GALentines Day

I forgot all about Valentines Day this year until my friend posted something on the group chat to wish us a Happy Galentines Day. I didnt even know what Galentines Day was. I have become that blur.

We had no special plans obviously. Everyday is just another day. My son has been playing Fortnite with my best friend's son a lot lately (blame covid for their extra screen time!) and one day decided to play together in person. To cut long story short, they decided to do that playdate on the 14 February, which was a Sunday after Chinese New Year. They dont have piano class on that day (normally, they do have class every Sunday) and Monday is the start of school after being on half term break. I thought, why not, let them play since it's their school break anyway. They havent seen each other for ages and I havent seen my best friend in 6 months. That way, I get to see my best friend too. And her husband's birthday is approaching and she had commissioned me a painting that her husband wanted. I had to deliver it to her anyway. Perfect!

Off we went to her house which is half way across town. Luckily there werent any traffic and only 1 roadblock.

I dropped my son off and stayed there for a bit. It was nice to see her kids because I havent seen them for so long. We decided to have some quality GAL time and went for lunch at a nearby cafe. It was empty, which is good.

I had such a nice time catching up and it just felt so so good. We talked about my artwork and she was trying to convince me to sell them. I just feel like I'm not ready to sell but she is my biggest fan and want me to go all out with it. (I love her!!!!) 

At the restaurant, we had so much food and the food was amazing. I havent had a meal outside in so long. I forgot how nice it is to eat out and how much I've missed it.

I painted this for her for her office. She absolutely loved it. It feels so good when someone loves the work that you do, doesnt it? I was over the moon. 

We spent about 2 hours at the cafe before heading back to her house to pick up my son. I gave her husband the painting and he was so happy with his birthday gift. I couldnt be happier.

I got home feeling absolutely excited and my spirit was so high I was so happy. I am happy that my son had a good time playing with the kids. He havent had that in a long time. I am happy that I got to see my best friend and catch up on a lot of things. We talk to each other almost daily but its not the same as talking face to face. I didnt realise how much I missed her until I left her house. I was really so happy.

You know, we might think we are dealing and coping with this whole Covid situation well but sometimes, we dont realise that there are parts missing from our lives that Covid has taken from us. I hope we will be able to keep the numbers low so I can meet up with family and friends more often. I miss my life. I miss being out.

How are you?

We are still under lockdown and I've lost count. I have no clue what day it is or how long we've been in this MCO. When is this all going to be over? 

I've been feeling really down the last couple of weeks. I'm just sick and tired of living this way. I feel like I am wasting my time. I feel like my kids are losing out a lot. But each time I have this negative thoughts or moments of weakness, I snap out of it pretty quickly. I have to count our blessings and remind myself that we have so much to be thankful for. But I'm only human. I have my good and bad days.

This week, my kids started their mid term break. I feel like with online classes, we need breaks and I am so happy that we have no classes this whole week. Chinese New Year is coming up too. Kids have been on their online class since January and I think, this break is needed for us to just chill. We have an art project to do for school. We decided to do it as a family.

Family

This is what we come up with. It is all our initials. This painting is titled Family. We each painted our own initials and chose our colours. This really sums us up. I love the colours and we had fun painting this.

Apart from forcing my kids to participate in this art project (it was not compulsory to do), I also did some painting myself. This is painted on canvas. One morning, I had Sheila Majid music on spotify and just started painting away. Go with the flow intuitive painting. I love how the colours look so nice together. I posted this on my instagram and my friend booked it immediately. I'm still not confident enough to sell my paintings but soon, I think I will. One thing I need to learn is take better photos. 

Yesterday, I went to BSC to do some grocery shopping and stopped by Times Bookstore. I got myself a Sudoku book. Dont ask me why!!! I feel like I'm forgetting things even more lately. Maybe I need to start Sudoku and solving Maths problems or something. I used to do Sudoku a lot but I havent done in years. When I started this today, I couldnt do it as fast as I thought I could. Felt stupid for a while. But once I got the hang of it, it is actually fun to do.

So that's me. I've had a productive week, I think. I just need to keep myself busy. Hope you are all doing the same and keeping busy. Cant wait for this to be over. Stay safe everyone!

Staying Positive

It's hard to believe that we've been living this Covid life for over a year. How did we survive living like this for so long? I got to say that I have good days and I have bad days. Right now, I'm just feeling really exhausted, tired of being at home. I miss seeing my family members, I miss seeing my friends. I miss being around people. I just want things to go back to normal. I feel like I am slowly falling apart.

I spoke to my husband about it and he said we need to be thankful that we have this life. Some people out there are struggling and yet we are still able to sleep very comfortably at night. He is ABSOLUTELY right. 

I am thankful, dont get me wrong. But we do have our little struggles too. It is OKAY to have be weak and have moments when you feel like you are breaking. It is only normal to feel that way but what is most important is to always be thankful because someone out there have it much worse than us.

I have to remain positive. Keep moving and hopefully, this too will pass.

I am so happy that I found my "happy place" in Art. I switch on my Spotify and paint away. It is amazing how calming it is. I recently downloaded old songs I grew up with. Songs from the 90s and early 2000s and boy, they're all so awesome. Brings back lots of old memories. I am singing and painting. It is not a pretty sight sometimes but it makes me feel a thousand times better. 

I hope you have your "happy place" too wherever you are. I pray all this will be over soon. Amin.

Stay positive. Remember, all this will go down in history as something so great we overcome. Not long now, hang in there!

Happy New Year 2021

 

I painted this wreath

Hello 2021!!!

It is hard to believe that 2021 is finally here. In 2020 we cant wait to leave the year behind and move on. 2020 was such a trying time for everyone. Alhamdulillah, we are here. We are still given the gift of life and I am hopeful that things will get better. Insya Allah.

We were home this time for New Year's eve. My kids weren't too happy as their cousins we all away in Penang. Initially we thought of going away somewhere too but somehow, we just couldnt make up our minds. I guess there's this fear at the back of our heads if it is even safe to be out. We decided not to waste our money on hotel and instead, went shopping for new clothes. My kids grew so much in 1 year. We havent been shopping in that long. My daughter's shoe size has gone up too that she can no longer wear kids size. Soon we will be the same size.

New Year's Eve

We went out to buy some balloons and party decor. It was just the 4 of us but we just wanted to make it special for the kids. We ended up playing Nintendo Switch (Boys Vs Girls) and that was a lot of fun. Nothing special but there you have it.... we have all the things that mattered to us most. Family, a roof over our heads and food on the table. We are truly blessed.

I wish you all a very wonderful 2021. I pray things will get better for all of us and hopefully we can go back to our normal lives. I pray for covid to go away. 

Happy New Year readers. May God bless us always. 

Online Vs Traditional School

It is no competition. Traditional school is of course better in every possible way. Let's be clear of that.

Since March 2020, we have been on online school. Some days are great but some days I wonder if we should even bother attending them. Most of the time, I just wish and pray it would end and my kids can go back to physical school. They miss their friends.

Back in March, after being in lockdown for a while and not having any interactions with their friends and teachers, they were both very excited to see them online. I remember the first week of online class. No one was actually learning anything as they were just excited to see their friends and not focusing at all. Teachers also struggled to keep the class quiet before they discovered how to mute everyone.It was a learning process for all. It is not easy for everyone involved and certainly not an ideal environment. 

Parents are struggling to find a spot for the kids to do the class. Imagine having more than 1 kid. It is so hard to walk around the house when class is in session too. We have to mind our conversations because the other side could be listening and it can be distracting. I've heard so many parents talking in the background many times. I've even heard them shouting and screaming to their staff too(they were working from home). There's also connectivity problems here and there that parents need to be on top of because I can promise you there will be at least once when they cant connect due to poor wifi. We have to be on standby. My new job this year is IT Support. Gosh I hate this title so much!

Kids are struggling because online classes can get really boring sometimes. It is not the same as being in school. Getting the help from teachers is harder to do online than offline. Distractions at home too when the fridge(and snakcs) are just a feet away. They're constantly snacking throughout class and it is not so simple to just stop them from getting drinks during class. 

Teachers are struggling too. It is so much easier to manage a class on site than online. You dont know who is paying attention and who just doze off when you're online. Bless them. They do try and I do feel for the teachers. It is really not easy. They also miss the kids a lot. Most teachers will tell you that they prefer traditional school too.

On top of everything else..... we pay school fees to have our kids in school and getting all the benefits of being there. Some schools dont offer much discount. Parents are paying more to keep their kids home. Yes, their safety is number 1 in everything but we cant discount the fact that we are paying for something we are not getting 100%. 

I wish schools would be more understanding to the fact that online class is not for everyone. Some parents requested to pull their kids out of school (and not attend online class at all) but this is not allowed by most schools. The standard withdrawal procedure would apply in such cases but we are living in Covid time here. Shouldnt they take this into consideration too? Most schools are money making machine and fortunately for them, despite this pandemic they are still making money. I dont think this is fair.

For me, I am grateful that we have an option to send our kids to online school because most arent so lucky. Government school kids dont really have this option and some dont even have electronic devices to support online lessons. So yes, I am grateful that we still have this option BUT I feel the pain in the pocket having to pay so much for something that shouldnt necessarily cost this much. We dont have that option to just opt out at this point but if we did, maybe I might just opt for that. My kids wont miss much academically if I take them out of school completely. I'm not worried about that. For me, the social aspect of school is important too. But like I said, the policy and procedures that we have to follow is such, we cant do that.

I miss seeing my kids playing with their friends in person. They interact and play with their friends online daily but it isnt the same. I miss sending them off to school and listening to their stories when I pick them up. I miss seeing them do stuff other than being on their devices all day every day. 

Covid, please go away!

Things I love about 2020

 Hello, December!!!

Can you believe it is already the end of 2020? I am finding it hard to believe how fast time has passed. Part of me is glad that it is coming to an end but part of me is wondering what good would 2021 be if we havent found a solution to our problems in 2020?

Whatever it is, new year is approaching and I would like to pen down some of the things I love about 2020. I'm hopeful that 2021 will be a better year. InsyaAllah

Here are the some things I love about my 2020

My Umrah trip

Missing this view

It was such a good trip for my soul. I needed that trip more than I thought and Alhamdulillah I came back a much better, person. That trip was everything! Allah permudahkan everything right from the get-go for all of us. Everything was perfect and we had an amazing experience. I am so blessed that my first time to Mekah was with my husband and both my children. I was so happy that my children got to experience it with me and my husband made it so comfortable for all of us. Thinking about it makes me miss it so much. I cant wait to go back. We all want to go back as soon as the gates are opened and as soon as this Covid-19 over. 

My Hijrah

I never thought I'd wear the hijab anytime soon. I always thought I'd be like my mum. She started wearing the hijab at the age of 60 if I'm not mistaken so I thought I'd probably be like that too. I had no plans to wear it and was struggling at the idea of wearing it in Mekah because I'm just not used to it. Before Mekah, I bought a few designs that I thought would be suitable for Umrah and that was it. I have a few Duck tudungs in my collection (that I bought over the years for tahlil and all that) but I never wore it and didnt know how to style it. I was clueless.

View from my hotel room

But when I came back to KL, I felt like I have to keep it on. It didnt feel right taking it off. I remember getting ready to go to the supermarket for the first time and still debating with my own self if I should wear it or shouldnt. In the end, my good self won. I kept it on and it has been smooth sailing. All my worries about styling, about how people might perceive me, about clothes to wear were all gone. It was as if I've been wearing it my whole life. It was that natural. 

I left for Mekah on the 25th February and that was the first day I had my hijab on and never took it off. That was my hijrah day and 2020 made it possible. At 40 years of age I started wearing hijab. 

My 2020 Ramadhan

Ramadhan this year was so different from the previous years. We were in lockdown and couldnt do much but order food and stay indoors. This year's Ramadhan was the best ever because it was the only time that we got to really spend at home and focus on being a good muslim. We normally have lots of distractions but this year I felt like fasting was easier. Somehow getting up for Sahur was easier too. Terawikh with the kids felt natural. Keeping prayers was easy too because we were at home with not much things to do. I feel like it was the best Ramadhan to date. I started reading the Quran too during this Ramadhan. Although I wanted to Khatam within that month, I didnt get to do it. But InsyaAllah, I'll try harder. 

Quality Family Time

This year we spent A LOT of time at home and not much travelling, which is a shame because we are HUGE on traveling. But despite not being able to do the normal things we do as a family, I feel happy that we are spending a lot of time together. We are usually too busy with the outside world and sometimes hardly have time for each other but this year, we are always together. When we do get together with other family members (cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncle), it is always short but it is always fun because we know not to take things for granted. Alhamdulillah, I think 2020 has brought lots of family closer together. In my case, I think it has and I love that about 2020.

Discovering New Passion

The painting that I am working on now

One of the things I love about 2020 is when I rediscovered my passion for art. I wouldnt have picked it up if it werent for the lockdown. I have so much time at home now and this is how I fill my time. Exploring new ideas and painting. I'm not a professional and far from it. I still dont know what my style is but I love exploring and so far I've gotten quite good feedback from friends and family. 

2020 is not that bad.

How are you?

 

We need more love in this world

As you all know, the RMCO is extended until 6 December 2020. The year is almost over and everything is crashing down. We still havent found a vaccine (although there are talks saying it is 90% done) and we are still living with lots of uncertainties. Honestly speaking, I am starting to feel demotivated. It is really starting to drain every inch of me.

I know we are supposed to embrace this uncertainty and continue to live our lives the best way we can but some days, I really feel beaten. I keep thinking how almost a year has gone and we are back at square one (after the Sabah election). I hate to see my kids growing up with no physical interactions with their friends and I hate seeing them relying too much on their devices. I know we are lucky that at least we have that option because unlike us, many dont have this luxury. Majority of the people out there (especially in the rural areas) are suffering much more than us. This, makes me even more sad.

Mental health is real. So many are struggling out there. It's not fair to say that we dont feel it or we feel less stressed because I think no matter where we are, no matter how comfortable life is, we all feel it in some way or the other. We all struggle in our daily lives living with this whole pandemic that has taken over everything we've ever known.

Oh God. Please give us strength.

I was talking to some friends about this. Some are working moms, some are housewives. I noticed that we are all going through something. Working from home isnt easy. Being a housewife with kids and husband at home 24 hours a day isnt easy too. Kids being home without having friends to talk to and play with are going through a hard time too whether they notice it or not.

Hope everyone is coping and managing well. Remember that whatever you do, whoever you are...you are not alone. We are all in this together. Hang in there.

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 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. 

Covid Situation in Malaysia

 Malaysia started our Restricted Movement Order on the 18th March this year and things have never been the same. Ever since then, things have gotten somewhat better but we are still in Covid days and still waiting for it to be over. Alhamdulillah, unlike many other countries, we are handling it pretty well. Kudos to Tan Sri Noor Hisham and his team for their excellent hardwork in fighting covid-19. The SOPs that are in place in most places are pretty good. In school, for example, things are running pretty smoothly with the SOPs set up by the MOH and by the school. I couldnt be happier that the kids are back in school. Being at home for this long isnt healthy and they really need to get back out there!

Our numbers are rising this past few weeks. This is quite worrying. There's also an election coming up in Sabah and that is also something that will definitely increase the numbers. People are traveling to Sabah and bringing back the virus to Semenanjung. It is already starting to see that. 

My advice to all Malaysians is please be responsible. If you are coming from states that are in the red zone, please self quarantine yourself and your family. Yes you are free to travel anywhere within Malaysia but just be a responsible citizen. 

1. Wear a mask at all times (except when you are dining)

2. Practice social distancing. This is obviously not happening in Sabah at the moment as they are busy campaigning! It is scary especially when some dont even wear masks 

3. Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands!! 

With just these 3 simple things, we can do so much better in keeping the numbers low. We've done so well, let's not get locked down again! I cant handle staying home for too long!

Come on Malaysians, be responsible!

Donation Drive

Back in March, when the MCO started I spent a lot of time going through the FB Page of Syed Azmi (a social activist) where he posted photos and stories of many families who are affected by the lockdown. Many of these families lost their income due to Covid-19 lockdown and needed help. There were so many of them out there who needed all the help they can get just for food. It is really heartbreaking.

His posts made me feel sad. At the same time, it made me feel so fortunate because I have a comfortable life, roof over my head and food on my table. Sometimes it doesnt seem fair! I have to do something to help. 

I handpicked a few families from there and in the little ways I can, I try to help them by making some donations to these families. It may not be much but like I said, sometimes all they need is just food for that day.

I have never met any of them personally. I try not too form any bond because I dont want to get too emotional. Some are not even in KL but we do send each other text messages every now and then. I ended up being friends with them via whatsapp. Sometimes, it is not even money that they need, it is just a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to. I always doa for them and that is also another form of sedekah.

Recently one of the families texted me to inform me that they will be homeless soon. My heart sank. They were not able to pay the rent and utility bills for the past few months. The worst part is, both her elderly parents are not mobile and very sick. She's a single mom and her monthly income is only RM600. 

 

I've done my part to help this family but of course it is not enough to help them in the next few months. Their landlord has increased their rental and by 4th September, they will be evicted from their home. With children and elderly parents, she needs all the help she can get.

If you would like to join my donation drive, please email me at dewdropmummy@gmail.com and I will forward you more details of this family. You will deal directly with her from there and all donations will be transferred directly to their account (and not to my bank account). Even RM10 would help them get by. Please share. Let's try to help this family together!

If you dont want to donate money, please pray for them. May Allah reward you abundantly for all your help. Thank you...

UPDATES:

28 AUGUST 2020 - Alhamdulillah, thank you all for your donations. I have received quite a few emails and some have offered to help too. Together we can help this family faster. I was told by the lady that today, they will finally get the keys to their new home. Hopefully they will be happy in their new home. They borrowed some money, some were from our donations and Alhamdulillah, they managed to pool enough money for the first installment of the deposit for the new unit. Thank you so much for your help. May Allah accept our good deeds abundantly. Amin!

7 SEPTEMBER 2020 - Donations drive officially closed. Thank you so much for all your donations. Alhamdulillah they're all settled in in their new home. She thank you all for the help and couldnt have done it without all our help. Alhamdulillah. I am so happy we managed to help this family.

Thank you again!

Will traveling ever be the same?

We travel a lot as a family. It is something we always look forward to every school holiday. Near or far, local or abroad, it doesn't really matter. There is always somewhere to go to suit our budget. Just a click and off we go.

That is pre-covid days, of course.

Last year, we travelled quite a lot. We went to Singapore a bunch of times, we went to Legoland a couple of times, we went to Bangkok a lot too. We went to Kuantan, Penang, Desaru and of course, the highlight of our travels last year was our year end trip to Dubai. It was definitely a holiday to remember. Dubai is AMAZING!

Right before lockdown, we went to Makkah and Madinah for our umrah. That was the last trip abroad. Who would have thought, things will be so different just few months later? We had plans to travel to Europe this year too. Luckily, we didn't make any payment or bookings yet for that trip.
I guess you can say, you can plan all you want but Allah is the BEST planner.

Will traveling ever be the same again?

I don't know.

I worry about a lot of things. I worry about staying in the hotel. I worry about the cleanliness and food. I don't know if we will ever feel safe about traveling again.

Things are different now.

But in times like this, I do believe that it is important to support local. At the moment, our borders are still closed. Most countries aren't allowing and accepting tourists just yet. We don't have much options but to travel within Malaysia.

First stop, Kelantan!

You know you're in Kelantan when you see adverts like this

My husband has some business in Kelantan and since it is our school holidays, we decided to tag along. Although we come to Kelantan a lot, I can see that things aren't the same anymore.

A lot of shops are closed. Things aren't as lively as before. Food in Kelantan is amazing. Although we still got to eat the usual stuff we normally go for, the fear of eating out is there. People in Kelantan don't wear masks like we do in KL. They go about their day to day life as normal but not as full on like before.

The service at the hotel was disappointing. The rooms don't feel as clean. It appears to me that they were understaffed. They probably had to let go a lot of them during the lockdown and now only hiring the very minimum. Took them ages to get something sorted. Buffet breakfast was also very disappointing but luckily we know where to go for breakfast and it was amazing.

The amazing kuihs in Kelantan

Next stop, Kuantan.

Beautiful view from my room

The beach and view was amazing. I loved it and kids loved it too. The resort was full! We didn't get the rooms we wanted although we were a regular at that resort. We had a nice relaxing stay there and it was everything we needed. It is so good to be back.

Vitamin Sea

It was a much needed break. A short one but still very good. Despite the new norm, although not as comfortable as it was, it was still good. I don't now if traveling will ever be the same again but I'm hopeful. For now, we just have to make the best out of what we have. Support local and remember to practice social distancing! Soon, I hope we can travel like we used to again.

Nasi Kandar cravings

During the lockdown, my mum sent some Nasi Kandar over to my house via lalamove. She ordered the Nasi Kandar from this stall in PJ. I'm not really a fan of Nasi Kandar but growing up, if we ever had Nasi Kandar, it would be from this stall. So I have fond memories of it but it is not something I enjoy eating a lot or would normally crave for.

When my mum ordered it, I was quite excited because first of all, I don't have to cook that day and secondly, I haven't had Zainul Nasi Kandar in years!! Maybe more than 10 years! I suddenly remembered how it was when we were growing up and when my mum would bring back ketam and sotong. Yums!

I was hugely disappointed when the food arrived. They got the order wrong and nothing I ordered came. The only thing I had was white rice, the Nasi Kandar gravy and a pathetic piece of fried fish. This don't remind me of my childhood at all! It tasted good tho just not satisfying enough as it was not the usual thing I have. Since then, I've been craving Nasi Kandar. A LOT!

Zainul is across the other side of town for me. I was too lazy to drive all the way there so I opted for the famous Nasi Kandar Kudu in town. Normally the queue is quite long but today, I was glad that I didn't have to queue that long. Their SOP due to Covid-19 is not bad.

It was really fast and I opted for rice, some vege and sotong. I would have chosen more but I didn't want to be greedy!

I got home and opened the pack and couldn't believe how big the portion was. There is no way I could finish this I thought! But I did! I ate it all!

Well, my cravings were certainly satisfied but I think I prefer Zainul to this. I may have to drive to PJ to get Zainul one of these days. Gosh! I ate so much!

I am getting there!!! I need to go back to butterfly days.......

New Normal Shopping Experience

I'm not a shopaholic. I don't enjoy shopping all that much. I don't enjoy window shopping too. I've always been the kind who would only go to malls when I have something specific to buy, go straight to the store, buy it and then leave. I just don't like walking around in malls. I prefer online shopping.

Due to covid-19 pandemic, we now have to adapt to the new style shopping experience. I was in KLCC last week to look for birthday gifts for my husband and I find shopping really stressful in this new condition.

From the carpark, first thing I saw was a long queue to enter KLCC. They will take your temperature first (luckily not manually like other malls!) and then you need to check-in by scanning the QR Code.

Doesn't sound too bad, does it? Well, you have to repeat this at every single store you walk in. I spent a few hours in KLCC that day and after 2-3 stores, I was quite annoyed already.

You are also not allowed to try on clothes too as all fitting rooms are closed. You would need to purchase them, try it at home and if it is not suitable, go back to the store to return or exchange it another day.

I hated shopping before this, and now I hate it even more. My bet is to just buy everything online. Downside is that not all online stores are reliable and of course, some take a long time to get them delivered. Some online stores are not user friendly and their returns policy isn't great. That's why I love shopping on Zalora.

How are you liking the new shopping experience?

Double Celebration

I love this piece from Fleuri Flowers Hartamas

My daughter loves any type of celebration. Her favourite is of course Birthdays. Every birthday in the family is a big deal to her. This weekend, we had a double celebration. My husband's birthday on Saturday and Father's Day on Sunday. We decided to celebrate it on Saturday.

My husband celebrated his 45th birthday on the 20th. We had a good day celebrating it. Although he isn't one who is particularly excited about birthdays, for the sake of our daughter he would usually obliged to singing birthday songs all day, blowing candles and all the works.

We ordered balloons from Alastegiel and it was really beautiful. Exceeded our expectations as we didn't expect it to be too big. It was perfect.

We had a nice meal at Dancing Fish. I particularly enjoyed my cumi bakar (grilled squid) and my son loved the Dancing Fish. At the end of our meal, the ever sporting waiter performed a nice rendition of the Birthday song which blew my daughter away. "Wow, he must have good vocal classes" she said. It was really over the top but it was really good.

My kids haven't seen their cousins since the New Year. They've missed them so much. On Saturday, we invited them out for dinner at Citta Mall Unique Seafood. There were 10 of us and due to the SOP, we had to split to 2 tables, which works out fine because the kids enjoyed their table and the adults can chit chat in peace. Unfortunately, the service and food was quite a disappointment. They were clearly understaffed that night and couldn't cope.

After dinner, we had a cake cutting session, which the kids absolutely loved.  What was supposed to be just 1 birthday song turned out to be 3 sessions. 1 for my husband, 1 for my niece who turned 13 in May during the lockdown and 1 for my mother in law who turned 80 in March. We couldn't celebrate all those due to the lockdown and my daughter suggested for us to sing the birthday songs 3 times. Gosh! It was havoc.

For a second there, we forgot about Covid-19. It felt like how it was during pre Covid days. It felt good. But only for a second. Then we came back to reality and remind ourselves that we shouldn't forget that this war isn't over yet and us going out twice that day was a big deal. Sigh.

My wish is for this to be over and life can go back to normal but I know it won't be for a long time.

Anywho....

We painted this together as a gift for my husband's birthday. We got him other gifts too which I think he preferred than this! ha ha ha! But this one is one to frame.

We love you Papa. Thank you for being our rock and for always putting us first. We are so blessed to have you in our lives.

Happy Father's Day to all fathers out there!

#kitajagakita

The partial lockdown or Movement Control Order (MCO) has officially ended on the 10 June 2020. It has been quite a challenging few months for all of us. The lockdown started in March and since then, we've been at home except for the weekly supermarket trips. I know I can't say we were all on the same boat but we were definitely in the same storm. We all had our own challenges. Mine may not be the same as yours but trust me when I say, it has been a challenge.

This 3 or so months has taught me a lot on what truly matters. The only thing that matters is the people you love. Your family and of course their health. Nothing else matters.

I feel like my perspective in life has somewhat changed too. Those things that was important to me, is not important anymore. Material things. Money. Wealth. What is all that when you are in lockdown? I could be bleeding diamonds, but what good is it if I am stuck at home and when you can't be with your loved ones? Means nothing at all.

Because of the lockdown, my Ramadan was one of the best Ramadan I've ever had in my 40 years of life. It was the most spiritually fulfilled Ramadan and I did that without even trying all that hard. Alhamdulillah. Covid-19 has its blessings too. We got to do a lot of good deeds without even leaving the house. Pahala handed to you on a plate right at the comfort of your own home. It is not something you get every year. Or ever! How lucky were  we?

I don't know why but I feel really emotional that it has come to an end. One part of me is very happy that it is over. I know a lot of people are suffering due to loss of income and some have lost jobs due to this pandemic. I wish I could help them but I know there is not much I can do but offer my doas. One another hand, I am sad that life will go back to normal and we will miss all the opportunities we had being at home.

I'm ready for the next phase. As much as I feel sad that it is over, I am ready.

Thank you to all our frontliners. The doctors, nurses and all the medical staff who works around the clock trying to keep all of us safe. Thank you too to all the Grabfood, Food Panda and all the delivery guys. Without them, we won't be able to dine our favourite meals and I wouldn't be able to send food to my mum and family. Thank you to all the online stores like Shopee, Lazada and courier guys. Without them, I won't be able to start my new hobby, something I hope will continue even after this.
Thank you to our teachers for making sure that our kids learn something. It is not easy, both on your part and ours, not easy for the kids too but we made it! This is the best we can do given our circumstances and I think it was good.

I also want to thank fellow Malaysians. Thank you for staying calm. I know there are a number of bad apples out there but so far we've done quite well. Wearing masks when we are out, washing our hands and maintain social distancing. Thank you for complying to the rules and regulations set by our government.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you too for keeping me sane by reading this blog. Thank you for the messages and PM. Thank you for reaching out. I hope you know that this blog has helped me a lot. I hope you had fun reading too although there isn't much I can share daily.

So stay safe everyone. The war against Covid-19 is not over until we find a permanent solution and vaccine. Remember to look after your hygiene. Wash your hands, wear masks. You know the drill!
Doa lots for God to protect us all.

#kitajagakita

Artsy week

I've always been interested in Art but I never took it up. I guess I never had the time to actually pursue it. I would like to think I am a creative person too but I don't think there's much talent there, unfortunately. I do enjoy art.

Whenever I see abstract paintings, I always say to myself "wow, I could do that!" or "I can do better than that!" but of course, what do I know. I've never really painted anything in my life. I've admired paintings before but I have no idea the process, the techniques that is needed. I basically have no clue but sometimes, I think I can do a better job.

Since we were still in our last phase of the Restriction Movement Order, now is the best time to start painting. Right? I have all the time in the world. With Youtube tutorials, there isn't much excuse to learn anything when you have time. I went and got some art supplies. No idea what I needed, I just went ahead and ordered whatever I felt I needed. Shopee and Lazada was my best friend.

I started with Painting by Numbers. Anyone can do that, right? First few days, it didn't look like anything. I was pretty hard work but therapeutic at the same time. After a week, it is almost done. But the hardest is also completing the last bit. (To be honest, it has been weeks, I am still not 100% done with it. I've somehow lost interest in it!)

I then started exploring the IG of some artists and I found some that is more suited to my style. Boy, I wish I can paint like them. One of my favourite is Elle Byers. I love her paintings!!! I found a youtube tutorial that she did and tried to copy it.

Tadaaaaa... I was pretty impressed. Although it is nothing like the real thing, I was happy with the outcome. I love the colours.

The next day, I wanted to do something on my own. I love the colours and although it didn't turn out like what I had in mind, I was still happy with it. This is so awesome! Who knew painting would give me so much joy?! I am so good! (Even if I have to say so myself!)

My kids saw me painting and wanted to join the fun. I am quite OCD with my paintings and didn't want them to mess it up. I figured, doing abstract is better with kids because you can never go wrong with abstract. I was quite happy with the outcome of our first abstract together. The top piece was what we did together. Everyone had their input in that painting and I think it looked really good.

The piece on the bottom was something I painting in memory of my grandma. I was really therapeutic because as I was painting, tears was flowing down my cheeks. It didn't turn out as I pictured it, the colours didn't turn out like what I had in mind but somehow, I feel like it just works. It is all my grandma's favourite colours and somehow I can picture her in a kurung that colour.

This is another piece I did. Not bad right? I have no experience playing with colours and most of the time, I fail to achieve the colours I wanted but in the end it turned out pretty OK. I did this piece with my daughter. I love it.

My daughter is also keen in art. She wanted us to draw something together and we picked on this tutorial on youtube. It is very easy to do and I think age appropriate for her. My son did this on his own one day but my daughter is more of a perfectionist, it is harder for her.

So there you go, our (My) various art pieces for the week. It has been really amazing and fun. I love sitting in my corner painting while my kids are on their zoom class. I wish I had my own studio. I picture myself with my messy hair, in my pyjamas, with my apron on painting in a studio full of colours but for now, it is just me with my messy hair, in my pyjamas and no apron, on the floor. I wish to continue painting and keep a journal of my pieces. Who knows, someday I may become famous and I can start selling them. ha ha ha..... A girl can only dream....

I was doodling one day

Coffee Break

Yesterday, I invited one of my best friend out for coffee. We haven't seen each other for almost 6 months and I'm dying to meet her to share about my Makkah trip. I haven't even formally told her that I now wear the hijab. I just didn't think I needed to announce it. Most of my friends can see from my posts on social media and some have asked me about it. But otherwise, I haven't really told anyone.

We've been friends since college. We went to the same college in Cambridge back in 1998. We were housemates in college and then we went to the same university in Cardiff. We've seen each other's ups and downs for sure.

I was really nervous and excited to see her because it will be the first time for her seeing the "new" me. She said she might cry.

I got there 20 minutes late. I was fashionably late because I had tudung issues. I swear to God, every time I'm excited, for some reason the tudung will just be a disaster. I ended up trying a few before I chose the safest choice, instead of the prettiest one!

Our meeting was nice as usual. We met up in Huckleberry in Bangsar Shopping Centre. I chose there because I thought it would be quiet but to my surprise, it was PACKED! Whatever happened to social distancing, I wonder. Every table was taken and although they're not exactly close together, I could do with more space!

We were talking for ages. I didn't realised I missed having coffee outside until I was actually there. Coffee never tasted so good too. We also had cake in between. After I was done with my coffee, my friend asked if I wanted another cup. I said ok.

2 cup of hot latte in 3 hours. So what?

I got home and felt funny. I couldn't sleep that night and ended up rewatching Captain Ri until 2.30am. I woke up for Subuh feeling like a zombie.

Moral of the story is, take it easy. It is not the end of the world. There will be another opportunity to have latte again!

Gosh!

But in all honesty, it was good. I had my much needed coffee break!

How are you?

I have lost count. I don't even know what day it is today or how far we've gone since the first lockdown.

How are you doing?

For me, I have good days and I have bad days. Good days are when my kids can fully manage their online classes independently. I can have a good lie in and when I get food delivered instead of cooking them myself. Some days are long. That's when the kids are bored out of their minds and I have nothing to offer them. I have days when I don't allow them to be on their devices and find something productive to do. That is a tough one because sometimes, they just don't want to do anything too.

I fear for my children's wellbeing the most. I fear that being at home without having face to face interactions with friends and the outside world might have some kind of negative effect on them. I don't know if things are going to get better but I am hopeful. There must be light at the end of this tunnel, somehow. If we keep walking, surely we will reach somewhere, right?

As much as I want to stay positive and keep myself motivated, I am only human. I have bad days too and some days, I just feel restless. What always helps is when I think of the less fortunate. People with 10 kids in the kampung with nothing to eat. No electronics to keep their kids busy and entertained. No formal education too as they obviously don't have online learning. I feel for them. Automatically I feel guilty for complaining.

I love staying home. That's not difficult for me to do. It is the lack of interactions with other people that is hard. Texting or calling doesn't do it for me. I miss hanging out with my family and friends.
I miss seeing my kids play with their friends. They miss their friends too.

Come August, we will be exploring a new school. Something we've been really excited about. But with this Covid-19 pandemic still happening, we might not be able to even go to school until it is really safe for them.

A lot is happening around us all around the world. I don't know if this is a sign but never in a million years I would have predicted that life in 2020 will be like this. What we can do is keep walking. Keep praying for this to be over. Take care of our own little family and hope for the best.

Tell me how you are and what you are doing during this pandemic. Would love to hear from you.

Take care peeps!