Hi April!

Dude where did March go?

April is already mid way too.

Where have I gone?

No where really but I'll update soon :D

Have an awesome and amazing day today!

Run 2014

I've decided to run again after a year of not exercising and I'm now up to week 5 of the Couchto5K program (go upload the app if you want to start running too).

My running goal for 2014 is to run the full marathon at the Penang Bridge Marathon in November.  So I've only got less than a year to train!

What I used to do back in Melbourne to keep myself motivated is to register for local runs. It's a good way to force yourself to continue training.

The first run I registered for this year is the Women's Run in March. Excited that I'll be running around Esplanade whilst celebrating International Women's Day 2014!

Wooooooohoooooooooo, Go girl power! 

Credits: Deltaevents

It's a 6km run for only RM 25. It's a bargain yo. Men are also allowed to register, they just need to partner up with a registered female runner.

So head over to the site to register.

The ANZ Café Tour 2014-The Mugshot Café

Last week, I randomly found a list -29 Heritage Cafés in Penang on FB. When we were living in Melbourne, any day off or weekends you’ll find us in a café. Whether it be for brunch, post bikram treat or just for a cup of tea or chai latte (or coffee for some of my coffee addict friends).

The café scene in Penang is booming! (I think we might be a little slow on this but whatever....) So my sister and I decided we'll go to each and every café of this list. Which means we get to check out Penang at the same time.

Last Sunday, we stopped by The Mugshot Cafe. With all the tourist in the shop, I felt like a tourist too.

Attached to The Mugshot Café is the Rainforest Bakery which was unfortunately closed (closed on Sunday). They supply the yummy bagels they serve at the café.

I ordered the smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel which was delicious. It was toasted in an oven at the entrance. Didn’t even take a picture of it, cause I ate it all within seconds!

We did however ordered the meatballs twice! First round was beef then it was chicken. Both plates were cleaned within minutes.

I’ll definitely be back here. Especially when the bakery is open to check out the bread! They also serve homemade yogurt with a variety of flavours.

Go check it out, yo!

The Mugshot Café

Address: 302, Lebuh Chulia, Georgetown,Penang

Opening Hours: Daily, 8am-9pm

Today she’s one!

On the 13^th of January 2013 at exactly 11 pm, I was admitted at 40 weeks (EDD 14th January).

Contractions had started at about 2am but it was nothing compared to what was happening from 8pm.

At 8pm I could barely sit!

By 11pm- hello, 4 cm dilated.

So the nurses tells us,

"Okay let’s go to the labour room"

A: “Huh, what?!” 

In my head: “Yo I’m not ready for this”

I’ve been in and out of hospital hundreds of times but always as a doctor, never a patient.

Survived the first few hours without screaming at the husband, until I gave him a lecture about the percentage of oxygen:nitrogen in nitrous oxide (one of my pain relief which didn't do much).

Homie was giving me a hard time about taking too much gas, but hello…my belly was about to explode. So I cut him some slack and asked him to sleep instead.

The next few hours was spent either standing or on the toilet seat.

The worst labour pain were between the hours of 4-5am. The contractions were about 5 minutes apart by then.

The nurses broke my waterbag shortly after I told them,

A: “I can feel something between my legs” (note to self: dude you have a baby in your belly!)

FYI: I’ve never been a fan of O&G. Despite delivering a few babies, the thought of labour (especially your own)…..ouch!

My awesome obstetricians, Dr M walked in at about 5.30am ready to prep.

I had an audience (hello family!) who were all standing behind the curtain. They also told me later that I sounded like a whale (how nice).

Everything happened very fast after they broke my waterbag. Lucky me had to push about 8 times! (Blessed are the mothers who deliver after 2 pushes!)

Our beautiful baby girl, SA was safely delivered at 6.30am on a Monday 14^th January 2013.

And today she's ONE!

Oh, what a year it has been.

I have been blessed with an awesome baby- Alhamdulillah! 

O Allah, blessed us through our children, 

and keep them out of danger, 

and help them to obey You, 

and bless us with their good deeds. 

Amin

Guess who's BACK?

ME! 

Goodbye takingtheyearoff, hello aliaanz.

Goodbye twenties, hello the-big-three-zero (not till October though, but who's counting)

More personal as I make my way through 2014.

This is my year!

More updates soon.

"i'm going to make a change for once in my life"-man in the mirror,michael jackson

i was fortunate to have read this blog post early last year and want to share it with as many people as i can especially my close friends.

be inspired:http://yourjoyologist.com/journal/to-the-point

it inspired me to do the same.

i choose to delete words that i felt were negative.i remember there were 5 but i can only recall 3 now-the mind works wonders :)

the ones i can still remember are:
"stress"-i used to say this all the time.being a highly emotional and at times dramatic person,everything was "stress-ing" me.but not any more :)

"lazy/malas"-i'm a laidback kinda person but sometimes too laidback for my own good!

"boring"-used to be one of my favourite words.i know for a fact my father hates it.

i still have to make a conscious effort sometimes but a majority of the time these words doesn't even pop up in my mind anymore-and i'm much happier!

so here's my tip if you decide to do the same:
-decide on the words you want to "delete"
-make a conscious decision that in whatever circumstances you would choose to replace that word with something more positive
-tell your family and friends about it
-take baby steps if you have too: abbreviate the words like *S for "stress"-eventually you won't even want to use it.

so now i choose to only allow positive words to come out of my mouth-it's totally possible and one day i will achieve it.

change is good :) i support and encourage it.

the choice is yours!

"All I know is that eliminating these words makes me feel freer, more in control, and more honest."-Tricia

happy :)

one of my friends at work said this to me last week,

"why are you so happy and bubbly ALL the time?"

my answer

"why not?"

you control how you feel and so what if i choose to be happy ALL the time.

yes,work/people/situations can be difficult at times but i've decided if you choose to be sad/stressed/angry etc, you achieve nothing! so why not be happy ALL the time.

i deserve it.

and you deserve it too :)

the start of something new :)

note:so i've decided to write in malay and english cause that's the way my brain works so i'm sorry in advance if you can't understand what i write!

mid-march already! ya Allah,kadang-kadang fikir time is moving slowly and then think again actually cepat jugak :)

so here are some of the things i've been cooking since i've been back in melb.i'm making it a habit to cook and eat at home. why would you want to eat out when u can enjoy food in the comforts of your own home and lunch packed from home is always the envy of your colleagues.

kari ikan brahims-cheat recipe cause all u need to add is the fish & bendi but the challenge will be making this from stratch :)

sambal udang with vegetables-nenek taught me how to make the carrot look like that :) she is my awesome cooking teacher.
one day tiba-tiba kempunan nak makan sambal udang :) so this is a cheat version too thanks to brahims.

i love chinese broccoli and oyster sauce-so easy and yummy!

my first meal back in melb.after i took this picture,makan sambil menangis cause i was missing malaysia soooooooooooo much!

another recipe from nenek-makan ni during winter is one of the best things :) u get fish,vegetables and gravy all in one periuk!

lunch box meal :) just leftovers from dinner-this time it's sardine and chinese broccoli.kenyang perut makan ni at work.
dinner

fish curry and vegetables-yummo!!
first time buat sayur like this-cabbage+longbeans+eggs-quite nice actually.

mushroom+cheese omelette-side dish for lunch
food for last sunday's long shift 0800-2200:the most important thing for any long shift is the constant supply of food and in my case healthy food-so lots of fruits,juices x2 and a yogurt for good measure. when u pack your own food to work,u make healthier food choices-so u don't end up eating junk at work :)

woke up one day and tiba-tiba terasa nak makan salmon.spaghetti marina on a bed of salad,salmon on top and steamed veges.puas hati makan.my post run meal :)
weekly lunch with the bro-kari ikan thanks to brahims and eggs-the way he likes it.

my favourite meal of the day is breakfast.on this particular morning we only had very limited supply of food at home cause i didn't do the groceries yet. so kalau perut lapar macam-macamla idea utk makan-simple french toast using wholegrain bread,protein shake and fruits :)

dinner on friday night-post work i stopped by safeway to get groceries-ayam masak madu thanks to brahim :) some chinese broccoli and eggs+mushroom omellete.mata terus tak leh bukak post dinner-syukur alhamdulillah :)
the lastest recipe i'm trying to master.sad to say i've never cooked fried bihun in my life until last week bila tiba-tiba terasa nak makan and so far i've had it 3 times.it's so easy to make and u can make it healthy just by putting more vegetables in.terlalu senang :)

this is just a summary of what i've been up to in the kitchen.i think i'll make a list of the things i want to learn to cook this year but as u can tell a lot of the things i eat are the things yg tiba-tiba terasa nak makan or teringin :) i'm also trying to get back to a healthier lifestyle.

last 5 months of 2010,i ate so much tanpa fikir dua kali.no regrets they say-syukur alhamdulillah.

i've also registered to run two events in the next few months.my running has gone haywire.stamina out the window cause i'm not running as often as i used to.tapi it's okay.i've got a gameplan to get back in shape by september :) all i have to do is follow it!

the first run of 2011 will be on wednesday and it will be an awesome run at docklands.

i cannot wait!

week 3

so it's my 3rd work back at work,adjusting nicely i think.

i miss home A LOT! it's harder when u have so much free time at work,it just means time moves slowly.

i'll have internet at home by tonight (i hope) just in time for the bro,who's arriving soon.

yay a piece of home :)

so with internet this weekend i'll be able to update this blog "properly".

till then have an awesome week!

1st day back

officially back at work!

doing another general year at the old workplace-first day and it's been good.

the year off was awesome.

i got to spend time with my family and friends back home.

i learned how to cook.

i lost and gained weight.

i started running.

i fell in love with my country.

i got to work with my father.

it taught me alot-it's something i highly recommend to people.

after 5 months at home,it was extremely hard for me to leave the comforts of home,family,old friends and the country i now love.

but being back at the hospital today was a great distraction-i realised i missed being a doctor!

i'm keeping this blog going but am turning it into my cooking diary.

i was cooking earlier and thought i'd be cool to document what i cook.

during the year off i had a lot of time to cook for myself.it's something i used to do when i was a student and had my siblings with me.

since i started working,cooking went out the window.

this year that will change!

i'm going to try and cook as much as i can.

i want to add awesome cook to my resume :)

pictures will be uploaded once i get internet at home.

another exciting year coming up!

last running event of the year!

after running an event i think a lot of runners say to themselves "so when's the next run?".

i thought my last running event of 2010 was going to be the penang bridge 10 km but little did i know that i was going to push myself further and attempt a 12 km run only a few weeks after running my first 10 km.

runningbuddy and i followed the nike motto-just do it! and registered ourselves for the 12 km malakoff KL after finding out they opened more running slots.

a last minute, impromptu, let's go run in KL kinda thing.

imagine sitting in front of the computer at 12 am to be the first one to register when malakoff opened a few more running spaces-normal people would think we were buying concert tickets but no.

it was my second run in KL and the route was somewhat familiar. i spent a lot of time in bukitdamansara when i was growing up and remember the hills quite well so i knew the route was going to be torture.

2 rounds with 2 killer hills!

my main goal was to finish the run without stopping but that failed when i got a really bad stitch climbing the killer hill on the last lap.

i decided to walk at a fast pace till the stitch left and as soon as it did,i ran to the finishing line :)

i'm still happy with the run even though i had to stop for a bit.

earlier this year i struggled to even finish a 4 km run but now i can run 10 km without stopping-so i've made some improvement!

any run is great run so no complaints :)

the vibe post run is always amazing.everyone is happy and have smiles on their faces even though some can't feel their legs. something only those who run can understand,i think.

you also start seeing runners and their personal style-those that dress up and have fun,those that are extremely focused and want to win.

all in all,running has been one of the highlights of this year off.

this post is dedicated to those i've ran with in 2010.

theotherbro-mother's day run melb, PBIM

KSR&INM- mother's day run melb

thelittlebro- kebun bunga charity run

runningbuddy- kebun bunga charity run, PBIM, malakoffKL

THANK YOU for all your support and company during the runs and training.

YOU ARE AWESOME- here's to more runs together in the future!

how do i leave?

when i'm already counting down to the day i return to malaysia,

for good :)

december

today i choose to embrace december with open arms.

i will choose to spend everyday with the people i love and cherish.

i will enjoy my time in malaysia,

because i know when i leave in a month's i will miss everything and everyone i have here at home.

so today i started the day like any other day,with a big smile because that's they only way i can deal with the pain of leaving that i can already feel.

25th Nov

so it's been 4 days post PBIM.

ran the 10km in about 68 mins. my first 10 km event and i survived! wooooo hoooooo :)

the feeling of self satisfaction and sense of achievement is amazing. never once i thought i could ever run the bridge.

ask me two years ago if i could run and the answer would be "erm no!". that was when i was 14 kg heavier.

so last year i set myself the goal-to run the penang bridge. at that point i struggled to even run 10 mins straight!

the day before the run the island was filled with fellow runners.the normal running route had more people than usual-all very exciting!

2 days before the run,we found out that instead of running the timed 10 km, we had to do the fun 10 km run instead. initially i was disappointed but running is running-the finisher's medal doesn't mean anything. knowing that i ran the 10 km and achieved my goal was more valuable!

so on sunday morning,we got to QB around 6am+ plus the rain and all.went straight to the starting line.

and because it was the "fun" 10 km run,the atmosphere was more relaxed! people were there to run and have fun!

since it was my first time 10km event,i decided to run at a steady pace.

the first 5 km was rather easy-no rain and beautiful sunrise from the bridge.

the second 5 km was just slightly harder when rain started pouring down but i love running in the rain.it just pushes you to run harder and it makes you feel stronger!

my running buddy is awesome-thank you! we paced nicely the whole 10 km and finished fast at the end. my bro who didn't train at all did well too :) !

the end :(

nearly vomited twice after we stopped running and it rained quite heavily!

but the adrenaline rush-hello, another 15 km anyone?

then the rest of the day was spend like any other post run days: breakfast,shower,sleep,lunch and rest.

i will definitely be running the bridge again.

to me running is like life. the finishing line is the end goal.the aching leg,the shortness of breath,the rain,the heat is life's challenges.the excuses is all mental game & state of mind. if u want to get to the finishing line badly,just keep running and you'll get there. don't give up and don't settle for less.

running is more than just exercise.

so bring it on! new goal-21km by end of 2011.

November

credits:googleimage

5 days till the Penang Bridge run!

and my first 10km race!

running the bridge has been one of the things i've always wanted to do since moving to penang in 1995.

it'll definitely be one of the highlights of the year off which soon will come to an end in feb 2011.

more updates to come later.

inspired to blog once again :)

August!

august already?! what the...

my last post was in may. i'm sorry.

i've been back in melbourne for 4 weeks now after spending july back home.

the trip was a nice change.i came back to melbourne knowing what i want to be and where i want to be in the next 5 year.being home for 4 weeks surrounded by family & friends made me realise that i might have been away for far too long.

moving out of penang when i was 17 and having spend over 9 years overseas,i miss being home.

and as much as i love melbourne,i still cannot call it home.

Week 12,13 & 14

april went by just like that!

parents,bro & sis came down to visit.i didn't work for the first 3 weeks but instead played host to them and ate way too much food.

post 6km run

docklands on a sunday morning

i did the 6km run for water around docklands the weekend after the family left.my first 6 km run!! :) managed to run nonstop for only 4.5 km i think before my breakfast threated to come back up via my mouth.had to stop and walk for about 500 meters before i ran the last 1 km to the finish line.finished it all in 42 mins.

southwharf-dfo

i've also just joined a surf club-alba surf club and they go surfing every weekend!! my first trip with them was last sun-we drove to phillip island but there were no waves anywhere.ended up having fish& chips with new friends before driving back to the city.

phillip island

i've been working heaps in the last 2 weeks to make up for the weeks i didn't work.doing the mother's day run on sunday and i'm excited!!..last year i did the run and it was the first running event i've ever done in my life.this year i'm running again with a few friends so it'll be awesome!!

the next few weeks will be filled with exercising & working before going back to malaysia in june.

also i'm decluttering my room and collecting stuff to sell at the camberwell market in july.woot woot!!..

Week 10 & 11

the lil bro is in melbourne and here's what we've been up to:

first stop-st ali for brekkie

dinosaur at harbour town

rides at luna park,st kilda

lunch at st kilda

*AH's & *NJ's 22nd bday party

rockclimbing at south wharf

surfing lesson at torquay

2nd surfing trip to torquay

went up to the skydeck

thefather,themother and thelilsis came over to spend the weekend with thebros and i.it was a rather hectic weekend chillaxing with the family but much needed :)

the other bro joined my gym today.yay to another gym buddy!!

i'll be working in ED on saturday-i'm actually looking forward to it cause i haven't worked since the lil bro arrived.

the 6km docklands run for water event is also this weekend.at the mo,i've started training again and i'm hoping i'll be able to finish it without walking.

we're also planning another surfing trip before the lil bro goes back home this saturday. till then wait for somemore pics :)

Week 9

what??!! i haven't written anything for a month! shame on me..

SORRY FOR BEING M.I.A :)

how do those pro bloggers update their blogs daily?

i'm going to commit myself to updating this on a weekly basis :) so just check the blog every week or so.

besides trying to tick everything of my-year-off list,i've also gone back to

working part time. which is good fun cause i only work 2-3 days a week.

here's what i've been up to:

-4km docklands dash

my second of the super sunset series organised by the melbourne sports centre.i achieved my goal of running the whole event without walking so i was very happy at the end.it was a great running event cause docklands is my running playground :)

-run for the kids 5.2 km

ran 37:59 minutes straight and it was my first 5 km ever!!! didn't realise how exhausting it was until i got home,had breakfast and slept for 3 hours after the run. it was a great experience!

-freak melbourne storm

we watched as melbourne got hit by a crazy storm from our apartment.all of a sudden it was dark then the next thing you know,hail came pouring down. the city was in chaos and everyone was wet! it looked like melbourne was covered in snow.

-surfing trips

first lesson for the bro and *RJ and now they love it too.after their first lesson as we were walking back up to the surf school to leave the surfboards,it started to rain and hail!! but only for 10 minutes before the sun came out again and we were back in the water after lunch at bells.

rainbow on the way back to melbourne.this was the day after the melb freak storm. i think it rained the whole day in melb while we were enjoying the sun in torquay.

2nd surfing trip in a fortnight-this is the post surf binge. hello greasy fish and chips.spent the next few days working out at the gym.

-melbourne romp

part amazing race/treasure hunt to help raise money for the Burnet Institute. fun day out with the Makan Group.i could NOT feel my legs after one whole day of walking round melbourne. topped the day with having ABC at the new oldtown kopitiam at QV.

-cats,regent theatre

*B got us awesome front row tickets and the show was excellent!!! the costumes were amazing. i have so much respect for anyone who can do musicals and there's more musicals coming to melb this year.i cannot wait for hairspray in october.

-tropicana juice bar,elizabeth street

two days ago,i tasted their south american delight juice which they claim is the "best juice on earth" and fell in love with the place.the recipe is a secret but it's delicious.i've been back for more since my first drink and i know i'll be a regular. no more boost's energizer juice for me!!

-arabic class

enrolled myself for 8 sessions of arabic lessons at CAE. the first lesson was last night and it went for 2.5 hours.initially it was easy cause i already knew the arabic letters but then it got more complex when we actually started learning basic phrases. it was good fun as i love being a student again!

i'll be working this weekend before the youngest bro comes to visit next week.