HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! (cont)

My birthday "celebration" started a little bit after midnight, just like every other year for me and Hubby. He is always the first to wish me - without fail! Then, I had to wait till morning to know what he had planned for me.

Usually, if it's not Ramadhan, the whole day would be made more special by him. SMSes, emails and all sorts of cunning presentations to remind me that it was my birthday (but mind you.. no flowers!! We're not into that!). I would be smiling the whole day. And usually, I would be given a wrapped present right after midnight and a cake would follow suit during the day. But this year is a bit different. I got the wishes after midnight, but not the present. Reason being, I was securedly wrapped in the cover with Iqie beside me, and he didn't want to disturb me feeding Iqie. So I had to wait.

But the waiting was worth it... hehehehe.. He did remember what I wanted this year and he got me exactly that and even more... I couldn't be happier. So this year, instead of parading new baju raya, I'll be parading my wrist...

Dear Hubby...
Oh... thank you thank you thank you...
I really really really love it...

ieja

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

I'm older, but not wiser...!!!

Amidst the hectic schedule and the worries that I have over my delivery of my second child, I unintentionally had forgotten that my birthday was coming. I only realised that it was almost my birthday when I opened my group mail and was notified by Yahoo! reminder, plus a very early birthday wish from DiGi to remind me to reload to enjoy 50% more bonus 3 days before and after my birthday. How pathetic!

I usually made a big fuss about my birthday, especially to Hubby... but this year, it seems like everything else has been the focus of my attention except myself that I have forgotten to fuss. But I have certainly dropped a hint to Hubby of what I wanted this year for my birthday a few months back ;) so we shall see if he remembers and complies...

Growing older doesn't seem to have any significant impact to me. I certainly don't feel wiser or more matured. I just feel the same. I guess you can't really feel the difference unless if you actually look back and make a comparison between you-10 years ago and you-now. If you look at it that way... yesssssss... I do see and feel the differences...

Ten years ago... I just got back from the UK. With a whole new experiences and perspective brought back from a foreign land, I felt I had grown up and had the freedom to paint my own destiny. The values that I held were of a mixture of traditional and western. I was confident of charting my own success. But at the same time, I was imprudent, lack of wise judgement and selfish and ignorant and a lot of other negative adjectives that I can think of. But most of all, I rarely thought of other people and how my actions would affect them.

Today, in contrast, I am more comfortable being myself. I'm not afraid of being judged, I know what I am capable of and people acknowledge me for being who I am and for what I can deliver. Most importantly, I know what are my priorities, what I want to achieve in my life now and in future. I guess the "significant" 10 years have really shaped me well.

I have to admit, during those 10 years I have hurt some people including myself to get to where I am right now. Looking back, I would have done some things differently, but at the same time would have not changed some of things that I've experienced and decided on. If I have the chance, I would like to apologies to those whom I've hurt in the past personally. But I guess not all people are forgiving beings.

Now, like what I've said to some people, my family is my first priority. I know what I want to do and achieve now and also in future. The values that I uphold now are the values that have been embedded in me by my parents, the experiences (good and bad) and the lessons learnt that I had for the last 10 years. They will be the values that I will embed in my children as well.

ieja

EID ul-FITR

To those who are celebrating, I want to wish you:

Selamat Hari Raya
and
Maaf Zahir Batin

May Allah bless

ieja

EID MUBARAK & EID ul-FITR

I'm approaching my 9 months milestone... and just like my first time, it is as scary... like I've never done it before. The worst part is that I have to cope with Ramadhan and then Raya... I've tried fasting for the first few days. Thank god the first day was a holiday (replacement for Merdeka Day). But the other two subsequent days proved to be too much for me coz I have to be mobile all the time running here and there. And that actually had taken its toll. I suffered from terrible stomach pain and dehydration.

I've been advised to just break my fast. Thus, I've been sneaking around here and there to find secured places to just have a snack so that I can eliminate my hunger and thirst. So far, my colleagues have been supportive. Like there was one time, the girls who couldn't fast took a key to a Stream. We sat in there and munch our McD's burgers. The tinted glasses didn't help much as some passers by actually stared at us. So every time there was someone walking nearby, we would stop munching and try to hide our loots. It was hilarious and naughty...

There was also one time where we actually parked one of my colleague's car at the parking lot of a building and munched our burgers and nuggets in there. But since it was a private parking lot and it was not a break time, no one noticed us.

The experience was new to me as I had never bought food in the middle of the day during Ramadhan before. Usually I would just refrain myself if I was in public places or in the office. If I really need to fill up my tummy, then I would usually do it at home. Even during my last pregnancy with Iqie. That would be my practice as well. Never out in the open. Maybe this time around it was different because I have a clique of girls who happened not to be fasting and were willing to eat our lunch out in the open. They were willing to say out loud "Yes, I'm not fasting and I'm going to eat, but not in front of you!"

But the worst part is not having people staring at you in the car as if saying that we shouldn't eat because it was Ramadhan, or do it somewhere else! The challenge of this Ramadhan is the shopping part. I couldn't possibly bring myself to even look at the dresses and baju kurungs hanging on the display racks. Hugely because I basically know that I'm not able to buy them and that I won't be wearing anything fancy this year for Raya. That is really a frustrating thing...

But all hope of shopping is not lost altogether. I've planned to revamp my wardrobe after I complete my confinement period. I'm going to make a list of the clothing items that I want to buy and *walla* come December, I'm going to shop like mad. It's going to be either in KL or Bandung... so we'll see... All I have to do is be patient...!!

ieja

WHAT I'VE LEARNED SO FAR...

I was so caught up with work and check-ups and a lot of other things that I've been putting off blogging for quite some time now. Many weeks have passed and I've been in the Project for Knowledge Management for 5 months now. My first Project Manager has left for a better offer in a different firm. Try as we might, we couldn't persuade him to stay. What a loss to us and to the company...

So, during these five months I've been working with new people in a new culture... what have I learned so far?

1. Be nice to everyone that you work with - practise equality as it can take you a long way professionally and personally.
2. People do eat people in any line of work, but you don't have to be that person to climb up the corporate ladder. You will be eaten by other people if you practise this.
3. Office politics exits everywhere you go. But you don't have to get involved in any of it to stay ahead. Just be true to yourself and don't step on other people's toes.
4. If you want to stay ahead in the game, READ... do a lot of reseach on your area of work and be a pro.
5. Don't be a pain in the ass by assigning un-necessary things to your team members.
6. Work smart and play hard.
7. Get connected with your colleagues and team members to get them produced the best results.
8. Respect other people's opinions, you may not be right all the time.
9. When you made a big blunder, don't linger around it too long. Move on!
10. Share whatever little knowledge you have about anything.

The list can go on forever, but those are the things that I learned throughout my professional life.

ieja

THE ANXIETY OF GOING INTO LABOUR

A few months after Iqie was born, people asked me when was I going to have the second one. My standard pre-configured answer was "Wait till I can't remember the pain that I had to endure when I had Iqie". I was hospitalised 2 days before Iqie was born and had to be in the labour room for six hours before I finally got to hold Iqie for the first time. But now, try as I might, I can only vaguely remember what it was like in the labour room, and surprisingly those memories do not linger around the labour pain at all. I can't actually remember the painful part of Iqie's delivery. Allahu Akhbar!

I remember when I was carrying Iqie, the anxiety of going into labour was so great that I had packed for my hospital bag a month before my due date. I was also constantly monitoring the movement of the little one inside me. Questions about labour were also pouring in from the stupidest to the most intelligently-sound questions that I can think of. People around me, friends and family, had been very accommodative giving me all the right information and tips of what I really need to know. Combined with the little reading that I did, I was rest assured that everything was fine and that I was ready.

But this time around, it felt like as if I was having Iqie all over again. I still ask questions and try to convince myself that I am prepared. Basically, I feel that I'm still new in this "labour business" thing. But of course with some differences. For example, the eagerness to shop for this little one is not as intense as how Hubby and I felt before. The shopping is still thrilling for me (of course!!), but we have been putting off buying things for the baby for so long that I almost lost the shopping list I made. One reason could be because whatever is essential for the baby, we have it already. Courtesy of Abang Iqie of course.

We have also been a bit oblivious about the "customs" after delivery. I have totally forgotten about engaging a mid-wife for my "during the confinement" rejuvenating sessions. All those herbs and massaging and out-of-routine bathing that requires different types of leaves have been forgotten. How could I... Thank god my Mom doesn't know about this...

And the worst thing of all... I still haven't packed my hospital bag!!! And I'm in my 36 month. So you can just imagine the level of ignorance that I have this time... AND... we still haven't looked up for his name yet... No shorlisted ones and no consensus at all...

My God, how ignorant we have been. So sorry Baby... But, after writing this, I AM GOING TO GET ORGANISED!! And start concentrating on those things... Just in case...

ieja