Weather Was On My Side

It was bad.. really bad. the rain didnt stop the night before, it was pouring. we were suppose to hit the road back to the netherlands that friday evening. we packed our stuff out of the apartment my parents rented for us, carried them in the rain to the car and headed to kakak's house for lunch before pushing off. we thought it was just normal rain and hope it'll calm down or hopefully stop. we didnt know how severe it was, well, we werent sure of it anyway - until our dear Ian called, telling us it's simply mad! the motorways are closed, roads are really jammed, and they're going back from work early that day.




(photos taken from BBC around Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire)

Unlike here, when it comes to the motorway in the UK, when its jammed, it gets really awful. and just imagine- the motorway was flooded! we got on the internet to see how bad it was and plan our alternative routes. mum's face turned from sad to seeing us leave to concerned, dad's putting up a cool face, kakak was certain of the outcome but just waiting for us to make the call, redza's been telling us to postpone our trip back home from the previous day since i told him that NEXT would be on sale on saturday! they were all worried. despite all that, we decided to have a go and see how bad it was. besides, we've booked our eurotunnel that day. so we said our goodbyes, said our thanks and exchanged lots of kisses and hugs in the rain with the hope that it wouldnt be that bad... drove to the first junction and saw a huge line of cars, all queuing. it was bad. we havent even reached the main road and cars are all queuing!! we turned back.





After all the sobbing and the hugging! 5 mins later we were back where we hugged and cried! haha! we had a huge laugh!! mum was crying in the house whilst holding baby Ferran, and as soon as we entered the door, she thanked God and told us how worried she was for us having to travel a good 8-10 hours drive with a 10 month old baby, in the rain with floods everywhere! so we called eurotunnel and booked us on a sunday! we went back to the junction and managed to snap some photos, which by then the water has subside.

Yeyyyy!! i can make it for NEXT sale the next morning! we've been so looking forward to it for the last 3 weeks while in th UK! its really scarry though cause God really heard my prayers!! He knows i have been good and havent been shopping for my stuff, apart from some books!!



NEXT is a brand which we all love and trust. their quality's just superior! they start their sale as early as 5am in the morning! and i remember back in uni days, me and my dear good friend Nina used to wake up early, brushed our teeths and hop on the bus to queue for the same purpose. it is absolutely crazy! everything was less than half price! so just imagine how mad we were. the 5o'clock sale works for me, a mother with a baby who wakes up at around 8ish on most mornings, so i could have at least a good 2-3 hours of shopping free from pushing a stroller.

Fi woke up for Ferran's morning feed, Redza's all ready and dressed up, i was way ahead of all the rest, but my struggle was to wake my dear husband up having slept at 3 playing Wii, i felt for him. but HEY! it's my turn to shop!! :) i havent even bought a pair of socks yet! so as soon as Ferran's settled, we handed our sons over to the trustful and capable hands of mum and dad. they shooed us and told us not to worry!

We missed the 1st hour but that's ok... we compensate it by being in the shop for slightly way over 2 hours! we kept on looking at hour handphones to see if our parents had called. but NO! so we happily shopped away!



This is one sale that you wouldnt want to miss if you're in the UK. the sale worth waiting for. the sale worth waking up at 5am, the sale worth dropping! we were like 2 couples, having had a new life, a family of our own with babies, and still wanting to have the old luxuries of our old life!! but hey, at least we didnt shop for ourselves, half of what we bought was for our sons!!!! so if you guys, Aidan and Ferran happen to read this one day, we went there for you! bought loads for you cause we love you!

I know this sounds cruel, many people are still suffering due to the flood, we're thankful that one day, on sunday, the weather was on our side for us to drive back home, and on friday, the weather was on my selfish side for me to get to go to the sale.

Z

Back To Business!

Hardy went back to work today after 4 weeks of summer holidays. over here, you can take up to a month off work for vacantie. as you already know (to those who reads my blog), we spent 3 weeks in the UK, celebrating and welcoming baby Ferran, my new nephew, and the last week, 3 of us spent some quality time at home doing family stuff, which i enjoyed it, totally!

So its back to business for Hardy, back to getting up early at 7.30 in the morning (same goes for me), back to more business trips and away from home, back to meetings and lunch at the cafeteria, me back to saying "have a good day at work" every morning to him , seeing him off by the window, moi back to playing, feeding, changing Aidan alone... back to looking forward to my husband coming home from work and planning what to cook for him, back to asking him "how was your day today?"

I had a really good summer, a wonderful time, and we'll do it all again next year, insyaallah! hopefully to a different destination!

(Will write again slightly later once Aidan takes his nap!)

Z

News Bulletin....

An article from Dutch News. Well, this is the sort of things that we have to endure here....

Patients’ organisations today began calling on doctors to be more available, not only via the telephone but also person to person. It’s about time. Dutch doctors have long had the reputation for refusing to prescribe drugs in the first place - that whole ‘pain has a purpose’ idea - but now it seems that getting to see or simply speak to your GP after 3pm is nigh on impossible.

The reason? First of all you have to get past the doctor’s assistant. The doctor’s assistant seems to have acquired a medical degree and will now demand to know the intricacies of your complaint before you can go any further. Then she will happily advise you to swill out your ears with olive oil to loosen the wax or buy nose drops for your persistent snuffles. Anything to keep you from actually turning up at the surgery. And if you actually get as far as making an appointment, it will probably be for next week because the doctor has so many patients that any surgery time is already booked up.

As for home visits, you have to be on your deathbed before your GP will deign to put his or her nose past your front door. That puking child with a 40 degree fever has to be dressed and brought to the surgery to happily infect all the other patients. No wonder the doctor’s assistant didn’t want you to turn up in the first place.


Well, so far we have not yet encounter any emergency cases. For a peace of mind, you would like at least an assuarance that such emergencies, especially relating to your child, be available when you need it. Having said that, when Aidan had the severe eczema, we brought him to A&E Sittard Hospital on Sunday. Even that we were told to call first, of which of course I didn't know, yet alone the number.....And yes, it was only the medical assistant...So, if you're back home, appreciate it. And if you're working for Petronas, be grateful because you can be assuared that you and your spouse and all your children are covered....for free...!

The fact is, and true to the words of many the grass is greener because there are too much fertiliser, or in shorter word, sh** :) tu la namanya hujan emas negeri orang......

H

Bliss

For the past couple of days since we got home, i've been feeling rather gloomy. i didnt say much of this to Hardy as i didnt want to drag him feeling the same way. but today, on our way back from doing our groceries, he said it too. then only i told him of how i actually feel.



Bad enough that the weather's not on our side whereas its suppose to be summer. we both then came to a conclusion that we miss kakak, redza, mum, dad, baby ferran and our holidays there together. somehow things are different now that the holidays are over, and now there's only the 3 of us here at home. my parents were here in Sittard with us close to a month prior going to the UK, and coming back home, i felt the emptiness. i was upstairs in mum and dad's room earlier today, and i actually cried. i miss the fun, i miss their kecoh-ness, i miss the sound of redza caughing while opening a can of coke (to prevent my sister of hearing it), i miss his silly-ness, i miss baby ferran's hiccups and crying, i miss dad's cooking, i miss mum's laughters, i miss looking and laughing at my sister using the breast pump, i miss having late night talks with her, i miss playing Wii, i miss going to sainsbury's, i miss it all.



Used to be just the 4 of us. kakak and i both then got married, then there were 6. and now, there's 8!! its amazing how God have given us all this, with all we've been through. we all turn out for the better. i thank God for all His blessings, and for giving us such joy and happiness.. together.

It's true what they say, you'll never know how much they mean until they're far from you.

Kakak and Redza, if you're reading this, we want you to know that you've been such a wonderful host to all of us. Dad and Mum, thank you so much for taking care of all of us while we were there. we love you and miss you all so very much. we had a blast, a wonderful time with you guys, thank you SO SO MUCH for EVERYTHING. it was priceless. take good care of each other and enjoy!!

With all our love
Z & H

Home Sweet Home

First things first, to those who have been checking out my blog for more stories of us, i'm terribly sorry. sorry for not being able to write much earlier as we were too busy enjoying our holiday and hardly have the time to actually sit down in front of the computer and start typing.



We've just arrived home, in Sittard, about an hour ago, after a long but pleasant drive from kakak's and redza's house in Warwick. it's one in the morning, aidan settled (for tonight at least), the car is now empty, yes, the damage was done, after 3 weeks of holidaying and shopping in the UK.

Alhamdulillah, our house is ok, front garden needs cleaning, fridge needs filling, clothes needs washing, bags need unpacking and we need some resting!

I will write more (there's simply too much to share), and that's a promise!

I'm gonna download more of our photos and hit the sack.. g'night!

(pictures of us in eurotunnel, earlier today, @6.20pm train from folkestone to calais)

Z

It's A Boy!!

Everyone, meet my gorgeous baby nephew, Ferran Redza, born on wednesday, the 4th of July.

Both mother and son are doing brilliantly. fifi's still in the hospital but will be discharged soon.

Thank you all for the lovely thoughts and wishes, from the bottom of our hearts.

Will be updating more on them soon, together with photos!

Auntie Zaza

Blooming Marvelously

We are all in the UK now. we pushed off last saturday, got on the eurotunnel, and we've been welcomed by the wet and windy british weather as well as my parents who flew a day earlier, my sister fifi, and my brother in law redza. fifi is giving birth to her first born very, VERY soon. she's still blooming marvelously, she looks and feels good, and her bump really looks good! all is well and set!





Alles goed, alles klaar (all is good, all is ready), and we're just waiting to welcome fifi and redza's baby into the world. i'm going to be an aunt for the first time, and how wonderful it is to be feeling what i'm feeling. aidan's going to have a baby cousin, just 9 months apart! and at this moment, i cant tell you how happy i am to be with my family, with mum and dad here, and with kakak and redza. it means the world and i intend to make every moment, every second a treassured one.



To the both of you - kakak, i'm positive you'll be a great mum, you'll be experiencing a wonderful feeling and something you will always remember for the rest of your life. redza, you'll be a wicked, cool dad, and to the both of you, i'm sure you'll be amazing parents. we love you with all our hearts and wish you all the love in the world. we hope you guys will enjoy your wonderful new family life together, the 3 of you.

Now lets plan our holidays together, lets plan our kids summer holidays, easter breaks and christmas vacations!

(Will be posting updates of her and the baby soon!)

Z

Fantastisch Zurich - Day 2

More pictures to share on our fantastic trip to Zurich, taken on our second day.






An awesome day, where we walked and walked and walked till our legs almost fell off out of our bodies, but it was all worth it!

Z

Fantastisch Zurich - Day 1

We drove to Zurich. yes, DROVE!!! a 8 hour journey plus pit stops for us to stretch our legs and for one to change his nappy. it was very scenic all along the way, and finally, we could see hills and valleys (we dont have much of them in holland). the last time i was there was some 20 years ago, during winter where we went up in slopes and peaks all dressed up like a big bubble (i.e hidious!). this time around, the weather was perfect!


(Orelikon Train Station)

We stayed at Swissotel, just slightly outskirts of Zurich main. the facilities were excellent and the surroundings are just perfect. there are trams that you can just hop on to go to the centre, and of course, take the train, and another option is to take the bus. this is one country where you can rely 100& on their public transport!





We had dinner at the old Zurich, where the charm of each building was simply full of colours, character and class. my pictures really dont show any justice to the city, it is simply beautiful every corner you look at.



Zurich, you simply MUST go there!

(Ann: you guys are so lucky!! its beautiful there)

Z

The Malaysian Food Fair

(Was suppose to write about this long time ago, but anyway.. here it is..)

Every year the Malaysian Embassy will host a Malaysian Food Fair. This is the time for all of us, to meet and get to know each other. This year was our second time at the fair and what an improvement!



The were plenty more choices, plenty more faces and we manage to meet those whom we briefly met last year, Pak Mat in particular. this is one kind man who gave me a tupperware full of kuah laksa johor last year during my craving days, while carrying Aidan. and to thank him and to let him know that i will always remember his kind gestures, i brought him a limburgese vlaai!!



(Thank you Pak Mat for covering my double chin! hehe)

Did not manage to catch what we had, what we ate, we simply couldnt wait and cant help ourselves but to dig in straight away, and of course, K.Noriah's stall as well as Pak Mat's was our 1st target! but i have to say that there were few other stalls that caught our noses!


(The Johor "sendo" lot!)

We brought mum and dad to the fair and they managed to form a johor group! and what a small world it is! there were big laughs talking of old times, serious talks, as well as pleasantly smiley faces amongst them. i will for sure visit the most humble Uncle Joe, the ever so friendly Pak Mat, the best malaysian cook in NL, K.Noriah and family again next year at the fair.


(Hardy introducing a malaysian flag, malaysian local fruits to Aidan)

We missed our dear friend, noreen and izi, but i guess the food back home tastes way better ey? We missed noreen and daniel, hope to see you guys on the same day next year (they went on sunday, we went on saturday). i didnt manage to meet a new blog friend, theeta and family (they were there on sunday as well). and we certainly wished Maz was still here.

Z

De Hollandsche Molen

It’s impossible to picture the Netherlands without windmills! and since my parents are here, we wanted them to see what holland is famous for. so we brought them to kinderdijk.



Because large parts of the netherlands are reclaimed parts of water, about 70% of the country is below sea level. the impact which this has on the dutch drainage system is huge! the draining of the country doesnt take place the normal way, this causes that all the water from rain which falls on the country stays. so in order to prevent the dutch inhabitants from drowning a large drainage system was formed. a system of 19 windmills was built around 1740. this group of mills is the largest concentration of old windmills in the netherlands.


All of them are all working windmills that require people living in them to be "millers" and maintain them. There is a waiting list of people to live in them! visitors can go in one of them on certain days (which wasnt the case when we were there, unfortunately). There is an entrance for those who want to see the windmill on the inside, but there is no fee for those who just go to see the windmills on the outside.



UNESCO inscribed the Kinderdijk-Elshout network of windmills on the World Heritage List in 1997. The network attests to the ingenuity and bravery of the Dutch people, who developed a highly intelligent hydraulic system to stabilize and cultivate a large stretch of peat bog in the Netherlands.
Located on the northwest edge of the Alblasserwaard (“land on the water’s edge”), the complex helped drain the inner districts of the Overwaard (“the high land”) and the Nederwaard (“the low land”) until 1950, when the mills were closed. The 19 remaining mills are still in operating condition.
The site and its upstream and downstream polders, equipped with natural drainage systems, rivers and streams, windmills, pumping stations and spillways, have remained virtually unchanged since the 18th century. Today this typically Dutch landscape is officially protected as a cultural monument and a natural reserve.



It's approx. 16km from rotterdam, and if you're travelling by car, you can find it by taking the A16 and A15 motorway from Rotterdam in the direction of Gorinchem and Nijmegen, and taking the exit signposted as "Alblasserdam, Kinderdijk", and following the signs to Kinderdijk. Walking along the dyke from the designated parking area, you will first see the modern pumping station, and then a succession of all nineteen 18th century windmills, on either side of the dyke and waterway.

Kinderdijk, a well worth visit!

Click here for an interactive history and explanation on windmills and kinderdijk.

Read more about Kinderdijk here

Read about Kinderdijk on UNESCO world heritage site here

Z

33!

Woensdag, 20 Juni

There were 33 candles on midnight, marking my husband's birthday. Mijn liefste turned 33. what makes this person so special? everyone who knows him would probably have diffrerent things to say about him. everyone who knows him well will know how special he is, in his own ways of course. but here's what we think of him (after taking only the gist of it)

Mum: "the coolest guy!"
Dad: "wonderfully dependable in every way"
My sister, fifi who's heavily pregnant: "very meticulous person, very patient with a soft heart"
My wacky brother in law, redza: "A really nice genuine typical bloke that fits in anywhere! and so am i!" (we agree!! same goes for you too redz!!)

Me? he is full of love and more. and i am extrermely proud to be his wife.

Last but not least, Aidan (who turns 9 months today). this was what he thought of his papa (taken on the morning of hardy's birthday whilst trying to get up, and later that day in town).





To my mother in laws: thank you mama for giving birth to a beautiful person 33 years ago, who turned out to be a wonderful man to all of us. thank you for taking care and showered him with all your motherly love. thank you mummy for all the love you've shared, the care you showed and given to this amazing husband of mine.

Z

Happy Father's Day

Dad, you were the one who'd make sure i would have everything i needed, most of what i wanted. I can look back and see that you always wanted the best for me, and I know how hard you worked to get it. And even though we may not agree on everything, you've taught me to think things through, to care, to love and to share...



My dear husband, the father of our son,
Your patience amazes me...your energy inspires me...your love makes our life together so good and so right and so complete.

I love the father in you, the way you take parenting seriously, and that little boy in you who comes out to wrestle, laugh and play... i love the tenderness in your heart, the constant care and the love you share with all your might!

To the both of you,

What would my life be without you?
I'd never have made it this far.
You've helped me through all my endeavors
You're the best! You're a peach! You're a Star!


Z

Bite Me!

I've been trying to snap a photo of aidan's tooth since it's first sightings couple of weeks ago but failed. but last tuesday, on our way to Zurich, we stopped at one of the services and i managed to get a good photo of him and his tandjes! (now, there's two!)

Kijk! Aidan heeft twee tandjes!



He's been biting almost everything lately!

(Just got back about 2 hours ago.. we'll write more on our wonderful trip soon!)

Z

Mooie Maastricht

We brought oma and opa to Maastricht last week, 20 mins drive from our home. Maastricht is the capital of province of Limburg. the city is situated on both sides of the famous River Maas, in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands between Belgium and Germany. Maastricht is probably the oldest city in the Netherlands with historical streets and places to visit. the main shopping stretches between the Vrijthof Square and the railway station. you will be able to find charming shops as well as departmental stores, where one could not resist the temptation to shop!





I'm not going to write on the historical buildings and places in maastricht, my husband knows it by hard now, therefore he's the best person to tell you on the historical side of the said place. i'm just going to touch briefly on the shopping we did last week.



The well conserved and excellently maintained centrum of Maastricht offers an attractive shopping culture, with its renowned and long-established stores
specialized in art, antiques, design, home furnishings, accessories and fashion, and its delicatessens, not to mention cafes and popular high street brands. The best thing is, in spring and summer, you'll get to enjoy the cafes, bars and restaurants outside, overlooking the river or the square. watch out for cyclists when you're walking tho!



The shops in Maastricht are open on Monday from 1pm to 6pm, Tuesday to Friday 9am to 6pm, Saturdays from 9am to 5pm. Thursday evenings, shops open until 9pm, we call it Koopavond. Sundays shops are often gesloten (closed), but there are certain days where they open, most cases every first Sunday of the month. Please note that, if you're travelling to the Netherlands, and carrying traveller's cheques, it is not possible to change them at the banks. unlike in the UK where you can change them at the banks and any travel agents, Thomas Cook etc, over here, you can change them at the Schipol Airport, or an exchange office on most big cities, called GWK, most of them situated just accross or near the railway stations. in Maastricht, it's at stationsplein 27.



We went shopping, had lunch at the cafe, stopped for waffels and ice creams, continued shopping whilst admiring the 18th, 19th centuary buildings, cobbled stones, figures and enjoying the atmosphere. we were there from morning, till the shops shut their doors and count their earnings of the day!! and it really didnt feel that long!

There's so much to explore and see in Maastricht. a day is simply not enough! i've found my gems in maastricht, a couple of shops on Sporenstraat, where i know i'd be visiting again, and again and again...

Maastricht is definitely a place to visit when you're in the Netherlands. Mooie Maastricht.. such beauty, such character, such charm.

Z

Priceless

They say a picture says a thousand words....






... these says a million! and the spoiling begins! :)