Friday love affair

I love Friday.

Who wouldn't? But ever since I have my own family, Friday took on a new meaning. It was the day of the week when I changed hat. From a part time mom to a full fledge queen of the house. I'd be planning menu, activities, shopping list, delegation of duty list, where to go, party invites, books to read and about a million other stuffs.

And lately, I've moved from planning stage to partial implementation stage. I did my pasar malam round on Friday after work and grocery shopping after dinner. More often than not, I'd be driving to office on Friday morning with my pasar malam shopping trolley and tesco shopping bags in tow so that I could go straight from office. And the wierdest thing is, I enjoyed doing that, despite feeling rather pathetic sometimes. I guessed I'll keep on doing the same routine (with occasional break) for as long as I enjoy it and then, hubby or Amri can take over. Queen of the house is entitled to be moody and inconsistent of course.

There were times when I thought I must be the most boring people on earth, especially when I realised my plan for the weekend was to vegetate at home and the highlight of my Friday was grocery shopping. But it gave me such joy that I doubt there'd be any human dares to call me boring in my face. I just love the home I made, termites and all. And I'm starting to realised, there are a lot of people who love puttering around at home too, if not more. A lawyer planning her menu while waiting for the lift at her office, a banker friend who every first Friday of the month would make a detour to Sg Buloh to restock his plants, seeds and fertiliser, another who'll get his ps3 games ready on Friday for the weekend, a lovely neighbour whose idea of a perfect weekend is baking and movie marathon with her kids, a vogue mom who'll hit the mall to pick up her family reading lists on her way home on Friday night (those lucky people who works on top of a mall) and of course, yours truly who spend her Friday with grocery shopping and then a visit to nearby bookshop for books and comics. Come Friday night, we all morphed into domestic god/goddess who find joys at the most basic thing.

Of course, give me a blocked kitchen sink and I couldn't get out of the house fast enough.

The gray area of striking a balance

I read an article today about how some top executives were lamenting about their so called over flexi working arrangement which ended up with them working 24x7.

Well.

I worked 24x7 too but unlike them, my annual package is definitely not 7 digits. And unlike them, my 24x7 working hours totalled less than 40 hours per week. Heheh...you win some, you lose some.

I worked for a multinational organisation which runs like an ER. Almost everyone is on call (the cleaner does not). There is always emergency at any one time (read : revenue). I go everywhere with blackberry attached like an appendage. I tot around laptop during holidays. I do not have any specific working hours. I read and reply to emails at ungodly hours. I've had to recrunch numbers that already been crunched beyond recognition on Saturday morning because someone is US did not agree with it on their Friday. But I love it. I love every boring second of it. And most people find it hard to believe. Those few who believe, asked me for time management tips.

Anyway. There is no specific tip. I just got lucky to stumble into a kind of environment that I thrive in . I managed to mash home and office nicely. The famous flexi hour allows me to fool around with my boys (young and old) and occasionally with girlfriends while sticking to my 40 hours per week. I work from home occasionally, when I think I can stand Aqil bugging me. Most time, it is wiser to hide in office and bring part of your home affairs to workplace. Things like organising birthday party, stalking the boys facebook, harassing the husband, searching for recipe, emailing the teachers, online shopping or holiday planning are best if done at office. Again, must remember 40 hours/week rule. Integrity must always be intact. Anything less will deign you a thief. Work at 3am if you must but the pledged 40 hours must be accounted for.

But of course, I take some measure to ensure this from the beginning. I can still remember years ago, after being offered a job here, I made a call to office at 5.30pm, for a few days straight and again on Saturday. If someone pick it up, then I was going to turn down the offer, or at least, will not stay past my probationery period. Thank God the phone kept on ringing. Thank God, a few years later, no one is staying in office after 5pm (save for a staff who carpool with his brother so has to wait for the other).

So far so good. I get to attend all school functions, be home/school in a jiffy if one of the boys is taken ill, have time for parties with my girlfriends, occasional lunch date and movie with husband, read tonnes of books and whenever the mood strike, put on my mad cook hat.

All this at the price of having a rather significant less pay than my friends at KLCC...muahahahaha.....but seriously, my leisure time is priceless. No way i'm giving it up.

The rare race to office

Phew!

Almost thought I couldn't made it. There was a webex session scheduled at 8.30am. I rarely arrived at 8.30 am, much less with enough time to set up my laptop for video conference. And i wasnt entirely sure whether my new blackberry could handle web conferencing and even if it did, no way i'm showing my face while driving.

But the boys were fuss free this morning and by 7.00am both of them were already in the car. No last minute toilet call or missing smartcard. And the road was clear all the way. The boys clocked in at 7.23 am - the earliest this year. Hopefully they stay put in their respective classes until HRT showed up.

The road to Sunway Damansara was okay too. Queue jumpers havent arrived there yet, I guessed. So I managed to make it to office by 8.00am. Had to move to meeting room since I was told to invite 4 other staffs to join the video conference and my minuscule office could only accomodate the not so minuscule me. Some 20 minutes later, everything were up and running. Laptop nicely connected to projector and a speakerphone, BB put on silent, crap instant coffee made, make up and jacket put on and madam sit back and prepared to listen to latest company strategic direction whatever from the other side of the world.

Tuned out (while looking sharp and clever)

Regress aging

Honestly.

I have more pimples now (a month before 38th birthday) than when I was 18.

Anyone want to analyse my blood and hormon to find cure for aging and wrinkles?

Rain Rain Go Away...

At 2 years 7 months old, Aqil only knows two songs. And this is one of the two :)

School Holiday 2012 - Kidzania

I took the rest of the week off and decided to spend some fun time with the boys. First stop - Kidzania.

Amri opening account at CIMB

Adam cashing out his check of 50 Kidzos

Dell design engineers

paramedics, with Amri as victim

There were too many kids, due to school holiday. The boys managed to try out at Court (Amri as judge, Adam as defence attorney), Emergency room, Dell factory and a few others.

I made a surprising discovery - Adam likes working as design engineer the most. He loved it that he didnt have to go out or speak with anyone. He totally disliked working at emergency room because he would have to go out on the street and gave aid. Being seen on the street embarrassed him. How weird. Amri meanwhile, would rather be outside, preferably riding the firetruck and making as much noise as possible.

Hubby and I left them there to catch a movie. When we went back to collect them, Adam still have a lot of kidzos with him, after spending some on trinkets for himself and Aqil. He wanted to get to college but run out of time. Amri spent all kidzos earned on cellphone rental and entertainment. Adam gave him some kidzos so he could buy something for Aqil too but Amri spent it all for himself. Kah kah kah.... oh my...I guessed I get a peep onto the future.

And I met this beautiful lady in the thick crowd leaving the premise. Or rather, her sharp eagle eyes saw me. Nice meeting you, sis.

White water rafting

My first!

After hearing so much about it from my Zumba friends, I decided to give it a try. And of course, dragging the boys and their father as well (minus Aqil). Liza suggested Slim River as the grading is from 1-3 and suitable for first timer and kids. I just went along with it, having no idea of the grading and only asking about what to wear.

My take.......I WANT TO DO IT AGAIN!!!! Hopefully the organisor will send me our pics soon so I could put them here and brag about it.

The yummeh food after the ride. We were starving so even Adam, who is not a lauk kampung food eater, ate without a peep.

Amro of course, would go for second helping

Ayam masak lomak, ikan goreng, sayur kobis, sambal belacan, ikan masin and lovely friends

Bye Slim River....we'll be back!!!

Can't wait until aqil grows up and then we can have the whole boat (raft?) to our family.