99 months of...

Today is my birthday.
Yang ke-25  *muka paling konfiden*

Baru 25 ke dah 25?

When you count the days and say "Eh... BARU ___ bulan/tahun!" ---sound macam hazabun sangat.

Tapi, kalau kata "Eh...DAH ____ bulan/tahun rupanya!"-- nampak sangat punya enjoy katak sampai tak sedar masa berlalu.



Dan hari ni jugak it's been 99 months.
99 months we've been together as husband and wife.

Next month dah nak masuk 3 digits.

Alhamdulillah...

Just because some people need a few reminders that they are appreciated.... this is just a list of thank-you notes I made for my Cinta.


Thank you for all of the dorky pictures I make you take with me, and then for not complaining when I post them all over social media for every one of your friends to most likely see.

Thank you for listening to me and my occasional rants.
Being a chatterbox, this is very important to me. Pot-pet-pot-pet....ada je benda nak sembang.
When I gave the silent treatment, it did not kill you (maybe), but me instead.
Huwaaaa. So lame!


Thank you for your patience on my moody days.

Not only on PMS days, actually. Every day.

E.V.E.R.Y. S.I.N.G.L.E. D.A.Y.

Thank you for apologizing when I'm too stubborn to do so.
And I always get away with the favourite line "Dia buat tak pa la.."
Kihkihkih.

Thank you for supporting me and my dreams, and never trying to hold me back from what I want in life.
That's what mutual understanding is!



Thank you for the times you have went out of your way to do something romantic or sentimental because you knew it would mean the world to me.
Like when we missed the flight on our second honeymoon tu.
You just knew how to avoid my mood from being ruined. Ngehehe.


Thank you for taking situations that I come to you all frazzled and worked up about, and laying them out for me in this wonderful, logical, guy way that makes everything clearer.
Never once have I seen you panicked.
Cis! Tak aci betul...

Thank you for wanting to experience new things together and for expanding my horizons.
Errr...and expanding my waistline too! Ooops!


Thank you for earning my trust and never misusing it.
And that is one clear mind for me.

Thank you for bear hugs, forehead kisses, and piggy back rides.
Eh.... why arrr call piggy back?
Nanti kena samak ke? Hahaha.

Thank you for knowing when to set me straight, and for telling me when you think I'm wrong.
You don't mind vocalizing your opinions to me, and not being afraid to disagree. Walaupun agak susah ada bini yang kepala-batu-besar-ada-duduk, you still manage to do it subtly. Or we just agree to disagree.


Thank you for making me feel safe.

Kalau laki keding sangat, rasa tak secure pulak. Hehehe

Thank you for making me laugh when I need it most.

The 'godek-godek bear' and...that face...

Thank you for loving my body the way it is, for never making me feel inadequate, but rather perfect for who I am.

Alhamdulillah I never had to worry about putting on weight. Not sure if one day I reach >50 kg, I'd still feel the same. But considering he doesn't mind me having a muffin top, rasanya okay kot.


Thank you for the little things that you do, like getting the car when it's cold or rainy.

You might not be the most gentleman who open the car door for me, but not locking it when I haven't got in is good enough :-P

And for being willing to surrender the chicken drumsticks/wings I like (in your plate) to me, just bcoz I dont like chicken breasts. Penting ni woh! One of my exes was not gentleman enough to do this. LOL.

Aaaaannnnd, I still enjoy teasing you with the "Fate Bodi" phrase (read: Nasib badannnn!) we first used when I washed our BigRedCar while I was heavily pregnant of Lil Adam.
Saja buat  modal nak mengusik.

Thank you for being on my side when it feels like no one else is.

Sapa lagi la kan?

Thank you for the moments you make it clear that you are proud of me. Whether it's a big grin after I've done something impressive or the way you present me to others like royalty, it means so much to me.

And you always emphasized to the kids, to be proud of their Mama.

Thank you for every time you have to sit patiently and wait for me to get ready.
I can get ready with my make-ups on, as quick as in 10 mins (rasanya), but when I take my own sweet time, pilih-pilih baju, belek muka, mekap lama-lama... you never complained.
Except saying "Eh, dah pukul berapa ni, hari ni kan Ahad, kedai tutup awal." --- which is true.

*Nanti kita beli Strandmon wingchair untuk duduk tunggu Mama bersiap ekkk?



Thank you also for the times those attempts ended up being more comical than anything for the both of us. The fact that you try is romantic enough, and if I ended the night laughing with you, it was a perfect one regardless.
Err...like that 'Happy Anniversary' card on my birthday last year. Hihihi.

Thank you for taking time to learn about and experience the things that I enjoy.
Karaoke, is one of them. Hahaha. I know not many husbands would do the same for their wives.


Thank you for being responsible and hardworking day in and day out.
I used to have this fear tak boleh tolerate--kalau dapat laki malas/suka bangun tidur lewat/asyik main games.
And I was wrong! Phew!

Thank you for the wonderful time we spend with our families.
Walaupun terpaksa menjadi ketot sekali-sekala, like this...

Thank you for knowing what's upsetting me before I even have to say anything.

You're so good at this. You'd rather keep it and wait for the right time to discuss it. Unlike myself, meraban je...dan-dan tu jugak nak mengadu. Hehehe

Thank you for every time you had to venture into the foreign world of a jewelery store or women's clothing store to try to hunt down a gift for me.

I remember that surprise you made (konon siap berkemeja macam pegi kerja, walhal memang hari tu gigih pegi merata cari hadiah).

Thank you for sitting through countless chick flicks and girl dramas.
Layankan je la tengok Desperate Housewives tu, dan cerita-cerita lain... walaupun sambil terpaksa dengar ulasan commentator ala Hasbullah Awang.
Hehehe. (now I know mana Lil Adam dapat 'bakat' tu. Hewhewhew)

Thank you for being my number one confidant. You are my ultimate secret keeper.

Walaupun not all secrets, tapi rasanya you're the one who knows most of them.

Thank you for that look in your eyes that reminds me that I am yours. It reminds me of my connection with you, and that through it all, you really and truly see me.

Thank you for trusting me.

This is never an issue. Though sometimes I feel I don't deserve it.

Thank you for the little ways that you help me every day. Even the most minor of tasks or chores done just for the sake of helping me do not go unnoticed.

Little? What little?
I remember before we started this PhD journey, I had this worry that I had to pass the housechores to you, but again, I was wrong.
Chaittt... buat penat je risau lebih-lebih.




Thank you treating me respectfully at all times.

Without fail.

Thank you for all of the lazy days we spend just being best friends. Snacks, and cuddling with you are ingredients to some of my favorite days.
Tapi nak tunggu takde budak menyelit kat tengah-tengah, kena tunggu dia tidur la.
-____________-


Thank you for being vulnerable and open to me. I know as a man that can be very difficult to do, but it has developed a closeness that I value each moment I spend with you.

Takde kontrol-kontrol macho. And we don't mind feeling vulnerable when we're together...

Thank you for being the one that sometimes gets the backlash of the harm that others cause. I know when I have a rough day; you often have to deal with my crankiness. For that, you are a saint.

Thank you for being the kind of man who does all of these things without a second thought. Thank you for being a man who doesn't require any kind of praise or gratitude for being a caring and trustworthy best friend to me.

Maybe I should compliment more la kan?

Our royal extended family. Eheks!

Thank you for knowing that even if I don't always say it, I'm incredibly grateful for my handsome prince. Because with that big smile and heart of gold, you take down all of life's witches and dragons.
Muehehehe.

8 tahun dalam 1 jam (behind the scene)

Prioritize. 

Yeah...prioritize.

Kelmarin, aku pun tak sure antara PhD aku dengan anniversary aku mana lebih penting. Konon komited sangat dengan study, sampaikan hari anniversary pun aku buat lab works dan balik lambat.

Anyway, Alhamdulillah, semalam genap 8 tahun aku bergelar isteri (or 'bisteri'- as MrHubby calls it).

Plannya memang nak dating pegi dinner. Tapi dek kerana aku minta tolong Richard belekkan draft aku untuk meeting, dah pukul 7.15 baru aku terhegeh-hegeh nak balik. Dan as usual, when you are in a rush, time tu la semua traffic lights kaler merah.

7.15pm tu, memang la cerah lagi... tapi aku book kat restoran tu pun pukul 8. Dan kat sini, most restaurants tutup pukul 9, bhai....
Kang ada yang sempat minum seteguk air je, then melencong celebrate kat casino pulak (sebab casino je yang tak tutup). Huahuahua.

Anyway, habis je discussion... terus aku pecut Bubble balik rumah. Dah tu, nak dijadikan cerita...aku pulak tak plan pun nak pakai baju apa. Maka takde la aku iron mana-mana baju atau tudung.
MrHubby cakap dia nak pakai smart casual je, so aku ingat nak pakai sempoi je la sebagai standby.

Tapi bila kalut-kalut bersiap tu aku tanya, dia kata pakai dress pun okay gak. Maka aku pun punggah lemari aku. 

Tapiiii... tapi.....
Dresses semua  tahap kena iron!!! -____-

Homaiii...mengapakah?!!!

Kebetulan purple dress ni je yang tak macam badan-orang-tua-yang-penuh-kedut... maka aku main sarung je la. 

Sekali.... alamak aiii... nak kena ikat (macam corset) kat belakang tu punya la panjang. Dah satu hal pulak MrHubby kena silangkan dan ikat satu-satu.
Sambil tu, tangan aku sibuk dok pakai susuk kat muka. Almaklumlah, balik dari ofis, muka dah serabai macam buruh binaan. 

Bahahaha. Lawak pun ada!

Siap ikat, dan-dan tu jugak la aku tak jumpa extender (yang macam sarung lengan tu). Duh!

So, aku pakai je grey bolero tu. Lantak la..matching tak matching.

Tudung dan kasut pun, main capai je.

Tapi kalut-kalut pun, sempat lagi snap gambar depan rumah. Kekekeke.

For this year, kitorang decide nak ber-Japanese cuisine. 

We picked Wasai  (9/15 Field St.) as recommended by Hazreel.

By the time sampai ke situ, jam dah pukul 8.20 pm. Congak-congak, maybe ada la 40 minit untuk makan. Hoh! Tak romantik langsung.

Tapi bila duduk tu, takde la gaya waiters-waitresses semua dok mengemas meja pun!
They still welcomed us.

So, boleh la aku gedix-gedix sengih bergambar untuk blog.

Well, kat Wasai ni.... ada a complete range of Japanese specialties jugak la.

Karaage, gyoza, rolled sushi, nigiri sushi semua ada.

Cuma MrHubby tak puas hati sebab takde chawanmushi. Waitress tu pun blur-blur bila kitorang describe rupa chawanmushi.

But being the 'perut-stokin' as I have always been, mana cukup nak order satu meal. Maka takoyaki, udon, soba ni...terus terkeluar dari liga. Muehehe.

Sementara tunggu makanan sampai, romantik-romantik dulu.
Bersembang tanpa menjeling tengok anak sambil buat apa, atau sambil tahan sakit kena cubit perut (Adib's favourite!)...memang tak sama dengan bersembang berdua.
Tapi topik pasal anak-anak, keluar jugak la.

Miso soup sampai... lepas terus tangan.
Dan-dan hirup penuh feeling. Hahaha.
Aku tak faham betul la. Aku try gak buat sendiri miso soup kat rumah, tapi rasa tak sedap pun. Hampeh betul!

Then, makanan sampai!!!
Hoyeahhhh.

Udon with tempura for MrHubby.
Dan Sushi boat for yours truly.
Gila punya banyak sushi, ada la dalam 25-30 pcs kot. Semua best-best dan sashimi  dia...humang aiii! Yummy!

Overwhelmed with the variety!!!
Dekat nak pukul 9, baru diorang tutup order, so, sempat la aku makan sambil lengah-lengah. Feeling sikit. Kalau makan polok-polok (read: sumbat macam nak tercekik), kang hilang la citra ayu aku. Hewhewhew.

Last but not least, desserts for me!
Green tea ice cream!
Yeahhh...I'm a sucker for green tea! So, sila maafkan saya.

Demikian la kisah celebrate 8 tahun punya cerita dalam masa sejam.
Next time, tobat aku tak balik lambat dah. Huhu

Habis makan, balik la.... esoknya keje. Takde nak meronggeng-ronggeng dah. Ronggengan ditunda ke hari Jumaat (hari ni la! sebab city tutup lambat. hehehe).

Back home, the kids were about to go to bed.
Thanks, Anep..for babysitting them!

Happy anniversary Cinta!

Thanks for being the one.

Another year wiser

Sebenarnya takde la lama mana pun aku mengabaikan blog ni. Cuma sebab banyak sangat entry tertangguh, so terasa macam lama pulak. Ehehe.

Tak lama lagi nak buat birthday party Lil Adam, ni  baru terhegeh-hegeh nak post pasal birthday MrHubby. Nampak sangat outdatednye. Hehehe.
 

Aritu, aku kena gi ofis dan MrHubby bawak anak-anak menakan (Along Fairuz & Angah Fazlin) yang datang bercuti gi jenjalan, so kelam kabut jugak la aku balik.
Kena beli barang, fetch Lil Adam dari sekolah, beli cake, minta Lil Adam tolong kemas rumah, masak...

Nasib baik sempat...

So malam tu we had a light dinner. Breaded fish and chips and blablabla, and Portuguese egg tarts.  Lepas solat semua, duduk kat lounge room...

 

Lil Adam played the birthday song.

Terer gak dia.

Aku try nak show off kat MrHubby pun, dia tak impressed... sebab aku tak hafal notes. Kehkehkeh.

From now on, ini la tukang tiup lilin kitorang---Lil Adib.

Tingat Zaim (anak KakSurah) dulu... tak kira birthday sapa pun, dia nak gak tiup lilin. So, kena la nyalakan balik lilin tu. Same case here.

 

Happy birthday, Cinta!
Semoga dikurniakan rezeki yang melimpah-ruah.
Rezeki duit yang mencukupi, rezeki kesihatan, rezeki anak yang baik/isteri yang noti, rezeki  dipermudahkan segala urusan.

Mesti ada yang perasan--- Amboi celebrate birthday, siap berkebaya/ baju Melayu? Hang ingat hang artis? 

Eh.. artis pun celebrate birthday tak pakai kebaya tau, siap kat kalabun-malami lagi. Hahaha. Actually lepas tu,  kitorang nak pegi Majlis Raya.

Ye, majlis raya posa. Kan raya haji tak lepas lagi. Haaaa..kantoi...nampak sangat dah lama cerita ni. Okay la tu.. selagi belum raya haji, kira valid la kan?

Hehehe.

 

Wombok vs Lombok

Ingat nak buat entry Wordless Wednesday tadi, but since some things are better explained... maka aku cerita je la.

Masa aku kecik-kecik dulu, aku sangat tak suka makan Chinese cabbage a.k.a kubis Cina (mati la kalau Lil Adam tau mama dia pun memilih sayur). Eh, tapi ke'kamceng'an aku dan sayur dah masuk tahap kambing.
Maybe sebab cara Mak masak Chinese cabbage tu, jadi pahit.

I was surprised upon being told by Winie that Chinese put them in soup to make it (the soup) sweet. Ni semua gara-gara pegi makan kat Johnny's la ni.

Anyway, bila datang Aussie... aku baru tau, kat sini nama glamer Chinese cabbage ni adalah wombok.
W.O.M.B.O.K

Huduhnye bunyi.

Dan agak lawak apabila membeli lebih banyak tak bermakna korang kena bayar lebih banyak.
Tengok ni... aritu Woolies buat sale.

Beli 1 whole wombok = AUD 2.80.
Beli half a wombok = AUD 2.90.

Apakah?

Maka, marilah memupuk rasa tamak haloba-loba. Jimat sepuluh sen, beli sebijik. Kalau tak habis, buang dalam tong sampah pun takpe.



Nak dijadikan cerita, baru-baru ni MrHubby buat grocery list. Just a scribble bila teringat barang apa nak beli untuk dapur, almaklumlah sekarang kan dia la MrMama cum Monsterchef.

Tapi bila aku belek... dari tersenyum-senyum, nak tergelak besar pun ada.

Korang nampak apa yang aku nampak?

Hehehehe.

Sembang dengan tajuk lagu/ movie

Kekadang, aku bersembang dengan MrHubby sambil selit lagu. Bukan lirik lagu. Tapi siap dengan nyanyi lagi. Bajet macam muzikal gittew. Mihmihmih.
Alaa...saja nak menyerikan rumahtangga (walaupun rumah aku takde tangga).

Contohnya tengah cakap "Apa orang tu kata?"
Terus disambung dengan "Kata-katamu hanya mimpi...di siang hariiiiiiii.." . Sampai situ je la. Korang sambung la lagu Langit Ketujuh (Sharifah Zarina) tu, aku pun bukan hafal lirik lagu tu pun.

Contoh lagi...
"Eh. Hari ni ke? Bukan kelmarin?"
Maka tak pasal-pasal keluar la sebaris lagu Kelmarin- Zur Eda.
"Kelmarin... ten-ten-ten-ten-ten"
Wakakakaka... kalo korang tak faham, cer dengar ni... saat ke-18.

Contoh lain... Kalau tetiba MrHubby cakap dia dahaga... aku akan tetiba melencong nyanyi "Dahaga kasih padamu..." (lagu Meniti Suratan-May) pulak.
Tapi biasanya memang setakat sebaris lagu je la.
Gila apa weh nak melarat sampai habis satu lagu. Maunye laki aku yang tengah dahaga tu mengamuk pulak kang.

Well, kitorang saja suka-suka je...

Tapi yang ni memang hebat betul.

Dari mula conversation kat restoran, sampai habis...(break-up), semua guna tajuk filem.
Perghhh... kreatif betul ni.

Korang mampooo?

Dating perdana

Bila dah ada anak lebih daripada sorang ni, nak berdating memang le susah. Maunye tidak, kejap sorang lapar la, sorang nak gi toilet la... sorang lagi dok diam, si adik cubit la... sorang tengah syok main iPad, bateri abis la... 

Aku pun heran tengok camna some matsalehs boleh dok lepak minum kopi sambil anak diorang dok diam je kat sebelah. Sampai at once tu, aku rasa aku telah tertipu dengan imaginasi sendiri, sebab masa bujang dulu I told myself I'd come back here (somewhere overseas) with my family to do what I see them (matsalehs) doing (read: laid back lifestyle).

For the past 6 years plus, since Lil Adam was born, I hardly keluar dating tanpa bawak anak. Aku tak sampai hati actually, sebab bawak anak tu bukan le bebanan pun. Cuma dengan komitmen aku ber-BF, ditambah dengan ketaksampaian hati aku tu, dan aku pun bukan jenis suka-suki tinggal-je-anak-kat-sitter-or-PIL, so I always ended up berdating (la sangat!) dengan anak-anak sekali.

However this year, for our 7th anniversary, we decided for a change. 

So, last Friday night (eh, macam lagu Katy Perry pulak).. we had a special dinner date. Without the kids that is!

By the time we left the house, it was already 6pm+, tapi sebab tengah daylight savings, so terang-benderang lagi la. 

Headed to Stamford Plaza Adelaide for the seafood buffet!

Acecece.... :")

 Smoked salmon (ahhh...I love it raw, though).

 Green lipped mussels.

Prawns, eh I mean shrimps as Aussies call it.

That's my first plate. Ahhhh...aku cukup miong kalo nampak raw oysters!!! Mata terus pling-pling macam Shinchan nampak kakak cantik.

 Sopan santun gittew sebelum makan kan?

Crab, squid, shrimp (again!), yada yada...

Tapi aku kira-kira balik, ada la kot dalam 10 ekor oysters aku telan. Tiap kali bangun tinjau makanan, oysters tu melompat masuk dalam pinggan aku. Hehehe. Tak dapek den nak nolong!

Sila maafkan perangai keloloh yours truly. Aku memang cenggitu. Kalau makan oyster, mula la aku buka cerita pasal MrBean. Scene yang dia termakan oyster yang dah rosak tu. Bahahaha.

There was quite a generous spread of desserts. Untuk aku yang sweet tooth ni, memang aku rasa a little bit of everything la. 

Except for Brandy Custard...and Tiramisu- sebab aku dapat tau ada alcohol. Hmm... sila check dengan chef/tukang serve ye kalo korang makan kat mana-mana.

Penutupnya adalah secawan mint tea.
Aku ingat lagi dulu kalau MakNgah balik dari London, dia bagi mint tea (plus rosehip and hibiscus tea), aku memang sengsara nak habiskan yang mint tu. Sebab rasa macam minum ubat gigi. Hahaha.

Tapi sejak-sejak dah perasan tekak British ni (#tangandibahumatakeatas), aku rasa sedap pulak.

Us, before leaving the restaurant.

Ishh..mengapakah aku rasa dress tu membuatkan aku kelihatan leper? 



Back home, the kids were doing fine. Tak berbuat onar sangat dengan babysitter nya, Abang Pokka.
We just had half a Passionfruit cake (kalau beli sebijik, rasa melampau sangat!)... So, bagi chance la anak-anak pulak excited meniup lilin.

To Cinta,
Happy eniberseri-seri!
Apa??? Boleh tuntut hadiah lagi?  Kalau macam ni, esok esok nak buat entry pasal enibeseri lagi la. Mihmihmih.