King of all fruits

They are back!
It's durian feast everywhere!!!

Durians have always been my best favourite fruit of all time. I will never for sure resist any offer of it, indeed will be longing for more. My late grandpa owned a big durian orchard back in Melaka and my photographic memory reveals the sight of durians scattered around the kitchen area everytime the season came. All waiting for his grandchildren to come home from KL, to attack and finish off the King! Fantadelicious!!!!! Since he passed away in 1985, the orchard was somehow left unattended, but recently has been in the care of a relative back in Melaka. She is the one responsible , making sure the place is not breeding any wild animals (if u know what I mean) and no trespassers too especially during this season. Yesterday Abah and Mak took their Volvo home to Melaka, did their part in the orchard and drove home with the trunk full of durians. Hehehe...cant imagine the smell of it! Call me crazy but I somewhat love the smell....

Once they arrived home, I was notified and of course rushed to Abah's house (7 minutes away from mine), and lavishly helped myself choosing the best Kings. Pakcu and family were already there and were in the midst of finger-licking-good. Took home with me six durians and a few bunches of rambutans too, passed some to my in laws and the rest was totally ours! After I left, Makcik came over to have hers and this morning Pakngah and the whole gang made their grand entrance at Abah's house for the durians. Very unfortunate that I couldnt join them in the durian eating feast.

These are the ones left...as at this moment of typing this post.

Only three left, durians from Atok's orchard

What happened to the rest? This was what happened to the rest of the superlicious Kings.....

The first portion from today alone

The second portion from today too

Here's to the King of all fruits...

PS - Smell my fingers....i love it! It's durian all over. I burp durian too! Hehehe...

Baby, I love u

Sitting here alone, at wee hours simply brings back the sweet memory of my first meeting with dear hubby 17 years ago, back in 1991. I was only 17 years old, anticipating for the adult life to come (ops...shouldn't have been too excited about it, regrets!), just finished high school (yeay!), already sat for SPM exam and clueless not knowing what to do to kill time. Walking around, I passed by a bakery shop in need of an assistant. Walked in and I offered myself for the job, not knowing what I was getting myself into. Later found out that the lady boss was desperate for a cashier as the old one had just resigned to balik kampung. Feeling sorry for her (cant believe I actually felt that!), I agreed to take up the job with only RM280 monthly. Being a 17 year old girl who probably had never imagined to own such money, it was a big WOW for me back then. After all, I just needed to occupy myself with some teenage fun while making money. Well, I can't be sure now - how is being a cashier fun? God knows....but it certainly was back in 1991, especially after a month working there.

One morning, an ordinary guy walked in, self-serviced himself to a cup of coffee and a slice of apple pie with a copy of NST. Well, he was just another guy, another customer. Paid and left once he was done with breakfast. After weeks, a regular he became, we exchanged smiles, that was it. Still the same coffee and apple pie for breakfast on daily basis.



Months passed by, from merely smiles came the brief conversations. My indulgence at that time was the HACKS sweets, I was suffering from coughs, if I'm not mistaken. Took a lot of it. I even had to store them in my bag all the time. I think, he was a close observer. One morning, he walked in as usual and presented me with a small box of gift. Surprised? Yes. Flattered? Yes too, yet didn't act like one, had to stay cool ok....and play a little hard to get, of course. Just unwrap it girl and so I did. It was the box of a light bulb!!! What? A light bulb? Trying to say 'U light up my life'??? Wait...lets not jump into any clumsy conclusions, be optimistic Shera. This guy had class, can't be a light bulb for sure. So, I opened the box, feeling a little apprehensive of the sight of a light bulb though, and revealed the content of it. And I.....I smiled exposing my two dimples. Hihihi... How thoughtful he was. It was a box full of ......HACKS!!!! Maybe for weeks of supply! Now, that's flattering. His first gift for me....My cough? I wished it lasted for months, but it did not. The magic of HACKS....filled with love.....



After Hacks, came sunflower seeds. As a matter of fact, I was addicted! I'm sure some of you share the same issue once the devil seeds landed in the mouth! Can't put a stop to it! I could recall spending so much buying it from 7-Eleven, just next door. Surely I'd touched the soft spot in him that I guessed he finally took pity on me, well...a 17 year old girl earning so little, yes, so little and yet helplessly spending it on seeds? Then again, as thoughtful as he was, supplies came in right away!!! Bravo....



Sunflower seeds were still coming in....

Until one day, we had a mundane argument. Seriously, it was just an act of trying to bermanja a bit which instead ended up with a rather big fight. I, then was holding a pack of sunflower seeds, fresh supply from him, still intact in its pack, when out of anger and rage, I threw it onto the floor! All scattered all over. OMG, that was my supply for the day! Ahem...he bought me another pack! That one I ate, thrown into my throat.

Blessings in disguise - the devil seeds and the stupid fight that day brought us together on 3 January 1992. Only then, after episodes of light bulb, Hacks and sunflower seeds, roses made its first emergence between us.

For better or for worse, take your pick darling, I've made mine :-)
.......Baby, I love u.

Today's inspiration

HOW TO STAY YOUNG 1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them. 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches!) 3. Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's! 4. Enjoy the simple things 5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with him or her! 6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive. 7. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is 10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

5 in 1 birthday party....

As mentioned, yesterday was the 5 in 1 birthday party for everybody born in June and July....
Happy birthday Mummy, Ala, Marlin, Ijat and Dan. Semoga semua panjang umur, sihat, murah rezeki dan dirahmati Allah selalu. We love u all.....

Food??? Scrumptious......yummy.......Thus, bloated and heavy I was, tucking myself to sleep at 12am....Zzzzzzzz. Yes, never got close to the baskets of clothes (TO DO list). Believe it or not, I even dreamed of more food!!! And gained some extra grams today (kg is too unbearable...hahahaha).

The choc birthday cake

Marlin and nieces and nephew

Ita and nephew and nieces

Two generations - aunties and nephew nieces

Birthday boy and birthday girls BBQing

Satay, BBQ chicken, fried rice, fried vegetables, watermelon

My hubby accompanied by his best buddy!

One busy weekend

Make way, make way.....it's one hell of a busy weekend for me!!!!

Today's TO DO list :

10am ~ Esya's swimming class , I might as well have my ME time swimming too...
12pm ~ TESCO, shopping for food stuff for tonite's BBQ
3pm ~ Rombongan to my tailor for baju Raya (2 cars full of women..hihihi)
7pm ~ The BBQ adventure begins...it's everybody's birthday : Mummy, Marlin, Ala, Dan, Ijat
11pm ~ If not exhausted will fold clothes (4 baskets full...one week's laundry...oooohhhhh)
1am ~ If not sleepy prepare three in-house-trainings reports - due on monday!

Tomorrow's TO DO list :

Morning ~ MUST do housechores - mopping, laundry, cooking
12pm ~ Esya's homework
2pm ~ SPM & PMR Headcount for Panel meeting next week (a real headache I'm sure)
4pm ~ Nap....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
6pm ~ Mark students' essays.....maybe go sleepy again...hahahaha
7pm ~ Dine out....no energy left to cook dinner
9pm ~ Prepare two paperworks, to be presented and submitted on monday
12am ~ With some peace of mind (hopefully).......Good nite people

Phew.....I'm already overdose with things to do!!!
Well-planned? Of course.....
So organized??? HELLOO......AS IF!!!

I've got a STAR

Today, the day when I am six once again....

As I gracefully walked in, entering the ever crowded staff room at work this morning, I was taken aback by the sight of a bright yellow star placed on my table. What is this? It couldn't be there for no reason since it wasn't there the last time I left work last Friday. Has somebody dropped it? Try dropping money too the next time. I'd never wonder why and how...hahaha! Promise! It was a perfectly designed star though. Laminated. Wow..Somebody had really put a lot of effort for the perfection of it. I sank into my seat trying to figure out, well, got nothing better to do for the next 10mins back then. So, no harm really....

Then, it struck me! OMG!!! Uuuhhhh....Don't tell me....I couldn't help smiling away, feeling proud of myself. Like a six year old girl, I proudly and childishly announced to my other colleagues nearby, telling them - Hey, I've got a STAR!!! I've got a STAR!!! Wanna know something? I'm among the very few (3 maybe out of 150 staffs)who received this bright shiny yellow star on that particular morning. So, what's the whole deal?

U may have a good laugh at this...Recently, in the effort of making the staff room looks more welcoming and inviting (ie - tidy...imagine the eyesore), my HM unofficially launched a sort of competition among teachers for the tidiest workstation (table that is). Hehehe....and we call ourselves teachers! Mind u, we, teachers of the 2000s cum clerks have tons of paperworks and documents to handle every minute, on top of the core business of teaching and looking good in front of the students, no matter how. So, just imagine the mountains of papers, books, even rubbish involved in the whole process, resulting in a rather unnecessary mess at our respective tables. To cut the long story short, the tidiest table would be awarded with a STAR (the one I got...hihihi) when the committee in charge go around inspecting, of course unannounced. And the usual me have always made sure to leave my table tidy and neat every time before leaving work. It's kinda habit that I'm used to - sincere and without any specific intention. Merely for the pleasure of my eyes actually. Just another of the few good habits of mine.

I was proud of my unintentional 'achievement' and guess what, the star really brought back the little girl in me. I was amazed and intoxicated - how the little star had made me feel inside. Simply said, proud and overwhelmed. Just like a six year old girl getting one for her ABC, 123 victory. Wow...I actually went around talking about the star I've got. No arrogance (maybe a bit la..), just pride, and a little of adrenalin rush....hahaha.

This reminds me of the smile my eldest daughter always wears every time I mark a star in her exercise book for her achievement, great or otherwise. It sure makes her proud and motivated. The same rule applies to me, a 34 year old lady. Sometimes we just forget how a small token as such could make one's day. I'm 34, not 6, but it made my day alright!

So, people, acknowledgments and rewards are important, come in any forms. Hence, compliment and acknowledge those who duly deserve it! Start with hubby (maybe they should start first :) ), wife, children....see their smiles.

I'll let the STAR stay there for the whole week and will remove it on Friday, as if I've not gotten any yet. Let's see if I'll get another one next week. hehehe....i'm so motivated now! I'll reach the stars....

PS - If taking home into consideration, I wonder if I deserve a star...imagine that!

Cents for thoughts

I'm, at the moment, in the midst of finishing my reading of MERCY, now at page 137 / 449 (gosh! a lot more to go). This one revolves around life, love, relationship and marriage - also a merciful murder of a terminally ill wife by her most devoted husband. In my reading pursuit, there came some elements in the story that are so philosophical yet somewhat I find are profoundly true. I would love to share them, and mind u, I'm only at page 137!!! So, surely there are more to come....

So, here are some cents for thoughts :

* It's never fifty-fifty in a marriage. It's always seventy-thirty, or sixty-forty. Someone falls in love first. Someone puts someone else up on a pedestal. Someone works very hard to keep things rolling smoothly, someone else sails along for the ride*

* Husbands and wives spend less than four waking hours together*

* Women use twice as many words in the course of a day as men do, maybe because women were garrulous by nature, or because it took twice as long to make men understand what was being said*

What say u? ......

SEPI by Kabir Bhatia

To have watched and enjoyed CINTA years back, also directed by this supertalented Kabir Bhatia, I just had to see SEPI on last Wednesday. And...???? It wasn't as good as CINTA, but for all it is worth, SEPI is far far better. This heart-felt romantic film depicts three different stories of love and loneliness, in which later are brought together in a life-changing incident. I personally cant stop admiring the brilliant cinematography, beautiful script, the scenic sets, also the superb casts. Believe it or not, I had tears over the hilarious Afdlin Shauki, who has proven that he is just as funny even without any single props in hand. As for Pierre Andre, I had always labeled him as just another actor. But in SEPI, I have to admit, he's a real talent and I simply love his character, very convincing. Tony Eusoff, the ever famous TV commercials hunk, who would have thought that he could sway the viewers far better than his persuasive acts in commercials. And Baizura Kahar, a potential talent in the making. I somehow just hate the wig though. And Vanida Imran, being one of the greatest, to find her savouring and loving every word of her lines, she's excellent. By the way, she's also gorgeous in SEPI, especially when wearing the Camelia flower in her hair. I now wonder how Camelia smells... Nasha Aziz, FUNNY, HILARIOUS !!! What a character!!! Splendid acts. Eja, however, I think she plays the same Eja as in her other movies, barely distinguishable.

Overall, what I love most about SEPI is the fact that viewers are not crowded with unnecessary details like most Malay films do. The plot is rather simple but focused and emotionally compact, truly effective. SEPI is undeniably outstanding and has taken a different lead to where our Malay films should be going. A great Malay movie which is hard to come by nowadays, and I reckon that u go and watch it for yourself.

PS - I later recognized the different SEPI (loneliness) interpreted in our lives...mine to say the least.

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

I'm now very diligently catching up with my reading which I have somehow abandoned for quite some time due to life circumstances. After the series of Shopaholics, to sit, relax and enjoy a book seems almost impossible now. Nevertheless, when there's a will there's always a way.

A zillion thanks to a dear gorgeous friend of mine, Anna Maria who presented me with this amazingly beautiful book PLAIN TRUTH by her favourite author, Jodi Picoult for my birthday. I have to admit that I'm too far behind time with Picoult's work. Yet, never too late.

The novel offers the insight into an Amish community, which I have almost nil knowledge about, particularly an Amish girl who is being convicted of a murder of her newborn who later has to deal with the modern civilized legal system outside the box of her own world. That was what first moved me into reading it. I've never really known much about the Amish except the fact that they are miles away from any modernization and this book is no doubt my best opportunity. True enough, what I learned about this protective, rural community is by far interesting and engaging especially their way of life and beliefs. Reading Plain Truth has made me realize how one can be very fragile yet standing strong as long as we adhere to our faith and what we believe in, and nobody can take anything away from us regardless what may come. Upon finishing my reading, I felt for Katie, the Amish girl and I admire her for her courage, standing brave, self-composed despite what she is forced to face in a world very alien to her. Also the unconditional love of a mother who willingly takes a bullet for her child given any circumstances. I'm never good at reviewing a book, but to recommend this to readers out there, I know is what I will do.

Here's a little something by the author :

Katie Fisher is Amish. For eighteen years, she has grown up in a community set apart from the modern world by lifestyle and belief. It is a community fiercely protective of its way of life. To turn your back on it is to lose everything - your church, your home, and your family. So in the middle of the night when the baby comes, Katie does the only thing she knows how to do in times of stress : she prays. She falls asleep, exhausted, and when she wakes it seems her prayer is answered. The baby is gone. Her father need never know. But faith alone cannot help when the child's body is found.

I'll start reading another of her work tomorrow, MERCY. And later am thinking of buying Picoult's MY SISTER'S KEEPER, highly recommended by my sis-in-law. Then, I'll know whether or not I should sign up for Picoult's fan club.