Snippets of the Past 2 Weeks

OMG...sorry folks..I promised a few people I would update on what's been happening at Casa Along but alas, some urgent matters need to be taken care off first. I'll just list down a few stuff as a teaser..promise, I'll write in full really soon.

1. Our train ride into KL. A great way for some family bonding and to tire out the kids real fast. Haha.
2. Dania and Dina's Bijak Sifir workshop
3. Our maid problem. Like...urghhh...seriously.
4. Work stuff...went through hell but hopefully everything will turn out fine. Oya, had to postpone my International Marketing mid term because of work...sigh..

Till then, stay chill my fellow peeps.

Taking a Breather

Just emailed my classmates the 1st draft of my case study. Like, seriously...I only had 8 pages typed. Itupun termasuk cover page. That other dude had 57 pages!! Granted he had a lot of graphs and pictures but at least his looked at least 80% done. Mine looked like it had been baked at the last minute, which of course was the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I haven't had time to do anything I've wanted these days. The massage session that I've been promising myself is now 5 weeks overdue. I haven't had time to catch up on my CSI series or even The Good Wife. Sob. As much as I hate to admit it, I've even let my MBA slack quite a bit. For example, this morning we had Mid Terms for our Service Marketing (yeah, mid terms on a Saturday...fun!) and I had to wake up at 4am just to start reading the chapters. It's amazing I could even attempt to answer the questions since I was practically a zombie in the exam hall.

It's not that I'm regretting taking this promotion but I guess I'm still trying to fit in into the role. I've been such an operations kind of person that taking on the role as more of a strategist needs some getting used to. I also really need to work on my ability to delegate work among my staff. I find myself still doing operational work when I know I have competent staff to do it. It's not really a trust issue, it's because I've always been a very hands-on type of person. And now I find myself unable to be everywhere at once and I'm freaking out.

It hasn't all been bad though. Last weekend, the management level in my unit went to Lumut for a BP retreat. That was my first time going for such an occasion and I felt very much like the new girl heading there. I was worried I wouldn't be able to contribute any ideas or defend my unit's current direction. Turns out, I did rather ok and I got good constructive feedback as well. The sessions were long and went up until midnight but I did learn a lot from the other team mates. The fun part was when we all took a break and did some island hopping to Pangkor where I bought 4kg of anchovies and some dried cutlery for my staff. We then had a karaoke session during our last night there. Let's just say I did Abba and 3 Doors Down proud. Enough said! Heee...

We were suppose to go to my mom's house today but I really wanted to try attempt my case study without much distraction. If I go there, I won't be able to resist my nephew and his chubby cheeks.

Well, here's to at least some rest on Sunday until the whole craziness starts again. Have a nice weekend, peeps!

Day Trip to Johor - Random notes

Currently in Johor. My flight was at 7.10am but unfortunately I was unable to solat subuh due to LCCT had moved the surau to another place!! Isy..isy..dalam flight tadi, dah dok terpikir...kalau terhempas kapalterbang ni, sia2 je. Huhuhu...mohon ampun.

The training session is going well. My staff is handling it; I've trained him well. Hehehehe..

Hope the food provided is good. I only had a milk for breakfast.

I miss my babies.

Ooo, my mom just called. Mesti nak cite hal latest golf trip ngan ayah, ntah apa mak datin tu shopping sakan.

En Rashid gave a trip suggestion yesterday. Out of the blue. I'm excited. Kalau menjadi, alhamdulillah....lepas satu wishlist.

Ok, concentrate back on the training.

Busy Bee

Sometimes I wish I had more days in a week to do all things on my To Do list. But then I start thinking, if Obama can achieve so much while running a damn country, I can certainly survive and run a small unit!

I have a training session to give in Johor tomorrow. Uwaaa, my flight is at 710am and since it's via AA, I'll have to get out of the house and drive to LCCT at least by 6am. Since it's only a day trip, my flight coming back is at 10pm something, meaning I'll probably reach home at around midnight.

Then Friday - Sunday, it's off to Lumut for our management retreat. Urgh, what a way to spend the weekend. Though the agenda doesn't look that hectic, it is time I would rather be spending on my bed sleeping. Or doing my massive pile of assignments.

Argghh...that reminded me. My assignments. Plus the following week is mid terms. When, when, when am I gonna find the time to study?

Breathe in, breathe out. Kang semput balik den dok pikirkan semua ni. Baik tido dulu. And get ready for an early drive to the airport tomorrow.

Rezeki

So, I got promoted. Heeee! It took effect 1st Feb but the funny thing is, I got sick for two weeks and only came into the office half way through the month.

What a way to start at my new position!

Anyway, it's been HECTIC since I returned. So much to do, so little time. I knew this when I accepted the position but sometimes the amount of work seems overwhelming. The team has been working well together, though I still haven't really found the time to properly sit down with them and initiate myself.

I have so many people to thank for my promotion, most of all my previous boss who was such a great mentor and friend. People have been asking when I'm gonna do an open table...hahahaha..it's not that I don't want to, it's just that I really need to find the time to do so. Insya'allah, hopefully early next month.

Till then, it's tons of work awaiting. Nothing comes for free anyway.

Masa Sakit Aritu...

...memperkuatkan lagi decision aku untuk tidak pregnant lagi!

Serious. Pening, Badan lemau. Sakit badan. Pitam. Seksanya. Itu blum masuk book lagi, rasa nak muntah 24 jam, sembelit, cramp kaki, sakit belakang, bleeding, hidung ultra sensitif, kluar masuk spital ambik drip...huhuhuhu...cukup la tu..

Aku dapat bayangan rasa tu selama 2 minggu pun dah tersangat seksa...tak sanggup nak pikir kalau 9 bulan aku rasa camtu lagi. Nak2 la ngan umur aku yang dah makin lanjut (uhuk...marah Sal kalau aku cakap aku dah tua...kita seumur ya!!)..lagi la aku rasa mesti out giller2 aku kalau preggers lagi. Silap2 terus cuti keje setahun. No play2.

Aku dah banyak kali hint kat En Rashid yang aku dah tutup kilang, tapi aku rasa mamat tu antara percaya tak percaya la. Sekarang ni dia tak la mendesak, sebab dia tau aku tengah belajar lagi. Nanti bila aku dah grad bulan 9 nanti (insya'allah), mungkinkah dia akan ungkit subjek ni. Oh tidak.

Bukan aku tak teringin anak lagi. Kekadang bila tengok baby, rasa geram je, rasa nak cubit2 pipi baby tu. Tapi ingat2 balik part ngandung, aku surrender. Kalau aku jenis yang preggers senang, tiap2 tahun aku bunting. Percayala. Sapa yang pernah rasa demam denggi ke, demam sejuk yang sakit sendi2 tu...bleh agak2 la camne aku rasa time preggers. Sapa yang pernah kena muntah2 cirit birit, bayangkan la 24 jam sehari selama 9 bulan ko rasa camtu. Sanggup?

Kekadang bila aku cite kat orang pasal aku takmo pregnant lagi, kebanyakannya menggeleng kepala. Cakap, aku muda lagi la, tanya aku takmo anak lelaki ke, warning nanti En Rashid ada alasan carik bini muda.

Takpela...aku dah ada 3 puteri comel2 ni pun dah sangat bersyukur dah. Kalau En Rashid nak jadikan condition aku sebagai sebab nak menambah bini, silalah. Huhuhuhu....beranikah dia? Wataaaaa...karate kick nanti flying nanti. Hehehe..

A Cute Bronchitis

Only it wasn't cute. It was torture. 2 weeks of feeling sick. It all started with a cold fever, then a very bad cough and faint spells. After numerous blood tests and a couple of days in the hospital, the doctor diagnosed me with acute bronchitis plus viral fever.

I started feeling sick the day we all came back from Kuantan. I took two actifast pills and normally that would do the trick. But it didn't and I started having the chills. Like it felt like ice water was running through my veins. I went to the clinic and the doctor gave me some antibiotics and pills for my flu. The next day, I started getting diarrhea and headaches. My fever was still there so En Rashid took me to the hospital near our home. The doctor did a few blood tests and gave me two days of MC. Whatever I had, it was different from what the kids had had, so I waned to know the cause of it. I missed classes because I really couldn't even sit up due to my pounding headache and really bad cough.

On Monday I wen back for another blood test. My fever had gone but I was still feeling sickly and lightheaded. The doctor cleared me for denggi, which was a relief.

On Tuesday, I went to work. I had a 930am meeting which I went straight to. It was at that meeting that I started to feel lightheaded and out of breath. It scared me a bit coz it was kind of sudden. Fortunately the meeting ended quickly and I called up En Rashid to take me home. He took me to the hospital instead which was a good call coz the doctor confirmed that my blood pressure was too low and apparently the viral fever was still there. They gave me a drip and after reviewing my blood tests, the doctor decided to admit me for observation.

So I stayed in the hospital for 2 nights. The food was good though, apparently there was no problem with my appetite. I did still feel kind if weak; simple tasks like going to the toilet made me out of breath. I took this up with the doctor and that's when he diagnosed me with acute bronchitis. I dunno if it can lead up to light headiness coz that's what concerns me the most.

Anyway, that kind of explains the reason I've been quiet for the past 2 weeks. I'm feeling better now and I have an inhaler in case I have difficulty breathing or anything. The doctor said it may take up to 8 weeks for the viral fever to really go away and for my bronchitis to clear up so I'm to avoid strenuous activities. Hmmm, I hardly think that's possible once I get back to the office. But I'll have to try. I only have one body to take care off anyway.

Plus being sick just blows.

All Down For The Count

All three of my babies are sick. Boohoo! It started actually with Daria, we suspect she got food poisoning from the drink we bought at the night market. Actually it was more of the ice cubes that she chewed on, must have been made from unfiltered water.

So anyway, this was actually last week and for almost a week, she was vomiting and had diarrhea. Then as Daria was getting better, Dania got sick and started getting the same symptoms. She came back from school on Tuesday, complaining about a stomach ache. That night, she started vomiting and having the runs. So far, she's missed 4 days of school.

Last Wednesday night, Dina started vomiting. I was getting really worried, especially since Daria was just getting better. So on Thursday morning, both En Rashid and myself took the girls to the hospital.

Both Dania and Dina had to be put on a drip because they were vomiting excessively. They cried a bit when the nurse placed in the needle but only because their veins were so shrunk from the dehydration. But after a bottle of saline, they both felt better. Fortunately the doctor said that they could be released and stay at home, instead of being admitted into the wards.

As of today, Dania about 90% better. She still has the runs but she hasn't vomited since yesterday. Dina vomited twice today but I think it's due to the powder medication she has to take. So I've stopped that for now and tried to get her to drink chocolate milk instead.

Here's hoping my babies get well soon.

Dania's School Clay Project

The other day, Dania mentioned about her Kajian Tempatan project she had to do during CNY. Apparently, she had to create a cave out of plasticine, following the instructions in her text book.

I tried googling some videos on how to make a cave; most of the videos I found used paper mache and were too complicated for my limited creativeness. So I called my brother to help.

This is what they finally came up with.

It cost me approximately RM60 to buy all the stuff for her cave but looking at the final result, was so worth it. My brother helped a lot, in terms of the design and layout.

The frame of the cave was made out of polystyrene and then covered with balls of plasticine. Dania helped roll bits of plasticine into balls while I helped my brother cover up the polystyrene. The bushes were actually leaves from the trees in my mom's garden, taken with permission of course. The grass was fake grass, bought at the art shop for RM7 per piece. Initially we wanted to create the grass using plasticine, but figured that would just take up too much time.

Dania also created the "boulders" using grey plasticine and the stalactites and stalagmites using orange plasticine. My brother helped arrange them around the stream and pond.

En Rashid complained that the cave looked too "boxy" but actually we ran out of plasticine. My brother wanted to use something to create a roundish shape for the top of the cave but we were worried that the polystyrene might not be able to hold the weight. So a "boxy" cave it is.

Which was just fine, because Dania got A+ for her project!!

Go Dania!!

Lost in Translation

My staff gave me this recipe booklet the other day, apparently from a restaurant of a famous Malaysian chef. I laughed until I cried when I read the recipe instructions, translated in Malay (in italics).

For example, step #2.
Place paper cases in muffin tins.
Kertas tempat kes-kes dalam muffin mengetinkan.

And step #6.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 25 min or so until well risen and just firm.
Mengaut campuran kepada kes-kes kertas dan membakar untuk 25 min atau supaya sehingga telaga naik dan sungguh tegas.
(well risen = telaga naik? Just firm = sungguh tegas? OMG!!)

Step #2.
Add the prawns, stir fry for 2 minutes and then add in the vegetables. Stir fry till cooked.
Menambah udang itu, goreng selama 2 minit dan kemudian campur semua sayur-sayuran itu. Mesin daftar tunai goreng dimasak.
(I had to rack my brain a bit but I finally figured out "till" = mesin daftar tunai. Sigh.)

And step #4.
Serve immediately garnished with the chives and chili strips.
Berkhidmat lantas dihias dengan kucai dan jalur-jalur cili.

Step #4.
Thread a few chicken pieces into the wooden skewers.
Benang kepingan-kepingan takut beberapa kepada pencucuk kayu itu.
(OMG...chicken = takut? Are you chicken??)

Step #6.
Alternatively, deep fry the satay and drain on absorbent paper.
Secara altenatif, anak ikan dalam sate dan parit pada kertas serap.
(Drain = parit...oh, the humanity!!)

Step #2.
Pound the first 9 ingredients and smear on the fish slices.
Menghentam dahulu 9 bahan-bahan dan mencemarkan pada ikan memotong.
(OK, by the time I was reading this part, I was laughing too hard and just trying to breathe.)

Step #2.
Add in the drained basmati rice and stir fry for 1 minute.
Ditambah masuk beras basmati sangat lemah dan goreng untuk 1 minit.
(Drained basmati rice = beras basmati sangat lemah. Mengapakahhhhhh!!!!)

Step #3.
Transfer to rice cooker, add water, milk, salt and colouring. Stir to combine well. Switch on rice cooker.
Pindah ke periuk nasi, menambah air, susu, garam dan pewarna. Kacau untuk bergabung baik. Memasang periuk nasi.

Ok..ok..I can't type anymore. I feel kind of bad for the chef who's name is associated with this recipe booklet, especially since his face is plastered on each page. This should serve as a lesson to all celebrities; please vet through everything that goes on in your business.