Shopping trips with kids can be frustrating, annoying, hair tearing and down right disastrous, don't you think?
Having not yet had the pleasure of having my own, I'm not really sure how it applies to your own kids but bringing nieces and nephews can seriously be a mini nightmare.
Are kids manipulative or is it just me?
Things were fine and dandy until my youngest niece wanted an ice cream cone. I said we could get one when we get to the other store since we were already leaving. I'm a pretty easy going aunt; I don't remember ever wanting to go out with any of my aunts and uncles without (or even with, come to think about it!) my parents, but these kids readily go out with us, heck we even survived a trip to Cameron Highlands!
She then started to sulk. Not the lying-on-floor-wailing-lungs-out type but the silent and 180 degrees change of mood type of sulking. and the mood persisted even when Abg tried to coax her out of her sulk with a slurpee or the already promised ice cream. I was adamant that I wouldn't be manipulated by her. She can sulk all she wants for all I care.
But I felt ....unsettled, I guess. She made me feel like I'm the big bad witch who never buys anything, who says NO everytime. I was worried that she would tell on me and that her parents would think that I'm the type who would 'berkira' even when it comes to a RM1 ice cream cone. I tried to make myself feel better by telling myself that she's probably only like this when she's with us. Maybe it's our fault for spoiling her in the past and now she thinks that we will satisfy all her whims and fancy, regardless.
The incident made me think, though. About the type of parent I will be. Will I be the 'garang' one and will Abg be the relenting one? Will my kid end up hating me for the price of a RM1 ice cream cone or will I have raised her well enough for her to realise that her parents love her way beyond ice creams and branded toys and that knowledge and good manners are the more important things in life?
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Anticipation
Kelantan people get a 4 day weekend starting tomorrow folks, and I'm one of the lucky few who has escaped being on call at all so 4 days of complete freedom! Wha-hey!
Been contemplating about where to go for the past few weeks; Kuantan is feeling too far and increasingly boring now, Langkawi seemed a nice option but I just cannot be bothered to get on a 2 hour ferry journey. Cameron Highlands became our final choice due to its distance (only an hour and a bit from Gua Musang) but I am preparing myself for the hoarde of Kelantan folks who will have thought the same thing I did. In fact, there is already a 4 car convoy leaving TM tomorrow for Cameron.
The accommodation has turned to be a mini nightmare though. None of the hotels I called had govt rates and the ones I wanted were full. I was thinking about one of the apartments but all of them needed online reservations which needed at least 24 hours prior to arrival. I finally found a phone number for Villa Dahlia and spoke to a Mr Lee who promised me an apartment without even asking me my name! Weird, yes? But I'm still optimistic and even if he turned out to be pulling my leg, I'm sure we could scurry around and find something else.
I'm bringing my nieces and nephew, by the way.
Sans their parents.
Yes. Seriously.
The younger two I'm not particularly worried about. I've been bringing them around for weekend trips to KB and seemed pretty comfortable with me. But the two older kids I'm rather concerned about. What if they become bored and regretted coming with us? What if the trip turned out to be a nightmare? What if, *gasp*, God forbid, something happens to the kids?
My only consolation is that it's only for a night and if things go well then maybe there will be other trips in the future.
Have a great weekend!
Been contemplating about where to go for the past few weeks; Kuantan is feeling too far and increasingly boring now, Langkawi seemed a nice option but I just cannot be bothered to get on a 2 hour ferry journey. Cameron Highlands became our final choice due to its distance (only an hour and a bit from Gua Musang) but I am preparing myself for the hoarde of Kelantan folks who will have thought the same thing I did. In fact, there is already a 4 car convoy leaving TM tomorrow for Cameron.
The accommodation has turned to be a mini nightmare though. None of the hotels I called had govt rates and the ones I wanted were full. I was thinking about one of the apartments but all of them needed online reservations which needed at least 24 hours prior to arrival. I finally found a phone number for Villa Dahlia and spoke to a Mr Lee who promised me an apartment without even asking me my name! Weird, yes? But I'm still optimistic and even if he turned out to be pulling my leg, I'm sure we could scurry around and find something else.
I'm bringing my nieces and nephew, by the way.
Sans their parents.
Yes. Seriously.
The younger two I'm not particularly worried about. I've been bringing them around for weekend trips to KB and seemed pretty comfortable with me. But the two older kids I'm rather concerned about. What if they become bored and regretted coming with us? What if the trip turned out to be a nightmare? What if, *gasp*, God forbid, something happens to the kids?
My only consolation is that it's only for a night and if things go well then maybe there will be other trips in the future.
Have a great weekend!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Hanging on, ranting on..
It's now just past 1 am and patients are still coming in droves. Yes, DROVES....don't you people sleep?
I'm basically running on adrenaline now. I'm at that stage when you've gone past your usual sleeping time and now you're basically no longer sleepy? The only thing that is keeping me going is the fact that I will be able to leave in about 7 hours.
I picked up another stray yesterday. I've been seeing it loitering around aimlessly near the labour room, all thin and scraggly and I knew it wouldn't survive if I don't do something.
Unfortunately Abg has gone for a fishing trip overnight and I'm left with the task of taking care of the new kid. Nasib baik he's (haven't really checked whether it's a he or otherwise) not the yowling type. So far he's been all quiet, sleeping in the litter tray.
Sometimes I really do not understand people. Firstly do they even understand the word KECEMASAN? A one week fever, a 10 day abscess DOES NOT constitute an emergency no matter how you look at it, okay?
Another thing is, I'm not sure whether this only happens in Kelantan or in other states as well, but do you people see parents lugging their 3-year-olds to the hospitals at 2 am? Hel-lo, kids need 10 hours of sleep, you know?
Right now in the casualty I have a 22-year-old male complaining of headache and stomach ache. He was brought by his oh-so-gedik fiancee who proceeded to clamour all over the guy the moment he was laid on the stretcher. Urgh. Excuse me, firstly, what are you doing with your fiance at 1 am in the morning? Ada maruah la sikit. And some more ada hati nak boss my staff nurse around. Hingus pun tak kering lagi, dah mengada2.
I said to my staff nurse at the labour room that my tahap kelaseran bertambah dgn my degree of exhaustion and also directly proportionate to the increasing late hour of the night. Which is why I am avoiding the gedik-tak-tau-malu couple because I regret my zing will be something I will regret later on.
I wonder if Abg has managed to catch anything, and more importanly, will he be expecting me to cook them?
Okay, I am no longer ranting now, more like rubbishing; and since the guy with the hypertensive crisis has agreed for admission, I hope he will be my last clerking tonight. Just another 6 hours to go......aaahhhh......
I'm basically running on adrenaline now. I'm at that stage when you've gone past your usual sleeping time and now you're basically no longer sleepy? The only thing that is keeping me going is the fact that I will be able to leave in about 7 hours.
I picked up another stray yesterday. I've been seeing it loitering around aimlessly near the labour room, all thin and scraggly and I knew it wouldn't survive if I don't do something.
Unfortunately Abg has gone for a fishing trip overnight and I'm left with the task of taking care of the new kid. Nasib baik he's (haven't really checked whether it's a he or otherwise) not the yowling type. So far he's been all quiet, sleeping in the litter tray.
Sometimes I really do not understand people. Firstly do they even understand the word KECEMASAN? A one week fever, a 10 day abscess DOES NOT constitute an emergency no matter how you look at it, okay?
Another thing is, I'm not sure whether this only happens in Kelantan or in other states as well, but do you people see parents lugging their 3-year-olds to the hospitals at 2 am? Hel-lo, kids need 10 hours of sleep, you know?
Right now in the casualty I have a 22-year-old male complaining of headache and stomach ache. He was brought by his oh-so-gedik fiancee who proceeded to clamour all over the guy the moment he was laid on the stretcher. Urgh. Excuse me, firstly, what are you doing with your fiance at 1 am in the morning? Ada maruah la sikit. And some more ada hati nak boss my staff nurse around. Hingus pun tak kering lagi, dah mengada2.
I said to my staff nurse at the labour room that my tahap kelaseran bertambah dgn my degree of exhaustion and also directly proportionate to the increasing late hour of the night. Which is why I am avoiding the gedik-tak-tau-malu couple because I regret my zing will be something I will regret later on.
I wonder if Abg has managed to catch anything, and more importanly, will he be expecting me to cook them?
Okay, I am no longer ranting now, more like rubbishing; and since the guy with the hypertensive crisis has agreed for admission, I hope he will be my last clerking tonight. Just another 6 hours to go......aaahhhh......
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Doktor cina yg pakai tudung
Having been raised a Malay, my siblings and I don't pay particularly much attention to our obvious oriental features. But it's fun watching other people do.
When I was about 6 or 7, I had gotten lost while shopping at (now closed supermarket) Crescendo (or was it? or maybe Crescendo was that supermarket we could get 5 sweets for 10sen? Aah, those were the days) in Ipoh. Back in those times shopping is done in supermarkets rather than malls and typical to supermarkets in the 80s, the place we went was one of those places where you go in one direction up the stairs (i.e to the right) and down the same stairs in an anti clockwise direction. Guaranteed to never miss a floor! Anyway, I was engrossed in something on the wall and was saying something to the guy standing next to me, thinking that he was Pa. Imagine my surprise when he turned out to be a complete stranger! I don't remember crying though but I remember going up and down the stairs looking for Ma and Pa.
Finally a chinese couple noticed me wandering without much purpose and asked me questions. Ma had sent us to a chinese kindergarten and I could speak cantonese as well the next kid so what I said to the chinese couple must have made much sense that they decided to bring me with them!
The next thing I knew, Ma was screaming for me and proceeded to thank the chinese couple profusely.
As we grew up, people would always say to us, often in a surprised tone, 'Waa, lu melayu aa? Apasat muka selupa cina?' - usually in response to us saying 'Saya bukan cina'.
Sometimes, when I would go out with Ma, they would say 'Waa, apasal lu punya anak selupa cina?' Ma would just smile good naturedly and proceed with whatever business she was there for.
Sis Yanie is the least chinese-looking one among us and now whenever she is out with Hannah and Hariz, all sorts of strangers come up and say how chinese looking Hannah is. In fact, with her porcelain complexion (a nightmare with mosquito bites, shows up like anything!), one could even mistake her as a Japanese.
The thing is, when I look at my reflection in the mirror, or when I look at my siblings, I don't see what people are talking about! Weird, yes?
and wearing a tudung doesn't lessen it at all as when one of my staff nurses told me the other day that one patient described me as '...doktor cina tapi pakai tudung..' (hmm, ngumpat aku la tu)...
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Snip Snip
Twice today I have caught Bubu trying to climb on top of his fellow (male) cats. First it was poor little Jimi; Bubu literally climbed on him and bit Jimi on the neck.
and just now Abg noticed Bubu doing the same thing with Fizzy.
Hmmm, me thinks it is time for that vet appointment.....
and just now Abg noticed Bubu doing the same thing with Fizzy.
Hmmm, me thinks it is time for that vet appointment.....
Crankier, sleepier, spicier and in all not so nice...
I've entered week 10 today.
Masih malas tahap gaban especially when it comes to housework. But the inch-thick accumulation of cat fur has forced me to at least mop the living area.
Feel hungry but have absolutely no appetite for anything. Nothing tastes nice, not even HTM's famed nasi ayam. I eat because I know I have to.
I've noticed myself getting crankier by the day. Dah la laser in the first place, now I'm even more laser. Sheesh. Even Abg has had to bear the brunt of my crankiness. Kesian dia.
At the moment I'm just loving anything with extremely hot chilli. One of my staff nurse in the OT brings a small case of chilli and leaves it in the pantry. I caught myself smearing chilli sambal on my doughnut, can you believe it? But it was one of the more delicious thing I had all week!
Anyhow, the 12th GE is now over. Yes, the outcome was definitely interesting, but, what happened afterwards in my kampung was even MORE interesting. You know how it is that in the big cities, no one knows their neighbours (well, bar my mum who befriends EVERYONE, even the makcik who is standing next to her choosing fish at the market) ? As bad as people think that is, in some ways, it is even worst when everyone knows who you are, where you work at, who your son is married to, how much money your children give every month and who is paying for the car that person just got and more importantly, what your political stand is. Seriously, one day, as we were driving to the house, Abg confidently pointed out each house and which party they supported. Interesting, yes?
Masih malas tahap gaban especially when it comes to housework. But the inch-thick accumulation of cat fur has forced me to at least mop the living area.
Feel hungry but have absolutely no appetite for anything. Nothing tastes nice, not even HTM's famed nasi ayam. I eat because I know I have to.
I've noticed myself getting crankier by the day. Dah la laser in the first place, now I'm even more laser. Sheesh. Even Abg has had to bear the brunt of my crankiness. Kesian dia.
At the moment I'm just loving anything with extremely hot chilli. One of my staff nurse in the OT brings a small case of chilli and leaves it in the pantry. I caught myself smearing chilli sambal on my doughnut, can you believe it? But it was one of the more delicious thing I had all week!
Anyhow, the 12th GE is now over. Yes, the outcome was definitely interesting, but, what happened afterwards in my kampung was even MORE interesting. You know how it is that in the big cities, no one knows their neighbours (well, bar my mum who befriends EVERYONE, even the makcik who is standing next to her choosing fish at the market) ? As bad as people think that is, in some ways, it is even worst when everyone knows who you are, where you work at, who your son is married to, how much money your children give every month and who is paying for the car that person just got and more importantly, what your political stand is. Seriously, one day, as we were driving to the house, Abg confidently pointed out each house and which party they supported. Interesting, yes?
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