Our Beijing Trip...

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Hubby will be accompanying me for a business trip to Beijing and later we will spend a few days exploring the Capital City....

Will be updating my travel blog when I come back!

http://munmus.blogspot.com/2009/10/2009-beijing.html
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Time passes...

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Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up..
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Hearts break.
Colleagues forget favors.
Careers end.

When I began this life adventure, I had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead...
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Our bundle of joy...

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Born on Wednesday, full of grace

You stole our hearts, when we saw your face

Dark tousled hair, and dark brown eyes

A little bundle of joy, what a wonderful surprise!

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(My grand daughter baby Hana was born today at 4.44 p.m. weighing 2.56 kg.)

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Selamat Hari Raya

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May every minute 0f your eid
Be happy warm and bright...
May all your hopes and dreams
Turn 0ut exactly right...
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Happy 30th Anniversary, yang...

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On our special day, I received a beautiful card from him:
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I don’t tell you often enough,
How special you are,
How much I love you,
And how good it feels
Just knowing you’re

always there for me…

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p.s. Looking forward to more and more and more years to come together. Thank you for being you and Happy Anniversary, yang.
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I love you too….

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I lost a cousin...

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Inna lillah wa inna 'ilayhi raji'un...

He is the same age as me and he died today after a long battle with colon cancer. The last time I met him was nearly a year ago on Eidil-Fitri. And he was so full of energy then.

I pray that he be granted jannah...

In the month of Ramadhan

you quitely depart

A feeling of grief fills my heart

My soul is moved, awaken my fears

I pray for you, in silent tears

May you be peaceful

in your closing hours...

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Happy Ramadan...

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In this blessed month of Ramadan,
May Allah the Almighty shower

his choicest blessings on all of us.
May Allah make our Iman stronger.
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May Allah forgive all our sins,

short comings and mistakes.

May Allah fulfill all our desires.

May Allah safeguard us

from all calamities and troubles.

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Happy breathing...

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I received in my e-mail this morning on some very simple steps that can be practiced for prevention of H1N1:

1. Frequent hand-washing - well highlighted in all official communications.

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face.

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water - (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation.

4. Clean nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

All these are simple ways to prevent, within means of most households, and certainly much less painful than to wait in long queues outside Government hospitals.

Happy breathing!!

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Happy Birthday Yang!

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We had an early birthday celebration at Victoria Station on Friday with Sara, Iwan and Ella. He had his lobster and I had my chillie spare ribs. The kids ordered their favorite dishes too. Back in the apartment we enjoyed a few slices of the delicious carrot walnut cake while watching a movie on HBO.

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My Love for You

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My love for you, shall never pause,

Strong and determined with all our flaws.

It endures and doesn’t judge,

Never holds a lasting grudge.

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My love for you, lives by the truth,

Always keeps me, in my youth.

When it sees, our trust and hope,

It climbs and conquers any slope.

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By Martin Dejnicki

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I'm flat tired

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That's how I feel after a long hard day in the office... I need to take a break again soon!
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A hard day's night

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It's been a hard day's night,

and I've been working like a dog

It's been a hard day's night,

I should be sleeping like a log

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But when I get home to you

I find the things that you do

Will make me feel alright

You know I feel alright

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(Beatles)

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Kerengga Challenge

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For a few consecutive weeks we have been busy harvesting rambutan and dokong and have been bringing full basket loads to the office and some we sedekah to the Masjid. Most of the rambutan has been harvested. Except for some higher up which we didn’t manage to pluck, we’ll leave them to the resident bats and the visiting squirrels to feast on.

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We have not been to the kebun for almost 2 weeks as we were busy with the happenings in KL. And last weekend, when we went to inspect the dokong trees there were a lot more to be harvested. While hubby was busy bush-cutting around the chalet, the harvesting was left to me to manage.

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Unlike rambutan, harvesting dokong is quite a challenge for I have to climb the trees (with the help of a ladder, of course) and to carefully pluck the fruits to avoid them falling to the ground and scattered all over the place.
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Further more I have to bear with the painful bites of the kerengga to get to the fruits…. Arghhh…
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Grandmas & Grandpas Reunion @ The Summit

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It all started in April 2009 when I received a comment in my blog from a long lost friend who has created a link and triggered the chain of events. A classmate I have not heard of or met after I left form 5 and KB for good! After a few calls and emails we decided to get connected through the facebook and planned for a re-union. And on the planned date, we met our long lost friends, some we have not met for almost 40 years. 20 of us met at the Summit Hotel and the presence of YB Ubai from KB, Wan Nor from Penang and our musicians Lokman@Lord and Ishak Haji Muda were bonus surprises!
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We have become grandmamas and grandpapas. Externally, we have changed a lot. Internally we are still our old selves…
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Standing from left: Dr. Wan Yunus, Adilah Hassan, Hasni Hassan, Noriah Abdullah, Dr. Mohd Helmi, Capt. Wan Aziz, Harun Muhamed, Lokman@Lord

Sitting from left: Nasidah Ahmad, Nik Aminah Abdullah, YB Wan Ubaidah, Rohani Yusoff, Habsah Hassan, Maimon Mohd Top
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Thank You Allah

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thank you Allah

for creating this path in cyber

thank you Allah

for showing the route

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ending my decades of searches

to a heart i wish to mend

the heart that i cracked

amidst mine that was shattering

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thank you Allah

for taking away my bed of thorns

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~TokNgah~

apr 15, 2009
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SMKB Girls Re-union @ Secret Recipe

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The SMKB girls re-union was also graced by Col. Abdul Waley the thorn among the roses and he brought his 2 daughters and youngest son as bodyguards. We were all excited and when we met everyone was so engrossed trying to tell their stories and so much to off load in so little time. Anyhow, we manage to snap some pictures to capture the precious moments.
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Meeting old schoolmates after 37 years separation: " macam jejak kasih je!!!.." said the Colonel. And there will be another gathering with the rest of the guys on 25 July 2009...
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The Crossroads

(by Tara Simms)

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There were promises made in childhood,

In the days of our innocence

We laughed, we played, we cried.

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Throughout high school dramas,

Broken hearts and adolescence,

But our special friendship thrived...

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Rejuvenate body and soul

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After 2 days of struggling to clear the in-trays, reply to e-mails and return some calls, only this morning I disabled the ‘out-of-office’ message and had time to sit back to reflect on my journey.

Friends started calling and e-mails filled up my in-box again. Friends questioned on how I managed to drop everything and go off for a long holiday without having guilt feelings to leave work and family. I had fun listening and reading their comments and I responded – what work? What family?

I told them, so very often when we are engrossed in work and daily matters, we forget how important relaxation is. It’s true. Ever since I first stepped in this organization, I have been a workaholic. I never went home before the day was dark and be in office before the sky was bright. Since the children were small, I seldom take leave, even when they were down with fever. I leave it to the nursery to take care of them. I only see them when they were already in bed and many times I missed kissing them goodnights. The same thing goes to my hubby, full time job and no-slow-down.

Too often we are so busy building our wealth that we neglect our health. But now we are making an effort to have a work-life balance. While hubby had slowed down significantly when he left his corporate job, I am still high in adrenaline into my work for I just do not know how to sit still, yet.

My advice to friends… Don’t wait till you retire. Take that vacations and rejuvenate!

Your body will thank you a lot.
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Home sweet home

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Baloney Again
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We don't eat in no white restaurant
We're eatin' in the car

We don't sleep in no white hotel bed
We're sleepin' in the car
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Baloney again…
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You don't strut around in these country towns
You best stay in the car

Look on ahead don't stare around
You best stay where you are

You're a long way from home
Don't push your luck too far
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Baloney again…

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Down a long dirt road
We're a long way from home

Go under the willow
Park her up beside the stream

Shoulders for pillows
Lay down your head and dream
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Baloney again…
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(Mark Knopfler)

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Travel Australia...

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This 2-week journey is full of captivating experiences that take us to the most spectacular sceneries starting from Brisbane to Port Campbell and back again to Brisbane through different routes...
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13 June 2009 - Brisbane, Beginning of the journey
14 June 2009 - Moonee Beach, The ocean tide
15 June 2009 - Coffs Harbour, The Big Banana
16 June 2009 - Forster, The Great Lake lonely pelican
17 June 2009 - Benalla, Passing through the outback
18 June 2009 - Port Campbell, The Twelve Apostles
19 June 2009 - Traralgon, A glimpse of Melbourne
20 June 2009 - Batemans Bay, Lakes, valleys and parks
21 June 2009 - Sydney Hills, The Grand Pacific Drive
22 June 2009 - Port Stephens, Hop-on Hop-off Sydney sightseeing
23 June 2009 - Mermaid Beach, No vacancy at all caravan parks
24 June 2009 - Gold Coast, Surfer's Paradise whale watching
25 June 2009 - Sunshine Coast, Home of the crocodile hunter
26 June 2009 - Green Mountain, The tin man of Mt. Tamborine
27 June 2009 - Brisbane, Attractions and Botanical Parks
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Our journey is coming to an end. It was a good exciting holiday and we plan to come back soon to venture further in the land down under.

G’day Mate…
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H1N1 Stage 6

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Unlike our other holiday trips, this time around we are quite apprehensive.
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Our original plan is to rent a caravan and drive from Brisbane to Melbourne and cross to Tasmania by ferry. But now, Melbourne is categorised as the swine-flu capital of the world, with the H1N1 virus twice as prevalent as it is in Mexico, where the pandemic began, we contemplated whether it is a wise decision. To avoid risk, we decided to skip our trip to Tasmania because of the risk of being infected is high especially in the confined area during the long ferry rides. But there is also the risk of picking up the H1N1 flu virus on the road along the way. But hopefully, travelling in a caravan may reduce the likelihood, insyaAllah.
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But I need to keep it real, there is also a risk of us being hit by a car, bitten by dingos or trampled by kangaroos, and picking up the common flu virus anytime.
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WHO has declared H1N1 a stage 6 pandemic and we have to take precautions… Wish me luck!
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I will be updating my travelogue @ Munmus.blogspot.com as and when i have the opportunity.
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My next destination

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It’s the end of holidays for most
but it’s the beginning of ours
a journey of feelings and thoughts
to places unknown, just the two of us
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He and I are going to disappear for a week or two. We will travel in a caravan like a couple of free-spirited wandering gypsies, so care-free like a floating feather.

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Stopping whenever and wherever we like …

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KB trip - friends forever

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Friday morning, we started from our apartment early and stopped in Hospital Selayang for our flu shots. The weather was bright and sunny, and we decided to take the Gua Musang route to KB. Our plan is to stop at KT branch on the way back to KL.
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The traffic was heavy at first but moving. At KM252 the traffic stopped for no apparent reason. We suspected an accident occuring a few miles ahead. But when our cars were not moving from their original spots we got suspicious.

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Some drivers abandoned their vehicles and started walking to find out the cause of the massive jam. Those with families and small kids, got out of their cars and picnicked along the roadside.
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I while away my time snapping some pictures, munching on tit-bits and counted cars that made u-turn to seek for alternative routes. After 3 solid hours of immobilisation, I rested by feet on the dash-board and went to sleep.
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Much later, when policemen came with bull-dozers and the like, and still no progress made, we decided to make a u-turn and took an alternative route through palm-oil plantations with the help of our Garmin. We reached Maran around 6 p.m. for a very late lunch or early dinner...
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The YB has earlier arranged for us to stay in a friend's chalet in PCB. But when we reached PCB at 3 a.m. we decided to sleep in the car and knocked on the door early morning as not to disturb Kak Yoh from her sleep. We rested well in the morning and went to ani's house for the kenduri and met up with a few of my long lost friends...
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(Cikgu Marshitah, Nong, Cikgu Anie with grand-daughter, YB Ubai, Cikgu Airah and Dr. Naemah)

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KB Trip - Laksam and Nasi dagang...

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Last week was the start of the school holiday and nearly half the staff in the department has disappeared into thin air. What is interesting is that instead of having fewer meetings, I ended up with my diary full to the brim. While ensuring meetings are kept brief, some finished way after office hours.

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Thursday afternoon, the section heads met to discuss on audit issues. After a few hours of intense arguments with no resolutions in sight, I declared defeat, packed my things and headed for home. I need a rest, for Friday, he and I will be driving to Kota Bharu to attend Ani daughter's wedding and meet up old SMKB/SIC friends .

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And if I have the time, I will look for nasi kerabu and nasi dagang and meet up with one blogger friend, insyaAllah….

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