Abang Iqie's School Orientation

My baby is going to school already? Abang Iqie was all excited this morning. He was going to his primary school for his standard one orientation. Awwwww... he's a big boy already... He's going to Sekolah Kebangsaan Danau Kota.

With Daddy

Waiting to do an assessment

I still think he's too small to go to school

Well.. I think he'll do just fine!

 I was a bit worried at first about him being alone at school. But he was being his usual self, chippy and all excited. Been counting the days when he could actually go to this new school. 

The orientation was OK. The headmaster was talking about the learning experiences that the standard one students will most likely go through, like having to buy own food at the canteen, missing pencils, going on the school bus, etc. I guess those will be the adventures that Abang Iqie will be having. And I'm pretty sure that he will enjoy every single bit of them :)

I'm so proud of my son... today, he was not a boy anymore. He is now my little man...

I feel like crying now... :P

ieja

The "I Should Have" Line

I know I've been neglecting this blog for almost half a year. And not trying to make excuses, my work could be the main reason. And.. I should have been more consistent in updating this blog. Yupp.. that "I should have" line..

I'm not going to write about "closing 2012" kind of entry today although that would be typical of other bloggers. That would tie to the "reflect, introspect and project" cliche line too... the one that I used to write my CEO's year end message to all of the employees :) I'd rather write my "I should haves" entry to ensure that I get my regrets recorded.

The first "I should have" that I have is that I should have been more careful with my expenses. The biggest sin so far. Those holiday packages, the new camera, the Black Friday & Cyber Monday shopping, the e-bay, the mid-year, year-end, all year round sales... arrrghhhh...!!! And the consequence.. I'm now paying more than 2K a month for my credit cards. So "I should have..."

The second one is I should have been more persistent when it comes to Abang Iqie's religious activities. I've been looking around for an Ustaz or Ustazah to give personal tutoring on Iqra', solat, fardhu ain, etc. It should have started early this year, and now it's already December and still no one giving him any lessons. I'm worried that when he has gone to his standard one, he has a lot of catching up to do. Alhamdulillah, he can recite his Al-Fatihah and a few surahs. He also knows his alif, ba, ta. He can write the arabic letters. But I don't think that is quite enough. I would very much like him to be able to read the Quran.

Another "I should have" is I should have bought more gold and silver :) For the investment I mean. I'm not a big fan of gold accessories, but I love silver or white gold. But just for the sake of the future, I should have collected gold or silver bars a long time ago. But I know it's still not too late.. so I've started the collection.

What else..? I have a lot actually. I should have just shouted at those who bitched behind my back. I should have told off a few who thought that they were better than me. I should have been more careful not to trust just about anyone. I should have just told people what I really thought about their work. And more... :P

I hope I will have a good 2013. And hopefully, no more I should haves...

Ieja

I am Lost... (again..!)

I am at a point where I'm trying to evaluate myself and things around me. So many things have happened within this six months that I feel like I'm on a roller coaster. The ride is non-stop and I can puke anytime. At a turn, I can just break down and cry and at another turn, I can just laugh my head off. I know I'm going crazy... ;) 

I have this habit of writing down the things that I want to do, accomplish or have. Over the years, I realise that I have actually achieved some of the things that I had written down (usually in my black book). For instance, I once wrote that I wanted to own this one specific car - so happen that it was a Honda and I did specifically mention that it has to be a Vtec. And I just don't know how... A few years later, I did own a highly sought-after Honda. Just a simple example... 

And when I think about it, I come to a conclusion that after I wrote down what I wanted to have, I may foget about it, but sub-consciously, my mind was working on how I could actually achieve the things that I wanted. After a while, I kind of forgot about the list, but my sub-conscious was still working towards that goal. And when the time is right, you somehow will make a decision that brings you back to your list - sub-consciously. Am I making sense here? 

 Here is what happened... I had forgotton that I wanted a Honda with a Vtec engine. But one day, when I decided that I needed a new car, somehow I decided to have a Honda. And when I made that decision, I wasn't even thinking about the list that I made at all. Only after the car was mine, and after I looked at the list I made a few years ago that I realised that I could tick one item off that list. And I have been ticking off a lot more items from the lists that I made every year..! 

 Well, this is how I feel... your chances of achieving what you want in your life are a lot higher when you explicitly express it or (even better) if you write it down. You may forget about it later, but your sub-conscious mind and thoughts and body are actually working towards achieving it. It may take a while... but you will achieve it somehow... So, there you go... Now, let's see what's next in my lists... 

 Ieja

Another Stumbling Block

We're in our second year of having all the HR personnel in the department being involved in the department's internal projects. I coined the initiative as Towards HR 2.0. The intention is for everyone to have a shift of mind, or the cliche word - paradigm. And the underlying principle is also to have all our processes and services improved. So, all the streams under HR 2.0 initiative are geared towards those two principles.

A few days ago, we had the department's usual fortnightly meeting where all the managers update our HOD on what is going on in the department. And somehow an item that was brought up was HR 2.0 initiative. It was said that there were grouses from the people on the floor about having to put in extra effort to complete their deliverables, that whatever they are doing doesn't carry weight towards their appraisal, and that they are supposed to JUST do their "business as usual" tasks. In other words, given the chance, they would rather not do HR 2.0 initiative!

*sigh* that saddens me, and coming from the managers themselves - it is even sadder! I don't like saying this but in this situation, it appears to be true that Malays are a lazy bunch! They can't see OR they don't want to see beyond what has been given to them. They just want an easy life, free of accountability, and most importantly free ride! And above all, they can turn this into an interesting topic to be debated about (READ AS BITCHING!) when all the time that they take to BITCH can be converted into productivity - by completing the tasks under HR 2.0 initiative.

My boss was over the roof with all these talks by the managers the other day. I could sense his frustration when the managers themselves showed that they did not buy all this 'crap'. He reinforced his stance by saying that if the people on the floor were leaving because of all these, then let them go, because they were surely not cut to be his people.

I'm still saddened by all this. They can go far if they can just stop bitching and be more productive, and most importantly see beyond what is asked of them. It will be interesting to see what they will bitch about when they get the rating of their appraisal back and when they see what kind of bonus they also get. I'm sure the bitching will never stop...

ieja

April is Just Another Crazy Month

Yupp... Just another crazy month. Early April, I took a week off (with all that $$ I got for bonus ;)) and went to Bandung with Hubby. just the two of us. It was our second time there, I think it has become our favourite gateway - without the kids ;)

Since we kind of knew our way around, the trip was a relaxed one. We went to Rumah Mode first, then to all the factory outlets along Jalan Riau. We flew in with a 6 kg luggage and flew back with more than 20 kg. So you go figure ;) When I came home and unpacked, I just didn't know what the bloody hell I bought when I was there... Could I be deceived by the whole idea of Bandung itself?

When we landed at the LCCT, and as we were walking passing the customs, we saw signs that said something like "Barang untuk di ikrar - Things to Declare" and "Tiada barang untuk Di ikrar - Nothing to declare", and all of a sudden, Hubby said "saya nak ikrar dia, dan saya berikrar untuk tidak membawa dia lagi! - I would like to declare her, and I declare hereby that I would not take her anywhere again!" humpppp....

We brought in a 'reinforcement team' to look after the kids. That would be Mak and Ain. Although it was not a good feeling to leave them, we knew we needed the trip to be alone. And the trip did us good :))

We were worried how Rayna would react when we came back. She didn't even want to come near me when we came back from the first trip. She took it really hard. But she was OK when we came back from this trip. So, I guess we could do this again next year LOL.

Today, I'm flying to Penang - a day trip and because of work. And on 18 April, another day trip and to Johor Bahru. And, next in our list is Langkawi for a holiday. All of us will fly there courtesy of Sow & Allan...

Can't wait...

Ieja

When Tears and Sweat Paid Off

In the company, end of March every year is a very significant time. Tension builds up, anxiety heightens and anticipation triples. All because of yearly performance bonus. You'll hear nothing but the talk of bonus everywhere you go - in the meeting room, at the corridors, at lunch, and even in the restrooms. That is the hottest topic of the month - every year. Now that March is almost over, (almost) everyone is relief. They know now whether or not their tears and sweat paid off.

Priceless..!

I for once was very happy. The first time in my life, I was rewarded far beyond my expectations. At times, I felt like pinching myself to make sure that I'm not in a cruel dream. In February, I was recognised as a Future Leader by the management in a special ceremony. What I've done for the company has been specifically mentioned either by my Head of Department or personally by my CEO. It felt good...

By then, my Head has started to drown me with a lot of assignments. And so far alhamdulillah, his comments were positive. And then, on 26 March, I was called to his room for a chat. That was when he told me his plan for me in the company. I was to assume bigger role and responsibilities in preparation for me to run the department :)) How big is that...?? And I have only been in the company for 1 freaking year ;)

Then, came the letter... it said I was promoted to a higher position and that my bonus and increment were THAT MUCH..!! Another OMG...!! In my 12 years of working experiences, I had never been rewarded THAT MUCH... Again alhamdulillah. I thanked Allah, I thanked my Head and lastly, I text my CEO to personally thank him. He called me to 'deliver his key messages' - he wanted me to stay in the company longer!

You know what... in 1 day, all those late nights, those blood and tears spilled seem to worth it. Now I know why people stay in this industry. And the looks on  the faces of the people in the department - priceless!!

Ieja

A Crazy Month February Was..

Wo hooo... February was a crazy month for me. Went to Ho Chi Minh City for four days (11 - 14 Feb) and that was fun. We stayed at Sherwood Residence in District 3 in an apartment belongs to Hubby's cousin. Our stay was great. The kids enjoyed the trip, and I enjoyed the shopping :))

Hello Comrade!

Even Abg Iqie went inside the tunnel

I need to be in the right size for this :)

We went to Cu Ci Tunnel - the World of the Vietkong. It was amazing... I can't imagine myself living underground like that. And the network of tunnels is just amazing. You have to bend to walk inside the tunnels. And of course the tunnels have been widen for the sake of the tourists. But the original ones were a lot smaller. Hubby tried the original size of the hidden entrance, and my god... he could barely fit into it.. Thank god his tummy didn't obstruct his way in :P

Sure can fit or not?

Ce ce ce... Leave the tummy inside

I really enjoyed Ben Thanh market. The shopping was just splendid and that almost cost me the penalty for the extra baggage by AisAsia. The airlines is really a blood sucker...


All in all... Saigon was fun. I love the food and I particularly like the shopping trips (like... when am I not?). Special thanks to our cousins and the family (Kak Na and Abg Alfie and the kids) for the accommodation and for being very good hosts. We'll definitely come back...


ieja

What I'm Into Right Now

There are two things that I'm into at the moment: Adele - Someone Like You, and Nikon D300.

I have been playing Adele's Someone Like You for I don't know how many thousand times. I really don't know why the song seems to stick in my head and on my player. I even wish that I had a voice like her. And those who know me know what kind of voice I have :))

I play her song the whole time I'm in the office and at home, she's on the YouTube. How crazy is that?

The ever so willing models

One of my models.

Another thing that I'm into by accident is photography. The photographer at the office resigned so I'm left with no one to take photos of the company's events but me. So, I've been playing with Nikon D300, and OMG, for someone who has no clue at all about cameras and photography, it is really a challenge. I had to hit the ground running with all the events that require an almost professional photographer. So, I've insisted that I'm sent to a photography class. While that is being arranged, I have the camera to myself to play with. Hence, a lot of "rubbish", but thank god it's digital and not the Jurassic-type of camera that requires rolls of films. So playing with it is quite fun. 

Am still practising...

Haven't killed this one yet!

I know I have a long way to go before I can really master whatever the camera can do. So the first step was to invite my brother in-law to come to give me a quick lesson on the important settings that I need to know. Thank god I did some readings before he came, so the words like 'shutter speed', 'aperture', 'ISO', etc. were not so foreign. At least I didn't have a blank expression on my face when he mentioned those words. It was just a matter of putting the words into the right context. And the quick lesson really helps...

 Obviously, I need more time to practise and more subjects for my practice. And I'm sure the kids would love to pose more for mummy...

Ieja

Abang Iqie, Abang Afeeq & Princess Rayna

The three of them are really my bundle of joy.  I have not once forgotten to thank God for giving me such beautiful things to brighten my life.

Abang Iqie is now 6 and learning to read. He can spell quite well now. He can multiply and subtract quite well too. But he sometimes lacks focus. So Hubby and I really need to see his work after he's done. There were times when he held back his tears because I lost my patience when he was not focusing on his numbers or letters. There was this one time when I really lost my patience and I screamed at him. He held his tears so hard that when I finally finished with him, he ran to Hubby and cried in the room. I felt so guilty and felt like crying too...

Abang Afeeq is now 4 and is a cool and playful boy. I'm sometimes amazed with his I-don't-give-a-rat-ass attitude. He can ignore everyone around him and just go about his business like nothing affects him. But sometimes I can sense his middle child syndrome. He wants the attention, especially when it's bedtime or shower time. I don't mind giving it all to him, and when it is necessary, I always make sure that he is given the priority. But I'm quite worried when he's not eating... He has lost some weight... He's really into cars so he has more than a dozen Hot Wheels cars in his collection. He even has his own Hot Wheels wall-mounted track, and a track carpet to play his cars with.

As for Princess Rayna, she is sweet and so not girly :) Whatever the brothers do, she can keep up with them. They jump on the bed or off the bed... she's right behind them. And knowing that she's quite protected, she sometimes 'demands' things, especially if she sees something that she likes from Abang Afeeq. Poor Abang Afeeq... Rayna really likes to disturb him. She's sometimes his shadow - much to his dislike! So, I have to put up with the shouting and the fighting and the wrestling. She's also very cheeky and learns things very fast. She can understand all of us easily and she can say words that are easy and familiar to her. She's now into bears (her soft toys), but not Barbie-like dolls. Most of the times, she plays with her brother's toys - which are so not girly...

Although sometimes I feel that when we're home, I'm more tired than when I'm in the office, the satisfaction and the good feelings that I have are priceless. I don't mind the shouting, the fighting, the crying, etc. as long as we are all together! 

Mummy loves you Abang Iqie, Abang Afeeq and Princess Rayna... very very much!

ieja

I Am Guilty

I have this guilt that has been hanging at the back of my head for the past few days now. Will I let my ego win or will I let my conscience lead to to do what is right?

I have been arguing with my parents about the renovation that they were doing back home. I was not so agreeable to it. I told them to find a new house and the money can be used to renovate that house instead. To me it's better than spending money repairing and renovating the old house because there are a lot more to do for the old house. But my parents didn't want to listen to me. So they renovated that old house.

When the renovation completed, they came to me asking for more money. Well.. There are other things than what I'm writing about. It's not the money that matters to me. It's about how they didn't want to listen to me and consider my opinions and what I had to say about the whole affair. I gave them the money anyway even when they didn't want to listen to me.

But what frustrates me was, they came to me when they needed things. And I feel as if that is all I am to them. I don't have a say in any matters at all. I feel used.

I came on quite strong to them, and I think I've hurt my mother's feelings. But I am offended too. Most importantly, I feel that I'm being pushed around by my dad and by my sisters.

And I know eventually I will call them and tell them that I'm sorry...

Ieja