You might not see it now but it will become visible as you venture deeper into life..

You might not see it now but it will become visible as you venture deeper into life..

Monday, August 27, 2012

HAPPY EID MUBARAK

Hi there! SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI DAN MAAF ZAHIR BATIN! Hari Raya is always a time when you get to meet relatives and close friends whom you might have not seen or talked to for quite some time. This is actually the blessing that comes with Hari Raya. Well, here are a few snapshots taken during this wonderful festive season !




Honey cornflakes made by the kids ! 


A must serve cookie on hari raya ! It's called "Biskut Kerang".  Also made by the kids and of course under strict supervision of Grandma !




Mom's delicious chicken rendang.




Cookie jars ready to be filled-up with delightful cookies!



All set !



My " beautiful " son ! Taken on the morning of the first day of Hari Raya.



It was five years ago when I last met these " stalkers " ! Ha ! Ha!



Yummy cakes  at my sister's house.




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 Ok, those are all ! Amateur remember ? Ok friends, SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI AND MAAF ZAHIR BATIN. 

Saturday, August 11, 2012

ABANG

If you asked me what would be one of the biggest rahmat Allah swt had bestowed upon me; my answer would be my husband. I thanked Allah swt for I am blessed with a wonderful husband. Abang always has so much to give and forever willing to forgive and forget. Our children do not only adore him but they also look up to him. They always say that their Abah is everything a father should be. Thank you Abang for giving us so much love and for always being there for us; your wife and children who love you so very much.
 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABANG AND MAY ALLAH SWT BLESS US AlWAYS.


Friday, August 10, 2012

VALUES

Hi. Another story to share. 
I was looking out of the window while doing the dishes when a man on a bike stopped near my house gate. With him was an adorable little girl. The girl got off the bike, squatted on the pavement and then started to eat what looked like satay to me. The concerned father was obviously sensitive to his child's need or else he would not have pulled aside and let the girl finish eating her satay first. Ok, that is so commendable, I said to myself. I continued watching with great interest as to what would follow next. A few minutes later, the girl got onto the bike again. Much to my disappointment,  they left without even bothering to throw the leftovers at the right place. The father did not seem to mind at all. So, off they went leaving behind the rubbish right in front of my gate.....sedihnya...
Well, some people said that  parents are the best teachers for their children. What we do and what we say can actually become transmission of norms, values, and beliefs. Thus, an experience can sometimes become an unintended lesson. According to Tielle Webb 2012 in eHow,  we need to live a life that is worthy of emulation. Children learn by example; they learn what they live. Believe it or not, your child is watching you and how you react to life. Live in a way that portrays good values in order to teach them to your  child. Some of us might think that it is premature to teach young kids about values.   The truth is the children are  never too young to learn about values. Children need to start learning good values when they are very small. This will carry them through their turbulent teen years.
As Muslims , we should also instill in them the right niyah, lillahi taala in whatever that they do. This can become a good reminder of the order of the day and of what they should and should not do. InsyaAllah.
Let me end the day with a quote by Abdul Kalam , “If  a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.”
So, why not give it a thought ya friends... 

Thursday, August 9, 2012

BUBBLES

Years back, when my kids were still very young, I hired an Indonesian maid who was in her mid 40s. I was lucky because she was one very hard working lady. Household chores were made easy with her around. The kids called her " Bibik " and they really enjoyed her company and it seemed like the feeling was mutual on her part. However, kids will be kids! Hmm... sometimes, they did give her severe headaches with their boisterous, monstrous and disastrous acts! On one fateful day, I received a distress call from my maid.
"Puan, Puan. Cepat balik Puan ! Tolong saya Puan ! " (Madam, please hurry home ! I really need your help!")
" Alamak ! This is SOS !! " What could the kids be up to this time !"
Abang and I rushed home immediately. Bibik was already at the door with my son clinging onto her. However, she forbade us from going into the house, " Puan, jangan masuk .. nanti Puan jatuh.." (Don't go in Madam..you might slip..) I could understand her concern for me as I was on the family way but I demanded to go in. My heart nearly stopped beating the moment Abang and I walked into the house. I just could not believe what I saw. The floor of the living room was thoroughly covered with soapy water, yes soapy water ! Bubbles were floating everywhere around the house. Before our eyes were our two daughters having fun sliding in and out of the bedroom into the living hall !! Bibik was near tears as her pleas were totally ignored by these two little monsters! I was also near tears as I watched my two daughters lathering themselves up before sliding again across the room! Yes, that was exactly what they did over and over again ! By then, the house was all bubbles !! Hu Hu Hu..
Although we were so upset with our two daughters, we did not resort to any forms of punishment. We did not even shout at them, what more to spank them. Abang and I merely asked them to stop and clean themselves. The " piece of one' s mind " thing ( a long lecture ) came later that day ; after the house was back to its normal condition AND the poor parents had fully recovered from the shock !!
Some parenthood experience, eh ? Not just colorful , but shall I say full of bubbles as well ! Ha ! Ha!

Monday, August 6, 2012

BLESSINGS

       I was feeling extra tired this week. Yesterday was the worst. Thank God the students had a pretest which meant no talking on my part. However, the thought of having to attend the department's meeting put me back into the under the weather mood. “ Well, it wouldn’t be so bad, would it ? I just need to sit and listen, that's all,” I thought to myself. So I went down to the meeting hall and placed myself in between Kak Nor and Cheong. When the meeting started, I listened and listened to all the speeches delivered. Then, it was time for the highlight of the ceremony ; giving away performance awards to some staffs of the department. There I was, still listening. That was when I heard my name being announced. What do you know! I was actually one of the recipients!  It was such a pleasant surprise! Totally unexpected !! Alhamdulillah.
       Now, let's do some reflective thinking. Firstly, I considered myself lucky because my students were mostly very well- behaved. Teaching them brought so much joy to me as they were always so responsive, creative and participative. You should see how they presented for a task on product promotion! It was a week full of learning and fun! The task required these students to be in groups of five and work on a product to promote. They went to great extent preparing for the presentation. Thus, during the course of the week, the classes transformed into cafeterias, bakeries, shopping outlets, cooking classes and even investigation location! It was indeed surprising to discover what the students were capable of doing in completing certain tasks! It was simply awesome! 
        Apart from that, there was always the work of God. Weeks before their final examination, we started focusing on writings and reading comprehension. I did not know how to explain this but I had this intuition saying brain, brain, brain. The students and I worked on several texts on mental health and you know what, it was exactly the topic asked in the examination for the essay part ! Guess, you could imagine the joy in the students when they left the exam rooms and hall! They were all thumbs up when asked about the question! That was why I was not the least surprised when many of them obtained an " A " for my paper.  
       Now, back to the teacher. Yes, I am happy and I thanked Allah swt for all these blessings. Alhamdulillah .
This may be the end of the story of last year 's students but talking about my present students, hu hu hu , the journey has just started ! Still have a long way to go !