Fill up my car please!

Breathe easy dude!

I know. The fuel price hike is absolutely atrocious. RM2.70 a liter? There is no way escaping it. The moment the rumours spread like wild fire a few days ago, I knew that a lot of people are going into cardiac arrest.

Dear husband was one of them.

"Great! There goes my dream of driving Toyota Wish this year. " he mumbled and whined whilst munching his dinner last night.

You see, he had just settled the last instalment of his Proton Wira last month and was contemplating to grab an SUV or MPV this year. But all that wishful thinking went down the drain the minute the news of newest fuel price was made known last night.

"Did you know that before the latest price hike, I had to pay RM67++ for a full tank in my car and that it will last me only 5 days before I had to refill again? And now I have to pay like RM94++ to get a full tank in that same stupid car and it still lasts me for 5 days...blah blah blah...." he continued his frustations.

So, for the next 30 minutes or so during dinner, he had berated every single person (responsible) in the world especially George Bush for bringing misery to every man on the street.

I've never seen the man so hissy until last night. Sheesh.

The power of persuasion

The kids can really bring out the gullible side in me. Its the first week of school holidays and I'm beginning to feel mounting pressure to accommodate their whims and fancies.

Just today, they wanted me to fix and install their play tent bought at Ikea a very long time ago and they want to play campy with it. I thought it was a brilliant idea coz they don't have to roam all over the house.

Obviously, they have outgrown it coz the tent can barely fit 2 persons snugly inside it so Kak Ngah, being the outspoken among the 2 had made a humble request.

Kak Ngah: Ibu, can we get a bigger tent. This one don't fit us.

Ibu: Its not the tent that's getting smaller, its you whose getting bigger!

Just then, Kak Long interrupted the conversation subtly.

Kak Long: In that case, you have to buy a bigger tent for us (and quickly showed me the picture in a brochure)

Don't ask me where she got the picture but she just did.

Ibu: So if we buy this new tent, who's going to use the old one?



Kak Ngah: Give it to anyone who doesn't have one. Or you can throw it in the dustbin (cheeky smile)



Ibu: No, you're going to have to make use of it. Besides, its a wastage to buy a new tent...



Silence for about 2 seconds.



Kak Long: If that's the case then you'll have to make us a tree house!



Kak Ngah: Yeyyy...a tree house! We want a tree house!

Ibu: Very funny! where shall we build a tree house? we don't even have a tree in our backyard or frontyard. Even our lawn had been covered with cement.

Kak Ngah: Then you'll just have to buy a bigger tent, right or not Ibu?

Kak Long: Yes yes....a bigger tent for us. Even little B can play with us. All 3 of us can fit in nicely in a bigger tent and we don't have to mess the whole place. We have a big tent to mess up with....hehehe

Kak Ngah: Buy lah Ibu....please please pleaseeeee!



Ibu: Hmm....I'll have to talk it over with your ayah ok?



Oh shoot! I've done it again this time. Sucker me.

Cookie mania

The new Idol is crowned. And he ain't David Archuleta. Its the other David, or is it Cookie? Just when I think this whole crazy rock star thing is over, at least for me, considering the age I am at, along comes David Cook.

I did just that last night - screaming and cheering out loud for him.

Hi, I'm KC and I'm cookaholic!

Eight

I was tagged by Mama_Aiman for 8 random facts/habits about moiself. Why would anyone want to know about me. I am such a boring person, really. Anyway, tags that do not involve pasting pictures should be damn easy to do *wink wink*.

The rules implies;

1. Each blogger must post these rules first

2. Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves

3. Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names

4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged, and to read your blog

So the 8 facts about me are;

1. I'm not too crazy with fluffy animals and that means cats and rabbits as well. They are nice to watch on Animal Planet but I can't stand their poop smell. Sorry...
2. Despite my dislikeness for them, I don't have the heart to turn away hungry animals especially stray animals. I'll feed them when I have leftover foods
3. I hate reckless drivers who think of nothing but themselves on the road. Drivers who swerve dangerously, race dangerously (dah lama hidup ke depa ni...), change lanes without giving proper signals, cornering you every chance they get, drivers who think you should give way to them just becoz they drive big flashy cars. Urghhh...
4. I have soft spot for people eking out an honest living by doing menial jobs. They have my utmost respect
5. I'm a big time procrastinator. Prospective employers may want to take notice of this before employing me...hehehe
6. I'm a lousy liar. I can't keep a straight face
7. I love movies that can enthrall me with stunning visual effects and substance storylines
8. I'm allergic to snobbish and stuck up people.

I should be tagging 8 people but I guess not everybody is up to it. So I'm letting this tag open for anybody who wants to do it.

I dare ya!

Gotcha!

Something quite alarming happened this morning. I received a text message from the husband informing me about a certain panggilan santau that had caused people to die senselessly. The message warned mobile phone users to not pick any calls that has unusual long number marked in red color.

The message also says that 9 people had died in Indonesia and 2 deaths were already reported in Puchong, Selangor. The MO (modus operandi) was, unsuspecting victims will pick up the strange call and by the end of the conversation (I assumed) he or she will be dead. Sounds familiar?

In jest, I texted the husband and replied "wow, ni macam cerita The Ring aje". If you had seen the movie, it has about the same MO except that the killer was a video tape. Then he replied that it wasn't a hoax and the news was out in the paper today.

I was of course stunned in disbelief. When news of something this magnitude appears in the newspaper, it was a cause for concern. Without thinking much further, I began to text instantly all my friends that had their names listed in my mobile phone. Even the kedai runcit where I get my supply of cooking gas was not spared. Some even responded it was true. Latest casualty happened in Kuang. That's very near my place. Unbelievable!

In the midst of everything, I decided to log on and catch latest news online. What a bummer! It was actually a hoax. So I texted the husband and asked him, exactly which part of the story in the newspaper that was true. He said he didn't read the paper, someone else told him. Sigh.

That's when I replied, we just got punk'd - by mobile phone!

*read the full story here.

One down, one more to go...

After watching the semi-final 3 performed last night, I'm betting my last ringgit that Syesha Mercado will pack her bags tonight. Isn't it obvious?

That will leave us with David Archuleta and David Cook. And of course, David Archuleta will win the coveted title hands down? Wanna bet?

If there's anything I learnt from this kind of competition, be it on the home front or elsewhere, everything is about popularity. Nothing is about real talent. This is evidently so in our local Akademi Fantasia reality programme. It doesn't matter if they croak like Kermit the frog as long as they have extremely good looks and charming smiles, they'll win favours. As for the girls, the moment they flaunt their bootyliciousness and gedikness, ratings will soar. People love that especially neanderthal men.

In the end, its all about survival of the fittest.

david cook

david archuleta

Teachers

Teachers

Paint their minds

And guide their thoughts

Share their achievements and advise their faults

Inspire a Love

Of knowledge and truth

As you light the path

Which leads our youth

For our future brightens

With each lesson you teach

Each smile you lengthen

Each goal you help reach

For the dawn of each poet

Each philosopher and king

Begins with a Teacher

And the wisdom they bring

By Kevin William Huff

You deserve to be honored and remembered on this special day. Without you, we have no ambitions and aspirations. Without you, there won't be any astronauts, doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, IT specialists or even presidents and prime ministers.

Without you, the world will be full with dumb people.

What is it with women and babies?

Are you one of those people who goes gaga at the sight of cutesy mutesy looking babies? If yes, then you're not the only one. I'm guessing a lot of women either single or married tend to do the same thing too.

When someone you know gives birth, do you feel that slight kick inside you to wish to have a baby too just because someone had? Even though in reality, that idea may not seem like a good one at the moment coz you just had a baby like 2 years ago? Or your kids are just at the age where you can actually relax a bit and you want to enjoy that precious moment a little? Or the baby fat that had accumulated throughout your pregnancy has finally gone after months of rigorous workouts? Would you want to do it all over again?

Nevertheless, the longing would still be there.

I was one of the unlucky ones who had to endure hyperemesis during all 3 pregnancies. With my last baby, it lasted the whole 9 months. Yeah, that bad. Since I can't do natural birth, it had to be c-section, all three of them.

I had really bad experience with the second birth of my daughter. When the baby had been pulled out from the tummy, the surgeon began to stitch back the wounds. He gave me local anaesthetic so I was wide awake the whole time while they cut open my tummy. It was probably halfway thru the stitching when I felt sudden sharp of pain. I felt the stitching (God, it hurts like hell ok..) and even felt the surgeon's hand probing and pulling something inside. It might have been a little less than 5 minutes ordeal because when they finally paid attention to my scream, the surgeon had quickly fixed the problem by giving me more drugs that I passed out. Initially, he told me to hang on coz the stitching was almost done but I repeatedly told him in a weak reply that I couldn't hold the pain much longer. Rasa cam nak tumbuk jer muka doktor tuh....orang tengah sakit giler nak suruh hang on...biar betul!

When the surgery was done, I was wheeled to my room and few hours later, I woke up with a bad headache (probably due to overdose anaesthetic given after nearly "botched" c-section) and saw my family and relatives were already waiting anxiously. Still weak from the surgery, I told them about my horrible experience and they were shocked and heard me rambling that had the words like..."tobat tak nak beranak lagi...ampun mak....serik" came out from my mouth. Biasalah cakap orang pompuan semasa beranak. Lepas beranak buat lagi...hehehe!

Some 5 years later, I found myself on another operating table. This time around, I had it done in a bigger private hospital. I told the obgyn to knock me out well, while telling her about my second experience and how I didn't want that to happen again. Really serik ok. I was still awake but to my relief, I felt nothing. It was a smooth one. She did a great job and the scar left wasn't that visible. Thank you so much Dr_Maziah_Ahmad_Mahidin. She has since become my obgyn from that day onwards.

So, I'm one of those women who will do that when I see babies, at the malls, at kenduris, at the restaurants, on the tv or everywhere I see them. I like to peek strollers to see that little bundle of joy inside.

Darn, I had that kick again now. Will it ever end? Sheesh...

P/S:- have a blast mothers day this weekend y'all!

Wassup?

I know. I've been awfully quiet lately hence the lack of posts. I'm still waiting for my mojo to come back. Dammit!

An old man at the beach

Kesimpulannya, buruk sangka itu tak baik ok? Sekianlah entri saya untuk kali ini. World peace!

The pursuit of happyness

The thought of seeing Will Smith in action again, had prompted me to watch this movie. I have seen Will Smith in all his action-flick and sci-fi thriller movies. I have also seen him in that rommedy (its a word I coined for romantic comedy) movie, Hitch. So he has basically done all movie genre except tangkap leleh (for a lack of a better word) movie.

What made this movie gripping, moving and also inspiring is that, it is based on a true story. The movie is about Chris Gardner, a hard working salesman who is always down on his luck. He sells portable bone density scanner machine for a living. Life is a daily struggle for him. Though life can be tough on him sometimes, Chris is a proud man who simply refused to accept defeat. Oh, did I forget to mention that Chris is also a single father with a cute adorable son (played by Will Smith's real-life son) whose also named Christopher.

But luck is about to change for Chris. Chris was accepted as an intern in a stockbroking firm with no salary for the next 6 months he is under training. With no possible income and saddled with debts, Chris and his son became homeless one day. It was a heart-rending scene when father and son had to sleep in the subway toilet one night after being kicked out from their rented motel room.

With all the hardship they went through together, Chris is more than determined to complete his internship. This movie has a happy ending of course. Chris was hired (he was the only one by the way) by the firm to start his new job as a stockbroker. And the rest is history. There was a moving yet powerful moment when finally, the boss of the firm offered the job to him and Chris was overwhelmed with emotion that you could see it from his painfully-relieved facial expression.

Definitely, a chicken soup for the soul movie.

11 years

Dear beloved you know who,

We met. We were smitten with each other. We fell in love naturally. We got married eventually. We produced 3 mini-us that had some of your feature and mine. We laughed. We joked. We made fun of each other. We argued over small things. We fought over bigger things. We sulked. Then we kissed and made up oh so romantically and passionately.

Ain't married life funny and yet wonderful at the same time? It just gets better and better after each year.

I so heart you!

p/s: I'll never forget 12th April for the rest of my life, ever.

That special woman

I chanced upon this heartwarming story in one of the emails sent to me. After I read it, tears welled up in my eyes. This story has certainly touches me in so many ways because I have been a selfish daughter lately. Did you know that the last time I saw my mother, it was exactly 4 months ago? And that she wasn't living in some far away state but right here in the heart of KL, which is about 30 minutes drive from my house! And its been a while since I last called her. But mom didn't feel hurt or resentful because she understands my role as a wife. That as a muslim wife, your place is beside your husband. Your parents came in second. Mom is a divorcee and has never remarried.

I have been taking mom for granted these days. Many times, I have postponed my monthly visits to her place. The fact that she lives within 40 km radius from where I live has somewhat put off the idea of wanting to see her often. Since she lives nearby, I told myself that I could always visit her anytime and anyday that I want to.

But after reading this beautiful story, I'm determined to visit her as often as I could, even if there is nothing to gossip about (yeah, me and mom like to gossip just about anything...woo hoo) or just ring her to say hello. Before she close her eyes for the last time, I want her to know that she means a lot to me.

*****************************************************

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, 'I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. 'What's wrong, are you well?' she asked?

My Mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

'I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you, 'I responded 'just the two of us.

She thought about it for a moment, and then said, 'I would like that very much.'

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's.

'I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son and they were impressed,' she said, as she got into the car. 'They can't wait to hear about our meeting.'

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entrees, I lifted my eyes and saw mother sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips.

'It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small' she said.

'Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favour,' I responded.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation, nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, 'I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.' I agreed.

'How was your dinner date?' asked my wife when I got home.

'Very nice, Much more so than I could have imagined,' I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: 'I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.'

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time - I love YOU and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till SOME OTHER TIME.