So the girl is now two and a half! Years!! How crazy is that? Time really does fly. Especially in 2011 since suddenly I am so very very late with this entry. Yaya’s getting close to 31 months. But my excuse is work commitments. It’s been a very busy 2011 with work deadlines and working on weekends and such. But enough on my excuses – let’s just get to it. [[image:20110122-17.jpg:I’m a big girl now!:center:0]] Oh also, Happy Belated Birthday to Yaya’s Wan Yong and Pak Yope! We have had a very snowy month of January, so we have all been stuck indoors for the most part. Which, given my crazy work hours really hasn’t affected me that much. But Yaya doesn’t seem to mind too much – we do have plenty of things to entertain her with at home. She’s been very into jigsaw puzzles and building blocks – […]
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On top of spaghetti all covered with cheese
A list of our family’s adventures through this simulated universe. Strangely, this is represented by several methods. Firstly, my thoughts in words and then a host of two-dimensional images configured for the human visible spectrum. Finally the blog itself as a medium of information. Also, sometimes there is cake.
The Ant Grapple of Death
And so it came to pass that I had to drive pass Petaling Jaya toward Klang during the holidays, and we met up with Ivan for teh tarik. During the course of our hanging out, Ain flicked a bug off my neck and it fell onto the banana leaf on the table. It looked like an ant – except it was colossal, and was green in colour. Then we realised that it had a smaller red ant attached to it. At first we thought it was a battle to the death between the two insects, but we discovered that the little red ant was dead and a lifeless husk. An even closer inspection yielded a stranger observation: the dead red ant had its mandibles tightly bitten into the base of the green bug’s antenna. Light prodding by us did not help loosen it from the larger insect. So, with […]
Continue readingBack to School in 2011
Also, the first post of 2011. [[image:2011-01-03-school-opens02.jpg::center:0]] This year, Irfan began his proper Islamic classes; three hours in the morning, ending about two and a hours before regular afternoon school starts. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be for him. He appeared to like going to the new school, and several of his regular school friends are there. But that seems to be the way of things normally anyway. Here in Pandan Indah, he has more friends and acquaintances than his parents considering the number of other students he socialises with at school. [[image:2011-01-03-school-opens01.jpg::center:0]] He calmly underwent the short interview with the headmaster – a friendly fellow – who asked him some questions to see in which class he would be placed. [[image:2011-01-03-school-opens03.jpg::center:0]] The following day, upon dropping him off we saw him immediately lining up with his class for morning assembly. He appeared to be […]
Continue reading29 Months
Another month, and how quickly it passed! Granted, I only fairly recently wrote her 28 month blog (cheating and dating it earlier than it was actually written, but whatever). 😉 At least this month I’m able to work on this entry only a few days after the fact (hooray to client holiday shutdown period!!). Here she is, saying hey y’alls: [[image:2010-29month09.jpg:Hey y’alls:center:0]] Allie is definitely a chatty kathy. There are nights when she keeps herself from falling asleep just talking away – to us, or to her stuffed animals. And the minute she stops talking she falls asleep almost instantly. It’s quite amusing (although not so much when you’re waiting for her to fall asleep so you can go eat some dinner). She refers to herself as “Yaya” (which is what we’ve called her from before birth even, Alya – Yaya, get it?) now, and almost never answers to Allie. But it’s always funny […]
Continue readingAllie’s 28 Month Birthday
I am very delinquent this month (and cheating by dating it a little earlier – it is actually much later in December that I’m writing this entry but I’m fudging the posting date to make myself feel a little better). But I will try to faithfully capture what’s happened until her 28 month birthday rather than going further than that. Well the girl has been progressing steadily, and is now speaking in half-sentences! It’s crazy! We are amazed by how far she’s gotten in just one month. But first she says hi: [[image:2010-28month12.jpg:Hello, how do you do?:center:0]] And yes, she can actually say that! Just a refresher – Allie only started speaking six weeks ago (starting with “toe”) and you can read about it here. But here she is, six weeks later just going crazy with the verbal communication. For one thing, everything that she says will somehow relate back […]
Continue readingIrfan Meets Mia
Once upon a time, Irfan’s Pak Alang got married. Yesterday, we all visited them at the hospital to see their new baby Mia who was born a couple of days before. [[image:2010-11-20-irfan-meets-mia00.jpg:Scream! Scream!:center:0]] When we first arrived, Mia was located in her bassinet in the post-natal ward’s nursery with perhaps half a dozen other screaming babies. [[image:2010-11-20-irfan-meets-mia01.jpg:A second cousin:center:0]] Irfan poses with his second cousin, once Mia was transferred back to her mother. [[image:2010-11-20-irfan-meets-mia02.jpg:Who is this lady?:center:0]] Ain picks Mia up for a photo op. Mia sticks her tongue out at her aunt. [[image:2010-11-20-irfan-meets-mia03.jpg:Bunch of people:center:0]] Pak Alang Iwan, his new daughter and I. [[image:2010-11-20-irfan-meets-mia04.jpg:Two mother-type people:center:0]] Ain and Siti. [[image:2010-11-20-irfan-meets-mia05.jpg:More people:center:0]] The expeditionary force that went to Pusrawi Hospital for a visit hangs about the sixth-floor lobby for a photo. Congrats, Iwan and Siti!
Continue readingTrick or Treat! ROARRRRR!
Last year a buzzy bee baby graced us at Halloween. This year, we went with mammalian and feline, an inspiration from the zoo visit at Allie’s 26 month birthday, and since Allie does love cats so much. So… [[image:2010-halloween01.jpg:Happy smiling lion:center:0]] In the jungle, the mighty jungleThe lion sleeps tonight… Just keep that song going while you read the rest of this entry, ok? I know you’ve seen the lion costume before since we posted spoilers in the 27 month birthday entry, and I toyed with the idea of skipping the Halloween entry, but this year we actually went trick or treating! Only 5 houses, our nearest neighbors, but still this is momentous, right? Allie’s first trick or treat filled Halloween? Here’s more of our little lioncub running around in the house: [[image:2010-halloween03.jpg:mrowwwwww bashful lion:center:0]] [[image:2010-halloween04.jpg:Wait where’s my mane?:center:0]] [[image:2010-halloween05.jpg:Hey what’s in a lion’s paw?:center:0]] Finally it is time for […]
Continue readingAllie’s 27 Month Birthday
And lo, the child speaks!!!!! Seriously, Allie finally started talking! It all happened starting about two weeks ago – but hey, better late than never, right? [[image:20101122-15.jpg:Smiiiiiiiiiiiiile:center:0]] The smile-grimace hasn’t changed though. 😉 So now, at 27 months, Allie has been actually speaking (intelligibly) for about two weeks. I guess something finally clicked, and instead of conversing with us in her own special baby language, she’s speaking. Real words! It is all very exciting. It started, as I said, about two weeks ago, after a bath while I was toweling her and getting her diapered and dressed, she pointed to her feet and said “Toe”. And she would do this consistently! And then she pointed to Vin’s hat and said “Hat”. And then it snowballed from there! The words she says now include: * Body parts: Eye (said with a distinct southern accent), Telinga (which means ear, her first Malay […]
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Here’s To A Decade
Ten years ago today, there was an aqad ceremony where Ain and I were wed. Here we are 10 years later, together and eating chicken at Kenny Rogers Roasters after so many trials and much struggle. The dinner was courtesy of Emma. It was a great dinner. Thanks, Cik Ma! I can still remember the anxiety and distress almost 2 years later, when embryonic Irfan did not move for hours and we rushed to hospital in panic to check up on him. Here he is still with us now 8 years later. I love the pasta salad. I should have told the waitress to give me pasta salad for all three of the side dishes. This was Ain’s. Unless it’s Emma’s. But it’s certainly not Irfan’s. Another dead bird about to be devoured. Happy anniversary to us. Here’s to another 10 years and more!
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Last Day In Malaysia
It was the last day of Alya, Vin and Sila’s vacation in Malaysia. It was a sad day for everyone. It was sad. Thankfully, the cousins did not feel a smidgen of sadness. They both rocked all day from the breakfast at the mamak restaurant, to the final minutes at KLIA. You know, I think I’ll just leave the photos here mostly without any commentary, funny or otherwise, because I honestly have no idea what to pad out the entry with. Bon voyage, the Renstroms. See you whenever we see you next!
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Lunch with Mak Lan
It has been a while since we last saw Mak Lan – she is Vin’s “foster mother” and our long-time neighbor and friend in Sitiawan. She and her late husband have been my parents friends longer than Hisham and I have been alive, and Mak Lan and Abah Lan played the part of the groom’s family at my wedding, even preparing hantarans (traditional wedding gifts) and playing the part of Vin’s family to menghantar (send) Vin to our place at our wedding. However these past few years, Mak Lan has been living in KL. So we arranged to have lunch at Mak Lan’s place in KL on the last day we’re in Malaysia. It has been too too long, and so good to see Mak Lan again! Mak Lan had prepared nasi beriani, ayam masak merah, jelatah and other yumminess. We spent the time just hanging out, talking and catching […]
Continue readingSix Degrees of Separation of Old Friends
After years of not being together again, Zarin, Ida and I finally managed a meet up. Last time I saw Ida was at my wedding (that’s over 5 years ago!). And look, Ida’s about to have a baby! Apparently 3 different doctors independently of each other confirmed it will be a girl. The only person missing from this picture is Restu. The four of us Animalies have not been on the same continent together since, probably, 1998. Ah well! One day! 🙂 [[image:2010-sept-friends01.jpg:Me, Ida & Zarin:center:0]] If you want to know what “animaly” means, well, you had to be there in 1993 *arf!*. * Mouse over the pictures for more captions After adjourning from the Nando’s at Alamanda, we then went to a donut place for dessert (I forgot the name lah.. Zarin remind me again?), and to kill time until Hisham and his family could take us to Eliza’s […]
Continue readingFun at KL Hilton
Since Irfan had no school due to the UPSR exams, we took the opportunity to go for a mini-vacation and spent ultimately two nights at the Hilton KL Sentral. This is freaking best Hilton in the world! Seriously! We stayed here after our wedding five years ago when Irfan was not much older than Yaya is now, and we were hoping that it would be just as cool this time around. And we were not disappointed! Unfortunately, due to Abah’s commitments in Sitiawan, our parents had returned to Sitiawan and did not come with us. That first night (Thursday September 23) it was Vin, Yaya, myself in one room and Yope, Yong and Irfan occupying another – we were on the 31st floor! [[image:2010-sept-hilton23.jpg:Yaya and Purrsley admiring the view from our room:center:0]] After checking in, we relaxed for a bit and then with an excited Yaya and Irfan, hit the […]
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Allie’s 26th Month Birthday – Zoopocalypse Now!
In case you haven’t notice, it’s Hisham writing this birthday entry for Alya instead of Sila, because Alya was at the Tenth Floor when she turned 2 years and 2 months, and Sila thought I should write a word or two about my awesome little niece. From the first time we met her, she was a darling. She was warm, funny (sometimes hilariously) and loved interacting with everyone. I was ecstatic that she got a long with her cousin Irfan great. They played together, read books together, and she always had something to say about anything, albeit her language skills were still that of a two-year-old. Sometimes, she’d get me to draw animals, like bears and cats and bearcats, like I just did in the photo below, where her hair was going every direction under the sun and Atok tried to fix it. The photo was taken in the morning […]
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After Eight Years, Irfan Reaches Eight
Irfan’s eighth birthday occurred when Alya, Vin and Sila were visiting at the Tenth Floor. I was happy they were around for the birthday bash, seeing that they don’t usually have a direct train or bus line from Ohio to come regularly. We ordered a cake that was in a shape of the number 8, because having a cake in the shape of the number 9 would make absolutely no sense. Moments after this photo was taken, Alya joined Irfan and they both held the knife together (under supervision) to further cut the cake. Irfan and Alya showed off their still-wrapped presents from Atok and Opah. Irfan was really into unwrapping his presents, though he needed some adult help to take apart the wrappings and open the boxes. Alya played with the wrapping ribbons. Atok and Opah got Irfan a chess set. What does Irfan have to say about chess? […]
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Pool Time with the Cousins
It wouldn’t be a visit to our place without a dip in the building’s swimming pool. Irfan practically learnt to swim by himself here. Sila and Vin had been training Yaya the same way. She was totally unafraid of the water. Everything about splashing around in the pool just screamed “unabashed fun” to her. That of course meant we had to accompany her every step of the way because she was oblivious to the dangers of jumping off the deep end before learning to swim. In any case, as the photo above illustrates, she had lots of fun. Irfan swam all over the pool, showing off his skills to his aunt and uncle, spinning as he propelled himself through the water. Here he balanced himself on one leg as Atok took a photo. Alya couldn’t really play with her cousin in the pool itself because she has yet to develop […]
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