Race For Life 2012

yes, next year i will be a half centurian and i'm proud of it! at work, the girls at the admins office would normally organise big bash/nite outs to celebrates BIG birthdays - 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th and also when someone retires, that is at 65.

i told the girls that i want a BIG celebration next year, even though it may fall on the referred exam board meeting..some never believed that i'll be 50 next year, mainly because i have a 5 y.o daughter!!

i want to be fitter at 50, dont want to end up like some of my friends at home. dont know why they aged drastically, soon as they reach late 40s. the guys with their big tummies and receding hairline and the ladies just look like makcik2/mak datin..sorry, i have to be honest!!

watching the London Marathon last weekend inspired me to run for charity. i've signed up for Cancer Research UK's Race For Life 2012  and if i'm up to it, maybe i will join the Robin Hood half marathon in September. Kamar is very supportive and he's all for it.

Cancer Research UK organises this for 11th year running, with  over 240 events around the country. Race for Life is the biggest women-only fundraising event in the UK. Participants can choose to walk, jog or run 5k to help beat cancer. Someone is told that they have cancer every 2 minutes in the UK, but thanks to the incredible work of Cancer Research UK and Race for Life, more of them will survive.

Race For Life has also uploaded the Walking Plan on their website, i've got 6 weeks to prepare for the event. and kamar made me start my first day of training on a wet, cold & windy Sunday morning at Wollaton Park. we brisk walked for 45 minutes, covering a distance of about 1 mile.

 it was really windy..look at the willow tree..

and wet and cold..

 i was drenched by the time we completed the loop.

 and balik rumah, cooked nasi goreng & mee goreng and ayam goreng kunyit for lunch - my last carb full diet, cos i will start the 2 weeks Zero Carb diet on monday to shed off a few kilos, as part of the preparation for the run.

next mission : nak gi beli running attire and shoes!!

Mr Blackie's house

Day 1 easter break 2012 - Hill House in Helensburgh. i've been wanting to go there since the past few years but never got round to  do so.

Hill House was designed by the great scottish architect/artist/painter, Charles Rennie Mackintosh for the Blackie family. work was done at the turn of the century in 1902-1904.

i've always been fascinated with Mackintosh's work. before i left glasgow in 1991, my workmates bought me few pieces of jewelleries inspired by his design.

me & Gee and our girls

 kids goofing around.

 the house is overlooking River Clyde with Greenock and Port Glasgow on the other side.

the house is filled with the original mackintosh designed furniture throughout the family rooms. no photograhy is allowed in the house . i took these pics from NTS (national trust scotland) website. the house & original furnitures were carefully restored.

there are 12 must see attractions and unveilled collection of Mackintosh work around Glasgow - the Mackintosh House (interior meticulously assembled within Glasgow Hunterian Art Gallery), Willow Tea Room, Kelvingrove Art Gallery & museum, Glasgow School of Art, the Light House ( we went there in 2009), House for An Art Lover, to name but a few.

snow in april

few days before we left for our easter break in scotland, it snowed quite badly. a week before that, we were enjoying the warmest march, 18-20 deg in Notts and Aberdeen at north east scotland had the highest temp of 23 deg.

we left on thursday morning, traffic was good, snow was melting on the higher ground in yorkshire and on M6.

we stopped at The Famous Blacksmith Shop at Gretna Green for refreshment and stretching our legs

we arrived at Gee's house in Fenwick at 5pm..

Al fatihah

kamar never had many friends, his close friends since Alam Shah days are safian & goman. they were the only 2 guys he saw on regular basis back home. and i became friends with their wives.

on monday 9th april, i got a message from Safian  that Lina, Goman's wife was in critical condition.
the next morning, Saf wrote again that Lina had passed away at 10am. even tho i'm not a close friend of Lina but i still feel a lump in my throat thinking of her demise. the thot of a woman who gave birth and raised and left 8 children and a husband whom she had been married to since they were 20 y.o is a bit overwhelming for me.

my friend Ina gave me the link to goman & lina's daughter's blog where she wrote a beautiful memoir  about her mom's passing. such a strong girl, redha dengan ketentuan Allah swt. have a read. http://krunchieroll.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/13165-10412.html

Alfatihah to arwah Lina.
 

scotland april 2012 - part 1

some people asked - why do we go to scotland every year? well, why not?
these pics speak for themselves..

New Pharaoh found by Archaeologists

Archaeologists in Egypt are excited by a new find during recent digs in Egypt. At a press conference, they revealed that a new tomb was opened containing a royal mummy enbalmed in Honey and Nuts.

The believed the mummy was Pharaoh Rocher.

Mothering Sunday (belated entry)

For this year's Mothering Sunday, someone got a treat. The plan to have breakfast in bed was abandoned due to the possibility of the bed being messed up with crumbs.

Kids got up early to make breakfast for their mum - Foul Medemas and Eggs - Mid eastern style.

She also had her favourite coconut Ferrero Rocher, yoghurt and fruits.

But kesian, kena basuh pinggan sendiri.

Presents time, btw the half empty Ferrero Rocher was opened the night before (when Aunty Ina was around - to celebrate Mom's day early)

Dinner was roast lamb and chips.

Happy Mother's day!!!!

We love you....always!