Saturday, January 31, 2009

Shy

My first born is exactly like DH. Very shy.

Many times I have to tell her she has talent..but Liya being very merendah diri "tak la mama"

I lost this video a few months back..pc crash apa lagi..thank god for multiply kan?

Please mind the out-of-pitch-very-preggy-mommy kunun2 berangans jadi vocal teacher :P



This is also another talented girl...I suka sangat tengok dia





Friday, January 30, 2009

My Malaysian version of Köttbullar med brunsås, lingonsylt och ättiksgurka

I've been iching to cook and as you all know, I'm one who cannot sit still and cant stand keep eating take outs. MUST HAVE HOME COOK FOOD *ptfuh!*

The hard part about my condition rite now is that I cant stand for too long. That also means I cant go out as much and as long as I want to and the mamak food from the nearby stall where DH gets them seemed to be a tad bit boring now.

DH came home early...GREAT. I can instruct and he can cook ;) he he he

Suddenly I remembered the meatballs I had in the freezer.

I live in Ampang and I dont often visit IKEA as much as I would like to. Even if I visit IKEA its not for the furniture but more for the ever famous Köttbullar - Swedish Meatballs (although I did find Sya's Antilop-baby dining chair there. The Ikea Antilop and Antilop Tray, is great, very cheap, easy to clean, lightweight and stable....ok thats another posting)

And since IKEA is out of the way today - dinner will be My Malaysian version of Köttbullar med brunsås, lingonsylt och ättiksgurka (Literally: meatballs with brown-sauce, lingonberry-jam and vinegar-gherkins.)

The very much important ingredients in the order I make them since eating this immediately is best.

The Mash Potatoes
I know that in IKEA Malaysia they serve this with french fries. But since DH prefers less oil, I decided on this.
Very simple to do:
1. Peel the potatoes
2. Cut in dices
3. Boil until tender



4. Drain
5. Add a bit of butter
6. Mash for a bit and add a bit of milk (I only had full cream for our coffee in store so that will do for now)



7. Mash somemore and keep warm.



The Veges
I love broccoli without a doubt. Broccoli is best served steamed for about 5 minutes and no more. It is said that steaming is the best way to keep the most vitamins in them.



The Mest Balls



AZMY Bebola Daging is the closest I can find to instant Meatballs. I can make my own but this is good when I need something quick. Boleh beli di TESCO ye puan-puan.

Sometimes I get the Indonesian meat balls at Chow Kit or this nice old malay lady at the pasar pagi near Pandan Indah LRT.

Fry lightly in just a bit of oil (some use butter for flavouring but since am watching what I'm eating, I use sunflower oil instead.

Since this is Malaysian Version, I use wok (LOL) My iron skillet da kena pack since we're moving off to Subang Jaya soon.



I add a dash of Worshire sauce for flavouring and later to make the gravy.



Once brown, angkat.

The Gravy
Gracy ni sebenarnya made from the oil dripping of any meat we roast or fry.

1. Once you take the meatballs out from the wok, there will be some oil dripping.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and leave to melt.
3. Once melt, put in two table spoon of flour. Stir constantly on low heat until you get this nice smell.
4. I usually add milk to the mixture to make it creamy but if you dont like milk then add beef stock (or beef cubes mixed with water pun boleh)
5. But remember to stir constantly kalau tak lumpy nanti. Bring to boil.




The Lingonberry-jam




This is a must for this recipe. This is not your ordinary jam. Only sesuai with meat dishes. Swedish people makan ni macam Tomato Ketchup or Kicap to the majority of us. We stocked some during our last visit to buy A'aesyah Antilop (kidde chair)

My ättiksgurka



I always have Australia's Aristocrat Bread and Butter Cucumbers which can be bought at Cold Storage, so that will do for now.

The outcome?





Silalah makan ye...


In the meantime, this is a very good video instruction of how to make the same on You Tube




Mu'izza Iris is my surrogate child



Mu'izza Iris captured my heart when she shakily sat under a car in my apartment lot, 2 weeks ago. I called, circled around the car for a bit asking her to come out of hiding...but she wouldnt budge.

I tried to ignore. I am a cat lover by nature, dont get me wrong. According to Islam, if an animal dies in your care...you are doomed for hell.

So I walked up the stairs and did my usually chores. Not that there was none in my heart to receive her but I was reluctant to take the heavy burden of responsibility should she die in my care. What do I know about taking care of cats let alone become a surrogate mother to this small being? - I said to myself. I was with war with myself.

But it is Allah swt fate that her piercing meows sounded like my A'aesyah crying for milk. I couldn't muffled the sound. I peeked out from my bedroom window and saw that she has cross over to the guard house.

The sound became even more desperate. After performing Asar, I decided I had to go down and see to her. I had a bowl of water. She was waiting at the foot of the stairs. She wobbly came to my aid and looked at me with gleaming grey eyes. THATS IT. I text DH saying I dont have it in my heart to ignore this little one. I will do whatever it takes to nurse her back to health.

The first few days was more like bringing back a baby home for the first time. You had the baby...what now.

I got the help of friend whom I knew had a handful of cats. She asked :-

Does she have a full set of teeth? - Yes
Is her tummy bloated? - Yes

(Susleen..thanks a lot dear!)

So we rushed to Carefour to get some Whiskers in packets and DH offered to buy her a cat cage and tray with some litter sand, Laxatone since she had not passed motioned and a pill to deworm. I also asked for some cat shampoo.

"She is now YOUR responsibility" said DH. I was like a kid who just got a new pet *sigh*

I named her Mu'izza who was said to have been the Islamic prophet Muhammad's favorite cat. Added Iris because her eyes are just so mesmerizing. Liya thinks so too. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muezza)

My kitchen balcony is Mu'izza Iris's lair now. My old color boxes and some old furniture is her playground. Her cage which is under a shade I made out off an old "tapik meja plastik" & a old tikar.

Mu'izza Iris is such a good girl when it comes to baths. She never struggles when I place my palm and clean her coat gently or rinse her with the warm water. She sits quietly and enjoys the blow dry afterwards as well.

I dont even have to train her when it comes to pooping....I'll always see it on the cat litter tray.

Everytime I hand out my laundry, she will playfully rub her head and body againts my leg and feet. She knows she is loved.

I even got excited when I saw her first poop and the bloatedness gone.

It may sound crazy but I talk to her whenever I can.

She is small and thin, I suspect that her mommy had abandon her maybe coz she was premature or too frail. Her mommy didnt think she would survive.

My mother says cats have an inner instinct. They know which household have a love for cats. She also said, I did a good thing, I followed the steps of our great Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Of late, I've been reading a lot about that since my mom made that statement. I know now that EVEN this little ibadah I am doing by feeding her, insya-Allah is a small investment in akhirat.(http://www.basfinsiregar.com/mrbasf-dan-kucing-kampung)

Masya-allah..how could have I been so ignorant...masya-allah.

Mu'izza Iris is my surrogate child...and she has indeed a special place in my heart.





Thursday, January 29, 2009

Intelligence

Of recent, my second in line is showin more of her true colors...
Smart and witty like nenek kebayans...



yet she is growing so fast..I'm scared I missed THE "moment"..







Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Insaf

I've been quiet lately. Sitting very still, not making much movements even around the house.

This is strictly what the doctor has ordered for me.

All I can say is :

- back pain has worsen, with current like sensations
- lost of strenght to knees making it virtually impossible to climb stairs

But deep inside I am mad as hell. Mad at the stupid doctor at Klinik Idzham who snapped at me on during the wee hours of Tuesday morning just because I ask both a referal letter and an mc. He made me feel such an idiot and look so stupid.

I mean, takkan sebab I had an MC a day before he had to snap at me. Belum tentu pun dapat jumpa specialist at Ampang Hospital on the same day to determine whether I was fit to go to work or not. I strictly told him I wanted to go to Ampang Hospital and he was too drowsy (maybe coz its 5.00am) and wrote Ampang Putri Hospital (DUH!). So ING had faxed it to the wrong hospital and I had to call them.

Even so, true enough, I had to be put on a waiting list on Ampang Hospital's Ortho Clinic. They took my number and said, we'll call you. WTF!?? My hubby balik dgn marah2 tak puas hati.

He insisted we go back to Pantai, I insisted NO. I have all the benefits. Why should I waste good money during economic recession when it could go into much better use - walaupun insurance cover but still? Besides I am a blood donor, and not that I am asking anything special in return, I'm done my bit...not that I am hard up for free medical treatment, but this is MY time in need...hmm wishful thinking.

So I telan je la meds yg the previous doc had given. My was really in no shape to go to work. And as I grab for my handbag on the coffee table, I lost my balance, due to the sharp jabbing pain - managed to grab a chair and nasib baik fell on my right side (lambung kanan) and onto Baby Sya"s still spread out toto where she goleks and practice crawling. (sib baik Sya takde)

Later, it dawn on me that I could have fallen differently and hit my head on something...I could have....

I was on the floor for a good 15 minutes, crying my eyes out face down ...baby sya was crying in tune and DH clueless on what to do. He later came to his senses and sent baby sya to the sitters, came back and papah I slowly to the car. Nasib baik kakak sekolah with my parents Johor. Kalau tak KECOH.

After much fussing I asked to be wisked to GH. "I need to get my 2007 Ortho Clinic card." I said "Leave it" DH said.

He dropped me off infront of the emergency ward and I limped slowly asking 3 young ER attendants where the outpatient was (it didnt dawn on me as well that I had bruises everywhere from the fall)

One attendant professionally asked me what was wrong and suggested I proceed to the ER non critical section. Baik betul budak ni.

Again I face a cynical attending doctor and said to myself dalam HATI "hospital kerajaan..figures". Sabar, I reminded myself.

But after much passing around here and there I was lying on the ER bed being assesed by experts who immediately advise that I was warded pending further investigations.


So it was fate - 21 January 2008 - I was warded at 3rd class ward GH (becoz 1st class was full)


This hurt you know...for my meds

What I met later totally changed me in so many ways, I am still emotionally shaken by the experience...still.

The day I was warded, I watch a makcik struggle with death. She was diabetic and just had amputation. She was just released from ICU but no later than a few hours later, collapsed again. The doctors were shouting, the nurses were rushing here and there, the hospital equitments were buzzing. At 9am I saw her tapak kaki pink. At 11am it was pale. It reminded me of my arwah wak mon. Mom said, she knew it was not long because as she touched his legs, they were pale and cold.

Next to me there were beds and beds of old sick ladies. The one right next to me was on traction. She shed tears at one point becoz the nurse came and wipped it away. Her kids only came in the afternoon and left food in containers for her. She was only skin and bones so I cant imagine how she could feed herself.

When it came to meal times, let me just say, even mamak food looks more pleasing. For breakfast, We had very very cheap bread, 2 pieces spread with very little margerine and a cup of tea with milk (powdered). Lunch was served in those stainless trays - one meat/fish/chicken and one serving of veges. Let uneaten for 5 minutes would grow cold.

From across the room, there was one chinese lady, shouting every 10-15 minutes for attention from the docs and nurses. Rude comments followed. I guess, she's not anyone's mother there so no one had the decency to have it in their heart to say nice words back.

Since DH was in the midts of an important tender, he couldnt take time off. I spent my days lying, facing the window and thought of my own mom until I feel asleep.



Thats me...

The first afternoon I was awaken by a rude voice from a male visitor. He looked like he came out from one of those ROCK KAPAK album covers. What he said made me sick to the stomach.

"Tak boleh ke mak saya duduk sini lama sikit. Bukan ada orang nak jaga dia kat rumah pun"

When he left, during one of the doctor's rounds, the makcik looked at one doktor, held up her hand in an ampun-tuanku gesture and started crying.

"Makcik nak balik, tapi tak ada anak makcik yang sudi jaga"

2 days and 1 night in this ward was enough to make my JIWA KACAU. But I never uttered a word to anyone about my discomforts (ward panas ke, air tak sedap ke, apa ke) I remember my Cik Azah's advise "Kat GH kena sabar..."


Morning brieding for the nurses..I couldnt sleep so I snap-snappy

It didnt get better when I was transfered to 1st class. Not because the service was not any better. Food at 1st class was MARVELOUS.

The view from my room was SUPERB!


The view from my 1st class room

but thinking of what I experienced downstairs made me feel sick in the stomach when it came to meal times - I terasa seolah I was OVERPRIVILLEGED sedangkan orang kat bawah sana belum tentu boleh makan ke tak..





My 1st class breakfast...hmmm

Since my MRI can only be set on 5 Feb, I was given MC and strict instructions to rest (as if). I was given a choice to stay but I just wanted to go home and call my mom.

When I told her what I experienced, I broke down. "Along janji kalau Mama sakit, Along takkan biarkan Mama jadi macam tu...Along janji Ma...Along janji"

It also brings my thoughts to those kids in Gaza. Those run down hospitals they seek medical treatments. My 3rd class would have been their 1st class and that makes me even more sad.

Sekarang ni kat rumah I banyak termenung when I think about those 3 days in GH. I'll be warded again on the 4th. My husband asked if I wanted to be transfered to Pantai, I said...




...biarlah. Kalau dengan cara ini Allah swt meninsafkan I, I jadi lebih taat
pada suruhannya, I jadi penyabar, I jadi terlalu hormat pada parents & my
husband, I sentiasa sujud dan minta anak2 I jadi insan yg taat pada ibubapa, I bersyukur atas semua kemudahan yg I ada....I rela...I memang rela


Sunday, January 25, 2009

Wishing prosperity all the way...

We would like to wish all our good friends A Happy Chinese New Year...

Gong Xi Fa Chai Xin Nian Kuai Le!!





Tuesday, January 20, 2009

I have a dream...today....

Sya celebrates her 5 month old birthday today. It is a remarkable day to be celebrating as we see the Inauguration of the FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PRESIDENT in the United States.

I am not American but since my employers are American I would like to congratulate them on this day.

I too have a dream...

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring
from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be
able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white
men
, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants
and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro
spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at
last!" Martin Luther King, Jr

The term Gentile (from Latin, gentilis, meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe) refers to non-Israelite tribes or nations in translations of the Bible, most notably the English King James Version. (wikipedia)



Friday, January 16, 2009

Have Patience...will work..

Venting again dear old blog...you are my litul corner where I crumple myself into a ball and sulk.

My blogger friend Ida said I quote "have patience.."

I was bombarded at work again. Normal la...namanya consultant..dealing with people's finanches..arent you playing with fire? And ppl think its a glamourous job becoz the pay is good and you get to fling your platinum card yada yada yada

I masih dok rumah sewa dan bawak kete national ottay!

But anyway..I was bombarded at work again.

Actually I already wrote a long posting...but it would be unprofessional for me to post it. CCO says kenot say bad things about the place u work in or the ppl in it. They also say I kenot comment on Gaza status. Allah swt je la tau dalam hati camne dilemma I sekarang...mungkin sebab tu Dia beri petunjuk dalam bentuk dugaan yang di terima sejak kebelakangan ini - Rasullullah swt pernah di baling najis bukan dahulu...and he did nothing - sabar.

because patience THUS HAVE its rewards....Ida you're right

As I walked (more like stomped out of office) today....this girl approached me

"akak nak?...tell you wat...akak have two..got kids at home right?"




Masya Allah! I HEART SNICKERS? Our God works in mysterious way....Alhamdulillah




p/s kena check la...ooo bar code dia start with 69***(wink at Kikuri)
Nasib baik...kalo tak memang dugaan lagi kut!

pp/s I found out that my pay was already in when HR said it would be on Monday...must remember to visit the cash depost machine and make out something to the below

Cheque payable to MERCY MALAYSIA
CIMB Account No : 1424-000-6561053






Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Excuse my FRENCH!@&!(#&0

I'm using my blog as a punching back tonite.

I hate it when people are sooooooooooooo demanding and rude when it comes to money...mising or money being paid less or whatever.

Money makes us crazy...STUPID crazy!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Pictures speak louder than words!

Wakenalabeb..coz I read kikuri's blog and automatically tagged...*wink at kikuri

Next Year I will be *sob sob



I really want to go to...



My favorite place...



My favorite thing...




My favorite drink...




My favorite food...



My favorite color...



I live in...




I was born in...(they only photo of hospital university PJ..aisey)



A nickname I had...



My college major...



My bad habit...



My hobby...



I wish...




The rules are simple. Use Google Image to search the answers to the questions . Then you must choose a picture in the first page of the results, and post it as your answer. After that tagged 5 people.

I dunno who to tag...if you want to do this, go ahead then ;)