Selamat Berpuasa

The month of Ramadan is one of the most significant on the Islamic calender and it starts today. Muslims from all around the World will be fasting (food, drinks and sexual relations) from dawn till sunset for a period of one month. Today Malaysians will be breaking fast at around 7:10 pm (Magrib), which means that we have about 2 hours and 40 mintues to go.

We will be flying off from the KLIA for the UK on the 28th of this month.

I will be taking a short break from the blogging world until I get connected over there.

Selamat Menyambut Ramadan Al Mubarak dan Selamat Berpuasa

Tags: Personal Ramadan

Kids and medicines - a lesson

Always keep the medicines away from the reach of your kids.

I have heard and read this warning several times but I guess I wasn't listening. We learnt it the hard way.

Yesterday, we were out most of the day cleaning out my wife's office. Everything was OK when we came back. As I pepared Rahil for bed, she asked me whether she could have some more "squares" - her name for Nutrilite Kid's Vitamin C. Noticed that we had left the bottle on the top of the table by mistake. I refused as she already taken her normal dose (1 tablet a day).

Today morning woke up to find Rahil crying and complaining of a stomch ache. I woke up and took her to the bathroom. On the potty, she started vomiting.

Cleaned her up. I made her some milk and put her to bed after she had finished drinking.

About half an hour letter, she threw up everything on her bed. The whole room was stinking of spolied milk. Rahil really looked pitiful but the brave girl didn't even cry.

Cleaned her up again and I made a quick solution of sugar and salt to prevent dehydration. Something I learnt in India long ago.

At first I thought that it might be a case of food poisoning but I remembered the conversation I had with her last night.

On questioning, Rahil confirmed that she had eaten it a couple of times. On checking the bottle, discovered that the once full bottle was a quarter empty.

Rushed her to our doctor. The doctor said that it was a case of Vitamin C overdose. I never knew that one could overdose on Vitamin C. Fortunately, Vitamin C is water soluble and the excess would go out with the urine. However, as it is a type of acid, it can cause some problems with the stomach inner lining.

The doctor said that it was not serious and prescribed some medicine. Recomended that we give Rahil some milk culture (Vitagen or Yakult).

Rahil vomited once more on the way back but she's much better now. In fact she's sleeping peacefully in the room as I type this right now.

Tags: Personal Overdose

Greetings from the East Coast

Salaam Pantai Timur
Finally made that long overdue trip to Kota Bahru, Kelantan. My dad is taking our second car (my wife's) and we (Me, my wife with Rahil and Imaan in tow) drove all the way. It was my first time driving there.

For those who don't know, there are two ways to get to Kelantan from Kuala Lumpur. The first is the shorter hilly route via Gua Musang and the other is the long coastal route though the East coast highway and Terengganu.

We choose the later, mainly because my wife wanted to see her old school in Terengganu.

To cut a long story short (again) the trip took us nearly 11 hours with three short breaks on the way. Passed by some really scenic places but it was really tiring. My wife took over from me at Jerteh, Terengganu.

We also stopped by the sea at Dungun, Terengganu where my wife's old boarding school is located. Though she promised a friend to spit at the gates, she didn't do it. Some of my wife's old friends have very strong feelings about their old school and they are mostly negative. One guy even said that he would burn down the school if he had the opportunity. Don't ask me why. A lot of bitter memories is all I can say.

Anyway, finally reached my parents house at around 10 pm. They were overjoyed to see the kids (and me too).

Tags: Kota Bahru Personal Terengganu

Last Day

Signed out for the last time from work on the 11th of September this month. That was 3 days ago.

It only seems like yesterday when I first arrived in Kedah for the first time and started working with the organisation (which will not be named).

Four years quickly flew by and unlike the past, I really loved my job. But now I have to move on. Hopefully for something better.

It was a wonderful experience and what I will miss most of all are the friends I leave behind. I will miss you guys.

Tags: Personal

Worst Journey

Last Thursday, I had one of the worst journeys of my life. Like every week, I took a bus back home from Kedah to KL. However, this time I was going with a bus company called Gung Gunung Raya for the first time.

Here is the whole story in brief:

Left around 2 pm. It was a hot day and realised that the air conditioning was not working. Started sweating.

Driver stopped on the side of highway twice - first to buy some Pomelos and another to buy a drink from stalls by the side. Still seating.

Driver takes his own sweat time to leave Alor Star.

Dozed of to an uneasy sleep.

Started raining heavily.

Water seeps in and start flowing down the bus aisle.

Someone complains.

Driver gets mad, stops the bus somewhere around Juru Toll gate and gets out.

Passenger calls the company boss. Company says that they are sending a new bus.

Wait for several minutes but bus doesn't show up. We ask the bus to move ahead and stop at some rest area. A lot of the passengers want to take a leak.

Along the way, notice that there is a bulge at the side of the bus where I am sitting. Press it and I go OMG. Realise that there is water inside. I was thinking to myself " I will be really wet if this bursts".

The bus stops at a rest area and the replacement bus catches up.

We all get into the new bus and settle down.

The bus stops at Bukit Gantang rest area. The driver says that we will move after 20 mintues - they take 45 minutes.

I finally arrive in KL around 11 pm.

A journey which normally takes 6 hours took nearly 9 hours.

Bloody stupid bus company.

Tags: Bus Gunung raya

The Crocodile Hunter

Yesterday, I was really shocked when I read on the MSN website that one of my most favourite TV personalities, Steve Irwin, had passed away. Popularly known as the Crocodile Hunter, this fearless guy with his chirpy nature and his "Crikey!"

I didn't blog about it yesterday because I wanted to make sure the story was true.

He was fatally pierced in the chest by a short-tail stingray barb while filming some shallow water shots for a segment in a TV program. This was in Batt Reef (part of the Great Barrier Reef), off the coast of Port Douglas in Queensland, Australia. He was videotaped pulling the barb from his chest moments before losing consciousness.

He was just 44 years old and is survived by wife Terri and two young children: Bindi, aged 8 and Robert, aged 2.

When I checked the Crocodile Hunter website was still down because of the huge traffic to the site.

My sincere condolences to his family.

Related Links:
1. Wikipedia: Steve Irwin
2. Animal Planet

Tags: Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin

Car sold

This afternoon I finally handed over the keys of my Wira to the new owner - a lady colleague. As she walked away with the keys, I felt some sadness. Guess I am too sentimental sometimes.

It was raining heavily in Alor Star today morning as I drove to the bank and handed the lady in their hire-purchse department the signed JPJ documents and the car grant. I didn't bring along my umbrella and used the car shade for cover.

I am happy that I now have one less thing to think about. The car dealers were offering too less for the car and I was really happy when she agreed to buy the car for RM22,500, a profit of a few hundred ringitt.

However, it was sad to see someone driving away with the car that was mine for nearly four years. Maybe I am worried about who I am going to 'tumpang' (take a lift) tomorrow.

Tags: Moving Personal Selling car