A piece of my time






         to whom it may concern

November 7, 2009

Kampung

Filed under: Uncategorized — julinjulai @ 4:03 am

It’s the rainy season and I love it here.

In the mornings, as it drizzles a little and you’re walking under an umbrella, you can see fog covering up the surrounding mountains and you could just see the blue tips of them. The trees would seem greener and the air would have the fresh smell of rain mixed a little with the earthy smell of grass. It’ll be cold, so cold that you slightly anticipate snow ( what’s wrong with wishful thinking?) and you’ll shiver under your thin garments not prepared for the weather. Everything would be a little slower, a little more serene, and a little calmer, and you sigh to yourself, this is the life.

At nights, It’ll be impossible to sleep with the fan on at full. Even when wearing long sleeves, you tend to wake up at night with the chirping of the crickets and the cries of the frogs, to sigh and pull that blanket up just a little bit more. Outside, the rain would patter with occasional clasps of thunder from way beyond. Sometimes, when it’s breezy, you can hear soft moans of the winds travelling through trees and overgrowths.
I’ve lived all my life in towns and cities. And while this is the first rural ( if you can call it rural) place I’ve stayed, I’ve grown to love it.

If I plan to settle down somewhere else, I hope it’ll be just like this. With the condition that the nearest town ( with a hypermarket) is 20 minutes away and a big city 1-2 hours nearby.

(Hey, I need my fast food and shopping fix, okay?)

October 28, 2009

ko la lelaki terakhir wei…

Filed under: Uncategorized — julinjulai @ 10:52 pm

Some JKR technicians came to my house today to do some electrical fixing.

JKR guy : You play the guitar?
Me : Just a bit. How’d you know?
JKR guy : Saw the guitar over there. Figured any real man wouldn’t be caught dead playing a guitar with that colour. ( violet)

Ellleeeehhhh…wei, real men wear pink, okay.

October 1, 2009

Burung muraiiiiiii

Filed under: Uncategorized — julinjulai @ 5:35 pm

My son right now is at a phase where’s he’s asking questions constantly. Every 5 seconds, ade je soalan dia nak tanya.

Ingat tak iklan raya yang budak tu asyik tanya bapak dia ” Burung apa? Burung apa?”. Well, kalau sape-sape ingat iklan tu tak logik, you haven’t met my son. Rasanya dan nak dekat 6 kali dah dia tanya kenapa kami tukar tombol pintu.

The funny thing is, he won’t accept ” I don’t know” for an answer. Masa nak tido pun nak tanya macam-macam. If I tell him, ” Orang tak tanya soalan malam-malam. Tanya soalan siang je”, that wil trigger off a series of questions like why he can’t ask at night, what kind of questions can be answered at daytime, what’s the difference between night and day, what’s in between night and day, how come Adik has to wear pampers at night, how come orangputeh panggil night and melayu panggil malam , etc.. etc.. etc.

Just this morning, on the way to school he asked :

Him : Mama, RON tu apa?

Me : Apa? Long ? ( diversion tactic untuk soalan yang tak reti jawab)

Him : Tak, RON RON RONNNN

Me : Aa..minyak.

Him : Bukan la..gred minyak.

Me : OOoo? Sapa bagitau ?

Him: Papa

Me : Abis kalau dah tau kenapa tanya?

Him : Saje nak test.

Where oh where did that came from? Haduuu..

Nota kaki : For  smarty pants readers out there~okay, RON is not really gred minyak but it’s close enough. Try explaning to a four year old about Research Octane Number and it’s significance. Rasanya aku pun kurang paham.

September 8, 2009

Adik oh adik

Filed under: Uncategorized — julinjulai @ 6:17 pm

Since I remembered, mom has always been the so called royal hair cutter of the family. She doesn’t trust professional salons and insists that everyone, EVERYONE goes under her..err..scissors.

As a result my sisters and I have identical haircuts from kindergarten to high school. I had my hair first profesionally cut at 20 years of age.

Now that I have kids of my own, my mom takes over her favourite role voluntarily. Priding in her prized bob hairstyle, she harasses me to learn to cut my children’s hair too ( which I know squat about).

Well, nak jadikan cerita, after 2 months of her last haircut, Adik’s mane was getting a bit unruly. My mom, who still works can’t find the time to cut Adik’s hair in between our visits. So last Saturday, I took out a pair of scissors from the front drawer, sat Adik on a spreaded newspaper page and did my thing.

Snip snip snip snip snip snip

The result?

Adik’s hair is an uncanny resemblance to Audrey Tautou’s hair.

Wait, I’m not finished.Not Audrey Tautou’s hair in Da Vinci Code but her hair in Amelie!

Yes, It’s that bad. And to think hari raya in a week and a half away.

August 30, 2009

cerita ceriti

Filed under: Uncategorized — julinjulai @ 8:30 pm

Pada suatu hari

Budak Sekolah : Hello, Dr. Kalau saya tak dapat datang hari ni takpe ke?

Haku : Kita tukar apointment je la. Issue crown tu hari lain.

Budak Sekolah : Esok boleh tak?

Haku : Takbleh sayang. Esok kan cuti

Budak Sekolah : Isnin ?

Haku : Takboleh. Isnin kan cuti merdeka. Selasa la, selasa pagi.

Budak sekolah : Ala..selasa saya dah masuk asrama balik.

Haku : Ha tu la pasal.

Budak Sekolah : Alah..Dr bukak je la klinik taim cuti. Untuk saya sorang je.

Haku : Mana bleh cam tu ( Banyakcantikmukakau.Akunyetaimcutikonakgantike.Akunyegajikonakbayarke.Kirawaktutaimkofreejekye.Taimakubagikapointmentpi kuarpekanbelibajurayalapala)

Budak Sekolah : Abis camnenih?

Haku : Adik try jugak sampai hari ni sebelum pukul 5. Takpe, saya tunggu.

Dan pada pukul 4.55 petang, budak sekolah pun sampai di klinik dengan kereta abangnya yang dikona masuk ke klinik macam pemandu formula 1.

Issue crown selesai pukul 5.25.

And the world once again regained its order.

Pengajaran : Kenapa tak ikut resmi Mr Bean, yang bersungguh2 nak menepati apointment dentist nya?

August 22, 2009

catching up

Filed under: Uncategorized — julinjulai @ 1:49 am

Wah..sekarang ni hobi baru aku ngan hub adelah menonton movies tiap2 malam. Our choice mostly are high rated indie films..haha ( cari kat rottentomatoes la ni).

Dulu, taim study dulu, asal ada movie baru kuar je tengok. Every week pi cinema. Apa2 movie pun bantai la tengok. Movie yang lepas kita kuar wayang rasa cam otak dah hangus pon tengok jugak.

Skarang ni kalau nak pi cinema 4 kali setahun pun kira amatlah bertuah. The last movie kami tengok kat cinema adelah the dark knight kot..ahah..kuno betul.

So skarang, to catch up, apa lagi.. tengok la. So at 9.00 pm or so, kami pasang astro ceria for the kids, then bertenggek depan komputer tengok the films that we missed over the years ( baru semalam tengok Little Miss Sunshine). Sad kan ?

Yang syoknya, every 10 minits ada suara-suara kecik berbunyik :

” Mama, nak minum”

” Papa, nak kencing”

” Mama, adik bagi sepah mainan”

” Papa, mana Baby Duck adik?”

” Remote mana mama?”

” ( jerit -jerit..giggle..giggle..gaduh gaduh)”

Sangat bertuahla kalau kami boleh get thru the movie without pausing.

Okla tu, kat wayang jangan harap leh pause-rewind-amik air-bagi makan-leraikan pergaduhan-salin baju-pi toilet-bancuh susu -etc etc etc cam nih..haha

August 13, 2009

Public service

Filed under: Uncategorized — julinjulai @ 9:42 pm

Hi kids,

This is a rather long one. And I think, long overdue.

Pasal apa? Pasal H1N1!~ yeaaayyyy!

Notice how everywhere you go, ramai gile orang pakai facemask. Untuk protection against H1N1 katanya. Betul?

Errrrkkk ( bunyik buzzer)..WRONG.

Untuk pengetahuan semua, normal 3 ply facemask TIDAK boleh melindungi kita dari H1N1. Kalau nak pakai untuk protection against influenza virus lain boleh. H1N1 tidak sama sekali.

Why? : Sebab H1N1 virusnya terlalu kecik and dapat tembus the pores of the mask.

Tapi kenapa KKM asik suruh pakai?

Notice tak dalam iklan, KKM suruh orang yang sakit je pakai. Ini kerana ( eceh) normal 3 ply mask tu hanya boleh tapis nafas keluar tapi tak boleh tapis udara dari luar masuk ke dalam. Ini dalam se-layman term yang aku boleh come up with. 3 ply mask tu boleh halang droplet bersin atau hingus orang yang sakit dari tersebar ke luar.

Tapi kenapa KKM suruh budak sekolah pakai?

Sebab untuk elakkan mana2 budak2 yang undiagnosed H1N1 dari menjangkiti orang lain. Nama pun undiagnosed, so kita tak tau sapa dia yang kena. So as a percaution, setengah pejabat kesihatan bagi je face mask kat semua orang kat sekolah yang berisiko. Setengah pejabat kesihatan pulak kasi kat sekolah n pesan kat pengetua/guru besar untuk bagi kat budak2 yang sakit je.

So facemask takleh protect la kita dari H1N1 ?

Normal 3 ply dan 2 ply facemask TAKBLEH. Tapi ada satu jenis facemask ni, nama dia N95 ( cam tepon Nokia plak) yang dapat tapis H1N1 virus. Masalahnya mahal adik oi. Aku baru tanya supplier, 1 box of 100 = RM600. Tukar yang baru setiap hari ye.  Bila aku cakap jenis N95, kalo nak beli , beli yang original ye. Jgn beli hat sama bentuk dengannya. Fungsinya tak sama. Cam bila orang kata  goreng pisang Kak tipah sedap, pastu pi beli goreng pisang Mak Senah, pastu gaduh tak sedap. Dah orang kata Kak Tipah, Kak Tipah la.

Oh, so takbleh la pakai facemask yang sama dalam tempoh seminggu/dua minggu/sebulan/setahun?

Ok, so whatever your reason to wear facemask, be it nak lindungi diri dari influenza bug yang lain ( bukan H1N1) atau nak elakkan orang lain dapat jangkitan, point is : Kena Tukar Facemask Kerap!
Maximum time of usage untuk satu facemask adelah 4 jam sahaja. Lepas tu kena tukar. Sebab bila dah lama facemask tu kat muka, n then kita pun bawak la bejalan merata (pi pasar malam la, TESCO la, pi toilet pun!)and then letak merata2 bila tak pakai, other kuman leh lekat kat facemask tu n jadik tempat membiak. Pastu kita pun hidu la kuman tu, pastu..toing! dapatla demam/sesema/batuk lain. Itu la sebabnya wahai adik-adik, despite ramai orang /budak sekolah pakai facemask, ramai still kena demam/batuk/sesema. Sebab dok menghidu kuman dari facemask yang berhari2 tak ganti tu.

So ekceli apanya yang boleh lindungi kita dari H1N1?

Oh lupa bagitau, penyebaran H1N1 ni melalu droplet contact. Maksudnya virus tu tersebar melalui air semburan bersin, hingus dan sebagainya. Ianya bukan dikategori sebagai airborne virus yang bleh dok lama2 dalam udara. So kalo orang tu sneeze directly kat kita atau kena atas permukaan kerusi ke meja ke apa2 la, n kita hidu sneeze dia directly atau tangan kita terkena air semburan dia kat kerusi tu n pastu kita korek hidung atau makan tanpa basuh tangan, voila! kenala insyaAllah.

So point is, kena jaga kebersihan diri. Basuh tangan! Kalo susah , guna hand sanitizer atau alcohol rub yang jual kat farmasi tu ( jangan lak sapu tangan ngan beer). Jangan bagik anak2 masukkan tangan kotor dalam mulut , tangan atau mata. Kalo pi tempat awam, elakkan pegang tempat yang org slalu pegang ( cth railing, eskelator). Last, elakkan dok dekat orang sakit la, kecuali la anak2 sendiri atau pasangan masing2 yang korang kena jaga ( kejam la pulak kan kalo tak jaga)

Kenapa aku begitu tekankan pasal facemask ni ek?

Sebab aku dah bosan dah tengok orang misuse facemask ni. Aku bosan pi keluar n tengok orang2 pakai facemask ngan tujuan for protection against H1N1. Pastu padang orang lain yang tak pakai facemask ni cam orang bodoh.Kalau boleh aku nak jerittt, semua orang please la read up. Bukak internet, jangan main FB saje ( hai, berasap nampak). Wartawan pun buat la kajian sikit, tolong la jangan main tulis je. Tak ketinggalan staf2 kesihatan yang lain. Sebab aku tgk banyak jugak tak paham fungsi facemask ni.Sources banyak. CDC ada. Ni baca majalah Mastika sampai nak lunyai.

Aku pun dah bosan n naik kesian kat budak2 skolah yang kena paksa makbapak ngan cikgu untuk pakai facemask. Dahla pakai berminggu2 tak tukar. Pastu taula kan, budak sekolah, kalo tak pakai boh merata. Pastu tak cam sapa punya , pastu main cekau je kawan punya. Pastu makpak heran kenapa anak depa demam. Parents, cikgu please read up!

Aku pun nak bosan n marah kat farmasi, supermarket, kedai-kedai ah yong yang ambik kesempatan jual facemask bapaknya mahal. Sekotak facemask yang retailernya harga RM10 pun boleh dijual kat farmasi jadik RM48..(tak tipu). Pastu anggaran selai dalam sekupang tapi jualnya kat kedai biasa sampai seringgit satu helai. Pastu ada jugak yang jual hat facemask kertas 2 ply tu. Orang2 yang taktau ni pakai la, berhari2 plak tu sebab ye la kan, mahal.

So peeps, aku karap korang dapat sikit info dari aku yang hina dina ini. Kalo tak percaya, sila la baca n research sendiri. Yela kan, haritu staff nurse aku sampaikan la benda ni kat staff nurse kesihatan. Staff nurse kesihatan tu taknak percaya n still insist pemakaian facemask for protection against H1N1. Dia kata ,” alah, boss kau tu bukannya doktor betul pun”

Whaa? Excuse me? Oh- kay la. Whatever la.

At least aku dah sampaikan public service message ni kan?

Tarik napas, lepaskan. Tarik napas, lepaskan.

So in conclusion, despite apa yang aku cakap nih, kalau nak jugak pakai facemask , boleh. . Tapi kena paham tujuan dia. Kena pakai ikut guidelines. And please jangan la bubuh merata2.

Tak percaya, pi la tanya doktor betul. Doktor betul pulak, kalo ada apa2 tambahan sila la add. Kalau aku tersalah bagik info ke silalah betulkan.Kepada rakan2 aku doktor2 palsu gigi semua , jangan la amik hati kat kenyataan staff nurse kesihatan tu.

Tarik napas, lepaskan. Tarik napas, lepaskan.

July 28, 2009

Of friends and hobbies

Filed under: Uncategorized — julinjulai @ 8:43 pm

So I just received a wedding card from an ex coursemate a few days back. In my delusional mind, I thought he was going to have his reception on the 8.8.09.

Yela kan, tarikh ong.

But when we opened it up, dia tulis 15.08.09. Malam pulak tu. Kat KL pulak tu.

My last race before Ramadahan is on 16.08.09 am kat Penang.  Nak kena amik race kit the day before kat Penang jugak.

Aiseh.

At first we pondered on which to go. Tapi bila pikir, kawan tu bukan slalu nak kawin kan? ( hopefully). And races are scattered through out the year. Lagipun

1. Dah lama tak pi KL ( sebulan ada dah kot)

2. Dah lama tak makan nasik kenduri kawan kawin

3. Dah lama tak main dress up mak datin ( or in my case, mak inang)

Tapi..

1. Majlis malam..seating dah ditetapkan..sangatlah formalnya, susahnya nak manage anak2ku

2. Malasnya nak dress up macam mak datin ( or mak inang)

So? so ? so?

Taktau lagi. Leave it there. Undecided

P/s I gave Rumaysa some teddy cookies this morning, and she only ate the heads and scattered the rest of the bodies. I wonder why?

those who survived the mutilation

those who survived the mutilation

July 21, 2009

dumb and dumber

Filed under: Uncategorized — julinjulai @ 9:24 pm

You know what’s dumb? The prices of so-call healthy food here in Malaysia. They urge us to eat healtier but the choice of healthy food are so much pricey compared to the unhealthy ones.

Contoh ? Banyakkkk

Cereal : Whole wheat cereal bapak mahal compared to those choclatey, sugary ones.

Vegetable produce : They’re so called free from pesticides and chemicals and are grown organically  so secara teorinya supposed to be more cheapla kan? But no.

High Fibre/ whole wheat bread :  the main ingredients are pulp and hampas kan? Why more

pricey compared to white bread?

Unpolished Rice : It’s unpolished for God’s sake! Less work but more RM?

Ayam kampung : Claimed to be healthier. They are grown as free-range chickens and are fed

organic feed. They are not given shots to fatten them up tapi still lebih mahal.

Drinks : Those that promote less sugar won’t cost less.

And then, there’s this issue of local fitness magazines that only copy the articles of their Western counterparts. Tak buat kajian to fit the local needs langsung. There’s this one magazine under the article titled’Quick 100 cal Snacks’ which lists the main ingredients as 20 rasperries, Greek yogurt, and fresh figs. Dey, mana nak dapat la. At your local pasar malam? I know you guys in KL can go to one of those fancy organic markets ( but I can guarantee they’ll be as expensive as hell) but what about the rest of us?

Buat research la, people. Takat cut and paste aku pun boleh buat.

WHO has been promoting Make the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice for years. At this rate, my response is : my foot.

July 9, 2009

Einsteins of the world.

Filed under: Uncategorized — julinjulai @ 6:42 pm

Some genius gave me this sms yesterday:

” Two drivers are on leave tommorow. Please inform your driver to send the team to MRM in Ipoh tommorow. Tell him we will wait at 7am at KPPB. Do call me if you did not get this sms.”

whaaaa?

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