I had the urge of posting this post after I made comments on my cousin's blog on those bottle caps game that we played during our primary school days. I used to live in those L-flat in Kim Keat Avenue, the block no longer exist now. At that time, I don't why but I have a lot of relatives staying in the same block. I have my dad's brothers staying on the 8th floor, my dad's cousin staying also on the 8th floor and my dad's cousin mother staying on the 6th floor. Then I have my dad's friends staying at the same corridor as us on the 12th floor. Ok, enough of my daddy from the block story.

BOTTLECAPS

Where one will collect as many bottle caps from empty bottle of Mirinda, 7-Up, Sinalco etc. Normally, we will collect only the one that looks new. Rusty and badly bended (kemek) one we won't take. We will then play it with friends or neighbours. Whoever bottlecap got pinned under, that person will lose and the bottlecap goes to the winner. Thus, that explains why there are so much bottlecaps in the house until mum has to get rid of it.

TENG TENG / HOPSCOTCH

Last time, there isn't any Teng Teng / Hopscotch outline drawn on the playground. Thus what used to happen was we will bring back fresh white chalk from school and then draw it on our spacious corridoor. We will use rubber band as the thing to 'chop' or book the space inside the Teng Teng / Hopscotch area. Jump jump till your feet goes black.

BATU SELEMBAT / FIVE STONES

Only girls played this game last time. The boys would think that it is rather kookoo to play Batu Selembat / Five Stones with girls. Only guys who think that they can beat the girls better would they be participating together-gether. These small selembat is cloth filled with beans or biji saga, the red saga seads. We either get it from the bookshop or the market. I normally make these myself using uncooked rice grains. When the selembat break open due to poorly sewn, I will filled it with new rice grains until I had my mum shouting not to waste her rice grains that I eventually stop doing this.

KEJAR-KEJAR / CATCHING

Funny how the word catching was reformed by kids those day. I still remember if one comes up to me and said "Eh, nak main catching? (Eh, wanna play catching?). And playing catching at that L-block was definately a no joke which was why nobody used to volunteer to be the catcher and we have to do Oh-Ah-Peh-Ah-Som to see who will be the catcher. I used to play this with Crab, Magg, their brother and some other neighbours and if the last catcher couldn't catch before one decided to stop the game, that last catcher would be called this "Pasang Lengit". And you could hear the rest echoing that from the staircase.

SEMBUNYI-SEMBUNYI / HIDE AND SEEK

Same goes for this game. It was of course a no joke trying to locate oneself when you have the WHOLE block to yourself. Some even had the tendency to hide in the lift and travel up and down. Some even hide inside their own house. How to catch? And when we were ask to count to 100, sometimes we cheat and said we have counted to 100 and the seniors will ask to count to 200 sometimes. Bully!

ROUNDERS

Nope. Not that baseball thing. This was the classic of all. Dunno if anyone have tried before. Its a catching game as well. You have to align all footwear to be upright near the wall. Says there are 5 people playing. You will find 5 different slippers standing upright on the floor. The other pair was for throwing. You will then have to hit 1 slipper and if that slipper drops, all will run except the owner of that slipper that had fallen down. The owner then take his/her slipper and gave a chase. Whoever unfortunate soul that cannot run fast will be slammed hard on their back with the slipper by the owner. Normally the owner will chase whoever that he/she dislike or whoever that hit her/his slipper. Revenge. Sakit oi kalau kena.

And other games that we really had fun with which I don't have the time to type. Continuation some other time. Happy Thursday! *Doink counting date to Raya*

RAMBLINGS

Suddenly, I got migraine attack. Ini sumer pasal questionnaire untuk hotel job tu lah. Mad morning rush tapi yang macam aku tak percaya, aku sorang jer yang kancheong, yang lain sumer rilek macam takde apa-apa yang berlaku. Tu benda dah urgent, nak kena submit secepat mungkin. Abih tu, dengan boss aku pat negeri cina, sempat pulak dia suruh aku check itu ini then to call him back. Ok takpe. Aku buat jugak. Yang lain tetap rilek pas tu sumer cakap nak kuar, ada appointment. Oi! Abih ni benda aku handle sorang ke apa? Siak betullah. Dengan boss aku punya fickle mindedness, sekejap nak tukar ni, sekejap nak tukar tu, lagi membingitkan kepalaku. That moment, rasanya macam nak hand in notice of resignation jer. Kepala sungguh sakit fikirkan pasal questionnaire dan perangai pekerja-pekerja pat sini. Padahal tu questionnaire punya chicken kedodol, sumer mintak straight forward nya answer tapi itu pon boss keparat aku masih nak suruh check ngan manufacturer, ngan installers, ngan ntah saper lagi just to make sure. Dah lah tu, quotation kena revised. Pepuks betullah! Dahlah takde time, kena revised lagi, makin menambahkan ke-kancheong-an aku. Then halfway thru aku tengah buat kerja, sibuk pulak si beruang ni tipon dari negeri cina. Apa kejadah aku nak pegi layan when I'm busy with this stupid thing. Arggghh.. fed up arh. Bukan sekali dua dia tipon, berkali-kali. U have an incoming call from China. Bla Bla Bla. Tanya pasal collectionlah, pasal tipon numberlah, macam mana aku nak habiskan kerja. Be Wau Dal Wau Ha. Sesungguhnya, aku tak puasa niari.

PAST TENSE

Abang : Ma, Abang tak nak ikut Ibu lagi. Kalau Mama suruh Abang gi rumah Ibu, Abang tak nak makan, tak nak minum. Lepas tu Abang lari gi rumah kawan Abang.

Adik : Ma, kalau Adik dah secondary school, Baby dah sekolah ke belum?

Me : Baby dah Primary 1 agaknya.

Adik : Kalau dia pegi Primary 1, nanti Adik hantar dia pegi sekolah lepas tu Adik amik dia balik sekolah.

Tup Tup Tup : Yang tua left us in December 2004 while yang kecik left us this year June, all when they're spending their holiday with their natural mum; no proper visit or hello till todate. If so, only call or come to ask for money. Macam tatang minyak penuh aku jaga dorang, ajar dorang, kasi pandai dorang. Apa dorang nak sumer aku kasi walaupun dilarang oleh ayah mereka ie. my hubby. Apa-apa yang terjadi dalam rumah ie. pasal nenek/pakcik marah/maki them, aku selalu bela. In the end, perpisahan juga jawapannya. HATI SIAPA YANG TAK SAKIT. Nasib baiklah ada replacement (Baby Sarah), kalau tak mati biol (bukan mati kojol!) aku. Nak menangis air mata darah sekalipun, dorang takkan datang balik. So, move on babe! Life ahead memang full of surprises. Tak dapat dinafikan.

PRESENT TENSE

The replacement, the life saver, the penglipur lara, the buah hati pengarang jantung. The ayah's princess, the mama's angel, our one and only little girl, Sarah Batrisyia. And her face, clon muker abang dia yang nombor 2. Sama cetak, sama bentuk, sama expressi. If you too are gonna leave me one day, leave when I have had enough of you, not when I still wants to care and love you so damn much.

This year Raya will be completely different than the previous years. Let's go backwards to the years when I am still schooling to the period where I was still single mingle triangle. In those days, it was definately merrier as all my needs for Raya was taken care by this person called 'Mum'. When it comes to baju kurungs or kebayas, all are ready made without I even have to choose. Tup tup tup, few days before Raya, there they are, all my helai and helai of bajus, ready made just for me. I only have to wear it. And that includes shoes, handbags and other needs and good thing during schooling time was, I don't need to worry about giving away ang pow.

When I had started working, since got not a lot of commitments, I began buying my own shoes and handbags but all baju kurungs were still taken care of that person called 'Mum'. I had been giving away ang pow since I started working and of course from that year onwards, the ritual had to go on and on every year. Changing new crisp $2 notes was like the 'must do' thing on my Raya list every year.

When I got married, things went differently. I had to purchase most of my own stuff and not only that, I have to fork out extra for my family and even the house. At that moment, the person called 'Mum' was no longer there to provide the luxury. I felt the pain. It was definately a pain thing to do everything myself to the extent, I only bought like 1 or 2 ready made baju kurung for myself and the rest are spent on the family, ie. at that time, there were the boys. This went on for 3 consecutive years and I was still in charge of every thing, the kids, the bakings, the house... everything and that almost caused me a breakdown coz I had no help at all. Tonnes of complains and whines were poured out to that person called 'Mum' and all I get from her was be patient.

This year, although I am so very excited to sambut Raya, my excitedness has since fade away when Hubby began working in container line at PSA. He has to work during 1st and 2nd day of Raya. There goes my Raya. Looks like me and baby had to go visiting without him. Luckily, Dad & Mum offered to jalan raya with them. At least my 1st Raya with Baby won't be that bad. If not I had to sit at home, dah macam tak berkeluarga nak beraya. However, this year, I am happy because all my baby's needs have been looked after. I guess that must be just what my mum felt when she tends to her children needs first for the Raya. The satisfaction and the happiness, looking at the happy smile and the excitedness that her children showed her after getting new bajus and shoes. Yes. I am in that state too. Never mind the tiredness having to wake up in the middle of the night to feed her. Never mind the tiredness having to bake cookies and cleaning the house while still have to tend, look and play with her. Never mind the big hole in my pocket for spending so much on just 1 baby. Never mind Hubby had to work during Raya, but I still have my baby with me. Never mind all that. I'm just glad that the 2 returned back to their original caretaker and God gave me a replacement that showered me with so much joy, satisfaction and happiness. I am really looking forward to next Thursday, going visiting with my little baby, Sarah Batrisyia.

Dear Hubby, today is your 31st birthday. How days passed by without we even noticing it. It's another year survived and I thanked Allah for that. Being with you and Sarah has make my life complete. May you be happy on your birthday and I wish you the very best in whatever you do. Till death do us part. Love you always, Wifey. There goes another year of birthday, prompting us that age is catching up.

Doink looking at the calendar. The month of November is nearing... Oh no... I'll be in my 30s soon enough.

Anyways, Hub's birthday has been celebrated in advance thus today seems a little bit dull especially since he has to work and I am busy attending to the house needs for the upcoming Raya round the corner. Nevertheless, I manage to call and gave him a good wish for his birthday at earlier midnite today.

Can't seem to do things easily this year with little Sarah in tow. Every movement she make, I have to be alert. Every movement I make, she tends to watch and see. She will wail for attention whenever I am out of her sight. Even baking cookies, I think today is the most long record of baking as well. Starts at 9am, finished at 2pm, only managed to bake 1 type of cookies. The thing with me is I'm price concious whenever it comes to buying cookies. With 100 pcs for $15 or $20, I think for that amount of money, I can buy all the ingredients and get 3 to 4 types of cookies. Semangat berkobar-kobar wanting to make my own cookies but with the attention that little Sarah needs every now and then and with MIL not in to look after her while I bake, I think I can only make do with 2 types and the rest to order. What a waste of money.

Oh! I went out with my cousin yesterday to Tekka Mall and I bought a pair of shoe for raya. After so-called buka at Burger King, we then went off to Mustaffa Centre where KakMil couldn't decide what bag to have for her raya. There were all sort of designs and colour and I too was looking for a bag but can't find one that is big enough to put my stuff and my baby stuff all in. Takkan nak terhegeh dengan dua bag and a baby. She settled in with a cream, yellowish colour bag for herself and pink one for her little darling. Then we went downstairs and shopped for toiletries and make up. Yes, I need foundation, eyeliner, lipliner, blusher etc etc. I bought all the things I need and she bought hers and after paying for our goods, we went to nearest coffeeshop to tapau makan for my family. Getting a cab was extremely difficult there with shoppers shopping for Deepavali and Malays like us sibuk-sibuk in Serangoon Road to shop as well for Raya. In the end, had to call a cab and KakMil went over to my place while waiting for her hubby to knock off from work at his Paya Lebar office. I managed to buy a cheongsam-like pant suit for my baby Sarah and she definately looks cute in it. I'm just glad I got a baby girl.... so many nice things to put on her. Wait ok baby, I'll doll you up at Raya morning. Hehe