My Offsprings #Thankful

Before I get into my topic of the day, I hope this picture answers your questions and doubts. Again.

Wokay, so let's get on with what I'm writing about today. My kids. My offsprings. My heart. My everything.

One is 22 years, the other just turned 21. Kelly and Daniel. Let me give you a very short summary of how they were like when they were kids.

They were pure rascals. Anyone will tell you that. They were not afraid of anything or anybody except their Daddy and his belt. Yea, all my husband needed to do, was to put his hand on his belt and they would turn into little angels immediately.

I was often ridiculed for giving in to my children. The smart-a$$es of Malaysia used to say that I needed to be more firm with them. But I knew very well what I was doing and how to handle my own kids. I'm a person of pure intuition and that's how I raised them. Based on intuitions and instincts. I never followed so-called 'laws' on how you should raise your kids. They are not robots. You don't need a manual to know how to handle a child.

When they did something funny, I laughed. I couldn't help myself. When they were unkind or unintentionally rude to others, I would take them aside and explain to them why it's wrong to behave in such manner. And when they were naughty, yes, I disciplined them. In private. Because although they were just 'kids', but I was always sensitive towards their feelings and never made them embarrassed in front of others.That is probably why some people thought that I was a 'couldn't care less' type of Mom who gave in to her little brats.

But look at them today! Sure they drive me up the wall now and then. But that is just a tiny defect compared to the abundance of happiness they bring me. They are independent, I can rely on them for just about anything and I love the fact that they are very caring. They are so opened and honest to their Daddy and me, and we've brought them up in a such a way, where they know that they can talk to their parents about anything and everything. And that took a lot of hard work. 

I'm ever so thankful that in the type of world that we live in today where many many youngsters are so troubled, my kids are have turned out to be exactly how I've envisioned them to be.

Thing is, I am a Mother to them when they need a Mom and a friend whenever they need to let off steam. Like how many people have said that we look more like sisters and brother than a Mom and her kids, I can very well also say that I'm mostly like a big Sister to them - especially when we fight haha.

In short, I've never used tactics on my kids. I always used techniques.

xx

From Cairo to KL?

Hello everyone. I'm so so sorry for disappearing for such a long time. I've been unbelievably busy in helping my Son set up a little something. Even my social life had taken a dip as I was and still am hands-on in this. I've missed you guys a lot too, especially when I'm unable to respond to some of your emails.

So yesterday while I stayed awake throughout the night to make sure that my daughter and her 3 study group friends who were staying over, were well fed and all, I received a pleasant surprise in the form of a call from this person whom I haven't spoken to for maybe 3 or 4 years. And we made up for lost time by speaking for a solid 3 hours or so last night.

Anyway, I got to know this person from back in the days when I used to go on facebook groups and such. There were loads of mentally unstable people out there at those groups (he's one of the good ones, tho) who used to abused each other and religions back and forth. We spoke often and have seen each other through video calls (after I developed a trust in him), but nope,we have never met in real.

And here's the scoop: He's Egyptian, he's built on muscles and,,, he's coming to Malaysia! Yes folks, this person is coming here to work. According to him, he had initial plans to venture to a particular country (I don't think it's fair for me to mention which country) for  work. But after some of his friends who decided to come back to Cairo from that other country with negative feedbacks,  he changed his mind about going there.. Instead, he chose Malaysia and his answer was, because he has many friends from his home town of Cairo who are working and living here in Kuala Lumpur and they feel very much like home here. And they've encouraged him to start a life here.

Well, smart choice dude! Because there's no place like Malaysia and also, Malaysians are mostly warm to Middle Easterners. Can't say the same about other countries, especially with their mentality of being heavily prejudiced against Middle Easterns.  (This is why I can't help but worry whenever my close friend says he will move to another country because I care about him a lot and never want him to experience the unpleasant consequences just because it may make more cash). Holidaying in a foreign country is quite different than being an immigrant and starting over.

Anyway, the strange thing is, just 2 hours before he told me that he's coming to Malaysia to work, I was on the phone with another Egyptian friend of mine, Sam, where he told me that he will be leaving Malaysia to go work elsewhere. Within 2 hours, 2 Egyptians telling me - one's coming to Malaysia and one's leaving Malaysia - how ironic!

Meanwhile, have a good day and I love you guys so much!

The 10th Month

Hola October.

In certain parts of the world, it marks the start of Autumn. The season of breathtaking orange, red and yellow leaves. If I were to choose, I think Autumn is the loveliest season of all. It's also the month of Halloween, yaay!

Check out these 2 pictures and tell me how cool are these!

Imagine how awesome it is to have an afternoon siesta right there on that version of a 'bed' with a view of the stream. I would sleep like a baby. Absolutely adore these kind of stuff! But then again, anyone would love this set up, don't you think so?

And since I'm out of my home while posting this, it ain't going to be a lengthy post. In fact, that's all to it for now. Checking in here again tomorrow for a proper blog post. I've a funny story to tell.

In the meantime, have a great start to the 10th Month of the Year and love you guys so so so!

Symbolic

Salam Maal Hijrah, fellow Muslims and blessings to all of you.

Sometimes, our actions, the words we speak or even the stuff we write are symbolic. 

And what I'm about to do with this plant, symbolises the cessation of my affection towards it. In a couple of days, it will be out of my 'house' and thus, any colorful memories I've had when it used to produce colorful flowers that colored my days, shall go along with it to it's next nesting place.

I've written about this plant some time back. But still, I continued to care so much for it although it never produced any blooms in return. Therefore, the time has come to let it flourish where it needs to - probably in a forest with other wild trees.

Anyone who knows me well, know that I'm not into plants. But this one, I was in love with. God, I would've done anything for this plant to remain blooming. 

And perhaps one day, I shall even write a book about this plant and the significance it has played in my life. 

Made In 1937

Cheers and blessings to this gorgeous woman who turned 80 yesterday.

(Front) I designed these special chocolates for this esteemed occasion with her 'then n now' pictures

(Back) Custom made chocolate wrapper for each of the guests as a memento

Yes. I cannot believe that my Mother is now 80 years old. For me, it was a mixture of happiness that I have her with us, but also a feeling of sadness at the thought of my Mom being 8 decades old.

Weeks prior to this, she mentioned a few times that she didn't want a birthday bash since my Father isn't here. So instead, my brother, sister and I planned a small surprise gathering at my cousin's cosy cafe where the guests comprised of her siblings and their spouses. Nothing lavish because we didn't want to go against her wishes.

Pink marble-effect fondant cake made by another cousin

Was a lovely relaxing evening with the people she loved most! Just 20 of us. And the menu spread was a  perfect 10/10.

Birthday Girl's speech with her 2 cakes - the other cake was a Victoria Sponge semi naked one 

Some of the food that were served amongst pastas, scones and others.

Darling Ma,

I know I don't meet you as often as I should, or as often as I 'd love to. But if I hadn't said it enough, here's me saying that I love you so very much and I still need you in my life. So proud to call you my Mother as you're ever so kind, caring, loving and yes, still beautiful at the age of 80!

Love, B Girl.

Long Time

I know. It's been a long while since I've posted and hey, my apologies!

And for all those unanswered emails, I'm truly sorry for not being able to reply you guys. But keep it coming though, ok? Just that it's been a hectic couple of weeks, but bear with me and I'll be back shortly. And hopefully, regularly too.

Hugs n Love

My Little Angel

How many of you know of any young girls/boys who wake up extra early in the mornings to cook for their Mom or Dad before they leave for college?

I know one, and I'm happy to say that she's my daughter!

To be precise, she woke up at 6.30am (her classes start at 10am), just to prepare this for my post-workout meal and also another portion for her daddy to take it to the gym with him as an after-snack. And it's not only today, but this happens whenever my husband intends to go for a morning workout. She voluntarily does this and takes pride in doing it. When Daniel was in college, Kelly used to do this for her brother as well. And on the other hand, when the brother was on semester breaks or during his off days, he used to cook for his sister's college meals. Nothing like home-cooked food right?

And that's the 'packed' version for Daddy to take with him to the gym.

What goes around comes around, yes? Because this is exactly what I used to do for my children from their pre-school days till the day they finished high school. And during their recess breaks, I used to bring them food as well as fruits (for their dessert) for them and their friends. I was a full time housewife, therefore I owned the luxury of preparing homemade meals for children and husband all the time. And I loved and still love every single time I'm able to do it.

So it was pan-seared Salmon, with broccoli, carrots, potatoes and steamed white rice.

And later (very much later) tonight as in after midnight when Kelly gets home from her friend's function and when I get home from mine, we plan to bake a chocolate volcano fudge for us to indulge when we have our Mother-Daughter movie marathon throughout the night.

Blessed weekend, babes!

Earthly Paradise

Happy Tuesday my darlings.

I won't do much writing in this post, because I just want you to relish in these pictures. Welcome to Sipadan and Mabul islands, located in East Malaysia. From crystal clear waters to amazing corals, this is certainly one of the most beautiful islands among others.

And if you ever wondered how pearls are related to oysters, wonder no more when you come across the pictures further down below.

Enjoy!

And that's Edward Kong, owner of the oyster farm, demonstrating where how pearls comes off the oysters

Well, who loves oysters? And by the way, none of the hands in those previous pictures with the oysters belong to me, haha.

So it was sun, sea, and then some. Love you guys so much and keep the vibrations high!

Omi

"She came at a time when I was feeling an emptiness in my life. Her positive energy 

pulled me out of darkness and after a few days, I started to live again.
She never asked, but she understood. 

And I can't thank her enough for that.."

I spent my Saturday night at home yesterday, with one of the loveliest woman on Earth.  Omi - Hamed's mother. She came over with Hamed and his kids and it was truly a Saturday night well spent.

What you're looking at, is a bottle of massage oil that Omi made for my back, which I injured a couple of weeks ago. She takes so much pride in preparing these oils herself and always brings back some whenever she comes to Malaysia, mainly oil for my hair. Sure she brings me loads of other gifts from Egypt too but I especially love these oils as it's made by her. So it's special. It helps with my hair a lot and if you look at Hamed's hair (which you unfortunately can't), you'll know what I mean.

Anyway, I was talking about last night. Since I couldn't go out, they came over, we had dinner together - Nandos + Dominos takeaways and listened to interesting stories by Omi. Like most elderly women, she loves telling stories and I enjoy listening to it.

My favourite part of the night was the massage I received. Yep, Omi insisted she give me a massage with the oil she made and I kid you not, it was heavenly!!
I just lay there, high as hell while her fingers worked it's magic on my body. For what it's worth, Omi is around the same age as my mother and I'm amazed that she has a pair of strong hands there as she insisted on continuing to massage even when I thought she might be tired. It ended at 1am I think? I was completely in another dimension by then haha. It was too good. I was drifting in and out of sleep because it was so relaxing. At one point when I opened my eyes, she was speaking Arabic to Hamed and at another time I came out of sleep, she was telling me that Hamed is more Malaysian than me now, haha.

I woke up this morning with an urge to hug the Universe. That's how wonderful I felt. For the 1st time in 2 weeks I slept throughout the night and didn't wake up in between to adjust my position. Thanks to that wonderful massage of course. I'd gone for physio therapy before this and it certainly improved my back, but the discomfort was still there until that rubdown last night.

Omi is a beautiful woman. She's physically gorgeous and is one of the kindest persons I know. She's stylish and doesn't look her age at all. Only yesterday did I find out that she's actually Lebanese and only came to live in Egypt after marrying Hamed's late father, who is Egyptian. Hamed and I lost our fathers around the same time, just one month apart and that's one of the reasons when we started to really bond. We could relate to each other's despair.

I remember meeting Omi for the 1st time a few years back. I was kind off nervous. What do I call her? I can't possibly call her 'aunty' because she probably wouldn't know that we Malaysians call any elder women 'aunty'. On the other hand, I can't call her by her name because I feel that it would be rude. "Just call my mother 'Omi'" Hamed told me. And so I did. She was utterly surprised and I was rewarded with many hugs from her for that. We got along from the beginning. And she always says she wish we met earlier. Well, better late than never, right?

I truly enjoyed having her and the kids in Malaysia during their vacation. We crashed so many places but one of my favourite was the day after Raya when both our families went picnicking together at Templer Park's waterfalls. We even got her to cook a few episodes for Hamed's and my videos, remember I told you guys about that?

I also loved those times while Hamed was at work and if I was free, I used to take her out to malls, have lunch together, or just hangout at his place cooking with her.

Come and settle down in Malaysia for good, Omi! Arrangements can be made, no hal. To that, she said that she would love to, but for now, it's impossible because of her 9 grandchildren. "My children always send my grandchildren to me when they go to work. When they grow, I will come and live here of course". Her words.

And today at KLIA before she and the kids left for home after spending several weeks in Malaysia, she thanked me for being a good friend to Hamed. And she told him "You take good care of her". Well Omi, he surely does.

Thanks you for the past several weeks, Omi. Gonna miss you and the kids so much. Can't wait to have you guys here again. Love you loads xoxo

The Day We Met

Sometimes, you can love a person so deeply and so much, till it hurts

We first spoke to each other on the 31st of July many years ago. It was at the Subang International Airport, Terminal 1.

Here's how it all started.

We used to pass each other all the time at the Airport due to our occupations. Just smiles of acknowledgements whenever our eyes met. Nothing else, no conversation whatsoever. And while there were many other guys from Malaysia Airlines approached me to hangout and such, this particular guy never did. And truth be told, I declined all invitations from other guys, as I only waited for HIM. He was the only one I was interested in getting to know. And so, months went by before it finally happened.

It was on that midnight of 31st July. I was browsing around a Duty Free store before going home, when he walked in and said hi. I was numbed. No kidding. Butterflies floating all over my insides. And so we talked in the shop for abit. And before I knew it, we were on the walkalator heading to the other end of the airport whilst still being caught up in conversation. Clearly, a conversation I had waited for months to take place.

We finally ended up saying good bye close to 3am. Yea, we strolled all over the airport. I swear I couldn't sleep that whole night and couldn't wait to see him again. And so from then on, whenever we managed to come across each other at the Airport, we always spoke. Of course, it wasn't long convos as there was always a rush to handle flights. But it wasn't until exactly one month later that we chanced upon another long moment again. And it was then that we exchanged phone numbers (cellphones weren't heard of at that time) and he offered to send me home. My first 'date' with him. Everything else was unimportant. Heaven on Earth kindoff feeling.

And thus, began the most happiest moments of my life, while at the same time (and I hate saying this), it was the start of my parents' nightmare come alive. I had no idea how to tell them that I started seeing a Muslim guy. Because I think from the time I was old enough to understand words, it was drilled into my head never to get romantically involved with a Muslim man.

It was during these times that I discovered the world to be a small place. Because very shortly after we started going out together seriously, while trying to be as discreet as possible, somehow everyone knew about Debbie and the 'Malay' guy. Yep, back then, he was known as the Malay guy! "Are you still going out with the Malay guy?" "When are you gonna break up with the Malay guy?" "You know that you have to change your religion if you marry the Malay guy?". Obviously the revelation of me and my Malay guy did not come from my parents as the weren't overjoyed to tell their friends that their daughter was in love with a Muslim. Apparently people spotted us here and there, from what I heard. Didn't I feel like a celebrity with 'paparazzis' swarming all over KL!

Anyway, anyway, I never fought my parents on this in the sense of being rebellious, but I didn't give him up either. I loved this guy so much and I was patient because deep down in my heart I knew that he will be my husband someday. I knew that this was the person my children would be calling 'Daddy'. I knew that he will be the one I went to bed with at nights and woke up in the mornings with.

So, to cut a long story short because I think I've written about it before, all turned out well in the end. I waited till I got my parents' blessings and made sure that they were comfortable with it, and only then did we go ahead and get married.

This is the day we celebrate in addition to our actual wedding anniversary on the 4th February. Because this day is just as important. In fact, my husband leans more towards this day. Because if it wasn't for 31st July, there probably wouldn't have been a 4th February either.

That's it la guys. I can go on and on writing about my husband but I'm rushing and typing this and I can't check for grammatical errors, so forgive me if any. I just got home from dins with my darling and trying to post this hurriedly while he's showering. So, adieu for now.

For the record, I still get butterflies in my tummy whenever I think about The Day We Met!

Cuci Otak

Oh Lordy, isn't this a beautiful sight? I've got a hunch that this is going to be my new favourite place whenever I need to deactivate myself.

It's the perfect spot to unwind after a hard day's work. Or even to start the day with. Good vibes in abundance! If not for it's distance, I would be there every day. Not a soul disturbs you. It's calmness from A-Z.

Elsewhere, my body is so sore now, after Thursday night's badminton game with my son and his friends. What was I thinking of? But it was fun, though!

Have a good start to the week!

Cry For Help

Depression. Some of us have no idea how fatal this sickness can be. For some, they may have noticeable symptoms while for others, they go about functioning like normal people. And that is why sometimes, it goes unnoticed.

After what happened to Chester Bennington who allegedly committed suicide because of depression, it made me think. It made me worry because my mind wondered to if there are any out there suffering this illness without any help or support..

During an interview, I watched him openly talk about how he struggles to cope with the torments, voices and demons that went on inside his brain when he was alone. Was that a cry for help? If it was, either no one noticed or no one bothered. And this was coming from a rich, famous and successful person, who was struggling to cope with this illness. And even then, no one cared. Which made me think, if a man like Chester was going through this without help or attention, what about regular people who are subjected to this same disease? Are their symptoms being ignored too?

Please peeps, if you know anyone in a similar situation like this, please take a moment to give them your time or encourage them to talk to a shrink. It may very well save their lives. Because there are folks amongst us who don't have anyone to listen to them or  pour out their sorrows to.

I'm no psychiatrist nor a psychologist. But just a couple of years ago, I caught a close friend going down a deep dark tunnel because of a failed relationship. She was so young. She refused to get professional treatment, saying that she was fine. But from a sweet loving person (with some irritating flaws of course) I watched her attitude change day by day and sometimes even to the point of being violent  to me. Her mood swings was such, that she could go from being normal at one minute, and then totally go into an emotional seclusion the next. She refused to further her studies, hardly slept and many times, called me in the middle of the nights crying on the phone asking me to talk to her.

Today, I'm glad that I never turned my back on her, although I sometimes felt it too risky to be alone with her, worried that I may be abused physically. I feel very guilty for saying this, but in the beginning, I tried to avoid her, because I was concerned for my own safely. She gained pleasure from paining others. Maybe it was her own way to release the pain she felt inside.

Eventually, I felt that I had a responsibility towards her. Most of what I did, was listen. And listened, and listened. I allowed her to vent out every single ounce of anger that she had. Sometimes, that's all they want - someone to listen! There are many causes of depression and in this case from what I figure, it was due to her being feeling extremely betrayed, cheated and couldn't accept it. For what it's worth, it was an online affair between her and the other person. And in all honesty, I really don't know how that works, or how it could've gotten so heart-involved when you've never met each other. That's another thing for you youngsters to be wary off too - never trust a stranger easily!

It took a couple of years and to be honest, I don't know how I did it, but I did manage to eventually bring her out of her emotional mess. These days, we don't talk about what those times did to her, and what brought her down to that level. Occasionally when she does bring it up, I just layan. Maybe it's her way of expelling out the remnants of her past.

Thankfully, she's finally in university now pursuing what she originally planned to study and doing really well, considering how late she started.  She's a smart one, so I reckon there'll be no issues in catching up. Also credits to her daddy for being a strong figure in her life and forcing her to get enrolled at Uni.

I don't know if what she went through was 'depression' as such, but it was clearly a serious issue. And I'm glad I hung in there for this girl. Otherwise, they outcome may have been very different.

If you know anyone who's going through this, please do the same for them. It doesn't take dollars and cents. All it takes is compassion. And your ears.
x

In The End.....

Dear Chester,

Heard the news first thing this morning.

This was the only band where I can truthfully say that I like every single song. In an era where anyone who babbles out vocals call it songs and call themselves singers, Linkin Park was my one and only favourite band. Real singers. True musical geniuses.

I've been sad all day long. Every single hit of Linkin Park has been blasting out from my speakers at home throughout the day as tribute to you. When I had to leave the house, the speakers in my car took over. Even so, every single radio station I tuned in to, were playing Linkin Park songs. Your songs! And on the way home while listening to In The End, I couldn't stop my tears from falling.

I love you and I'm going to miss you. You've not only broken my heart, but millions of your loyal fans' all over the world too. Thank you for giving us good music and thank you for sharing your wonderful talents with all of us.

In The End, I hope that you'll finally be granted the peace and happiness that you've craved for and rightfully deserve. And may every single pain and torment you've endured for so long, be vanished. Linkin Park will never be the same and there'll never be another you! Rest peacefully Chester dear.

I need hugs now.

Breakfast Order

You know you're 100% Malaysian when you open your eyes in the mornings and all you can think of is nasi lemak. And sometimes, I just give in to my morning fantasies when I decide to take a break from juicing.

But first, let me clarify something. 5 of the emails that I received, asked me a question related to the same thing -  whether was it Ariff that I was referring to on my previous post. No. Hell No! Ariff doesn't roll that way. Whenever we do have issues, he makes sure we reach a clear solution or understanding to resolve whatever it is. There and then. He would never sweep it under the carpet and only talk about it some other time when he feels he can 'handle' it. That is the reason our friendship bond which is coming up to 8 years, has only gotten stronger. Friends have their feud at times. And so do we. Because we're friends. But again in answer to your concerned queries, it's not Ariff .

Ok, back to nasi lemak. During the entire month of Ramadan, this particular stall was closed. And they were supposed to resume business on the 5th day of Raya. So, on the night before they reopened, I was literally counting the hours till I can get hold of a bungkus of that nasi lemak sotong. It's really delicious - the sambal being slightly sweet and quite pedas. Just the way a nasi lemak should be.

Anyway, today was one of those mornings. And having my breakfast at that serene park with it's nice chilly breeze at 7.15am, was a sure way to kickstart this wonderful Monday!

Kopi 434

Hey you coffee drinkers out there. I have 2 packages of this coffee 434 for giveaways.

Actually, few weeks ago, I ordered this coffee for a very special someone who loves this brand and this morning my friend who I purchased this from, called and told me that the coffee has arrived. I even forgot that I had ordered this.

Thing is, the person who I got this coffee for, is no longer around. I don't mean he's dead for godsake, or I'll cry bucket load of tears because I really love him. Our friendship if described, truly unique in a weird way. He had a few names that he playfully and teasingly called me with - names that if other people used on me, I'd shoot rubber bullets in between their eyelids haha. Yup, he's the only one I allowed to use those names on me. But in a heated moment of intense anger when I told him not to call, that's exactly what he did - no communication since. Can't blame him though. Because that's what I said at that time of rage, and that's what he fulfilled. Anyhow, his well being and happiness are always in my prayer.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is, since I am not a coffee wallah, so if anyone of you do like this 434 coffee and are interested in having it, let me know. Just email me your address (Malaysians only) and I'll post it to you. No charges, don't worry. I have 2, so it'll be on a first-come-first-serve basis for 2 people. I haven't collected it from my supplier friend yet, so maybe sometime around next week it will be shipped off.

Elsewhere, it has been a beautifully rainy day, all day. My perfect kind of day.

And best of all, this afternoon, I was on video call with Hamed's Mom at his office, she showed me this awesome Arabian coffee pot which she got for me. I was ecstatic!! I've been wanting this forever but not the ones that they sell here because it has to be from some Middle Eastern country you know? Or in this case, Africa. Only last week I mentioned it to her and today she got it for me. Can't wait to receive from her when she comes over to Malaysia next week to join Hamed's kids who are already here for their summer holidays. "The heat here in Alex is like hell", she said. Haha.

Meanwhile, check out my chicken and mushroom chapati wraps that I proudly made myself. Had this on Sunday, loved it, so made it again today.

So once again, if any of you would like to have the coffee, you know what to do.

Hugs

Raya 2017

Thanks to all of you for your Raya greetings to me through emails, phone calls and texts, and here's me wishing all of you a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri too.

I'm not sure about others, but here in Malaysia, we always say maaf zahir & batin (which means seeking for forgiveness) whenever we wish another during Raya. Therefore  I'd also like to say maaf zahir & batin to all of you had I hurt you guys in any way, whether it's through my writings here, or even in person. And in return to those of you who've directly or indirectly stabbed me in the back, gossiped about me, cheated, lied, fitnah, cursed or even hate me I forgive you too. Yea because Debbie, Arin, Sabrina or whatever I am to you, have no time to allow hatred nor grudges to nest in my heart. So again, as we Malaysians say, it's 0 - 0.

Well I had a Ramadan scare about 3 days before Raya. My husband had to be admitted to the medical centre with very high blood pressure - 200/120. The Cardiologist did an ECG and found that there was an inconsistency to it, where he suspected it to be a minor heart attack. I was literally shivering with fear because this is the man whom I love most in the entire universe, and he is my life.

But Alhamdulillah, an immediate blood test result came back negative and the doctor confirmed that it wasn't his heart and all subsequent tests and scans came back good.  Hubby was discharged from the medical centre on the morning of Hari Raya and was able to be home with us on Sunday. That's all that mattered to be honest. I almost cancelled our Raya dinner with the family, had he not been discharged on that day.

So ironically, instead of having our regular 1st day of  Raya dinner with just my immediate family, we had a very much bigger crowd joining us because they wanted to come over and see my husband. It ended up being a wonderful Hari Raya. The more, the merrier. As long as my Hubs was fine with the crowd, I was good to go.

The only thing I cooked was the rendang, while the children and Daniel's girlfriend - yup, the 3 of them, took over the entire cooking for dinner. To be honest, because my mind was filled with so much worry about my husband, even my rendang didn't taste like rendang.

But again, Alhamdulillah and all praises to Allah that the love of my life is back home safe and sound. I'm baffled as to how his BP could have shot up so high with no signs of it at all, but I'm guessing it's because of all those years of rich food he consumes whenever he attends functions - which is too often! So, I've decided to come up with much healthier menus now, even if I have to wake up at 5am each day to cook for him. Anything for my old man, you know?

Peeps, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to reply to your messages and emails greetings individually. Hope you understand that those past few days had somewhat been a handful for me and taken a toll on my health too. I secretly went to the clinic today to have my BP taken (as I had the very familiar dull sensations at the back of my neck) and true enough, my reading was very close to what my husband's was - 190/112.  The reason I secretly went, was because if Hubby knew what my reading was, I would have been forced to go to the Medical Centre as well. That is exactly what the doctor at the clinic pestered me to do straightaway. But no thank you.

And to all my aunts, cousins and even Mom if you're reading this, I'm ok now, so please no calling me tomorrow and burning my ears with lecturing me to go see the Specialist haha. I'm fine, I promise. Love you guys!

p/s: It's a good thing my Husband doesn't read my blog ;)

Buka Puasa @ Klcc

Hey, hope all you daddies had a truly lovely Father's Day with your precious wives and kids yesterday.

Since my 'Daddy' said he'll take a rain check for another day as he had prior engagements to cover an event yesterday, therefore me and my kids accepted an invitation from Hamed and his kids to venture into KL as his children never get enough of the Petronas Towers whenever they're in Malaysia. Well, I don't know anyone who does not love the view of the Towers, so I can't blame them for wanting to go there again.

Anyway, our Juniors - the 5 of them, settled at Chinoz to break their fast, while Hamed and I wanted something more Asian, hence we opted to go to the upper levels for my favourite noodles.

Would you believe it that I come all the way to KLCC very often, just to have a plate of this noodles? It is one of the best compared to all the other ones I've tried. It's as closest as it gets to how the original mee tastes like.

So after both of us gobbled up our insanely delicious noodles, we went back down to Chinoz to join the kids for drinks and desserts. And I was surprised to meet one of my aunts and her family there too. Small world indeed.

The best part about the whole outing was, that the 7 of us decided to take the train down to KLCC instead of driving. And that was way too much fun, because we kindoff conquered an entire coach laughing, joking and chatting away. And it was possible - because it was Sunday where there's not too much crowd.

An absolutely goals day it was! Until I received a text from that pain-in-the-neck Shazzy telling me what happened on that exact day 5 years ago. Seriously? This girl is a walking-diary of sorts. But still, it couldn't overshadow the wonderful day I had with these wonderful company.

Hugs xx

Lost n Found

Ever had the feeling of thinking or missing someone, and then have that person appear right in front of you out of nowhere?

Well, this happened to me yesterday.

Before that, a few days ago, I was thinking about a friend of mine I hadn't seen in a few years. The last we met, was in KLIA heading to 2 different destinations a few years back. And since we were both rushing to catch our flights, we parted without exchanging numbers. So out of the blues, I was longing to meet up with this friend.

Anyway yesterday afternoon, I was at a Ramadan Bazaar with Hamed's kids. And what do you think happened?

While walking and checking out the food stalls at this favourite bazaar of mine with the kids, someone tapped me on my shoulder from behind and when I turned around, guess who was it??

Yup, exactly! Of all places, in a chock-a-block area like this, we came face to face once again. Well not exactly face to face haha. More like face to back. But you get my point. My 1st question was "how the hell do you know it was me from the back?" The reply: "I just passed you from the front!".

Coincidence? No. Synchronicity? Probably. Because in all weirdness, this person does not even live in the area, in fact far from here, but decided to come to that particular bazaar, on that particular day, at that particular time. Apparently, she said she had a dream about me 2 days before. And since then, she had also been thinking about how to get in touch with me. And none of our brains even thought about looking for each other on social media, haha. Very smart!

It's strange how things have got it's own way of working out sometimes.

Anyway, a note about this Ramadan market - it's my personal favourite. I've been to so many and I love this one the best. It's situated in USJ 4. I fancy the layout where all the stalls are in straight 2 rows instead of the zig-zag concept. Most of all, it's very clean and I would say it has a homey feel to it - yes even with the crowd. And there's a huge variety of all kinds of food and kuih muih here. If you're in the Subang area, do check it out. Only a few more days to go.

Till my next story, salam and love to all!

Peachy Evening

Happy weekend, darlings. Today, I've been blessed with loads of peaches. Not only that, apricots too! Two of my most favorite fruits on earth. It's been a peachy day and certainly gonna be a peachy night.

The smell of it, the velvety texture of it, makes me weak. Don't you just love these babies?

That's all for now. Short and sweet, just like my peaches. So, you have a peachy weekend and I'll have a peachy one too. See you back here on Monday.

Love you !

Gratitude

One day perhaps, and that's a huge 'maybe', I shall write about something that happened recently. But I'll save that article for an unholy day or month because there's bound to be a string of unholy words that begin with 'F' that I may use while writing it.

Hey everyone. I know on my previous post I said that I was going to write about Hamed's and my new project, but since it's Ramadan, let me just get this short piece posted, and on the next post, I promise it'll be about his and my new venture.

So once again, Ramadan comes-a-calling and it's back to that familiar routine of sahurs, bazaars, tarawihs and iftars. In the midst of all that, one of the best things I love about Ramadan, is that it always puts me back into perspective and in a very good way.

This is always the time where I tend to push away life's shortcomings and focus on gratitude instead. This is where I always dwell on the wonderful things and people that I'm blessed with in my life. My every morning routine as I prepare sahur for my family, is a sense of lightness in my heart that I'm able to do this for the most important people in my life - my husband and kids.

I'm so thankful to Allah for giving me so many blessings in life that others may only take for granted. And although each morning when I wake up that's the first thing I reflect upon, but during Ramadan, it's constantly on my mind. Always.

And this, is another thing I'm so thankful for.. Kelly spent the weekend at my Mom's place. And even though my Mom is a staunch Catholic, she woke up extra early at 4.15am on Sunday morning to prepare sahur for her granddaughter. These are the pictures that Kelly sent me via text this morning.

Some simple vegetable soup and fried chicken. And my Mom sat down and ate with her before she herself got ready to go to Church.

These may be tiny stuff to some people. But to me, it matters a lot. And I'm so grateful to Allah for giving me a mother who respects my religion, even though she is deep into her own faith.

And as we complete the 2nd day of Ramadan, I wholeheartedly look forward to assist Ariff with the Ramadan dinners that he hosts for the unfortunate and underprivileged kids. He wants me to play a bigger role in it this year and has given me the green light in planning the concept, location, the event and even the date.

With that said, life's little defects pales in comparison with the huge blessings I have. As I always say, "if it's not a matter of life n death, it's nothing that I can't handle!".

And since I only focus on my blessings while pushing the setbacks far off  into oblivion during Ramadan, by the time the month comes to an end, all those negativity are normally forgotten or non-existent. I guess because science has shown that it takes 21-24 days for the human brain to adapt, form or break a habit. Do the same, everyone!

Happy Ramadan.

My Egyptian Kanyung

I said I'll be his monkey for the evening and so, every opportunity I had, tree branches were my victims. This is what I loved doing from the time I was little. Looks like hanging myself from tree branches never made me a taller person. But hey, I love the way I am.

Since Hamed got home from work early today, he asked is I wanted to go to one of our 'feel good' places before Ramadan comes a calling. It's the park on the street where he lives -  an exceptionally huge one and clearly, one of our favourite spots to go and sweat it out in the evenings when he's free and I'm able to. But mostly, we love coming here on weekend mornings when possible, have our breakfast (90% of the time it's the makcik's nasi lemak) on one of those picnic tables and then cruise the entire area on our feet to burn up the cals we just consumed.

So since he was free this Tuesday evening and as I was granted the green-light to socialise today, this is where we chose to go to. And that's not all. This is also where we sealed our plan to get started on something that Hamed has been wanting me to do together with him for the longest time.  Wanna guess what it is?

Well, *drumrolls* ,,, Immediately after Ramadan, Hamed and I will get started on our very own Youtube channel. But I aplogize in advanced, that it's going to be a public listed one, therefore, I won't be able to give you any links to it. I'll explain why later.

You're definitely wondering what our channel is going to be about. Wonder no more, because I'm about to tell you our plan. But just curious, any guesses? haha

I'll write about this on the next post. So for now,  join us at the park.

It was such a wonderful time there - breezy indeed as we further discussed plans for our upcoming project I mentioned.

As you see in some of these photos below, for unknown reasons, Hamed seems to prefer photographing the back of me, rather than front! Snap and snap. He's always like that.

And hey, checkout what else they have in this wonderful park..

Certainly not even close to being as sophisticated as the ones you'll get at a gym, but at least it's an added plus for those people who come for strolls at the park and later anticipate a short workout - like what I did this evening. Such a lovely area to hangout.

It's always awesome to come here especially when you just wanna have an easy going evening after being stressed out with the day's work. Because of it's size, kids somehow do not get in your way - although there's plenty of them around during this time. This is why we love coming here before we go home to shower and dress (he to his and me to mine) for our usual night hangouts and dinner at sophisticated places he likes - which we haven't done for ages since I've been under house-arrest!

So there you go. An incredibly lovely Tuesday evening spent with the man who snaps pictures of my back haha.

Have a colorful week and see you again.