Kain takleh share lah!!

Its a phase nowadays that Zara likes to 'masuk' in my kain. She can just sit 'inside' drinking happily her milk or watch cartoons. If it was up to her she would 'make camp' and stay the night.

To me its kinda awkward and hazardous. Normally I would layan her a while her but have to put my foot down when my 'other anak2' is being kicked around.

ps.. certain body parts were hurt during the 'event'

The princess story

It is harder to write about Zara when she doesn't speak well yet. But that doesn't mean that she has no interesting story to tell. Even only 2 years old, her characters are way different compared to Zareef. She is soooo ladylike and feminine and so "pompuan". She is sweet like candy and knows to flaunt it. Everytime we get angry or about to get angry, she put on her sweet and angelic face. Who can get mad to that? (now a bit immune, plus she's getting naughtier!)

She just love love pretty things. She loves nice clothes, and now she chooses what she wants to wear, even when she is just staying at home. She likes her clothes bright, cheerful and nice, and it has to match! If she doesn't like the clothes we picked, she refuses to wear them. But if she approves on the clothes (usually pretty ones to jalan2) she sometimes even wear them herself! Not to mention, she loves to 'melaram' too. Sometimes, she tries to put on make-up and love when we style up her hair.

We also noticed that she is very picky and has to follow by the book. She follows her routine strictly, and will make sure everyone follows theirs too. She will be the one who call for dinner, make sure everyone is wearing seat belt in the car and make sure everyone is eating fruits. In summary, everything she does, everyone has to follow. So, when she dances, everyone has to dance, she will make sure of it. Hubby said that she will hold the family together, like 'glue', later on. She reminds me of Alice Cullen in Twilight.. hehe.. (deviate kejap) That's why we were having a hard time potty-training her, because to her, she HAS to wear pampers, it's out of routine to NOT wear pampers. Yeah, we gave up for a while, plan to start again after her birthday.. hehe..

She also has some kind of natural affinity towards music. She will dance to anything, anywhere (even when in her car seat). She knows lyrics to songs, and her favorite songs now is Row row your boat and Twinkle2 Little Star. That's why she really enjoys Gymboree. Not only limited to kids songs, she will dance and sing to any catchy songs on the radio and computer.

All in all, she is a lovely girl.. our princess... always!

Here is layout I did for Zara. The title is her favorite word now.. 'cantek!' hehehe

A day in the office or 'gua' as we call it

Note: Sorry a little long. Just my nature to bit@h about work.

People keep asking me what I do in TNB. In previous years I would have loved to explain and feel proud about it. Not now though cause it sounds great and important but being treated like crap takes its toll you know. So here is a little on what I do so that it will be easier for others to refer.

I am a Power Grid System Operator working in the National Load Despatch Center (classified as national security center class 1 - but my wife used to walk in dilly dally without a problem) . Its like the flight tower controller but for an electrical power grid. I control operations of the whole transmission and generation of Peninsular Malaysia. Me and 2 others in a shift - 1 of them is the boss and gets away without doing anything which most of them normally do. Yes only 3 people are watching the country at any given time comparing to scores in other countries like Thailand and Indonesia (which is my main concern).

But small blackouts are not under my jurisdiction (for those who keep calling me - kadang2 rumah sendiri nya MCB trip pun blame me). If the whole big area like a city or state yes you can call me. Actually you will be lucky to get hold of me either way. Responsibility and stress is high as anything under the sun that happens electrically in real time bears down on our shoulders. I mean this literally. I have experienced emergencies consisting of explosions, fire, earth quakes, land slides, Jelly fish (Philippines had a national blackout due to this), robbery shootings, terrorist threat and even elephants amok damaging the substations. Unfortunately and very sad it even involves lost of lives.

Making sure continuous supply/connectivity and restoring blackouts arent as easy as I would wish mainly cause electricity can not be stored like water or gas therefore have to be transmitted through long distances in real time and is highly dangerous. A few minutes of electricity disruption has major consequences comparing to communication (TM/celcom/maxis), water or other utilities. Just go ask Namewee here.


So to add to my pathetic work life... VIPs keep coming to our place. I have seen Ministers, Kementerian Keselamatan big dogs, Energy Commission, TNB Board Directors (In the above pics), CEO, SVP, VP and so forth walking in (normally during shitty days - to know the crisis or something important). All TNB power plants put it in the KPI to visit us (but they cant walk in anymore but watch us through a windowed glass - just like in the zoo). This is the platform they normally show their dissatisfaction. All regional transmission people come too to go through our interview to get their competant and authorization person cert. This is when they get to meet the people that instructs them everyday (kalau tak puas hati tu, boleh cam muka lah)


Here is another pic of the most hated thing I have to do everyday. Watch the alarms. Alarms are great to make us aware of the health of the grid. But once you get an alarm every freaking minute and 95% is sh!t you get really annoyed. But once you miss one, you'll get shot down like you just fu@ked the ministers daughter. In this particular pick it showed a important cable tripping Brickfield to Pantai. A big cunk of KL was on the line at the time.

In this pic, as you can see there are a lot of people around. I am the one in the front computer under "whats going on?". To tell you the truth, I was doing 95% of the work while the others were doing 5%. This also pisses me off the most (everything the most lah). Another bad thing was that I knew what to do but given the circumstances nowadays (big scapegoat game) I wouldnt want to take the blame alone if anything went wrong. Thats why i called the GM to be beside me. So that every step I wanted to make I asked his 'ok'. I learned to never be a hero.. you'll never get a reward anyways. Sad right, the integrity of the electrical grid is the receiving end of this stick.

This scenario occurs every other day and you might think I am exaggerating but I asure you that I am not. Just ask the people in the same boat as I am.

Celebrating 6 wonderful years Part II

As a response to my wifes lovely post and to make you all readers vomit more (out of mushiness), I would like to share the few things she says that really makes her my ultimate and only woman, yes she is MINE!!:

1. Realizing my limited budget, I bought her a nice but not grand gift. I told her I wished I can afford a better gift. Her response was "When you can afford better gifts it would not be as meaningful as what you are sacrificing for me now... I prefer it this way a lot more"
2. We married very young with what little savings I had working (intending to get married) during my studies and prepared everything ourselves for it. Going to other friends grand weddings I told her that our wedding was really simple by comparison. Her response was "Our wedding was special to me cause you worked harder and did everything yourself"
3. My mom teased me of not giving enough love to the kids. Hearing that she said "Nobody can give more love than what Ain is currently giving"
4. Hypothetically, I asked her about an oversea job. It was good money but the family had to stay back. She was really uncool with it and got mad. She said "Whats the point if we dont stay together"
   

Her values and priority about family even amazes me (her 6 year old partner). One thing I can be sure as the rising morning sun is her unconditional never ending love towards me and the kids. For that I hail you and love your ever so dearly.

Celebrating 6 wonderful years...

Happy 6th anniversary, sayang!! Thank you for the wonderful and happy years together. I can't imagine my life without you in it and am so very grateful for having you and the kids to light up my life.

OK, warning!!! If you cant stand corniness and mushy2ness, please don't read any further!!

I have to say that I am so lucky to have him as my husband. He is a very responsible, understanding and very loving husband. He is really the kind that would do anything for me and the family. He would do a lot of things just to impress me.. Here are a few examples in random order:

1) He is working hard to buff up just so that I will like him more. (You know I love you, regardless!)
2) He reads all Twilight series books so that he can understand my obsession over Edward Cullen and maybe wanna be like him. (OK, Edward does not exists in real world.. nobody's perfect! But you're my version of Edward Cullen! OK- don't puke yet, people!)
3) He wants to pick up a hobby so that we can do things together. Since I am into scrapbooking, he thinks that getting into photography and learning to take better pictures will make me happy. (Of course, I am really happy and touched that he wants to do this!)
4) This is the most important.. he really takes care of the kids, more than what most husband do. And he really love doing it. For that, I am very grateful.

That's only a few.. I dont want to make people puke out of these mushiness.. heheh.. I just want to point out how really grateful I am.. I may take things for granted sometimes, but deep inside I really care and appreciate everything you did. Happy Anniversary dear!

Here is just a snippet of our years together.. since the early college years to now.. that's almost 10 years!

The early days.. 2000..

2001

Right before graduation.. 2003Our wedding.. 2003Our hero was borned.. 2005Bandung.. 20062006Raya 2006Raya 2007 .. pregnant with Zara..2007Dinner & Dance 2007.. Us with our little humpZara is here! 20082008Raya 2008Tioman 2008Reunion dinner.. 2008Our family @ 2008Mr & Mrs Joker.. 2008Zara's 1st birthday.. 2009Zareef's 4th birthday.. 20092009Us now.. and foreverp/s: I love you so much!