Picture Day!

Thomas The Train

The tower, don't ask, I don't know what this tower is for heh

Bits and pieces of Shahrin's collection

The yellow one is a jetplane (obviously! :D) but I'm not sure about the red.

Shahrin is quite creative when it comes to building things with his blocks. He's just like his Paksu (my youngest brother) who had a basket full of Lego blocks that he played with ALL day, making everything from a soldier to a dinosaur. Enjoy! :D

Update on the RA thing.

I have just called the person in charge of recruiting RAs for the project.
She informed me that they are going to set up a Call Center for contacting correspondence involved in this project. The RAs are going to be calling the correspondence and get their feedback on the survey. Kind of like being a telemarketer but in a nicer way, heh.

There would be 3 shifts, from 10am to 10pm and from what I've gathered, if someone gets the 10am shift, that person will be off-duty by 6pm. The coordinator told me that each RA would have to work an 8 hours shift with 1 hour for rest. Pretty much a 9 to 5 job but in shifts.

I'm kind of worried though. IF I get the job and in the 3 month working period I get the night shift, I'd have to drive home alone from Penang back to Bagan Serai! That's a long way to drive alone, at night (10pm from Penang and at least 1.5 hours to reach Bagan Serai) and I don't do well in the dark. *shudder*

I did ask the coordinator if they would consider special request; cutting some slack for mothers with children, hoping that if I do get it, then I wouldn't have to worry about working the night shift. She said that they have to wait and see how everything goes after the interview on the 16th.

Well, for now, I think I'm going to try for it and be there for the interview.
After all, I have got nothing to lose and so much to gain. 

   

To go or Not to go?

That IS the big QUESTION.

My business writing lecturer has taken quite an interest in my quest to find a job or more specifically my LACK of job. She has taken it upon herself to help me secure a job, at least a part-time job by going to her boss with my plight.

So, on Monday, I received an e-mail from my lecturer's boss about a walk-in interview at the National Poison Center, in Main Campus. The position is for Research Assistant, with a contract for 3 months. The research is for an international tobacco control policy. This is something I really would love to get involve in because I have been trying to get Ahmad to quit smoking (and btw, Nazrin is really sabotaging his ciggies supply by crushing them up whenever Ahmad left them unattended, haha) and any part I can do to fight the tobacco companies, I would gladly do.

Problem is, if I get the job, it would be in Penang & I would have to commute quite a bit, about 4 hours both ways. Plus, in that e-mail, applicants would be required to work on weekends and on shifts. Being a SAHM for so long, I'm not comfortable with leaving my boys with anyone for long periods of time, even Ahmad himself. Especially not TB!

And that my friends, is my BIGGEST concern.

What if I do get the job and I do have to work in shifts, day or night, and during weekends too, and Ahmad calls TB to help out with the boys??! I've had enough of TB trying to win over Shahrin and I will not let TB win over Nazrin too. I don't care if the house falls apart at the seams when and if I leave these 3 males by themselves. But I will NOT stand by and let TB rule my boys.

But then again, I need this. Desperately need it.

Our financial standing is on the rocks again. No surprise there. If he would step up, man up or whatever, then I need to, for the sake of my boys. I hate not being able to give them what their hearts desire just because I couldn't afford it. And don't forget, my parents are on my back again about the whole 'get a job' thing. Though I know they are very concern about us but I wish they could just let me be. *sigh*

I could practically hear their disappointment whenever I talk to them on the phone. I am the only child, minus my youngest brother who is still studying, who haven't got a job. And whenever we have a family gathering, only the boys and I will attend since Ahmad wouldn't leave his stupid friends, even for a few days. Usually, during these gatherings, I would feel pitied by my family. My father would always provide for us because he knows I don't have enough money to splurge on anything. Plus, when my siblings are being lovey-dovey with their spouses, Ahmad's absence really tore my heart.

Well, enough with the soap opera. I've made my bed of thorns and so, I have to sleep in it.

My plan for the interview is I am going to call the person in charge and ask him about my concerns regarding working long hours. Maybe we can work something out.

Or not.

The interview will be on the 16th. So, if you're reading this, please pray for me, ok?   

 

Our menu for today.

 I was feeling rather motivated this morning, so I went grocery shopping. I bought half a chicken, some Chinese mustard plant (sayur sawi), I actually wanted to buy kailan but since they don't have any, I had to settle with the mustard plant instead. I also bought some chilies, dried anchovies and the makings of a 

chicken soup.

 

 Here they are! Clockwise from top: chicken soup, fried chicken with chilies, fried mustard plant with anchovies, chilies and soy sauce, and some plain fried chicken.

 

Chicken soup

Fried chicken with chilies.

Fried mustard plant with anchovies, chilies and a dash of soy sauce.

The basic preparation needed for all 3 dishes were the same; onions, garlic and some ginger.

I peeled and blended these 3 ingredients separately, for easy use/sauteing in all 3 dishes.

Just the type of cooking I prefer, easy and simple! 

Art Attact; Bubble Windmill

At around 7pm yesterday evening, we sat down and watched an educational segment on Astro TVIQ. I'm not sure what that segment was called but it featured a girl who made a Bubble Windmill out of milk cartoons and cardboard boxes. She was stressing about recycling rubbish to make fun things.

Now, you know that I have my stash of trash, right? I've written about them here. Since last night, Shahrin had kept going on and on about wanting to make a bubble windmill too. So, this morning, after being pestered about it for the zillionth time, I gave up. I told him, "All right, we'll make one for you and Adik (Nazrin)".

I took out my stash and luckily, I have just about everything that I would need to make A Bubble Windmill!

My stash: milk cartoons, a cardboard box, a Styrofoam thingy, wooden skewers and some glue (not in the picture).

 Mind you, this is not a tutorial, I'm just writing down my own way of doing this. I skipped some part from last night's show, since I was pressed for time and the boys were too 'helpful' with the scissors. Couldn't take the chance to take it slow and make everything pretty and decorative, hehe.

Poke one wooden skewer through the top section of a milk cartoon.

Cut another milk cartoon in half, this would be the container to hold the bubble mixture; some dish-washing liquid and water

My 'Handy Helpers' busy at work assembling the windmill.

I've cut some cardboard into rectangles to make the blades for the windmill, Shahrin helped me attach them on to the square Styrofoam.

Nazrin was really focused on the job!

The finished art.

The blades were cut-up cardboard, poked through with more wooden skewers and inserted into the square Styrofoam, the blades were set at an angle so that they can catch the wind. We placed a fan on the table to test the windmill. In this picture, you can't see the 4 wire loops I made. The wind was supposed to turn the blades as well as make bubbles by making the wires pass through the bubbly solution underneath the windmill.
 

Here is the windmill in action.

This new 'recycled toy' lasted for about 10 minutes, then everything fell apart. Heh. The soapy solution made the blades soggy and one by one they fell off. As I was in a hurry to finish tidying up the house and make breakfast, the project is a KIV for now. I managed to distract him with something else, but if I know my son, he'd usually forget something if that something has already been given/bought/done. I think I'm saved for now. For what it's worth, we did have fun watching the Windmill turn for the 10 minutes of its life. Heh.

I joined the Sassy Sites blog-hop party!

After the class is over...

We had our final class for Business Writing last Wednesday.
Our lecturer let us have back our 2 tests papers to go through while in class.
The first test was to write a Refusing Credit letter and the second one was to write a Market Trend report.
These pieces are marked according to the format of each piece, the content, grammatical accuracy and style of writing. The total mark is then calculated to give the 'pointer' for each test. 1 test = 5 points (highest mark).
As the teacher was explaining more about some of the other business letters that could come up in the exam, I took the chance to look through my own test and the other 2 girls' tests as well. The one Chinese girl (who is literally 10 years younger than I am) in class got 4._ and 4._ for her tests, while the one Indian girl in class (she's 8 years younger) got a 3._ and a 4._ for hers. Me? I only got a 3.5 and a 3.2.

Bummer.

I've never felt sooooo disappointed about my English papers before. NEVER. English is like my strongest subject. I've never even got an A- for English, let alone a B?!!

So, I asked my lecturer about my results. You know what she said? She said, "You are a good writer, Anis but you just don't have the content suitable enough to satisfy the requirement of these tests". She is right. The Chinese girl always get good remarks for her letters/memo that we have to write in class. I would always ask to borrow her paper after class, so that I can go home and study her content. She has got some good ideas when it comes to 'marketing new products' or 'planning a launch' or reasons to 'why we are refusing to grant credit for your purchase'.

I feel so terribly disappointed.

On the 29th, we will be sitting for our final exam. As a part-time student, I have the flexibility of choosing whether or not I want to sit for the exam. Shahrin's operation to correct his hypospadia condition has been set for the 20th and recovery should take about 3-4 days. (I had written about his operation here). That doesn't give me enough time to study. I am still undecided about this. But my teacher said that I would be fine because I only lack content, everything else is good. Yeah, sure. Content. I think I should read more business reports/news from now on as a preparation. De javu feeling: I remember clipping news from our local news papers in preparation for SPM Bahasa paper. hehehe..

What a week!

This week has been a roller-coaster ride from beginning to the end. And quite frankly, I don't think the week ever ends. It just rolls into another and another and another. The only difference is one week could be better than the other OR vice verse.

I slept late 3 nights in a row, going to sleep at 3am and waking up early to send Shahrin to his pre-school. Then spent the day doing my usual chores and packing in some extra work when the boys were preoccupied with something else other than pestering me. Plus I had to help Ahmad with HIS work, putting up awnings for our neighbor. He couldn't do it alone since it was a 2-men job. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to hire a helper so I had to pitch in by being his helper. Nothing strenuous, I just helped by handing things over to him or holding things steady or tidying up his tools. However, I have to say that he never did the same for me. :( 

I truly felt like I was doing a million things at the same time but in reality, I could barely focus on one. At least I got paid for my 'hard work'. Know how I spent that hard-earned money? The last day I had to attend class in USM (btw, I've completed my class & will be sitting for the exam on 29/4, can you believe it? haha) I was paid RM40 for 2 translation jobs that I had stayed up late doing. On my way home, I kept thinking to myself that I deserve a little R&R and indulgence. So, I went to Secret Recipe. I've been dying to go there ever since a buddy in USM told me that they've opened a branch in Parit Buntar.

I walked through its door, fully expecting the warm fuzzy feeling I would get when I FINALLY get to bite into a slice of cake. I've been wanting to have a slice since.......forever.

I got myself a Chocolate Indulgence. It has several layers of something and something. The first bite was divine! (Cue sound of a choir here) I practically smacked my lips a few times just to savor the taste. Don't ask me to describe it though, I have no idea how to. Hahah. Then, one of the waitress approached me with their menu. I looked through the lunch menu and decided not to order any but I did get an Ice Blended Cappuccino. Then, into my 6th bite of the cake and my second sip of the ice blended drink, I began to feel terrible. The cake was RM6.50 and the drink? RM8.90. Plus government tax and service tax, the total was RM17.40. The euphoria didn't last very long when I began to think about how much I've spent. I could've used the money for something else other than splurged it on overpriced slice of cake and a drink.

Anyway, while on the way home, I rationalized my spending by telling myself, it has been a long time since I last bought anything for myself. Sure, I could've saved the money or used it for buying groceries for my family, but ultimately, I did felt good about myself while I was enjoying the first 5 bites (too much chocolate did make me feel a little nauseous). The feeling was great because I know I've worked hard and earned that money. I did make peace with myself by the time I got home. Suffice to say, it will be another few years before I splurge on a Secret Recipe cake again hahaha.