Memory Lane Pizza

My kids are on their term break for a week from the 24th October. We normally look forward to every break and would usually go out of town but since we are still on our CMCO, we are stuck at home. I've planned out a few activities for us to do together at home and one of it is to make pizza together. We've done it before and not only it is fun, the pizzas are really yummy too.

We order the Pizza Kit from Pizza Lab. For some reason, they dont deliver it to my house on the day I wanted to order them. I thought it was strange because I remember using GrabFood for it the last time. But nevermind. Since it is not available for delivery, I decided to drive there to pick it up. I needed a break from being home too. A drive cant be that bad.

I wasnt sure where the place was. I tried using WAZE to gauge roughly where it is but somehow, I couldnt figure it out. I left my house and off I went. Bear in mind I am a PJ girl (I was born in PJ and grew up there), I still couldnt figure where this place is. For some reason, I felt like WAZE was taking me for a ride. It felt long and I kept asking myself why didnt I just hire GOGET to pick it up for me. 

Finally, I ended up in PJ SS2. Right in front of the house I grew up in. My grandma's house. I lived there with her pretty much the whole time because my mom was working. OMG. Why did I end up here? Why did WAZE take me to SS2? This brought back so many memories. That padang where I used to play with my neighbour. I got really emotional as I was driving around that area. I stopped for a while to figure it out and I suddenly thought of my arwah grandma. I suddenly remembered all the sweet memories I had with her in that house and I got a bit teary. 

I turned WAZE back on and proceeded to the shop. It was across the other side of the taman and I was wondering why WAZE took me to this area. There is a shorter route there for sure. For the remaining of the day, I kept going down memory lane.

We made our pizza that night and it was delicious. It is a very good pizza indeed and what a journey it was today for me. 

It has been almost 6 months since my Tokmi left us. I still think about her every now and then and missing her always. Most days grieving is bearable but sometimes it comes back and it is very overwhelming. I miss her so much it hurts. Especially that feeling of not knowing where she is or how she is doing. 

I kept thinking about her all night. I recited Al-fatihah and read the Quran for her. Going back memory lane to the house today was such a nostalgic feeling. It feels really warm and although it makes me miss her so much, it didnt really made me sad. It's a feeling I find hard to explain. Suddenly I feel like she is OK. She is home, where she belong with her Creator. It's so weird but for the first time, I feel like she really is in a better place. 

The next day, I was having lunch and suddenly my phone beeps. It was a reminder and it says "Tokmi's Birthday" 

OMG. How could I forget??? 

Indeed it was her birthday. She would have been 90. I've been so busy with life that I completely had forgotten about her birthday. Tears fell down my cheeks. Then suddenly it all made sense. It was almost like WAZE took me to our childhood home for a reason. To remind me of my wonderful grandma on what would have been her 90th birthday. MasyaAllah. How great is it that it all worked out like that?

Oh Allah, please take care of my grandma till we meet again. Amin...

Please recite Alfatihah for my grandma Sharifah Ainon Bt Syed Khalid. A lovely person she was and dearly missed by all of us.
 

Are we ready for Darurat?

24 October 2020 marks another huge milestone in our numbers of new cases of Covid-19 in Malaysia. Rumours are going around that the government will declare state of emergency (darurat) soon. What is happening, Malaysia?

I dont know politics and to be perfectly honest, I am quite disgusted by the politics going on here in my country. It's just sad that we have come to this especially since we were doing so well before the Sabah election. I had so much hope during the last election and really was hoping for a change but I guess, we are NOT ready for change.

State of emergency in Malaysia. What exactly does that mean? We seem to think any big change is a good idea but the execution of it, we know we are not ready. What will happen if an emergency is declared in Malaysia? I have no idea other than Parliament will be suspended and elections can be postponed. While all that sounds good because that is the last thing we need right now (elections), I am afraid of the other implications it might have to our country. Fear of the unknown. 

Whatever it is, I hope that our leaders will sort it out, somehow. It is their job and responsibilities to do so. I fear for our children. Living under these conditions for a long time. Taken out of school for long cant be a good thing. Something needs to be done soon so we can get back to where we were. Slowly but surely.

I'm praying for you, Malaysia.

In Covid season

 I saw a video from WHO that is quite depressing. It says that this coronavirus is here to stay. I was in denial when I heard it. I dont want to accept it. Is this really the forever new norm? *cries a river* 

After processing that information, I realise that the sooner we all accept the fact that coronavirus is here to stay, the better it is for us. OK, so I have accepted it. I dont like it but I have to accept it. 

Now, the next stage is the tough part. What do we do when we have finally come to terms to this information? How do we endure another wave or another lockdown? I have figured it out and want to share them with you.

1. Stay calm

In whatever situation we face, we need to BIBO (breathe in breathe out) first! There is nothing much we can do about this pandamic. We just need to stay calm.

2. Get enough rest

Sometimes you think you are at home and getting more rest than when you're out and about. But that's not true for some people. Staying home can be tiring too. Especially for SAHMs, there's more cleaning to do, definitely more cooking, more activities to do with the kids. You're not only physically tired but you're mentality tired as well so make sure you are getting enough rest by sleeping 8 hours a night. 

3. Immune Boosting supplements 

I'm sure everyone is diligently taking their supplements now right? I know I do. I normally am a bit lazy when it comes to taking supplements. Some days I will take them and some days I tend to ignore it. But in Covid season, make sure you do. Try to add immune boosting supplements such as Zinc, Vitamin D and Vitamin C. Of course you can add more to this but if you dont want to take so many, make sure you take these ones as this pretty much covers your immune system. (disclamer: before you try any supplements, make sure you consult your doctor first)

 

4. Drink lots of water & eat nutritious food

If you can, try to add lemon in your water too. It helps keep you hydrated and be sure to check your pee to make sure it is pale or a clear colour. Eat food that are nutritious with lots of fruits and vegetables with different colours. 

Stay safe everyone!

Lockdown version 2

I guess we all saw it coming after the Sabah elections. That election was a big mistake! Politicians might say otherwise, of course but we are not politicians and all we see is the numbers rising after the election. Why is it so important to be Politicking when we are facing a pandemic, I wonder?

Last week, the school announced that they're ready for online classes to resume. At this point, we knew it was a matter of time before school shuts again. Oh no!!! No more online classes, please!!! Seeing how the numbers kept rising, we knew that it was best to shut the school. More and more schools are affected too. It was scary. Sending my kids to school daily is like a big risk that we parents had to take daily. 

Yesterday, it was announced that KL, Selangor and Putrajaya will be under CMCO (Conditional Movement Control Order). Honestly speaking, I dont even know what that means anymore because to me, it just means we are all stuck at home again.

What is the plan?

1. I will be painting A LOT more. Yes, since I dont have to go out and no more school runs, I have more free time to paint. I have a few projects lined up. Hopefully I will get to finish them by the end of this month. 

2. My kids will be doing their online classes daily. This will probably drive me nuts but let's pray we will manage OK. 

3. I will be cooking a lot more. Something I am not looking forward to do (I'm sure my husband and kids arent too happy about that too). 3 big meals a day. Thinking about it is giving me anxiety. Thank God for grabfood!

4. Read more Quran. 

5. Netflix! Whats good to watch? Any Kdramas to recommend?

Most important is, to stay calm and stay safe. We are in this together! #kitajagakita

Mental Health Day

 

My doodle for Mental Health Day

On the 10th October, we celebrated the World Mental Health Day. I see many posts on social media on this topic and decided to write one too because mental health is often neglected but yet it is so very important. Especially in this pandemic, a lot are struggling and sometimes we dont realise how it has a huge impact in our lives.

Children these days are required to wear masks whenever they're out. They're not free to play like how they used to and should do too. Schooling environment is not the same anymore. Surely, this will have some kind of impact on their mental health.

When I pray with my kids, I often ask them to talk to Allah the way they would speak normally and a few times they have asked Allah to let things go back to how it used to. This shows that although they're still happy kids, this pandemic has somewhat affected them. 

Our mental health is just as important as our physical health but it is often neglected. I remember a time when I was going through a rough patch in my life and I struggled. I kept saying to myself to move on and keep walking but some days are just tough and I felt like giving up. At that time, I had everything I needed in life but I was not happy. I felt like I was ungrateful. Many others would want my life but yet, I felt depressed and that made me feel like it was wrong to feel depressed. But you know what? Mental health doesnt discriminate. You can have the best life but still depression might kick in. It doesnt mean you are ungrateful, it just means you need help.

Thankfully I got out of it. Looking back, it may not have been THAT bad but when I was going through it, it was hell. I figured for this Mental Health Day perhaps I should give some pointers on how to cope when you feel like your world is tumbling down. I know it helped me so if you're going through something, it might work for you too...

 1. PRAY. I cant stress this enough but talking to your Creator does help you in many ways than you can imagine. When I was going through my rough patch, I prayed. But I noticed that at the time, I only prayed and talked to God only when I'm down. That shouldnt be the way but that was how it was for me. The minute I prayed, I felt better. Alhamdulillah, I no longer pray only when I'm down. I also learnt that now, when I'm grateful, I should pray too. 

2. CRY. Cry your hearts out. Sometimes a good cry really helps. Lock yourself in the room for a while and have a good cry. But not too long, that's not healthy too!

3. Speak to your family or friends. A listening ear can do a world of good when you are feeling down. I do this a lot. My best friend is my go-to person whenever I feel down.Somehow she just have this thing that makes me look at things in a different perspective when I'm down and instantly feel better. I try to hide things from my family because I dont want them to worry so usually I will speak to my best friend but if you are more comfortable speaking to a family member, do that. 

4. Believe it or not, I watch cat videos when I'm down. I'm not a crazy cat person but I do think they're cute and watching cat videos can make me feel happy. Or baby videos. Babies will always make you feel better because they're awww so cute. 

5. Take a break. Life can be overwhelming. Even if you have the best life, it can get overwhelming sometimes. Take a break from your daily routine. Stop and drop everything and just focus on yourself for a second. Go for that haircut or a makeover. Go for a massage or facial. Pamper yourself. You deserve it!

6. Know that there's light at the end of the tunnel. Trust the process. You will get there. Have faith. 

7. Use oils that can help you with your emotions. There are a few that I use but one favourite is Release and Frankincense. Each time I feel a bit off emotionally, I will put a drop on my palms and rub it. Then I will inhale it. Alhamdulillah, that worked for me.

8. If all fails, talk to a professional. There is nothing wrong with being sick. Just like you take a panadol when you have fever, there are medications for your depression or anxiety or whatever you are going through. Speak to a professional and seek help. The only way you can get out of this is if you get help. Dont be afraid to ask for help. It doesnt show weakness, it only shows strength and your willingness to get out of this. I went to a therapist and got help. It doesnt mean I am weak. I came out stronger after that. Nothing to be ashamed of.

For this year's Mental Health Day, I wish you all a good day and ya, 2020 is kind of depressing if you look at it but we also have so many things to be grateful for. Remember to seek help if you're down and InsyaAllah, things will get better for all of us soon. 

Take care and stay safe!

Immune booster

 As you all know, we had a record of 432 new cases yesterday (5th October 2020) and it is the highest so far in Malaysia. Whatsapp has been buzzing all day with forwarded messages from people around KL about the ladies lockdown or cases in nearby area. One Utama, Paradigm Mall, Seni Mont Kiara are some of the places with positive covid cases.

I am worried!!!!

Part of me wants to stay at home and part of me just wants to go out and get on with it. You just never know because it is already in our community. Should we hide in the cave and so self lockdown until this is over?

My plan is to limit our outdoor activities. Since the lockdown in March, my kids havent really been out much. We do go for meals once in a while but mostly, they're home. My husband and I have been eating out as usual but that too needs to cut down soon seeing the number are rising exponentially. We dont go out much but we need to cut down our outings even more.

Another thing we can do is boost up our immune system. We eat our supplements religiously and even more these days. We try to make sure we are strong to fight this virus that cant be seen with out naked eyes.

 

I am also diffusing oils that can support our immune system a lot. Immupower is one of the oils I use regularly these days. I also apply them under our feet before we sleep at night. Unfortunately, this is SOLD OUT at the moment. As an alternative, you can also use Thieves Essential Oil.

On another note, this is the painting I am working on now. Cantik kan? My friend just moved to her new home and this is my gift for her. What colour frame would be nice for this painting? I am leaning towards gold. What do you think??

#accidentalpainter

Lockdown again?

 

Source: MOH Website

Malaysia reported a high 260 new cases of Covid-19 yesterday. Malaysia, are we prepared for another lockdown? I am super worried, are you? 

It all started from Sabah this time around. The election in Sabah last week was a big huge mistake. I dont know why politicians feel that it is important to have an election when we are clearly still fighting this world pandemic. I dont know about politics (obviously) and I probably couldnt care less about it but I am worried and frustrated that we have to start back at square one. We were doing so well, Malaysia!!!

I am frustrated that schools might be closed again when we have just started a routine. My kids have just started to get used to the new routine and the new school. We have just started our extra curricular activities and slowly getting back into the routine. 

What can we do now?

DG said to stay at home as much as we can. Luckily for us, we have been doing that since the start of this pandemic. No more window shopping, especially with the kids. We make sure that we all wash our hands, change our clothes the minute we get home. We wear mask religiously (although we absolutely hate it). In other words, this lifestyle has become our new normal. We hate it, but we do it.

We cant afford another lockdown. This time it is really #kitajagakita literally. So be safe guys. No one can protect our family except for us. I cant wait for all this to be over. Please find a vaccine FAST! I cant take living like this anymore.