winning his first tournament

SRK St Agnes entered their first tournament this year and against all odds came out champion.
Kejohanan Bolasepak Bawah 12 tahun MSSD Zon Likas telah berlangsung pada 5-6 Februari di Padang SRK Lok Yuk.

They trained intensively for 4 weeks at school and I think last week match against TABS (which they fared horribly) was the only friendly away game they could squeeze in before the tournament start.  Don't ask me what TABS stand for. Sampai sekarang aku inda tau. Tg Aru Boys kali..

Tapi faced with other schools yang sama amateur macam dorang, it's a more balanced match and real competition. The first day, they played 4 matches, dari 9.00 pagi sampai 4.30 petang in which they managed 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 lost and proceeded to semi final. Sehari di padang, balik punya hitam. Hangus bah, nampak mata saja.

Second day, semi final against SK Likas A. (Ada SK Likas A dan SK Likas B). This one was a shocker. SK Likas A expected to win and they were the reigning champion for many years. Cara main pun nampak pro, tapi nasib tak menyebelahi. Selepas seri tanpa gol, dorang kalah dalam penalty kick.

So tanpa disangka-sangka St Agnes mara ke final melawan SRK Lok Yuk.
DAN...walaupun seluruh sekolah Lok Yuk berhenti belajar dan bersorak untuk home team tetapi tetap Lok Yuk gagal menjaringkan gol walaupun beberapa cubaan baik, sebaliknya midfielder St Agnes berhasil menjaringkan gol. Itu pun tanpa sengaja, sebenarnya dia mau pass, tapi terus masuk gol. Boleh?

Memang nasib sangat berpihak pada dorang di samping dorang main pun not bad juga.
Tahniah, tahniah, tahniah to the team and my son Helmi who helped making SRK ST AGNES juara.

January came and went

in a blink.

The kids school is hectic and the calendar says this is going on up to February. Co-cum  and sports, every day through Saturday.

My youngest son makes the school soccer team. Today they play their first match after 2 weeks forming the team.  Against an experienced under 13 club. They were wiped out. They look pathetic and cute at the same time. They are so small and scrawny and way off the league of the opponents who some are already in  Form 1 (but not yet 13). Helmi is the smallest and the youngest. Most his mates are 12, he is 10. His jersey is hanging off him like a dress... comical. Honestly they got a long way to go (way way long) but it's a good exposure and experience. Playing more real matches like this will pay.

We are getting a new neighbour. They have taken over the house for months (maybe a year already) but were stalling with the renovation. They chopped off the trees, pulled away the fence and stop. For months. I thought they changed their mind and give up the place. Then they came back, hacked off the roof and the wall and then stop again for weeks. All of a sudden, yesterday they came with a crane and went all out , all day, pulling the house apart, banging everything right down to the ground. Nothing left. We have an empty field on our left side. I can see that pink house at the other side of the road from my bedroom window. As much as I'm curious how the next structure will take shape,(I heard they're planning to build 3 small houses in that plot of land), I realize this means a lot of noise is ahead. As it is,  feels like there's a quarry factory operating next door. Looks like migraine medication on the ready.

Wishing you guys a happy weekend. Until later.

Another Garage Sale

This time is better than the first. The preparation was better, we advertised, and the response and outcome is better.
It's a different crowd in Penampang, at another sis house where we held it. The ones who purchased most are maids from the housing area, shopping for christmas. And these maids' networking is very impressive. They're so quick.

Where we waited for hours at our previous sale for the first customer, this time around, we weren't finished putting up items they had shown up at the gate. These are pro at bargain hunting from the way they quickly pick out the best, mostly clothes ( in about 20 seconds), pleaded early bird markdowns and had them reserved before dashing back home (to finish up their chores I suppose) and returning after 3 hours with more friends and more purchases and more discounts. They keep coming 3-4 times, every chance they get. Amazing and amusing. We don't mind a bit.

We are happy the clothes are going.

And all the electrical goods. Rice cooker, Microwave oven, toaster,TV,coffee maker, juicer. Even gym equipments. Ab shaper and stationary bike. You wouldn't believe which one of us own these things. (hua..hua..hua..)

As I'm writing this we are still selling. My sis decides to open her garage for 3 more days. I guess she does have that much to clear off.

Well, merry christmas and happy holiday.

What Up

I'm a slacker I know. This is so long over due :

Mother in-law is recovering from an operation. A week before Aidil Adha she had a surgery to correct a spinal problem. She now has 2 screws secured on her lower back. She is recovering well and improving daily and is walking. We are so glad.

My son went for camping again (scout thing). Just around the corner here at the council padang but involving a massive number, 2000 participants including 2 groups from Indonesia and Brunei. It was a Pre-Jamboree International in conjunction with 100 years of Sabah Scout existence. Not so glad here. I wish he would drop this activity. My sole reason being he always end up not bathing for days. I hate that. 5 days in the tent and doing chores and doing rock climbing, abseiling and whatever stuffs scouts do, he only bath twice. yikes.  When my daughter and I went to register her at the secondary, she chose to discontinue her Pengakap and change to Pandu Puteri, seconded by me. She doesn't need to get burnt and stink.

Speaking of daughter, her UPSR result was out yesterday. She managed 4A 1B. Ok by me. She came a long way and we're proud of her.

Can you excuse my laziness, this post will be pictureless. I'm not up to loading any.
I hope you are enjoying your holiday. I'm thrilled for my friend Sri, who is away on a London and Paris trip. Already she's posting so many fun and beautiful pictures over there. I can't wait for her story.

See ya!

Sisters Garage Sale

Two weeks ago, while helping my sister move house, the idea was mooted, to hold a garage sale at her place. It makes sense. She's new in the neighbourhood. She wants to make friends and why not clear the junk at the same time. Perfect. Date set on her housewarming party day.
Only we didn't sit down and discuss and plan properly because it was a busy week for everyone. We were still doing the tagging on event day.
We made, or rather my 13 yo niece made flyers advertising the event, that's all the planning we got made.

Planning. But, execution is another thing. Flyers were distributed rather late. And there were no banners.

So after an hour waiting and no one came, we reprinted the flyers, sent out the nieces (with their dad!) to distribute further around the area. And then my sister pulled her creative hat and made a crude banner out of old bedsheet and some spray paint and hung it on the fence. Solved.

And then we waited.

And waited.

For any interested and curious neighbours and passerby. They've got to be curious seeing all this display don't they? And they could read the banner, couldn't they? And all of us here smiling and waving shyly.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

We are still waiting.


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Uhmm..

They probably gone to the church, it's  Sunday you know. If they aren't , they are at some tamu and should be home soon. Or they're not up yet, sleeping it in till brunchtime. Since we've been working hard unloading and laying out the junks, we'd take a break ourselves and get inside to rest. The maid can help us lookout.
And here's our brother with some noodle soup. Wah, ada soto. Let's all sit down, we got a whole day, no worries.
(in the meantime, we made sales between ourselves. my brooch  bought by my brother in-law's sister, my sister took the teapot, my niece bought my son's coinbox,......)

Oh look. Here comes a group. Whispers to sister:who are they? do u know them?... Yes! jiran belakang rumah tu! anak beranak...

So there start the sale. People come after all, albeit slowly. Some ask, 'berapa hari kamu sale ni?'..Oh. just today since tomorrow is work day.
In the end, we left the stuffs there and my sister continued selling for  2 more days. Friends of her friends come during lunch break and after office hours. Poor she, having to mess her new house with the clothes rail and boxes every night.

Home stuffs sells.  I got hairdryer, coffeemaker, toys,  deco, teapot,  frames, accessories all sold. Though I don't mind keeping them actually, I got space for them. It's clothes and shoes that are spilling out of my store room I need to rid of but they don't sell. I cleared 12 pieces or so out of maybe 50 piece clothings I brought.
My sister's baby things like stroller and walker were fast snapped up before I remember to take photos. But she was practically giving them away the price she was asking.
My other sister sold her carpets so cheap I winced. But there it is. The main objective was to clear the junk. On that account, I dare say we scored as most bulky items gotten out of the way before noon.

 

My sister got a LOT of books, going for RM5-10. Mags she sold RM10-15 per bundle. Next day down to RM5 . However reading is not much in our culture or habit. Books don't sell .

And shoes. Nope. Kids shoes sell, yes. Adults no. No matter in great condition. Size mainly the problem.

Banner kami yang hina. Although it did help mind you.

It was  fun. As always when we get together food is a given. We took more tea breaks than we did selling perhaps but its a good activity to keep up. Spring cleaning double up as family day.

Next time kami bikin banner yang bagus sikit la. Hahahahaha.


Nice day all!

I'm here

......right where you left me 3 weeks ago. has it been 3 weeks. oh dear.

the daughter has recovered from the pox. she thinks she did ok in the exam. the brother caught the measle and has since recovered too, only resuming school this week. i suppose i'll just wait for the third child to get his turn and get this all over and done with.

the weather probably caught it too, i mean, it's raining tons every day and such strong angry wind.

while holed up here i have done more bakings and here to show you 3 new tries.

butterfly cupcakes in vanilla and chocolate.

a simple usual cupcake, just fancy it up.

this is a jalur gemilang cake. did this for my childrens' open house, happening on malaysia day. was too tired to snap proper photos.  anyway it was messy and ugly. i just wanted to see if i get the design right. this involved some tedious work. baking one color in 5 pans for 1 recipe. then another color using half recipe. then stacking 3 layers, then cut and mix and stack the remaining 3 layers.

i'm into challenging cakes these days. kunun.

 

 

applying the same technique as the flag cake, this is a checkered chocolate and vanila cake. i took more time with this to get it properly stacked and clean lined. next time (if there is), i'll frost it with chocolate ganache. this one i just wanted to use up my leftover fresh cream.

 

so, until later, happy wet weather. take care.

 

 



Say It Ain't So

I don't believe it. Lagi 9 hari UPSR dan anak aku tiba-tiba dapat chicken pox. Seriously?

She can't go to school and kelas tambahan and tuition for 5 days. FIVE DAYS. Say it ain't so. Mountains of revision to do and she's a last-minute-person (like so many people I know..including self). Not good. Absolutely not ideal.

I got to clear my head and devise alternative revision sessions under quarantine conditions. And hope for the best. Tawakkal saja lah. We shall get through this and try our best.

Wish us luck.