School break

The first term break was just over. Thought I could have some peace at home after one week of chaos.. but it was extended. The kids (except Eussuv) developed red-eyes, some eye discharge and fever on Sunday. Great timing! Went to see a GP on Sunday night and no school for the next day. So Monday was full of medication routine. The hard part was giving them the antibiotic, ewwhhh.. it tasted awful. Couldn't they make some nice antibiotic for kids??

Actually the break was not so bad. Started on Friday (12th) - we started one day early - we went to Kuantan for my nephew's wedding. Kids had so much fun meeting their cousins and had wonderful time at the hotel pool. The rest of the week was nothing much as Irsyad had extra classes from 8am-11:30pm and tuition at night. While Irsyad went to his classes, I made sure Eussuv review his subjects with the revision books! So much of a school break! But the boys enjoyed their futsal moment every evening at the futsal court nearby. Not only they got to play, they also make many new friends.

On Sunday  (before the red-eye appeared) we went to Putrajaya for the Hot Air Balloon show. So much excitement, so disappointing... there were so many people, so many cars, so many stalls selling stuff, so many other activities like waterball, tricycle or something, coloring contest (as usual) .. and it was blazing hot at 12pm. Worst, there was no sign of hot air balloon anywhere. We were really late. The balloons were only up in early morning and evening. Last year, the first year of the carnival, we got there around 9am. No traffic, no carnival. It was great and fun. This year it seems that the carnival has taken over the actual balloon activities... and of course the fact that we were late! But really, I think it's a Malaysian thing, if they want to attract people to some new thing, they must have a carnival. Lots of people will come of course, but not so much to see and learn about this new thing but to go to the carnival and get good bargain on thingsl. Typical! So much of that, we left after going around most of the activity booths and found most of it closed for lunch. What luck! We shall try again next year then.

Till the next school holidays...  

The last few days of "freedom"

I'm enjoying my last few days of "freedom" before my maid goes off for good. I'm watching Barbie as Rapunzel with the kids while blogging. Well, it's not like I have been sitting here since I woke up..! I have finished one round of cleaning my bedroom and one toilet. I've bathed the two little kids and feed them. I'm trying to prepare myself mentally and physically for being maidless. Not that I never live without them, it's just that this time it may be for a longer time or for good? We'll see how long I can take it. Not that I have to go to work anyways! I should be able to care for my family myself, shouldn't I? 

Apart from the luxury of free time and leisure that I might lose, I will definitely miss my maid. So will the kids. She will also miss us for sure.  I will miss her sambal and doughnuts and all the nice meals she cooked for us.I thought she would be happy to be sent home but I just discovered that she is rather sad and scared to go back. Going home, even means to be with her two kids, she will face hardship of raising her kids in poverty. It will also mean she has to face villagers who would think she has done something bad because she goes back before her contract ended. Even worse when they will eventually discovered that she's pregnant. They will just talk bad, even they know she's here with her husband. That's how their lives are!

I wish her the best, I pray for her well-being. I also pray for me ... for being maidless. I shall enjoy these few moments till the day comes (which is about 8 days away!).

Unbearable heat

Perhaps the world is coming to its end. The weather around the world is at its worst. While one part is experiencing extreme cold, this part is having the worst heat ever. I don't think I have ever experienced this kind of heat in my entire life. Not even in the Holy Land! It's simply too hot!! Surely my next electricity bill will explode. The aircond is on most of the time day and night.. I'm almost suffocated. I'm one person who prefers natural air to aircond. And yet, in the current weather I can only stand a few hours of the natural air! I bet it's a different story if you are in the office the whole day, you don't feel much heat. Even the rain does not help. When it rains, the heat is even worse since the hot air comes up to the air due to the rain. 

Ya Allah, please have some mercy on us! Please cool the earth.
And people... stop contributing to the global warming!

The love that was lost in the air

It was nerve-wrecking and tear-jerking. Nervous because you are hopeful of outcome and wishing that it will end as what you wanted. Emotional was seeing the crumble of people's dream, life, love and whatever that is related to it. It was an experience that I hope and pray that I don't have to go through again. But it was good reminder.

I had to accompany someone very dear (let's name her N) to me to settle her divorce case in a Syariah court. I've never been to any court before. My first impression, the court was too small. Well maybe it's because it a "low" court, not a high court. It was a public court so you get to hear everybody's case before you, not so loud and clear but you can still know what's going on. And surprisingly, you have to cover your aurat in the court. The court police will ask you to go out and cover yourself properly if you don't. What shocked me was most of the audience which consists of plaintiffs and defendants, and their supporters (family and friends) are YOUNG people. I seriously believe I was the eldest person in the court other than the judge at that time. I'm beginning to wonder what is the meaning of the marriage institution for the youngsters these days.  

N's case was the fifth one to be called. So I got to listen to four other cases. Of which the first one was read too softly for us to hear and the other was represented by a lawyer and again she spoke too soft for our nosy ears. The one that moved me was a divorce application of a very young couple  who seemed to be not more than 25 years of age. Without even a glance to each other they stood before the judge, answering him confidently. The guy read the divorce lafaz without hesitation, no quiver, no emotion. Me on the other was already in my tears (even not knowing who they are!). The ex-wife had a somewhat sad face. The next case was a fasakh application - an application to dissolve a marriage due specific reasons. The plaintiff, a lady, came alone. The judge asked, "so where is the defendant", she said - "at home, and he knew I was coming to the court today". The lady spoke softly only for the judge's ears the reason of the fasakh. It seemed that the couple was still staying together and obviously the husband refused to come to the court.  No wonder it takes ages for these cases to end.


N's case was called. They answered the judge accordingly and N's answers were more confidently said than her counterpart. Obviously she was more ready. Her husband (now ex) seemed a bit lost. As he said the lafaz, he was hesitant at first, and in tears. I was already in tears the minute N went stood in front of the judge! Ah.. so emotional! N cried too, but a cry of relief, and perhaps a bit of sadness over the love that is lost. But definitely I know she did not cry of losing the guy! After it was over, N's ex came to salam me with respect. I thanked him for taking care of N for the two years they were together.


That was it. Short, but earth shattering. Short but only the ones who had to go through it knew how painful it was. Two hearts became one, then broken into two again. Two paths met leading to one and suddenly one took a different route. Life is full of twist and turns. We can only plan, but only Allah knows best what's in store for us. 


I pray N will find another love. Or love will find her. She still love him, she said.. but I told her, it's not him that you love, it's the love that you had with him that you love. It's ok to hang on to the love, but not to him. And if she truly understands that only love to Allah is eternal, it will be easier for her to love another being again. I hope she will get up and love again.

Maid oh maid!

Anybody who hires a domestic helper a.k.a maid, for whatever reason, surely has a story or two to tell. The stories are endless. Good ones, bad ones and horrifying ones! I have four maids so far in the span of 7 years. Let me tell you my stories.

Maid 1 : A spinster who hailed from East Java. She looked more like a man and spoke with a rough voice. She's very hardworking in her own way. She followed her work routine pretty well but if the routine was disrupted, everything else went haywire. Most of the time it was disrupted, thus a lot of work was often unfinished. If I scolded her or even told her nicely of her mistakes, she'd get really angry. Either she would talk back defending herself or say "Allahuakbar, Allahuakbar" then went off to have her wudhuk and sometimes even perform solat sunat to cool herself. The good thing was, the kids like her because they like to play with her. After two years, I terminated her contract because her "talk back" was getting too unbearable!

Maid 2 : A very soft spoken and pretty little thing who seemed to be godsent after the rough Javanese. Came from Bandung and a Sunda. Sunda is known for their softspoken and good heart. She can cook and clean pretty well. Kids love her. She seemed to be perfect for the first year. We really fell for her that we treat her real good. Things started to go wrong when we gave her a handphone. She claimed she has a "paman" living in Malaysia. During this time, my hubby was away working. So there were only me, kids and her. I truly depended on her on many things, and she was often reliable. And perhaps because of this I overlooked many things. Since I was working and needed her help badly, I tolerate all the little things I noticed. Until one day I went home unannounced in the mid day. My heart almost stopped beating when I went into a messy house and nobody in it. Including my two little kids. I was almost histerical. I called her handphone and asked her where she was. Not knowing I was at home, she sweetly told me she's cleaning my room upstairs. I told her off telling her I was at home. I was already screaming then, thinking of my kids with her. After a few on and off the phone because she was scared of my screaming.. she told me she was in Shah Alam in a taxi with my kids! She even let the taxi driver spoke to me. He reassured me that my kids were OK and they were returning home. He claimed that my maid called him to take her to the clinic. But why so far away (about 20km away)? Why not tell me? I could take her myself. We (me and my neighbor) waited for 20 minutes before the taxi arrived in front of my house. That was the longest 20 minutes of my life!! I blew off my top when she reached home but at the same time so grateful that my kids are safe with me again. She claimed she was having stomach pain. She confessed she was pregnant. Since I did not allow her any weekend breaks, I gathered she brought home men (not just one man) while I was not at home or at night when I was sleeping. I also suspected she went to the clinic to have an abortion (with the kids along!!) but the doctor was not in. I sent her back to the agent half an hour after that. Took one week off from work before I found a babysitter near my house.

Maid 3: This one came 3 months after the horrifying experience of Maid 2. I still have the phobia, but I need a helper badly since my hubby was going away again.She lasted for 3 months only since she already showed bad signs since day 1. She claimed my house was haunted. She was very weird in many ways. Her mom was working in another state. She was 30 yrs old and her mom was abt 45. She begged to see her mom almost every weekend. One day I found her ready with her bag to go see her mom. I sent her back to the agent instead before she ran off while I was at work.


Maid 4: The most efficient, longest serving and almost too good to be true. This is my current maid. I took her in after she's being sacked from a millionaire's house. They accused her of stealing an expensive jewelery. My agent believed she didn't take it. I decided to take her anyway because I was desperate, because I believed my agent and because I tawakkal to Allah. Also, at that time I believed they were all the same, either way I will get a bad one! I have lost hope. I don't have any expensive jewelery for her to steal anyway! Still, I was cautious for the first few months. I was very strict on her as well and watched her like a hawk. She turned out the most OK. She knows of her roles and responsibilities, she does her work diligently. I don't have to ask, she will do it. Almost perfect. It's been two years now. I renewed her permit last November for her third year here. I gave her 5 weeks off (way too long) for her to see her family last Hari Raya. Her husband is working here in a restaurant. I brought her see her hubby once in a while. Last few weeks we allowed the husband to stay overnight at our house. I guess we are the most "understanding" employer. Understanding the human needs! Right! And now, serves us right for being so understanding. She is now a few weeks pregnant! She is pregnant!!

My almost perfect maid, pregnant! I know it is her right. It was with her legal hubby. But she has a contract with me.. she's not supposed to get pregnant while working. But who am I to question Allah's plan for me. I can only pray for her health before I send her home. And I can only pray for the best for myself to handle the four brats and a house, and the never ending laundry. I shall brace it all!


Maid oh maid.. to have or not to have! Since I'm not working anymore, the need is not so great, but since the four are growing, there are too much to be done in the house and I need to concentrate more on the kids, I do appreciate some help!

Another baking project

This is my second baking project for this year. A surprise cuppies for my brother's birthday. The cake is Red Velvet cake... not a very common cake but it's rather popular in the States. A traditional southerner cake as they put it. I've never tasted it before either, but I was really tempted to try because of the uniqueness of the color and the ingredients. The color is dark red due to food coloring and you have to put vinegar in the cake mixture. Surprisingly, as I followed the ingredients strictly, it came out beautiful. Almost perfect except for the color. I didn't feel good to pour the whole bottle of 25ml red coloring into the mixture. I only put about 3 tablespoon. Thus I got just a hint of red and the rest were chocolate. As the reviewers of the recipe put it (this recipe comes from the internet of course! complete with review), this is not supposed to be a chocolate cake. And beats me, I have no idea what it's supposed to be. It tasted rather nice, a bit tangy and chewy not really cakelike but still soft. I liked it.

As for the toppings, I used the usual butter toppings as opposed to cream cheese as suggested in the recipe. And still, it turned out well. The theme is LOVE.

Red velvet cupcake. It's supposed to be red! Up close and personal: my sister's design.

My favorite design...

Rossettes!


The finished product. The birthday "boy" was touched. His wife loved the cuppies! HAPPY BIRTHDAY my dear brother. May Allah bless you!

I like!

I haven't done this for ages. I thought this blog needs an uplift.. so this is what I've come up with. Took me a few hours to do this.. amateur! Oh well.. I like what I see so far. Will definitely work on it more tomorrow.