Good bye 2008

Today is the last day of the year. We are leaving 2008 in a few hours time. Early this year, I was told that 2008 will be a good year for me. Well, I do read through my horoscope (the problem is I can’t be sure whether I am a Geminian or a Cancerian) and also Chinese forecast (definitely a Dragon). Just for the fun of it. My wealth is on the positive side but my health will be on the negative side. Looking back the year 2008 there were a few things which had a major impact in my life and my family as a whole:

Well, this year I had good luck in my fortune/wealth side in terms of bonus, increments and salary adjustments. However, as forecasted I underwent an operation that resulted with me losing my voice.

My daughter, Auni, had been registered as “OKU” and able to enrolled into special class in Sekolah Kebangsaan Suka Menanti. She is happier there as they have swimming lessons every Sunday and the teachers are very helpful. I can see vast improvement in her studies and communication skills ever since. She even went to Terengganu through her school trip. She was also taught gardening. I remember the first time she came back from school and gave me “kacang panjang”. “Cikgu suruh ibu masak sayur ni”, she said. I found out from her teacher that they grew all these vegetables at her school and distributed to the students once they ripen. She also joined “pengakap” of which the smallest size uniform is still too large for her.

Amir, joined Tadika Kemas and has learnt on ways to make friends beside learning to read, write and count. He has shown his true colours in his class…Being an “Emir”, he’s becoming a leader in his class. At 5 years old, he would go up to his teacher and report what his friends had been up to…”Kuat mengadu” that’s what his teacher said. I remembered the teacher told me once when she told the kids, “ kalau siapa nakal nanti cikgu panggil polis” So Amir stood up and said;”Cikgu, ayah saya pun polis” During his birthday, I managed to persuade his brother Zhafri, to give Amir his PS2. But for a price…gotta give him RM300 so that he can top up with his saving to buy PSP. At least both of them got what they both wanted. Since then, Amir didn’t want to go anywhere. He would rather stay at home and play with his PS2 rather than going shopping.

Zhafri, has ended his form 5 and heading for another era of his life….outside school days. Sometimes, I forgot that my children are growing up very fast. Soon Zhafri will be off to further study and later will start working. He is going to be an adult…!!Sometimes, I’ve forgotten that I’m getting old…but my growing up children will keep me in check. Zhafri is already getting so tall. At 17 yo, he’s already 5’10” and still growing. Perhaps, he’s going to be taller than his father who is 6’ 2”We’ll have to wait and see…

As for me…nothing much changes. Just hope that 2009 will be a good year for me and my whole family…Happy New Year!!!

Driving school - Zhafri

Zhafri had completed his SPM and now on a very long holidays, while waiting for his result. No point worrying yet since the result will come out in March next year. Still a long wait..
Anyway, I've asked him to get some job for side income...but he's been procrastinating until now. But one thing for sure, he's itching to learn driving. Well, better than just sit and lying around doing nothing...
Good grief!!The driving school cost RM650. I remembered it only cost me Rm250 the last time I took my licence. Everything sure is expensive nowadays.
Anyway, he's been pestering me to give him driving lessons which I did. We took my mom's car because it has manual gear. He drove through the highway to Bandar Darulaman. After a tour around Bdr Darulaman, he asked me whether he can learn reversing. So I told him to give a right signal at the entrance to lake recreation park there. After giving a right signal, I took a back glance and saw that it was safe to turn right.
Out of nowhere came 3 motorbikes from behind and took over from the right side. None of them were wearing helmets. "Samseng betoi..!!" Zhafri brake suddenly but not before the last motorbike brushed the front right side of the car, leaving a mark there. He stopped the car and we changed driver. I didn't see the bikers anywhere. So we headed home. On the way to the highway, I saw the bikers from my rear mirror. They were following us. I told Zhafri to take their bike numbers and they left as soon as we swerved to the higway.
The bikers were young guys about 16 to 17 years old. They drove real fast and couldn't give a damned about rules and regulations. What I'm afraid is that they could have marked my mom's car. Things like this could happenned to anybody.
Since then, Zhafri dare not asked for a ride again. He took the professional driving class and just passed the written test today.

Rapist

After lunch , my colleagues was so emotional after reading the paper today. When I asked her why, she told me about an article in Harian Metro North. It was about a man and his son raped a 20mth old child. I went to look for the paper and read it. It was reported that the child was sent to the baby-sitter’s house and was later being raped by the husband and his 16yo son.
What is happening to the humanity nowadays??? A 20mo girl is so small and innocent and yet the adults have no brains in their head. I supposed they only have nuts up there. The world is no longer safe nowadays, especially to girls. Where are the “9 akals” of these people?? God gave them akal to be used, and not for safekeeping…
I just couldn’t understand how these criminals think…
Pity the young girl. The lusts of these maniacs have caused her trauma for the rest of her life…
I am so worried about my girl, Auni..I guess we should let our girls to take up defense classes for their own protection. We cant be around them always..
At the same time, more severe punishment should be given to the rapists. The current punishment doesn’t seem to frightened them any more…

Selamat Hari Lahir Ayah...

Buat Ayah....semoga di panjangkan usia dalam keimanan dan keberkatan Illahi. Kupohonkan agar dikurniakan rezeki yang berlimpahan dan dijauhi dari kepayahan dan kesengsaraan. Semoga hari-hari mendatang, memberi kebahagiaan dan sinar keceriaan berpanjangan..

Ayah,
Kupohon jutaan ampun dan maaf kiranya ada tekasar bahasa dan tersalahlaku. Tidak ku sengajakan...Halalkan segala makan minumku sekeluarga dan akhir kata...semoga beroleh lebih idea-idea yang bernas di dalam penulisan...aminn..

Cuti-cuti family gathering

On the fifth December 2008, all my family except my sis's family gathered at Penang for holidays. We used to have this routine every Hari Raya Haji but somehow it stopped a few years back...I supposed all of us having bigger family members and we are getting heavier to move anywhere in a group.....Anyway, last month, I invited all to join the gathering in Melaka but was rejected..too far...they said. So, I figured out, why not having it in Penang...Since I have a membership of Bayview Hotel, I booked three suites for the family....

We left at 11am to Prai...There's a good food stalls at Inderawasih where they sell nasi hujan panas every friday...Really yummy..!!They started at 12 noon and the "nasi" will finished by 1 noon. If you are late, you will only get the nasi putih...People basically rushed for the rice every friday...

Later, the guys went for Friday prayers and the ladies went window shopping at SSF.

We left for Ferringhi beach around 2pm...and reached Bayview Beach Hotel after 3pm ..due to the jam on the bridge, as usual. (Who said Penang Bridge was not making money???)

When we reached the hotel, only 1 suite was ready and available. Since all of us was rather exhausted from the travelling, we cramped into the one suite first...

Later, we went to our own suites around 4pm.

As normal, my parents' suite is where all the foods and junkies are...They are sharing the suite with my second brother...

We went for a walk by the beach the next day, kids having fun playing by the sea, horse riding( including my hubby), parachuting for the big boys and sand castle for the smaller kids...Later after lunch, we took a dive in the swimming pool...And as usual, I was the baby sitter while the others went out shopping...but it was fun..and all of us were burnt by the night time, especially me...

We had tomyam dinner at the nearby restaurant; belanja by my eldest brother..after which we went shopping at the side road stalls along the road..I managed to get a good LV wallet for RM28.00 which was initially offered at RM55.00

We checked out the next afternoon and went our separate ways...My family went to my mother -in-law house at Balik Pulau for Raya Haji and my brothers went back to their own places...

It was good to gather again....Hope next time we can all have a full family gathering again...

I've gotta start planning from now.....

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to all muslimin and muslimat...Semoga tahun ini membawa perubahan ke arah keimanan yang sejati...aminnn.