And this is about my period.
Immediately after implanon, my period was spotty for about 4 months.
Then, there was none. The absence of period was much welcome.
As someone who's trying to be a better Muslim, I could perform a lot of extra ibadah. And the absence of any interruptions meant that it was easy to be consistent in all these extras.
Then a year or so later, my period came back. When it came back, it came back with a vengeance. 20-day long periods (only 15 are counted), spotting here and there. Then a very brief dry spell before it starts again. Argh!
Sometimes the heart yearns to read the Quran but it is not quite possible to do so.
It is a bit of a challenge to have that istiqomah in your ibadah when the interruptions are so frequent. But as with all challenges in life, Allah knows best. As a woman and a wife and a mother, Allah has made it easy for us to enter jannah.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Monday, October 03, 2016
Packing Time
In slightly less than 7 weeks, we should be making our way to our new place. (If I happen to die within the next 7 weeks, this sentence will take on a whole new meaning.)
Our boxes will come sometime next week, courtesy of the sister-in-law. (I owe her $30 for 30 boxes. Very good deal!)
We have some boxes here and I am supposed to start packing.
But.
I wish it is as simple as dumping things into boxes. But noooooooo. That's not the case. I have so many things that I don't need. Maternity clothes - I'm waiting patiently for the younger sister to get pregnant. Then off that whole box goes. My clothes - I keep on wearing the same 4 or 5 tops. But my wardrobe is full! I need to get rid of stuff. Lots of stuff. Thank God for the Internet. It's now a lot easier to give things away. And we havent even started on Bedroom 3 which has long become a Big Storeroom. Oh gawd!
What a headache!
Our boxes will come sometime next week, courtesy of the sister-in-law. (I owe her $30 for 30 boxes. Very good deal!)
We have some boxes here and I am supposed to start packing.
But.
I wish it is as simple as dumping things into boxes. But noooooooo. That's not the case. I have so many things that I don't need. Maternity clothes - I'm waiting patiently for the younger sister to get pregnant. Then off that whole box goes. My clothes - I keep on wearing the same 4 or 5 tops. But my wardrobe is full! I need to get rid of stuff. Lots of stuff. Thank God for the Internet. It's now a lot easier to give things away. And we havent even started on Bedroom 3 which has long become a Big Storeroom. Oh gawd!
What a headache!
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Tales of An Addict
It is now 3.30am.
At 11.30pm, we went to Alazhar where I had naan and, despite TheHusband's raised eyebrow, teh tarik.
By 1.30am, I felt sleepy. Good good, maybe the teh was had too late in the night for it to take its effect.
I lay down. I closed my eyes. Suddenly, my mind became so awake. At the back of my eyelids, various movies were playing. A dolphin morphed into a frog and started jumping from cliff to cliff. The sun melted away and became a pool of molten hot lava.
I'm not getting any sleep at this rate.
I opened my eyes, closed them, tossed, turned.
Nope. No sleep.
Will this put me off tea? Of course not.
3.36am. Still no sleep.
TheHusband, whom I adore, is sleeping like a baby. The Baby has only woken up once. Both girls, whom I smother with kisses when they are asleep, are deep in dreamland. And I am up, in this caffeine-induced state, wondering if it's a good idea to start preparing breakfast now.
3.40am. Maybe I'll just soften the butter first. And maybe, I should avoid caffeine after 2pm like I told myself many moons ago.
At 11.30pm, we went to Alazhar where I had naan and, despite TheHusband's raised eyebrow, teh tarik.
By 1.30am, I felt sleepy. Good good, maybe the teh was had too late in the night for it to take its effect.
I lay down. I closed my eyes. Suddenly, my mind became so awake. At the back of my eyelids, various movies were playing. A dolphin morphed into a frog and started jumping from cliff to cliff. The sun melted away and became a pool of molten hot lava.
I'm not getting any sleep at this rate.
I opened my eyes, closed them, tossed, turned.
Nope. No sleep.
Will this put me off tea? Of course not.
3.36am. Still no sleep.
TheHusband, whom I adore, is sleeping like a baby. The Baby has only woken up once. Both girls, whom I smother with kisses when they are asleep, are deep in dreamland. And I am up, in this caffeine-induced state, wondering if it's a good idea to start preparing breakfast now.
3.40am. Maybe I'll just soften the butter first. And maybe, I should avoid caffeine after 2pm like I told myself many moons ago.
Tuesday, September 06, 2016
An Update About the Littlest Kid
Ihsan
He turned 2 in early August. Masya Allah. Sometimes I take Allah's mercy and kindness for granted because this little bundle of unlimited joy almost didn't happen. One after another medical emergency he overcame and, masya Allah, here he is.
Of course, here's a report card of his general progress. Area for improvement is clearly his eating habits. It's still woefully miserable. Last week he seems to be eating lots of pasta. So I gave him pasta with varied creamy sauce each day. But that was short lived. However, he often comes down with something after a good eating episode. Yesterday he developed a symptom-less fever which broke this morning, only to leave some kind of mild diarrhoea behind. That diarrhoea is not unwelcome; it'll help to flush out all the leftover virus in his body.
In terms of speech, there's no worries at all. With his 2 sisters talking (and quarreling) non-stop, he knows how to form short sentences and express himself although it many come out jumbled at times. Just now, he was trying to tell his youngest uncle (whom he calls Babum although youngest uncle is known as Pak Ucu to everyone else; dunno where Babum comes from) to eat together with him. It's supposed to be: Pakusu, mari makan sama-sama dengan Ihsan. It was a jumbled up sentence that came out: Babum! Makan! Cican! Camacama!
(Note: He calls himself Cican. Cican Bin Ooman.)
He can count from 1 to 10 in Malay. But this is purely by rote. He has not understood the concept of numbers yet.
He is somewhat obsessed with Elmo. Thanks to aunties and uncles who bribe him with videos of Elmo whenever they want him to go to them.
He still does not look too steady on his feet. Sometimes he stumbles and falls. His running is hilarious too. He can go up and down steps while holding on to the railing for support. However, sometimes he is a bit delusional of his capabilities and wants to forgo the railings. He cannot jump and hop yet although he's always pretending to jump.
Oh, and, while the 1+ year old toddler was an anarchist, this one is a bit OCD (not in a clinical way). In the past, all he wanted to do was to pull all books off the shelves. All books. It was a nightmare and room doors had to be closed because of his love for unbearable mess. But now, when he takes books from the shelves, it's only because he wants to 'read' those books. When cupboard doors are open, he wants the doors to be closed again. Likewise for fridge doors. Or floor rugs which are folded in the corner. Or prayer mats not laid out properly. It's much nicer not always having to clean up after a huge mess.
But sometimes, things do get messy. He has 3 toy boxes (the size of shoe boxes) and 1 lego box. If he wants one toy that he knows is inside one of those boxes, he will open and tip over the entire box. Getting him to put away that glorious pile of toys in the middle of the living room takes about one hour of convincing, cajoling, threatening and more threatening. The actual clean up takes no more than 5 but it is not right to always do the tidying up for him, right?
He's copying lots of good stuff and so I am constantly reminding myself and the older girls to always display our best. A few days ago, I was carrying him in one hand and manoeuvring the stroller with the other. (another story this love-hate relationship with his stroller). I almost bumped into a lady (who was thankfully unaware) and I said "Oops!" Ihsan immediately said, "Sowwie Aunty!"
Of course, Aunty couldn't hear it but I was impressed, both with his assessment of the situation and his tone of apology. And I pointed this out to the girls who were with me, "Did you hear the way adik said 'sorry'? That's the way it should be said. Blah blah blah..." Then the girls fussed over him. And he explained (in that breathless, laborious way that kids take to pull words out of their mouths), "Sebab. Mak. Ajar. Cican. Sowwie. Aunty." (Because - mak - teach - Ihsan - (to say) - Sorry - Aunty.)
Precious.
Medical issues: 3 appointments lined up in the next 2 months at KK for 3 different things. All will be well, insya Allah.
(The 2 older girls will get their airtime in the next post. Now, I have an appointment with a mountain of laundry.)
He turned 2 in early August. Masya Allah. Sometimes I take Allah's mercy and kindness for granted because this little bundle of unlimited joy almost didn't happen. One after another medical emergency he overcame and, masya Allah, here he is.
Of course, here's a report card of his general progress. Area for improvement is clearly his eating habits. It's still woefully miserable. Last week he seems to be eating lots of pasta. So I gave him pasta with varied creamy sauce each day. But that was short lived. However, he often comes down with something after a good eating episode. Yesterday he developed a symptom-less fever which broke this morning, only to leave some kind of mild diarrhoea behind. That diarrhoea is not unwelcome; it'll help to flush out all the leftover virus in his body.
In terms of speech, there's no worries at all. With his 2 sisters talking (and quarreling) non-stop, he knows how to form short sentences and express himself although it many come out jumbled at times. Just now, he was trying to tell his youngest uncle (whom he calls Babum although youngest uncle is known as Pak Ucu to everyone else; dunno where Babum comes from) to eat together with him. It's supposed to be: Pakusu, mari makan sama-sama dengan Ihsan. It was a jumbled up sentence that came out: Babum! Makan! Cican! Camacama!
(Note: He calls himself Cican. Cican Bin Ooman.)
He can count from 1 to 10 in Malay. But this is purely by rote. He has not understood the concept of numbers yet.
He is somewhat obsessed with Elmo. Thanks to aunties and uncles who bribe him with videos of Elmo whenever they want him to go to them.
He still does not look too steady on his feet. Sometimes he stumbles and falls. His running is hilarious too. He can go up and down steps while holding on to the railing for support. However, sometimes he is a bit delusional of his capabilities and wants to forgo the railings. He cannot jump and hop yet although he's always pretending to jump.
Oh, and, while the 1+ year old toddler was an anarchist, this one is a bit OCD (not in a clinical way). In the past, all he wanted to do was to pull all books off the shelves. All books. It was a nightmare and room doors had to be closed because of his love for unbearable mess. But now, when he takes books from the shelves, it's only because he wants to 'read' those books. When cupboard doors are open, he wants the doors to be closed again. Likewise for fridge doors. Or floor rugs which are folded in the corner. Or prayer mats not laid out properly. It's much nicer not always having to clean up after a huge mess.
But sometimes, things do get messy. He has 3 toy boxes (the size of shoe boxes) and 1 lego box. If he wants one toy that he knows is inside one of those boxes, he will open and tip over the entire box. Getting him to put away that glorious pile of toys in the middle of the living room takes about one hour of convincing, cajoling, threatening and more threatening. The actual clean up takes no more than 5 but it is not right to always do the tidying up for him, right?
He's copying lots of good stuff and so I am constantly reminding myself and the older girls to always display our best. A few days ago, I was carrying him in one hand and manoeuvring the stroller with the other. (another story this love-hate relationship with his stroller). I almost bumped into a lady (who was thankfully unaware) and I said "Oops!" Ihsan immediately said, "Sowwie Aunty!"
Of course, Aunty couldn't hear it but I was impressed, both with his assessment of the situation and his tone of apology. And I pointed this out to the girls who were with me, "Did you hear the way adik said 'sorry'? That's the way it should be said. Blah blah blah..." Then the girls fussed over him. And he explained (in that breathless, laborious way that kids take to pull words out of their mouths), "Sebab. Mak. Ajar. Cican. Sowwie. Aunty." (Because - mak - teach - Ihsan - (to say) - Sorry - Aunty.)
Precious.
Medical issues: 3 appointments lined up in the next 2 months at KK for 3 different things. All will be well, insya Allah.
(The 2 older girls will get their airtime in the next post. Now, I have an appointment with a mountain of laundry.)
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
A Little Move
This post is still not about the kids. Wait for that.
Boy is sleeping now and I have a bit of time.
Forgot to mention something in the previous post: our move is confirmed! We are definitely moving sometime in November to our new place, a stone's throw away from the girls' school. Just 2-3 minutes away from the MRT station. 30 seconds away from a bus stop that has many bus services. So near varied amenities. No Pokestop nearby though.
Sadly, will be saying goodbye to birds chirping, cricket songs, squirrel sightings, rambutans an arm's length away.
The peaceful morning is something I enjoy whenever Ihsan takes a nap in the morning. I will no longer hear this on a regular basis and my heart feels heavy to say goodbye to this magnificent beauty.
This is just outside my living room window. Beyond the trees, is a hill. A camera cannot capture what the eye and the mind see. It is beautiful. And this is the reason why I need a big push (or rather, pull) to leave this place. Will miss you lots, Nature.
Boy is sleeping now and I have a bit of time.
Forgot to mention something in the previous post: our move is confirmed! We are definitely moving sometime in November to our new place, a stone's throw away from the girls' school. Just 2-3 minutes away from the MRT station. 30 seconds away from a bus stop that has many bus services. So near varied amenities. No Pokestop nearby though.
Sadly, will be saying goodbye to birds chirping, cricket songs, squirrel sightings, rambutans an arm's length away.
The peaceful morning is something I enjoy whenever Ihsan takes a nap in the morning. I will no longer hear this on a regular basis and my heart feels heavy to say goodbye to this magnificent beauty.
This is just outside my living room window. Beyond the trees, is a hill. A camera cannot capture what the eye and the mind see. It is beautiful. And this is the reason why I need a big push (or rather, pull) to leave this place. Will miss you lots, Nature.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
August 2016: General Life Story
Many moons have waxed and waned but this blog continues to be put on the shelf waiting for life to be breathed into it.
Tonight, as luck would have it, a cup of ill-timed teh tarik ensures that this blog gets some much needed CPR.
--
Explanation: For the past 3 years or so, I've noticed something strange about me. Whenever I have a cup of teh tarik after 2pm, my body will react very strongly to the caffeine; I will not be able to sleep until about 3am. My mind will be whirring with thoughts and activities even though the rest of my body just wants to shut down for the night. And when I wake up, it doesn't feel like I've had much rest.
The solution is really simple - to avoid drinking teh tarik in the afternoon. But I am one incorrigible addict. I cannot resist the call of teh tarik when I'm at a new place. I absolutely must try the teh tarik, whatever the cost (ie, lost sleep).
--
On the general front, these are some activities that took place recently.
1. The younger sister got married! May Allah shower His blessings on both of them and unite them in goodness. Amin.
The nikah (solemnisation) was held at Masjid Tentera on a Thursday night. My father was rather emotional during the nikah (as was he during my sister and my nikah; can't tell whether he was emotional during all my brothers' nikah because he did not have to say anything during their nikah). Which father wouldn't? I think I will probably cry buckets at my children's nikah. Correction: I cry buckets at all my children's anything: first day of school at N1, K2 graduation etc etc etc..
The walimah (reception) was held on Saturday at Muslim Delight Venue (I'm sure that's the name, as kental as that may sound to some ears) which is at the shopping mall within Concorde Hotel. Not to be confused with the hotel itself. This place is at the shopping mall.
The original plan was to have the wedding at my sister's void deck. Her void deck is more spacious than the one at my parents' block. So booking was made. But, a few weeks after that, my father heard of this place. They have just opened and all the earlier slots are empty as most families would book the wedding venue and all sooooo much earlier. (See, procrastination is not so uncommon here and procrastination in this case brings great savings in time, money and energy!) To entice people to book the earlier slots, a very generous discount was given. Up til the end of the year. So if you are thinking of getting married, get it done by the end of this year. Haha.
After having had 6 void deck weddings, this one really makes us appreciate how little we have to do! Practically everything is settled by Muslim Delight itself. All we have to do is turn up, welcome guests, mingle with guests and enjoy ourselves. Masya Allah.
My one regret is I wish I had invited a few more close friends. But since this was the first time we've held a non-void deck wedding, I wasn't sure how safe it would be to invite more than the numbers we were allocated. Turns out, there was no worry at all. Service from Muslim Delight was waaaaay above excellent. They assured my parents that they would take care of the food and would ensure there'd be enough for guests even if we invite 100-200 more than the original figure. We just had to inform them beforehand. Wonderful. 10 million stars for them (out of 5).
2. Told the sister of the post-wedding funk when you miss your family terribly. You may have married the man you love dearly but at the same time, you will also miss your own family so, so, so badly. Especially if you move out of your home into your new home immediately after the wedding. And the sister has been feeling it. He he he. It'll take a few months to get used to the changes!
3. Back to the topic of teh tarik. We sent the brother and family off at the airport earlier. He was flying back to the UK where he is studying. (Digress a bit: I wish I could do that! Get a sponsor to sponsor my studies and take my family there. But as the brains have not been doing much work, it must be simple stuff like perhaps, a 3-year course on how to tie your shoelaces.) So after a couple of sad scenes and stoic faces suppressing tears, my parents wanted to stop by somewhere for supper. Of course, I had to try the teh tarik, right? It was 9.30pm. Very wrong timing. But this teh addict is, well, an addict. Poor self control, judgment et al. So, it is now 12.30am and I am not sleepy at all. Tired, yes. But not sleepy.
In another post, I'll write about the kids. So if you are expecting to read about them here, nope, not likely.
4.Photo-taking. Taking pictures at the nikah made me aware of one thing: suck in the tummy! The nikah photos in which my tummy was not blocked by someone else were horrible. I look pregnant. Not fat, just that mummy tummy which I have not done anything about. (Chope ah. I no longer do that stupid thing of fishing for compliment which I did when I was a stupid teenager. I'm very at peace with myself now and am aware of my flaws and (maybe) how others view me. Point is, not fishing for compliments here.) I know that most people do not think I'm fat (except my own siblings. we address each other in very loving ways such as "oi gemok".) I don't need people to tell me i'm not fat. Pictures, however, don't lie. I need to suck in the tummy for photo taking sessions. So, for the walimah, I was slightly cleverer during photo taking sessions. I remembered to suck in the tummy.
5. This brings me to my next thought. All over social media, people have to be reminded not to post things which may cause jealousy/envy in others. Why? Why are people envious of what other people post on social media? We must realise that what other people post are most likely, the best aspects of their lives. For example, if i were to put up a picture, i will most likely post a picture in which I look good. Why on earth would I post a picture of myself in something which accentuates my mummy tummy? Or, I will post about a happy moment I'm having with the kids visiting USS or the zoo. Will I post a picture of myself wringing their little necks while doing Science revision? So we all no need to be jealous of what other people post on social media, okay? That's the best aspect of their lives. Every person has their own challenges which they may not share with others. Be happy for others or if you can't do that, just ignore it.
Vaguebooking, however, is something that really gets my goat. Other than that, whatever you want to do on FB or twitter or instagram is really up to you.
6. Alicia Keys needs no make up to look good. I hardly ever apply any make up but my reasons are very different from hers. Laziness. Some fashion doyenne said, "There's no ugly women. Only lazy women." I suppose, you also won't need makeup if you are very diligent in your skincare routine. But, actually, it doesn't really matter. Roald Dahl said it perfectly: "If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it.
A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely."
So, it's time to let that inner beauty shine through your make-up free skin. Think good thoughts, always!
---
It's almost 1.15am. I must force myself to sleep. Or at least, lie down and wait patiently for sleep to come. Or for Ihsan to wake up for his night feed. Yes, he's 2 years and 3 weeks old and still not weaned off. Trying to but have not been effective.
Tonight, as luck would have it, a cup of ill-timed teh tarik ensures that this blog gets some much needed CPR.
--
Explanation: For the past 3 years or so, I've noticed something strange about me. Whenever I have a cup of teh tarik after 2pm, my body will react very strongly to the caffeine; I will not be able to sleep until about 3am. My mind will be whirring with thoughts and activities even though the rest of my body just wants to shut down for the night. And when I wake up, it doesn't feel like I've had much rest.
The solution is really simple - to avoid drinking teh tarik in the afternoon. But I am one incorrigible addict. I cannot resist the call of teh tarik when I'm at a new place. I absolutely must try the teh tarik, whatever the cost (ie, lost sleep).
--
1. The younger sister got married! May Allah shower His blessings on both of them and unite them in goodness. Amin.
The nikah (solemnisation) was held at Masjid Tentera on a Thursday night. My father was rather emotional during the nikah (as was he during my sister and my nikah; can't tell whether he was emotional during all my brothers' nikah because he did not have to say anything during their nikah). Which father wouldn't? I think I will probably cry buckets at my children's nikah. Correction: I cry buckets at all my children's anything: first day of school at N1, K2 graduation etc etc etc..
The walimah (reception) was held on Saturday at Muslim Delight Venue (I'm sure that's the name, as kental as that may sound to some ears) which is at the shopping mall within Concorde Hotel. Not to be confused with the hotel itself. This place is at the shopping mall.
The original plan was to have the wedding at my sister's void deck. Her void deck is more spacious than the one at my parents' block. So booking was made. But, a few weeks after that, my father heard of this place. They have just opened and all the earlier slots are empty as most families would book the wedding venue and all sooooo much earlier. (See, procrastination is not so uncommon here and procrastination in this case brings great savings in time, money and energy!) To entice people to book the earlier slots, a very generous discount was given. Up til the end of the year. So if you are thinking of getting married, get it done by the end of this year. Haha.
After having had 6 void deck weddings, this one really makes us appreciate how little we have to do! Practically everything is settled by Muslim Delight itself. All we have to do is turn up, welcome guests, mingle with guests and enjoy ourselves. Masya Allah.
My one regret is I wish I had invited a few more close friends. But since this was the first time we've held a non-void deck wedding, I wasn't sure how safe it would be to invite more than the numbers we were allocated. Turns out, there was no worry at all. Service from Muslim Delight was waaaaay above excellent. They assured my parents that they would take care of the food and would ensure there'd be enough for guests even if we invite 100-200 more than the original figure. We just had to inform them beforehand. Wonderful. 10 million stars for them (out of 5).
2. Told the sister of the post-wedding funk when you miss your family terribly. You may have married the man you love dearly but at the same time, you will also miss your own family so, so, so badly. Especially if you move out of your home into your new home immediately after the wedding. And the sister has been feeling it. He he he. It'll take a few months to get used to the changes!
3. Back to the topic of teh tarik. We sent the brother and family off at the airport earlier. He was flying back to the UK where he is studying. (Digress a bit: I wish I could do that! Get a sponsor to sponsor my studies and take my family there. But as the brains have not been doing much work, it must be simple stuff like perhaps, a 3-year course on how to tie your shoelaces.) So after a couple of sad scenes and stoic faces suppressing tears, my parents wanted to stop by somewhere for supper. Of course, I had to try the teh tarik, right? It was 9.30pm. Very wrong timing. But this teh addict is, well, an addict. Poor self control, judgment et al. So, it is now 12.30am and I am not sleepy at all. Tired, yes. But not sleepy.
In another post, I'll write about the kids. So if you are expecting to read about them here, nope, not likely.
4.Photo-taking. Taking pictures at the nikah made me aware of one thing: suck in the tummy! The nikah photos in which my tummy was not blocked by someone else were horrible. I look pregnant. Not fat, just that mummy tummy which I have not done anything about. (Chope ah. I no longer do that stupid thing of fishing for compliment which I did when I was a stupid teenager. I'm very at peace with myself now and am aware of my flaws and (maybe) how others view me. Point is, not fishing for compliments here.) I know that most people do not think I'm fat (except my own siblings. we address each other in very loving ways such as "oi gemok".) I don't need people to tell me i'm not fat. Pictures, however, don't lie. I need to suck in the tummy for photo taking sessions. So, for the walimah, I was slightly cleverer during photo taking sessions. I remembered to suck in the tummy.
5. This brings me to my next thought. All over social media, people have to be reminded not to post things which may cause jealousy/envy in others. Why? Why are people envious of what other people post on social media? We must realise that what other people post are most likely, the best aspects of their lives. For example, if i were to put up a picture, i will most likely post a picture in which I look good. Why on earth would I post a picture of myself in something which accentuates my mummy tummy? Or, I will post about a happy moment I'm having with the kids visiting USS or the zoo. Will I post a picture of myself wringing their little necks while doing Science revision? So we all no need to be jealous of what other people post on social media, okay? That's the best aspect of their lives. Every person has their own challenges which they may not share with others. Be happy for others or if you can't do that, just ignore it.
Vaguebooking, however, is something that really gets my goat. Other than that, whatever you want to do on FB or twitter or instagram is really up to you.
6. Alicia Keys needs no make up to look good. I hardly ever apply any make up but my reasons are very different from hers. Laziness. Some fashion doyenne said, "There's no ugly women. Only lazy women." I suppose, you also won't need makeup if you are very diligent in your skincare routine. But, actually, it doesn't really matter. Roald Dahl said it perfectly: "If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it.
A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely."
So, it's time to let that inner beauty shine through your make-up free skin. Think good thoughts, always!
---
It's almost 1.15am. I must force myself to sleep. Or at least, lie down and wait patiently for sleep to come. Or for Ihsan to wake up for his night feed. Yes, he's 2 years and 3 weeks old and still not weaned off. Trying to but have not been effective.
Japan in June 2016 (Series 3, Episode 2): Disneyland and Disneysea
Reserved for Disneyland/Disneysea. Will be updated "soon".
Japan in June 2016 (Series 3, Episode 1)
The moment school was out, off we went to Tokyo. As tickets were bought almost a year earlier, by the time we got round to planning the itinerary, it was too late to make changes. So, thoughts of going Hokkaido had to be shelved. For now. (TheHusband excitedly remarked that this opened things up for an Episode 4 of Japan.)
Our itinerary is a very simple one and things are added or taken away depending on the situation. Traveling with a 22-month-old means that most of the time, things are taken away because of a) he's tired and b) therefore I'm even more exhausted. The 7yo and 10yo are pretty okay although they do whine a bit when we are shopping.
For the sake of those who are planning their trips, this is our basic plan:
26 May, 2355. Flight from Changi Airport to Narita
Day 1: 27 May, 7-ish. Arrive at Narita.
Days 1 - 4: 27 May - 30 May. Airbnb apartment near Shinjuku/Shibuya. Jalan-jalan around that area. Day trip to Mount Fuji (Tip: Avoid weekends! Traffic is horrible!)
Days 4 - 7: 30 May - 2 June, Monday to Thursday (avoid weekends!). Tokyo Disneyland. Stayed at Hotel Mira Costa.
Days 7 - 10: 2 June to 5 June. Airbnb apartment at Asakusa. Across the road from Sensoji Temple.
5 June, 8.30pm. Flight from Narita to Singapore.
6 June, 3am. Arrive at Singapore. Sahur at airport.
You see, the reason why we could not go to Hokkaido was because of Disneyland and the fact that we booked our flights to fly into and out of Narita. We planned for Disneyland to be on weekdays so that didn't leave us with much time to do all the traveling to Hokkaido. And combined that with the fact that we have to cart 3 kids along (although the first 2 should be able to do things quickly), we will have to visit Hokkaido another day.
This time round, food was much easier to get. We didn't have a problem at all in that area, especially when we were at Asakusa. We had another problem - overeating. I was too full, too often, and I was looking forward to that hunger we feel in the daytime of Ramadan.
As I am obviously updating this blog looong after our return, I cannot possibly remember with much accuracy where we went to each day. So from here on, I will let pictures do the talking. I'll take a look at the pictures I've taken and hopefully, they will help me recall what we did.
As I have become unbearably lazy and not to mention horribly tardy in updating this post (I've been updating this in bits and pieces and my memory of what we did in Japan is becoming very sketchy), I will upload this first and I will reserve the next two posts for Japan-related entries. Maybe one for Disneyland and one for Asakusa. So this here is my very incomplete post on the Shibuya/Shinjuku leg of the journey.
Our itinerary is a very simple one and things are added or taken away depending on the situation. Traveling with a 22-month-old means that most of the time, things are taken away because of a) he's tired and b) therefore I'm even more exhausted. The 7yo and 10yo are pretty okay although they do whine a bit when we are shopping.
For the sake of those who are planning their trips, this is our basic plan:
26 May, 2355. Flight from Changi Airport to Narita
Day 1: 27 May, 7-ish. Arrive at Narita.
Days 1 - 4: 27 May - 30 May. Airbnb apartment near Shinjuku/Shibuya. Jalan-jalan around that area. Day trip to Mount Fuji (Tip: Avoid weekends! Traffic is horrible!)
Days 4 - 7: 30 May - 2 June, Monday to Thursday (avoid weekends!). Tokyo Disneyland. Stayed at Hotel Mira Costa.
Days 7 - 10: 2 June to 5 June. Airbnb apartment at Asakusa. Across the road from Sensoji Temple.
5 June, 8.30pm. Flight from Narita to Singapore.
6 June, 3am. Arrive at Singapore. Sahur at airport.
You see, the reason why we could not go to Hokkaido was because of Disneyland and the fact that we booked our flights to fly into and out of Narita. We planned for Disneyland to be on weekdays so that didn't leave us with much time to do all the traveling to Hokkaido. And combined that with the fact that we have to cart 3 kids along (although the first 2 should be able to do things quickly), we will have to visit Hokkaido another day.
This time round, food was much easier to get. We didn't have a problem at all in that area, especially when we were at Asakusa. We had another problem - overeating. I was too full, too often, and I was looking forward to that hunger we feel in the daytime of Ramadan.
As I am obviously updating this blog looong after our return, I cannot possibly remember with much accuracy where we went to each day. So from here on, I will let pictures do the talking. I'll take a look at the pictures I've taken and hopefully, they will help me recall what we did.
That's the firstborn, ready to be shipped off.
That's the son who woke up just when we entered the plane. Sigh.
Day 1: All three kids, safely arrived.
This is where we had our first meal in Japan. Halal udon and crispy tempura. This is at Narita airport itself. Pretty cheap (compared to the rest of our meals in Japan). And of course, so delicious!
Tempura!
When we were done with our meal, I looked around to see what other people did with their bowls and plates and all. You have to return them to the stall. I looked around some more and noticed that people were wiping their own tables. There are stations like this. You take the clean cloth, wipe your table and drop off the used cloth in the other tray. Only in Japan!
Done with our meal, we looked for a train that would get us to Shinjuku. We took the JR Narita Express train and it got us to Shinjuku in less than an hour but at twice the normal price. Time is money, I guess. Money-saving tip: take the bus.
We reached the train station where our first Airbnb apartment is. About 15-minute walk away. But, weather was good, so no issues.
Day 2: We went to the Fire Museum. Entrance is free and quite a few hands-on things for kids to do. All about firemen and emergency services. Very interesting because emergency services in Japan also include earthquake rescue. (Most pictures are in TheHusband's phone and he hasn't uploaded them into the computer so we'll just have to wait.) Here, the kids are fiddling with the insides of a helicopter.
Then, we walked and walked to this ramen place.
Buy your ramen here. Choices are limited but this is Ihsan's favourite ramen in Tokyo!
That's the owner, Megumi.
I only thought of taking a photo when I was almost done with my meal. That chicken is very juicy. The skin is crispy. The taste - ooh la la!
After that, we went to Takashimaya where there is a musollah. Then we (TheHusband, mostly) went shopping at Uniqlo. It's much cheaper in Japan! We were all exhausted after that and went back to our apartment for dinner. Dinner was rice + omelette + lots of the most divine cherry tomatoes ever. This dinner was repeated time and time again because we could not locate a supermarket near our house. There were lots of minimarts that sold basic goods like eggs and bread. Had we found a supermarket, salmon would have been a daily affair.
Day 2: Day Trip with Yokoso Japan. Full day in the bus. Not exactly fun for a wriggly little worm.
Strawberry picking and eating!
We learnt that the sweetest strawberries are the ones which are small and dark red. The big ones are almost always sourish. It's a nikmat to be able to eat fruit that has been ripened on the vine/tree itself.
On crowded, crowded Mount Fuji.
Extremely gorgeous place. Supposed to be covered with pink flowers but this year, the flowers bloomed a bit earlier so it ended its run earlier too but still so picturesque.
As I have become unbearably lazy and not to mention horribly tardy in updating this post (I've been updating this in bits and pieces and my memory of what we did in Japan is becoming very sketchy), I will upload this first and I will reserve the next two posts for Japan-related entries. Maybe one for Disneyland and one for Asakusa. So this here is my very incomplete post on the Shibuya/Shinjuku leg of the journey.
Monday, May 16, 2016
May Updates
Boy is sleeping now. Not cooking dinner tonight so I have a bit of time (at the expense of a tidy house, actually).
Some updates:
1. We *may* move to a new place. Signed some forms which allow the buyer a 21-day period to pull out. If they pull out, all deals are off. So, we have surrendered everything to Allah. Allah knows best.
2. We wish we got a better price for the sale of our present home. It is $15k below what we expect to get from the sale. But, again, I must tame my heart and accept that this is rezeki from Allah. We still get a tidy profit so one cannot be too greedy.
3. TheHusband and I have been thinking about our mortality. So, these are the things that I've lined up for myself. Holiday planning (1.5 weeks to go and our itinerary still looks so kosong.), renovating and moving house (if everything mentioned in #1 worked out), plan and write will.
4. Will writing will involve a lawyer. But you will save your children and relatives a lot of headache. Having witnessed this process when an elderly relative passed on without a will (which of our makcik/pakcik in their 60s/70s/80s bothered with wills?), the process of releasing her estate from the bank/CPF was a cumbersome process involving lawyers. So, it is best to write a will. That will will change over time. For now, the will which I'll be writing will be for the next 16-18 years when the children are still young. Who will take care of them? (Which aunt? Uncle?) Housing arrangement? Schools? Funds to cover their living expenses.
Once they are all adults, the will changes again and again and again. We shall see. (Those who are interested in this should check MUIS' faraid calculator. It shows who will receive the money you'll leave behind. You can will away 1/3 of your wealth in any way you please.)
5. Must help Huda improve her Malay AND English. SA1 results. :crying face:
Will stop now. More things for me to check on the computer. Must resist going to home reno pages and forums. Must plan holiday itinerary.
Some updates:
1. We *may* move to a new place. Signed some forms which allow the buyer a 21-day period to pull out. If they pull out, all deals are off. So, we have surrendered everything to Allah. Allah knows best.
2. We wish we got a better price for the sale of our present home. It is $15k below what we expect to get from the sale. But, again, I must tame my heart and accept that this is rezeki from Allah. We still get a tidy profit so one cannot be too greedy.
3. TheHusband and I have been thinking about our mortality. So, these are the things that I've lined up for myself. Holiday planning (1.5 weeks to go and our itinerary still looks so kosong.), renovating and moving house (if everything mentioned in #1 worked out), plan and write will.
4. Will writing will involve a lawyer. But you will save your children and relatives a lot of headache. Having witnessed this process when an elderly relative passed on without a will (which of our makcik/pakcik in their 60s/70s/80s bothered with wills?), the process of releasing her estate from the bank/CPF was a cumbersome process involving lawyers. So, it is best to write a will. That will will change over time. For now, the will which I'll be writing will be for the next 16-18 years when the children are still young. Who will take care of them? (Which aunt? Uncle?) Housing arrangement? Schools? Funds to cover their living expenses.
Once they are all adults, the will changes again and again and again. We shall see. (Those who are interested in this should check MUIS' faraid calculator. It shows who will receive the money you'll leave behind. You can will away 1/3 of your wealth in any way you please.)
5. Must help Huda improve her Malay AND English. SA1 results. :crying face:
Will stop now. More things for me to check on the computer. Must resist going to home reno pages and forums. Must plan holiday itinerary.
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