Monday 28 July 2014

My 10th Hari Raya Celebration.. And A Miracle.

Assalamualaikum friends..

Wow, I think I have never given salam on this blog before. Have I? Sorry, I'm too lazy to check. Hehe.. So today is the first day of Syawal for 2014 otherwise known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri/Eid Mubarak. It also signifies my 10th time celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri as a Muslim revert. I can't believe it's been that long! Anyways, I would like to share with you a short story this Eid. It is about something that happed yesterday and today that made me very happy.

My parents had just known of my conversion for the past 5 years. When they knew, it was hard for them to swallow because they have strong faith in the Christian religion. Alhamdulillah, they did not beat me or disown me like some of my other less fortunate fellow reverts. It took them a while to accept and it is still a work in progress.

My parents have this practice of muting the sound of Azan/Athan whenever it comes on TV. To say that they are not a fan is an undestatement indeed. Hence when the Takbir Raya sounded last night, I expected my mum to mute the sound when she picked up the remote. Instead, she merely turned down the volume and left the sound on.

It is a simple action my friends, but it spoke volumes to me. It signifies acceptance and respect towards my beliefs, something I had never expected to see. I kept quiet, afraid to make even a peep in case it breaks the 'magic' of what I was seeing. A tear dropped from the corner of my eye and I wiped it away discreetly. Thank you Allah.

This morning I got ready for work. When I ran into my mum in the living room, we looked at each other awkwardly for a split second before she opened her arms, took a step forward towards me and said,"Selamat Hari Raya". I stepped forward, accepted her hug, kissed her hand and asked for her forgiveness. "Whatever it is, we are still family" I said. "Of course", she said and both of us started crying. She gave me a few words of advice and told me to eat breakfast.

A few minutes later my dad came into the living room as well and I immediately went to him, kissed his hand and asked for his forgiveness. "It's okay", he said and patted me on the shoulder. I realized that today was the first time that I had ever kissed my parents' hands and asked for their forgiveness as was customary during Raya Aidilfitri. It's so surreal but then again anything is possible when Allah SWT wants it to be. Thank you Allah.

To fellow reverts who are still having a hard time with family members accepting your Islamic Faith, do not despair and to potential reverts, do not let fear stop you from doing what feels right. Allah SWT is Great and nothing happens without His permission. Stick fast, persevere and ask for His help. In shaa Allah, He will give more that you'd ever imagine. Amin.

Alhamdulillah, this is the most wonderful gift that I have ever received from Allah SWT aside from the Islamic Faith. It gave a spring to my step and made me more determined to move forward and leave the past behind and become a better Muslimah. In shaa Allah, Amin.


As an end to this post I would like to wish a very Happy Eid Mubarak to all friends, family and readers who are celebrating. Drive carefully and eat responsibly peeps. Toodles!




Love,
Phyllicia

Saturday 12 July 2014

Sophie Speak - A Mama's Dictionary/Thesaurus..

Hello there..

Sophie has actively been developing her speech abilities lately. I must admit, she starts certain milestones 'late' compared to her peers but when she starts it's full speed ahead. While I am familiar with the rhythm of her development, it doesn't mean that I don't worry sometimes. Part of the job as a mom I suppose. Hehehe.. Anyways, here are the some of the words that Sophie has started to use regularly (The top words in Italic is how she pronounces it and below in normal text is what she means) :

Commm                                 
Come                                    

Uwau/Wawer                        
Flower                                  

Trii                                        
Tree                          

Giin                                       
Green                                      

Eid                                        
Red                                        

Ait                                         
White                                  

Ack                                        
Black                                    

Puhpul                                  
Purple                                  

Oange                                     
Orange                                  

Eelow                                     
Yellow                                    

Pahpel                                    
Apple                                    

Byeeeeee                                 
Goodbye or go away                

Haluuuuu                               
Hello                                      

Ah kai                                      
Up into the sky                        

Is is                                         
Kismis                                    

It/Mamam                               
Eat                                          

Nenen                                      
Milk                                        

Ehteh/Totoh                            
Water                                      

Mama                                       
Mama                                      

Gmpa                                        
Grandpa                                  

Gmmami
Grandmummy

Bibi
Baby

Kah
Car

Teevee
TV

Hone
Phone

Spuun
Spoon

Bowll
Bowl

Kap
Cup

Eesoh
See saw

Doh
Door

Indoh
Window

Nan
None

Nosh
Nose

Guv
Glove

Toyee
Toy

Chiss
Cheese

Daki
Rubber Ducky

Pahpi
Puppy

Dogee
Doggy

Bobol
Bubble

Gogol
Goggles

Ish
Fish

No
No

Sann
Sun

Shuup
Soup

Sup
Soap

She can now identify the anatomy of her body up to the specifics (arm, elbow, wrist, hand, fingers, etc.). She used to love looking at picture books but she had really been into spelling for the past 2 weeks. She would spell words in books, diaper pack (her favorite) and random objects with words on them such as tissue boxes.

I notice that Sophie has been a bit clingy of late. She'd get separation anxiety every time I leave the room. It can be a bit stressful sometimes because let's be honest, who can stand hearing their child cry while bathing/cooking/heeding the 'call of nature'? Sigh. I just try to take it in stride, welcome the attention and remind myself constantly that this will pass. Kids grow up really fast anyways. In a few short years she will have her own interest and I will miss these moments.

Talk about growing, ever since she was about 7 months old if she wants something she would point to the object of her desire and urge us to get it. Sometimes we get it wrong and she would shake her head vehemently from side to side. That practice had been ongoing until last week. She was pointing at something on the table and I gave her the raisin container. She shook her head and suddenly said, "No". Boy was I surprised. Could it be a coincidence? By then I knew what she wanted but decided to give her a wrong item on purpose to see if she would do it again and she did! It was a small change but it just further hits home how fast time passes. I felt sad and happy at the same time. Huhu...

Anyways, those are Sophie's most used words to date with a little update from Mamaland. Before I go this is a photo of me and Sophie wearing a pink bow headband with flickering lights. It was given to her by her aunt Tracey via my aunt Celia and uncle Jimmy who came for a visit from Melbourne yesterday.


Have your toddler/niece/nephew started talking yet? What are their most used words? Do share in the comments section below and I will see you in the next post. Toodles!


Love,
Phy




























Tuesday 1 July 2014

My Luxurious Stay At The Magellan Sutera Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Hello hello there!

As some of you may know from my previous post I had just turned 28 on June 23, 2014. I thought that instead of buying bajillions of makeup as I usually do, I'd go for enriching my life with new experiences this time around and decided on staying at The Magellan Sutera Resort (TMSR), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. This post is to recapture the wonderful moments I had during my 2-day stay there so brace yourself for loads of photos!

Day 1
To say I was excited would be an understatement. Me and my sister Farhana (Who is a budding travel blogger by the way. Check out her blog here) left our hometown by the 8.00am bus and arrived in Kota Kinabalu (KK) around 11.00am. We took a cab to TMSR and checked into our Sea View Room.

The Magellan Sutera Resort Lobby.

Our First Room.

The scenery was not as we hoped for as there were coconut trees blocking our view of the sea. We called in to see if there were other rooms available on the upper floor. Fortunately, one of the rooms with the best view was due to check out at 6.00pm. So as not to mess up the room too much, we went to Silk Garden Chinese Restaurant at The Pacific Sutera Resort for Lunch before heading out to our favorite place to hang out, Suria Sabah Shopping Mall, via Sutera Harbour's Shuttle Bus (RM3.00/ return trip). Please Note that there is no Shuttle Bus service at 2.00pm and 7.00pm from Sutera Harbour to KK City. There is also no return Shuttle Bus service to Sutera Harbour at 1.15pm-1.30pm nor 7.15pm-7.30pm from all the pick up points (Center Point, Wisma Merdeka and KK Plaza).

Waited for our orders to arrive.

What we did at Suria Sabah Shopping Mall.

At Suria, our first stop was Habib Jewels where we saw this stunning line from them called Hearts On Fire. No words could describe it, it just takes your breath away *May I have this to call my own in the not too distant future, Amin*. Next, I did a skin consultation with Clarins for the first time. Left the counter happy as a clam with the samples I was given. Then I checked out some of Estee Lauder's Pure Color Gloss. The bright orange and fuchsia color caught my attention the most *Unfortunately I do not remember the names*. Last but not least we had dinner at my preferred sushi restaurant, Sushi Tei. I highly recommend their Crispy Ebi Mentai Mayo. It is life-changing, I swear.

We arrived back at TMSR at around 9.00pm. By then our new room was ready. Check out the photos below. It's a bit dark because it was taken at night but I hope you can still get a sense of how the room looks like.

Everything was so soft and comfortable from the pillows to the duvets..

I love the reading chair..

I love the wire storage thingy..

This leads to the front door and bathroom.

The landing..

Our closet.. Again, love the wire storage..

Peek-a-boo!

 The shower head in the tub looks like an old but elegant telephone handle..

 A feature wall in the loo..

The toiletries provided.. Lotion, comb, toothbrush and tooth paste, vanity kit and razor kit. Shampoo and shower gel is not shown in this photo.

I got the muchies at 11.00pm and ordered Room Service. I chose their Beef Burger served with Fries and Onion Rings. I was told that the food would be delivered within 30 minutes but it was sent within 15-20 minutes which was great.

Yummy..

Watched an episode of Revenge and Running Man then off to bed I went.

Day 2


Started the day with a smile.

Good morning world! Nothing like a view of the sea to energize one for the day ahead. Went down to Five Sails for the gorgeous breakfast spread. I had a plain croissant, slices of cold cut meat, sausage, hash brown, some dim sums, eggs florentine, Laksa (which was very tasty and perfectly portioned), Cappuccino, Orange  juice, a fruit salad and 2 pastries. My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach. Hehe..

What I had for breakfast.. My diet definitely went out the window..

After breakfast we checked out Mandara Spa. Upon stepping into the spa, my ear caught the soothing Balinese music playing in the background. The spa was softly lit, adding to it's relaxing ambiance. The decor is beautiful, almost mystical. I half-expected a Balinese Princess to look over the balcony at me. Check out the photos below.

Mandara Spa.. Look at the balcony in the top right photo. That's my fave aesthetic area of the spa.

The waiting area. Juvenile I know, but so much fun. Lol..

The choice of massage oils (Mandara, Island Spice, Harmony and Tranquility) as well as scrubs (Coconut, Coffee, Javanese and Balinese) available. Also some fragrance 'balls' in glass vases for scenting closets and drawers.

The Hibiscus Room for couples massage. All the rooms are named after flowers. The lower rooms are for couples treatment and the rooms on the upper floor are for individual treatments.

Farhana and I decided to come back to the spa later should we decide to get a massage. I went off to the pool side armed with my novel, a bottle of drinking water and a big chocolate chip cookie from the Muffinz Express counter for a reading session. Oh bliss! I truly felt like I was in my own world.

My slice of Heaven..

Late in the afternoon Farhana and I had our lunch at Al Fresco, a restaurant at TMSR that serves Mediterranean food. I went with the Chicken Pita which was wholesome and very satisfying. You can tell that only fresh ingredients were used in the food. Another thing I love about dining at Al Fresco? The cold towel at the end! So cool and refreshing, just what we needed in the hot afternoon.

Lunch time..

Oooohh.. A cold and fragrant towel in the sunny afternoon? Felt like it was Heaven sent.

Psstt.. I kinda wish that we had dinner at Al Fresco as well. Wanna know why? Because of the musical trio who performs in the evenings. Unfortunately I don't remember their name but they are goooood man. To sing that loud without a mike and still be pitch perfect? I am a fan. Their tunes are also very nostalgic. Think Phil Collins and the Eagles.

Okay, I digress a bit. Hehe.. After Lunch we went back to our room to rest till about 6.00pm. Since it was Pay Day, we decided to go to Suria Sabah Shopping Mall again. The plan was to have dinner at Kenny Rogers and to go to The Body Shop as well as Channel. Unfortunately, I took too long trying to decide which bracelet to get at Thomas Sabo (Which was an impromptu visit, I swear. Have you seen their charms? They are just too cute that I want them all!) that we missed dinner. Thank goodness Starbucks was still open. Their Strawberry Cheesecake Frappuccino is really good. *By the way, I have been really loving anything strawberry lately from drinks to scents to body care products. If I was married, I'd have thought I was preggers the way I am obsessed with it. Sheesh!*

My Strawberry fix of the day...

My Thomas Sabo bracelet. I will have a whole post dedicated to this In shaa Allah, so stay tuned for that.

As we missed dinner (Sorry sister. Hehe..), we had to order Room Service once again. This time we both had the pasta which you can customize with 3 choice of pastas and 2 choice of sauces. We chose Spaghetti with Carbonara saunce. It arrived around 30 minutes after we placed our order which was a bit of a bummer since we were so hungry but hey, it was delicious as expected. I was tempted to order another one but the thought of my expanding waistline stopped me just in time. Huhu..

Turn down service in the evenings. A bookmark and a dark chocolate square each. 80% cacao too. How fabulous is that?

This pasta dish had generous portions of meat strips and cheese shavings. Will be having this again for sure on my next trip.

Another round of Running Man and Revenge and it was time for some shut-eye.

Day 3

Breakfast du jour..

It was the last day of our stay. Huwaaa... The thought of leaving TMSR made me a bit depressed. On the other hand I was already dreadfully missing my Sophia so yes, it was certainly time to go home.  The Five Sails buffet breakfast spread helped to cheer me up a bit. Ahhh.. Fooooooddd!!! Hehehe.. Most of the things I had were the same as the first day. The only difference is this time I had a potato dish (Oh man, I can't remember the name), scrambled eggs, waffles with maple syrup and noodles in soup.

I had looked forward to having the Laksa again but of course the menu had changed somewhat from the previous day. The chef at the noodle station told me that it was kind of like a Pan Men soup except the noodles were thick and white like the noodles usually used in Laksa dishes. It was tasty and made me miss having Pan Men for breakfast.

Took a last long look at the beautiful view for this trip..

We went back to the Mandara Spa where my sister bought a bottle of essential oil in Harmony. It was the same scent I chose when I had my first massage at Mandara Spa. One of the masseuse told us about the Mandara Spa membership and let me tell you, the deal is well-worth it. Becoming a member is definitely on my to-do list on my next visit. Click here to know more about Mandara Spa or call +(60 88) 303 680.

We went up to our rooms to pack and rest for a bit before checking out at 1.00pm. Since we were to go back by the 2.30pm bus, we decided to have a drink at the Muffinz Express counter. I ordered a Double Chocolate cake which was divine and 6 macaroons to bring home for my parents and Sophie. All of us love the macaroons (especially the Raspberry flavor) and bringing some home for them has become kind of a tradition for me since the several times I've stayed at The Pacific Sutera Hotel. Keep up the good work Chef Pritchard!

Muffinz Express counter and our sweet treats..

I had been looking forward to having one of my must-haves at Muffinz Deli Cafe which is the Smoked Salmon Bagel. Unfortunately that intention had to be saved for another day because Muffinz Deli Cafe is under renovation and the Muffinz Express counter only serves cakes, drinks and pies. Oh well, good things come for those who wait right? :)

Time to say goodbye.. Sob! :,(

Alas as much as we tried to drag it out, it was time to leave The Magellan Sutera Resort. I certainly hope to see you again. Special mention goes to Sahri, Andy and Aziezan (Concierge) for being polite, courteous and going the extra mile for arranging our transportation as well as luggage. Also to Nisa (Al Fresco) for her excellent service and infectious cheerfulness.

Not forgetting Lena from Front Office and Rosiah from Customer Service for arranging our room change as well as the Housekeeping staff who I'm sure cleaned the room like the fire of Hades were on their heels to accommodate the room change. Last but not least thank you all who made our stay a wonderful and memorable one especially those behind the scenes. You are the unsung heroes of the Resort. Keep up the good work!


Love,
Phy