I'm back from BALI...

Alhamdulillah....I'm back from a 3-day-business-plus-a-bit-of-leisure trip in Bali. Great to be home to my gals and to the reality of life. Hehe...not that i was in cloud 9 in Bali, but I always have this perception that when I'm away to another land, especially on vacations, it's like walking on air, leave your worries behind kind of thoughts. Then, you are back to reality, once the plane touches down to mother land....Oh well, no matter how one looks at it, it's just feels great to back........

This is my second time in Bali. I was with the gals and mak, the first time to Bali, courtesy of my company, last year. It was purely vacation then. The gals were excited, first time on a plane and a guided tour. They bonded well with my colleague's family and enjoyed themselves very much. This time around is only me and my 3 colleagues. Didn't really have time for leisure though, since the time there was too short. However, it didn't stop us from enjoying the cheap and relaxing massages...! The beaches can wait or even do without, but impossible to miss the massages, esp for us, the reflexology. Arghhhhh....it feels sooo good!

Another must-do thing for me is admiring, then buying the loads of paintings...although, i made it clear to myself that I only wanna see what's new in store. Being the women and admirer of arts and paintings, i couldn't help buying not 1, but 3 paintings...Again, there are just so cheap...!! Sometimes, i do feel guilty for negotiating too low of a price considering the amount of time and effort being put into the work. Balinese were doing it for survival...they do not care about originality....everyone is copying each others works. Well, perhaps not in Ubud, where the most Bali's artist live and produce their works. Or probably I'm only an admirer of art, but not yet someone who appreciates them... Hhmm..I wonder what makes it different..... Balinese are just great artists and crafters, plus the help of new ideas from designers, locally and outside. They are becoming modern and contemporary in their designs, without totally eliminating the Bali identity. I for one would love to someday have a TROPICAL BALI garden at home...InsyaAllah....

I must write something about the business part of this Bali trip....There, I had the opportunity to sit in a meeting cum presentation, conducted in Bahasa Indonesia and witnessing the professional Indonesians in action. They are very vocal, active participants and have lots of opinions to the point of near arguments. And they are proud of their language, so to say..... Since there are over 230 million people in Indonesia, I could sense that most of these GM's and Managers know their jobs and materials very well, to be in their posts. Or else, they could easily loose their jobs to the next candidates in waiting.

Do I wanna go to Bali again???? Sure...where else can I get those great work or arts, the cheap massages, great Bali hospitality and cheap DVD!!!

Sunday Nite Chat

I've just finished watching a Cerekarama on TV3. It was about a relationship in a marriage...how a gal who was so afraid of loving a man due to her bad experience with her parents, which led her into being an egoist and how a man's true love can change him from a playboy to a devoting husband. Sounds normal? Well, i liked it not just becoz the hero is handsome (hehehe!) but becoz it's direct and does happen to ordinary people like us.

I, for one will not be the best to talk about marriage, coz mine failed halfway, but its just so much positive things about marriage that Allah has shown thru the Quran and our Rasulullah s.a.w. Its a training ground for unselfishness, giving, love, ikhlas, understanding, trust, honest, companionship and so much more...Can you imagine other better training grounds than this?? Then there's all the little people we bring to the world....SubhanAllah, what is it not to love about marriage!! Of course, not all marriages are made in heaven, but then again......

At this age of mine (late 30's), I miss the sharing and companionship the most (minus the you know what!). You know, when u share all your happiness, achievements, sorrows, plans and memories with your other half esp. concerning your family and friends. Also, on how we gradually transforms to become better Mom, Dads and Muslims. I guess, that's when having the other half of us is a blessing. Its like writing the nice-to-have list for your own review. That brings my memory to the famous verse, "YOU COMPLETE ME" from Jerry McGuire, which sums up everything of the above...

So, you gals out there...GO GET MARRIED!!... We plan, but ALLAH knows best!!!

Exam Week for Dgals...

This week is an exam week for Basyeera and Balqeesh. Bastrisyia is 6 yrs young, so no exam for her. They have not actually locked into the exam mood or fear as of yet... Balqeesh, 7 is still asking Umi, why she needs to do her reviews. And kakak (Basyeera) has no interest in reviewing as she already done it in class? "Hah, when did u have time to do in class," I would say to her. Her answer will be "Umi tau kan how kakak belajar......kakak dapat dalam class, so tak payah nak review kat rumah dah". Hmm....my intelligent children.... Can you see how they manipulate their Umi?

Well....whatever it is, i got the last say....so it's either reviewing for the exams of straight to bed by 8:45pm (after isya'). I see that they still wanna be around, so review it was. It was not so much of the exam that i was pinning on them, but more to the responsibility as students. I'm also not gunning them for A's...just to make sure that they understood the material and their teachers. I once told them that if they obtained a "D" for a subject, it means either they don't learn anything, or they don't understand the subject and the teacher or they don't want to learn. But well...its GREAT if they could get all A's...hahhahha!!! I'm still an Umi from my era....

Kakak is alwayz the confidence one, where she will come home and report that the exam went well and easy....never hard! Only the result will bare it all.... Balqeesh, on the other hand doesn't talk much about it. She prefers to see the result...except for subjects that she likes, such as Science and Math. I'm yet to see how Batrisyia will react towards exams....can't wait! They are 3 different characters altogether.....

To my gals...Umi is proud of all of you.....

What's next??

Ever felt like dropping it all? Ever felt like venturing into something else, something that your heart desires? Something that you could give back to the society? Or, just anything other than your job now.....

Well....that's what I'm feeling these few days. I wish this and that, bla,bla,bla.... Is it wrong to feel this way? You know, you will come to a point in your life's journey, where you pause to reflect on your path, or muhasabah...I've been doing just that, and still doing it now... I've been very indecisive on pursuing MBA before. Now its whether MBA or should i take professional diploma on subjects like Early Childhood Education or Learning Disabilities in Children. Hmmm.... that boils down to again, what my plans are from now till my retirement age?? One thing for sure, i don't want to work in the Telecommunication industry until 50!!! This job is my method of earning money, my rezeki for a living and my family, but it does not mean i must continue doing it.....

I want to do something that i could earn money from, at the same time giving back to the society and most of all, to grant pahala and redha from Allah, the All Mighty.... One field i know i want to pursue is Early Childhood Education or Learning Disabilities in Children, simply because children are Amanah from Allah, and or greatest investment, be it in a family or in a country. Its such a big impact to a society by these little people. Sad to say , i feel that we still have

a loong way to go......... InsyaAllah we will get there.....

Raising 3 gals (age 9, 7 & 6 now) gives me a lot of opportunities for trial and error on various upbriging methods, but the result is always based on my motherly instinct. At the same time, well informed parents could be more positive to the children's life.

Until I can decide what i want to do next, it will be solat Hajat and Istiqharah to perform for His guidance.......