Feelgoodfoto

Kamal, Khalish, my parents and I spent an evening in Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur, yesterday, thanks to my cousins' visit. The last time all of us met was during their wedding in Brunei, two years ago.

Today, as I posted the evening's photos to Instagram, I realised that there was no photo of Azmi and Nora, all because of a decision to leave my trusted but big DSLR camera back at home as Khalish was extra handful that day (and I was alone with him for three hours before the others arrived). Time for a good compact camera, or iPhone 4s with its photolicious camera, as an alternative to my photography need, eh. I prefer the latter, a two-in-one purchase. My current phone is too archaic. 

(What do I use for Instagram, a friend asked. Yes, I utilise the iPad when Khalish's hands are not on it, heh. That is how much I love Appleography.)

With or without photos, we knew how great it was to be together. Nevertheless, photo says the words better than I do. Here is a photo from yesterday, of Khalish with his grandparents, with one of the 142 United Buddy Bears at Pavilion foyer:

Love my father's spontaneous request for the photo, as well as the spontaneous pose. All to humour Khalish.

Another way to cater to my photography need: simply bring the trusted but big DSLR camera, as advised by a professional photographer acquaintance two years ago. A resolution throughout 2010 and 2011 that I kept up to, unless, as I just wrote, "Khalish was extra handful". 

For 2012, the camera will be my twin where appropriate (even when Khalish is extra handful).

Love Life

Inspired by a dough play session with my three-year old son. 

35 on 25

Each December 25, my parents celebrate their anniversary as husband and wife.

 

December 25, 2011 marked their 35th year together!
Kamal, Khalish, and I wish them a lifetime of love, love, love. Always.

Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, Again

Since Aiden's first birthday party at Hornbill Cafe & Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, Khalish has said a gazillion times, "jom pergi jumpa burung!" 

Kamal and I knew that the little boy was fond of the birds when he used the word 'jumpa'. It was as though the birds were his friends. Both of us loved the connotation.

Therefore, just a week after the party, Kamal, Khalish, and I found ourselves at the bird park again (and, the post is delayed by two months, yes; but, better late than never, eh). We even decided to have lunch there. Surprise, surprise, the foods were so scrumptious that Khalish sang all the way from the restaurant to the park entrance. 

Once he saw the varied birds, he sang louder. A group of tourists actually stopped photographing the birds and pointed their cameras to him instead!

"La la la la la la la, la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la, la la la" he went, as he skipped along the pathway. Hence, the lack of his photos here. 

Not as many photos of the birds as I first desired, either. I merely pointed my lens towards a species, half-pressed the shutter release, and shot away in a breath. My priority was to keep up with Kamal and Khalish.  

The birds, except for the peacocks, were friendly, much to Khalish's delight. We started the tour at 1 p.m. and reached the venue for The Bird Show half an hour before it began. Long stop at The World of Parrots and the eagles' feeding session. 

Right after we left the parrots' sanctuary to go to the amphitheather (where the main show was scheduled), it drizzled!

Kamal and I smiled at each other. We had not been able to watch the full bird show since Aidan's party (during which every guest received a complimentary entrance to the show). Next time, we thought. 

By then, the little boy had already shown signs of tiredness. A perfect time to bid farewell to all the birds. 

☙

Khalish failed in his attempt to bring a bird home. He remained happy though because we promised to bring him to such park again. Then, there was also a visit to KLCC which he looked forward to. (And, there, he found another animal to sing 'la la la la la la la' to).

A Thought

My existence, no matter how symbiotic it is with other life elements, has one certain relationship. 

With God. 

A Weekend of Camaraderie

Groovy!

He Who Guides

Again, assignments have occupied a big portion of my life. I am accustomed to the change of routine. Not Khalish though, and I did not realise the fact until the 'I miss mommy' symptoms worsened. 

☙

One moment, he was his happy, chirpy self walking hand in hand with me at The Gardens, yet, a moment later, he threw the worst tantrum in his life when he saw that we were heading for a table full of my chums.

During tea time, at a cosy corner in a little cafe, I photographed the little boy with his favourite iced chocolate and cheese cake. Seeing his smile then, nobody could guess the drama he created only a while ago. I asked him, "are you happy now?" and he replied, "yes, because I have chocolate dream, cheese cake, and mommy!"

My bad. He has tolerated my attachment to the papers and the computer, yet, I did not understand his contained need for the mommy. I was eager to spend a great time with my chums, yet, I did not regard the boy's expectation of the little trip. He must have stopped listening to my raves on the date with the aunties and their juniors at the mention of the phrase 'we are going out and about tomorrow'. Emphasis on 'we'.

☙

Motherhood, for me, within these three years and five months, have been a joy that arose from a mix of emotions. A highlight of the son's cheekiness in three paragraphs yesterday, a whirlwind post of cheerfulness tomorrow. For this week, it is about the tantrums.

And the utmost lesson I learned, or re-learned, from them: he could be in an impossibly ugly mood, but, a smile is possible if the person he looks up to stays calm. Extremely challenging, but, doable. 

A day ago, he refused to sleep even though it was hours past his bedtime. He cried a river and shouted incoherently at every single item he could find fault with. Although I was just back from a lecture and Kamal was nursing a neck, shoulder, and back strain, we tried our best to soothe the boy. When our efforts met dead end, I was tempted to simply send him to the naughty room. 

Nevertheless, I could not forget that trip. How the boy smiled as he eventually had the mommy all to himself after a busy week and a long lunch with the chums. Then, there was an episode during which the daddy rushed to him after my patience could not tolerate his tantrum any longer. He reached for my hand instead and sadly said, "I want mommy." 

Back to a day ago, I opened my arms to Khalish. Miraculously, he smiled and curled himself in my embrace. We ended up on the bed, surrounded by story books. One of them was Elizabeth Verdick's Calm-Down Time. He slept with my arms around him, lullabied by my chant of "Ya Latif, Ya Latif."

The book, the chant, were actually more for myself. I missed being a calm, gentle mommy. 

☙

A Smile a Day

 

Bad hair day every single second of the month.

 The skin, a blah.

Pressure from endless tasks and slow WiFi at home did that.

Partially.

There were greater challenges than endless tasks and slow WiFi.

Of course.

I was all smiles though.

I was all smiles because of the victory over those challenges, Alhamdulillah.

Bad hair day and blah skin seemed fun with a smile, too, eh.

Positivity matters.

Happy Friday!
Smile a lot today, ya.

Semuji

Last weekend, a group of postgraduate students from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia gathered at Semuji Agro Resort for an academic programme. The place was truly beautiful that we were encouraged by the Programme Manager to bring our respective families, too. I did. Although day one ended at midnight, the fatigue was replaced by gaiety as soon as Khalish welcomed me with a spirited "mommy is back!"

No, the fatigue was not caused by the programme schedule.
It was due to my incessant coughs, which hammered my system and limited my words.

Yes, Khalish was still awake past midnight.
Thank you, Kamal, for attending to the boy's needs all day long.

☙

I loved the concept of the programme. To disclose yourself and to be at the end who received were moments precious to me. Remember the incessant coughs that hammered my system and limited my words? I thought "how I wished I was able to share more."

Nevertheless, just being there, surrounded by the nature, was enough to calm my heart.

How the nature took my little family's breath away. When we reached the resort, I pointed to Khalish a deer farm across the main lake. He instantly asked me the way to be among the deers.

Son, I wanted to be among them, too, but, I had a schedule to follow. I only photographed the surrounding as I walked from the chalet to the hall, and vice versa. 

The place reminded me of such places I have been to in the past, for community services or work courses. Two prominent names: Kem De Bana and Kem Bina Negara Ulu Sepri. 

Asked by a friend about the best experiences at Semuji Agro Resort, apart from the academic programme and the presence of my little family, I enthusiastically narrated to her about its ikan patin masak tempoyak and kerabu ulam-ulaman. Not to forget, its hilly terrain, as well. A good exercise.

A friend, a regular there, recommended another visit within the tropical fruit season, during which visitors will be served with endless buffet of durian, manggis, and rambutan, to name a few. Oh, I already had a plan to return (the way I did with other lovely places).

"In the end, what matters most is not what you see, but, the way you perceive it." 

My-true-self

Escapade

Sea, sand, and sun,
thanks to a work commitment in Kuantan. 

I will write more  as soon as my assignments are completed.