:: 365th day of the year ::

It's the last day for year 2010 and this should be my last post for this year. The usual connotation with a new year is resolution. So have you thought about yours yet? And how about the one this year? I don't usually decide about new year resolution before new year. Probably I need to 'feel' the new year first before deciding what to achieve through out the time and in some years I didn't even bother having any resolution at all.

I do have one resolution for year 2010. I don't think I've told anyone about it but since it's the last day of the year, why don't I confess it today. Well it's not an ambitious one actually, just promising myself to dress nicely for work. Yeap, that's my resolution for 2010 - to dress nicely and presentable for work. Frankly speaking, I personally think I did achieve that resolution, perhaps up to 95%. The balance of 5% is for being underdressed and not wearing any makeup. There were few days when I was too lazy and even had to force myself to office, but most of the time and especially during pregnancy I was really concerned about my look. I hardly wear flats except on casual Fridays because to me, wearing flat simply 'destroyed' the whole office look.

We have to look serious for people to take us seriously and I tell you, it works. Bukan nak masuk bakul angkat sendiri but since I look a bit 'young', other people sometimes didn't take me seriously. It's a lot better today but during my early days when I was working at Jalan Semarak it was worst, but no I don't want to talk about those days. Apart from that resolution I'm also satisfied with myself in other areas especially spiritually. Alhamdulillah, I've improved a bit compared to few previous years and will keep on improving myself to be a better Muslim and a better wife, insyaallah.

Before ending this post, let me share few memorable moments I had through out year 2010.

> 10 January: one day visit to Singapore with hubby, Zam and Tie 

> 17 January: surprise birthday bash by hubby and BFF. This is one most memorable birthday celebration in my entire life.

> 1 February: promoted as Manager

> 6 June: our first wedding anniversary

> 7 - 13  June: family vacation with hubby, mom and sisters to London and Manchester

> 16 August: welcome KiKi to our home 

> 11 October: convocation day - officially a postgraduate student in Master of Corporate Communication, UPM

> 21 - 26 October: Melbourne vacation with hubby. Thanks Isma & Hairil for being our wonderful, lovely hosts :-)

> 1 November: I'm pregnant~!

It's definitely one of best years so far and I thank God for His blessing and allowing me to keep on breathing in this world. Looking forward for another exciting year ahead. 2011 will be a year of transformation as I'll be entering the big "3-series" and also motherhood, insyaallah. 

Happy New Year 2011 to family, friends, followers and readers~! May this coming new year brings more prosperity and better life to all of us. 

XOXO,

phatgurl

31.12.2010

:: year end outing ::

My visit to the Gardens today was planned since days ago. Luckily it was a perfect planning because thanks to Malaysia national football squad who have won the AFF Suzuki Cup, tomorrow is declared as a public holiday and since it is also the last day of 2010 I bet everywhere will be jam packed with people. Thought of going alone at first but invited my partner-in-crime aka. bff to tag along so the day would be more "memorable". Ihiks :-)


This outing came with few objectives actually. One: to utilise RM90 isetan voucher which expires tomorrow. Since there's nothing else to buy, Bee and I decided to use the voucher for baby stuff so here I'm introducing our first baby item, Philips Avent Newborn Starter Set.

We chose Avent because it is among the best feeding bottle available. It is BPA free and able to reduce fussing and also colic acid in babies. The starter set consists of 4 bottles with teats (2 x 125ml & 2 x 260ml), 2 extra newborn teats, complete with 1 newborn pacifier and 1 brush. I guess we don't have to worry about feeding the baby anymore. The purchase was even more worthy because there was 20% discount which made it cost RM151.20 from its normal price at RM189. Baby stuff ain't cheap so we have to start buying from now. One item down, but a lot more to come.

Two: to check prices of LV bags for a friend. Isma seeked my assistance to check prices of certain LV models and that job was perfectly done today.

Three: to enjoy buy-5-free-1 sushi promo at Sushi King. We didn't manage to enjoy the sushi promo because my previous receipt did not meet the terms & condition. Apparently, previous purchase should be 5 or more sushi plates but mine only stated 4. Better yet, we managed getting 20% discounts instead because of happy hour (3 - 5pm during weekdays). Our visit to Sushi King today was not a pleasant one though. We ordered all our sushis but waited for 30 minutes for 3 of the plates to arrive and 1 plate did not arrive at all until we decided to leave. Happy hour became Unhappy hour for us.

Well, we then turned our back to Jaya Jusco's yummy takoyaki and also Auntie Ann's premium combo pretzel instead. Who said we have to rely on only one food source? ;-)

Four: to buy some important groceries. That important item is actually cooking oil. Our cooking oil was finished yesterday after frying keropok lekor given by brother-in-law who just came back from his wife's hometown in Terengganu. Other items bought were HL Marigold milk, large canned of baked beans and also Anlene yogurt. I have to admit that I have skipped drinking Enfamama for few weeks already because I couldn't stand the 'salty' taste. Consumed Marigold milk instead as approved by the doctor and fyi, that milk also contain small amount of folic acid so hopefully that's better than nothing. Try to increase calcium consumption with the Anlene yogurt. Bought strawberry flavour and it did taste good.

Despite all the objectives, I still did one impulsive purchase at MNG, which now offers further reduction up to 70%. Saw that shirt when I was out with Riza last week but that time it was RM99. Said to myself I'll buy if it's still available during the further reduction and guess what, there was one left for me yesterday and it was reduced to RM79. It was size S but large enough to be worn during maternity and post maternity later.

Dunno why I'm so interested in checkered shirt these days. Apart from that I also love the cuff and the fact that I can tie a bow at the neck. Haven't been to MNG as often as I did before, so I was quite excited looking at their sleek and pretty long sleeve shirts from the Autumn / Winter '10 collection. I used to buy a lot of MNG apparels for work. Once, I bought 14 items at one shot during their by-invitation-only sale to show how crazy I was for MNG stuff but those days were over. MNG is now a main street fashion in the country not like when I did my first purchase 8 years back.

Anyway that ends the story. Thanks Nor for tagging along and becoming my PA for a day. Really enjoyed your company. So see you in February? Ahaksz.

:: wanted! ::

Inilah seekor antara dua ekor mamat kucing yang bertanggungjawab mengganggu emosi awek kucing di rumah ini:

Seekor lagi bermuka putih, berbadan oren. Memasing dok sibuk datang depan rumah nak mengorat sambil buat gaya-gaya cool. Ntah apa janji palsu yang diorang dah bagi ntah. Dah kena marah pun still selamba lagi tak bergerak. 

5 hari KiKi menderita tau... alhamdulillah hari ini KiKi dah sihat semula. Jagalah kamu mamat-mamat kucing sekalian! Dapek nanti den sosah kan yo.

:: my 3-month look ::

Took these pics before going out to Seremban yesterday. I've tried snapping some pics in the office before but failed because there was always someone coming into the toilet. It's my 14th week and I'm now entering second trimester. Time flies too fast, don't cha think? Alhamdulillah everything went well in the first trimester and I really hope it's gonna be the same until the end of this pregnancy. 

intoducing my baby bump :-)

As some people knew, I didn't experience any sickness be it in the morning or evening. Some even surprised to know that I'm preggie because they said I looked active and cheerful in the office. Yes I did, but I still got exhausted later in the evening though. Just realised that I even panted after climbing up stairs or walking fast. No wonder I got remarks like "are you tired?" but I usually thought it was due to hot weather or flu, etc.

Yet, I still went through few first trimester challenges. In the earlier weeks I often experienced bloated tummy especially after lunch onwards due to gas. I'm not good at burping out the gas so sometimes it did lead to headache. Found out that it was normal as the body is getting used to changes. Another challenge is another normal pregnancy thingy, which is constipation. Even after eating a lot of fruits and litres of fluids, I still experienced it once in a while. To overcome it is to eat more and more fruits so I've eaten fruits like almost everyday. That reminds me to eat prune for today's fruit consumption. Don't have problem on food. I ate what I normally ate but one thing for sure is I don't fancy eating oily food. Other than that, everything is fine and I'm enjoying the moment as it is.

Don't have much problem with attire yet. I can still disguise my slight bump, which sometimes look big but sometimes look small. Still I have to face the fact that my body is 'widening' at the middle part of the body and if you see me from the side, I look so 'thick' than usual. 

In that pic I was wearing a top that can be tied at the back which is perfect for pregnancy and non-pregnancy time. It was Jay Jay's, bought in New Zealand 2 years back and that was a Guess jeans bought around 7 years back in Mid Valley. It was the best investment among all as I can still wear it comfortably till today, but thanks to the flexible belt. That jeans is actually size 24 but due to its stretching material, it can still fit my thigh nicely (*yeay!) Wore that black tassel necklace from Melbourne just to complete the overall look and I was ready to go. 

So that's it for the 3-month look. Toodles!

:: sistas day out ::

Went back to Seremban yesterday to visit my family and also to treat my second sister who got 8As in her PMR recently. BIG congrats to you sis and you finally made it~! So it was sisters day out and the three of us went to the hippest place in Seremban, Jaya Jusco S2. Well, where else to go in Seremban other than Jusco. Takkan nak gi Terminal One, Seremban Parade, Centrepoint or Giant plak? Haha. Ok I'm not condemning my place of birth but that's the fact. Anyhow, I still love Seremban though. It's the town that offers good food, cheap price and many others lah. Ask me where to find stuff in Seremban and insyaallah I'll be able to show you. From best tomyam restaurant, fantastic burger, famous popia basah, superb rojak & cendol, cheap tailor rate... to reliable car wiring service, you just name it all.

We didn't do much in JJ except strolling, window shopping and having lunch. My sister did some shopping because she got a lot of RMs in her purse right now due to her success :-P She wanted to buy a Crocs flat using the money hubby gave him so I pitched in some to complete the purchase. We had our lunch at Kenny Rogers because that was the best choice. My last sister earlier said "no sushi~!" when we were thinking of where to eat so there was only Kenny Rogers and Pizza left. After having two best experiences in Nando's before, I'd say Nando's chicken tasted far better than Kenny's. The portion was ok but the chicken was all white inside, meaning not rich in flavour. To be exact, the flavours were actually on the skin, outside and mine was still a bit red inside. After watching Gordon Ramsey in season one of Masterchef US, I now know how to taste and compare food, eh? Hehe. Anyway we enjoyed the food and had fun. Just look at these pics here...

I went back home after Maghrib as my family went out for dinner with our ol' neighbour. Bee suggested us having dinner at Kg. Baru. The weather was chilly due to rain so it'll be perfect to have hot Kelantanese soup that we missed weeks earlier. KiKi followed him to modernopc yesterday so Bee picked me up at home while KiKi and his sister were already in the car. We were still in front of Summit USJ when KiKi did something unexpectedly in the car which made us turned back and abort our mission. In the end, it was mcDelivery that saved our day. We'll try our luck again perhaps tonight or tomorrow then... 

Please get well soon, KiKi.

:: if kiki could speak ::

If KiKi could speak she must have said this:

"Itulaa Mama, KiKi kejut Mama banyak kali tapi Mama tak nak bangun..."

This morning KiKi woke up at 6 something as usual. She had her breakfast and wondered around the room while I continued sleeping. About an hour later she kept making sound, not mieouwing but more like whining. I woke up again for toilet and let her play while I was back to bed. She still kept on whining, grabbed and even bited my hand. I could woke up but I just didn't want to do it because it was too early for Sunday. So I said to her, "Mama tak keje harini KiKi. Jomlaa tido," as if she would understood. 

She kept on with her behaviour and almost an hour later jumped on the bed beside my thigh. Thought she wanted to sleep but I was all wrong because not long after that I could felt this warm water... and it was KiKi peeing on the comforter, just next to my thigh! I couldn't remember what I said but Bee woke up to my voice. I asked him to wash KiKi and took my turn later. So that was it and she finally made me woke up on a beautiful Sunday morning.

As a result to that incident, we finally manage to use a new comforter set which was a wedding gift from my friend Alyaa (after 1 and a half year). Thanks Alyaa, the colour brightens up our room and it also matches the wall and curtain :-) We were quite surprised with KiKi though because she always do her 'thing' at her sandy toilet except during heat and her heat cycle has passed two weeks ago. We were quite worried because her behaviour has changed and she didn't sleep much since yesterday too. Well, it was not too long because this evening we saw her staring at this male cat and that was the same male cat who came near our porch 1-2 nights before! 

Cinta sudah berputik ya... no wonder lah. Nak kena kucing jantan ni... pandai plak nak ngorat awek kucing kat umah ni ek... siaplah kamu. Cis.

Awek kucing akhirnya tido tak sedar diri petang tadi

Living with a cat teaches us a lot about patience and tolerancy. We hardly get mad at KiKi maybe because she is a cat, an animal and moreover she is too cute to be scolded. If only we knew what she's going through, we would give the best we could... and KiKi, we both really love you!

:: last working day in 2010 ::

Today is my last working day in year 2010. Gonna be on leave for 5 days next week, as mandated by the management. The company will shut its business down and almost all staffs will be on leave except those in customer or network related services. I've tried completing all pending items today and so far everything went well accordingly. My work station even look organized and ready for the new year, so next is cleaning up the mailbox before going home with peace of mind. There is no specific plan on what to do during the whole week off, though. I have to plan something or else it will be wasted just like that. Hrmmm... 

Don't like to write much about my current job because it is too administrative. Honestly speaking, it's not my cup of tea but hey, we have to open for challenges right? After 10 months here, alhamdulillah I'm quite confident with my responsibilities yet still learning and absorbing new knowledge. Apart from that I'm still proud to manage this so-called "high profile" unit in the company and after what I've experienced so far, I'm looking forward for a more competent and excel year ahead, insyaallah.

Guess that's it for the time being. I'll have one whole week to overload this blog with different posts, so see you next time then. For those who are celebrating Christmas, I wish you a memorable, merry Christmas and a Happy New Year~! Mwahs!

:: the most pirated films of 2010 ::

Do you wanna know which Hollywood films are famous among the pirates this year?

Yahoo! Movies has listed Top 10 Most Pirated Film of 2010 with high number of downloads and winners goes to...

*drumrolls*

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Avatar

16,580,000 downloads

KickAss

11,400,000 downloads

Inception

9,720,000 downloads

Shutter Island

9,490,000 downloads

Iron Man 2

8,810,000 downloads

Clash of the Titans

8,040,000 downloads

Green Zone

7,730,000 downloads

Sherlock Holmes

7,160,000 downloads

The Hurt Locker

6,850,000 downloads

Salt

6,700,000 downloads

I have to admit we have all 10 above movies in our hard disk, which means we're also contributing for the numbers (*errr...?)

Logically people will want to see good movies and with the advancement we have today, another option besides watching them in cinemas or buying dvds is downloading them from the Net although it is illegal. What I really want to convey is, a movie with high download numbers may also means it is a good movie to watch and this is reflected from the above list.

I've seen all 10 but only certain parts of Avatar (I don't like watching too much fantasy), Clash of the Titans (watched halfway because it was nonsense), Green Zone (only watched earlier part, has to watch this again) and Sherlock Holmes (watched halfway and felt asleep). I really love and enjoyed watching the other 6 movies though: KickAss and The Hurt Locker was unbelievably awesome, Shutter Island gave strong impact and goosebumps - sampai terganggu emosi sekejap, Iron Man 2 was entertaining and so did Salt; while Inception was ermm... confusing? Eh, actually we watched Inception at cinema laa... hehe.

:: i miss u kiki ::

Suddenly I'm feeling blue... and I'm missing my cute, lovely kitty: KiKi. Just look at her, isn't she adorable? I just can't take my eyes off this pic... uhuks.

Too bad KiKi couldn't answer phone or surf the Net. I miss you budak kecik... petang ni mama balik kita main-main keyh... huhuhu. Sayang KiKi sangat-sangat~!!!

:: what's for breakfast? ::

What I love about long school holiday is not only about driving to office with peace of mind but also this:

Since driving to office only took me 15-20 minutes, I could depart a bit late from home thus give me some time to prepare "breakfast on-the-go" and that was what I had for breakfast last week, yesterday and also this morning. I will secure a parking spot first and enjoy the toasted breads with hot milo in the car - such a great way to start the morning!

Now, let's do some work. Have a great day in the office, people :-)

:: what's for dinner? ::

We had black pepper steak with coleslaw, fries and baked potato as side dish for tonite's dinner.

How about you?

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p/s: I only grilled the meat and baked the potato whereas everything else was "imported" from gerai at SS19. Heehee (*grins).

:: kardashian kristmas kard 2010 ::

If you asked which is my most favourite Hollywood family, without any doubt I'll answer "it's the Kardashian". Although they might be overrated and loud with each other, they have this strong bond that I really adore. They are fun, supportive and love each other so much. One day, I wish we could build a family with such strong bond and fun as theirs too.

Every year the Kardashian will have their family photoshoot for Christmas greeting cards and this is what they have for this year:

What do you think? For me, that is a fabulous and a classy family potrait!

Compared to last year, their family photo has more members this time with Scott and the cute lil' Baby Mason (omg, he's so adorable in that suit!). Last year's christmas card photo was the one taken during Khloe & Lamar wedding ceremony where Ryan Seacrest was also in it as part of the Kardashian... but this year it's a potrait of the whole family members and in-laws together. Actually Lamar was not involved during the group photoshoot as he was away for Lakers training. He took separate shoot and his photo was then super imposed in the group photo superbly. There's no difference at all, as if he was actually there.

Among all, I love-love-love what Khloe was wearing because the dress is so beautiful. Yet, I also like Kourtney overall look in that pantsuit with classic crimson red lips and sleek hairdo as she looked dominant yet edgy. All in all, the Kardashian is definitely the most glamorous Hollywood family!

:: the one about the weekend ::

Driving to office during long school holiday is simply heaven. It only took me 15-20 minutes from USJ to Menara TM everyday, which is half the time taken during normal schooling days. Too bad there is only 4 days left to enjoy such tranquility before early morning stress hits again next year, but it also means only 4 days left to work in year 2010. Almost everybody in the company will be on leave the whole next week as instructed by the management so here I am counting the days to end 2010 with total relaxation.

Joined a treasure hunt contest on Saturday with my usual hunting mate, Nurul. We used to have other members who share the same passion but this time others were unavailable so there were only 2 of us and another guy who was willing to be the 'driver'. The treasure hunt was organised by Kelab TM Ibu Pejabat cawangan TMTC, my previous working place. It took us almost 5 hours to complete all questions as they were mostly tough than usual and also heavy traffic on the road. We were quite frustrated to know that we lost around 10 points just because we gave second choice answers whereas we have guessed the first one correctly. To cut the story short, we ended up at the 9th place out of 43 cars and 20 prizes. Not bad la kan but our heart still ached for not winning Sony 32" LCD tv (first place), Sony home theatre (second place) or even Electrolux convection microwave (third place). Anyway we still walked home with 2 days 1 night stay at Holiday City Villa Kuala Lumpur each. To mend my broken heart and also fulfill my earlier craving, we went to Subang Parade that night for dinner at Nando's.

Nothing much happened yesterday. It was grocery shopping day so we went to Giant at Summit USJ after lunch. Twilight: New Moon was on HBO last night and I watched it for the first time after few previous attempts to watch the download version failed. I snickered every time hideous-long-haired Jacob appeared on screen, but that was only in the early part because later on he was well built and handsome with short hair. Anyway, I'm still in "Team Edward". I like the part where he first appeared, the one where he just arrived school on Bella's birthday. It was "woaaa!". Don't get me wrong, I just like Edward the Vampire but not Robert Pattinson. Interestingly, his coldness made him so attractive... and it's not only him, I do like Carlisle Cullen too. He's just too vampire-ish. As an overall, I did enjoy the movie and couldn't wait to watch Eclipse next. While people are waiting for the finale, I am still waiting to watch the third part... what a lame person! :-P

"I promise to love you every moment of forever" - Edward Cullen: Eclipse

<3

:: what berry are you? ::

Hey, have you heard about the latest 3-in-1: quiz + game + contest organized by DiGi?

It's called "What Berry Are You?" and I tell you, this is such a fun and addictive quiz-game combo that will make you play over and over again because that was what I did. 

The first part of the application is to answer 5 easy questions that will lead you to the second part which is a simple, fun game. You'll then know what kind of Berry you are, whether a Budget Berry, Kepoh Berry, Kiasu Berry, Noob Berry, LOL Berry, Psycho Berry and many other type of Berries. 

That's not the end of it because the BEST part of all is the chance of winning 3 limited editions of BlackBerry as below:

Ain't it cool???

So, what cha waiting for peeps... let's have fun and a new BlackBerry might be yours!

Just CLICK HERE to enjoy and win~!!!

:: battle of the champions - chelsea vs manutd ::

 

Let’s lepak at TM Viewing Parties to watch the battle of the champions live between CHELSEA & MANCHESTER UNITED at 12 selected Mamak restaurants in Klang Valley.

Enjoy teh tarik and roti canai or any of your favourite food for FREE when you collect RM5 rebate voucher from TM counter there.

There will be special appearances by Bunkface & Pilih Kasih finalists at the selected restaurants. Check out EveryoneConnects Facebook page for updates.

Check out the details below for more info:-

Date:  19 December 2010, Sunday

Time:  10.00 p.m – 2.00 a.m

Venues:

• Original Kayu Nasi Kandar (SS2 PJ, Dataran Sunway, Alam Suria Damansara  Jln Kolam Air Ampang & Tmn Seri Permaisuri Cheras) 
• Gulam Mee (Kota Damansara) 
• Rasta (TTDI) 
• Pelita (Shah Alam, Subang Jaya, Bangsar) 
• NZ (Wangsa Maju) 
• Sedap (Bandar Sri Damansara)

Come early so you don’t miss out on this special treat as the vouchers are limited and will be given out on first-come-first-served basis.

Don your team jersey and cheer your heart out! See you there!

:: selera orang sakit ::

Hi, I'm still at home. Last night my sickness was worsened. My body was aching and my throat was very painful until I had to ask Bee making hot tea at 2:00 am to 'kill' the germs. I was sleeping in the bedroom at first but then decided to sleep on the couch so for two nights in a row everybody was "camping" in the living room again. Alhamdulillah, I felt a lot better today and my body has started sweating, which is a good sign of recovering. Thought of going to the office at noon. I was ready in dress and jeans but then changed my decision because office hour ends at 5:00 pm today - it's not worth to go for only 3 hours so here I'm chillin' at home in front of this lappy... lalala.


Didn't eat much yesterday due to sore throat, but I'm feeling like eating something good today. Right now I have Nando's 1/4 chicken with 2 side dishes in my mind and I'm craving to taste their soury garlic sauce... yummeyh! Fyi, I have only eaten Nando's 3 times in my whole life. The first time was many years ago at One Utama with Rynn; the second time was also at One Utama early this year with Mr.Hubby and the third one was with Fila in Mid Valley two weekends ago. The first two experiences were poor because I found Nando's chicken was way too small and couldn't fulfill my large appetite. I always label their food "tidak mengenyangkan" so everytime someone suggested to eat there, I just said no because "tidak mengenyangkan". Apparently the last visit with Fila changed my opinion as I was very, very satisfied. 

 

Pinggan inilah yang telah mengubah segala persepsi

The whole serving was huge and I really enjoyed it with almost quarter bottle of garlic sauce. Don't know lah whether Nando's One Utama offered smaller chicken than Mid Valley or my appetite is decreasing. Whatever it is, I really felt in love with the garlic sauce! I've asked Fila what sauce do they provide for delivery and it is not garlic. This means I really have to go and eat at any of their outlets instead. Hrmm ni yang terasa nak gi Sunway Pyramid or Subang Parade nak makan Nando's ni... hukhukhuk.


I guess this is it for today. Perut pun sangat lapo dah ni. Nak tunggu dapat makan Nando's macam berjanggut je so kita makan Maggi Asam Laksa dulu lah jawabnye ye... Happy weekend semua~!!!

:: sroh sreh hachoom ::

I'm down with flu and fever. It started yesterday morning and became worst last night. My body, especially my back is aching due to too much sleeping, but I was quite weak to do anything else. I tried avoiding medicine as much as I could because I'm worried it may affect the lil' one inside there. The three of us 'camped' in the living room last night because I didn't want to sleep in our air-cond bedroom. I slept on the couch, Bee on a mattress and KiKi at the back of the tv (she didn't want to sleep in her pink fluffy bed). Thanks so much Bee for your sacrifices and understanding. KiKi seemed to understand too as she behaved really well through out the day and even accompanied me sleeping on the bed this evening - thank you KiKi, u're such a smart kitty. I don't feel fit at all. Flu, fever, sore throat really makes me feel very uncomfortable... urghhh!

Next, I would like to thank friends who have shared their experiences on maternity check-ups. As a result, I managed to do a proper check-up while meeting the doctor because of flu yesterday morning. This time the doctor asked me a lot of info such as last day of period, family history on cancer / high blood / diabetes and others. She also checked my veins, blood pressure, weight, urine test and took my blood sample. I was very satisifed and decided to have my check-ups there from now on. They also have a book, just like Klinik Kesihatan to compile all info for future reference.

I must admit that the most beautiful moment was watching my lil' one on the scanning screen. The doctor wanted to ensure that I'm in the right week so she did the ultrasound to check the length and position of the baby. Looking at the image made me finally believed that I'm really pregnant. Not that I didn't believe it before, but sometimes I still feel a bit doubtful and worried because everything is so normal. I don't have any sickness (luckily) and sometimes I felt my tummy is bulgy, but sometimes flat... but now I'm 100% sure that I'm definitely carrying someone inside there. Hopefully he/she is growing perfectly well and we look forward to welcome him/her in the next 6 months, insyaallah :-)

:: kiki yang comel ::

Last night the three of us - Bee, KiKi and I went to Kg. Baru for dinner. Kelantanese soup at Kg. Baru is among the best and since we haven't been there for a while, Bee decided to drove us all. It was KiKi's first visit to KL City Centre and she enjoyed her view by standing on my lap along the way while her head busy turning left to right staring at all the tall buildings, KLCC and KL Tower. She was quiet and must be amazed with all the lights. We have to leave her in the car later though because it is inappropriate to bring a cat to an eatery. Well, it depends on the place itself. We used to bring KiKi to mamak at our house and an open restaurant at Sunway though.

It turned out that the tasty beef soup was not available because our favourite stall, Suraya Seafood only sold nasi dagang and nasi kerabu last night. Apparently the owner went for Hajj and business will only run as usual starting tonight after a month break. I like their nasi dagang since I was studying in MMU and even travelled from Cyberjaya in the middle of the night just to tapau it for supper, but last night I really wanted to eat something soupy. Hence I then opted for porridge and condiments - ikan masin tenggiri, lobak masin manis, sambal ikan bilis & chap choy + mushroom fried in oyster sauce (yummy~!).

On the way back KiKi was sitting quietly, curling and even cleaned herself on my lap and sometimes licked my hands. She behaved very well along the way so I cherished that moment because it never happens at home. She didn't even move when I hugged her. Too bad I didn't bring the camera to capture that sweet moment.

Nowadays KiKi likes chilling in the bathroom, maybe because it is cold inside there. She can just sit there doing nothing or sometimes walk around or play with her bath sponge. She's not afraid of the water heater sound anymore like she did before and will only ran off if I sprinkled her with water. This morning I just left her inside the bathroom after I had my shower and prepared myself for work. Before leaving, I peek inside the bathroom and found her like this:

She was curling in the sink with sleepy eyes and after few shots, she started moving around the sink bowl. She must have loved the sink because of the cold ceramics and the bowl fits her body well. Bee told me just now that KiKi must have slept in the sink the whole morning as he also found her there with 'fresh from sleep' look. It's obvious because she didn't get much sleep last night and little that she knows, her Mama also didn't get much sleep due to all the noise and scratching sounds she made in the early morning. KiKi is giving me early 'sleepless nights' training, eh?

:: guru tuisyen buat kelas seks ::

Extracted from HMetro today:

JOHOR BAHRU: Seorang guru tuisyen yang mengajar mata pelajaran Matematik ditahan polis kerana dikatakan turut menyediakan kelas seks serta menayangkan video lucah kepada seorang pelajarnya.
Perbuatan itu dipercayai dilakukan sejak bertahun lalu dan ia terbongkar apabila pelajar lelaki terbabit yang berusia 17 tahun dari Skudai di sini, menceritakan perkara berkenaan kepada keluarganya, kelmarin.

Berikutan itu, bapa pelajar berkenaan membuat laporan polis berhubung kejadian itu di Balai Polis Skudai di sini semalam dan bertindak atas laporan itu, polis menahan guru tuisyen lelaki terbabit yang berusia 30 tahun pada jam 11 pagi.

Dalam laporan berkenaan, bapa mangsa mendakwa guru terbabit dikatakan melakukan gangguan seksual dengan menayangkan video lucah serta meliwat mangsa sebanyak dua kali iaitu pada November 2008 dan Mei 2009.

Dia juga didakwa pernah melakukan seks oral dan mengajar teknik beronani kepada remaja terbabit yang kini sudah menamatkan pengajian tingkatan lima.

Timbalan Ketua Polis Ibu Pejabat Daerah (IPD) Johor Bahru Utara, Superintendan Akhir Ishak ketika dihubungi berkata, lelaki terbabit ditahan di rumahnya di Skudai.
“Berdasarkan laporan polis, remaja berkenaan mula menghadiri kelas tuisyen Matematik kelolaan guru terbabit sejak empat tahun lalu, iaitu ketika remaja berkenaan berusia 13 tahun,” katanya.

Menurutnya, guru terbabit direman bagi membantu siasatan dan kes disiasat mengikut Seksyen 377C Kanun Keseksaan dan jika sabit kesalahan boleh dipenjara 20 tahun dan sebat.

*****
What's going on in our society today? Teachers are mandated to provide knowledge and good examples to the students but what's this? Parents paid him tuition fee for Math class only but he seemed more "kind-hearted" by providing the extra theory and hands-on sex class for that student. 

Macamanalah nak percaya dengan cikgu cikgi zaman sekarang ni? Bila pergi mana-mana sibuk bawak title "cikgu" tu sampaikan masuk MLM pun nak pakai title cikgu jugak. Kalau perangai macamni dari awal takyahla nak jadi pendidik. Jangan jadi cikgu hanya semata sebab dah tak dapat keje lain kat luar sana atau sebab nak secure dengan keje kerajaan atau sebab dapat balik awal dan dapat cuti panjang masa cuti sekolah. Memanglah hanya segelintir saja yang teruk, tapi inilah yang dikatakan 'kerana nila setitik habis susu sebelanga'.
*****

:: expand waistline with flexi belt ::

Can't fit into your favourite pants, jeans or skirts anymore? Fret not cuz flexi belt will come to the rescue :-D

I did mention about purchasing Carriwell organic cotton flexi belt at Mothercare during visit to KLCC last week. I've read in a blog years ago about such invention and luckily it's still remembered till today. I was excited about it because due to growing tummy I have started feeling uncomfortable wearing some pants and jeans, especially to office. I usually skip fastening the top button and sometimes zipped it only halfway, but I have to always ensure there is no bulge underneath my shirt. At this point of time, I don't intend to splurge on maternity wear and will try to minimize any purchase if possible. I won't have much problem with tops because I have quite a number of large shirts and baju kurung in my wardrobe, but we can't force ourselves into tight pants so buying the flexi belt is considered as one good investment.

There were two flexi belt brands selling at Mothercare. I chose Carriwell simply because it was cheaper than the other one.

The other brand was selling at RM89.90  if not mistaken while Carriwell was priced at RM59.90 and they were both on 10% discounts. Although they offer the same convenience, the other brand has 2 elastic belts though, one longer than another. Yet, Carriwell has only one but with adjustable nickle free belt that can be lengthened or shortened, so it is still flexible. Both came with 3 pieces of fabrics (black, navy blue and cream) to cover open zipper area, but if we can still zip the pants, there is no need to use the fabrics yet. 

Some may be wondering how does the flexi belt works so here is an example:

There are 2 buttons at one end and a button hole at another end so just hook them accordingly. If you want to leave the zipper area opened, just insert the belt into the fabric before fastening them so people couldn't see what's behind there. Such an easy peasy thingy, rite?

To conclude, I'm very satisfied with the purchase and I highly recommend it not only for mommy-to-be, but also anyone who has a lot of pants, jeans or skirts that can't be worn due to "fabric shrinking" (seluar yang dah kecik... bukan sebab pinggang dah membesar... ihiks). Last but not least, kindly visit here if you want to learn more on this flexi belt and other Carriwell products. Cheers!

:: first maternity check-up ::

Yesterday evening I had my first prenatal check-up. Our company's insurance coverage only allows us to do check-ups at specialists after 7 months pregnant so below that we have to get the regular check-ups at any panel clinics, except if you're having complication. We decided to visit our regular clinic at SS19 because it operates 24 hours a day and there usually not many people waiting at a time. They also have the ultrasound facility, so we thought it would be much easier. I've asked other colleagues, they said any clinic will do because it's just a standard check-up. So okeylah kot.

Papa & Mama to be ;-)

When we met the doctor I told him that I wanted to have a pregnancy check-up. He thought it was the urine test, so we corrected him and explained we wanted to have the regular monthly one since I'm already pregnant for 3 months. He looked a bit blur for few seconds and said "why don't you register at klinik kesihatan instead?". Bee told him that we intended to go to SJMC (or now Sime Darby Medical Centre) but we're only allowed at 7 months and above, so we have to do it at any clinic. Listening to that, he then checked my blood pressure, under eye and tongue (?). He said my blood pressure was a bit low and he will give me vitamin. I asked for calcium but he resisted and told me to drink milk instead. So that ended the session. I was then given a pack of folic acid for supplement and 3 sachets of dehydration salt to increase my blood pressure.

Okay, I may not have any idea about how prenatal check-up is, but that session was not very convincing to me. Experienced mothers out there, is it normally like that? Because if not, I'm thinking of going to another clinic at my office next week. By the way, time seems to fly pretty fast as I'm entering the 12th week this coming week and it'll be second trimister in another 2 weeks later. Hopefully our baby is doing well inside there... ihiks.

:: gorgeous! ::

I was scrolling down my FB news updates. Someone shared Burberry web address so I just clicked it to feast my eyes on a beautiful afternoon and saw this:

Gorgeous! That's what I thought at the very first sight. I like the patent bowling bag because it is made of patented leather. I have a thing for patent leather because it is shiny and sleek but I also knew it may also look cheap and trashy. In this case I don't think the bag looks cheap at all. With such striking fuschia pink tone it screams "LOOK AT ME!". I like a structured shape bag so when it combines with patent leather, the whole thing looks firm and tough. I also prefer a handheld / tote bag better as I don't like to wear my bag on the shoulder. The Embossed Check Patent Leather Bowling Bag also came in other 4 colours; black, green, blue and mustard yellow, each reflects different characters. Surprisingly, the next colour I would choose is yellow as it looks fabulous and iconic. The only thing that keeps the bag away is (always) the price as it is selling at ￡575 which can costs around RM3,000+ in Malaysia after tax... tskkk.

I must have not visited Burberry website for some time already because I couldn't remember looking at beautiful handbags during my last visit, but today I'm overwhelmed with a range of sleek designs like these small ones:

From left to right: Vintage House Check Sling Bag (￡495) - Soft Knot Sling Bag (￡495) - Washed Quilted Leather Sling Bag (￡395)

Loving the Washed Quilted one even more with such buckle and that colour makes the bag looks so classy. I like~!!! 

...and oh, here's another one that I like too:

Mini Nova Check Leather Bag

It's the birthday bag from hubby this year so of course la I suka...hehe. 

(still selling in their website eh. cayalah.)

Well, I'm featuring these bags here because they're perfect for my taste and liking. There are actually a lot of other beautiful handbags featured in their website so do visit Burberry to find ones that suit your preference or perhaps for pleasure. You may fall for one and it may be next in your collection, who knows? ;-)

:: oh iphone, where art thou! ::

Last Saturday Mr.Hubby bought himself a PS3 - Gran Turismo 5 limited edition pack, which consists of a limited blue-coloured console and the latest craze, newly released game - Gran Turismo 5 itself. Hubby is enjoying his new toy ever since... and somehow I felt "itchy" to splurge on a gizmo too, which is this:

 

it's iPhone 4~!

Yeah, I know I'm a lil' bit outdated. While people currently going googoo gaga over iPad, I just been struck with the need to own an iPhone. Previously I was a bit skeptical because personally I found iPhone is a bit overrated and too common. I've been to many places and everywhere I go, there'll be someone handling or playing with his / her handphone, no matter young or old. 

I prefer something rare, so my usual preference is Samsung. I've tested Samsung Galaxy S which looks like an iPhone with some similar app features, but I am a bit upset about the size as it is quite bigger than the iPhone itself. That means it is much more bigger than my current beloved pink Samsung SGH F480, which is also a touch screen phone. Despite its ability and functions, the most important criteria that I will look for in a mobile phone is the overall design and size. I prefer slim, small phone to fit my small handbags and chic colours (obviously pink) would be a bonus to reflect my taste. Too bad, Samsung Galaxy S does not offer this although they're selling pink limited edition ones in US. So after using 4 different types of Samsung phones for over 7 years, I finally decided to have a wind of change and own an iPhone instead.

Little that I know, owning an iPhone in Malaysia is not as easy as I thought. Authorised phones can only be bought either from Maxis or Digi and come with at least 2-years commitment. I don't want any commitment with those providers because I'm currently using Celcom line for staff, which is a lot cheaper than any other plans from any provider - but Celcom only concentrates at selling BlackBerry. I don't intend to buy unauthorised phones or buy it from Machines Singapore which sells it alone because it'll be tough if something happened... so that's why I'm still with this more than 3-years pinky phone until today :-(

As said earlier, I'm very particular at overall design and size. Even though iPhone doesn't fully fulfill my taste but one thing that made me still salivating for it is variety of casings offered. Casing itself can change the whole look and reflects owner's personality and taste... so it's like pimp-ing the phone without trying too hard and man, how can I decide whether it's gonna be a designer's one or a pink-coloured one or a sophisticated, sleek one... ahh I'll be spoilt with choices! Well, just let me continue with my dreams because there's no need to decide if I can't even own the phone - duhhhh. I'm just like Juliet wanting her Romeo...

"...Oh iPhone, iPhone, where for art thou iPhone..."

:: corporate grooming & dressing etiquette for muslimah ::

I was supposed to write this last night but was too exhausted. Reached home around 15 minutes after 8pm, played with KiKi and couldn't help to take a short nap until hubby arrived. My exhaustion level was out of control and I couldn't open my eyes. Hubby was home for only 5-10 minutes but I was already back to sleep on the couch until midnight. 

Anyway, I wanted to share about an event I attended in our office yesterday morning. It was the Bengkel Muslimah Korporat - Pesona Humaira organized by Badan Kebajikan Islam TM (BAKIT) and Pusat Pungutan Zakat MAIWP. Only the first 200 registered staffs were eligible to attend and quota was full on the very first day it was advertised. The event was only half a day event but I tell you, it was an interesting and a fruitful one. The first half was a ceramah given by Ustaz Hj. Dziyaulhak Hashim from PPZ. He is considered a young Ustaz, somewhere within the 30's but he talked like someone older with slow pace, monotonous voice, yet still able to crack some jokes. His ceramah was mainly about the 5 pillars of Islam and how we should internalise each of them. They were several new info learnt from the ceramah such as doa pelindung should be recited 3 times in the morning (I recite it before sleep - have to change this) and picking nose does not invalidate fast / puasa.

The second slot started after everybody is done having singapore fried mihun and dutch lady chocolate milk during break and it was about Corporate Grooming and Dressing Etiquette for Muslimah by Pn. Yasmin Sidek from Positive Grooming Sdn. Bhd. I never heard of hear before but honestly, she was a good presenter. She shared a lot of important tips on how to project ourselves correctly in the corporate environment. 

She even gave few examples and shared real life scenarios. Some of them were quite hilarious especially when it came to husband and wife scenarios. Well, she really knew how to make the session alive. Thumbs up to you, Pn. Yasmin! On the grooming & etiquette part, there were some new knowledge learnt from the session and there were some I already learnt from somewhere else before, so it was like learning and refreshing some memory altogether. Among important items she shared yesterday were:

> She highlighted that image is reflected by:
1. Behaviour
2. Dressing
As a corporate Muslimah, we should behave like one and dress to be respected. Dress interestingly everyday by changing the colour, pattern, fabric material or cutting of our attire not only to office, but also at home.

> Remember to act cool and show a calm face even if you're in a crisis with someone else. Image projected will define what others see you.

 The proper and elegant way to:
1. Climb up and down the stairs is by positioning your feet at 45 degrees in each step. (I learnt this one from abg. Larry during my internship and practicing it ever since. He also advised me to iron all my clothes including t-shirt. Thanks for the tips abg. Larry... I still remember and practice them till today.)

2. Stand or to face someone is by positioning your right foot at 12 o'clock and left foot at 10 o'clock with the right foot slightly higher from the left or putting the left foot at 12 o'clock and right foot at 2 o'clock with the left foot slightly higher from the right.

3. Cross your leg and point it down. You should not cross your leg when there's someone older or superior than you, so crossing your leg depends on position and seniority (hrmmm... never knew about this).

> You should know when to dress in corporate attire or office attire. Dress in corporate attire if you have business meeting, conference, presentation, etc. and the right colours are shades of black to brown and blue to dark blue. Attires should be plain or in thin stripes to avoid any 'eye' distraction. Office attire is anything presentable like baju kurung, kebaya, shirt and pants in soft colours, anything that is not eye-catching. 


> If you want to wear a coat over a baju kurung, please ensure length of the coat is 2" longer than the baju.

> The most appropriate shoe to work is dark court shoe preferably black in A or B shape, full front or straps at the back with 1.5" heels in maximum. A bit higher with thick heels is ok but thin heels are only meant for dinner or function. (I already learnt this from Norma Norell since high school but I obviously chose to ignore this one. Only court shoe? No way jose!)

The whole session ended around 12:30pm and we were given chicken rice and bottled cincau drink for lunch. I was so satisfied with the whole event and I believed many did too. Oh, there was also lucky draw during the closing ceremony for 3 winners (as usual I didn't win any) but all participants did not return with an empty hand because we got this as a doorgift from PPZ:

A basket of Secret Garden lotion - shampoo - conditioner miniature set and a hand towel

Thank you BAKIT & PPZ... and two thumbs up for organizing such beneficial program. I like~!!!

:: salam maal hijrah ::

A lot happened in the past 3 days and that explains my silence. I was washed-out at the end of each day and I'm half exhausted now so this is going to be a short update. First and foremost, I just wanna wish all Muslim friends out there "Happy New Year". Today marks the first day of a new Hijrah year, 1432 so this morning I attended the national Maal Hijrah celebration (1 Malaysia 1 Ummah) at PICC Putrajaya as part of Telekom Malaysia's contingent. 

The event was officiated by the king, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. Other VVIP guests include the queen, prime minister and wife as well as deputy prime minister and wife. 

while waiting for other guests to arrive...

Standing for the national anthem

The King and Prime Minister both in peach coloured baju melayu

We arrived an hour before the event started so after such long wait, just right after the emcees invited the chairman of organizing committee to deliver his welcoming remarks I somehow felt asleep. I couldn't remember anything until I woke up and listened to the emcees again, that time welcoming the king to deliver his opening speech and *poof* I was back to lala land. I woke up again and it was just before they were going to announce the Maal Hijrah figure. Seriously it was a nice, deep sleep. I had a pretty bad dream last night so that may explains why I was too sleepy. Anyway, the selected Maal Hijrah figure for this year is Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, the governor of Bank Negara Malaysia who walked away with RM100k reward. 

Tan Sri Dr Zeti accepting plaque from Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin

After the prize giving ceremony, we were all entertained by a group of kids with a number of performances, but a blind boy who sang Wali Band's song "Tobat Maksiat" touched my heart with his performance.

The blind boy in purple - this time performing a duet of Maher Zain's Inshaallah.

I always have a soft spot for the blinds and watching him blind and performing at such a young age emotionally affected me. Anyway the event ended at 11:30 am and we were back at Menara TM almost an hour later.

 I wore a black tudung because I already gave my 'tudung express' to my sis-in-law. 

Reason: I didn't look good in it.

I didn't return home straight away after that but diverted my way to KLCC instead. I've been waiting for Gucci year end sale and even asked Stylicious Fashionista from Bag Addicts Anonymous, one of my frequently visited blog to update if she received any news about it. She left me a message in the comment area 2 days ago (thank you again dear *wink*) and I was supposed to check the sale yesterday but unable to because of an emergency. Well, that couldn't stop me to still pay them a visit though - by the way, Gucci sale already started on 1 Dec 2010. I've shared weeks ago about how desperate I am to own a new white handbag so I was praying Gucci has good discounts for any of them but unfortunately there was none. Items on sale were from their 2010 Autumn - Winter collection and most were Guccissima leather. There were a number of small leather goods on sale too but I didn't pay much attention, but I saw the white Ladies Web Medium Boston, the one I preferred among the 3 white Gucci in my earlier post selling at RM2970. It was in Guccissima leather too so I don't think I like it in real.


Ok I really have to end this post a.s.a.p as I need to iron my clothes for tomorrow. I went back home from KLCC with several plastic bags (oh I really need those bags for our trash bin - couldn't believe we didn't have much left due to our support for green earth). What I bought for myself today were my first maternity pants from Modernmum and Carriwell organic cotton flexi belt (RM59.90 before 10% discounts) from Mothercare. I'm happy about the flexi belt because I really need it to expand waist of my pants and jeans so buying it equals to ability to continue wearing my favourite items (yeay!). 

Alrighty, I'm done. Sweet dreams peeps!

*keywords: sambutan maal hijrah peringkat kebangsaan 2010, gambar sambutan maal hijrah, gucci sale 2010

:: this is all about parking ::

Thank God it's Friday. It has been a bad, lazy week for me so I look forward for a beter week ahead. I was late for work again this morning so I parked my car at the roadside in front of Plaza Pantai. Went down to get something in the car at 10:05 am and relieved to see there was no DBKL parking ticket yet on the wind screen (DBKL usually comes around 9 something). I decided to look for a legal parking spot so I drove around the building and saw a row of cars with summons on their wind screen, followed by DBKL officers reading news papers on their bikes. Ok then, I really need to que for parking... so I did for 20 - 25 minutes and got fed-up because I was still stuck in the que.

I drove out of the que, went around the building again and that time saw a DBKL tow truck coming. I stopped by at one spot to wait at another parking entrance for few minutes until the DBKL tow truck went off with a jeep at his back. Someone's car was towed by the DBKL because it was parked at the roadside and it was the same spot where I parked my car yesterday~! OMG... thankfully they didn't come to tow my car yesterday. It was the only car being towed so I was wondering, how would the driver knows that his car is not stolen? If I am the driver and saw my car disappear at the very same place I parked it, I must have been freaked out and my mind will automatically assume it was stolen.

- Lesson #1: Park your car in between of 2 cars. The first car in front is easy to be towed.

- Lesson #2: If you found your car is missing, do not assume it is stolen. Check with the local municipal council first before making any police report because it could be towed away.

It was already 11 but I still didn't get any parking so I called Nor and decided to go somewhere else for brunch instead. Waiting made my tummy starving like someone who hasn't eaten for days (hey, saya takkan mengular tau kalo parking memang ada - ini semua bukan sepenuhnya salah saya). We then went to Sphere at Bangsar South and had our brunch at Chicken Rice Shop. Got back at 12 and guess what, still no parking available! What an unlucky day... but after 5 minutes a car went out and I finally got a parking spot for my red Jazzy.

I'm so effing tired with this parking problem and at one point I wish I could work somewhere else, where parking is never an issue. I got a dashboard full of parking summons in one year so can you imagine how many summons I will get if I work here until my retirement day? I really hate DBKL and police because of this. They come to this place, which is an office area to penalise us who parked at the roadside without disturbing the traffic but do not penalise those who park at the side of a main road like those cars in front of Vista Angkasa, Pantai Dalam or in pekan Seri Kembangan and many other areas. We don't have much choice and we have to come here everyday to work, can't you people just understand that? Haisy... I have talked about this parking issue before and still couldn't stop babbling about it. So just bear with me lah ye.

Anyway, just sharing with you guys that PDRM is now offering 50% discounts for selected traffic summons like speeding ticket, etc. Yeap, PDRM also got year-end-sale what... but still, no discount for parking summons. Ok lah, enuff with all this parking stuff cuz it's time to go home. See you in the next post... bye~!


*keywords: diskaun saman trafik 2010