Let's De-Stress!

A customer was in town recently and shared some taxi / auto horror stories in India. I got a picture of an auto here for you, so that you have an idea what it looks like.

So, you see, it is small and yes, when we were in India last year, this was our main mode of transportation other than the usual Ambassador cabs we took to and fro the village.

This vehicle is very small, it runs on three wheels and that space behind is comfortable for 2 adults and cramp for 3. So, when the 6 of us sat on that vehicle, it was really squeezy but no complaints coz they are cheap and can easily squeeze out of a traffic jam due to their size.

Anyway, a customer told us a case about these particular auto driver who got himself into trouble with the law when he squeezed 11 adults into his auto. He was caught by a traffic police and was brought to the court. On the court session, the judge asked him,

"Did you know that it is dangerous to drive a small auto rickshaw with that many people in your vehicle?"

"Yes I do sir." he answered.

"So why did you do it?"

"I didnt do that sir."

"But this policeman caught you and said that you had 11 adults in your auto."

"Sir, the auto is so small. It is impossible to put 11 adults in there. So, how could I have done that?"

"You were caught red-handed."

"Where is the proof sir? I didnt do that."

"But the policeman saw you."

"He is lying sir. You try to put 11 adults in the auto, if you can do that sir, then you can put me in jail."

So, the judge ordered an auto to be brought to the courtroom and they tried to squeeze 11 adults into it, they couldnt and the man was let off scot free.

Right after he signed the discharge papers, the judge pulled him aside and said,

"I have let you off. I will not fine you or jail you. Now you show me how did you do that. How did you manage to put 11 men in your auto?"

And the auto driver went on to show the judge.

3 adults on the backseat, 3 adults on their laps,

3 other adults sitting together with the driver in front,and 2 adults hanging onto their dear life by holding onto the pole that separates the driver from the passengers.

So crazy!!

Ok, 2 other stories involving the taxi above.

It is called the Ambassador.

It is spacious and it is tough. But knowing Indians, they dont like to waste space. hehehehe.

Anyway, the same customer told us his experience riding on one 25 years ago. He just got back from abroad and needed to take the cab back to his village 4 hours away. He booked an Ambassador cab and the cab driver asked him.

"Would you like to book the front seat?"

The front seat would have cost him 200 rupees more (about SGD$8) and during that time, that was a lot of money so he passed the front seat and said,

"It's ok, I am fine with the back seat."

To his horror, he had to share the back seat with 9 other men and he could not argue because the driver said,

"Sorry, but I did offer you the front seat."

And for the next 4 hours he was riding on the Ambassador, not a single minute did his bum get to touch the seat.

On top of that the seat cracked under pressure and the poor guy sitting right in the middle where it cracked had to suffer.

Seems like his bum was pinched by the crack and when he told the driver about it, here's what the driver said,

"No worries. Just wait for the next pothole."

Heheheh...Indian people can do anything and everything. Hehehehe.

And get away with it at the same time.

Just updating

We are in KL right now. I am stealing time to update while the spouse is taking his shower.
It's amazing that almost 2 weeks have passed since I started work and the days spent with the kids at home were like misty memories. Sigh.

We'll be attending a show shortly and thereafter, gonna have a quick lunch and then we'll be on our way..back home. I missed the kids though we were away only for a night. We took the night train and the spouse got us the sleeper and I was just amazed at how he could snore through the night in the bumpy and loud train ride. It took us a cool 9 1/2 hours to reach KL, as opposed to the usual 4 hours we took when the spouse drove up .
We decided to take the night train this time round coz he got tired of the endless stops (for 3 consecutive trips!) by the local police at the highway claiming we sped when we did not, just so that they could get some cash from us.
Humans are the strangest and the most selfish creatures God ever created.
I wondered how these people sleep at night and to think that they actually feed their family with money obtained in that manner.

Anyway, my dad who was unwell lately has been a little emotional. When my dad gets emotional, he talks repetitively and he does not talk much sense, Like last night for example when I called him to tell him we were on our way, this was what he said:

"Be careful, make sure the immigration stamp your passport. Take care. Dont Speed."
huh...dont speed...we are not driving daddy.
"I know, I am talking about the train driver."
huh...am I supposed to relay that message to him or what?
"Let me speak to your spouse" so I put him on loudspeaker and he repeated the same old thing and the spouse was like, "What uncle? What do you mean uncle?" and I had to gesture to him to stop prodding or the conversation will not end.
At the end of it, the spouse gave me a quizzical look and had to pass a comment. Sigh, this male creatures ah......either they talked too much, or they dont talk at all or they talk nonsense.

and my dad, he is so weird...sometimes I dont know what he was talking about.
Maybe I should start spending more time with him.

Farewell to...

...my temporary SAHM status.

It's been 4 weeks, not long enough but enough for me to say that I wanna stay home permanently. :(

Our helper will be coming back tonight, after a whole month of holiday back home and tomorrow, my life goes back to being a punching bag at work again...sigh....and I really hate that....sigh again.

I am so gonna miss my simple quiet afternoon with the girls (yes, including Farah) when the boys were still in school, we always have these small girly things that we do together like, singing sessions, lying down in bed telling each other stupid stories, having teaparties complete with tiny toy cups and saucers with milo and chips and cookies and I didnt care if they spilled anything or there were crumbs all over coz it was fun and we enjoyed ourselves tremendously.

I am gonna miss the screaming matches with the boys each morning as I tried desperately to get them to bathe and get ready for school and the same thing repeats itself every evening when they are back from school and then our nightly story telling time coz now, I am not too tired to have these nightly dates coz it's more OUR time together than anything else, when else, can I have these luxuries coz soon, they are going to grow up and will be sleeping in their own room.

And the kids were ever so helpful. Zaza helps me peg the clothes when I hang them to dry and she together with Farah, help me bring them in when they are dry. Feroz is only good and picking up toys and putting them back in place, period, but better than nothing right?

I am especially proud of Naseer who could help me wash Farah's bum real clean after she pooed and on his "off" days from school, he bathes and changes her , diapers and all without any supervision from me and this little girl will be all dolled up in pretty little dresses with powder caked on her face and hair neatly combed left to right, just like his. Haha...
And yes, Naseer also helps me fold clothes, sweep and mop the floor when the matriarch called me to do something when I was in the middle of doing these other chores. Though not that clean, I thought nothing of it coz ultimately, he was helpful and I couldnt ask for more.

On top of being good at picking up toys, Feroz also contributes to the piling rubbish on the floor but, this boy loves reading, and he will grab a book and tell his little sisters stories coz he can read and they cant and so they will sit and listen and that alone is so precious to me, coz it makes him feel like he is in charge and I guess, no one is perfect, but when God takes a little something fom someone, he gives them something more that makes them even more special than they already are and so what, if other people think that there is something wrong with my little premature angel. As far as I am concerned, he is perfectly fine.
Like someone told me before about an imperfect child I have seen in the hospital when I was visiting Feroz back then, "She has the looks that only a mother can love."
And yes, he has the character that only I can accept and as a mother I can choose to ignore that little imperfection, coz only I knew what he had been through, and so what if they think he has a "behavioural disorder", given time and lots of patience, that will resolve itself and I am not going to stress my child up just because other people think he is not normal.

Zaza, on the other hand, is such a darling. She showers me with kisses and hugs daily without fail. And it gives me such a good feeling that each time she comes down from the van , the first thing she does is hug me tight and kisses my tummy...hehehe...my tummy is quite inviting I guess. And she sits obediently each time she has homework and will not budge till everything is done. And she makes things so easy for me. She does everything herself, even simple things like washing her own cup and plate after food and though I had to clean these all over again after she cwashed them, it was really no big deal to me.

And little Farah, haha, this girl is becoming quite a challenge but so what. She loves Oreo, only the cream and she will leave the cookies all over the floor and once I reprimanded her and told her that I would not give her anymore Oreos unless she eats them all, cookies and cream, and she says, "Ok."
And guess what, she ate them all!
But the next morning when I was sweeping the floor and lifted the carpet to sweep under it, there were chunks and chunks of the Oreo cookies without the cream all hidden under them, and all I could do was shake my head and laugh it off. Haha...this little girl is growing up all right.

4 pleasures that I will miss tremendously once I start work again tomorrow. Sigh....I am so not looking forward to work...but I guess all of us sometimes just do not have much choice so I must learn to accept and make the best of both worlds.

Let's just absorb all the pleasures and let the unnecessary little pinches in life just bounce off the wall and make their exit out the window.

Really, life is short, for all I know, this could very well be my last entry but I sure hope not for I wanna absorb more pleasures and keep them here, in my heart.

Let's count our blessings.

The Visitor

I often leave the gate open every morning after the spouse leaves for work. I do this to allow the vans that fetch my kids from school to drive into our garage, this is so that the kids do not have to go out to the road to board the vans.
Mil does not like it when I leave the gate open. She says that it invites strangers to just walk in. I did not care much about that, for me, my kids safety is of utmost importance.

Anyway, today, a while after the spouse left and while waiting for Zaza's school van, a stranger stood outside our gate and slowly made his way up to the front door.
Naseer, Zaza and Farah were seated right outside our front door and when I saw this man walked up, I immediately opened the front door and ushered the kids into the house. He must have noticed my reaction, coz he stopped in his track and slowly withdrew back a few steps, standing right at where the big gate was. Then, he said, "Assalamualaikum. Can I speak to you for a while? Would you prefer to converse in English or Malay?"

I was suspicious all right, but I did not want the man to feel like he was a crook, even if he was, you see, I hate people who form their own judgement on me and I guess, others will feel the same.
I nodded and said that I could converse in Malay and then he went on.
"I was hit by a car when I was 9 years old. Due to that, I have lost my ability to move or feel on the left side of my body but Praise to God, he did not make me a total handicap. I could still walk and earn a living and from day to day, I have never stopped feeling grateful to Him for still making me Whole despite my handicap."

(He walked with a limp and I could see clearly that he was handicapped on his left side, from head to toe)

"Can I ask you a question? Is it sinful for a a man to beg?
It is right?
What about a handicap? Is it sinful for a handicap to beg if he cant get a job?"
I didnt answer him

"They said begging is sinful, they told me we should work to earn a living. Some people told me that being a salesman is as good as begging. It's what they called high-class begging. I go up to people and talked about the product I am trying to sell and then I went on and on until people had to buy even though they have no need for it. Isnt that just as good as begging?"
I still kept quiet.

"I want to earn rewards from God. I want to tell Him that I am so grateful to Him for making me what I am today. I have an intention to give you something so that God will reward me. But intention alone does not help. It's like you have the intention to perform the prayers but you do not pray. You dont get any reward, am I right?"
I nodded.

"I have something with me here. (he took out a small bottle of perfume from his pocket). I would like you to have it. I am not asking for any money. I just want you to have it so that God will reward me. If you do not take this, then my intention just remain as that....intention. It does not make a difference to my life and I do not get any reward from God. I want you to accept this small gift so that God will reward me for my good intention. Nothing else. Then , if you have the time, please make du'a (supplications) for me. That's all I want."

He moved towards me and extended his hand. I stopped him.

"No, I cannot accept your gift." I said.

"Then you are preventing me from getting a reward from God. Please, take this. I do not want anything from you. Please." again, he extended his hand.

"I am sorry. I really cannot take your gift." I said again.

"Please. Please. I just want God to reward me. Please." he went on, short of begging.

"You will be rewarded by God for your kind intention. This is totally different from solat (prayers) which is wajib (compulsory). I will make dua (supplications) for you."

"Then, my intention remained as that. Intention." he looked down, he really looked sad.

I just remained silent and I slowly pulled the glass door closed. He turned and limped away.

I dont know if I did the right thing. Should I just take the perfume and make that poor man happy?
As much as I did not want to doubt his kind intention, I just could not bring myself to take something from a man who looks like he needs to be taken care of.
I am sorry, dear stranger, as much as I'd like to make you happy, there are some boundaries that I think you may have just overstep.

SSSSSssssssssssssssssssssss

Mother in law house has a small garden. The garden used to house a mango tree, a guava tree, curry leaves tree, a henna tree and a frangipani bush. I used to call it a jungle coz at times the grass grew wild and that little garden got transformed to a jungle in the making.

However, somewhere in late December last year, we decided to get rid of everything there except for the henna tree (for medicinal purposes), curry leaves (cooking, what else!) and we left a fraction of the frangipani bush intact coz we love the smell whenever the flowers bloom.
Reason for the wipeout was because we found a baby snake one night when we just got back from work. Yup, a black baby snake about 50cm long.
I called the pestbusters and they told me that they would charge a cool $350 and so, my personal pest-buster aka the spouse got the job done.

It was scary!
Of course, me with my slow reaction could only stare at the snake for a good few minutes before gathering my composure and by then the spouse was shouting coz I let the snake slipped into the crack in between our house and the neighbour's house. He then told me to get something for him to handle the snake. And again, stupid me, grabbed whatever was within arm's reach and well, I grabbed a broom and passed it to the snake and the spouse' eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Did you think that was a lizard or what!? You wanna get me killed is it?!"
And I was like, what the hell was he talking about, till the helper came out with a metal pole and a pot of boiling water, then I realised that the broom was not a good idea.
The spouse then poured the boiling water into the crack and the snake slithered out and like a drunken chicken it made it's way to the shoe rack in the neighbour's house.
Like a good samaritan, the spouse went to the neighbour's house and killed the snake.

In the meantime, another neighbour came out of his dwellings and asked what was the commotion all aboutr and when we told him there was a snake, Mr Bravehart eyes widened and he ran back into the safety of his home....waaah.....I was thinking , "body is so big and talk like a macho man but ran when he saw a baby snake."
Nevermind, my Macho Man had saved the neighbourhood that day.
He killed the snake!

Anyway, the next day we called Raj, our gardener, to totally clean up the jungle. I suspected the snake must have gotten its' way to our lawn by means of the big drain right next to our home and made the frangipanni bush it's temporary dwelling before deciding to make its' presence known. Mil on the other hand, felt that it could have dropped from a tree where we had parked our car, which was also a big possibility coz just before that, the spouse and I was at Siglap to check some things and we parked the car right under this huge tree with hanging branches and leaves.

Now, our garden is bare but Mr Bravehart is still around hovering and passing comments like " waah...yeah lah, the snake must have come from your garden lah."
and the other day he asked the spouse, "Eh, why your wife call me bravehart ah."
and the spouse pretended not to hear him....hehehehe...
Mr Bravehart, we caught a baby snake and when there is a baby, there is always a mommy. Dont forget, you have a garden too. *evil grin*

Sharing Some Pics.

On the first day of school. Farah thought she was going to school too.

In the plane on the way to India. The boys were seated with the spouse.

The girls were with me.

My mom bought that banana from Malaysia. It was really looong, the length was from the tip of my fingers to my elbow. Dont ask me which Datok it belongs to.

Farah's most recent photograph.