The year has been kind to us so far. Me and my family that is. My home usually starts the day at 4.00am with Mak Yah getting up for her prayers and I shall be up to change and feed Zara and change Millie’s diaper. I usually fell back to sleep while breastfeeding Zara. Haakem shall be up by 6.20am and after he finishes using the bathroom, I shall be up for my ablution to perform my Subh (dawn) prayers. I shall then attend to the laundry while Haakem gets ready for school. For the last 3 days, Millie was up to accompany Atuk (Mak Yah) to see Haakem off. That would mean a short walk with Atuk around the apartment block. Haakem leaves the house around 7.05 and I will wave him good bye from my bedroom window and as usual will keep an eye on him until he reaches the school gate.
Then I shall continue with the chores (laundry, expressing milk and having a light breakfast). Bibik starts her duties at 7.00 with putting away the kitchen utensils from the night before, washing any dirty cups/plates used by anybody who stayed up the night before, sweeping the floor, hanging up the laundry, mopping the floor and washing the rags (kain buruk). I have by then ready for office and shall hand Zara over to Bibik, if she is up already. I walk to the bus stop and take the first Rapid KL bus that stops there to make sure that I arrive on time.
After switching on the PC and checking my mailbox (deleting the junk mails and marking on those, which requires responses/actions/attentions), I shall make myself a mug of Milo or Nescafe to have with some plain bread.
I’d stop for lunch at 12.30 and for the past week, I have been having 3 vegetables, a small portion of rice and grilled fish. I’d continue working at my desk around 1.30pm, stopping to make a call home around 2.00pm, express milk at 3.00pm and a mug of coffee/tea around 4.30pm. At 5.00pm most of my colleagues would be heading home but I’ll perform my prayers instead, continuing with preparation for tomorrow’s works until around 6.00pm. Only then would I start to pack my things and head home ON FOOT!! YES!!! I have been walking home the whole of the week (except Monday when J offered me a ride). I gave it a try on last Saturday, with Haakem who followed me to the office. It was drizzling but I decided that I had to do it or I would never do it. It took us a whole 40 minutes which include a detour into Sg. Wang (heheheheheh… Haakem wanted KFC but the queues were too long so we decided to give it a rain check). Alhamdulillah it stopped raining, but I Haakem had his cap on anyway.
So, I made up my mind that I shall walk back home at least 3 times a week and last Saturday’s first attempt included, I have made it 5 times! I timed myself and I clocked 30 minutes each time. On Wednesday, I even detoured to The Store at Pudu Plaza to get the girls’ diapers.
I am so happy with this achievement!!
When I arrived home, I’d rest a bit, catching up with Millie’s stories for the day before taking my shower, have my dinner and feed Zara before performing my Maghrib prayers. My day ends around 10.30pm.
I hope to stick to this routine and when I am feeling fitter, I shall walk to the office too. A routine I had some 10 years ago, before I was pregnant with Haakem. But I was staying at Kg Attap and the office in Bukit Nanas. As I progressed, the walk took only 20 minutes, from the initial 40 minutes. Everyday (sometimes including Sundays) from November 1997 to February 1999 (when I got married) and continued until June 1999, except when hubby decided to stay back late that we would take the car. I was so fit, then.
I need the exercise and even if I took the bus, I am not guaranteed the 30 minutes journey. If I miss the 5.05 bus in the evening, it would mean another half an hour (the shortest) wait and the traffic gets heavier that the journey would take longer and I would have wasted at least another 30 minutes. I have a few times arrived home at 6.30pm or 7.00pm just because I leave the desk not at 5.00 sharp, but 5.02pm. By walking, I can leave whenever I want but be assured that whatever extra time I take is not wasted. I have not been exercising at all since I was 4 months pregnant with Haakem and that is bad. I need the cardio exercise badly and since dieting is beyond me, the best option is walking. I am also glad that I am not guilty of polluting the air.
And yes, I am all for boycotting pro-Israel products too!!
My collegue cum sister Lyn, baked cupcakes for us in the Department and our associates. Thanks Lyn, you made my day. I have never had anyone made me a personalised cupcake before. You are an angel!!! That is mine with the intial PMM... hihihihi
