Moving on!

Hullo. Haji Mat Tembikai has got himself a new home! Visit our quirky nonsense at

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Kitty Wangsa Baiduri

After a week of negativity, and of bad news all around (my dad’s not well no thanks to chikungunya), I’ve become somewhat like a walking zombie. Seems like I’m in a perpetual state of blur-ness, 24-7. Catatonic is probably the best word to describe me all of last week. I can’t really pin down what significant contributions that I’ve done – work-wise or even down at the home-front. Well, if washing baby’s bottom and chasing kids up and down the staircase is a contribution, you can tick those then.

And so with that feeling of blah-ness, I made my way to the kid’s kindergarten this morning. The 1st day of the week has already started on the wrong foot. I forgot to pack Arleen’s towel in her school bag. How would she pat herself dry after noon shower at daycare today? Share other kids towels? Gah! So off I went to her kindie, and in a way, I was pretty glad I had that momentary lapse of memory when packing her bag this morning.

You see, whilst enroute to her kindie today, I saw something quite powerful, like a much-needed boost to my state of stupor. I saw hope, I saw an act of kindness so simple, plain yet inspiring. It gave me the conviction that all the good the world has does still exist. There are some kind-hearted people out there somewhere, amongst the baddies and the crooks. These folks are like a ray of sunshine, a pick-me-upper, a happy pill.

What I saw made me smile. I saw a man saving a kitten.

Ok, so it’s nothing fancy-schmansy, gun-whipping heroic act but still, it made me all teary-eyed and all gooey-warm inside.

So let me dish. A car was ahead of me, when it suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. He had some sense putting on the side indicators, otherwise it’ll be another blog entry altogether. The man stepped out of his car, smiled, waved me to overtake him, which I did, and only then I realized why he stopped in the first place. A small kitty was curled up right there in the middle of the road. A truck would’ve knead her to bits! He then knelt down, picked up the kitten gently and placed it at the side of the road, far from the interweaving traffic. I drove off slowly, mouthed “Thank You”, smiled and waved at the caring gentleman.

Sigh…it’s these small acts of kindness that softens the harshness of reality. It may appear insignificant, or may not matter at all to most people, but a life has been spared, people, a kitten’s life! Had the man not stop and saved the kitty, who knows, I could’ve rolled over the poor feline, fur and all! Am already in a mental state of distress which makes me sometimes oblivious to my surroundings, so I am so thankful to that nice man for saving the cat, which inadvertently helped me from becoming a kitty killer!

With those thoughts running through my head, I made my way out from the kindie, and headed to the office. And there, ladies and gentlemen, the same kitty curled like a ball right in the same bloody spot in the middle of the road!! Holy feline fur! Are you committing suicide, cat?! A man just picked you up and placed you away from harm, and there you go strutting back to Ground Zero! Two trucks came thundering by, and you still sat there like Friskies were about to be served al fresco!

At this point, I thought the cat has lost it. Is it worth saving, is it not? Of course it is! It’s still a precious life. But I was already two cars ahead, with several cars behind me…all swerving to make sure they don’t have fur tracks on their tires. I just prayed that the cat will come around and realized that it still years away from kitty heaven. Or at the very least, another kind-hearted person will stop traffic to save the stupid cat from being crushed. With that, I made peace, drove off and prayed I don’t see a blotch of flattened fur on my way back to pick up the girls later this evening.

Moral of the story is: Be kind and save those in need, despite them not knowing the danger they’re in. You’ll make the world a happier place.

Hulkamania

It's been almost a week since the snatch theft incident. And boy, am I still feeling the pain! Although thankfully none of us were hurt, I still feel upset, revolted and just plain angry at those two lowlife buggers who robbed me. I kept on replaying the incident over and over again -- and then I'll end up kicking myself in the rear with all the "What Ifs" and the "Why didn't I's..". Ugh.

Although I know I shouldn't beat myself up to pulp, I still wonder if I really had control over what had happened. Questions like..."Had I waited for the teachers to approach me, would I've been a victim?", "Had I kicked the arses' bike, could I've prevented them from fleeing the scene?", "Had I left the house earlier/later, could this have happened?"...

And so I get riled up after analyzing these rhetorical questions. To the point I just had to stop myself and just be thankful to God that we were spared from the worse. Which I am, honestly. Every second of the day. I know I am truly, truly blessed. After all, it's just a laptop for crying out loud (a spanking brand-new one, to boot!). It would have been bad if I'd been slashed with the knife kan? or worse...they took off with the car, with the kids in it! Na'uzubillah! What is material possession when our precious life is spared?

Just as I've learnt to pacify and just chill, news broke out today that a similar case happened RIGHT HERE in my neighbourhood. Just a street away from my house. A car window was smashed, and a lady's handbag was snatched, just as she was stepping out of her car to close the gate. This happened about 8:30 AM last Thursday.

I am mad. I am seething with anger. If I were Hulk, I would have turned green, yellow and red, like a traffic light...and then some!

This is getting ridiculously out-of-hand. Damn these lowlifes! Get a decent job! I swear you'll get steamrolled into pulp! Karma will come and get you before you have the chance to whimper in it's face!

It's obviously not a safe world anymore. Baddies are everywhere, and they may look young and innocent as a lamb (mine looked like college kids...dropouts maybe). With these outcome, I had to learn to change my routines. No more leaving the engine car running whilst locking the gate. To do that, I now have to drive the car out of the porch, park, cut the engine, lock the door (with the kids in it!), walk 5 paces to the gate, lock it, walk back 5 paces to the car, unlock it, jump in the car, lock it, turn on the engine, look left and right, then go.

Phewh!

Sigh...the price one has to pay to stay safe. Such is life. So stay safe everyone!

Melancholic yesterday, traumatized today!

I got robbed at knifepoint today. What made it worst, my kids saw everything. Right down to me screaming my lungs out...to the buggers making an escape with my laptop. I am just so thankful that they didn't think of hijacking the car and making a run with it...with the kids all strapped in their car seats and all!

Mental note to self: NEVER leave the car with the key in the ignition, and the kids in the car alone...even for a minute!

More on this soon. I'm too tired, physically, mentally and emotionally. Will be carrying this a looooong time. Such was the scare. :(

Me being melancholic

The rain has been a welcoming sight these past few days. After weeks of blazing sun and scorching heat, parched throats and sun-baked skin, I welcome the sight, sound and smell of raindrops plopping down the windowsill.

But not tonight.

The rain did little to ease the heat. In fact, it made the air teemed with humidity, so thick you could run a knife through it. Even with the air-conditioning turned on, I’m beaded with sweat. I look at the time, it’s midnight. I see the rain has stopped, but the night remained balmy and humid. No stars, just clouds. It’s one of those nights where everyone’s asleep in their beds, possibly conjuring happy dreams, and there you are, wide awake, with a million thoughts running around your gray matter, spinning into swirls of incomprehensible scenarios and themes.

I’m turning melancholic. If you must know. And the balmy night ain’t helping either.

I thought about how easy it was to be a kid again. To just lived the days as it is. Carpe diem. No worries, no pressure, no baggage. As a kid, I used to enjoy sneaking out of the house on a clear, cloudless night. I don’t go very far…just out in the porch (I might be a kid, but I wasn’t stupid to wander about in the darkness). I’d sit on my dad’s car, staring up onto space, and just stare at those blinking lights out yonder in the Milky Way. I’d get dazzled by the stars, spellbound by its magic, despite it being a million light years away. I wished I could just float amongst the stars, maybe catch a shooting star on my way home.

I remembered a scene from Superman, circa 1980 – the one with him flying about space with Lois Lane, with the love theme “Can You Read My Mind” playing at the background. Loved that scene! Just him and Lois soaring through the clouds, big full moon and twinkling lights enveloping them in the night sky. Sighhh..fell real hard for Christopher Reeve right there and then. Now THAT is my idea of a stellar date (pun intended). These days, if you want to see stars on your date, you either have to have a very super-rich partner who owns a spaceship, or you need to get high on drugs or get plonked on the head to see stars. Not recommended, of course.

So Christopher Reeve helped reaffirm my love in the celestial body. And I am now babbling like a fool…first with the weather, and then the stars, and now Superman. I told you my mind gets awry on starless, humid, balmy nights!

I guess all I wanted to say was, I wished there were times where we can shun the inhibitions, ignore the norm, throw caution to the wind and just be a kid again. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Of capati, Bangkok vomit and utter craziness.

I can't believe I've only posted 2 blog entries throughout last year. In fact, I've almost reached the one-year mark of 'AWOB' (Absence WithOut Blogging). Which I've only realized thanks to persistent nagging by fellow blogger friends, especially by one of the most industrious blogger this side of Penang has ever seen. Who else but Miss Blogger Extraordinaire, Chiao Ju. Who, if you must know, writes and maintains beautifully, not one, but two or even three (I lost count really) blogsites. That, on top of her scuba diving, lomo-taking, Mainland (China)-travelling, the works. How does she do it? I don't know. Babe, tell me if there's a wonder pill I can take. After all, I'm already on a 56-tablet antibiotic prescription today for my blasted throat infection. Another pill won't hurt, methinks.

If you must know, work has been the bane of me last year. I am the poster child for the "Buruh Paksa Movement", the "Orang Gaji tanpa Gaji Club", the "Sleep-Deprived-Mommy-but-who-cares-coz-you've-got-a-million-ARs-to-complete Association".

Google "Insane mom of 3 who talked to a terung coz she thought that was the phone"...and you would've found me. It was bizarre. The workload, not the terung.

It was made a whole lotta painful without a maid around. Yes, I've been maidless for the past 1.5 years, out of our own choice really, so I won't complain. But that's a different topic altogether, so let's keep the lid on that first.

Through it all, the kiddos and I have been in and out of the clinics, hospitals and mental asylums. Just kidding! Our health took its toll, and I am guilty of that for not enforcing the time to ensure good, nutritious, home-cooked food were made available for my kids. We were eating take-outs most of last year. We were on first-name basis with the mamaks, McDonalds', and Restoran Abang 'E' Capati (which happens to have the softest and most sedap capati I've ever gorged on).

Apart from the intense workload, midnight conference calls and such, there's also the frequest business travels I had to endure last year (not that bad really if you count in the shopping blitz!). Most memorable was a biz trip to Bangkok late last year, where I famously puked and almost passed out in the arms of a cushion-seller dude, in my detour to Chaktuchak Market. I swear I whispered "Kap Kun kaa" to him as I slowly blacked out.

So yes, 2008 has been quite a whirlwind. By far, the shortest year I've ever experienced. But it was all for a good cause really, despite it all. The company was driving a special global project designed to bring a world of good to the community. And that was motivation enough for me to clear those backlogs, burn that midnight oil, even if it means 4 nights of capati or a puke-fest in Bangkok!

But let it be clear. I didn't go through this craziness alone. The central force of this, my biggest supporter, and the anchor of it all (cue sappy music), is no other but my hubby. He understood my work commitments, never once complained and provided me enough pep talk and motivation to finish the year with a bang.

And what a bang it has been. The global project's a big success, everyone's happy...but sadly, there were collateral damages along the way (my poor kids, hubby and health). I owe it to them and for that reason, and those reasons only, I decided to take a whole month off just this January to chill, relax and spend time with those I care the most. I also had to find some "ME" time, even if it means watching The Nanny re-runs uninterrupted. (I wished they were showing Three's Company sitcoms, that would have been a riot!).

And golly, taking that one month off was the best decision I've ever made in my career life. I'm thankful for a very supportive manager who completely understands the pain I went through. (Think comforting your kid who's miserable no thanks to HFMD, whilst coordinating a big event right from the hospital bed!).

So there. That should explain why I went missing. But see, I've already written one loooong post...that should make up for the absence. I've even made the blog template all frilly and nice just to earn some brownie points. Suka?

So in the spirit of overtly-priced chocolates and roses, Hallmark cards and cut-throat romantic dinners, I'd like to thank my family for being my biggest supporter ever. I love everyone of you, and I swear, I'm not going to put you folks through this again! Mak tak larat!

And to my friends, I love you too and thank you for being very quirky but sane just the same.

Let's hope the blogging spirit continues in me, and if I lapse, please feel free to throw in some terungs, capatis, and Bangkok cushions my way. Just so I don't forget the misadventures of last year.

With that, adios, take care and have a safe week ahead.

Moo!

You loike me spots?

It's 11:30 PM on polling night, and am listening to defeat cries from Samy Vellu, Shahrizat, and Koh Tsu Koon. And the fun has just started.

The kids are still up. They're on the floor right now, playing together and for once, no one's complaining of being bitten, yanked or poked in the eyes. Yet.

Awesome.

Except, it hasn't been that awesome in the health department for all of us. Hands-down, we've been afflicted with the most awful, horrid, and weird viral infection ever. It started last Monday night when Arleen suddenly came down with a fever. Okay, the usual sniffles and low-grade fever, I can deal with that.

Only it wasn't.

The next day, Arleen's tummy were riddled with spots, and her left eye were all crusted and red. Off to the peds we went. A viral infection, said doc. Monitor her temp, make sure she gets lots of liquids and rest, and come back if her fever spikes.

That night, baby Arleya showed similar symptoms -- fever, conjunctivitis in the left eye, and light spots on her trunk. The next day, she was completely covered with rashes, from her face down to her little toes. Poor bub.

And throughout the two days, I was beginning to feel ill. By the 2nd night, I was wasted -- fever, bone chills, extreme lethargy, the works. Which continued till this very day, with additional tonsillitis the size of New Jersey.

Thank god Jeff and Arissa were spared from it.

Or so I thought.

Arissa came home from kindie on Thursday evening, running a temperature. By night, her left eye showed signs of conjunctivitis. (Weird kan, just the left eye). By Friday morning, she was sporting spots on her tummy and legs. Now all my girls are spotty (and they still are).

And I realized this morning, I was turning into a Frisien cow too!

It's been almost a week now, and we're hanging in there. The kids and I still have the pesky fever on and off, with the spots lingering a lot longer than I've expected. And unfortunately, that's what you get with viral infections -- you got to wait it out and let the body's immune system fight it for you. And nothing that a good rest and a huge dose of TLC can't do.

I think spots are the in-thing this season, is it not?