A Long Long Weekend

Christmas fell on a Saturday and Boxing Day fell on a Sunday (naturally) and as a result we have Monday and Tuesday as bank Holidays too. So! After all these while, I have a very very long weekends. How I embrace it! Anyway, I planned to go to the office today but have when I checked today's train scheduled, I have to change my plan. The trains will start its normal journey after 12 - before that it will take 1 hour 45 minutes. If I start my journey after 12, it will be at least 7.00 pm before I reached home. Let's just stay - I do need the long break though!

On Christmas Day, due to the cold weather (sorry, I am using the photo taken on a different date just to indicate the coldness), we just stay at home - too cold to go outside, we are even too lazy to move. We spent that day playing games and watching TV. On Boxing Day, which is more promising as the sun rose a bit and it feels quite warm (it's 1 degree that day, but we have managed to somehow feel quite warm with anything above zero!) so we joined the many shoppers going to Arndale! But, Goodness me! There were soooo...... many people and we finally just bought one or two tops for Mia & Aqil, a pair of shoes for Hakim and a bedlinen and hurried for home.  After all, we hardly go shopping expect for scouring car boot sales for books and toys - this is our first real shopping after moving down here.

Monday spent buying groceries for the week and a new pencil case for Danish. That was all he's asking for (well, Danish is like that - among my children he is the one who hardly ask for anything - he is happy with whatever we gave him.  Even when asked, he will always say "I don't want anything, Ibu" which makes it quite difficult at times). That afternoon (which looks like well into the evening from outside) we spent making blackberry muffins but since everybody is excited, the muffins were attacked once taken out from the oven so - there's no photos.

Aqil & Damia 

Today, we started out quite late - after deciding that I should not go to the office due to the transport. Again, it's to Arndale - this time buying a duvet cover and some paper supplies for our Arts & Crafts project at home.

Actually, we planned to make some cupcakes as a way to spend some family time but since it was already late when we came back, we decided against it. We made two books instead, :

Mia proudly showing her book made of the hard paper found in the newly opened bed linen, some tissue paper as the cover, coloured papers, some stickers and pieces of wool

Mia's book when opened

Aqil's book

Aqil's book has butterfly shaped pages

Well, hopefully my children are happy. It has been sometime before we spend time doing arts and baking and reading poems and books and watching TV together. I was glad for the long, long weekend. I enjoyed mine.  Hopefully you enjoyed yours too! Cheers, Mate! :-D

Of Friends & err... Dogs? Hmmm...

From time to time my daughter Damia will ask me when we will be going back to Dundee. When I asked why, the answer will be "I miss Dundee so... much...I miss my friends." Not that she has no friends here. She is quite an agreeable young child and somehow, she will make friends quite easily.  And once she makes friends, they are hardly out of her mind regardless of distance. Among the friends which she will always mention are Balqis, Dina and her best friend at school Divya.  Here are some photos of Damia and her friends  - to cheer her up a bit.

Dina, Balqis & Damia in front of Stirling Castle 

Just what do they have in mind?

Oh Dear - It's entertainment right from Loch Lomond!

I'll be sorry if I miss this - a pop group in the making?

Damia and her classmates on her last day in Dundee

Kellie, Kelly, Divya, Ilsa, Damia & Katherine

With her Class Teacher, Mrs Young

As for Aqil, he has his share of close friends too! His closest since we reached Dundee is Fathi. They went to the same Nursery School as well. When we told him he's going to go to school here at Whipperly Infant School, he was so... happy that he thought he will be meeting Fathi again. He was sad in the beginning of starting at a new school. It took a while before he settles in. Last Tuesday when we were rushing to the Mobile library I heard him yelling to his friend "Emily! We are going to the library! Are you going too?" Well, my little boy has grown up a bit! Anyway here are some snaps of Aqil with Fathi & Ajim. 

Aqil & Fathi at Loch Lomond

Having a heavy discussion it seems

And not forgetting Ajim - well, I am not sure what happened but it looks like one is crying and one is smiling happily. However, I have a feeling it's something to do with these dogs below :

Well Ajim, they may be huge but they are harmless enough - they won't let their hairs tangled easily will they?

An Outdated Entry (which started of nearly 2 weeks ago!)

Much that I wish to update my blog every day, I just cannot afford it (read as Fat Chance). Work takes most of my time plus the two hour journey to and from work. I am sorry if that sounds like I am complaining - I am not. In actual fact I am very grateful - not just for having a job to go to everyday and get paid at the end of the month but also for everything else - It is just that it will be nice to have some me-time by writing my thoughts and my story - the way I see things each day. On my journey home, I always have in mind what I want to key-in to my blog but when I reached home I will eat my dinner, change to a more comfortable outfit and reach for my red felt blanket - and I am already too tired to even watch what's on tele, let alone updating my Blog.

Anyway, the Year-end is just around the corner, Christmas is coming soon but when I was passing through the shops around Knightsbridge the other day (on duty, mind you), I hardly seen the usual Christmas crowd. Maybe everyone decided on a last minute shopping this year? Hmm... Either that or the economy is as bad as is portrayed or the weather is not shopper-friendly. Oh yes! we have not so kindly weather lately though the past week is rather promising. But there are words that the coming week will leave us caved in snow - let's just see.

On another note, as it is nearing Christmas, schools will be holding year-end concerts and nativity plays.  And so it happened it is Aqil's first play. He was one of the three shepherds

A very nervous Aqil

But this time, unlike the year before I was not present during the Nativity Play.  Only my husband. Now, I am not sure about the impressions from other people about us letting our children involved in the Play. As it is here, the teachers will make every child involved. As for me, I take it as an opportunity for the children to learn and compare. We are from very diversified religions and cultures and this is the opportunity to open discussions between us and our children.  We discuss cultures, we discuss religions, we discuss the differences and more importantly we teach our children to respect the others' beliefs, cultures and religions because that is an important part of being human - Till we meet again :- )