2009: A Wrap Up

Pejam celik dah hujung tahun dah nih. Tahun ni memang mencabar utk seluruh keluarga aku. From the beginning of the year till the end. Not a good year for me, I think. The family feud went on with my parents’ secret unveiled and my mom went into depression together with my late dad failing health. Then, followed by death of family members (my late aunt and my uncle from dad’s side and lastly my late dad) about 3 months apart from each other. My dad passed away in Ramadhan and this is the 1st year that we celebrated Raya without him. DH lost his job at the uni and luckily, we survived the crisis with my side business income for nearly 3 months. He got a new job as HoU for a Government Agency at the city center but his traveling routine took my liberty of working late. We have spent less days with the in laws at Kemaman this year, not sure why but I believe it was due to limited leaves for DH when he started working at the new company. The kids enrolled into a nice Islamic Montessori school with reasonable fees. They can write, read, color and draw on their own better than last year. DH and I were struggling to finish up our Masters with late night study and writings. Work-wise was quite impressive although some of the things were in just by luck. For example, the company picked me as the one of the best researchers, and into the Talent Pool. DH maintained as OUM part-time lecturer and after we advertised his expertise in SPSS and EViews analysis online, more work coming in for him. Alhamdulillah. I closed my long-term project successfully ahead of time and secured another project before the year end. I went to Bakun Dam for work and outstation increases this year compared to last. My house still the same without new improvement and the lawn is still an empty greenish carpet with few planters on the rocks. We had a nice breakaway in February to Penang, but that was the only one this year.
This is a bittersweet year for me and my family. We gained something and lost something along the way. The biggest challenge was to swallow the whole truth about our relationship in my family. Many things we have taken for granted and we have learnt the lesson in a hard way. When I reflect those memories, I knew I am not a kind-hearted person but I am learning to be one. As another year has passed, I vowed to enjoy the life fully as though I will leave tomorrow and never come back. Praise to Allah, who has given all the beautiful gifts, joys and sorrows throughout this year, of which He knew we can endure. May the year ahead bring joy and happiness for every one of us. Amiin.

----------------------------

Looking for Perfume Essence, Natural Skin Care or Baby Products? www.NabilaHouse.com has it all!

A phone call..

It is amazing how technology helps you stay close to your family with just a phone call. I have been dreading to call my mom for couple of weeks considering that we cannot visit her during the long holidays – the weather is bad, nabilah has to attend classes, DH’s exam in Kemaman. The latest news DH’s dinner with SDARA Alumni on Saturday night! Ada ke patut.. buat le time lain yg org takde cuti panjang. I just hope I can attend my Alumni’s dinner next year (tahun ni dh lepas and I did not go because it’s pricey – RM100 for a dinner that we don’t actually eat because we’ll be too busy talking and mocking each other while dinner is on).

Anyway, I have spoken to my mom and she’s fine. Alhamdulillah. But she’s not over with my late dad’s second wife actions – this time the lady took half of my late dad’s pension money. So mak cuma dapat separuh because that woman claimed another half (and she already got a whole lot of pension money from her late 1^st husband, a grocery shop, lands etc – she IS a wicked woman after all). My family story has become like a drama plot. Adakah ini akibat daripada selalu tengok drama Melayu yg penuh sandiwara itu? Entah ler.. and my mom decided there will be no 100-day kenduri arwah because she felt that the other ‘wicked’ wife should throw a 100-day feast for stolen the pension money. So, after the land titles are settled, we will only have ‘thanksgiving’ feast for the whole village. Btw, the aunts and uncles from my late dad’s side have not shown their faces at my mom’s house since the funeral day. Do I still call them my family? I doubt it now.

This Saturday will be my Mom’s 62^nd birthday – gonna buy her some books to read to pass the time at home, and MPH is having a 20% sale at Alamanda Courtyard. Or should I buy her a magazine subscription instead? After all, she likes to stay at home and work in her garden.

Have a blast Tuesday!