Decoupage crazy..

I have a new hobby. Well, it started out when Mama bought 2 little decoupage handbags and i thought they looked really pretty. Then, Nozy gave me a nudge about doing it myself. During one of our weekend outings, i finally bought the materials needed but dare not do it as i didn't know the proper way to do it just yet. Then one saturday evening, i came across a chance to learn it properly at a decoupage booth in Seacon Square Shopping Mall. It was Ramadhan, and while waiting to break fast, i took a decoupage session to learn the proper technique...and got super crazy about it since then. Here are some of my decoupaged baskets and bags...what do you think? Not bad for a beginner huh?!

Add caption

The Room @ Sukhumvit

On the second day in Thailand, a friend of my uncle came to fetch us from the hotel and helped us with house hunting. So finally we settled for this brand new apartment called The Room . It is a very convinient location as it is very near to the bts station (about 5 minutes walking distance), to Umair's kindergarten (around 3-4 minutes walking distance), Big C (used to be known as Carrefour) is just behind our place (3-4 minutes walking distance through the back gate), and Tesco on the other side of the bts. So considering all that, I just had to swallow the fact that the kitchen in this place is so very small!All in all, the floor space in the apartment is like a Japanese house. Looking on the bright side, less cleaning for me off-course!                                                     

What's important for Umair is that it has got a nice swimming pool . So after everyone agreed on the place, we moved in on the third day and daddy could finally heave a sigh of relief that he got us a place to call home! This is our humble abode...for your viewing pleasure..

                                                   The living room when it is not messy with Umair's toys!

                                                    My so romantic kitchen~so tell me, where do i bake and roll my dough?  Let alone do a fondant cake!!

                                                 What i have on my spice rack...which is not very much, since I still couldn't find the normal spices and sauces like we use back home in Malaysia. I have yet to find belacan, fish curry and such. Their chilly sauce is different. So I just have to make do with whatever is available!

                                                  This is our bedroom, of which I share with the little one. Daddy sleeps with Umair in the other room...so I get to turn on the aircond and choose whatever temperature I like! Hihi!!

So, that's about all I guess, it's not very big, but cozy enough for us. What's important is that it suits our budget and is very convinient..!

Bangkok

Now, first of all, i am having a huge headache just because i haven't been coming in in here for so long that i have forgotten my password and or username!! They kept giving me this link that i kept going round and round doing the same thing! I think the next time i log in, the same thing will happen! Sigh~!
Anyway, here I am in Bangkok at last! *jumping up and down*

It has been 17 days since we moved here. On the first day,which was on the 27/4/2012, we came out from Suvarnabhumi Airport at 4pm Bangkok time. Somehow, instead of going to the hotel first, Nizam decided to go straight to Bellevue Residence www.bellevue-thailand.com, a serviced apartment in Bangna (the place that we initially wanted to stay). When we got there, we were horrified by the surroundings...the area is not as pleasant as we thought. Looking out the window, the view was of old and lonely (read scarry!) dirty neighbourhood rooftops and shrubs of bushes. We had a guided tour by the manager and her daughter. Inside the Bellevue itself is nice and clean, but, another minus point was that they only had common coin slot washing machines at the back of the parking area! Now, we are just staying here for a year, we are not going to pinch out our money for a washing machine definitely! We were so very dissappointed, as they really had  big and spacious bedrooms and a nice kitchen in the unit that we wanted.. (we wanted to take the 98sqm room, since that unit has got a real kitchen counter, and the second room is as big as the master bedroom), the price offered was just right...but...I said no way am I going to drag my 2 kids along while carrying the laundry basket on my head!! By that time, (our airport limo had already unloaded our things) Nizam's face was panicky and about to fall apart. At 7pm, tired and hungry and saddled with 2 kids we were still undecided about the place. So finally we decided to go to a hotel, take a rest and review our options.
The manager helped us to get a cab, but with 4luggage bags and 7 boxes, no way we could fit all of us in in the same cab...so we had to go in another cab and this was where the adventure begins!
You see, somehow, we were sent to a wrong hotel, i don't know whether that was deliberately done by our cabbie or not, but we were sent to this hotel full with Arabs. I thought that was funny as I felt that as if we were in the middle east instead of Thailand! Anyway, he dropped us there and said that the other cab full with our things will arrive later. Thinking that was  the hotel meant by the Bellevue manager (as she was the one who directed the cabbies in Thai), Nizam proceeded to check in counter only to realize that we were at the wrong hotel! So then, quickly we dashed out again and 'rushed' in the Bangkok crazy traffic jam to this Grand President Hotel...When we got there, we found out that the other cab had arrived and waited for us and since we didn't turn up, gone to another hotel to find us! We were really panicky at this time! At 10pm, awfully tired and hungry, we still had no place to stay as that Grand President Hotel was full!! In the mean time, the concierge at the Grand President Hotel tried to locate the missing cab, after about 10 minutes of trying, we finally suceeded. The cab came to Grand President hotel with all our things safe and sound. This time, we were redirected to a Royal President Hotel where they were sure to have a room for us for 2 nights!! So at 10.30pm, at the Royal President Hotel, we finally could breathe a sigh of relief and happy to be reunited with our belongings again!! (In the mixed up however, I lost my favourite catterpillar that i got for Umair in Japan...sob sob!).
Nizam got us a nice room there. It was actually an apartment suite with a kitchen and a living room. Probably he wanted us to cheer up a bit after such a long day! Anyway, i never imagined that our first day in Bangkok would have gone that way! What an experience!! To be continued..!

Sofa, Quit Work, Umair turns Four & Thailand, In That Order!

God! I am sooo excited! Last Monday Nizam came home and asked me if I want to go and live in Bangkok, Thailand. For a minute I thought I had misheard him. Then it sank. Off course I said YES!!! Then I was smiling from ear to ear ever since!!!
Though it is still a long time a way, I can't help to have this silly grin stuck on my face! His boss offered him another ICT programme to Thailand, just like how we went to Japan, but this time, the package is a lot more interesting!!! I was bursting in my heart to share the excitement with someone, but at the same I just don't know who to share it with. I told my Mum, but she thought I was joking! I told her that we are moving again. Though it won't be until January next year! Hahaha!
Now I'm counting the months...February is coming...
The Chinese New Year weekend, I'm getting a "New" sofa!~Well, not really new, it was our old sofa that we brought back from Japan only that we went to re-upholster it! So, that's like a new one too, right? Since they still have to rip off everything and re-do the structure and stuffing in the cushions all over again!
End of February, I have to go to this Induction Course for a week, of which I'm dreading it, but I want it to be gone quickly! Then it would be March, then April, of which we are going out to Kuching for a few days holiday, then May, then Umair is turning Four in June, then the time will just fly away till December when we get to go to Thailand to choose for our new home! Yayyy!!!
By September we'll be busy again selling our car, renewing passports and preparing for the visas...and off course! When that is done, I won't be a able to get to work, would I? How do I get to work without a car??! So I have to quit, right??? Nice excuse, huh? Hihihihi!!! And I just can't wait to do that!!!!!

By the way, the lab that I'm working at, well, we are closing down in June. You see, the town planner thinks that we are not too pretty to look at...'old goverment building, what do you expect huh???'. So, they are going to demolish this place and turn this whole area as a new up and coming PJ town...with new condominiums, shopping malls and hotels. The last time that we are recieving samples would be in March. And we'll be closed by June. So I was thinking, that maybe I could just quit In June after all, when we say goodbye to Regional Veterinary Lab, PJ. That would be it. I would just tender my resignation in May and bid my farewell! Since I'm not confirmed yet in the civil service, I don't know if I'm qualified for the long holiday to follow spouse abroad. And anyway, even if I do continue working, they are just going to chuck me in some district, some state that i don't know and I still have to move! They are actually transferring this lab to Bukit Tengah, Penang. And they wanted us all to move there! Penang??? When my family is here??? What were they thinking???!!! Either that or we get to be district veterinarian in some other states! Since those are not really options, so i might as well just quit, right, and count my days to Thailand! Hihihi!!!

Generally, work is fine. Quite relaxed. When we have sampels, we have sampels and when we don't, it's pretty quiet. So the only thing is, when we work with the government, there are so many courses to go to that I don't like. The introvert in me doesn't enjoy meeting people and going to courses like that. I hate meetings too. I'm deaf. I can hardly follow what they talk about. In the end I just rely on the minute that they distribute after the meeting to keep up with the news! Pathetic huh!

Umair has started schooling. He goes to Little Caliph and tremendously enjoying it. Alhamdullilah! Waking up in the morning is not a problem and by bathing time, he knows that he needed to get ready for school. He cried on the first two days when I went to send him, but after that, no more tears already. And actually enjoying every bit of it! Now he comes home singing songs that he learnt from school! How time flies isn't it?! Dah besar dah anak Mummy!

I'm working and Umair is Three!

It has been almost a year since we came back from Japan. So much had happened. After a year of settling down back here in Malaysia, I started work last month. Well, I had applied for the government job since September last year, just for the fun of it, to see whether i was still marketable or not! Early this year, i had completely forgotten about it until I recieved this letter asking me to go for an interview. It was funny really, I was the first one to go in, and it lasted for like 20minutes or so. There were 5 questions, but there was only one question that touched on veterinary line, and the rest were just general questions. I went home, and only 3 months later that I was asked to go back to Putrajaya HQ on 17th May 2010 to report duty. I was accepted! I had mixed feelings about that actually..,'happy' that i was still marketable..,but at the same time, I was missing Umair already! I was a little scared too...would i be able to deliver? The veterinary world has got such a broad field to choose from...,what if I was given something that I didn't like to be in charged of? Like chicken or cattle. I thought I was the only one that had such a long holiday from work...I was wrong. Apparently, there was this other girl who had never worked as a vet before since she graduated in 1994! Talk about being really brave!
We were there in Putrajaya for a week before they started assigning us to our posts. So for the whole week we were just sitting there completing forms and hanged around doing our own orientation! Now am attached with DVS, at the regional lab, as Parasitology & Hematology Head Section. My job function is identifying worms and counting their eggs from feces and intestines and see whether they are significant enough to cause disease or not.
As for blood work, we identify blood parasites, do complete blood count and white blood cells differential. So its not as tough as i thought it would be. In fact, I don't feel like I'm working at all!
At the same time, I have to oversee the students that came in for attachment to our lab. So it's quite fun playing 'Teacher teacher'! Currently, I have 4 students under me. My lab assistants are wonderful people, and so coming to work is fine with me...unless when i feel sleepy about getting up in the morning of course! Despite my coming to work early, i don't 'get up' until about 10am or so! To beat the rush hour, i punch in at 7.30am and go home at 4.30pm. Good thing that I have a room for myself, so sometimes at lunch break when I'm really tired, i could lock the door and take a nap! Lights off, peace and quiet! Hihi!

Umair turned 3 last Saturday. We had a party for him, but the funny thing was that he was actually afraid of the crowd! Maybe he's so used to having his own company that when everyone was actually crowding around him, he felt really scared. He cried when they sang 'Happy Birthday' to him, and we had to cut the cake upstairs in the master bedroom where no one was in there! Funny boy! I can't believe how time flies. He still looks like as though he just came out from my womb, only that he is now much taller and actually can walk!
Umair is currently crazy about everything Thomas. He's got his train friends to occupy himself with while I'm away at work. Other than Thomas, he has Henry, Edward (whom he calls 'Ed'), Gordon ('Don'), James, Emily, Spencer and Diesel to keep him busy. He reads and watch Thomas. So he knows which train he already has and which one he doesn't, so whenever we go to shopping malls, he would definitely pick one to add to his collection! If i had known earlier, I would have bought them all at B-Kids in Japan! But then again, its good thing that umair knows how to value his toys. He plays and keep them nicely. So even though its quite pricey to buy them here, we are satisfied with the way that he looks after his things.

Umair and I...

February is here, I've got 2 birthdays coming up, a baby shower, a house-warming and a wedding to go! 2 down, and 2 to go! Busy social life, huh! And on 22nd, I'd be turning 33 myself soon too! What a number! Now I'm beginning to think that time is flying really fast! I have a few strands of grey hair growing too..,now, where did that came from?!

Since coming back, I lost weight. I dare not weigh myself though, but I know that I do. Apart from a slab of fat on my tummy which I'm working hard to reduce, I think I look and feel great! I didn't do anything much really, mainly just chasing Umair around, and the Malaysian weather helped me a lot to sweat~even just sitting at home! Occasionally I cycle on the exercise bike that Nizam got for himself. I took plenty of water. That really worked, I think! I drank gallons of water, like 4 liters a day or so! The tiring part is the frequent visit to the toilet! That's about it I guess! And oh! I do take a set of Herbal Life products too, which comprises of a slimming tea and 2bottles of shake and a bottle of soy protein mix. I don't really like the taste though. So I wasn't really diligent and faithful in taking them! The shake is so bland, and the soy protein made it thick and taste even worse! Yucky in fact! But i needed the nutrients, so no choice! I swallowed them down the throat anyway! I love the tea though. They made me sweat! When i finished with the tea, i didn't replenish it, but just made do with the water. I guess it worked!~That I could still wear a size 10 blouse and my size M skirt is a bit too big for me now! Yay! hihi!

Umair can now do a 48 pieces of jigsaw puzzles effortlessly now...,and I'm thinking of getting him a 100 pieces range soon. I could see that he's getting bored with his 48pieces set, that he could do it over and over again even in his sleep! He'll take them anywhere we go, even to the Mamak shop for roti canai, or even during our travelling~long or short distance~when the car is moving!
He will never leave his backpack behind. "Heavy", he said, carrying it on his back. Umair's bag is heavy with his travelling toys...which includes Gordon (Thomas's friend), a black train, to couple up with one of Gordon's coaches, James (a small red train, who is another friend of Thomas), a red wooden bus, another wooden train, 5 red, purple, green, orange and blue colour Tonka cars, a 100yen Doremon tractor, a girrafe and a zebra! That is his standard set, a must haves in his bag! Mana tak berat nyer! On top of that, off-course, the puzzle and his Thomas and friends book!!! So you see, sometimes, I get really lazy to go out, because I have to drag all these people along too!!!
Umair is now 2 years and 8months old, and 2 days ago, for the first time, he played street football with the neighbours' kids just outside our house~as a goal keeper!!! He teamed up with the biggest kid around, and he looked really tiny! Haha! There were 8 of them altogether age between 8-12 years old and Umair was the youngest there kicking football! At one time, he even fell down and bruised his right elbow. It was bleeding alright, but no, he didn't cry one bit! He just got up and continued running chasing the ball!!! I was impressed! Lucky Nizam came back early that day, and he got to witness that! Dah besar dah baby Mummy nie! Sampaikan, at home time (it was 7pm something then), the rest of the kids went back, and he looked up to Daddy and said..."where abang? where???"...before his face crumpled and burst to tears! Tak puas main lagi rupanyer! Hahahaha! Sweet!

'Goodnight, Beautiful'

Umair is sleeping upstairs, and I just finished reading "Goodnight, Beautiful" a novel by Dorothy Koomson. A book I started reading about three days ago. A book that I couldn't put it down. It took me three days to finish it, absorbing every single line that has been written. I think, hers is much better than any Danielle Steel or Jude Devaraux's books that I have ever read. The story line was very engaging, no nonsense, very moving and emotional. It was about how Nova and Mal, who were actually childhood friends, had been deeply in love with each other ever since, ended up marrying other people because of their own dishonesty to their own feelings...,and because of a slight misunderstanding. Mal married Stephanie. They were childless...,but they still wanted to have a child. After going through different options, they decided to ask Nova to be the surrogate mother. Midway through pregnancy, they decided to walk out of the plan and left Nova pregnant all alone. Due to jealousy, Stephanie made Mal severed all ties with Nova and the child. Keith had left Nova then because he can't stand looking at her growing someone else's baby inside her. Instead of going for an abortion, Nova decided to keep the baby...Seven and a half years later, Leo was in a deep coma. He suffered from a brain hemorrhage, a genetically linked disease...and somehow, that brought Mal back into their 'life'...for just a few days before Leo finally died...

Reading that, it was especially sad to know that how two people who were very much in love with each other -when they finally realized that they do-cannot be together in the end because of 'other' commitments that they have..?
I feel like going to MpH again tonight, and get another book of her's. I can't wait for Nizam to come back, maybe we could go to Subang Parade for dinner tonight, and I could have a quick visit to the book shop.
Tomorrow he's off work, and we are planning to take Umair to the Zoo.

Umair is exactly 2years and a half now, and is so crazy about elephants and trains and books and yesterday, jigsaw puzzles. He could do a 12 pieces puzzles on his own now. I was-and still am- very impressed and so proud of him that I only had to show it to him only once and he could do it all on his own! Just last week, Nizam was asking me, since when did Umair grow up~that he knows which Astro channels he wanted to watch, and refuse to let anyone else change it. At times like this, I know that I don't regret 'sitting at home' and be a housewife. Atleast, I get to see my baby grow up before my very eyes. I know what he likes, when his firts to so many things were and I could see the joy that sparkled out from his eyes when he could do something new like perfecting the puzzles! No amount of money could ever pay for that! He could talk in small sentences now too. "Mummy, what's that?", "Mummy, there's elephant train!", "Mummy, look!!!"..,and sometimes, when I accidently knocked his toys down while walking past his playing area, he would look at me and squint his eyes and say "Mummyyy..!!!".. I just love looking at those squinting eyes as though he was really cross with me!
Umair is a very sweet boy, really. Every morning, I'd wake up to him kissing me on my cheek and my mouth...Sometimes, when it feels sooo warm and snug to be under the blanket and I didn't feel like getting up, he'd pull the blanket out and jump on me so i'd wake up!
When we go out driving, he wants me to hold his hands, and that's what he does sometimes at home too when he wants to have a nap..,he wants to hug my hand and kiss them..., and then only he can sleep. Those sweet butterfly kisses! How I love them! So much!

It has been raining a lot lately. I love rain. I love the smell of rain falling on the grass. And how it makes the world becomes so much a life after that. It feels cold, sweet and cozy all in one.
two days ago, when there was a break in the rain, I started a bit of gardening in the backyard. I pulled out the tapioca plant that was growing a little too big that it was leaning out to the neighbour's garden. I pulled out some weeds and planted two Christmas trees. And not because I'm celebrating Xmas, but because I plan to do a low mantainance English garden there. Is that possible??? So far, with those two lonesome trees, it doesn't even look like a garden yet, and far from being an English one!!! I think, I'd probably get a landscaper to help me if my dear darling husband is totally hopeless about it!