Thursday, December 13, 2012

#88 - Hit The Road


I love traveling. I love planning my itinerary; places I wanna visit, things I wanna buy, food I wanna eat. You know, all that jazz. But, yes, there's but. There's one thing that I hate about traveling and that is packing.

I can be very complicated when it comes to packing. There are so many things to consider. Now, not only I have to pack for myself, I have to pack for Inas as well. Thank God, En. Suami packs his own bag. Phew.

We went back to Kuantan last two weeks. It was Inas first road trip and my first road trip with a baby. Being the complicated me, I packed everything one day before the traveling day. I went through each and every routine to help me to pack. It was quite easy to do it that way so I won't forget any essentials. 

For example, our morning starts with a morning bath. What do we need for bathing time? Shower gel, shampoo. After that, what do need to get ready? Lotion, massage oil, talcum etc. I also have a traveling packing list (got it at Babycenter.com) that helps me in case I miss any other essentials. 

Since Inas does not have a suitcase (YET!), she is using mine for the time being. Here's what and how I organize everything in the bag.

1) 1 bag of 24 diapers. However, not a fan of Mamypoko. Still prefers Drypers.

2) What's inside the floral bag; Inas' toiletries. 

3) What's inside the box: Socks, mitten and hairbands.

4) Pillow and blanket

5) Enough clothes.

Things that are not packed in the bag;

1) Bottles

2) Mosquito net.

We are going back to Kuantan tomorrow morning as we are holding Inas's aqiqah ceremony on Saturday. That means I have to pack again. It's going to be less tricky this time around as we already bought the toiletries set in Kuantan.

Now, where can I get a funky suitcase that won't cost a bomb?

Till then.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

#87 - Lullaby

One of the "perks" of getting a newborn is you are less attached to your bed. You are more concerned on putting your baby to sleep and hope she would at least sleep 3 hours straight.

During the first few weeks, Inas would consistently wake up every 2 hours. But she was easier to put to sleep. Nowadays, she's a little tricky and demanding. Most of the times, it would take us more than 2 hours to put her to sleep. But at least, she would sleep through the night. Thank goodness for that.



Inas doesn't like to sleep in her cot. It's either on a comforter, couch, on us or on our bed. Walaupun macam kesian tapi as long as she would sleep, tak kisahlah kat mana-mana pun dia nak tidur.

There are also times when she refused to sleep. Melawan mata kata orang. That's when it's getting frustrated. Especially when both of us are really sleepy. But, I guess it just part and parcel of parenting.

Till then.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

#86 - Celebrate

Today marks 55th day I welcomed Inas to the world. Which means 11 days passed my confinement period.

I would have celebrate it with a glass of iced coke or any icy drinks for that matter;

Raw salmon;

Mall-hopping.

But I did none of the above.

Instead I celebrated the end of my confinement with an appointment with my Gynae and a low key lunch with En. Suami. But, I did it with style; rocking a studded jeans and 5 inches wedges.

Never I felt so at home. Haha.

I miss my heels so damn much. More than I miss CBTL's Iced Mocha Blended.

People said that your feet tend to expand after you gave birth, well it's true. The wedding shoes is a little bit tight now and one pair of wedges is a no go. Good thing, I can fit into heels that once were on a loose side.

I'm trying to get En. Suami to buy me a new pair of shoes as a end-of-confinement-gift. Hopefully, I'll will succeed.

Till then.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

#85 - Reality Check

I'm entering the second half of the confinement. Which means, I have to make a decision fast on what I want to do next.

As much as I wanted to be a SAHM, I have to realize it's just not time yet. 

I know it's going to be a little bit difficult to leave the house now that I have Inas but considering I want the best for her, I have to work.

There'll be a lot expenses in the future and I can't totally depend on En. Suami to manage everything alone. He needs my support. 

I have a few options in hand should I want to go back to recruitment. In fact, I just received a call from a headhunter with regards to a job opportunity. But, for some reason, I just don't have the heart to go back to recruitment.

Why this is so difficult?

I don't want to work long hours because I don't want work to interfere with my family time. It just not fair to my little girl.

Ya Allah, please make it easy for me.


Wednesday, October 31, 2012

#84 - Of Name

I tweeted, "Finding a name for your children is even harder than finding a pair of wedding shoes #truestory"

Why I said that? It took me 3 days and 5 malls to find the perfect wedding shoes and months to decide on a name for our unborn child.

We had a list of possible names but none actually stuck in our head. 

We wanted something Arabic, nothing too common or too modern. A name that is easy to pronoun.

We scoured the whole of internet. 

Until one day, a day before our baby was born, we were watching some show on tv when En. Suami out of sudden suggested "Hawani" (I believe it's from Adam & Hawa hype) but I said no because I have a friend of the same name.

Then, we were toying with some names. Added a few more names in the list. In the end, no choice was made.

After I gave birth, everyone was asking what's the baby's name. We just told them, no decision yet. We showed the list to both of our mothers to get their opinions. Both of them like one name in our list. Which was also the name that we both like. 

So, once we have confirmed the spelling (in Arabic) and meaning, we finally decided the name for our Little Star.

On 15th of October, we officially registered her name; Inas Hanani. 

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

#83 - Confinement

My little princess is 12 days old today. Sometimes I can't believe that I am a mother now. Amazing feeling. THE MOST amazing feeling.



So how I cope being in confinement so far?

I am currently at my mom's place. Easier that way. Alhamdulillah, Mak is not that strict when it comes to what I can and what I can't eat. In fact, we are having pizza for dinner today.

Oh, ikan goreng tenggiri makan dengan nasi panas ditabur dengan lada hitam adalah sedap ok.

I'm not taking any jamu or anything because Mak is not sure whether I can take it given that I had c-sect instead of normal birth. Thank God for that. I don't think I can take them.

I am also not taking ikan haruan although people say it's good for the wound. My gynae advised against it. The reason being, IF I have to undergo another operation in the future, it would be more difficult and I would bleed more. 

Other than that, I am currently enjoying my confinement. Like, hello makcik urut! It feels like going to a spa but in the comfort of your house.

Till my next entry.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

#82 - Yellow

Little Star was admitted to hospital late last night because of jaundice and it was a heartbreaking moment for both of us.

My mother and I went to the hospital in the afternoon for a follow up check up. The Paed said she looked a bit yellowish and so he took blood sample from Little Star. He informed that the hospital will call us later that night to inform the result.

The agony of waiting.

I tried not to think so much on that and try to stay positive. But the moment we received the call, I was weak for a while there. 

I tried to calm myself down by reciting surahs and zikir. 

I know jaundice is normal for baby. Especially Little Star is a premature baby, so we have to pay more attention to that.

My dear princess, cepat-cepat sihat ye sayang. 

I love you my dearest.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

#81 - The Arrival

God has a greater plan for me after all.

It started off with a simple breakfast with my mother in law while watching K-Drama on KBS channel. Then, since Mama planned to go out for lunch later, I continued watching other dramas as well instead of preparing ingredients for lunch.

Around 3pm, En. Suami got back from work and we got ready to go for our monthly check up. 

We were quite early so we managed to beat after work crowd. By 5, we were already in the doctor's room.

But, I was welcomed with concern yet worrisome tone from my Gynae. She said, the protein level in my urine is very high. She then checked my blood pressure and scanned the baby.

After scanning, she announced that I have to be admitted and she would do the c-sect that night. 

Imagine, my feeling.

There were no time to think twice or second opinion. I was admitted right away.

En. Suami made some calls to our family members informing my latest development. By that time, I could not think. I have mixed feelings. 

The surgery started around 8pm and took about 45 minutes. I was glad that En. Suami was with me throughout the process. I could never ask for better partner for this. He was calm and comforting, reciting surahs for me. Alhamdulillah.

At 8.36pm on 10th October 2012, we welcomed our beautiful daughter; our Little Star.


Yes, I wish I could give birth naturally and whatevernot. But, I feel it's for our own good. And I believe, Allah has better plan for us.

Welcome to the world my beautiful princess. Mama and Baba loves you endlessly.

Monday, October 1, 2012

#80 - TOTD: On Comparing Marriage

Mufti Menk tweeted,
Never compare your marriage with that of others. Each marriage has its own peculiarities and challenges. Comparing with those we presume are happier is not a solution but rather a grave error.
It's a very good reminder to me. I guess, the best is to be grateful. 

Insya Allah.

#79 - Productive Monday

Today must have been one of the productive days during my third trimester. I swept the floor and cleaned the windows. I wished to do so much more but I always need to remind myself not to overdo things. Need to remind myself that I am 8 months pregnant.

I tend to do a lot of things that my body cannot handle and by the end of the day, I suffered. A lot! Thus, the need of the constant reminders.

If you are wondering what I have been doing ever since I resigned, I did a lot of folding and cooking (and a lot of tv). Not so much of cleaning. So, since today I don't have to cook for dinner, I took the opportunity to clean and organize our room which looked like a total shipwrecked.

The next thing on my plate would be getting the stuff ready for the baby. Need to pack for the hospital bag as well as pack for the stuff that we are going to bring my mom's place. Hopefully, we could get half the things done by end of this week.

Plus, I need to settle the laundry as well. But I need to wait for En. Suami to do it. It's a bummer that I could not lift heavy things at this point otherwise I'd settle the laundry myself. Do you know, doing laundry is one the house chores that pregnant lady should avoid. You don't? Well, there you go. You're welcome.

Hopefully, I still have the energy to do all the pending tasks. So many things to do yet so little time.

Till then.

Friday, September 28, 2012

#78 - Snapshot of the Week Part 5

I was thinking of posting an entry when we are back in Kuantan but I just can't resist to jot down something. There will be another entry but here's a snapshot.

1) My brother's wedding went smoothly. It was pretty hectic for me despite not doing anything. I mean I could hardly do anything. But I did help packing for the wedding favours. At least, I contributed something to the whole wedding thing.

2) My swollen feet made common appearance throughout the wedding weeks and my face bloated like nobody business. I just can't be bothered anymore.

3) And due to the hectic weeks, my blood pressure went up slightly high than usual. I need to take some meds to control it otherwise I have to be admitted. I guess, no more hectic or over the top activities for this 8 months pregnant lady.

4) As far as the preparation for the baby is concern, we managed to get a few things already but there are lot more to buy. I am half way done packing for the hospital bag. I should've start parking earlier but I always ended up thinking what Little Star would wear when s/he comes back from the hospital. Need to be stylish ok. Haha.

5) Now that I'm entering 34th week, the check up is now more frequent. The next appointment would be in 2 weeks time. It's getting more intense every time we go and see the gynae. I guess it's normal for a first time mother.

Till my next entry (hopefully with more detailed post)

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

#77 - Of Swollen Feet


Reality finally hit me with a pair of swollen feet. 


I tried to be positive about it because it is part of pregnancy. If I can deal with endless nauseous and vomiting, I surely can handle swollen feet. Boy, was I wrong? Dead wrong. Even having a big ass tummy didn't affect me this much.

I could not fit into any of my shoes anymore. I know it would go away after I give birth but the irrational side of me refuse to listen to that. I was looking at my 5 inches heels the other day and I feel some sort of pain. 

The other day, I went to KLCC with my SIL for lunch and I tried on a pair of oh-so-comfortable wedges at Sketchers. Part of me wanted to buy the shoes but I know most people (especially the elders) would disagree with that. So, I just put them back where it does not belong; the shelf.

Yes, I could buy a new pair of shoes now that I can't fit any of them but I know the selection would only be sandals. At least better than nothing, right.

Thought of asking En. Suami for some shoe-shopping after dinner but he is still stuck at the office. Tomorrow then. I hope.

Till then.

#76 - Time Wait for No Man

2 of my best friends met up last night and I could not join them. Yan (who is currently staying in Brisbane) came back for her brother's wedding. I knew at the back of my mind that it is impossible for her to slot some time to meet us but somehow we always find a way to meet.

But yesterday, nothing can be done because the meet up place was in Alamanda and after office hours. It was impossible for me. I don't think En. Suami would be very thrilled with me driving to that side of the city alone and with my current condition.

Truth be told. I was and am still sad the fact I could not see her yesterday. I miss her so much. 

Her flight is tomorrow morning and I have this urge to go the airport.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

#75 - Tick Tock Tick Tock

I am currently on my 31st week and approximately 7-8 weeks to go. Nervous? Yes. Excited? Yes. But believe it or not, we have not prepare anything yet for the baby. Yes, we did buy some clothes during our trip to UK but seriously, it could not last more than 2 weeks.

We planned to do the shopping at the end of this month. Hopefully sempat lah kan. Need to plan out what to buy (the necessities). If the baby decided to come out early, s/he just need to settle sleeping on comforter and wearing clothes twice the size.

En. Suami and me also has been listing a few possible names for our baby. Didn't know, finding a name could be a chore. Like, seriously. Every time when we think of a name, it would always ended with "eh macam nama anak orang tu, anak orang nie". Not helping when both of us came from a big family with lots of nieces, nephews and young cousins. And not to mention, our friends' children.

Need to sign off. Housewife duty is calling me and I have like 2 basket full of laundry to fold. 

Till then.


#74 - Snippets of the Week Part 4

Wow, almost a month and no update whatsoever.

Selamat Hari Raya and hope everyone had a good celebration. This year, we went back to En. Suami's hometown and I had a blast. It has been a while since I have a lot of relatives in the same house at the same time. It feels nice. Dah lama tak rasa berebut toilet. 

On that raya morning, my family in KL called up and sang Dendang Perantau to me. No prize for guessing who cried like a baby.

Anyway, here's some snippets on what I have been up to;

1) We spent most of our weekend visiting relatives and friends. That is what Raya is all about. Alhamdulillah, the traffic was not that bad during our "jalan-jalan raya". On the other hand, I am running out of dresses to wear so I've been wearing pants instead. But, nobody get to say anything to this pregnant lady. I can wear whatever I want.

2) We went for our monthly check up and Alhamdulillah Little Star is doing well. Little Star is now 1.3kg and I am currently at my heaviest. I have swollen legs and can't fit into any of my shoes anymore (boo hoo)

3) I'm getting a little bit lazy and tired lately. It took me twice the time to do everything. It feels like first trimester all over again. Maybe because I'm getting heavier?

Basically, that's about it. 

Till then.

Friday, August 10, 2012

#73 - Snippets of the Week Part 3

2nd week of becoming a housewife and the only down side of not working is I don't have the access to blog everyday. Not really fond blogging from iPad. The only choice is to borrow my SIL's Macbook. Maybe I should get myself a laptop but En. Suami prefers desktop. Whatever it is, I need to have either one so I can blog.

Anyway, here's another snippets on what I've been up to since last week.

1) Was in Pekan last week for gotong royong session. But, we didn't actually participate (more like tunjuk muka) since we arrived Pekan only on Saturday evening. Spent one night there and headed back to Kuantan on Sunday morning. 

2) Since some of the states were on public holiday that Monday (Selangor included), we took the opportunity to shop for my Raya dress in Kuantan. Managed to get one maxi dress and one blouse (approved by MIL) but still not done with raya shopping as I need to find something blue to match En. Suami. 

3) During our monthly check up (the reason why we arrived late in Pekan), we finally can confirm on our Little Star's gender. But, I would like to keep it as a secret first. You guys have to wait until November to find out *wink*

4) Went to Kenanga Wholesale City with Ain. The mall was huge. We bought more than we should. But, I managed to get the blue dress for raya and red dress for my brother's wedding. I have a feeling that I'm probably going to buy another dress for his wedding but if not, I just wear the dress that I already bought. So now I am pretty much settled with raya preparation. Oh, except for shoes.

5) I wanted to bake some cookies but we don't have an oven. Maka, impian tinggal impian. But, it is good to know that my favourite cookies is also En. Suami's favourite. I should just master that one particular cookies. 

6) For En. Suami's birthday, I planned to cook his favourite dish which is Spaghetti Carbonara. But, my SIL invited to her house for iftar so we celebrated his birthday with his siblings. But, I managed to prepare the dish the day after that. It was ok. En. Suami finished off everything and it really makes everything worth it.



6) I finally found the time to reorganize my closet. OMG, do I have a lot of shawls. The shawls in the picture above are only half of them. But still, I think they are not enough. Sigh.

This year, we will be going back to Kuantan and Pekan for Raya. I only have a few days left to settle everything before we head back next Thursday. I should prepare a list of things to bring because lately I always forget things.

Let's hope I can squeeze some time to blog before another long hiatus.

Till then.

Friday, August 3, 2012

#72 - Fasting while Pregnant

14th of Ramadhan. Alhamdulillah, both Little Star and me have been doing so well. Only the last two days I need to break fast 2 hours earlier because of acidic gas. Other than that, Little Star has been really good. Really proud of my child. 

Although it is permissible for me not to fast but I decided to go against it. I am in a good condition so why shouldn't I? Moreover, I don't think I have the energy to replace 30 days of fasting. There are few people raised their eyebrows when I told them that I'm fasting but I don't care. I believe fasting will do more good to the baby and me than harm.

Anyway, today marked the third day of becoming a full time housewife. I did a lot of house chores on my first day that I don't have anything to do on my third day. Maybe I should stock up the groceries soon so I can start cooking. At least, I can practice making different dishes. 

En. Suami's birthday is next week. What should I prepare for him?


#71 - TOTD: On Saving Marriage

By Mufti Ismail Menk.
If marriages were meant to be broken due to a mistake made by a spouse, nobody would be spared divorce. A spouse is meant to be the strongest pillar of support during times of difficulty and hardship. Instead of finding reason to hold a marriage together, today we tend to look for reason to break it. Sometimes we overlook a thousand points of goodness in our spouses due to ten weaknesses. Spouses who have assisted each other through errors and hardships are mostly much happier than ever before. It is those who refuse to be helped and continue repeating unacceptable behaviour who compel their spouses to rightfully consider leaving. May the Almighty save our marriages in this age of divorce for the minutest reason. Ameen.
Ameen.

I want to be the strongest pillar of support for En. Suami. That's all I want to be. Insya Allah.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

#70 - Fist Pump


Today is my last day at work. Am I excited? Hell yeah!

After 3 months of contractual torture, I can finally bid goodbye to this place. And when I said contractual torture, I meant the on and off love-hate relationship towards my job, assignments as well as my colleagues. I feel not doing anything today but I know it's impossible.

So, what's next on my plate? Housewife FTW!

Hopefully I get to learn to cook more dishes, bake more cookies (probably unlikely), fold/iron more clothes and etc. And on top of that, I hope I could recite Quran as much as I could. 

Let me enjoy the time before I go back to working life again some time in the future.

Till then.

Friday, July 27, 2012

#69 - Langkawi Trip Snapshot Part 2

Since I am quite pissed off with the assignment that I'm currently working on, I decided to write another entry on Langkawi.

1) The initial plan was to go the Langkawi Geopark to ride on the cable car. Since it was raining very heavily we made a slight change and went to Buffalo Park. You can see how mozzarella cheese was made, feed the buffalo and some other activities. BUT, unfortunately the place was close on Friday. It would only open at 3 after Friday prayer. Imagine the frustration?!


So we helped ourselves with ice cream made from buffalo milk. Takde rezeki nak tengok kerbau. It would be interesting as it would be something different.

2) After lunch and Zohor prayer, we went to Geopark. Finally the long awaited cable car ride. Here's the thing, my mother-in-law was a bit worried because I was too active and suddenly I can hear my mom's saying that she is worried too. Lepas tu, dah cuak. Tapi naik jugak. Hehe.



Check out the view. Isn't it breathtaking?

3) Went to the famous The Loaf. It's like must visit place although (obviously) the pastries is a little bit expensive than your normal bakeries.



Check out the view. Sangat The O.C

4) Off to Pantai Pasir Tengkorak. We almost jumped into the water when a young boy got sting by jelly fish. Bermain di gigi air lah nampaknya.


Can you spot my baby bump?

5) Next is chocolate shopping. The off to major tourist spots like Lang Square and Lagenda Langkawi.




Ok dah malas nak eleborate. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Till then.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

#68 - Executive Search 101

I started my career (or lack thereof) in executive search about 5 years ago. When I joined the first company, I have been educated that executive search is meant for top management recruitment due to certain confidentiality of the position. 

Executive Search is rarely done for junior level position although there are a few firms specialized in junior level assignments. Ok, here's the thing. My current organization supposedly specialized in senior/top level management positions. We have a different unit that is specialized in junior positions. But now, as we speak, I'm working on a junior level positions. I must say it's a tough assignment and not to mention ridiculous.

Why is it tough and ridiculous?

Being a recruiter, our main method of getting candidates is through cold calling . It could be tricky because you can't expose yourself until you speak to the right person and the art of manipulating is very much needed at this point. For example, when you asked for the junior accountant they will transfer you to the Finance Manager or sometimes to the CFO's secretary. 

Do you see the pattern now? It's very easy to get the name of the Manager or CFO but not the accountant. Imagine if I have to find an engineer in a manufacturing company.

This is why working on a junior position is a much more trickier than a senior position. 

Based on my discussion with my colleague who shared the same sentiment as mine, we concluded a few more points why assignments on junior position is a bit tough.

1) Let say we managed to get the name and speak to the potential candidate. They sent their updated resume and it's time to meet face to face for further discussion. To arrange for the appointment could be very   challenging as most of them would prefer to meet after work because they can't take leave. Or if need to take leave, we have to tell them a few days in advance because of the company policy. This based on our own experience.

2) They don't understand what executive search is. Well, can you blame them when they never been exposed to this practice before? You have to explain to them how does it work and they need a little bit of assurance on our side. My colleague was laughing when one of the candidates asked a rather naive question. I told him off. I said, "they are not sure about how does this work and of course if they are not sure they need to ask. You can't expect them to know everything"

"But the clause is very straightforward"

"Yeah, but could be confusing too"

3) They thought we are selling them products or maybe promoting MLM. Most of the immediate feedback that we get is "I am not interested". 

As much as I enjoy being in this line, working on a this kind of assignment can be frustrating. 

Till then.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

#67 - TOTD: On names and marriage

Mufti Ismail Menk tweeted on these 2 subjects and I think I should share them with all of you.

On naming our children:
When naming our children we should ensure a beautiful meaning rather than an exotic sounding name void of meaning. Some parents ignorantly choose names that have a bad meaning just because it sounds good. The child then grows up being called a bad name. To avoid distortions, it is wise to choose a name that will be pronounced with ease by the community the child will grow up in.
On marriage:
A growing number of young do not realize that marriage is not a perpetual honeymoon. Marriage is a great sacrifice and a major adjustment is required for it to be blissful. What is the point of looking good together according to the world when the whole house is in disarray. In marriage, humble beginnings result in more appreciated relationships that last longer in most cases.
Something for us to ponder. 

Till then.

#66 - Langkawi Trip Snapshot Part 1

Here's a snapshot from my recent trip to Langkawi. It has been quite a journey for all of us especially for yours truly. A lot of things/activities can't be done. But c'est la vie. 


1) Our flight departed at 8.30 and we reached Langkawi Airport approximately at 9.30am. The airport was fairly small so we didn't have to walk very far to collect our bags. By this time, the land lady already waiting for us with our 2 rented cars.


2) We were brought to the homestay which was situated in Jalan Mata Ayer, Ulu Melaka. It's double storey house with 3 bedrooms (equipped with aircond), 2 bathrooms (equipped with heater), kitchen (equipped with cooking utensils), dining and living hall. The land lady even prepared us breakfast. Talk about good hospitality.


3) Our first tourist spot of the day was Galeria Perdana. You can see collection of gifts and souvenirs given to our ex-Prime Minister from other countries' leaders. It was actually quite interesting to see other countries' culture through their gifts.

4) Went to Cenang Beach. Initially we wanted to chill by the beach but can't do so because of the elders. So we stuck, didn't know what to do and ended up walking almost more than 2km to find place to eat.


5) Though most of us tired because of the excessive walking and lack of sleep, we still managed to squeeze some time to play "Hello Jack". A very hilarious game. We went to bed at midnight because it's going to be another long day tomorrow.

Till then.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

#65 - Done!

I've tendered my resignation officially today. My last day of working will be at the end of this month. I had enough dealing with ridiculous assignments and difficult Clients. It's not healthy to be mad and stress every single day. Not good for me and the baby.

No point dwelling on it. People don't want to listen me rambling about my work every single hour of the day. Orang pun bosan and menyampah.

I just want to relax and enjoy my Ramadhan.

Till then.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

#64 - Now or Never


This is what I feel like doing at my office right now. Scream at the top of my lung and shout, "Can you stop being so kancheong?!"

The thing about my this particular colleague of mine, he is not really helpful in terms of helping me in getting candidates. Yes, he would give me an idea but it's not that strategic enough if you are looking for candidates with specific technical skills. 

When I first entered the recruitment industry, from what I understood from my previous employer, executive search is all about top management recruitment. But now, I'm doing a junior position which is more difficult than a senior position.

I talked to my colleague (which is now based at a Client's office) about ending my contract by end of this month, 2 weeks earlier than initial agreement. She said, "just do whatever you have to do and as long as you are happy." 

Although I keep on having doubts about my decision, but I think it is time to do something. It is not fun to go to work anymore and it has become unnecessary stress for me handling difficult client and ridiculous assignment.

Everything at this workplace began to annoy me. Seriously, I have to go.

Right now, I'm just waiting for En. Suami to give me his blessing so I can see my Superior regarding this matter.

Hopefully everything will goes well for me because I don't want to end up being like this.


Monday, July 16, 2012

#63 - Holla

Hello peeps.

Back in KL safe and sound. Langkawi was great although we didn't get to go to the beach as much as we wanted.

Will update on Langkawi with pictures. I looked very pregnant in every shots. Hehe.

Till then. 

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

#62 - On a Beach Holiday


I'll be off to Langkawi Island with En. Suami and his family tomorrow. It was quite spontaneous trip because initially we planned to go a bit later of the year. But after an impromptu discussion on Langkawi, for some reason we found ourselves in front of the pc anf booked the flight ticket.

We will be flying with MAS. The tickets were quite reasonable as compared to AirAsia and Firefly (this is THE MOST expensive) and we managed to redeem our enrich points so we saved quite a lot.

The last time I was in Langkawi, I was only 7 years old. And it was only for 2D1N. This time around we get to stay a little bit longer.

I am pretty sure there are a lot changes and improvements (like duh!) in Langkawi so I am very excited.

Please pray for our safety. Will update on the trip once I'm back. 

Be good everyone.

Till then.


Monday, July 9, 2012

#61 - Snippets of the Week Part 2

It has been a while since I last posted pictures on this blog. So, during our little outing/date last week, I tried to snap a few photos but not too much though because we were busy eating and talking.

1) We went for our monthly check up but with a different doctor. The one that we usually saw was on leave last Saturday. Initially we wanted to see her on Friday but because of the bad traffic we couldn't make it. Based on our personal point of view, we preferred Dr. K rather than Dr. Z. We felt that Dr. K is more friendly and more informative. Anyway, we thought we could see the gender of Little Star but we couldn't just yet. So we have to wait for next month check up to find out (hopefully).


2) We went to Ampang for my friend's daughter's aqiqah. We basically there for lunch. Thought of going out for shopping after that but looking at the traffic condition, we decided to stay in. At least, I managed to re-organize both of our closets. 

3) After dinner, we decided to have some ice cream so we scouted for the best place to hang out. Unfortunately there's not much choice. We ended up buying McD's ice cream sundae and enjoyed them in the comfort of our own couch.



4) Sunday is our lazy day. We stayed in and did nothing. And of course, there was Wimbeldon's final game.

It has been a very laid back weekend. I wished I could do more. Like sorting the laundry and whatever not but I think we did some progress by re-organizing the closet. More space for En. Suami and me. Now we only need to make some space for Little Star.

Can't wait to have our own love nest in the future.

Till then.

Friday, July 6, 2012

#60 - Tick Tock

Lately, I've been thinking a lot with regards to my career path. Well, not so much on career but you get what I mean. 

My working experience started off in recruitment and I've been in the industry for almost 5 years. Last year, I took a break from recruitment and decided to do administration work. I actually quite like the admin work but definitely not with PR firm. Why not PR firm although I used to have this ambition to become a PR practitioner? One thing for sure, I don't like the idea working after 6 and people actually expected me to reply message/email at 9 -10pm!

To me after 6 is family time. If En. Suami can put everything away after 6, why can't I? After all, he is supposed to be my top priority.

Coming to the end of my temporary employment next month, I started to think what I want to do next. Part of me, I wanted to work in admin side in a relatively small company so less headache. But the ambitious (not so much) side of me wanted to work in another aspect of HR to enhance my knowledge and experience. You know, like talent management etc.

I had a discussion with my colleague the other day and she encouraged me to either continue with recruitment or explore another branch of HR. She believes I am better off in HR rather than admin.

This is where I contemplated a lot. 

Sometimes I wish I had taken a more specific course so I can be definite on what I want to be and to do. 

Well after end of August, I have exactly 4 months to decide what I want to do. But I must act fast as time waits no one.

Till then.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

#59 - Mama/Baby Update Part 1

Lately I noticed some new developments on my pregnancy;

1) I can't eat too much. Everything must be in moderation. The other day, I had a small portion of nasi lemak  for breakfast, porridge for lunch and chicken cheese sausage for dinner. The day after that, I had a pack of nasi lemak for breakfast, a plate of mixed rice for lunch and dinner. By the time I finished my dinner, I was bloated and my tummy stretched so much that I can't sit. And for the past 2 days, I tried to control my food intake and I feel better. So I concluded that I can't that much.

2) During my first pregnancy, I could not take Nescafe at all so it was quite easy for me to stop drinking for a while. This time around after my first trimester, I was being a little bit adventurous so I drank a bit. It was good at the first time. But nowadays, I noticed Nescafe gives very bad after taste and makes me nauseous. Hot Milo and tea also gives the same kind of feeling. The only thing (so far) that I can drink in iced Milo. So, for the time being, I have to settle for iced Milo for breakfast.

3) The Little Star now is kicking like mad. Though there were still very soft and faint but enough to make his/her presence felt. I can't wait for our monthly check up this Saturday. I miss the Little Star already. Especially En. Suami because he missed last month's check up because I went on Friday instead of Saturday.

Till then.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

#58 - Being ME

I've been thinking a lot lately. Not only about work, my pregnancy, the preparation to welcome our little bundle of joy in the world, house chores, how to make perfect dinner but also on my dressing.

You see, I do wear hijab but I think I do not fully embrace the whole concept of covering your aurah. Before  I got married, I made a "promise" to myself to wear loose-fitting clothes, to always observe my aurah but I think I kinda not fulfill it. YET.

En. Suami made some comments about some of my clothes for being a little bit too tight and short. I took it as a sign not to wear them anymore but that does not necessarily made me not wearing other clothes.

But slowly, I know I have to do it now. My first baby step would be putting away the old, tight fitting clothes, get more loose fitting dresses and blouses and lowering my hijab until it covers my chest. It would take a while though but I want to make it happen. 

I just need all the support that I can. May Allah ease my journey of becoming a better Muslimah and wife.

Ameen.

Till then.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

#57 - Is It Done, Already?

I was down with fever, flu and cough last week. I was on half day leave on Thursday and medical leave on Friday. God knows how much I wanted to be in bed, do nothing but rest.

Yesterday (Monday), I practically did nothing at the office because my body ache so much and I feel so tired. I'm supposed to get something for dinner since En. Suami won't be around as he had a farewell dinner to attend to but I ended up lying on the couch, catching up with Masterchef Selebriti. I only had sausage for dinner.

Today, I was motivated to do my job but the new assignment is killing me. I hate complaining every single day but I just don't have the motivation to work at this place anymore. 

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

#56 - Shut It!

Initially I wanted to blog about something else but since I am so pissed of with my colleagues I decided not to blog on anything. Because if I continue, it would be about work and work is not that special to have it's own slot every single time.

Right now, I want to go back and cuddle with En. Suami. Urgh! 

I just hate these people already. Can I work until July only?!

Nanti buat penat je puasa tapi dah menyumpah seranah.

Friday, June 22, 2012

#55 - Here for You

Thud.

One.

Two.

Three.

Three gentle thuds greeted me this morning and boy, was that a pleasant surprise from the little one. I was still lying on my bed, trying to get my lazy ass out of bed when I noticed the first kick. I was like "eh".

Then, came the second kick. And I was so excited and quickly told En. Suami. He put this palm on my tummy and waited for the kick. And there there was the third kick. Both of us were beaming with joy.

itu baru kick. Kalau the real thing nanti sure dah tak boleh nak tutup mulut tersengih.

I guess that is the beauty of being pregnant. All the little things are like very amazing experience. Definitely one of the experiences that you could not get anywhere else. Things as simple as soft gentle kicks are enough to tell me "I'm still here, Mommy!"

When I was pregnant the first time, we didn't know that we lost the baby until our monthly checkup because there were no visible symptoms. After a lot of discussions among both of us and the gynaes, we decided that we lost the baby when I stopped having my sickness. So, with the present pregnancy, I was quite paranoid when I didn't vomit or nauseous. Although, it was very tiring running to the toilet and puke but I rather do that rather than being paranoid and thinking "have I lost the baby?"

Yes, I am being super paranoid but that's me. I didn't quite share my worries with En. Suami because I don't want to over think. 

Alhamdulillah, every thing went well until today and hope it will last till I give birth in November. Ameen.

Till then.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

#54 - Snippets of the Week Part 1

Currently waiting for the time to go for my lunch. Thought I just drop a paragraph or two :D

1) I need to get my act together and accept things as they are. So, I have to bear another 2 months with the current company. It's actually not long but considering the stress and the tension, 2 months seem like a life time.

2) Maybe I should clarify one thing. Not that I hate the job or the company. More like I can't work with the current teammate. Very frustrating. Again, need to get my act together and bear with it.

3) Need to list down things that I need to buy for Little Star. Oh my God, can't wait to shop for the baby stuff.

4) Things I need to do get done by July; re-arrange our closet, re-organize our room and the guest room, spring cleaning the whole house, stock up our groceries and etc.

5) I need to start panicking about raya and my brother's wedding. I need at least 5 new dresses. 

6) Besides the dress, should I think about raya delicacies as well? Oh my. This one is going to be tough.

7) I need to plan the itinerary for the family vacation in July. Holiday organizer mode is on.


Friday, June 15, 2012

#53 - Hang On A Little While

Lately, I've been on writer's mode so the urge to write is there but with no topic to share. Maybe I was not enjoying my work (but when did I ever enjoy my work, like really?) so I always have the tendency to rant and babble.

My friend who is also my colleague advised me not to tweet too much because of my last tweet incident. The thing is I just have to express my feelings. Therefore, I'm using every other outlets possible. So far, I've been harassing my above friend, my best friend who is also detest her work place so much and this particular space. Yeay blog!

Looking for other job opportunity especially on temporary basis or even on flexi hours can be a very challenging task. If it's up to my lazy ass, I would take any front office assistant a.k.a receptionist job anytime but there's always the rational voice in me that keep saying, "It won't look good on your resume"

I'm not saying working as a receptionist is a bad thing or even degrading but if I were to compare with the rest of my experience, it would look weird. But seriously, I think I can be a good receptionist. Ok I might not have a nice, melodious voice but I think my speaking/communication skill esp in English is good.

*angkat bakul sendiri"

Ok, enough ranting about work. I have something to announce, I now can cook! Yeay! Now, I'm back in the kitchen. The first thing I cooked for En. Suami was omelette and his favourite dish, fried rice. Look forward to cook so many different dishes and polish my cooking skills.

Maybe I should learn how to make En. Suami favourite dessert; pavlova. Herm.

Something to consider. 

I have to go off now. It's going to be a busy weekend; car servicing, maternity clothes shopping and some bonding time with En. Suami's cousins. 

Till then.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

#52 - Can I Make It Stop?

I tweeted this:

Ya Allah tak sabarnya tunggu bulan 8. Get this over and done with. Kalau ikut hati nak berhenti je by end of this month.

And I think I made En. Suami worried. Here's the thing. I complaint a lot about my work. Not only on twitter but also to En. Suami, my best friends and some of my trusted friends. But lately, my resentment towards my job is getting bad to worst. 

Yes, kalau ikut hati memang nak berhenti. Duduk kat rumah jadi surirumah sementara nak tunggu bersalin. Tapi, mampu ke nak buat macam tu sekarang?

Sungguh, memang dah tak larat nak duduk office lama-lama sampai sakit pinggang. Emosi pun terganggu, kesihatan apatah lagi.

Nak buat macam mana nie?

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

#51 - Drama Mama

If given the choice, I do not want to talk so much on my pregnancy. Maybe because of my first experience. However, I do feel I need to jot down my pregnancy experience so that I could always come back to this place and reminisce.

1) I found out I was pregnant as early as 4 weeks. Although a week before that I have a feeling that I am already pregnant. One, I was late. Two, I was so damn tired. We took the pregnancy test and decided to see the gynae the very next day to confirm. We kept the news from friends until after 10 weeks. And we only tell to those who asked.

2) I was 2 months pregnant when we went to UK. It was very risky but we had no choice. My gynae was very reluctant to let me go but after the second check up, she prepared a letter so I don't have to go through the security gate. I did a lot of research regarding this matter. Mind you, it was not that easy to travel when you bound to vomit every time after you eat or if you smell something "unpleasant". I drank a lot of plain water and made a point to move my leg even when I was sleeping.

3) During the first trimester, my morning sickness or should I say my every-time-of-the-day sickness was really bad. It was even worst than the first one. Alhamdulillah, during the trip my baby was on a good behaviour! My Little Star is a champion or like the gynae called him/her, "The Young Traveler"

4) What I discovered during my first trimester, I could not take any icy drinks, ice cream is ok, heat would make me very tired, I can't take any kind of fruits, I can't cook, I can't smell my husband's perfume, the smell of KFC chicken makes me nauseous but I can still eat them.

Insya Allah will share more from time to time.

Till then.

Monday, June 11, 2012

#50 - 365

Alhamdulillah.

365 days.

52 weeks.

Today En. Suami and I celebrate our first anniversary. How time flies. I can still remember the rush on that morning. I was surprisingly calm and composed. 

I still remember how happy I was on that day. I couldn't stop smiling. Even until now. Whenever I look at my wedding photo, it still put a smile on my face.

It was a joyful journey so far. And of course an adventurous one if I might add. But, what is a marriage without a little bit of hiccups, right? 

I do not want to dwell on the small disagreements that we had because on this auspicious day, I would like to look back at the 365 days that I have spent with En. Suami.  No wonder people said being in love after you are married is the sweetest. I shall not argue with that. It IS the sweetest. 

I thank Allah everyday for this opportunity.

Thank you En. Suami for being everything that you are. 


And insya Allah, we will be welcoming our Little Star in November.


p/s: the scan picture is googled.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

#49 - UK Trip: One Night in Manchester

We reached city of Manchester around 9pm. Since, it was not on our initial plan to sleep over in Manchester, we basically didn't have a place to sleep. Based on our poor (read: stupid) GPS, we try to find a decent apartment or cheap hotel.

The thing about hotels on UK, they can only accommodate 2 adults in one room, regardless how big the room is. Imagine, there were 7 of us. One of us has to sleep alone. Thank God, we found Travelodge. Cheap and accommodating. 


The next morning, we booked a taxi and went for a city tour. There were a few places that we visited. Honestly, at that point I didn't give a damn about the city tour because I want to this place:


OLD TRAFFORD STADIUM!!! I was like a kid in a candy store. Okay, regardless with what En. Suami said, I am a supporter of Manchester United. I may not watch every single game and know every single player but I support Manchester.

Just imagine standing in front of the stadium. I was grinning from ear to ear. 

Dream #2 : Visit Old Trafford Stadium. Checked!

After Old Trafford, we made another stop at Hard Rock Cafe then we headed back to the hotel and started packing.


The amount of bags and purchases throughout our 4 days and 3 nights journey. At this point, we knew we must stop shopping already. Haha. Before we head home, we made another stop at a place called Zouk (yes ZOUK) for lunch.


But it's HALAL ya'll. We reached Bristol late in the evening and it's time to rest.

Till then.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

#48: UK Trip: Road Trip to Scotland Pt 2

The next morning, after feasting ourselves with some delicious nasi lemak made by Aunt R, we made a move to Tantallon Castle which will take approximately 40 minutes to reach there. To go to Tantallon Castle, we have 2 options; we can there through city centre or coastal way. Since we totally depended on GPS, we passed by the city centre when we found the exit that will lead us to coastal way. 


It was a nice experience to witness the nature beauty without modern development. 

I can't really recall the history behind the castle (go wiki, please) but the reason why we were there because the video clip for the song "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" was shot here. The moment we reached the castle, my SIL decided to play the song as our background music.


We spent quite sometime at the castle. Seriously, with that kind of breathtaking view, this is photo opportunity. Thank God both of SILs were patient enough to entertain our craziness :)

We drove back to the city to have our lunch and did some city tour. We went to the garden which was very pretty. There were a few other places we can go actually like the Edinburgh Castle but it was quite distance so we decided to pass that one out.


Done with City tour, now it's shopping time. I actually went crazy looking at the kilts especially the cute tiny one. I bought one for some weird reason. I'm going to make my nephew to wear that one. Hahaha.

After we literally shopped until we dropped, we went back to the apartment. By this time, I was already tired to the max.

End of Day 2.

The last day in Scotland, we drove to Glasgow. 


Personally, I don't really favour Glasgow city as compared to Edinburgh city. Nevertheless, we spent quite some time in Glasgow before we went to our next destination.


Here's the scenic view of Lake District in Keswick town. It was so calm, peaceful and eerie. We had another round of photo shoot and off to our last destination of the day; Manchester!

More on Manchester on my next entry.

Till then.