The Chronicles of Haz & Sham

We're in Multiply

2009-04-28T17:59:00.000+08:00

We've moved to www.haznsham.multiply.com

Snippets of Melbourne

2008-01-12T00:02:00.001+08:00

Melbourne. Been there and back, and missing it greatly.

It's a great place to have fun-filled family activities and outings, but the best thing we like about Melbourne is its people's warmth and hospitality. We felt very welcome right from the start, and we have Kak Tan & Family, Hasbi & Family, Cik Azman & Family, Faisal & Family, Tony & Katie and Jim & The girls to thank for all the wonderful help. Hope to see you guys again someday, and do look us up if you come over to Singapore...

Meanwhile, here are snippets of our month long Melbourne experience. Do visit our photoalbum for more pics.

Faris, Faiz, Sufi and Fazli growing up together....

Running loose and picking wild flowers at Mt Dandenong

"I love you Mak"

Serenity...... at Mount Dandenong

Country life!

@ Churchill Island
Having a swinging time at Gumbaya Park

@The Twelve Apostles

Male bonding....

Shopping time!

@ The Glen shopping centre

Haznsham

Haznsham juniors.........

Sheer relaxation........

Getting up-close........

Me and one greedy kangaroo

Mak having a great time
Love at first sight

Tommy the Koala Bear

@ South Yarra

A cosy lane @ South Yarra

A shop cottage @ Mt Dandenong

Lunch @ our front porch (Glenmore residence)

Our new favourite beverage, SOLO
Our Great Ocean Road trip with Pak & Mummy and Abg Nazif & Family

With Pak and Mummy
Out trip to Gumbaya park with Maryam & Family

Our dinner @ Lazzat with Maisarah & Family

Ayah & Fazli taking a ride @ Gumbaya Park

Indoor rock climbing

Sham's great new friends - Katja, Mridula and Marisa

Jim

Sovereign Hill @ Ballarat

With Danial, panning for gold @ Sovereign Hill

Sufi in the garden

Twins in the Kitchen Garden

And just the six of us.........

I Finally Did It

2007-12-21T14:36:00.000+08:00

After 4 long years, tonnes and tonnes of reading, plenty of nervous nights finishing last minute assignments, a few deadline extensions, a couple of nervous breakdowns, one or two thoughts of quitting and a big dose of guilt for having not attended a single tutorial and just half a lecture, I finally completed my SIM degree. Alhamdulillah, with God's help, an immense amount of support from my beloved wife, loving children, parents and in-laws, and plenty of encouragement from friends and relatives, I finally made it. Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah.

By Mariah & Sham

2007-08-16T21:10:00.001+08:00

More pictures soon.......

"Oii bila nak update blog ah?!"

2007-08-11T12:06:00.000+08:00

Oklah so we've been LAZY, but surely one can be allowed to be THAT sometimes? ;)

Not that laziness equates apathy anyway. We're simply allowing ourselves to take a break, at least where blogging is concerned, and hopefully after 2 months of sinful laziness, some form of inertia can start us blogging again.

Anyway, puny excuses aside, we had our inertia yesterday.....In the form of a desperate call from a desperate woman that is Kak Tan *roll eyes*

"Eh mimi! bila nak update blog ah?!" she demanded.

Fine, just say you're addicted to me.....anyway, don't I always make you hyperventilate?

So, now that all system's going, I've only but one important mission to accomplish in this post. And that is to welcome Kak Tan to the blogging world!

I'm elated, excited, overwhlemed......I'm hyperventilating....cos here comes one of the most interesting personalities I've ever known.

She's intelligent, crazy, witty, crazy, big-hearted, crazy, talented, crazy, passionate, crazy, daring, crazy, funny, crazy and above all, unique.......

Welcome Babe!

Happy Gadget Day

2007-06-13T21:20:00.000+08:00

Father's Day came early for me this year, in the form of a cool gadget that is all the rage nowadays - The GPS receiver. Sham (God bless her) got it for me, but she doesn't know it yet (HINT).......

K I'm merely 'helping' her decide what to get me, and this one's a good bargain to boot.....got it from auctions, $65 off market price (M, eat your heart out, bro)

The epitome of modern navigation, this new toy, ahem ok 'tool' of mine, will come in handy in our travels, outings and business errands. More pleasant rides ahead....so ya, I think this is definitely a good father's day gift.....right dear?!

A 32 channel with auto on/off function and smart power

KIDS ART

2007-06-09T18:15:00.000+08:00

All cooped up at home, the kids devoted their time to playing, PLENTY of fighting, and drawing.....

Here are some pics by Faris n Faiz, using Microsoft Paint (in case you're wondering bout the 'flawless' colouring!)

"The wet two legged wolf "by Faiz

"The purple lady and her red ride ?!" by Faris

"Latenight skateboarding" by Faiz

"Lightning Mcqueen" by Faris

Holiday at work

2007-06-05T16:19:00.000+08:00

No June hols for us this year. The whole family's in a chicken soup!
Faiz AND Hazrin got the pox today.....so that's 3 down.

But it's a blessing in disguise I guess, cos we're also saving money for our year end trip to Melbourne. Hopefully Dec will make up for the 'minimized' June....

It's actually a work attachment for me, and I've decided to bring the whole family down - husband, children, parents and all. They can all holiday downunder while I go to work.....Poor me has to go to work while the rest will be having fun, but it's better than having to leave the whole family behind, had I accepted my previous offer to the States instead.

This year, seeing that Hazrin is due to finish his studies, and the kids are bigger, I decided to accept the award. Anyway, I feel paiseh for not accepting it, especially since management has been very supportive and understanding of my motherhood status all this while. For all the support they've given, and the trust they have in me, I feel obligated to play my part.

I've also been offered to pursue the doctor of pharmacy, and have already started my oncology clinical attachment. I'm lovin it, but I still fear losing sight of my priorities. Hopefully I dont stray my niat ;s

Hazrin is returning me the support I've given him these last few years of his studies, and I'm finally ready to take this next step, Insya Allah. So please pray for me.

As for the pox, well, more bottles of calamine for this chicky family, I guess.......

I Feel Like Chicken Tonight

2007-05-24T08:27:00.000+08:00

Kesian Abg Faris, I think he's been eating too much chicken rice and chicken noodle......now he's down with chicken pox ....wonder when the feathers will start sprouting out.

But laugh at him I shall not, cos I'll probably get them pox too. Better tell Pak to get the coops ready before we complete our transformation. Unless of course, he doesnt mind having 4 little chickens running round the house......

Danial and Matin

2007-05-16T15:36:00.000+08:00

Here are some long overdue pics of our cuzzens, Danial and Matin.

They are Ayah Long's clones, and we will miss (bullying) them when they finally migrate to Adelaide , but hey, they'll be back for NS someday, no?!

Yo Danial, remember to blog us okey, and long live Spiderman!

Hey dude, you having prob with that bag of chips? Think you'll see better with that shades off, man.....

Umm no more time for chips. Have to take care of l'il brudder here.....

Cute Matin, with his two tiny short hands. He cant even touch the top of his head!

Ok lah whatever. I know my hands are short but you can stop taking my pics.

Go take spidey pictures lah.....

Spidey, there you are!

Surprise

2007-05-06T14:30:00.000+08:00

When Pak fetched us from school on Friday, he told us we were going to Vivo City for a surprise.
Now surprises, we loooove!! so YAAAAAAYE!!!

We started trying to figure out the surpise.....
Abg Faris was wistful enough to whisper 'Spader-Man' into my ears, but when I asked Pak, he threw the idea out of the window.

Then Mak sprang the surprise. She said we were going to the library.

And in our head, we went like "Huh, really? What kind of a surprise is that?! Duh". But hey let's just show some excitement here lah ok. Library pun library lah.......It's still a surprise. So YAAAAAYE we went!

Then Pak had to go on throwing THAT idea out of the window as well!
Mak was pulling our legs, he said...and that's a lot of legs to pull you know. K fine, let's juz keep on guessing shall we? How bout Toys R Us? They have one in Vivo, dont they?

When we reached Vivo City, Pak and Mak took us for a quick bite at LJS. And then, we got whisked to God knows where, with our eyes shut!!.

Then finally, after some posing (power tak? Eyes closed oso still can pose for pics!), we were presented with our SURPRIIIIISE!!!!

YEAH! SPIDERMAN 3!

We knew it!

And to quote Pak, the movie was "SUPERB, DAAAA!!!!"

It was worth all the rush and wall banging HAHA

Well, thanks Pak, for the surprise. (Though you were more excited than us, no?!)
Keep up the good work. Bring on more surprises ya!

That's what understanding parents are for *wink, wink*

The importance of being me....

2007-05-05T17:23:00.000+08:00

The important thing about being me is, I get to be all cute and cuddly,
and you get to say AAWWWW! SOOOO CUUUUUTE......................

So go ahead, say aaaaawwwww. It's therapeutic, really.

Weekend, here we come!!!

2007-04-28T21:05:00.000+08:00

Aunty Nur took us to her new home at Aloha Loyang last weekend.
Twas a huge house with a nice seaview, big garden and a barbecue pit even. She even planted a nice big coconut tree for us to climb on.....

We wanted to stay there longer (not on the tree!), but not sure why we couldn't. Aunty Nur moved out the next day....?????

Aunty Nur, it wasn't your house, was it? *roll eyes*
You better don't bedek us, hor. Later we become power ranger, then you know!

But heck, who cares...we had sooo much fun heee

We played twister.

We gave Aniq Ros Syrup! (Aunty Hana not there. Muahahaha. Alah....but sikit jerrr)

We went swimming with Aniq.

We played with fire. (Eh, mana api dia, macam kecik sangat je!)

We had a nice chit-chat session with Uncle Mahathir and Aunty Dian.

We went on a cicak hunt with Aniq and Uncle Bob.

We let our daddies lepak one corner.

We let our Aunty Hana and Uncle Izad perasan single mingle.

And we took a picture of Fazli NOT crying.

So, to thank Aunty Nur for giving us such a wonderful weekend, WE - her anak anak sedara 'kechorables', her cousins, her brudder and her parents - presented her with a surprise.
A birthday surprise!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNTY NUR, FROM ALL OF US!!!
Muacks muacks muacks muacks muacks!!

The cake, by Mariah & Sham

And excuse our small promotional talk here, but Mariah & Sham happens to be a new company set up by our own Mum, Mak Busu and Mak Tok!
Wanna know what their business is all about?
Stay tuned to this blog....Their website will be up soon! (Hint : They are into a lot of stuff......)
Meanwhile, here are some more of their goodies, specially ordered for Aunty Nur's birthday surprise......

Royal chocolate oreo cheese cake

Blueberry cheesecake. Aunty Nur's favourite, made by Mak Busu :)

Mini choc bites. OUR favourite heheh.....

And the display.

And.....here's a pic of Aunty Nur and Family + Aniq.
(Tok Cik, we're soo happy to see you doing well now, Alhamdulillah)

So Aunty Nur, let us know when you're moving back into your new 'house' hokay.

And oh, by the way, Mak said sorry she had to curik your pics for this post.....paknye cam tak leh harap, sey (Eh! Sorry. Sey tu seytan! *Winks*)

When it's time.....

2007-04-25T17:38:00.000+08:00

Of late, this blog has been swarmed by plenty of comments, both good and bad.

While criticisms are welcomed, the insincere way by which they have been thrown at my face leave much of its truthfulness to be desired.

Aloofness aside, which human being would not react when thrown cold water smack on the face.......A dead one perhaps?

But it will not leave me for the worse or make me bitter cos this episode has only strengthened my resolve to not be the sort of person who so high handedly albeit cowardly judges another human being.

Some admitted the propensity of this blog for being entertaining, thereby spurring them to deliberately say stupid things juz to 'spice things up', and then having the cheek to tell me to 'go with the flow' for the sake of 'entertainment'.

If there is truth that needs to be reflected, let me do it in my own cave, and if I emerge a better person, only Allah will know. I will not show it by being a judge of someone else's character, and leaving a spiteful anonymous comment on somebody else's blog.

To all my family and friends who have stood by me, I thank you for your support. And if you find your comments unpublished, it is only so because I do not see the hikmah in getting my friends slained in this family-blog, especially after standing up for me.

So at the end of the day, while one can say 'bring it on', I shall not be a bravado for the sake of other people's entertainment. I'm not a bull fighter. I therefore think that some form of censorship is timely. Afterall, this is MY blog.....

Night out @ Pasir Ris Beach

2007-04-15T10:33:00.000+08:00

Taking advantage of the clear sky that night, we decided to have a picnic under the stars....away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Sham was all for it cos it meant no cooking for her. So we headed down to Pasir Ris Beach, squeezed ourselves on top of 4 big ponchos and devoured our Changi Village nasi lemak like some hungry hyenas....

Kids love unplanned outings. It means adventure, and they get to be creative.........

Like looking for TWIGS to set up a campfire when the lights went out,

like running around in a circular formation in pitch darkness,

and posing for a picture in the dark all at once......

While I just looked on, amazed.....

And yet after a long tiring day, all that running around still wasn't enough to call it a day.

They wanted to go climbing...

So climb we did, parents and all......

Children Don't Fit On To-Do List

2007-04-07T10:37:00.000+08:00

Have you noticed that routine panic is becoming a way of life for today's families? There was a time when a man didn't fret if he missed a bus. He'd just catch the next one. Now, if a fellow misses a section of a revolving door, he's thrown into despair.

But guess who's the inevitable loser from this breathless lifestyle? It's the little guy who's leaning against the wall with his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans.

He misses his father during the long day and he tags around after him at night saying: "Play soccer, Dad!" But Dad's too tired. Besides he has a briefcase full of work to be done. Mum had promised to take him to the park this afternoon but then she had to go to a school meeting at the last minute. So, the lad gets the message. His folks are busy again. (He drifts into the living room and watches two hours of pointless cartoons on television.)

Children just don't fit into a to-do list very well. It takes time to introduce them to good books. It takes time to listen once more to the bruised knee episode from the playground and talk about the bird with the broken wing.

These are the building blocks of esteem held together with the mortar of love. But they seldom materialise amid busy time tables. Instead, crowded lives produce fatigue, fatigue produces irritability, and irritability produces indifference. There simply has to be a better way.

Article by Dr James Dobson. His column, Focus on the Family appears daily in the Today papers...

My super girls

2007-04-02T07:46:00.000+08:00

Hey girls, you all are the best!

Uncle Fad is now Pak Busu

2007-03-18T18:54:00.000+08:00

Pictures of Mariah's Wedding can be found here. My apologies for some of the blurrr pics, was using Azfar's camera and wasn't too familiar with its functions. For the full story of the wedding you'll have to wait for Sham's posts...so stay tuned.

One very compressed post

2007-03-05T20:00:00.000+08:00

This will be a very compressed post....... We haven't got the time to update our blog since we became overwhelmed with all the last minute errands for Mariah's wedding preparation. Nevertheless, here are some picture updates......

SENTOSA.........

______________________________________________________

Chinese New Year.......

Baby Xander - the youngest in the clan, for now.....

____________________________________________________________________
SINGAPORE ZOO .......
With Ayah Long, Aunty Sha, Danial, Mak Busu, Uncle Fad, Ayah Tok & Mak Tok.

The 3 heroes

Ayah Long & Family

______________________________________________________

Chilling out at Airport after school

At Swensen's with Danial

Juz posing for fun

______________________________________________________

And they are the reason why we are sooo busy........

The Bride & Groom-to-be

At Najihah's, discussing details of the wedding decor

Wind of Change

2007-02-05T12:44:00.000+08:00

When Hazrin and I decided to tie the knot 6 years ago, we were only 24.

In today's context, that was rather young an age to get married, so we had a lot of acquaintances quipping things like "Korang ni dah gatal sangat ke?!" or "You both REALLY REALLY ready to get TIED DOWN?" or " You don't want to enjoy yourselves and get rich first mah?" , to which we answered yes, yes and yes.

After all, I had only just gotten my license to practice, and Hazrin was still studying.

It was a weird process, I had to admit, cos Hazrin and I were from two very different worlds altogether, but things worked out between us and we found ourselves going down that road together.

I shall not dwell too much on our soul searching and His divine interventions, but suffice it to say, we were unusually prepared.

Our parents, though initially surprised, knew how sincere and determined we were. So they gave us their blessings.

But the surprise was revisited when we told them, two months after our wedding, that I had just conceived. And not just 1, but in fact 2 babies.

I still remember the look on Mummy's face. She had fear written all over it, and rightly so, cos I think she felt like we needed time to gain a stronger financial foothold before becoming parents to 2 babies.

Mak was excited when she learned of our twin preganncy, but I did catch a glimpse of fear too, soon after.

Last year, when I attended my annual congress, I was 'commended' for breaking the pharmacy procreation record. I'm not sure I was flattered cos although most of them meant well, some did say it in jest. Sham is probably a lunatic, headed for a career suicide. She didn't study soo hard to become a baby-making machine did she?
Well, for the record, I didn't study THAT hard. And what's so wrong about becoming a 'baby-making' machine'?

The safest way to go, nowadays, is typically a marriage that is at least a good few years after career establishment, afterwhich conception only begins at least a year later, followed by perhaps only one more perfectly spaced out conception. This is perfectly fine, workable and understandable, especially in Singapore. It's the more practical path, and Hazrin and I believed in that system too, until the wind of change changed us......

We learned that to be happy, we have to do what is right by us. Set our goals, move towards it together, and pray. Then when all is said and done, learn to appreciate His blessings.

We love having a big family, period. But Hazrin and I are adventure freaks. So naturally, we had to have all our children before we reach 30, while we still have our youth and energy. It may not be the norm, but 4 kids and 2 cats later, we have never regretted embarking on this journey. Our career was not compromised. In fact, the birth of every child has brought with it a unique string of 'rezeki' that culminated in more work promotions and progress.

We are not very rich, but we are not 'just getting by' either. We earnestly earn our keep, and we dont find ourselves having to compromise anyone's basic necessities, education, leisure or standard of living by having to 'spread' our income among more family members. Whatever it is, suffice it to say, we won't get richer having two kids and two cats less anyway.

It doesn't matter which road one takes -the main road, the expressway or the side road. As long as we get to our destination without having to compromise our dignity, honour, happiness, self-respect, safety and balance, that's a good road. In fact, there is no one road to take indefinitely. We choose our own speed and scenery......

When it comes to starting a family, Hazrin and I did not choose the main road not because we think it's the wrong road, but because it just doesn't suit us. We wish it would though, cos the more travelled road normally comes with more directions. : )

But our road gives us the balance we need. It is admittedly a more challenging road, one that comes with less instructions and more turns and bumps, but it gives us the time to wind down our windows and appreciate the scenery - the finer things in life.

There used to be a time when I endeavoured because I felt it was expected of me, and though I surpassed most expectations , I didn't feel complete.

I was put under a public microscope, and to keep up with expectations, I felt compelled to get in the race. Who's the smartest? Who's the most beautiful? Who's the richest? a.k.a the Kiasu race. Winner gets candy.

Then yet another race. Who's the smartest of the smartest? Who's the richest of the richest? Winner gets diabetes. ;O

Some people prefer staying on this expressway. And if it is right by them, they should stay on it.
But Hazrin and I decided to get off that road for now. We are finding our balance, and sometimes we get lost, but heck life is a journey. We have learned to laugh at ourselves.

We'll just keep on driving as best as we see fit. And we'll try to remember to let Him, and not our selfish ego lead the way.

Of Xmas and presents......

2007-01-05T21:22:00.000+08:00

The kids love getting their Christmas presents as much as they love getting their Hari Raya collection and their Chinese New Year hongbao. So every year, they get triple whammies while the adults get broke three times over!

But oklah, broke-ness aside, I think I enjoy all these festivities as much as the kids do (I repeat, brokeness aside!). Because I love, as Hazrin puts it, the fuss.....(Men don't get it! *roll eyes*)

I love looking for new Raya clothes.........I love exchanging Chinese New Year oranges......... I love buying and wrapping Xmas presents............And I love all the family gatherings that come with each festive celebration.

This year, our family gathering was more meaningful cos Aunty Nan decided to come all the way from New Zealand, to join us for Christmas. This, coupled with the addition of 2 new members into the clan......One being Alex - who married Hazrin's lovely cousin, Janine, and one being a month old baby Xander - Erwin and Jaslyn's second hero.

And this year, the mood was definitely much merrier (and noisier) cos everybody was trying to catch up with one another, while the kids were trying to catch one another! Chaotic? No, that's an understatement, heheh. But I'm not complaining. I love it!

The elders had a great time eating, the young adults had a great time sharing experiences, the young parents had a 'great time' fussing over their juniors, and the kids had a great time being kids, especially since their Uncle Ming and Abang Achek were around.

Granted, our family gatherings are getting busier by the year. And if our procreating fervour is anything to go by, we'll need a hall next time we converge for gatherings.

But the highlight of our Xmas gathering was, as always, the 'Santa Clausing' part. Faris, Faiz and Sufi actually counted their presents! Fazli couldn't count, but he knew he had gotten plenty of presents. Every present he unwrapped was punctuated with a YAYE! NI LI MUNYE! YAAAAAYE!!! He simply loves presents! And if THAT is hereditary, he probably got my genes.......

More pics in our photoalbum.....

OUCH my back!!!

2006-12-31T00:48:00.000+08:00

I'm not a great fan of injections, so the thought of having needles pricked all over my body didn't go down too well with me. Unfortunately, with the state of my back, which left me motionless for a good 2 hours before I was wheeled into A&E, I had to give accupuncture a go......

So at the clinic, the physician first tried to determine the source of my pain. Then, satisfied that the problem was caused by strained back muscles as well as nerve supression caused by a slightly dislocated spine bone, he started inserting 4 needles onto the top of my hand. It wasn't as painful as anticipated, but I still hate needles..... And to reallign the dislocated bone, he started cracking my back and began sucking the 'bad air' from my battered body. I wasn't too convinced that the back cracking and the air sucking could work (and Sham would definitely freak out if she was there), but it did work! I felt a lot better immediately, and I walked out of the room much straighter and humanlike than when I first walked in.

I went back for another round of acupuncture a few days later cos my back was still sore. This time round, I had about 6 needles down my spine, 1 in my hip and another in my calf. This exuded a nice warm sensation on my back, and it felt really good. The needles were then pulled out, and the physician started 'scraping' the warm spot, turning it all red. The redness apparently, I was told, indicated poor blood circulation. So for that, and for my weak back muscles, I was prescribed some Traditional Chinese medicine.

Fortunate for me, this pharmacist wife of mine has no qualms about me taking safely prescribed TCM, but unfortunately, they tasted as bad as they smell.......
So for now, I'll stick to the needles and suction cups and give the TCM a miss....

The Bangkok Trip

2006-12-24T22:46:00.000+08:00

It's 1 week post Bangkok, and we're still reminiscing our trip there...Land of a thousand smiles indeed.....

It was a sponsored trip for just the two of us. No kidz on tow, heheh. And that, if you think was good for us, it wasn't.....at least not for the first few hours. We had the 'kids withdrawal syndrome'........

The sudden lack of 'noise' and 'chaos' threw us off guard, and as we slowly grappled with the sad reality (and guilt) of going on a holiday without our kids, we were also constantly reminded by our parents' pleas, so to speak, to enjoy ourselves and not worry about our poor 'left behind' offsprings. Afterall, they said we "deserve a break for our uncompromising perseverence and unrelentless effort in bringing up and nurturing our juniors". Ahhaha, paiseh.....Oklah that was very encouraging and sweet and all, but Hazrin and I have been parents longer than any of our friends and cousins have been, and we have also been the busiest cos we decided to have all our kids almost all at once (Why that is so, calls for another post altogether, heh). So this holiday, kids-free, naturally unleashed the skeptics in us, and the both of us couldn't help but feel lost. We had forgotten how not to be parents! And when OUR PARENTS insisted that 'the two of us enjoy this trip and have fun', I had to raise an eyebrow.

Ok before anyone thinks Hazrin and I are gonners in the 'romantics' department, let me reiterate that we are fine. We know how to enjoy ourselves, and we know when to have our retreats together. We can talk gibberish all day long and not bore each other, restassured. But we've never had sooooo much time to ourselves before. It's just that with our busy schedule and big but young family, we're so used to handling so many things all at once, and quickly too, that we suddenly didn't know how to slow down. Not good. Not good at all.

So going by our normal pace, we made our way to the departure gate only to be greeted by a certain Phil "You are the first team to arrive!" O.k lah Phil was a figment of my imagination, but we were really the first ones to arrive, hokay. Moral of story is, without the kidz, our 'normal pace' was probably too fast for the 'non-parenting' world. So slow down we did........Hazrin got himself a National Geographic magazine, and I got myself a less nerdy version of a mag.

We took Thai Air Asia and Hazrin indulged in a bowl of instant noodle......He enjoyed it very much. Nothing beats eating instant noodle in an airplane, he said. And that was to be the beginning of our many cherished moments in Bangkok.

We sort of consoled our guilt-ridden selves with plenty of shopping for the kidz.......and ourselves.

Then, as soon as we got used to slowing down, we pampered ourselves to massages and plenty of unrushed dining.

The service and warm hospitality of most of the Thais we met there were superb. And that livened up our moods and helped us unwind. You don't want to unwind in a country where service is very frustrating and people are very cold. Jams and hot weather, for which Thailand is notorious for, were not so bothersome either.....I think they more than make up for it with their smiles.

All in all, the trip had served its purpose. We both had plenty of rest, fun and laughter, and we came back home with a year's supply of clothes..................

PS - More pics in our 'Bangkok Trip' Photo Album

Land of a Thousand Smiles

2006-12-15T14:41:00.000+08:00

Here we are (just the 2 of us) blogging from the departure gate of T1, on our way to Bangkok. Unfortunately we only have 15 mins at the terminal. So stay tuned and watch this space.

Special guests this Eid

2006-11-24T10:58:00.000+08:00

This year, Eid started pretty early for us........

It started with Kak Linda's homecoming. The twinz welcomed her at the airport with their homemade birthday cards - which they proudly displayed, much to everyone's muse. I thought the both of them looked like professional travel agents, fetching an important client by the name of 'Aunty Mas'.

As always, the kidz were all bashful when Aunty Mas finally came out of the arrival hall. And as always, they would insist on following Aunty Mas (a.k.a Aunty Santa Claus) back to Mama's place to check out their presents.

Unfortunately, this time round, she couldn't stay long. Probably because she had a lot of patients waiting for her back in London, or maybe it was because she had to rush off for a holiday in San Francisco (how cool is that ?!). Whichever the reason was, we were still glad she came back. And before she left, the kidz managed to show off their messy room to her, and gave her some farewell hugs to last her till her next visit here....

We also had another special guest - Syazana. Mak used to babysit her when she was just a baby, but when she made a surprise visit on the eve of Eid, she was a full 16 years older. Mak was so happily surprised, thanks to Mariah. It was a simple reunion, and we spent the night reminiscing her childhood antics and rummaging through Mariah's box for some old photos. It was like opening a pandora's box cos my old photos were really almost ghastly! But it was a good night nonetheless, and a very good start to a good Eid.......

And last but not least, we had our much anticipated reunion with Lin, my long lost cousin, when we invited her over for steamboat two Sundays ago. I had expected the reunion to be rather awkward, but the contrary was to be. Everything was, much to my relief, so casual and natural, almost as if we had never separated. And the best thing was that we could still 'connect', although she's got too good a head on her shoulders now for me to bully around anymore. She's all grown up now, and though she came across as a strong and independent person, like all the girls in our family, she's still full of dreams.....

And the kidz......they actually warmed up to her almost immediately. Lin even got herself a fan in Faiz. He followed her around like a paparazzi and took plenty of shots of his newly found Aunty Lin.

The reunion, as intended, renewed our long lost 'cousinship', and more than ever, our relationship is set to grow stronger and better, as we once wished it to be, Insya Allah

And oh yes.....the kidz also had a special guest. They had their own Eid gathering with Danial in their room........They had a great time, baby talking and eating the night away!

Our White castle

2006-11-13T21:20:00.000+08:00

To our friends and relatives who couldn't make it to our house this raya, here's our white castle. Step right in.......

Our Dining Room

Our T.V and Computer Room

Our Living Room

Our Dining Room

Our T.V and Computer Room

Part of our Dining Room

Our Reading Corner

Our Dining Table

Sufi's Room

Kitty in Sufi's Room

First Day of Eid Mubarak

2006-11-09T22:42:00.000+08:00

Here's just a peek into our first day of Eid Mubarak. As it is, we're not done visiting juz yet, so watch this space......

Mak & Ayah's Place

Mummy & Pak's Place

Kakak and the kidz

Yaya, me and some of the kidz

Abang Nazif, Shabana and Danial

Najwa, Nur and us again

Danial, and Azfar being attacked....

When Chico Met Kitty

2006-10-14T16:07:00.000+08:00

Chico was all hostile towards Kitty when they were first introduced. Having been the only cat in the family, Chico felt threatened by Kitty's presence. His jealousy and anxiety made him puke all over the house, and he ended up hiding all day long, even refusing to eat and drink.

However, being a mak nenek that she is, Kitty was adamant in her attempt to win over Chico's heart. She repetitively approached the big guy ever so casually, and was not deterred by his growls and scratches. We were so worried for her, but she was unstoppable! Call her naive, but her persistence actually paid off, cos Chico finally gave up being hostile. If you can't fight her, you might as well just join her....heheh
Well, good for him cos he's gotten himself a cute 'lil playmate. Hazrin now calls him Abang Chico......

Hello, Kitty

2006-10-09T08:28:00.000+08:00

Kitty joined the pack last weekend, thanks to Melati. She's a cross between a British short hair and a Tabby cat. Was told that her father is very friendly, and her mother, being a tabby, is presumably intelligent. Guess that's why she's such a mak nenek...

She's so full of life, but when the energy is zapped out of her, she can suddenly slump and fall asleep....while playing!!!.
She was busy playing with Chico and me (read : not Sham) the other day when she jumped into a basket and fell asleep almost instantaneously, head hanging out of the basket and all! How cute is that?!

Shhhhh....artist @ werk

2006-10-08T20:53:00.000+08:00

The twinz are beginning to show talent in drawing and colouring...

Here's our family portrait...

Faris's aeroplane

Faiz's robot

and not to be outdone, Fazli also wanted to show off his artistic talents as well...

unfortunately he chose to express it on our wall...looks like a graffiti artist in the making...

Iftar at Nizam's

2006-10-04T11:25:00.000+08:00

The NIE Dipedders gang met up for iftar at Nizam's new place. We've been together eversince we were in NIE, struggling with our assignments and staying overnight at the old Bukit Timah campus, to book our electives for the new semester. Over the years, one after another got married, had kids, moved house, bought cars and had more kids....

It was nice meeting up with the guys again.....reminiscing bout the times we had back in NIE. However, more intresting were our other conversation topics. We now talk about places to get the cheapest milk formula, diapers and even ready-made curtains. We still do talk bout other more macho stuff, like our cars, however we do run the risk of getting the evil eye from our significant other...

Two sets of twins

2006-09-26T20:42:00.000+08:00

Only 10 months apart and relatively of the same size, Sufi and Fazli end up looking like unidentical twins....something like Brandon and Brenda of Beverly Hils 90210 lah.

Here, flanked by the genuine twins, Sufi and Fazli enjoy as much 'twin attention' as their brothers, if not more.

"Ooooh look so cute......two sets of twins!!!!"
"Eh so cute ah got boy-boy twins and boy-girl twins"
"Wah so many kids....all 4 yours ah? All oso twins ah?
No wonder strangers are called strangers...they say strange things.
And after sometime, you just won't bother to correct them anymore......heheh.

But if you ask me, twins or not, all 4 of them have their own unique qualities and preferences.
So ya, although it's fun to have two sets of twins, I'd prefer to think that I have 4 very different and unique children.....

Happy Birthday....eh belum...eh dah???

2006-09-25T20:07:00.000+08:00

Yeah yeah dah birthday....
Mak n Pak said we were gonna have our birthday party in school, but according to our BC our birthday is not till 3rd Oct....pening lah

Wait let's check what's going on...

Apparently our birthday falls during bulan posa, so we can't have it then, that's why we are having it earlier...Baru pakcik tau....

Our classmates...or should we say our very HUNGRY classmates

Kalau ye pun tunggulah sampai cake dah potong....

Errr, siapa eh belum dapat???

Dah dapat cake and goodie bag baru HEPI.....

Plastic Heads

2006-09-10T17:46:00.000+08:00

HAHA if you think this is a costume party, you're not exactly wrong.... Here, the kidz are all 'dressed up' to carry on their cycling trip. But nope, that's not their safety helmet....It's their 'mak-and-pak-innovative-rainy-day' survivor kit.

Heavy shower didn't dampen the kidz spirits to complete their cycling expedition. So, as adventurous parents, we reciprocated their willpower with a bigger-than-life attitude. We made them each wear a 'shower cap', and trudged on through the cold and heavy rain right till the end.......

Too much for the kidz to handle? Not at all......They enjoyed every second of it, and at the end of the journey, everyone (including Sufi and Fazli!) was overjoyed.

For the kidz....

Lesson #1 - Finish what you started

Lesson #2 - Make the best of every situation

Lesson #3 - Innovate. Necessity is the mother of invention

Lesson #4 - As long as it's not detrimental and not haram, have fun

Keep it up kidz!

He ain't heavy, he's my brother

2006-09-06T22:10:00.000+08:00

Our cycling trip in East Coast recently had been very heartwarming.

With only 3 bikes left to rent, Fazli couldn't get his own.
So Faris came to his rescue. He came down from his bike, literally carried Fazli onto the bike, and painstakingly pushed his little brother around.

But Fazli's contentment was shortlived.

He started throwing tantrums, and that spurred Faris to come to his rescue...again.

This time, we placed Fazli on the small 'passenger seat' so that Faris didn't have to give up his bike again.

Although that slowed his ride down, Faris didn't complain.
He even made sure that Fazli's grip around his waist was securely tight. And everytime he sensed Fazli's grip loosening, he would grab hold of his little brother's hands.

That's just so Faris. As the eldest, he's always naturally protective over his younger siblings.

On one occassion, Sufi wandered off on her own, and we realized it only after hearing Faris's shouts. When we found them, Faris was crying. He said he cried because he knew he had to lose us to go after Sufi. So, when asked why he went after Sufi if he was scared himself, Faris said he had to cos if he didn't, Sufi would be all alone, and she couldn't shout loud enough for help...

As parents, we are thankful to God.

"Faris, when you read this one day, I just want you to know that pak and mak are very proud of you"

Cuzzens Special Part II

2006-09-03T21:40:00.000+08:00

Another group of people I would like to introduce in this blog are my cousins-in-law. I'm inordinately fond of them and they ARE a force to be reckoned with. More like brothers and sisters to Hazrin, their closeness is irrefutable.

Hazrin once told me that Azfar is like the younger brother he never had ( to bully around, that is, hehe). But seriously, he loves Azfar like a brother. But who doesn't love Azfar? Everybody loves Azfar........ He's our children's favourite uncle Bob! He's witty, funny, talented and above all, interestingly unique. All I can say is that if you haven't met him yet, then you probably won't know what you're missing!

And Nur, Azfar's big sis, is another personality you may want to get to know better. She's also utterly witty, funny and intelligent (I think their parents brought them up really well.....). She has good looks to her credit, but I sometimes wonder if she even knows it! Easy going and friendly by nature, I warmed up to her the very first time we met. And the kidz simply adore her. Sometimes I think Hazrin and I took advantage of her love for the kidz and subjected her to much of the kidz endless whims and fancies. But she still showers them with attention and gifts, all obstacles notwithstanding.
Of late, she's been following her Abg Hazrin's footsteps - she's rock climbing too.
But guyz, if you think she's cool, too bad cos she's taken lar.....

Hana of the ever popular Izadnhana blog is another cousin of Hazrin's. We used to be college mates. So when I found out he was Hazrin's cousin, I was pleasantly surprised. She's pretty, witty and popular. Maybe she needs no introduction. Seems like everyone knows her! With a celebrity look to boot, she's still brimming with style even after becoming a mummy herself. Imagine the powerful combination of trendiness and motherliness!
And married to this fashion goddess is Izad. He's one interesting guy cos he doesn't talk much, but is warm and friendly nevertheless. I mean, how may quiet people out there can get away with being warm and friendly? And I've heard he's also one superdad.

Ming is Hazrin's chinese cousin, and he's also one great guy. Our children love him (and kidz are the best judges of human character). Handsome, intelligent and a man of principle, he's nothing less than a fine gentlemen. But oblivious of his wholesome appeal, he is always so non self-indulgent. I want my kidz to emulate these good qualities.

These are juz some of my new found cousins. It would be an injustice not to introduce all the other cousins, but I think that will have to wait till the next subsequent posts.

At the end of the day, all I want to say is that when people get married, they also get married to their spouse's family. I'm glad I married a great family.......

Cheacher Slack Day

2006-09-03T04:19:00.000+08:00

The usual suspects turned up for our operation - cheacher slack day.
We've been together since our first year at NIE, and we meet up once in a while to catch up on things.
So what do cheachers do when they meet? They complain, rant and rave to destress and keep themselves sane.....But then again, doesn't everyone else, for that matter?

Bride to be (Wak), Tongkat Ali, The Last Boy Scout (Saiful)

Happy Cheacher Day 2006

2006-08-30T22:43:00.000+08:00

The twins are celebrating their first teachers' day this year. Having 2 teachers in a class is no joke. It's bad enough that we have to get two of everything for the boys, now we also need to get 2 of everything for their teachers.

Strangely, the boys wanted to get for their teachers a necklace and a bag. Go figure! Somehow or another, Sham managed to psycho them into getting soap from Crabtree and Evelyn and a small wallet each for BOTH teachers.

The presents look so cute that Sham wishes she was a teacher, just for tomorrow and during the school holidays, then when term starts, she can go back to her own job.

Study Buddy part II

2006-08-30T22:35:00.000+08:00

Told ya he's a loyal study buddy. Here's another one of those last minute 'die die must finish assignment' sessions.....Chico's there to make sure Hazrin doesn't fall asleep. But how to concentrate? Chico's too cute and distracting...

Last of the Finger Grabbers

2006-08-30T22:22:00.000+08:00

I just realised that Fazli will be the last of the finger grabbers, much to Sham's relief. I can still remember how badly dependent he was on us, and how our fingers were always a source of comfort to him. Now he grabs it as and when he wants to, and even crisply says, 'Na nak!' when I offer him my finger. It won't be long till he is 'weaned' off this finger of mine. So I must enjoy it while it lasts... cos who knows when we'll get another finger grabber...

Cuzzens Special

2006-08-27T01:42:00.000+08:00

A few days ago, I was surprisingly reconciled - thanx to Izadnhana's blog - to Lin, a long lost cousin whom I've always cherished. It was a very very wonderful experience , but more wonderful was the fact that she had grown up to be the woman I've always envisioned her to be - beautiful, articulate, intelligent, funny and so full of life.

So for the last 2 days, I had been busy blabbering to Hazrin about Lin, my other cousins, our childhood antics, and how his cousins are friends of my cousins and how my friends are cousins of his friends, and how his friends are friends of my friends.......you get the picture!

My enthusiasm was so unmistakably contagious that Hazrin got excited too, and suggested having a barbecue or a gathering of some sort.

So anyway, when we were young, we used to spend our school holidays together. Lin always had that quiet strength about her that made her very mature and composed, even by adults standards. Then there were Melati and Yaya who were the cheeky, crazy but mood enlightening ones, and then there was me, the wicked elder cousin who always subjected her younger cousins to her nonsensical ideas. Kak Yani, when she occassionally joined us - seeing that she lived so far away in woodlands - would most often than not, be the bullied one (So poor thing. She was probably just soft hearted, and not sensitive - as we thought her to be).
And the male cousins? Well, they were always the 'pengacau' and the spares.

The funny thing was that eventhough everyone was different, we made a great team cos we complemented one another. Hopefully, when we do gather again one day, we can still complement each other (although all of us have since grown up and gone our own separate ways) so that we can rekindle the spirit of, as Lin puts it, our good-old 'cousinship'

Study Buddy

2006-08-26T10:53:00.000+08:00

Meet Chico, our 7th member of the family, and Hazrin's loyal study buddy.
He's so loyal a study buddy, he may just end up graduating with Honours too....Heheeh

Nak SKATEBOARD!!!!!

2006-08-25T08:45:00.000+08:00

Skateboards are the twins' new craze now. They've been persistently bugging me to get them one each.
Problem is, they're a tad bit too small to pick up skateboarding just yet.
I've been relentlessly turning down their requests, but I wonder if my patience will last.

For one thing, I've been the only one refusing them......Cos everytime I needed Hazrin to back me up, all he could afford was a wicked grin.....
An avid skateboarder himself during his teenage years, he emphatized with the twins' interest. And that wicked grin was a testimony to his great desire to relive his younger days, and bond with his kidz in the way he knew best - Skateboarding!
He was seemingly flattered that the twinz have inherited his love for that sport, and was unadmittedly wishing that he could teach them (or show off, rather ) all the tricks of the trade, unperturbed by the fact that they may get hurt.

But then again, we've always brought our children up to be adventurous. Rock climbing, swimming, cycling, jungle trekking and other impromptu adventure outings have always occupied our weekends anyway, and getting hurt has been part and parcel of their growing up.

So maybe I should just let them have the boards..... Afterall, I know they will be in the hands of a professional.......

2006-08-24T21:39:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I wonder why some creatures get to lay eggs, and mammals like us have to go through all those birthing woes. It would be neat to lay eggs......Then you wont have to worry about bursting water bags, contractions, endless pushings and breast engorgements.
All you have to do is wait for the egg to hatch.

And if hatching is a long time coming, daddy can always use his light saber......

2006-08-24T20:53:00.000+08:00

Cycling trips are still manageable now, but we expect things to be more kecoh when Sufi and Fazli finally graduate from their first class seats. Imagine the whole lane hogged by this family of six

We'll see how it goes..... If cycling gets too rowdy, we can always go back to child labour HAHA

Why First Aid is essential.....

2006-08-24T20:47:00.000+08:00

Movies at the Padang

2006-08-24T14:49:00.000+08:00

After 2 hours, the sun went down and it was time for Movies at the Padang.

The kids were hounding us, 'Apasal lambatnyeeeeee??? No reasons we gave were good enuff for them.So when the movie finally started, we thought they would be satisfied and finally quieten down but....NO. This time it was, 'Tak nampak lah. Orang tu besar sangat lah!!!' Our picnic neighbours were sort of amused with our antics cos we were all constantly shifting from one end of the mat to the other. We were sooo busy!Apparently, the twinz discovered that the best seat was on my lap. So Faiz ended up perched on my lap for the good next 2 hours, and Faris had an even better seat on Sham's lap. As for the 2 tounger ones, a packet of chips did the trick.....They ate the night away, lost in their own world.

Eating Tips 101

2006-08-01T20:26:00.000+08:00

Having kids who have started eating proper meals can be quite painful on the wallet, not to mention the amount of food that's wasted, especially when we eat out. As necessity is the mother of invention, this is what I have come up with....

Ta da...

Chicken Rice Noodle

Lucky for us, one likes chicken rice n the other chicken noodle and lucky for me I'm not a fussy eater (my wife says at least not any more) so the best of both worlds for me...

So feel free to mix and match your meals and who knows this may just catch on. For all you know I could start my own restaurant....

Since we are at the topic of food, we decided to try something different for a change. We brought the kids to a Peranakan Restaurant, well not different for us, more for the kids.

This small restaurant is located somewhere near Katong Mall. We had their popular Ayam Buah Keluak and to our suprise the kids loved it, well that was after convincing them that it was Ayam Masak Kicap. Important thing was that they liked it. Look out for more food adventures....

2006-07-28T21:08:00.000+08:00

Juz last week, Hazrin made a nonchalant remark over dinner, and it couldn't come at a weirder time.... He said he's known me for ten years, but I still look the same!!!
My first reaction was one of blatant confusion....He was telling me either one of two things : That I still look young after 10 years, or in all likelihood, that I still look as kental as ever.
So while I slowly gobbled down his words along with that spoonful of chicken rice, I asked.
All I can say is that after 10 years, he's all the wiser now...Heheh....He picked the right answer.

So that got me to thinking. Ten years and 4 kids later, we're still having fun. Sure enough, like all marriages, ours come with ups and downs aplenty. But with all the little rascals around to keep us going, we never had a chance to grow old.... yet. So I guess that was why he thought "I still look the same". I suspect I dont look as young, what with all the occasional eyebags and all!

Anyway, the big 30 is lurking just around the corner, and while I dont expect to "still look the same", I intend to encapsulate all the bitter sweet memories of our younger days, up to now and beyond, so that our children can appreciate the raw energy of our youth, and the triumph of our journey ahead....and understand how they have brought more sunshine into our lives......

Birthday Boy

2006-05-11T09:05:00.000+08:00

Happily sitting on my lap, Fazli finally got to blow his own candle. Last year, his twin brothers' persuasion to help blow his candle got him extra saliva on his swensen's volcano ice-cream. This year, at 2, he did the blowing-cum-spraying thingy alone and got even more saliva on his volcano....but at least he was happier...

2006-05-11T08:51:00.000+08:00

Finally, an 18 month love-hate affair with our car's bodykit has ended. Now the car looks like it's supposed to be, stock. As for any plans to refit it with a bodykit......it has been met with a stern stare and a not so kind head shake

BEFORE

AFTER

Sob...sob...

Polling Day

2006-04-29T09:00:00.000+08:00

After years of being an eligible voter but not being able to vote, we finally got our polling card in the mail yesterday. And it's especially more interesting for Hazrin cos he 'has been volunteered' to man a station. Good thing the polling station is just next to our block....easier to drag all the 4 kidz along. Hopefully Fazli and Sufi will do their bit of the 'Hey-look-I'm throwing tantrum' dance, and the officers there will let us through faster....When you have 4 very young kids in tow, sometimes all you need is a good strategy.....

Just the six of us

2006-04-28T08:07:00.000+08:00

The youngest amongst us will be 2, come this May. That's also how long we've been delaying this blog. Today, our household is still as busy as ever, but we believe it's as good a time now as 20 years later, to start blogging.....we were told that children will never grow up anyway....So join our party, and enjoy our sneak preview......