From the desk of..

... justiffa, where you'll find files, documents and plans galore!!


(hehehe.. messy aint it?! but go to any QS office and you'll probably see more of the same)

Just a little hello before i leave for a site visit :)

And its a good thing i'm hitching a ride with the Bangunan people. sadly my road-tax expired yesterday and while i get it all settled, yours truly will be driving around cuak out of her wits!! you know how it is when you're fully aware that you're a traffic offender right? something usually happens... unlike those times when you merrily go your way, blissfully unaware of your 'dead' driving license or roadtax. its like we're somehow protected by our very innocence.

Apo nak dikato, cempodak menjadi nangko. i'll just have to watch it i guess.

Ooh... btw, did i mention that golfman is back?

*sengehan yang mengalahkan even a cheshire cat ekekeh*

Abe - Вот моё сердце. Оно полно любви. / Vot moe serce. Ono polno lubvi.
(translation: Here is my heart. It is full of love).

Anak buah ku

.. a welcomed addition to the zam zam clan :)

Its a baby GIRL yall !!!


Congratulations Cepul & Wanie.. semoga putri safiera menjadi anak yang soleh, beriman dan sentiasa mengembirakan ayah & ibu :D


Workout Log
AM - Aerobics/50 mins med-fast pace/DSA

You & me

... and then there was three :)


AF 1985.. after corrective heart surgery (VSD)


AF 2008 - bersantai di Bandung

HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY my darling... semoga sejahtera & bahagia dunia akhirat!!

Aie - darling mama, we've certainly come a loong looooong way :D
Abe - welcome home moya lubhov!!
AI - so sorry la yang about all the 'tak menjadi plans' but abah has to come first aight?!
AH - ok pe chloe tu ;p

Busy

.. is the state you need to be in when you are missing your beloved.

Yup, you need to keep busy so that the pain of being separated becomes almost bearable. for all you young people out there (especially those who seem to find kissing or any other sign of affection between aged people gross; my own children included), take note that love doesnt grow any less just because you've packed in a couple (ok ok more than a couple) of years. it might be mellower in nature (the passion comes and goes as it pleases lol) but rest assured, the fire is still there.. somewhere ;)

So dont be surprised at the extent of angau-ness that old people still go through.

Ok, back to keeping bz.

It helps that you also have a new boss who insists that all work should've been completed 'yesterday'.

And that you're substituting almost all of your blogging time sneaking a chat on gmail/google talk with the said beloved ;)

Sorry dear blog of mine, i have indeed been more than a little 'pre-occupied' hehehe!!


Workout Log
AM - 4k/27mins/TSA
- yay i managed to shave off 5 mins from yesterday's lethargic run.

Choices

... that we have to make when prioritizing becomes necessary.

Spreading yourself too thin can have disastrous consequences so one must be realistic in one's own ability & capability to cope.

With multiple tenders closing by noon, and the chaos that usually follows in its wake, i had no choice but to forgo one of the things i had scheduled for today - running & puasa sunat. since running helps to quieten the crazy voices in my head and since experience has thought me to keep myself hydrated whenever i'm busy (otherwise i'd morph into the office shrew and annoy the hell outta everyone hehehe) i decided to do away with the fasting.

Hmmm.. tapi bila ramadhan boleh pulak ek ;)

Workout Log
AM - 4k/33mins/TSA

A tiring weekend

...makes for an almost blue monday.

What actually did i do?

How did i spent it?

Why am i not rested?

Hmmmmm.

Peace of mind.. now that, i do not have.

Kick Boxing

.... and skinny little missies dont mix, right?

Heehehehehe..wrong!!

A week ago AH surprised everyone by announcing that she will be participating in a kick-boxing demonstration at the Karnival Rakyat to be held this very day. You should have seen the various jaw-dropping pose that the announcement ellicited lol.

My baby!!

Yang baru masuk kick-boxing sebulan.. yang baru belajor tumbuk2 and sepak2 a couple of times.. yang belum pun dapat her KB uniform lagi!!



And she did come home from yesterday's practice swathed in her size 4 uniform, looking even more kenit than ever hehehe... and quite resigned to the fact that she would be appearing on stage with only her partner in tow (also another newbie). it was going to be just the two of them out there alone (the other duo pulled out, the chickens).

BUT....

I am extremely happy to report that AH and her friend did us all proud by punching & kicking the way they were supposed to, siap bouncing2 lagi macam the legendary muhammad ali (albeit dengan penuh gemalainya) and it really looked like they were having fun.

Way to go girls :)

Just give them some time and they'll surely be kicking some sorry butts after this!!

And echa hanis, we love you to bits... mwaaahhhh3.


Workout Log
AM - 45 mins aerobics/medium pace/DSA

Trying my best

... to incorporate a long run (my own definition of 'long' of course lol) into my weekly target.. and saturday mornings seem to be suitable enough.

So far i havent been doing too badly with my double loops (8km) and i always seem to get my 2nd wind after my 5th km.

Just hope i can keep it up tho.

Workout Log
AM - 8k/62mins/TSA

Keeping up

... with a pace other than your own can be quite exhausting, especially when you're a makcik who also happen to have a lot on her mind these days.

My new boss plays a merry lil tune and it really shouldnt be that much of a problem accept that most of us here have gotten used to (even tho against our will initially) the waltzy pace of my former boss (she was a study in lemah gemalai).. and having to suddenly switch to a superfast foxtrot just takes my breath away, literally!! nope, not even the term lipas kudung would be doing my new boss justice!! suffice to say i might be needing 'em rollerblades those people at tesco are using pretty soon.

So blogging has been spasmodic. no breather at the office and the ancient laptop i'm using at home have finally decided that enough is enough and isnt responding to any of my cajoling... it remains rather unpredictable & unstable (hmmm macam 'tuan' dia plak).

If theres any good that can be gotten from this chaos, then maybe its the kgs that i'm shedding like the leaves in autumn... or maybe my clothes have expanded ;)

Apapun..

Its a time of adjustment and regaining equilibrium.... all around.

Abe - Я верю в тебя Ya veryu v tebya!!
AI - Pls understand that speed isnt something one messes around with.. respect what speed can do and treat it accordingly.
AF - Congratulations on finishing ur thesis without dishing out too much 'drama' ekekeh.
AH - Alhamdulillah my darling, i'm so so relieved about the negative results of the bloodtest. 1000 syukur!!

A different kind of RINDU

... aku merindui mu ya Rasulullah.

Your wisdom,

Your courage,

Your strength,

Your patience,

Your perseverance...

Lord, bestow upon our beloved Rasulullah SAW the blessing, mercy & reward that he so justly deserves, in return for all the hard work, sacrifice and good deeds that he has done for his ummah.


Workout Log
AM - 4k/TSA

Sportsday

.. for SMKS9 usually means a bright sunny morning spent at the matsushita stadium.

After almost 5 years of the same old same old i guess you could say i was a veteran. even though AI was usually the one actively involved (he wasnt sporty but he loved taking part in the parade) i still make a point to attend just to show parental support.

This will actually be my last year and in a way, its a sad thought. just another reminder that the children are all grown up now. yup, AH is already a senior and after spm, high school will be all over.

But for now, AH is the AJK F5 for her house and although there seem to be some kind of power struggle going on within the committee, she's still involved in certain preparations. with bf in tow she was promptly there at 7.30am. when i arrived with AI (after my usual sunday aerobics) she was directly under the blazing sun at the lower end of the grandstand.

Now the best thing about sportsday is the yelling and screaming that goes on in the name of declaring your allegiance hehehe.

And of course i also enjoy seeing the kids run their heart out... i love the whole mechanism of motion.

It was a hot day, but little did we realise that it really was hotter than usual. so hot in fact that by late afternoon, AH came down with high fever... she probably had a heatstroke from the terrible blaze of the sun.

Who would have thought eh?

Workout Log
AM - Aerobics/50 mins fast-med pace/DSA

Sidetracked

.. something that i seem to be doing a lot of lately lol.

Golfman tells me he and his 'band of brothers' (men who had left their wives behind) have plans of climbing a 'batu-caves-like' hill in ashgabat this morning and since he'll be covering a distance of about 8km, i thought i'd match it with an 8k run of my own.

It started well... i was feeling pretty good, refreshed and light on my feet. but as i was nearing the laman budaya stretch (after about 2k) i started hearing loud music; the up-beat kind that usually means only one thing... could it possibly be? naaah cant be, its saturday but, its so so... so aerobic like!!!! hehehe and true enough, lo & behold, out of nowhere it was an aerobic session in progress!! and upon further investigation (read: menyibuk muka tak malu), it turned out to be a pkns organized, open-to-all, free session!

So without wasting any time yours truly jumped right into the moves (the instructor was familiar), her 8k temporarily forgotten.

3o mins later and a little less spunky than previously, i continued on with my quest but instead of 8, i settled for just 5k.. didnt really feel like pushing myself.

Turns out, golfman had to cancel his outing and didnt do his 8k either ;)

So.

Plans are after all just plans. it becomes a reality only after execution.

Workout Log
AM - 5k/did away with the time lol/TSA
AM - 30 mins moderate aerobics

One after another

.... and its talcum powder now is it?

Hmmmm.

That truly is a problem... bcos AH & me, we both use talcum powder like nobody's business. Its usually just johnson's baby powder.. and we'd always thought that by keeping to baby products we'd be quite safe. i mean whatever's good for the precious little ones should be fine for everybody else right?

But now its wrong.

As usual for more info, i googled and came up with this (many thanks to Paris B)..

What is talcum powder?
Talcum powder is a powder made of ground talc and silicates. Its properties are essentially that of moisture absorption and prevents friction which is why it is used most commonly for babies to prevent nappy rash. You might also spot talc being used in some women’s powder cosmetics like body powder, loose powder or powder foundation or even in some mineral foundation. Whilst mineral makeup purists reject the inclusion of talc in foundation, talc is in fact a mineral so technically it can be included as mineral makeup.

Can Talcum Powder cause Cancer?
Whilst research has been carried out into the link between talcum powder and cancer, the results are quite inconclusive as to whether talcum powder can cause cancer. However, the most recent research into the link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer has suggested that using talcum powder in the pelvic area may increase the risks of getting ovarian cancer. Apparently the tiny particles can travel through the genital area to the ovaries and cause an inflammation which may cause cancer cells to flourish.

It is pertinent to note that this warning against talcum powder applies mainly to those who use talcum powder around their genitals (source and source):-

The findings, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, apply only to talcum powder used around the private parts, not on the rest of the body. Experts from Harvard Medical School in Boston studied more than 3,000 women and found using talc merely once a week raised the risk of ovarian cancer by 36 per cent, rising to 41 per cent for those applying powder every day.

This serves as a warning for those who use talcum powder around their genital area and for those with babies, to avoid the use of talcum powder on baby girls (I don’t know how it affects boys) especially in their genital area. For those who use talcum powder on other parts of the body, there has been no conclusive chain of causation found between the use of talc or talcum powder and cancer or ovarian cancer.

What are the alternatives to talcum powder?
If you are worried about how talc or talcum powder can affect you or your family, you might want to consider the alternatives available. Cornstarch is a well known moisture absorber and can be used in its pure form in place of talcum powder. There are also many talc-free powders available in the market where the main ingredient is corn starch or rice powder. For babies, you could consider creams or cornstarch which is found in many Asian kitchens. Locally in Malaysia, you might also want to consider using the traditional “bedak sejuk” or rice powder which has cooling properties, especially for irritated skin. I used to use it while growing up.
(from: http://www.mywomenstuff.com/2009/02/24/can-the-use-of-talcum-powder-cause-cancer/ )

Sooo.... bedak sejuk anyone? hehehehe my hubs probably wouldnt even touch me with a ten-foot pole ;)

Abe - guess who suddenly turned up at our doorstep? the one who told me not half an hour earlier that he was drowning with work and wouldnt be back.. the one who can deliver a one-liner with a straight face... the one who, like you, just looooove pulling my leg till i sometimes stumble. who? azizra the putih version la who else? my other darlings are not so evil la eheheh ;D

Workout Log
AM - 4k/28mins/TSA

Desolation

... can insidously cast a gloom whether we're alone or we're in a room crawling with people.

Life can be a desolate, barren landscape, devoid of any colour or hue. all we need to do is forget about everything else and just let the full force of our feelings take over. there is a measure of comfort in the nothingness.

Just surrender to the moment.. we are victims after all.

But, in the wake of god's other bounties, can we really do that? can we actually forget about everything just like that?

Because His blessing and His bounty comes in many ways and forms.

All we need to do is believe.. and remain ever grateful.

Ya Wahhab, aku sentiasa mensyukuri nikmat MU...


Workout Log
AM - 4k/28mins/TSA

Management styles

.. that are adopted by the various bosses can be quite confusing to the workers, especially when it involves drastic changes.

My previous boss had an extremely feminine and careful approach in dealing with work and trying to slow down to her pace took quite some adjusting on our part. she was very concerned about keeping the office beautiful and we had flowers almost everywhere.

Last month brought with it a lot of changes and we found ourselves with yet another new boss (the last one was here for hardly 2 years). and my gawd, no one could actually be more different! she's very brisk, extremely down to earth and completely time oriented!! and as an indication of the complete reversal in personality... there isnt a bouquet of any kind in her room.

But, it doesnt mean that the change is not welcomed. most of us have had enough of directionless navigation. its just that it would've been nicer if the transition wasnt so freakin' drastic.

We're mostly on our toes now and would probably be needing toe splints soon ekekeh!!

Golfman's finally in ashgabat after his transits in dubai and istanbul. i still find the round-about way he has to take to get there rather ridiculous.. pusing2 buat penat my darling je ;)

Abe - ready for the avalanche babe?!!
AF - so dude, is no news good news?
AI - with just 2 papers this semester, you really should be targeting for 4 la my darling!!
AH - i hate to sound like a broken record, but you really should start spending some time on your knees right now.. never underestimate the power of doa girl!


Workout Log
AM - 4k/30mins/TSA

Parting of Ways

.. for the industrious trio who managed to pack in so much mileage into such a short trip, it was time to part ways and head off to their own, respective destinations.

For two of them it's back to the comfort of our 'tanah tumpah darah' but for golfman, its onwards to ashgabat (where he'll probably be drowned in paperwork from his month long absence, poor dude).

*sigh* i miss my man :(

But moving on.. AH had an outing to sunway and i decided to tag along. nope, i wasnt dense enough to follow her around like a sick puppy and spoil her date (even though the female bonding session we had yesterday was really fun - we must do it again daro!); once there, we went our separate ways. i really needed to get a few things and the mindless meandering sorta helped soothe my troubled soul.


Workout Log
AM - Aerobics/ med-fast pace/50 mins