Kitkey, the day I earned my stripes (or spots)

Earned my cooking stripes this week, though I'd say they look more like patches. A slip of hand in a split of a  second when my mind wondered if I should make mash with garlic or peas made the smoky hot cooking oil splash out of the pan and land on various parts of my face. Ouch!

As always, I screamed silently when in pain or shock, so no one realized I had hot oil on my face. I crouched under running tap water for a couple of minutes to stop the scalding and later dousing with ice water to cool it off.

However, by midnight I had to pop a couple of Panadols as the burns were starting to throb. Lucky we have an aloe vera patch by the henna shrub, and rubbing the fresh gel on the burn help to sooth the burns and also made sure no blister forms.

The past couple of days has not been too bad, though the heatwave is making my face sting more, plus it's difficult to wear my glasses as one of the burns is on my nose bridge, the skin started to peel off since I begin applying Argan oil to help with the scars. And I keep forgetting about the raw skins, wiping my face with the towel a bit too roughly, rubbing my eyelid a little too hard when allergy attacks.

I look kitchen-seasoned someone said, I now have burn marks on both hands and arms, one on the shin from the time I tripped over a big wok, a few on my thigh from the 'rendang Raya of '95' incident and now I have a few more right on my mug.

Kitkey, kitchen hickey, that's what I am calling them.

p/s: the whole BP thing must be part of the initiation thing too I think :P

I can see clearly now

I am feeling at the top of the world. Everything seems so much clearer. 

No more stress, no more frustration.

No more switching from one with the other, misplacing and losing them both along the way. No more two timing or being with both at the same time.

Best of all, doing the things that I love comes naturally again. It's as natural as breathing now.

I feel so liberated, wonderfully free, and I see the world is just out there, waiting; because I can see now.

Yes peep, I got me new pair of glasses. The brilliant kind that combines a few kind of glasses (and definitely not the multifocals that's for them old foggies😜) and the world is a better place now. 

Good night, whenever you are.

antara sayang dan cinta

Kasih sahabat, antara sayang dan cinta.

Hislimas Ramli

29 Jan 1973 - 14 Jan 2016

Little Man Goes to School

Stolen shot of Qays carefully walking and playing during his first day school recess. Carefully as not to sweat too much or dirty his new outfit.

Mr. Independent wanted to do everything himself, including buy snack at the canteen (he initially refused to get anything, even threatening to spit out anything we give him, but big brother Husen knows better, he got Q some fried chicken ball and the kid even asked for seconds). He's also appeared very responsive in class, actively asking questions and all, quite the opposite of his old self at the kindergarten. I think he's going to do well here.

*fingers crossed that he doesn't take after you know who, her mom had to wait for her in school for three months!*

Look at that pose, ain't that's one hip kid we have there.

tough love parenting, when required

My respect goes to parents who send their problematic teenage children to the welfare department for rehabilitation when they realized that they are no longer capable of disciplining the child.

Of late we come to the realization that it's no longer just the boys who are the troublemakers, more and more of the most innocent looking young girls are proving to be the mastermind behind the 'crime'.

So peep, do accept that your sweet little angels may not be so perfect after all. And heaven forbids if things gets tough, do get proper help. Don't keep blaming yourself or others, and try to sweep it under the carpet until it's too late.

There's nothing wrong in tough love parenting, when required.