She Says, She Says

"Yeah, Dina win. I am the winner. Kaklong, you are the kalah!"

"Why? I was not in a race. What did I kalah?"

"You just kalah. I am the winner."

"But I didn't race with you! I didn't play anything with you."

"That's why. You are the kalah."

"Adik silly. I no friend you."

"Nevermind. I still the winner. You still the kalah."

"Apa-apa je lah!!"

"OK, ok...you friend me. We share. We both be the kalah."

"Heeee...ok"

Bandung Honeymoon - Day 1 and 2

Hehehe, a lot of people are apparently waiting for my Bandung trip write-up. Sorry ah, been ultra busy, but as I watch yet another fabulous episode of Project Runway, here's what hubby and I did for day 1 and 2.

Our flight to Bandung was at 11am. Many thanks to Gee for taking the time to send us to LCCT. Oya, thanks also to my MIL for coming down to take care of the kids. Heehehe, asyik le dok import mak mertua.

Flight was uneventful, I slept most of the way. We arrived at Bandung around 1pm (2pm Malaysia time). We initially walk straight out of the airport and looked for a cab. Luckily hubby needed to pee first, because it was after his toilet break did we realize that we had FORGOTTEN TO GET OUR BAGS!!!

Yek ene, tak sabar nak pi shopping le tu.

Once we had collected our bags (which took us about 30 minutes because everything is done manually!!), we headed out to search for a taxi. This wasn’t hard to do because the taxi drivers were looking for us. We picked one and told him we needed to get to Hotel Karmila, Dago.

Rp200,000 pak"

WTF??!!! I knew they would overcharge us but I didn't expect that much. We negotiated with him and he finally lowered his price down to Rp150,000. Still!!! But we had no choice, all the other taxi drivers didn't want to take us after seeing us negotiate with that guy...komplot habis!! On the way to the hotel, we asked the driver how much it would cost to hire a car and driver, in case we wanted to venture outside of Bandung city.

"Mobilnya saja Rp350,000. Kalau mau supirnya, tambah Rp150,000. Itu enggak kira petrol dan parkir."

Erkkk...yeah, right. No needlah, you bloodsucking human leech. We'll find another, much cheaper, way to get around.

We arrived at Hotel Karmila around 2pm (takde le jauh sangat dari airport pun...grrrrr). We walked in and asked for the cheapest room (standard). Hehehe...luckily they had a few but asked whether we would want to upgrade to the executive room as it had a double bed, instead of two twin beds. We declined as we intended to find the cheapest place to stay so that we could maximize our cash for shopping!! Hehehe..

The room was nice and suitable to our needs. After checking in and praying, we ventured out to look for some lunch. We were famished so we asked the hotel receptionist where the nearest place for Nasi Padang was. Turned out there was one just 100 meters from the hotel. Sweet!!

The name of the restaurant is "Restoran Simpang Raya" and apparently it's quite famous. We were warmly greeted by the hostess and were lead to a table. 2 minutes later the waiters all came out and started laying down plates and plates of food. And everything looked delicious, but I guess everything does when you haven't had a bite for 6 hours. We selected the pucuk ubi, begedel and chicken curry. The chicken curry was really nice, siap mintak kuah lebih. The rest of the dishes looked good but since we had 4 days to savor the food in Bandung, we decided to try the rest another day. The bill also was really cheap, just Rp32,500 (around RM11.50). Kat Malaysia nak dapat ke harga camtu? I don't think so.

After filling our bellies, we headed out to check out the factory outlets. All along Jl. Ir H Juanda, there were lots and lots of factory outlets. We headed in one called Blossom Family Outlet. They had a lot of clothes but unfortunately I didn't find any jeans that I liked. We did however find a lot of clothes for the girls, so pretty and cheap!! In the end, we bought 2 gowns for the girls, one each. Price = Rp131,500 (RM46) for both. Again, kat Malaysia bleh dapat ke? Guess brand some more. :D.

We went into a lot of factory outlets but mostly just to check out the prices. We walked for miles until we reached this night market place. I can't remember what it was called but it was far. We felt the distance on the way back. Hehehe. We stopped at Circle K (ala 7-11 over here) for some bread and drinks (dinner) and then called it a night.

The next day we got up and had an early breakfast. Early because it was only 7am where as we were still on Malaysia time (8am). One thing nice was that the hotel gave us a choice of either coming down for breakfast or having them send it up to our room. Of course we opted for room service. Bleh layan cite gossip TV artis Indonesia sekali. Hehehe. Breakfast was simple but filling. We both had special fried rice and black coffee.


After breakfast, we took off to Pasar Baru. Pasar Baru is the place to go to if you're looking for telekung, head gear and all kind of fabrics. We headed out quite early, at around 8.15am. We took the angkutan, which is the preferred mode of public transport. Thankfully our hotel receptionist was very helpful and told us which angkutan to take and how much it would cost. Getting an angkutan was easy; just stand outside the hotel and every 2 minutes one would drive by. We looked for one that said "St. Hall - Dago" and before long we were on our way to Pasar Baru. We told the driver our destination and he promised to show us where to get down.

After 20 minutes bumping around in the angkutan, we arrived at Pasar Baru. We were early, a lot of the shops hadn't even opened yet so we browsed the area around it for a while. We made our way to Pasar Baru at around 9am and got lost in a maze of shops selling everything, from baby clothes, to jeans, to telekungs, to handbags. I was on the lookout for some telekungs for the spa and also some new headgears for me and MIL. I didn't plan to buy any fabrics, eventhough I went crazy looking at the choices. Cantik, cantik!!! And some were so exclusive. Hubby told me to get some but I told him, wait until I become a mak datin, then I'll buy fabric like that. Hahaha.
We spent about 2 1/2 hours at Pasar Baru. I got what I came for; 5 new telekungs for the spa and quite a number of new headgears for me and MIL, which I bought at El's Desain, Lantai 1, Blok K2 No3. We took an angkutan back to the hotel for prayers. After resting for a while, we headed back out, this time to Jalan Riau. We decided to walk there as our receptionist told us it was only a 10-15 minutes walk. And we were used to walking, having walked all over the US during our Uni days.

True enough, we reached Jl. Riau in 15 minutes, even after getting a bit lost. Our first stop was at The Oasis Clothing Outlet. Again, I failed to find jeans my type. Ahh, the curse of being a supemodel mom. Hubby found some jeans he liked but decided to shop around first to check out the prices. In the end, we bought more clothes for the girls, 2 gowns each. Total spent Rp336k (RM118). For 4 beautiful gowns, that's not bad.

A few doors down was The Summit, yet another factory outlet. We spent 1/2 hour browsing through the clothes and again hubby found stuff he liked. Me? Alas, I was finding it hard to find something my taste. Whenever I found something I liked, they didn't carry my size. Grrrr.
All that serious shopping made us very hungry so we looked for a place to eat. I remember reading in Apit's blog about this nice restaurant called Dakken Coffee and Steak, so we searched around for that. We found another factory out called the Heritage which looked inviting but before we walked in, I noticed the signboard for the restaurant. Lorrr, just next door. Sweet!

Indeed the place was very nice. We were warmly greeted and lead to a table promptly. After checking out the menu, I ordered the lamb chop and lemon tea while hubby had the Sirloin steak Bali and durian shake. It didn’t' take long for our food to arrive and boy, did it look appetizing. It also tasted very good. The steaks were done just right and were very juicy. My lemon tea was a bit tangy but hubby's durian shake was very...duriany. Hehehe. All in all, our very nice lunch cost us Rp136k (RM48). Nice!!

Stomachs full and ready for more shopping, we headed back to the Heritage. It had started to rain a bit. I headed out to the ladies section, determined to buy something. At last I found a blouse that I liked and carried my size. Happily, I snatched up two; one orange, another blue. Hubby bought some boxers (Tommy Hilfiger lagi, ahaks) while I also snagged some jeans and shirts for my SIL's boy and also Ida's kids. Total damage Rp351K (RM124).

We then headed back to The Summit. I had my eyes on this really cool Burberry handbag but was hesitant to buy it coz it cost Rp390K (RM138). Still a deal, but I had never spent that much on a handbag before. Usually I just buy them during the Jusco sale for RM30. Hehehe. I jotted down the price and took a mental picture of the handbag and promised myself to sleep on it tonight. Hubby, of course, had no problem spending his money on some slacks, also Burberry brand. Total damage Rp125K (RM44).

Across the road from The Summit, we saw a few more outlets. We headed into The ForMen outlet. As the name states, this outlet carried clothes for men. Hubby fell in love with this Armani black shirt but alas they didn't carry his size. Sigh, and he looked so good in it too. He thought of buying a jacket (Hugo) but then figured he would hardly wear it back in Malaysia. What's the point? So in the end, we didn't spend in ForMen but it's a really good place to find men’s clothes.
Next door was more for me; Terminal Tas which loosely translated mean Handbag Terminal. And believe me, the place was overflowing with handbags. You name it, they've got it. From Gucci, to Bonia, to Coach, to Channel. Unfortunately, the current trend right now for handbags is the oversized ones. And I mean oversized!! I mean like, "hi, this is my handbag. It has rhinestones, can fit a toddler and costs 2000 dollars." I had a bit of a hard time finding a handbag that was not too big and in the end....I found one!! Coach some more!! And guess the price. Rp80K = RM28!!!! I was grinning ear to ear until I found out that hubby had bought a Gucci wallet AND an Armani belt. Sheeeshhh...sapa yang sepatut shopping sakan sini?

It was almost night fall and the rain had stopped drizzling so we decided to head back. We were still full from lunch so again we had bread for dinner. Penat jugak berjalan.

Days 3 and 4 coming up. Stay tuned.

I Failed to Shop Till I Drop

We are back from Bandung!! Actually we came back on Thursday but been busy since with the spa and renovations for the Bangi house, that I hadn't had time to update.

Anyhow, pictures have yet to be uploaded, so patience my dear Internet. I'll story everything on what we bought and ate in Bandung. What I can say for now is....tak puas shopping!!!

Later, dudes...take care

Good Vibrations All Around

First of all I want to say thanks to those who gave comments, sms'ed me and YM'ed me with regards to my last post. Memang tengah bengang when I wrote the entry but thanks to you guys, I've cooled down. What for get all riled up over negative comments, right? Like my good friend Liza said, "just take it as a compliment, depa bleh terasa tercabar ngan ko". Hahahaha...oklah. Enough said. Let's go on to more positive stuff.

Thanks also to those who have been asking me about the spa and when it's going to open. Memang tak sabar, kan? Just to update everyone, renovation is in full swing. The plumbing has been done, now we're in the demolition stage. After this would be laying down the tiles and putting up the room partitions. Before that, we have to make sure the Jacuzzis and saunas are also in place. Once all the "heavy stuff" has been taken care of, we'll start putting in the aircons, fans, lights, reception counter and other spa equipment and office furniture.

We've done the design for our big banner that's going up in front of the spa. A million thanks to all those who helped;

1) Our fabulous photographer, Ms Hasmah aka Jojet for taking such great shots of our model and her cute baby. If you guys have a wedding, birthday party or any other events that require a photographer, I would highly recommend her. Please visit her website to see her great photography skills in action or call her at 013-3420717.

2) Our make up artist, Kak June who took her time and made sure our model was looking fresh and lovely. Anyone looking for a make-up artist, can call Kak June at 017-3777553 or email her at june.azhar@gmail.com. Kak June even does decorations for the pelamin and bridal bedroom and hantarans for weddings, so those of you who are tying the knot in the near future, can call Kak June to discuss.

3) Shah and Win from Aspirasi Screen who did the design and printout for the banner and also our wall sticker. You guys are great. And funny...layan je lah. Hehehe. Anyone looking to make any banners, buntings and such, can call them at 03-9283 5461.

4) Last but not least, to our beautiful models, Pn Liris and her comel-yang-amat-sangat baby girl, Issabel. Thanks for being such sports and for having us at your house until late night.

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

Hubby and the kids are in Melaka right now. They went back last night and are scheduled to be back home after Isyak, with my MIL in tow. Tomorrow hubby and I will be heading off to Bandung for our much awaited honeymoon #3. Hehehehe, jangan jeles. I plan to do lots of shopping, eating, shopping, shopping and shopping some more. If I can find the time, I might try out the spas over there, see if I can get any ideas for IREE Touch.

We'll be back on Thursday, so until then, be good people. Take care.

Hasad Dengki

Ni kali pertamalah aku tulis blog dalam bahasa melayu sebab aku rasa kalau cakap english, tak terkeluar luahan hati aku ni. Orang2 yang mungkin baca, kalau ada yang termakan cili dan terasa pedas, sendiri2 paham lah yer...

Apasallah korang dengki aku bukak spa ni? Aku ada mintak duit korang ke? Aku ada kacau korang ke? Aku ada memekak pasal spa aku kat telinga korang ke?

Aku buat keje part time ni sebab nak bagi aku bahagia. Sebab aku nak hidup aku berubah untuk kebaikan. Sebab aku nak merancang untuk masa depan. Langsung takde kena mengena ngan korang pun. Laki aku pun restu keje aku ni, dengan syarat tak mengganggu keje aku yang sebenarnya. Asalkan aku tau carik masa. Asalkan aku tak abaikan tanggungjawab aku sebagai isteri dan ibu. Kalau laki aku tak banyak soal, apehal korang lak yang lebih2?

Apasal korang asyik cakap sinis depan aku hal spa aku? Korang yang dah berjawatan tinggi pun nak dengki ngan aku yg keje cabuk kat kompeni ni ke? Aku buat keje spa ni, takde effect langsung keje aku kat kompeni, ok? Time keje, aku keje....aku pulun, aku pi meeting, aku deliver, aku siapkan paperwork aku. Time lunch atau after office hours, kot aku nak surf2 website spa yang lain, sukati aku lah.

Aku sedar sapa aku kat kompeni ni. Aku tak reti cium bontot bos, tak reti nak ajak2 bos besar pi lunch, tak reti nak tanya2 kabar orang atasan. Kalau aku buat, mesti orang ingat aku buang tebiat. Aku bukan keji korang yang baik ngan bos, tapi jangan korang berbaik tu, ada muslihat nak jatuhkan orang lain. Aku dah kat bawah dah pun, takde tempat lagi rendah nak pi.

Lantaklah korang. Aku ni tak reti nak doakan kejatuhan orang lain sebab tu lah aku pelik kenapa korang obses nak jatuhkan aku. Kot aku nak belah dari sini bila tiba masanya ke tidak, sukati aku lah. Kot aku nak stay kat kompeni ni sampai aku pencen pun, sukati aku lah. Bukan duit korang aku ambik sebagai gaji aku. Bukan bonus korang yang aku ambik buat belanja aku.

Aku doakan korang cariklah hobi lain selain ngumpat orang lain. Orang atasan kerajaan pun dah boleh halau, apa lagi orang atasan kompeni ni. Ingat-ingatlah.

Happy Couples

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Been at a course since Monday until tomorrow. Last week, Ida and I bought all the major items for our spa center like the jacuzzi, saunas, hot blankets, etc. We spent (a bomb) and shopped from 10am until 9pm. By the time we actually found some time to sit down and eat, we were ready to faint from light headiness. But it's all good, the renovation is coming along fine and we have electricity and water and the tiles have been ordered and the fountain has been purchased and the aircons have been procured and we can give foot spas now because we bought that water foot massager which I have yet to try....and...and...it's been hectic but fun and I can't stop thinking or talking about the spa.....HEEEEEEEE!!!!

OK, enough about that. What else is there to talk about?

Hubby's back from his "male bonding" trip in Jakarta. I missed him so much. But it's true what they say, distance makes the heart fonder.

I found this article on msn.com and thought I would like to share it. I love reading articles on how to keep your marriage alive and fun, especially after so many years together. The parts in italic are my own comments and thoughts on the matter.

Start solid.
Remember that best friend you had when you were a kid? Whether blissfully playing side-by-side in the sandbox or building an awesome fort together, you two just grooved on being in each other's presence. Happy couples share that same serendipitous groove, if in the all-grown-up world. Romantic chemistry aside, they genuinely like each other as people and truly enjoy walking down the path of life hand-in-hand.
When hubby and I first got together, we found out that we liked a lot of the same things, mostly travelling and seeing new places. Even after 2 kids, we try to find the time to go for holidays at never-before-been-to places. 2 weeks from now, insya'allah we'll be going for our 3rd honeymoon together (minus the kids!!) in Bandung. Can't wait!!

Keep it fresh.
Routines and traditions can give a couple a comforting sense of predictability that's both grounding and reassuring. But surprises and adventures are also essential to really keeping that spark alive. Happy couples make a habit of shaking things up a bit by planning weekend getaways to undiscovered destinations, saving their pennies for a dream vacation, or launching fun and ambitious projects together. Having exciting things on the calendar to look forward to and sharing new adventures together reaffirms their connectedness and refuels the romance.
Hubby and I love getting presents for each other, especially for our birthdays and anniversaries. We like surprising each other with naughty sms's..hahaha. Whenever I get a funny joke in my inbox, hubby's the first person I forward it to. Just our way of telling each other, "I'm thinking of you".

Clear the air.
It's perfectly natural for any couple to encounter frustrations, disappointments, and miscommunication from time to time. But if grievances go unaired, they can pile up to a mountain of resentment and put the relationship at risk. Happy couples make sure they keep the communication open, and navigate those inevitable rough spots with honesty and mutual respect. If any issues should arise that seem too big or too complex to resolve between the two of them, they'll schedule some sessions with a couples therapist to help them safely weather the storm.
I guess it's true what they say, those who love passionately, fight passionately too. Throughout our 13 years together, hubby and I have had fights to rival World War 2. We're still learning on how to express our displeasure with each other in a healthier way and I guess age and the girls have taught us to not take things too seriously. There are times when we get on each other's nerve but in the end, we forgive, hug and make up.

Have a life.
A healthy relationship consists of two individuals who each maintain a strong sense of themselves and take a genuine interest in the other. One may decide to go back to school to pursue a higher degree, while the other may get involved in a volunteer project or a photography workshop. Maintaining individual identities and pursuing individual interests ensures that there'll always be new things to share and to learn about each other.
I have my spa. Hubby has futsal and his male-bonding sessions with his pals. Both activities exclude the other but receives all the support it requires.

Tune it up.
Whether it be once a month or once a year, a regularly scheduled sit-down can allow for some essential upkeep and maintenance of a healthy relationship. Happy couples may agree to a periodic summit meeting to check in with one another about the overall well-being of their partnership. They may discuss what they've been appreciating about one another, what dynamics could use some tweaking, and what is on the horizon for their future as a couple. A little preventative TLC from time to time helps keep those relationship engines running smoothly.
Hubby and I like to lie in bed and talk about our dreams for the future. We talk about having more children, even after the painful losses we've gone through. We talk about being financially independent and spending our old days together touring the world. Allah ajelah will decide whether our dreams will become a reality but it's nice to know that you have that special someone to share these visions with.

Footnote: Analise Pendergast is a freelance writer specializing in topics of sexuality and relationships. She offers writing workshops for women called Sex, Lies, & Language. You can find the article here.

I hope no one thinks that I think hubby and I have the perfect marriage. Far from it. What's important is that both of us continue to work at it. Yes, marriage is work. Which makes it sometimes fun, sometimes...well, feels like work.

Kita hanya mampu merancang, Allah yang menentukan. Aku doakan hubungan aku ngan hubby kekal bahagia ke akhir hayat...Amiiin.