Recently I have not been so good at keeping up with my reading. But I am glad I have gained back the momentum. Thanks to Danial for bringing a series of 4 books called the echoes series. I think I started the 1st one last Sunday and now I am just beginning to read the third book. I really hope to finish all four of them before Danial goes back to his school this weekend.
These books are written by Jamilah Kolocotronis, an American Muslim author. Frankly speaking I have never heard of her or read any of her work. I am glad I get to know this writer because I like her books, so far. It's a refreshing change to read English novels based on Islamic perspectives. It's good to read something positive about my faith because I am tired of reading, watching, or listening to all the bad reputation of a religion which is very dear to me. I think we have to be practicing Muslims to feel and understand what I am talking about. There are so many hate sites on the internet. Sometimes they depress me but I am glad my faith helps me to sort my feelings. I definitely can relate to the books by Jamilah Kolocotronis .
Thursday, June 17, 2010
School Holiday Activities
I pray that Yasmin will win in the public speaking competition in Terengganu today. She also participates in the choral speaking contest. She left very early this morning, probably around 5am with a group of students. They stayed overnight at their school to make sure that they left on time. I hope Yasmin won't have any trouble without her name tag and her IC. She did send an SMS to Steve late last night but neither of us heard it because we were so tired and were sleeping like logs. While Yasmin was at her school practicing last night, the rest of us went to the theater watching The Karate Kid. The movie ended slightly after midnight and by the time we reached home it was 12.30am. When Steve finally saw the message and called her this morning, she was already on her way.
Last Saturday she participated in the spelling contest at M.S. Garden hotel which was organized by MELTA. There were 18 groups from schools around Kuantan. Hers was one of the four groups which was qualified for the final round and they got the fourth place. They were given the opportunity to choose either scientific or technological terms. In the first round all 4 groups chose technology but during the second one, Yasmin's group changed to scientific terms. I believe they could have won if they chose scientific terms from the beginning. Well, winning is good but it's not everything because the most important thing is their participation.
Before we dropped Yasmin off at her school last night, we stopped by our friend Zul's house to pick Danial from his camp. He joined a 3-day youth camp which I believe was also held somewhere in Terengganu. Steve sent him to Zul's house at 6am on Monday (14 June). I am not sure who drove Danial and his friends but they had to meet at that house. That was the second of a 6-part motivation-cum-character building camp. I certainly hope that that all my kids will be highly motivated adults with superb personality. Who wouldn't?
Last Saturday she participated in the spelling contest at M.S. Garden hotel which was organized by MELTA. There were 18 groups from schools around Kuantan. Hers was one of the four groups which was qualified for the final round and they got the fourth place. They were given the opportunity to choose either scientific or technological terms. In the first round all 4 groups chose technology but during the second one, Yasmin's group changed to scientific terms. I believe they could have won if they chose scientific terms from the beginning. Well, winning is good but it's not everything because the most important thing is their participation.
Before we dropped Yasmin off at her school last night, we stopped by our friend Zul's house to pick Danial from his camp. He joined a 3-day youth camp which I believe was also held somewhere in Terengganu. Steve sent him to Zul's house at 6am on Monday (14 June). I am not sure who drove Danial and his friends but they had to meet at that house. That was the second of a 6-part motivation-cum-character building camp. I certainly hope that that all my kids will be highly motivated adults with superb personality. Who wouldn't?
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Hello Again
Hi everyone, I am back! There is so much to share but so difficult to compose. All of a sudden my passion for writing disappeared. In fact I lost interest in keeping up with the Facebook also. But for the past 2 or 3 days I have been checking my emails and messages from friends. I guess my mind is totally preoccupied with monitoring the development of our new home.
Let me see, I guess I will start with my eldest son came home for the school term holiday. So far we just sent him to Johor once, when he first registered there. From then on he came home on his own by the express bus. So far he's doing quite well in his school, keeping busy with many activities. Right now he is at his friend's house having a mini-reunion with his former classmates. It's hard to believe how tall he is now. By the end of the year, I think he'll be just as tall or taller than his father.
I have to admit that today is the first time I opened this blog after I wrote the last entry. As soon as I opened it, I realized that Yasmin's blog is not accessible anymore. I have to ask her later what she did to it. I know she likes to write but I guess she just doesn't want to share with others. Her trip to Pulau Redang today has been canceled because all her friends who are supposed to go have other commitments to fulfill.
Harris is going to take his UPSR exam this year. I just found out that he's the type who likes to study in a group, kind of like his mother :) He's doing ok with most of the subjects except for the Malay language (the writing part). I do not really believe in sending my children to tuition classes but when he asked to go for Malay subject Steve and I had to agree. So we enrolled him in the tuition center beginning the first week of May. Unfortunately he only managed to attend once due to his involvement in many other school related activities. Last weekend he missed it too because he attended a holiday camp at his school which he really enjoyed.
I do not expect all children to be the same but Hannah is quite different from the others. She seems to be so scared and sad majority of the time. I wonder if I was like that at some point in my life. It has been so long ago that I was at that age, I obviously forgot how I was like then. One thing for sure, she loves to draw pictures. Sometimes I gave her a hard time for "wasting" too much paper but then again she might be the next Monet or Van Gogh. She always remember to give me cards which she drew on her own for my birthdays and mothers' day.
Najla insisted on following me to work and I guess she must be bored because she's asleep near my table. She was bugging me to go to the cafe but I refused. We both ate rice before we left the house this morning. So what's the problem Najla? She has been complaining to me that one of her friends had given her a hard time at the kinder garden. She said the girl told the others not to play with her. That's mean! I am not sure how much is the truth but for a kid that age, that sort of incident means a whole lot. If it happens to me, I just slap the woman's head! Just kidding ;)
Let me see, I guess I will start with my eldest son came home for the school term holiday. So far we just sent him to Johor once, when he first registered there. From then on he came home on his own by the express bus. So far he's doing quite well in his school, keeping busy with many activities. Right now he is at his friend's house having a mini-reunion with his former classmates. It's hard to believe how tall he is now. By the end of the year, I think he'll be just as tall or taller than his father.
I have to admit that today is the first time I opened this blog after I wrote the last entry. As soon as I opened it, I realized that Yasmin's blog is not accessible anymore. I have to ask her later what she did to it. I know she likes to write but I guess she just doesn't want to share with others. Her trip to Pulau Redang today has been canceled because all her friends who are supposed to go have other commitments to fulfill.
Harris is going to take his UPSR exam this year. I just found out that he's the type who likes to study in a group, kind of like his mother :) He's doing ok with most of the subjects except for the Malay language (the writing part). I do not really believe in sending my children to tuition classes but when he asked to go for Malay subject Steve and I had to agree. So we enrolled him in the tuition center beginning the first week of May. Unfortunately he only managed to attend once due to his involvement in many other school related activities. Last weekend he missed it too because he attended a holiday camp at his school which he really enjoyed.
I do not expect all children to be the same but Hannah is quite different from the others. She seems to be so scared and sad majority of the time. I wonder if I was like that at some point in my life. It has been so long ago that I was at that age, I obviously forgot how I was like then. One thing for sure, she loves to draw pictures. Sometimes I gave her a hard time for "wasting" too much paper but then again she might be the next Monet or Van Gogh. She always remember to give me cards which she drew on her own for my birthdays and mothers' day.
Najla insisted on following me to work and I guess she must be bored because she's asleep near my table. She was bugging me to go to the cafe but I refused. We both ate rice before we left the house this morning. So what's the problem Najla? She has been complaining to me that one of her friends had given her a hard time at the kinder garden. She said the girl told the others not to play with her. That's mean! I am not sure how much is the truth but for a kid that age, that sort of incident means a whole lot. If it happens to me, I just slap the woman's head! Just kidding ;)
Friday, April 30, 2010
Ladies Coach
Kudos to KTMB for providing special coach for ladies in the train from Sentul to Port Klang. I am sure there are some who will not agree to it by saying we are moving back in time etc. As expected we can not please every body all the time but we can definitely please somebody some of the time. I just hope that the service will be provided not only on commuter trains but also on buses.
I am sure some of the female riders who have experienced sexual harassment are very happy. Believe it or not I have an embarrassing experience back in the 90's when I was riding a bus from Bandar Baru Sentul to Bukit Bintang area. I was standing right next to an Indian man who was in his 40s or 50s. He was rubbing his *@# against my arm! Since the bus was so packed with men and women all the way to the steps, I couldn't move to another spot. I do not have to elaborate what happened after that but suffice to say that I had to wash my arm the first chance I got when I arrived home.
It would be great also if we have separate public swimming pools because not everyone has a body which she is proud to flaunt around. If we have for ladies only pool, I for one would change allegiance from walking to swimming in a flash!
I think it's high time that we give choices to women who want to be separated from such animals.
I think those who complained are those who have never had any bad experience like I did or they simply enjoy being molested. Those are the only reasons which I can think of their objection.
I am sure some of the female riders who have experienced sexual harassment are very happy. Believe it or not I have an embarrassing experience back in the 90's when I was riding a bus from Bandar Baru Sentul to Bukit Bintang area. I was standing right next to an Indian man who was in his 40s or 50s. He was rubbing his *@# against my arm! Since the bus was so packed with men and women all the way to the steps, I couldn't move to another spot. I do not have to elaborate what happened after that but suffice to say that I had to wash my arm the first chance I got when I arrived home.
It would be great also if we have separate public swimming pools because not everyone has a body which she is proud to flaunt around. If we have for ladies only pool, I for one would change allegiance from walking to swimming in a flash!
I think it's high time that we give choices to women who want to be separated from such animals.
I think those who complained are those who have never had any bad experience like I did or they simply enjoy being molested. Those are the only reasons which I can think of their objection.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Irsyad's Sports Day
Never in the history of Irsyad School having its annual sports day at the Kuantan football stadium. When I was told that this year's event was going to be held on Saturday (April 3rd) at the stadium I was ecstatic. It was a grand event for my kids Harris and Hannah who are still in the elementary school there. I don't know about other parents but to me and my husband, our kids' activities are very important and significant. No matter how busy we think we are they must be celebrated and enjoyed so that the kids feel that they are being appreciated.
Coincidentally on the same day our new Big Boss was scheduled to come and visit our campus in conjunction with the entrepreneurship day function. I went to see my boss to get an excuse not to attend because I wanted to go to my kids' sports day. As expected, the answer was no, and I was very disappointed. Since I am leaving this College real soon, I could have just ignored my boss' request. However, being a good employee as I am (though not many appreciate that!) I still attended the function but my heart was at the stadium. Everbody in my family was there except for Danial. I kept on looking at my watch and finally when the function was stopped for a break, I took off and joined my family. I missed all the games etc but I managed to watch the end of the award giving ceremony. Thank God Yasmin took some pictures.
Anyway, when it was over I went back to my College and continue attending the afternoon session which finally ended at 5 pm. It was a win-win situation because both family and career are important (though not equally important). That reminds me of the speech by Bryan Dyson, the former Coca-cola CEO who said that life is like a game in which we are juggling five balls in the air namely work, family, health, friends, and spirit. He said work is like a rubber ball because when you drop it, it will bounce back. However, the other four balls are made of glass. If we drop one or all of them they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. Therefore, I do not feel too bad for leaving the function momentarily becausel it was a Saturday and we were not given any unrecorded leave or anything like that. Even if we were I was already decided to forfeit my share. Such an angel I am :)
Coincidentally on the same day our new Big Boss was scheduled to come and visit our campus in conjunction with the entrepreneurship day function. I went to see my boss to get an excuse not to attend because I wanted to go to my kids' sports day. As expected, the answer was no, and I was very disappointed. Since I am leaving this College real soon, I could have just ignored my boss' request. However, being a good employee as I am (though not many appreciate that!) I still attended the function but my heart was at the stadium. Everbody in my family was there except for Danial. I kept on looking at my watch and finally when the function was stopped for a break, I took off and joined my family. I missed all the games etc but I managed to watch the end of the award giving ceremony. Thank God Yasmin took some pictures.
Anyway, when it was over I went back to my College and continue attending the afternoon session which finally ended at 5 pm. It was a win-win situation because both family and career are important (though not equally important). That reminds me of the speech by Bryan Dyson, the former Coca-cola CEO who said that life is like a game in which we are juggling five balls in the air namely work, family, health, friends, and spirit. He said work is like a rubber ball because when you drop it, it will bounce back. However, the other four balls are made of glass. If we drop one or all of them they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. Therefore, I do not feel too bad for leaving the function momentarily becausel it was a Saturday and we were not given any unrecorded leave or anything like that. Even if we were I was already decided to forfeit my share. Such an angel I am :)
Just look at their faces, how could I not want to celebrate together?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)