Living in a giant freezer (Calgary, Canada)

Puteri Zara Sofea

2009-08-14T02:57:00.003+03:00

Our Canadian baby (by birth) turned 6 months on 3rd August 2009.

My Princess turns 3

2007-10-01T12:28:00.000+02:00

My princess, Puteri Zareen Sofea turned 3 years old on 13th September 2007. This was her second birthday celebration in Egypt. It was also the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. Even, her Pak Ndak dropped by on his way back to Malaysia after his meeting in Syria.

Vacation in Europe

2007-04-27T20:46:00.000+03:00

After months of planning, we were finally on our way to Europe for a 26 day vacation. Leaving Cairo on 28th of March, we landed at Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris for 4 days stop over. From there we covered in total 7 countries, 17 different train rides, and not to mention tons of Euros spent. Summary of our trip:

Day 1: Arrived in Paris and explored the city.
Day 2: Trip to Disneyland by RER. Experienced the Parisian underground train system as well.
Day 3: It was raining the entire morning, so our City Tour was not worth the money. In the afternoon, we walked to Eiffel Tower and went up to the top floor for an amazing view of Paris. Then, continued walking to Champs Elysees for window shopping.
Day 4: Left Paris for Vienna. Took a 2-hour express train from Vienna to Wels. There, our friend Dali picked us up and stayed at his house.
Day 5: Chilled out at Dali's place.
Day 6: Took the morning express train from Wels to Vienna. Then we took another express train from Vienna to Budapest. Arrived at Budapest Keleti station in the afternoon and walked to our apartment for the next 5 days.
Day 7: Took a personal guided tour of Budapest city. We covered the Citadel, the castle area & the parliment building. In the afternoon, we explored the shopping area around Andrassy Street.
Day 8: Today, we visited the Heroes Square and then visited the Sissy Palace.
Day 9: Stayed at the apartment and prepared for early morning departure tomorrow.
Day 10: Left Budapest on a 7am train heading towards Vienna and then connecting train to Wels. In the afternoon we left for Imst (near Innsbruck). Arrived Imst in the evening and checked-in at our apartment for the next 3 nights. It was Easter holiday weekend.
Day 11: Drove to Munich, Germany. The first place we visited was the BMW museum in Olympic Park. Then, we headed to the main square (downtown) for lunch and shopping. After a short stroll in the English Park, we headed back to Imst.
Day 12: Today, we climbed a steep hill to visit the Neuschwanstein castle in Germany. Now we know why they called King Ludwig II as the Mad King.
Day 13: We left Imst in the morning just in time to catch our next train to Prague (Praha), Czech Republic. We arrived late night in Prague and checked in to our apartment in Wenceslas Square.
Day 14: At 11am we joined a guided tour to the Prague Castle area, Charles Bridge and Old Town.
Day 15: Today we were fortunate to witness the process of making Bohemian crystals during our Glass Factory tour in Nizbor.
Day 16: We visited the Karlstejn Castle located about an hour away from Prague.
Day 17: We left Prague at 6am and headed back to Wels. In the afternoon, we drove to Salzburg (about an hour away) to visit the Festung Hohensalzburg and Mozart's birth house.
Day 18: We drove down about 2-hours to Vienna and our excursions include a visit to the Schonbrunn palace, Naschmarket, Demel Cafe, St. Stephen cathedral, Spanish Riding School and a city park.
Day 19: Relaxed at Dali house with a BBQ party in the evening with his Petronas colleagues.
Day 20: Started our 5-day Swiss trip by taking a train to Zurich from Wels. Arrived in Zurich after 6+ hours train ride. Explored the city on foot. Visited the most expensive real estate in the world, the Bahnhofstrasse street shopping area.
Day 21: Left Zurich at noon and headed for Luzern by train. From Luzern we took a Golden Pass panoramic train to Interlaken OST. From there, we changed train to get to Spiez. In Spiez we disembarked and took an Italian express train to Brig. From Brig we took a cogwheel train to Zermatt. Stayed in an apartment in Zermatt.
Day 22: We went up to Rothorn Paradise (3+km above sea level) to get the best view of Matterhorn.
Day 23: Took the Glacier Express train from Zermatt to Chur. The 6-hour panaromic train ride was fantastic. Arrived in Chur in the evening. Went shopping for watches.
Day 24: Left Chur for Wels by train from Chur to Sargans and then another train from Sargans to Wels.
Day 25: Busy packing our suitcases for our trip home tomorrow.
Day 26: Left Wels for Vienna and took an afternoon flight to Amsterdam. Spent some time in Amsterdam before flying back to Cairo.

Overall, it was a tiring trip with 2 kids and suitcases but we really enjoyed our vacation especially Paris, Prague and Switzerland.

More pictures here.

2007

2007-01-14T12:09:00.000+02:00

Another year passed by, we are now in 2007. 1st January 2007 also marked our 4th Wedding Annivessary. With 2 kids at home, a romantic candle light dinner was out of question. Instead, we took a family vacation on a 5-days/4-nights Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan. All the photos are here.

It also means that we have another year to go in Egypt. Reen will also turn 3 this year, and Ziyad will be 1 in May. Time sure flies...

Hope 2007 will be a fruitful year and better than 2006 in all aspects.

Happy New Year!

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri

2006-10-17T11:12:00.000+02:00

Wishing all muslim relatives, friends and bloggers a joyous Aidil Fitri. Our "Salam Perantauan" greetings is here.

To celebrate Aidil Fitri, my family and I are going back to Malaysia on October 18th and will return to Cairo on November 18th.

Selamat Hari Raya & Maaf Zahir Batin

Zamzuri Hassim
Suhaila Sabarudin
Puteri Zareen Sofea Zamzuri
Putera Ziyad Shaheem Zamzuri

Vacation in Sharm El Sheikh, South Sinai

2006-09-11T18:49:00.000+03:00

From 1st until 8th of September we went to Sharm El Sheik in South Sinai for a week-long vacation. We had a great time, the hotel (Ritz Carlton Sharm El Sheikh) was superb with Ritz standard of service. Spent most of the time in the pool as demanded by Zareen. We also managed to take a day trip to Dahab to do some shopping at the bazaar on the beach. Very laidback and beautiful small town. Couldn't tell that it was bombed a few months ago.

We also went to see a cultural show (belly dancing, sufi dance, etc.) at Alf Leila Wa Leila (1001 nights), near our hotel in Umm El Seid. The Old Market near Na'ama bay is also not to be missed. Although the prices are ridiculously high (double what we paid in Dahab!!). But then again, this is a place for tourists.

Our Ramsis Suite

The pool and Red Sea view from our suite

The main pool

In Dahab

More pictures here

Dinner for Gary, Caroline, Syed and Marina

2006-08-15T21:27:00.000+03:00

On 4th of August, we invited Gary & Caroline, and Syed & Marina over for dinner. Sue prepared Chicken Briyani, Beef Korma, Dalca, Acar and bread pudding for dessert. They had a great time with Reen and Ziyad too!

Mr. & Mrs. Shire with Ziyad

Group picture

Vacation in El-Gouna, Red Sea

2006-07-23T21:59:00.000+03:00

On the 19th to 22nd of July, we had a vacation in El-Gouna, Red Sea. It is about 470 km from Cairo and 20km north of Hurghada. We stayed at the El-Gouna. Our sea-view deluxe room was not too bad, thought it could be better! Food in general are quite pricey in El-Gouna due to its upper class and European tourists market.

Most importantly, we had fun and now look forward to our next trip to the Red Sea, hopefully Sharm El-Sheikh in November or December.

At the main entrance of El-Gouna

Red Sea view from the lobby of the Movenpick Resort

Family photo at the Lobby of the resort

The view of the lobby from our room

The main pool and Red Sea view from our room

Reen chilling out at the balcony...

Reen again at the bridge to the main pool

At the beach of the resort

Reen with her classic pose

At Abu Tig Marina, one of the happening places in El-Gouna

At the Abydos Marina, El-Gouna

A short excursion to Hurghada

1 year and 10 month old Puteri Zareen Sofea

2006-07-12T20:04:00.000+03:00

Recent picture of Zareen taken at the Villa of Chairman for Shell Companies in Egypt (Mr. Zainul Rahim) in Katameya Heights, New Cairo.

2-month old Ziyad

2006-07-12T19:48:00.000+03:00

Today, Ziyad received his first immunization (DPT, Hib, Hep. B & Polio) at the clinic of Dr. Sabre Abou Alam (a famous Pediatrician in Cairo). Ziyad now weighs 5.9kg and according to the doctor, it is very good.

On Monday, we also managed to go to the Malaysian Embassy in Mohandiseen to register Ziyad for his Malaysian birth certificate.

1-Month Old Putera Ziyad Shaheem

2006-06-12T00:32:00.000+03:00

Ziyad turns 1 months old today. Time sure flies and he really grows up fast!

Pretty soon, he will be as big as his sister!

Kembara Mej (B) Hj. Sabarudin di Mesir

2006-05-19T15:16:00.000+03:00

16 May 2006:
- Melawat kilang crystal Asfour di Shubra El Khemia (shopping jewelry)

Pening gak kepala di?

Ini kena beli satu....

Hak ni leh derma kat Masjid Batu Kurau...

- Melawat kilang carpet Oriental Weavers di Heliopolis (survey dulu...beli kemudian)

Rasa-rasa macam pernah tengok carpet ni...tapi di mana ya?

17 May 2006:
- Melawat bazar Khan El Khalili (shopping glass tea set, sejadah dan t-shirt)

best gak kalu pekena teh dengan shisha....

Apa nak beli untuk dema ni..

- Melawat Masjid Sayidina Hussain & Makam Sayidina Hussain

Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat ke atas Allahyarham

Di hadapan Masjidil Hussain

Berlatarbelakangkan Masjidil Al-Azhar

18 May 2006:
- Melawat Egyptian Museum (Muzium Firaun)

- Lunch di Birdcage (Thai), Semiramis InterContinental Hotel (Sungai Nil)

Berlatarbelakangkan Sungai Nil dan Cairo Tower

Sempat bergambar dengan kereta menantu...Renault Megane Sedan 1.6

Puteri, Putera

2006-05-19T15:07:00.000+03:00

Seminggu usia Putera, Reen dah boleh menerima kedatangan adik barunya.

Prince of Egypt

2006-05-12T19:07:00.000+03:00

It was planned that we were going to attend a dinner gathering at Pui Leong's house in Korba. We waited until after Maghrib, circa 8pm to leave the house for Korba. I also bought a Caramel Cake from La Mondine for dessert. Well, a few minutes after 8pm, my wife complained of having severe pain and there was blood too. Water bag was still intact. So, I decided instead of heading to Pui Leong's house, we headed for Cleopatra hospital in Korba. At 8:30pm Sue was admitted to the labor room since the opening was already 6cm. I rushed down to the Admission counter to register. When I came up to the third floor, Sue already left for the labor room/operating theattre. So, I went to the room (309) and waited with Sue's dad. At 10pm, Sue was sent to the room after having delivered a healthy 3.4kg baby boy. That was on 11th May, 2006. 5 days earlier than the expected delivery date. 1 day ahead of the Nurses Day on the 12th. Today, Sue and the new "Prince" were discharged from the hospital.

Now, we have to finalize the name of this newly-born prince.

Lunch at Mena House Oberoi Hotel, Giza

2006-04-25T18:10:00.000+02:00

On Monday, April 24th (Public Holiday in Egypt 24th & 25th), we decided to have lunch at the Moghul Room in the Mena House Oberoi Hotel, Giza. It has an excellent backdrop of the Giza Pyramids! This Indian restaurant is highly recommended by a lot of websites and magazines. So we thought we would give it a try. Not too bad I must say. We ordered 2 Lamb Briyani, 1 chicken Briyani, Tandoori Chicken with Garlic and Cheese Naan, Chicken Vindaloo (big mistake! too hot for me!!), some potatoes (forgot the name), and Mango Lassi. As expected, the total bill for 3 of us was EGP 450.00 . the highlight of the lunch was the live Indian music with songs like Kuch Kuch Hota Hei, Kabhi Kushi Kabi Gham, etc. Later we went to Dandy Mall to do some shopping since it is nearby.

Pictures of us infront of the Oberoi Hotel with the Pyramids on the background:

Inside the hotel near the Moghul Room:

Videos of us at the Mena house Oberoi:
1. Inside the Mena House Oberoi Hotel
2. Inside the Moghul Room (live Indian Music)

Dinner At 12 Hassan Sadek St.

2006-04-25T17:59:00.000+02:00

Finally, on April 21st, we hosted a small gathering for dinner at our residence in Heliopolis. We invited most of the Malaysians on the Blueprint project here in Shell Egypt. Since we have 7 visitors from SITI, Cyberjaya, we thought it would be a great idea to invite them over for some Malaysian food, knowing that they have been craving to have some. They came here as part of the Support transition for 6 weeks. We also invited the rest of South East Asians on the project, from both Accenture and Shell. We also invited Zainul Rahim, the Chairman of Shell Companies in Egypt, and his wife Kak Nori. Ida and Su cooked Nasi Lemak, Rendang Daging, Sambal tumis ikan bilis, lontong, nasi himpit, kuah kacang, bihun goreng, ikan masin, cream caramel, kek coklat, ayam goreng berempah, telur rebus, sambal belacan and air sirap.

Chefs of the night:

Host of the night:

Guests of the night:

Andy can't stop his craving for Nasi Lemak and Rendang, his 5th plate mind you!

From left: Ida, Su, Kak Nori and Zainul Rahim

Bersama Chef Diva

2006-04-16T18:38:00.000+02:00

These past few days, Su and Ida have been cooking Malaysian food. This constant craving is of course due to Su who is now in her 35th week of pregnancy. There is a sudden rush of cooking all the Malaysian stuff that we can make here. Yesterday was Lemang (Adabi) with rendang daging and Pecal (unfortunately, we can'f find Sengkuang, Kangkong, Pucuk Paku here....so had to settle for beans, carrot and cabbage). Before that we had Nasi Dagang at Restoran Sri Kelantan in Hay El Asyir, Madinah Nasr (Nasr City), not too far from Heliopolis. Days before that, Su and Ida made Bihun Sup, Laksa, Cucur Badak, Kuih Keria, Nasi Ayam, Kuih Ketayap. Mee Sanggul, Bubur Cha-Cha, Cream Caramel, and the list goes on. Today, they made Pulut Panggang (without the banana leave of course!).

We have moved!

2006-04-06T12:17:00.000+02:00

We have moved out from InterContinental Residence Suites to our own apartment on Hassan Sadek Street. This weekend, all our seafreight will arrive, finally!! We are still settling in to this new place.

Reen's last picture at the InterCon:

EPBlueprint has gone live in Egypt!

2006-04-06T12:10:00.000+02:00

April 3rd was a milestone for both Badr El-Din Petroleum Co. (BAPETCO) and Shell Egypt N.V. (SENV). The EPBlueprint SAP system went live successfully on that day for both companies. Now we are busy with Corridor Support til mid-May.

Expatriation - Egypt

2006-03-04T12:13:00.000+02:00

Finally, on the 18th February, my family and I left for Egypt to start my expatriation at Shell Egypt. Flight was delayed and this time it took 11 hours to reach Cairo from KL. Luckily, we flew in Business Class and each of us had our own flat-bed seat.

Reen in the Golden Lounge before the flight.

Su & Reen in Business Class of Boeing 777.

Reen enjoying her juice.

Africa Cup of Nations - Egypt 2006

2006-02-03T21:06:00.000+02:00

I am not a big football (soccer) fan...but just couldn't help noticing how fanatic the Egyptians are when it comes to the Africa Cup of Nations. Tonight they are celebrating on the streets with the Egyptian flags. Egypt defeated Congo 4-1 at Cairo International Stadium which is a few KMs aways from here (InterContinental Citystars). I could see the bright stadium's lights where there's a game going on. The hotel will be noisy again tonight when the national team players come home. Yes, they are staying in the same building where I am staying now. Everyday, I bumped into the players. Since I am not a big fan of soccer, I didn't bother getting their autographs or pictures taken with them. A few of them are quite famous, like Mido (Ahmed Hossam) who plays for Tottenham, England.

Happy 28th Birthday to my beloved wife, Suhaila

2006-01-27T22:10:00.000+02:00

We were supposed to go back to Cairo on 15th of January but there has been a delay in my transfer paperwork. So, we celebrated my wife's birthday in Putrajaya. Happy Birthday sayang!

Our 3rd Annivessary

2006-01-27T22:02:00.000+02:00

1st of January 2006 marked our 3rd Wedding Annivessary. We did not celebrate it this time by having a nice and romantic dinner or anything like that. We were actually at the Cairo International Airport when the clock turned 12 midnight. My wife, Reen and I were on our way back to Malaysia on January 1st for Aidil Adha. We got home and dinner was already prepared by Su's family. Another excuse why we did not have a nice romantic dinner outside.

House Hunting

2006-01-27T21:41:00.000+02:00

Posting ke Shell Egypt dah confirmed untuk at least setahun lagi. So, as part of the expat package, Shell bagi housing allowance untuk cari rumah. Tak sangka mahal giler nak dapat rumah kat Cairo ni. RM10,000 yang diperuntukkan pun tak cukup untuk aku sewa sebuah rumah. After 2 days of house hunting kat Maadi dan Heliopolis, finally Su and I found this not-so-bad apartment in Heliopolis, next to Baron Palace. Tak jauh dari office aku. So, most probably kita orang akan sewa apartment ni...walaupun at the begining dia orang mintak RM12k sebulan untuk this place.

Main entrance/foyer:

Living/Reception area:

Dining:

Hallway (living area/kitchen to bedrooms):

Kitchen:

Master bedroom:

Bedroom 1:

Guestroom:

TV/Family room:

Trip to Giza Pyramids

2005-12-14T16:30:00.000+02:00

On 2nd December, we took a trip to Giza where the famous Pyramids and Sphinx are located. Giza is about 30 minutes drive away from Cairo. It was an eventful day, we rode on a camel...it was scary but funny at the same time!!! Reen really enjoyed walking around the pyramids. I wonder if she even knows that she's in a foreign land.

Happy 33rd Birthday to me!

2005-12-14T16:28:00.000+02:00

November 20th marked another milestone to my life, celebrating my 33rd birthday with my wife and daughter in the Land of Pharoahs.

Dim Sum at the Four Seasons Hotel by the Nile

2005-12-14T16:26:00.000+02:00

On the 18th of November, the Malaysian gang in the project (about 10 of us) went to had all you can eat dim sum at the Spice restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel, right by the Nile.

City of Alexandria

2005-12-14T16:11:00.000+02:00

On Nov. 25th we took a day trip (by car) to Alexandria, North of Cairo, about 250km away. This beautiful and historic city located nearby the Mediteranean Sea. Visited Fort Qaitbey and Muntaza Garden, Palace and Salamlek. We took some photos at the Fort, by the Mediteranean sea.

Safe and Sound in Cairo

2005-12-14T16:05:00.000+02:00

We finally settled down in Cairo. Of course, not without any difficulties. The first 2 weeks, Reen and Su were down with fever and cold. Reen also suffered from rashes on her face and legs...perhaps due to change in climate and weather. It's a bit cold here, as cold as 14 degree Celcius. I guess it's not that cold for the little princess seen here:

Idul Fitr in Malaysia

2005-12-14T15:51:00.000+02:00

Flew back to Malaysia for Hari Raya on Oct. 27th . Had a literally "packed" weekend since we had to pack and move to the new government quarters in Precint 9, before Hari Raya. Imagine packing, moving and unpacking during Ramadhan! After two trips by a 1 tonne lorry and countless trips using my Stream, we finally settled in...just hours before Hari Raya. As usual, we spent the day before Raya and 1st of Raya in my hometown, Negeri Sembilan. We headed back to Batu Kurau on 2nd Hari Raya for a few days. Then came back to Putrajaya again to pack for our trip back to Cairo. Oh yes, my wife and daughter are accompanying me this time around. We left Malaysia for Cairo on November 12, at 7pm on MH158. Forgot to mention about our 90kg luggage!! Luckily, Reen slept 8 hours on the plane, out of the 10 hours journey.

Some pictures from Hari Raya:

Ramadan in Cairo

2005-10-21T19:11:00.000+02:00

Today is 18th of Ramadan. I will be back in Malaysia again in less than a week. I am so excited...have been missing my girl, Reen and of course my woman, Sue. I will get to spend remaining 5 days of Ramadan in Malaysia, with my family. A lot of things already awaiting my actions back home, the weekend before Aidil Fitri, we have to move houses, from Presint 16 to Presint 9. Then, on Monday I will have mini assessment in the office. I will also need to go to the Egyptian Embassy to apply for visa for me and my family.

The ambience here is so lively after Iftar (buka puasa or breaking of fast) up til Sahur (4am). Had the chance to visit Khan El-Khalili at night. Pictures here taken at the open air cafe near Masjidil Hussain, at almost Midnight.

Khan El Khalili

2005-10-01T18:15:00.000+02:00

Today, I went to the Cairo's must-visit market, Khan El Khalili. This is the place to be if one is looking for souvenirs. From statue to Shisha pipes, one has to bargain to get good deals. My driver, Tamer, did a good job for me. :) I bought a Shisha pipe for EGP 100 (RM68) and a few pieces of Sejadah. I also visited the tomb of Sayiddina Hussain which is located in Masjidil Hussain.

Pictures of Khan El Khalili:

Picture of Masjidil Hussain:

Picture of Shisha pipe that I bought, though when I got home I think some parts are missing!

Birthday present for Reen

2005-09-27T20:04:00.000+03:00

Well, might not be exactly what Reen wants, but we figured that she has been too lonely by herself (playing, etc.). Got the great news a day before Reen's birthday and I was already in Cairo. Nevertheless, it's still a wonderful news.

According to About Pregnancy, Su should be in her 7th week of pregnancy. This is what it says about 7th week pregnancy:

Baby:
The hand plates become present this week, and the baby is about 7-9 mm CRL by the end of the week. The genital tubercle is present, but you can't distinguish girls from boys by sight at this point. Nasal pits are forming.
Your baby will actually go through 3 sets of kidneys, very rapidly as they develop during this period. This week the second of such sets will form.
With a transvaginal ultrasound, one study shows that 100% of the ultrasounds will be show a fetal pole with heart motion.

InterContinental Citystars, Heliopolis, Cairo

2005-09-16T10:43:00.000+03:00

I arrived in Cairo, Egypt on early Sunday morning, September 11th. Checked-in to InterContinental Citystars in Heliopolis, Cairo. Staying at the Residence Suites Tower since I will be here until end of the year. Not bad I must say, 2-bedroom service apartment with complete kitchen, maid's room, dining and living facilities. Here are some of the pictures I took.

Hallway

Living Room

View of the living room from the kitchen

Dining

Living Room Balcony

Master bedroom

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REEN

2005-09-13T07:59:00.000+03:00

September 13th is Reen's birthday. Happy 1st birthday my dearest baby!!! Sorry, papa is away on your birthday. Love you and miss you so much Reen!!!!! Can't wait for you and mama to join me in Cairo.

Pic sent via e-mail:

School Holidays

2005-08-24T11:14:00.000+03:00

I will be on leave on August 25th to 29th, just to take advantage of the Malaysian school holidays. Not that Reen is already in school or anything, we just thought that we should balik kampung to Taiping for a few days. Reen is ready with her luggage already! No, actually we bought the luggage for her Opah who is going to Mekah this year to perform Haji.

Reen is posing with her Opah's luggage..macam Akademi Fantasia tu...

Reen knows how to pronounce "Allahu Akbar" properly...perhaps she has been watching her papa and mama performing solat. She knows how to sujud as well.

11 Months old and ready for school!!

2005-08-15T09:49:00.000+03:00

Zareen turned 11 months old last Saturday. We went to Pizza hut for a treat. :) How time flies...before I knew it, she is ready for schooling!!

H-a-z-e-rdous

2005-08-11T09:58:00.000+03:00

Besides Mawi who won AF3, the most talked about topic nowadays would be HAZE. It's getting worse... I guess Indonesia is not doing anything to put the fire out. I can really smell the smoke from my cubicle and the office looks really smokey. My eyes are itchy and at times my skin too! Driving home from Cyberjaya to Putrajaya now feels like going up to Genting...except I cant roll the window down. Visibility is very bad. Cant really see any buildings in Putrajaya from the Cyberjaya-Putrajaya border.

The view from the Pantry, Wisma 2 Shell IT, Cyberjaya.

Putrajaya "gone" in the smoke:

Can barely see the Putrajaya Hospital from Cyberjaya-Putrajaya highway

Where are the MOF building and the rest of the government buildings??

Reen is walking!!

2005-07-18T11:50:00.000+03:00

Zareen is now 10 months old. How time flies!! She is already walking...during her 9th month she took a few steps. On the day she turned 10 months old, she walked unsupported and without falling down for 10 meters.

Hadiah Hari Bapa

2005-07-11T09:13:00.000+03:00

Weekend yang lepas ni, my brother-in-laws, Hir and Faisal balik ke Batu Kurau to make a special "delivery". My in-laws (adik beradik my wife - kak sham, abg mi, faisal, shahir and Su) pakat2 kongsi beli Waja 1.6(A) untuk bapak mertua aku...dia orang ni kesian tengok Mej(B) Hj Sabarudin tu dah lama dok bawak ABD 14 yang dah uzur... So sempena dengan Hari Bapa yang baru je lepas, dia orang pun buat surprise belikan kereta untuk ayah. Untuk mak pulak, nantikan kejutan 2 minggu dari sekarang..jeng jeng jeng...

Bukan main lagi Hjh Haminah posing kat kereta baru...

Yet Another Misfortune

2005-06-28T04:51:00.000+03:00

Monday, 27th June, 6:30 pm.. while driving my wife's Kelisa from the office back to Putrajaya, I had an accident. The traffic lights at the big junction between Persiaran Saujana (near the Saujana bridge) and the Boulevard were not working (flashing yellow lights). While crossing the junction, a red Wira Aeroback (WLR 7676) driven by a lady, with P license, didn't stop at her junction and slammed into the left-front of my Kelisa. The wheel was badly hit and the shaft is not functioning anymore. So, had to call a tow truck to take my CLK to the workshop. The lady went to the Police station first since I had to wait for the tow truck to come. Around 8pm it came and we went to the police station to lodge a report. The sargeant said it was the lady's fault since she failed to stop or slow down at her junction since I was already crossing a huge intersection, I had the right of way. Thank God, kalau tak nak bayar RM300 saman lagi..

Reen turns 9 months old at Sunway Medical Center

2005-06-17T12:03:00.000+03:00

Since we came back from Terengganu and Taiping, Reen has been suffering from high fever, flu and cough. We took her to Medivron clinic in Alamanda after 5 days of medication. Her temperature reached 39.9 celcius at one point. So, on the 13th June we rushed her to Emergency department, Putrajaya Hospital. Had to wait for almost 2 hours due to full house. Finally decided to take her to Sunway Medical Center. Arrived at Emergency, SunMed around 10pm. Doctor advised for her to be warded and put under observation. Took some blood and urine for test. After 3 days and 2 nights, Reen is now feeling much better except for the coughing part which has worsen. Will inform the Peadtrician about that when we go for follow-up visit this Saturday.

Back in the office

2005-06-07T08:57:00.000+03:00

Time sure flies!!! After 3 weeks of medical leave, I am now back in actions.

On Medical Leave

2005-05-18T06:00:00.000+03:00

Appendicitis Operation at Sunway Medical Centre: May 12, 2005 (Nurses Day)
Discharged from ward: May 15, 2005
On leave until June 6th, 2005

Visits to hospital

2005-05-06T10:45:00.000+03:00

This past two weeks I have been visiting SJMC and Sunway Medical Centre. Went to SJMC on 27th of April to see a cardiologist. I have had a few chest pains this year and was a bit concerned. The doctor at Shell Clinic referred me to a cardiologist in SJMC to do ECG stress test. The result came back ok. No irregularities found. Thank God. But then during the physical exam, we discovered abdominal pain (FIC). Oh no...another visit to the doctor!

So, on 05.05.05 I went to Sunway Medical Centre this time to see a Gastroenterologist. He advised me to do a full CT scan, urine test and blood test. All results came back normal. But the pain is still there... at least we eliminated the causes (kidney, appendicitis, liver, etc). I was given medication for a week, if the pain still persists, the doctor would like to do scoping. The sound of it already scares me... Based on the doctor's report, colonscopy is to be done if the pain does not go away. Does that mean the scope will go in through the rear end? Ouchhh.... Hopefully it will go through the throat, which shouldnt be that bad..but still... *sigh*

Reen is 7 months old today!

2005-04-13T04:18:00.000+02:00

Time sure flies.... Reen has started crawling, sitting down and standing about 3 weeks ago when she was 6 1/2 months. We are tired trying to keep up with her being hyper active...but I guess that is good for her development.

Below is a shot that we are considering to submit for the Carrefour-Pampers look-a-like contest. We were trying to be creative...

Another Earthquake felt!

2005-03-29T03:41:00.000+02:00

Early this morning, 12:15am when Reen and I were still awake in bed, suddenly I felt the bed was shaking. Thought it was Reen who was kicking and punching while making funny noises. Lasted for 10-20 seconds. I suspected that it was another quake in Sumatera. SMS Su who was at work (night shift). Woke up again at 4am and watched the news, it was indeed a quake in Sumatera. Luckily, no Tsunami this time around.

Flat tyre

2005-03-28T04:23:00.000+02:00

On my way back from the office last Friday evening, my left rear tyre went flat! It was a damn sharp object that punched two holes in the tyre. As I was changing my tyre, a Toyota Vios stopped in front of me...luckily it was Pang, my SITI colleague. Thanks Pang for helping with the tyre change. I was more scared that someone would stop and rob me than anything else. With the recent crimes, who wouldn't be worried?

Reen - 6 months, 2 weeks

2005-03-23T07:33:00.000+02:00

Sekarang ni Reen dah lasak.... nak merangkak aje...

Lagi satu, Reen suka posing camni...

MyStream TT

2005-03-22T08:54:00.000+02:00

On 14th of March 2005, MyStream (Honda Stream Owners Club - Malaysia) had its first 2005 Gathering. It was held at the Tupai-tupai Restaurant (near Dewan Bahasa), 7pm onwards.

February & March Babies

2005-03-10T05:56:00.000+02:00

I am not too sure why, but I have so many friends who just had their babies last month and this month. You guys planned together or what!!?? Hehehe...must be the water lah... Anyways, congratulations to the following friends:

1. Bernard Tampubolon of Accenture on his first baby, a girl...Charis Amabel (Feb 8th)
2. Nordil Adzhar of Redring Solder on his first baby, a boy... Mohd Danish (Feb 22nd)
3. Sharulnizam Yusof of Skali on his second baby, a girl... Nur Hanim (March 1st)
4. Hiew Chok Sien of Accenture on his first baby, a girl...Hiew She Yun (March 7th)

at least a few more on the way.... Lina (due anytime now?)

Soon-to-be 6 months old

2005-03-07T04:09:00.000+02:00

Reen is now over 5 months old. Dah pandai tak nak kat orang, dah ngesot perut dan suka bergurau. Can't wait for her to start walking... :)

Her latest pic in Guess outfit :

Avillion, Port Dickson

2005-03-07T03:57:00.000+02:00

21 - 25 February, I attended Shell's ILM Certificate of Management course in Avillion , Port Dickson. This time around, my wife and our little princess accompanied me. Pity them, spent most of the time in the room since I was in the classroom 8am - 6pm. However, we managed to walk around the resort and went out for some ikan bakar as well.

Alamanda Colouring Contest

2005-02-07T09:28:00.000+02:00

On Sunday, Feb. 6th Alamanda Shopping Center in Putrajaya organized a Federal Territory Colouring Contest, co-organized by Putrajaya Holdings. There were 3 categories, A (4-6 years old), B (7-9 years old) and C (10-12 years old). Kak Yong, my niece (daugther of Su's eldest sister) took part in category C, while Arif and Amirul (Kak Yong's brothers) too part in category B. So the even started at 12pm and took two hours. After two hours of hard work, sweats, tears and laughs, finally the results were announced. We did not put any hope since Kak yong did not manage to really colour the whole thing perfectly. Arif and Amirul are of course out of questions. If there was hope, it should be on Kak Yong. After they announced the winners for category A, we watched the winners took the stage for category B. Shockingly, they called "Amirul Arif bin Mohd Radzun"....Arif took a consolation prize worth RM50. That was a shocker. We didnt even look at what Arif had done to his colouring. Then they announce winners of category C. Kak Yong's name was no where to be heard. So, we almost gave up....suddenly the winner of category C will receive prizes worth RM250, goes to "NurSyahirah Nadirah bt. Mohd Radzun". We screamed and laughed in tears! Congratulations to Kak Yong...I guess all the pressure and tears were worthwhile after all...

Tepung Pelita

2005-01-31T08:50:00.000+02:00

Su was off last Saturday, so we took the opportunity to make Tepung Pelita since we brought back a lot of Pandan leaves from Negeri Sembilan. I must say that our first attempt was quite successful....they were so delicious! So, we can start taking orders now... hehehe..

Toe Sucking

2005-01-31T08:45:00.000+02:00

Have you ever heard of this Malay myth? When a baby sucks his/her own toes, it means that he/she will get a little brother/sister soon? Hmm..I wonder how true it is! Reen has been sucking her toes whenever she is barefooted.

Happy 27th Birthday to my beloved wife, Suhaila

2005-01-17T04:29:00.000+02:00

Today is Su's 27th birthday. Semoga dipanjangkan umur, dimurahkan rezeki, diberkati Allah dan menjadi isteri yang solehah. Amin.

Nak beli apa ek??

Happy Birthday to my sister, Zuraini

2005-01-13T04:32:00.000+02:00

Hari ni Ani punya Birthday...kalau tak silap yang ke 37 kot . Aku ingat sangat sebab road tax dan insurance Stream tu expire on the same date every year. Semalam pagi2 lah Ani dah called, cik Kamarudin (close friend of our family) dah meninggal dunia, selepas a few weeks coma. Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat ke atas roh Allahyarham...al-fatihah. So Ani pun balik ke Gemas dengan ayah dan mak cik. Apa lagi naik Ani punya kancil lah... Petang Mak pulak called kata Ani accident lepas balik dari pengkebumian arwah tu. Teruk gak kancil tu sebab tak boleh jalan...remuk kat depan. Aku pun sms Ani and called dia lepas tu...dah sampai kat workshop in Tampin. Kesian..dah lah kereta baru. Ayah yang bawak Kancil tu, langgar lembu dekat jalan besar Gemas ke Tampin. Nak buat camner, nak marah Ayah kesayangan plak tu..hehehe.

Reen's 4th Month Check-up

2005-01-10T07:25:00.000+02:00

Today we went to Klinik Kesihatan Putrajaya to do Reen's routine 4th month check-up. No vaccines today, just to record her weight and height. Reen is now 5.8kg although we thought it was going to be 6+ kg. She is healthy, that's the most important thing. Her next visit to the clinic will be on 14th Feb. 2005

Shell Malaysia Makes RM 1, 070, 000 Contribution to Tsunami Relief

2005-01-06T10:31:00.000+02:00

Datuk Jon Chadwick presents RM 1,070,000. 00 to Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi witnessed by Jeroen van der Veer and Corporate Affairs General Manager, Wahiruddin Wahid. The RM 1,070,000. 00 contribution includes a donation of RM 70,000. 00 collected from several hundred Shell Malaysia staff from Shell offices and worksites nationwide.

Dear Colleague,

You will recall that the Company pledged to at least equal the total donations made by staff. As of yesterday evening, the donations made by staff across our offices, facilities and installations in Malaysia totalled RM 70,000-. This is a huge act of generosity on the part of staff and I commend all of you who have given to this cause. Because of the enormity of the disaster and because of your generosity the Company decided to add RM 1,000,000- to the amount donated by staff.

Accordingly, on behalf of the management and staff of Shell Companies in Malaysia, earlier this afternoon I presented a cheque for the amount of RM 1,070,000- to Malaysia's Prime Minister, Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in the presence of Royal Dutch Shell's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Jeroen van der Veer, who was paying a courtesy call to the Malaysian Premier at his Putrajaya office.

This contribution is aimed at helping to fund Tsunami disaster relief work in the Malaysian States of Penang, Kedah and Perak. I would like you to know that our Prime Minister was touched by the Company's contribution and moreover by the personal gesture from Shell Malaysia staff. Syabas ... Jeroen and I are outstandingly proud of you.

Jeroen also conveyed Royal Dutch Shell's sympathy to all Malaysians who have been affected by this tragedy, informing the Premier that Shell was assisting in relief efforts in other affected Asian countries and that he hoped the financial contribution we have made today will help. I also extended your thoughts for the Malaysians that have suffered a loss - the Premier was informed that some 200 staff volunteers from our Community Care Programme will be participating in disaster relief activities in Penang this weekend. Shell has allocated an additional RM 100,000. 00 to facilitate the staff volunteer programme in the affected states.

Additionally, the Company will also be giving bottled mineral water from its Select Retail Convenience Stores to Tsunami victims. To further ensure relief operations in the affected areas run smoothly, Shell is refuelling authorised essential services and aid transport vehicles for free for a period of time at selected Shell stations in Penang and Kedah. As well as donations and practical support in affected regions, the Company is also ensuring the continued supply of essential fuels and products to the affected areas.

Thank you again for your efforts and contributions. I will continue to keep in touch on this matter.

Staff of Shell Malaysia ... Boleh!

Datuk Jon Chadwick
Chairman - Shell Malaysia

2nd Anniversary

2005-01-04T05:16:00.000+02:00

1st January 2005 marked our 2nd wedding anniversary. Su and I headed to Alamanda, Putrajaya to have late lunch to celebrate our anniversary. Su worked in the morning, so we only went to have our lunch at 4pm. We brought Reen along. Had Mexican chicken while Su had Chicken Kebab, at Secret Receipe. So many people in Alamanda! May be because it was the New Year holiday and last minute back to school shopping. Reen's picture in Alamanda:

System Go-live!

2005-01-04T04:43:00.000+02:00

As of 3rd January 2005, 4 more Shell EP OUs have gone live with the EPBlueprint system. EP Europe, Shell Exploration Philippines, Salym (Russia) and SNEPCO (Nigeria) are the four OUs which joined the existing Blueprint OUs (Oman, Brunei, Shell Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway and Shakalin). Another milestone that we have achieved but 2005 will be another challenge as EP West (the Americas), Venezuela and Egypt joined the already big Blueprint family with 11,000 users worldwide.

Gegaran! Gegaran!

2005-01-04T04:24:00.000+02:00

It was December 26th 2004, Sunday, 9am. I felt the bed was shaking. Thought it was my wife trying to put Reen back to sleep. Then my father-in-law shouted "Gegaran! Gegaran! Zam...La....Gegaran ni" translated as "Quake! quake! Zam, La...there's a quake!". I thought it was quite strange for an earthquake to be happening in Taiping, Perak. Nevertheless, we ran out of the double-storey bungalow. On my way out, I saw my Stream was shaking as well. So my father-in-law advised me to reverse my car, in the event that the house would collapse. So, all of us assembled at the gazebo infront of the house and we still felt the shake. It lasted for about a minute. We suspected that there must be a quake in Indonesia or somewhere near. We we right when we watched the noon News on tv. Then we learned about the Tsunami. What a disaster it was. Our heart goes to the victims of Tsunami....May God bless their souls.

Family Vacation in Port Dickson

2004-12-20T05:28:00.000+02:00

Belum hilang penat dari Bali trip, kak sham & bang mie dah ajak pergi bercuti ke Bayu Beach Resort di Port Dickson. So, Friday night we all together with Ain, Bang Li, Mak (Perak), Firdaus & Hir bertolak ke PD. So, sekali lagi aku tak dapat menghadiri perjumpaan MyStream group kat Tupai2. Ini gathering terakhir untuk 2004. What to do?!

Sampai sana terus makan dinner yang kita orang dah prepared kat sini. Kita orang stay satu apartment dengan family bang mie. Kak Sham pulak dengan family adik Abg duan dalam satu lagi apartment..sebelah menyebelah. On Saturday, apa lagi...berendam sakan lah budak2 ni..termasuklah bapak2 dan emak2 budak. Yang naik banana boat pun ada..aku tak mau naik dah..dah puas (serik sebenarnya!) main kat Boracay Island, Philippines dulu.

Sunday afternoon, we left PD and balik Putrajaya. Su akan start keje esok (20 Dec) dan Reen will be sent to the babysitter.

Bali Vacation

2004-12-20T05:21:00.000+02:00

On Dec. 14-16, we left behind our Princess for our trip to Bali. It was a short and tiring trip as we didn't spend much time to see places and do stuff. Stayed at Melia Benoa in Tanjung Benoa...about 20 minutes from Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar. I must say that we enjoyed Lombok more than we enjoyed Bali. Wish we had stayed longer in Bali so that we could take our own sweet time..., 5 or 6 days? But then, everything is so expensive in Bali. Just some of the photos taken:

Aidilfitri 2004

2004-12-07T04:14:00.000+02:00

Reen with her Raya outfit on 1st day of Hari Raya in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan.

Family photo:

Gambar Raya

2004-12-07T04:04:00.000+02:00

Sebenarnya banyak lagi gambar raya ni...tapi belum ada masa nak upload aje lagi. Yang ni pun sebab scanned in malam tadi atas permintaan kakak ku Zuraini...

Selamat Hari Raya

2004-11-24T03:42:00.000+02:00

It's a bit late but better than never I guess. Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Maaf Zahir Batin from us: Zamzuri Hassim, Suhaila Sabarudin and Puteri Zareen Sofea Zamzuri. Our Raya open house is on November 28, 12pm to 3pm in Putrajaya.

Sleepless in Putrajaya

2004-11-05T05:25:00.000+02:00

My wife and the baby are now back in Putrajaya for almost a week already. We have not been getting enough sleep at night lately. Reen cries every night from 10pm to 2am. Not sure what's wrong...but last night she behaved herself. Although she was awake until 1am, at least she didnt cry like the previous nights.

I am glad that they are back here now, at least I wont be too lonely..hehehe. These photos were taken before we made our trip back from Taiping to Putrajaya last Saturday:

Cally & Ames' Wedding

2004-10-25T04:04:00.000+02:00

Came back from Taiping in the afternoon so that I can attend the wedding dinner of Cally Cheah and Ames Onthuam. The dinner was held at the Royal Selangor Club ballroom, Dataran Merdeka KL. After buka puasa and Maghrib prayers, I drove to Dataran Merdeka. It was nice to see old friends again. I knew Cally from Accenture days way back in 1997 when we were in Petronas project. I knew Ames just last year since he was my team lead in the Shell EP Blueprint project. Wish them all the best!!

Shopping

2004-10-25T03:58:00.000+02:00

On Saturday, took Reen to the doctor since she has trouble breathing. Doctor gave medication to ease off the flam. After that, we went to The Store, in Taiping Jaya. Bought her craddle and a few other stuff. No noticeable progress with Reen, except she weighs 4kg now.

Happy 40th Anniversary!

2004-10-25T03:42:00.000+02:00

23rd October 2004 marked the 40th Anniversary of my in-laws' marriage. We bought a cake and the cake cutting ceremony after Buka Puasa and TerawihHappy 40th Wedding Anniversary to my parents in law, Mej (B) Hj. Sabarudin and Hjh. Haminah !!.

5 weeks and counting..

2004-10-19T07:33:00.000+02:00

Spent most of the time over the weekend comforting Reen and putting her to sleep in my arms. She loves to sleep face down on my chest. Now I miss her very much...

Here's a picture taken in my car. We were on our way to send Ain (Reen's cousin) back to POLIMAS, Jitra. Well, we just sent her to Kamunting bus station and then she took the bus to Butterworth and Alor Star. She looks cute in the "ducky" outfit!

I love this picture.....I think she will be modelling soon. :)

Here's another one:

Menjelang Ramadhan

2004-10-14T09:44:00.000+02:00

Pejam celik dah Ramadhan balik..alhamdulillah, kita semua hidup lagi untuk beribadat dibulan Ramadhan Al-Mubarak ni. Esok balik Kamunting...sure jam kat Ipoh sebab laluan Gua Tempurung yang hanya satu lane jer dibuka tu. Terpaksalah aku balik awal..

Next week pulak, on call...sebab sekarang tengah UAT sampai end of October. After that the cutover period. Kira critical lah ni...we are expected to have access to the SAP system within an hour of the call received. Since aku travel on the weekends, pagi tadi berpeluh2 gak nak configure laptop ni utk guna handset aku access the internet through GPRS. Nasib baiklah ada member dari MyStream yang guna PDA dia connect ke Sony Ericsson phone. So, sekarang ni kalau ada lain Maxis, bolehlah guna K700i aku ni sebagai modem dan access the net. Thanks Dr. Jamal for the useful link!

Selamat Menyambut Ramadhan!

One month old

2004-10-12T04:20:00.000+02:00

Reen is now one month old. On sunday, we had this "cukur kepala" (head shaving) and "sunat" events took place in Taiping.

Reen with hair:

Reen without hair:

Suzuka

2004-10-08T09:19:00.000+02:00

It's the penultimate round of F1 for this season. Heard that Japan was awakened by earthquake last night and typhoon is on its way to Japan throughout this weekend. Quite true...Suzuka Friday practice was wet...an advantage for Michael Schumacher, the king of wet circuit. Whatever it is, just wait for the race day this Sunday!

I am off to Taiping again to see my wife and my little one! Hope this time I have a better luck with the express bus.

MyKid

2004-10-05T05:10:00.000+02:00

Went to JPN Seri Kembangan this morning to collect Reen's MyKid. The interesting thing is, my wife and I still have not applied for our MyKad yet. So, the baby is more advanced than us now. I like the MyKid since it's pink color and will suit Reen just nice.

3 weeks old

2004-10-04T04:11:00.000+02:00

Time sure flies! Reen is now 3 weeks old. She still cries and fully awake at night. Pity her mother! She's really growing up fast...just look at the cheeks!

It's Thursday

2004-09-30T05:03:00.000+03:00

One more day, and I am off to Taiping again to see my cute little baby girl, and my wife of course. This week has been quite busy with SIRs raised by EP Europe and Shell Philippines, since they are doing UAT. I must say it has been a productive week since I managed to resolve a few issues, though still a lot more outstanding. *sigh*

I miss my Reen...

2 Weeks Old

2004-09-27T04:27:00.000+03:00

*Yawning*...mengantuk betul. Sampai dari Taiping malam tadi pukul 11:30pm...selepas 4 jam naik bas Konsortium. Hujan lebat sepanjang perjalanan...Sampai Puduraya dah pukul 10:20pm. Memang tak boleh nak kejar ERL pukul 10:40 kat Tasik Selatan. Sempat gak beli tiket untuk balik ke Taiping Jumaat ni. Seat no. 2 lagi tu! Lambat beli sure habis macam last week. Shahir ambik kat ERL putrajaya. Balik gosok baju, mandi dan tido.

Rindu pulak kat my puteri...semalam genap usia dia 2 minggu..hehehe...

Putrajaya - Puduraya

2004-09-23T09:35:00.000+03:00

Hari ni tak lunch...makan epal sebiji, 11:40am terus ke stesen ERL Putrajaya. Parking memang tak der...jauh kena berjalan..nasib baik sempat gak naik tren ke Bandar Tasik Selatan (BTS), pukul 12:05pm. Sampai kat BTS, beli tiket STAR LRT, lari2 anak sebab tren nak ke Plaza Rakyat pun baru sampai..berpeluh gak aku rasa. Apasal lah dia orang ni tak buat transportation system kita ni integrated? Tak payah lah nak mendaki anak tangga yg tinggi tu dari satu stesen ke satu stesen..

Sampai kat Puduraya dah pukul 12:40pm. Pergi kat kaunter Konsortium Bas Ekspres . Tiket ke Taiping untuk esok, pukul 6:30 ke 8:30pm dah habis plak!! Sama ada 5:30pm atau 9:30pm ke atas. Hmm...cancel. Pergi Transnasional , nasib baik ada tiket..tapi pukul 6pm lah plak..terpaksa lah. Aku pun beli jer, nasib baik naik kat Pudu, kalau kat Jalan Duta, memang cancel lah....camner nak ke sana, dengan jam lagi. Lepas tu straight ke Plaza Rakyat, ambik LRT ke BTS. Sampai kat BTS, tren ERL baru je 4 minit berlepas. Kena tunggu lagi 26 minit nak ke Putrajaya. Hujan memang lebat giler...sempat gak called Suhaila bagi tau pasal plan utk balik esok. Handset berbunyi, MMS dari Suhaila...gambar baby dan mama dia. Aduh..rindu plak kat Zareen.

Aku pun balas dengan gambar kat ERL stesen BTS.

Sampai kat ofis pukul 2pm. Hujan pun turun dengan lebatnya...aduh, kelaparan.

It's a girl

2004-09-21T06:10:00.000+03:00

I've been very busy with our new baby, Puteri Zareen Sofea. Born on September 13th 2004 (28 Rejab), at 7:08am in Putrajaya Hospital.

Teh Tarik

2004-09-09T12:51:00.000+03:00

Errkk....Alhamdulillah. Kenyang aku makan chocolate cake dan teh tarik. Seperti biasa, department aku ni ADSS (Application Development Shared Services) buat Teh Tarik (TT) session. TT ni sebenarnya bagi updates on department punya matters, etc. Diakhiri dengan makan2..tu sebab dipanggil TT session. Anyway, hari ni ada lagi update on IT Vision. Under IT Vision ni, department aku akan cease to exist. Nasib baiklah attached to EP Blueprint project, at least sapa2 yg on a project, akan diserap oleh company tu punya project..macam aku ni Shell Exploration & Production (EP) akan serap. Yang project dengan Shell Oil Products (OP), Shell OP lah yang akan serap...70 orang lah department aku. Tapi ada gak yang tak dapat kerja lain lagi...dia org ni kalau dah December tak dapat gak, kena leave Shell on January 1st 2005. Mula2 dulu, panic gak kita orang...mula nak cari kerja lain. Tapi project manager kata, Shell EP akan absorb at least until mid 2006, kira lega lah sket. Tension ni...testing tak leh proceed plak...system ni buat hal. Programmer aku kat India pun tak leh nak sambung coding...dah lah due besok sebab EP Europe nak buat UAT on monday! Rasa nak balik je..sian plak kat wife sorang2 kat rumah...tulah keje pagi lagi..habis kul 2, duk sorang2 kat rumah.. :)

Ok..sambung kerja da...

2.4 kg

2004-09-07T08:50:00.000+03:00

This morning went to Hospital Putrajaya for Su's check-up. The baby is doing fine, weighs approximately 2.4kg . According to the doctor, she can deliver any time now. Su is still hoping for 20th September so that her maternity leave will last until after Hari Raya. We'll see...

Last night, received SMS from Asraf. He is now a proud father of 3kg baby girl. Her wife delivered yesterday at 6:21pm, through cesarean. Her EDD was 13th September...but looks like she's one week early. Now Su is really worried...she's due in 2 weeks...but then again, if the little one wants to come out...there's no holding back.

Suhaila's 38th week

2004-09-06T04:33:00.000+03:00

Personalized e-mail from babycenter.com

Congratulations! Your pregnancy is now considered full term — meaning your baby is developmentally ready to handle life outside the womb. (Babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 weeks are post-term.) Your baby probably weighs a little over 6 pounds at this point and measures between 19 and 20 inches, head to heel.Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children are born blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

• Note: Experts say every baby develops differently — even in the womb. This developmental information is designed to give you a general idea of how your baby is growing.

Anwar who?

2004-09-03T06:50:00.000+03:00

Well, as the whole world already knew..Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim has been freed from prison....I guess, it's a Merdeka Celebration for him!

Yesterday, after the free lunch at Secret Receipe in Alamanda I had a migraine. Went to the Shell clinic to get painkillers, and the doctor told me my BP is up 150/100. Could it be the Grilled Black Pepper Chicken, Iced Cappucino and Brownies with Ice Cream?? Anyway, I have to visit the doctor again today to check my BP. But today, I've got stomachache...not sure what I ate wrong last night but had to get up at 3am this morning! Still painful...

Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

2004-09-01T10:17:00.000+03:00

August 31st marks Malaysia's 47th Independence Day or better known as Merdeka Day. Since it falls on Tuesday this year, a lot of people would take Monday off so that they can have a 4-day weekend. Like previous years, this is the perfect time to travel and "balik kampung". Friday evening, my wife - Su and I travelled back to her hometown in Batu Kurau, Taiping. We left Putrajaya at 5pm, made a stop at "Jejantas Sungai Buloh" to grab something to eat since the little one inside her is craving for Root Beer Float. So, we stopped and got the value meals. We took away, since I was fasting (Rejab). So, off we went and stopped again in Tapah R&R for me to break my fast. Had the cold A&W Connie Dog and the now melted float. Continued our trip and reached home at 9:00pm. Mother-in-law was busy preparing dinner as the rest carried on their conversation. Abang Mie and family (Kak Muhsini and their 5 kids) had arrived not too long before we did. Then, we watched the video of his convocation ceremony which took place on 26th August at UPSI. We called it a day at almost 12 midnight. What a day...

The next day, we had a picnic at Sempeneh waterfalls. It rained as soon as we got there. Luckily, there was a shelter where we unpacked our lunch and had a feast. Ikan bakar - siakap and pari with air asam, petai jeruk, kari ikan...burbb...it was delicious and having lunch by the waterfalls is just something that you can dream of...here in the klang valley.