiffany but what I do remember is that I had my first one when I was still working in Borders. My first one is the open heart pendant. My hubby who was then my bf gave me $100 for my birthday. I took the cash and topped up another $50 to buy it. That was 6 year ago. Now, the same open heart pendant costs $245. The price increase is really ridiculous...i must say.

The most recent one was a gift from my four good friends. It was the snake pendant with the silk cord. Actually.. all ot them are gifts. he he he. Lucky me!!

What's Next?

2006-01-24T00:34:00.000+08:00

wow! how time flies. It's already past mid January. I have to make my 'Things to achieve list' or i'll end up wasting the year 2006 away. ok....so finding a full-time job is definitely out at the moment coz then i'll have to send my 2 kids to childcare. Guess I'll have to find things to do that can be squeezed between my tuition twice a week and caring for the kids. I think i can do this:

- Completing reading the Quran by end of year (can try having the readings once or twice a week in the evenings. Must start in Feb)

- Get a radiant skin for my face. Am currently trying out NUSKIN. Must use the pdts regularly (Have already invested on washer, toner, moisturizer....will get the mask in Feb)

- Buy and learn the software on how to edit self made movie. I have to really get the software soon or 2006 will pass with all the recorded mini videotape lying around unedited and not transferred to dvds)

- put aside time at least once a week to read informative reading materials to increase my knowledge of the outside world as i am now a stay home mom.

that's enough for now. Will think of more stuff to do. really hope i can get all these started or the only thing that i'll achieve this year is to see my two sons grow a year older.

2nd baby....now what?

2006-01-13T04:57:00.000+08:00

one month and a half has passed after giving birth and i'm still 4 kg more than my original weight. hmmm..if i can get back on the treadmill now then i can definitely lose the 4 extra kilos. The thing is i'm scared to rupture my stitches. Liquid diet this i can't do coz i'm too much of a food lover. Aiyah.this is all in the mind. ALL those stupid magazines say eat a sensible diet. Sensible diet my foot. Being home most of the time looking after my two sons definitely does not burn enough calories as much as i want even if i fast everyday. I need to do something more streneous to lose my fat. i can wear my old tops but my bottom is still big. I can see that the 4 kilos has defintely settled on my thighs and butt.

i have started giving tuition and realise how much i enjoy tutoring the kids. Sigh...should i look for a full-time job where i'll spend longer hours away from my 2 kiddos or should i just stick to what i'm doing now and do away with all the stress of working life. i think i'll wait after this year has passed.

Music for the Broken-Hearted

2005-12-19T14:51:00.000+08:00

Currently listening to James Blunt (Back to Bedlam).

All the songs are great. Should check out the lyrics. Blunt's voice is very distinctive. For those who are out of love or just got dumped...please refrain from listening to this. Coz you will most prob commit suicide after that. Ha Ha.

28th Birthday

2005-12-13T11:28:00.000+08:00

My twenty-eighth birthday today. No plans coz i'm still in confinement. So guess what I did today. My mom-in-law brought Syuaib to JB so I went to Nisha's place across the street to watch Kal Ho Naa Ho. It's another one of those hindustani movie that makes your tears flow non stop. This Sharukh Khan is really talented in making one cry. It's like the second Khabi Kushi Khabi Gham. I watched I am Sam after that. Another sad movie..... and guess what..i couldn't watch the ending coz Nisha did not record the last ten minutes of the movie. I was like ..What the F____? it was such a good movie and no ending?

Anyway..back to my birthday.. I was aiming for an LV purse present from hubby. We went to the LV boutique at Taka. So many people...It was like a fish market. I wanted to check out the price of the zipped purse with the cherries. I learned from the salesperson that the series are limited edition and they no longer carry the stock. Sigh.... i went around the whole store to see if I fancied the other patterns. They are either too loud, too small, too big or the compartments are all wrong. I went out of the store and popped by Bvlgary. Nothing I like. ...but the salesman was very nice and professional. He even recommended me Gucci..apparently, Gucci was having a sale. There was a queue outside the Gucci boutique. Gucci's not bad either. As such... i ended up with a Gucci purse. Haa Haa.

Confinement Days

2005-12-10T02:38:00.000+08:00

My confinement days are filled with many 'feel-good-movies'. Cousin Nisha is so sweet to bring a whole box of vcds for me to watch while I nurse my infant. Till this morning, I've actually managed to catch
- A Few Good Men
- Love Actually
- A Walk to Remember
- Two Week's Notice
- Mean girls

Not bad since they are all movies that I've missed. Hugh Grant is extremely cute in a nerdy sort of way. I didn't know Mandy Moore can actually act. Lindsay Lohan is actually quite pretty.

The pain of my C section cut is barely there. I can cough as often as I like without flinching with pain. Going up and down the stairs no longer is a pain in the neck. After the post-natal massage, my tummy has reduced is size quite a bit. But of course... I still have a buldge on my tummy which i need to work at. After it's only nineteen days after the delivery. Can't even go on the treadmill now.

Body Scrub anyone?

2005-12-08T20:58:00.000+08:00

i had the best scrub of my life. A full one and a half hour and I bet there is no spas in Singapore that can topped that. All the scrubs that I've read in brochures and experienced are the thirty minutes ones. The one I tried at Lagunita Spa feels like someone going through their hands over your body ...not even thorough....with cream containing some kind of grains.

My post-natal urut lady this time round is superb. I just finished my seven days course with her today. She brought with her nice smelling leaves for my bath, slimming cream for my tummy, jamu pills to cleanse my blood and prepared a drink that taste extremely yucky for the first three days. That's to replenish my blood that has lost...she said. Back to the scrub...every inch of my body was covered. She concentrated on the darker and rough patches even my armpits. After the scrub, i can feel the difference... skin so smooth...hmmm will definitely get her to come again.

I had a small surgery today finally to remove this very weird small growth that looks really gross at the back of my head. Luckily i have long hair to cover it. Anyway, I had it for more than a month and it kept growing. I had consulted Dr. Hamid last month about it. Couldn't remove it coz i was pregnant then. I was given a local anesthesia on my scalp. After slicing the lump, he stitched me up and bandaged my head. I look weird well whatever at least the gross looking lump is off my head now.

My 2nd Warrior

2005-12-02T13:17:00.000+08:00

Picture below taken approx 30 min before surgery

Had my last antenatal check up on Monday, 21st November. Feeling confident that everything was going well, me and hubby was taken aback when Dr. Kee informed us that i will not be able to have a natural birth. Again!!!! Reason.... the baby's head is above my placenta...OK since I'm waiting for quite a while for baby's birth, we wanted the delivery done asap.

We checked into our single bedded room on Thursday, 24th Nov at 9 am. I was wheeled out on a stretcher at 11 am and Dr. C.C. Loo, the anesthetist injected me at 11.20. Md. Syahid is born at 11:42 am. Hubby was with me., He watched the whole operation. I was awake all the while joking with the 2 doctors. No pain at all.

Stayed at TMC from 24th Nov to 27th Nov. All the nurses and health assistants were friendly, helpful and very experienced. I'll definitely return for my next child birth. It was like a zoo at the ward with friends and relatives.

Unlike the last child birth with Syuaib, (GA) where I was totally unconscious, this time I was wide awake after the operation. My mind is all geared up to recieve the baby and also am full of determination to breastfeed successfully. With Syuaib, I only managed to fully breastfed him for two weeks. It was a disaster. My breasts was so huge... a 'D' cup, extremely hard and throbbing. I couldn't sleep, my nipples were blocked and sore. I was so depressed....

This time round I had my electric breast pump all ready. Hubby even brought it to the ward. Today I am happily breast feeding Syahid. Of course.... it's exremely tiring but well ....anything that's good comes with a price. Syahid sleeps during the day and wakes up at night. So i have to reverse my sleeping time too. Hmmmm, with the pain on my tummy, waking up at night and the sore nipples and throbbing breasts, all these are worth it. When I look into my new born's face, I still couldn't believe he was inside me for the last 38 weeks . No wonder i felt so heavy...carrying the whole of 3.22 kg with me every where i go.

LASIK anyone?

2005-11-17T06:42:00.000+08:00

I was clearing the junks in my drawer when i came across all my LASIK bills. Better to jot down the monies that I have spent before I threw the bills away so that i appreciate my eyes better and will look after them.

SNEC
Doctor: Sharifah Zainah
First Consultation: 30th Sept 04, 8:30 am at Refractive Surgery Centre
-No contact lenses for one week before the above date
-Have to bring along my most recent eyeglasses
-Consultation takes almost 3 hrs

Shafik drove me to SNEC and that's when I received a call from my sis. He husband was in the ICU at NUH. I was at first very shocked thinking that he might have got into a car accident but later calmed down as sister told me that he has been vomitting throughout the previous night.
I told her to update me on his condition and will visit him after my consultation

Halfway through one of the tests, Kak Zana, my cousin called me. My sister's hubby has passed away. I couldn't believe my ears and broke down there and then. I immediately left SNEC and took a cab to NUH. This is it.... oh god...i'm supposed to note down my LASIK procedures....

SNEC billed me $60 for the first 2 tests that i had on the 30th of September. $55 for Corneal Topography and $5 for the Excimer Laser Handbk. I was such in a hurry, I didn't clear the first bill. I got it in the mail and paid at Singapore Post.

2nd appointment: 14th October 04
Cost of Bill: Paid $85 for some other tests.
After the tests, I made an appointment for the surgical operation. Had to to do one eye at a time. I was given a consent form that states all the side effects, risks and complications that can happen.

3rd appointment: 2nd November 05
The procedure lasted less that 5 minutes. No pain at all
Cost of Bill: $1350.70
I was given Tobradex, an antibiotic, every 2 hourly on the operated eye till bedtime. No rubbing of the eye, avoid getting water or anything to the eye. No swimming or any sports for a month. Use sunglasses while in the outdoors. I experience blur vision and tearing on the first day.

4th appointment: 3rd November 05
Cost of bill: $1320
Did another eye.

5th appointment: 4th November 05
Cost of Bill: $40
Follow up with Doc

6th appointment: 10th November 05
Cost of Bill: $40
Follow up with Doc
I have prefect vision for both eyes after LASIK.

I bought many tubes of Allegran Refresh Plus artificial tears as i experienced eye dryness for the first two months after the op. Monies spent in total approx $3k and am very satisfied with the end product. No hassles with contact lenses that are always uncomfortable and i donated all my eyeglasses. No need for prescibed goggles for snorkelling or swimming and no eyeglasses sliding down my nose when jogging or playing badminton.

LASIK..... one of the good choices that I've made in my life

Favourite Treadmill Music

2005-11-10T07:06:00.000+08:00

Currently listening to BT
Movement in Still Life
Check out Track 5 to 12

Luv them when I'm on the Treadmill

Baby Blues

2005-10-18T00:59:00.000+08:00

Seven more weeks till due date. This is my fourth trimester and i can feel his every little movements in my tummy even when he is hicupping which is quite frequent...everyday in fact. My still-have-yet-to-be-named baby is 1.6 kg. I am a bit clumsy now although i try not to show it in public. While alone, I will be walking from side to side holding my back. I am not diabetic after all. That last blood test was a huge scare. My glucose level is back to normal. In fact it's very good. Only 4.9. I can't wait for my baby to be born. What will he look like? I'm also quite anxious. Will it be a normal birth or like the last time.. an emergency ceasarian? I am aiming for a normal birth but all the horrific stories that I've heard from other mothers make me think twice.

My 2.5 years old toddler is extremely active and mischevious. He cannot keep still unless he is fast asleep. . During meal times, whether it's at home or at food places, he is the sort who will pull the table cloth away. When I bring him to my mom'a place, he will play with his two cousins, a 7 year old and another 3 year old. Guess who is the big bully. None other than my son. Mind you that the 7 year old is not a tame boy either. The two boys will take turns screaming or complaining that my son has either bitten them or hit them. Oh well...what ever it is.. he is my own flesh and blood and I love him very much.

Gransazers and Power Rangers are his favourite TV programs. Boys will be boys. How much I try to stop him from watching these awfully violent children programs, he will continue whining till one of us turns it on for him. He now knows his colours (black, white, blue, pink, purple, red, orange, green, grey) can identify numbers 1 to 10 and the diferent types of vehicles (truck, van, motorcycle, bus, taxi, lorry and car). Me and hubby has taught him a prayer that he has memorized and recites everynight before he sleeps.

Ya allah...jadikanlah Md. Syuaib
Seorang yang soleh
yang bijak
yang cergas dan
yang sihat
Amin

Cookies Galore

2005-10-11T13:50:00.000+08:00

With Hari Raya just around the corner and me being stuck at homw with son and big tummy, I have decided to test on my baking skills. Armed with recipes downloaded from the Internet and recipe books that I can grab my hands on in the house, I tried a few recipes and well some are a success and some needs a few more try outs.

I got the recipe for these chocolate coated balls from one of my mom-in-law recipe books. Quite tedious to make. They are supposed to be filled with whole almonds but I filled them with cashew nuts instead. Ratings: 2.5 upon 5

My suji balls are yummy... He! He! Not paiseh...i luv them. in fact the whole house says they're delicious. They melt in your mouth. I made a mistake of not grinding the semolina so there is some kind of gritty texture I will definitely grind the semolina the next time I make them for Hari Raya. I rate them 5 upon 5.

Do not judge the cookies by their looks. These ugly looking cookies will have you asking for more. I use oats, walnuts, cooking chocolate, brown sugar and chocolate chips and cocoa for my chocolate chips cookies. While baking them, the delicious aroma filled the whole house. I rate it 4.5 upon 5.

Timid me..

2005-09-29T23:00:00.000+08:00

i'm sick of myself sometimes. The older i get, the more timid I become. Still remember during my teenage years where the world is yours and speaking one's mind is so satisfying. You don't practise hypocrisy to your yourself and others. Independence is bliss.

as people grow older and responsibilities pile up, do they get bogged down with their new lives, change their beliefs and act differently too? do they supress their anger and frustrations or just scream their head off when no one's looking?

I hate to be ticked off be it from my parents, hubby..in fact anyone. i will argue my way through to point out what i'm doing is right and of course apologise if i realise that i'm wrong..why have i changed now? why do i let people climb over my head now that I am an adult. why don't i speak up for myself anymore? what have happenned? have I been moulded to a different me by the environment that i'm in or have i done it voluntarily to avoid hostile confrontations?

i tell you what it is. it all comes from this word 'RESPECT'

i realise that i can't bring myself to cut my mom's monthly allowance even though my earnings has decreased substantially. i'm afraid to hurt her feelings and as i feel god will punish me for that.....

i realise that i can't bring myself to defy any of my hubby's wishes as i feel god will punish me if i do that....

i realise that i can't speak up for myself especially to the elderly as i feel that god will punish me if i do that.....

and it is getting more and more difficult for me to do all of the above without being hypocritical to myself..

Why is being good so difficult?

Married people are self-righteous? (Edited version)

2005-09-28T14:58:00.000+08:00

My friend commented something to me yesterday that is subjected to debate. In fact I'm still pondering over the matter today. She has a general observation that married people are self-righteous. That 's quite a strong word to use for us married people... don't you think. Luckily.... she's one of those friends that is really close or else I SUE HER!!!! Anyway... i definitely DO NOT AGREE with her comment as me being married myself thinks who the hell am I to tell people that they are morally not right.

I do, however would say that married people tend to be righteous (and not 'self-righteous) because when we tie a knot, we are not only tying the knot with your partner but also with his/her entire clan. Whatever you do will not only affect your partner but also his family too. Especially when you have your own child... that's like a huge responsibility. Do you want your child to follow your bad examples. No way!

I do envy people who do whatever they like even though they're married and have kids. The parents smoke in front of their children, say whatever they like in front of family members, snap and throw tantrums when they're in a bad mood, partying whenever they feel like it, spend their money as their please without thinking of the future .....but seriously what will be the effects of all this?

My hubby ever told me before one day that he's tired. Physically and emotionally due to work. A single man might likely just quit his job and slowly look for another. He can't. He has own family to support. He has lots of friends that he used to hang out with when we used to date. But now... the outings have been very few. Why? He knows that being with his family and working to support them is more important. I think it's just about being married. You automatically know that you just have to better person or try to be one at least. They are just too many things at stake not to be righteous when you have your own family.

2005-09-25T09:26:00.000+08:00

Currently listening to
Buddha Bar Vol. 7
By Ravin & David Visan

Parking Woes

2005-09-20T00:50:00.000+08:00

I seriously think owning a car is for the rich. I have the car for myself when hubby goes overseas and it is so expensive to drive it. Last Tuesday, I drove to TMC for my regular baby check up. Parking at TMC needs cash. I went to the office after that and I parked at Market Street. I did an hour's work at the office and had lunch at Banquet with Zah. I parked at Market St from 11.45 am till 2 pm and guess what? The parking fees was $10.50. That's like 3 times my daily fare to and from the office by public transport. Luckily I had topped up my cashcard.

The next day, I went to NUH to fetch father from his physiotherapy session. I missed AYE and that's it, I spent nearly 30 minutes on precious petrol to go back to AYE. Sigh....

Lesson no. 1 - Do not drive when you're going anywhere at Raffles Place
Lesson no. 2 - Please be very sure of the route you are going as you will waste lots of expensive petrol when you take the wrong turns

Now....i realise how lucky i am that hubby pays everything relating to the car. hehe..

Gestational Diabetes

2005-09-14T05:09:00.000+08:00

My check up today at Dr Kee did not go well. My urine test showed that I had high sugar level in my urine. Polly did a blood test for me and it was 13.3 Wow! That's even higher than my mom's diabetic sugar level. I was very surprised. Must be all the bandung that I have wacked the past one week. No... this cant be. I'm not diabetitic, am I?

I checked on the net look for more info on this. Quite relief to see that there are cases when gestational diabetic occurs during late pregnancy. Ok... so need to worry. Just make sure I control my sugar intake.

the weapons of a woman

2005-09-09T12:34:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I visited the DBS bank at Royal Brother to sell my unit trust. The lady who served me is a relationship manager and I guess her main job is to sell unit trust & insurance policies. We sat at one of the tables. While she was explaining to me, I couldn't help it but to stare at her boobies. She was wearing a consertive suit with a knee length skirt but she's wearing a camisole that is lacy and see through. I cant help thinking if I were a man, I don't think I can concentrate to her sales pitch. This must be her weapon. I'm sure the men will not even realise what they are signing for. He! He!

Yummy Cheesecake

2005-09-08T15:58:00.000+08:00

First time I tried making a cheesecake, it's a No Bake Cheesecake. Got the recipe from a newspaper article. Was quite excited to taste after chilling it for 5 hours. It's gooey and felt like jelly in your mouth. This does not taste right! It's suppose to be creamy, not like jelly! must be due to the gelatine. It's too cheesy that 3 mouth ful was enuf to make me puke. Oh well, it ended up in the rubbich chute

I realised then that what I fancy is the baked cheesecake so I searched the Internet and tried the New York Cheesecake. This time round, it was yummylicious!!!!! I made it less sinful by using 'Mainland' cream cheese which is 60% less fat.

My Wish List

2005-08-29T16:10:00.000+08:00

The business is stagnant now. Do not wish to expand it further especially in my condition now being 7 months preggy. After being sacked by a heartless son of a b***h boss in early February due to the discovery of my pregnancy, I've now learnt to make do with whatever meagre income that comes in my way. But of course being a woman, you always have a "wish list".

I have been saving up for the following but have yet the courage to dig out my savings for them

1. a very much needed facial ( A friend told me I can get this for $60, a very good one, of course)
2. a full body massage to spare me of the backpains that I'm frequently having now ( if i'm not going to a spa, I can ask the urut auntie to come to my place...$50)
3. 10 sessions of Birth & Beyond pre-natal yoga class ($240)
4. More.... more and more happening pregnancy clothes

Sometimes.... I seriously do not understand how some pregnant women can withstand the tight pants, skirts and blouses. I've actually spent $89 on 2 pregnancy bottoms, very upmarket and in fashion. However, it makes me feel breathless and my tummy hurts. Till now, the bottoms are not used. Well... at least I've tried to be a fashionable preggy woman but even though my friends call me a vain pot, I definitely prefer comfort..

Torey Hayden

2005-08-29T15:38:00.000+08:00

Hubby goes off to HK for work. Apart from the usual picking up the mess, bathing and discplining the only son that we have at this moment, I'll have more free time to read. Picked up a book at SANS bookstore at TM. Already halfway through the book. Title is 'One Child'. About a teacher at a special school battling emotionally disturbed children. One of the children is a 6 year old girl who was a survivor of horrific abuse. The child was not mentally disturbed but was placed in the class after trying to burn a three year old. She was apparently abondoned by her 14 year old mother on a highway and then custody was given to her drug addict father who lived in a migrant camp. She has only one set of clothes, does not shower and had gorged out the eyes of all the goldfish in the classroom fishtank on her first day of school.

This book actually reminds me of a movie that Ive watched last month. "Mysterious Skin" where the two main characters were two teenagers who were sexually abused by their baseball coach when they 're 8 years old. One of the them grew up to be a gigolo and the other kept on thinking that he was abducted by aliens when he was a child.

Although the above stories are both fiction, I am very sure that children in such plight exist. Children who are born in this world without love, food and shelter.