Monday, July 10, 2006

THE SAND, THE SUN & THE SEA

Whoever said that Singapore is short of places to go? Well, I would beg to differ. In fact, if you look reaaaaal hard, the beaches in Singapore are enough to take your breath away...

1) Peace @ Pasir Ris

Despite having shifted to Riverina (approximately 2 minutes drive from Pasir Ris Park), hubby dearest decided to get behind the wheel and drove instead. Though the park has been a regular weekend itinery for the family, it was Iman's first time to the Fishermen Village. Despite several warnings not to go near the fishing pond, Iman somehow got nearer and nearer ~ so near that we had to pull her aside, fearing that she would just slip and fall. Iman was obviously ecstatic and glued to the fishing rods as the people there fished out their catches with skill and grace.

Ihsan on the other hand, was totally bewildered when he got on the baby swing. He screamed and laughed excitedly as Kakak Iman made her way to push him (haiz! jakun betul anak hamba...). From mummy's point of view though, it seemed that Iman was pushing Ihsan TOO HARD to the extent that he will be flying out in no time. IMAAAAN!!!!

2) Family Fiesta (East Coast)

Never have I imagined that a day at East Coast could be so exciting. The family of Hubby Dearest decided to have a family picnic at East Coast during the last weekend of the school holidays. And boy, was it fun! Filled with activities for both young & old and coupled with prizes to go along, the picnic became a moment to remember for all. The kids had a whale of time in a game that required them to step on others' balloons which had been tied quite securely above their ankles. My darling Iman clinched the first prize (er, with a LOT of help from her granny who carried her every time another kid wanted to step on her balloon) and was beaming with pride as she received her prize.


Family Fiesta @ East Coast

The "senior citizens" were not at all forgotten and were given pop quizzes regarding their spouses. Questions like: 1) which school did your spouse go to; 2) what is your spouse's favourite perfume; 3) where did both of you meet etc. etc. soon drew laughter from everyone, especially when there were stark discrepancies amongst them. One of Hubby's Aunty and Uncle for instance, could not come to an agreement about their first meeting place ~ whether it was Pulau Belakang Mati or Pulau Bukom? LOL, that was really cute! But somehow it made me think ~ the longer you are in the marriage, the more likely you are to take things for granted and to forget about the little / nitty gritty details. I am right, no?

3) Cantik Cherating

Okay, I have to admit that Cherating is NOT part of Singapore but I can't resist making the comparison between the local beaches and those across the causeway.

Last year, the members of Fikiran Plaza (Hubby Dearest's close pals from SP), went on a trip to Cherating during the long weekend we had on Labour Day. We had an exhilirating time, with all the swimming, 'lepak'ing and not forgetting, THE FOOD.


Cantik Cherating 2005

My family had so much fun that we decided to make a trip to Cherating for the third time this June ~ now with the 8 Sahabatz (my buddies since Sec 1). The 8 Sahabatz embarked on their first maiden trip across the causeway some time during the school holidays. After deleting several Sahabatz off the list (more specifically, Has just gave birth, Mas went to US, Za flew to Aussieland and Sham had to succumb to the demands of work), we were left with only 4 who were able to proceed with the plan. The 2 nights in Cherating and another 2 in KL was definitely an experience to be remembered.

Despite the short duration of the trip, I felt that it was a great getaway for all of us. The sand, the sun and the sea was really breathtaking and beyond description. We were lucky that Hyatt (the hotel we stayed in) had a private beach so we were there practically most of the time.

Laf, I will always remember the mummyhood conversations we had as we sat by the beach, with the waves tickling our feet and sea breeze blowing against our faces. Siti, you proved to be an endearing mum, putting on a smile nonetheless, despite having to care for little Seif who fell ill during our trip.

Lynn Zuhrah, thank you for being a great role model, a big sister and most of all, a friend to Iman. Your demure and dainty qualities will always be admired and remembered. :)


Cantik Cherating 2006

Indulging In Innocence @ 6:25 PM


Monday, July 03, 2006

DISNEY'S CARS & SESAME STREET SHOW ~ A TRIP TO DREAMLAND

Remember my dream of bringing and developing Iman to become my buddy in attending concerts, musicals and the likes?

Well, the verdict is out. Iman KNOCKS OUT whenever she attends such shows. Believe it or not, Iman could actually sleep through the TWO shows she attended over the hols. Yes, TWICE.

Despite her enthusiasm and effervescence prior to the two shows, Iman could not resist the temptation of putting her head on my lap and quietly dozing off in the middle of the shows. What began as an exciting show, slowly became a losing battle, with Iman trying her very best to stay awake.


Iman With The Sesame Street Gang


What went wrong? Well, for one, there were not many songs that the children could relate to in the Sesame Street Show. After a while, it got pretty monotonous and er, boring... And as for Iman's FIRST movie screening (i.e. Disneys Cars) it was probably the wrong timing. I chose to watch the 11 a.m. show and by the time it ended at around 1 p.m., Iman was already super-dee-duper sleepy and craving for her afternoon nap. I tried to persuade and entice (er, more like bribe actually) her to stay awake but to no avail.

Iman: Mummy, I want to go home. I want to sleeeeeeeeeep... (Sitting down along the aisle of the cinema seats).

Mummy: Er, just a little while, darling. It is finishing soon.

Iman: But Iman tireeeeeeeeed...

Mummy: Ok, but after this we are going to Toys R Us, Iman. Mummy will buy for you some toys, ok? (Hoping she would take the bait becos I dont want to carry her home).

Iman: Ok, but after Iman sleeplah. (Comfortably putting her head on my lap and started to close her eyes).

Mummy: (Speechless & dumbfounded).


So there. Iman got the last say. To make the story short, I had to carry my hefty 3 year old home on BOTH occasions. Lesson learnt: Strollers. Never leave home without it. Especially so when bringing out Iman during the afternoons.

Indulging In Innocence @ 8:12 AM


Sunday, July 02, 2006

GENTARASA 2006 ~ A BLAST FROM THE PAST

Browsing through the pics that are meant for the school website, I stumbled upon some fascinating images of Gentarasa 2006. In its third year running, Gentarasa 2006 was coincidentally, the pet project of Encik Osman Hamid (the instructor for my Malay Dancers) and Abang Dzul Rabul Jalil (my hubby's dear cousin).

What was initially meant as a gesture of support to Encik Osman and Abang Dzul turned out to be a delightful evening, filled with excitement and magnificent sound effects. Mesmerized by the fascinating items, I started to look back in time.


A Sneak Peek At Gentarsa 2006 ~ Courtesy Isabellahiri

Having an aesthetically-inclined dad (who used to be a journalist at BH and subsequently joined the now defunct TV12 as a scriptwriter), concerts and musical shows soon became an annual affair - particularly so because daddy dearest received lots of complimentary tickets.

I became HOOKED. No sooner than expected, I became a fan of concerts, theatres and the likes. Besides being involved in concerts myself (e.g performed boria and dikir barat during my TPJC and NUS days - believe it or not, I was the pemain gendang & rebana..:)), attending Gema Dikir, Gema Puisi, Pesta Peti Putih etc became something which I always looked forward to.

Alas, all these excitement came to a halt when I got married. Somehow, hubby dearest does not share my interest in these concerts which he termed as "a total waste of time". "I'd rather sit in front of the laptop and play Command & Conquer," he'd always say. Well, I DID try to coax him into going to a concert recently in June. I thought "Rock Opera - The Musical" would entice him (being a Mat, I thought he'd be somewhat interested... :)) but he proved me wrong. In the end, I totally gave up and decided not to waste the 96 bucks that I've put aside for the tickets.

That was why, when I got to watch Gentarasa 2006, fond memories flooded my mind. Determined, I decided that I would develop my darling Iman aesthetically in any way I can. My sis, Dibz (who is frequently involved as the FOH during Teater Ekamatra's performances) is already looking into ways she can expose Iman to the world of drama & theatre. Hehe, thanks Sis! Hopefully, by doing so, I can get Iman to attend and ENJOY such shows with me in time to come...

Indulging In Innocence @ 10:01 PM


SIMPLE INDULGENCES.

A Walk @ Pasir Ris.

A Swim @ Downtown East.

A Taste of Ben & Jerry's.

A Moment With Mummy & Daddy.







INDULGING IN MEMORIES.

Mummy's Multiply



INDULGING IN AUNTIES & UNCLES WHO CARE.

* Anne * Chp700 * Chegu Thamrin
* Dee * Faridah * Haz&Sham
* Idayu * Izad&Hana * Junaidah
* Lady Lee * Lin * Mamadewi
* Mariah * MeliciousMum * Moby
* Nadiah * Nisha * Raihanah
* Salihah * ShaSharina * Shidah
* Syafiqah * Syazah * Tea
* Tiq * Yara * Yasmin
* Zakiyyah * Zulaiha



INDULGING IN PALS WHO CARE.

* Tata Cute
* Dini Amani
* Baby Aniq
* Baby Nunu
* Lynn Zuhrah
* Nana & Wawa
* Ajab & Ayeed
* Hannah & Hanney



INDULGING IN US.

* June 2006
*
July 2006
*
August 2006
*
September 2006
*
October 2006
*
November 2006
*
December 2006
*
January 2007
*
February 2007
*
March 2007



INDULGING IN MUSIC.
"The Reason" by Hoobastank
(Aladdin & Princess Jasmine Version)