Here is an entry made in 2006 from my previous blog at Multiply. It sums up what I don't miss about working in an office.
"Office politics at my work place is pretty negative these days. I came back from my much needed holidays only to find that things have escalated during my absence to an uncontrollable level.
From managers yelling at other managers with swear words to having to formally calling a meeting for all managers just to thrash things out...hostility at work has never been at this scale and drama. Not even in my practice days. Inconceivable!
There are positive office politics and there are negative politics. The stakes are high no matter which way it falls.
Usually in positive office politics, people fight to get better cases, better perks, better pay and better relationship. Anything *better*. However, in the past 2 weeks, all I have seen in negative office politics includes and not limited to bickering, fighting, backstabbing, witch hunting and simply everything *evil*.
As a bystander, I know certain parties are looking to buy my vote. If I take sides, I am bad. If I remain neutral, I am even worse than bad.
I've had enough, now let's just all go back to work. Please? Some of us have deadlines..."
Alhamdullillah this phase is over for me!
Monday, 8 October 2012
Friday, 5 October 2012
Retrospective Wisdom: Preparations & Prayers
I had pretty long working hours during Toxic Office days.
The hectic and heavy workload coupled with frequent travelling left my body with long cycles of menstruation ranging from 80 to 120 days in the period of 18 months I served at Toxic Office.
Z and I thought that that factor alone was sufficient to give us conception problems.
About 3 months before we got married, we went to Dr Ling (my regular general practitioner for about 12 years now) for a general screen. We wanted complete innoculation, vaccination, booster shots - the works. We even had the routine blood and urine tests carried out. Sangobion was prescribed once daily as supplements to prepare my body for eventual conception.
So, the coast was clear. Or so it seemed.
We got married.
We went for a short honeymoon at Cameron Highlands to avoid the A(H1N1).
We came home.
On 31 July 2009, I tried the home pregnancy test and the results were negative. Honestly, I felt sad looking at the single blue line. I shared with Z how we have to pray to Allah for His blessings if we want a present.
We started praying...
Retrospective Wisdom: "Do men think that they will be left alone by saying, "We believe", and that they will not be tested? Indeed, we surely tested those before them so that Allah may know those who were truthful to their covenant and those that lied. [Quran 29: 2-3]
Two Blue Lines I
When we finished, it was beginning to drizzle lightly. Annie made an impromptu and kind gesture of walking me home from KLCC to The Corinthian, and she continued her short walk to the LRT station near by to get back to where her car was parked.
Disappointed from the negative test results on 31 July 2009, encouraged by Annie's sisterly remark about not giving up and maybe even simply curious about how bloated I was after a light meal, I pulled out one home pregnancy test kit from its wrapper.
Instructions were followed to the T.
One line emerged.
Then another clear blue line.
I could not believe my eyes!
I rushed to the drawer in the master bedroom, unwrapped another home pregnancy test kit of a different brand and repeated the process.
Two blue lines!
My heart raced, I was flushed pink and waited somewhat patiently for Z to come home that night as I did not want him to hear it over the phone.
Just to be really sure, I repeated the same test with a third brand of home pregnancy test kit.
Two purple lines!
Excitedly, when Z arrived home, I "burst" in joy.
The "new Daddy in making" too, was overjoyed and said "Alhamdulillah!" That night, our Isyak prayers and thanksgiving was full of gratitude of how Allah has really transformed us from a married couple into a mini family in the making.
Allahu-akbar!
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
How I became SAHM
My efficient headhunters wrote asking if I were interested in a contract administration position for the oil and gas industry last week.
Such a boost to my SAHM/WAHM ego, I admit.
Thank you for making my day, LegalLabs! Having met the founder before, I totally respect the awe inspiring choices she had made to balance motherhood and work.
Being marketable and in touch with the legal and commercial faternity of oil and gas is just so vital just in case I decide to return to work full time, someday, if it is Allah's will.
For now, The Little Girl gets my undivided attention (read: milk supply, friend, cook, driver, cleaner, doctor, etc.).
This is my account of how it all changed. From career to home-maker, nearly overnight:
The same week that I tested positive with hCG, I drove to Malacca for a work related meeting. When I arrived that morning at ten, I discovered some light bleeding.
Not quite sure what to make of it, I sent a SMS to Dr Ling. He told me to get to an A&E Room immediately as it may be threatened miscarriage. I tried keeping my calm as I was at the oil refinery and blending plant, really quite far away from "civilisation".
As I prayed to Allah to keep Junior safe, I braved on with the tender committee meeting. It was at a crucial drafting stage and my presence was rated "highly necessary". Although my mind was stayed sharp at work, I could not help wondering what if my sacrifice/action/delay in going to the nearest hospital would compromise my early pregnancy. "What price is my job?", I pondered.
However, I stayed until the meeting was over at 6 pm. Stupidly or not, I then drove home to KL in a tropical thunderstorm. Z fed me with some dinner, performed our Isyak prayers then drove me to Gleneagles, knowing that the wait could be long. We waited for almost 2 hours in the "Accidents and Emergency" Room during the peak of swine flu/A1H1. Looking back, we were silly not to have thought of PETRONAS owned Prince Court Medical Centre, which is even closer!
My vitals were read. I was then asked to wait for another 1.5 hours before a Medical Officer was free to see me. A steroid injection was administered by a nurse and I was sent home that midnight.
The next day, I waited 2 more hours in the cold and bare office before I was able to see the ob gyn. A scan showed Junior was doing alright in its gestation sac but the heartbeat was still faint. The bleeding could have been implantation bleeding so it was nothing to worry about.
Nonetheless, Z and I were dead worried. Worry worts that we are, we decided to be much more careful with Junior from now on.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not long after that, a family poll was taken and we unanimously decided (whole-heartedly) for me to resign from PETRONAS in order to be fair to all parties, take care of the little life that was growing in me and turn SAHM. I will miss PETRONAS, and pray that my rezeki remains open.
This is my account of how it all changed. From career to home-maker, nearly overnight:
The same week that I tested positive with hCG, I drove to Malacca for a work related meeting. When I arrived that morning at ten, I discovered some light bleeding.
Not quite sure what to make of it, I sent a SMS to Dr Ling. He told me to get to an A&E Room immediately as it may be threatened miscarriage. I tried keeping my calm as I was at the oil refinery and blending plant, really quite far away from "civilisation".
As I prayed to Allah to keep Junior safe, I braved on with the tender committee meeting. It was at a crucial drafting stage and my presence was rated "highly necessary". Although my mind was stayed sharp at work, I could not help wondering what if my sacrifice/action/delay in going to the nearest hospital would compromise my early pregnancy. "What price is my job?", I pondered.
However, I stayed until the meeting was over at 6 pm. Stupidly or not, I then drove home to KL in a tropical thunderstorm. Z fed me with some dinner, performed our Isyak prayers then drove me to Gleneagles, knowing that the wait could be long. We waited for almost 2 hours in the "Accidents and Emergency" Room during the peak of swine flu/A1H1. Looking back, we were silly not to have thought of PETRONAS owned Prince Court Medical Centre, which is even closer!
My vitals were read. I was then asked to wait for another 1.5 hours before a Medical Officer was free to see me. A steroid injection was administered by a nurse and I was sent home that midnight.
The next day, I waited 2 more hours in the cold and bare office before I was able to see the ob gyn. A scan showed Junior was doing alright in its gestation sac but the heartbeat was still faint. The bleeding could have been implantation bleeding so it was nothing to worry about.
Nonetheless, Z and I were dead worried. Worry worts that we are, we decided to be much more careful with Junior from now on.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not long after that, a family poll was taken and we unanimously decided (whole-heartedly) for me to resign from PETRONAS in order to be fair to all parties, take care of the little life that was growing in me and turn SAHM. I will miss PETRONAS, and pray that my rezeki remains open.
The Gift Hunt
Hello October!
It is time of the year to shop for Dada's birthday present. If you think it is hard to shop for man, wait till you have to shop for the man who already has everything.
We cannot give him Patchi again because we have always given him Patchi. Maybe a Tiger Woods golf merchandise? Where do they sell the hardest Sudoku puzzle books? Sigh!
Any other original and good ideas that don't cost a bomb? Share!
It is time of the year to shop for Dada's birthday present. If you think it is hard to shop for man, wait till you have to shop for the man who already has everything.
We cannot give him Patchi again because we have always given him Patchi. Maybe a Tiger Woods golf merchandise? Where do they sell the hardest Sudoku puzzle books? Sigh!
Any other original and good ideas that don't cost a bomb? Share!
Retrospective Wisdom: My Pregnancy Dos and Don'ts
My daily activities now revolve around a growing list of restrictive and prohibitive covenants.
Examples:
1. Cannot drink water (will throw up almost immediately).
2. Cannot carry heavy objects (will feel muscle pull near abdomen).
3. Cannot clean the house (will throw up almost immediately from strong smell of cleaning agents).
4. Cannot sleep well (urinating often from smaller bladder space/cramps from sleeping on my back involuntarily).
5. Cannot travel much (throwing up in the car during the short journey between Shah Alam and KLCC is normal).
6. Cannot go to the office or shopping malls (throwing up after spending too much time indoors/lack of fresh air is not uncommon).
7. Cannot drink any tea except ice lemon tea (taste bud is altered and tea tastes like metal).
8. Cannot carry out DIY jobs at home (PIL, bestie's mother, ex-lady boss and Z all prohibit me from using the hammer/climb step ladder).
9. Cannot eat as I like (raw and undercooked food strictly not allowed for poisoning risks/anything I enjoy which is not favoured by Jr. usually backs up).
10. Cannot this, cannot that (the list goes on, apparently for my own good).
Am I used to this? No!
Am I enjoying this? No!
Do I have a choice? No!
So there, for now, I shall just be patient and live with the cannot(s) for the duration of this pregnancy.
**Retrospective Wisdom: All in the name of safety for the pregnant body and shifted centre of gravity, the seemingly prohibitive lifestyle and experience was not all that bad. Just go which activities you can handle/enjoy without harming yourself and the growing fetus.**
Car Seat Part 1
The Little Girl's Britax First Class Plus in Trend Line (Nicolas) fabric.
Mothercare Bangsar outlet sales assistants were kind enough to let us fix and try out the car seat in Bebe before we decided to purchase it. After looking at so many different brands comparing safety, comfort, user-friendliness etc., we decided this is IT almost at first sight!
After fitting it in a rearview facing option, it blends so well into the interior of Bebe that you'd think it came with Bebe. Now we just have to wait for The Little Girl to arrive to test drive the car seat. The colour is not gender biased although some may think it is "boyish" because of the manufacturer labelling it "Nicolas".
The newborn insert/baby padding looks comfortable and we can fully recline the seat in rearview facing mode to ensure comfort and safety (we were quite concerned about little bobbly wobbly head in some other brands that cannot perform this function). Furthermore, this is a convertible model so we can switch it to forward facing when The Little Girl hits 9kg in size.
Like any other online review of any car seat, there are pros and cons. As long as we remember why we chose it for the reasons we considered important to us, that should do *reminding oneself to stop reading endless reviews online*
Here's to 0-18kg of safe ride!
p/s: The eager grandparents approves of Britax (the other 5 grandchildren use this in the UK too).
Note: We used this as a second car seat for the grandparents' car. As The Little Girl was quite a small baby at 42.5cm and 2.76kg at birth, the newborn insert/baby padding was still too big for her. She eventually stretched out and put on weight, fitting snugly into her Britax.
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