Menjejak kaki di bumi Amerika - entry 2

Note: ni adalah posting lama date bila pun tak ingat, boleh???

Last night was horribly, terribly freezing cold. I bet last night the temperature must be between -10 to -18 degree Celcius. We were all freezing in the house. My hubby end up covered himself in a kain pelikat. I mean, I can count he wore kain pelikat less than 10 times during our 6 years of marriage and I still bring a piece of it. Well, just in case. For the record, I even brought a kain batik panjang here. It's not that I wish for the bad things to happen but you know the terms "just in case" means?

OK, back to the freezing night, we end up sitting and enjoy our fresh brewed coffee and watching TV. Although the coffee is cheap according to the US dollars but yeah, it's worth it. Sipping your coffee and chewing cucur ikan bilis oats with sweet thai sauce, late at night, the air is cold and chilly, it's simply rewarding! I went to bed at I guess half past 1 in the morning and woke up today to find that everything is covered with snow outside. I mean, yeah, this is my third time to watch snow alive and it's just amazing.

I have an appointment with Paul this afternoon. We're going to buy a Van, a 1998 Plymouth Voyager Van to be specific. Oh! He's here already..gtg

It turn out that Mr Paul is an old man I mean, he must be around 60s something. He's nice too and since my kids cannot ride in a vehicle without a proper child seat so I have to stay home and my hubby has to go with Mr. Paul to test ride the van. After all, he have better driving skill than I am and he's good at engines too. If I am the one to see the car, I would probably judge the car by the cosmetics, not the soul. OK, let's wait for hubby .

While waiting, my boys had a quarrel over my hubby's laptop. Aqil wanted to search for "Bully" in the internet and Aqif wanted to watch Power Rangers DVD. It turned out that Aqif, in order to show his rage, had purposedly spilled his milk on the keyboard. I was so furious and took him to his room. We cannot lock the door as all the doorknobs is our little apartment don't have a lock. So, I just let him remained in the room for while. After 2 minutes, I checked on him. When I opened up the door, he was nowhere to be seen. Guess what, he had this favorite spot that he just found out the day we moved to this apartment. So, I left him hiding in there and came again to check about 10 minutes later. There he was, fall asleep in his secret hiding place with his mouth slightly open. I left him be. Do not disturb your child when he's sound asleep!

Back to my future vehicle, I like it, we both like it. It cost us $2000 (you would never get it in KL!) and we have to take driving license here and etc. Right now, it is so good to have a vehicle. It's kinda old but roomy enough for all of us. Plus, if you want to drive long distance, the Van just perfect for our tight budget. The long distance here is nothing like the long distance I would have call each time we going back to my place in Alor Setar. Yupp, in Malaysia, we define KL to Alor Setar is long distance but here, we define Fort Collins to Vegas, or to LA or perhaps to New York? So, tomorrow I am going to give away $2000 for the Van. It's equivalent to RM6,600.


Nota: pos je lah draft ni, maleh nak pk dah

Menjejak kaki di bumi Amerika - entry 1

Hari ini masuk hari ke 5 kami sekeluarga berada di Ft. Collins, Colorado. Bila fikir balik betapa susah payahnya nak ke sini dulu, terasa lagi susah bila dah berada di sini. Nasib baik suami tercinta sanggup berkorban untuk jadi teman belajar dan teman susah senang di perantauan.

Semasa sampai di Tom Bradley International Airport di Los Angeles, anak-anak mula meragam. Dengan keadaan balai ketibaan yang masih dalam upgrading construction, ditambah pula dengan beratus-ratus manusia yang tiba, kami mula terasa macam pendatang asing yang merempat. Tambahan pula, cerita-cerita mengenai imigresen Amerika yang strict menyebabkan hati agak gusar. Kami terpaksa beratur panjang dan dalam pada itu, Aqif (2+) mula menangis. Suaranya yang nyaring telah menarik perhatian pegawai Imigresen dan memanggil kami pergi terus untuk check in procedure di kaunter yang berlambak-lambak di hadapan.

Saya memegang visa kelas J-1 iaitu Exchange Visitor manakala suami dan anak-anak adalah J-2. Selepas lebih kurang 15 minit di kaunter dan iris scan bagi saya dan suami telah diambil, suami saya perlu dibawa ke tempat lain di hujung kaunter untuk temuramah dengan pegawai Imigresen. Ini adalah prosedur biasa di US untuk kaum lelaki yang berumur 18-45thn. I think this is the age range, you may check on the website. So, saya dan anak-anak yang tengah keletihan menunggu di kerusi yang disediakan. Penampilan masa tu, jangan cakaplah, dengan muka tak mandi, sememeh lak tu, so memang unpresentable lah.

Sessi temubual suami mengambil masa yang sangat lama. Nasib baik our connecting flight departs at 16:15hr. Saya yang menunggu dengan beg yang masih belum dituntut mulai risau. Tambahan, anak-anak mula buat perangai. Mana yang merajuk dok terbaring kat bawah kerusi, mana yang mengantuk dok mintak makan itu ini. Semasa menunggu, seorang pekerja MAS datang bertanya mengenai beg-beg kami. Saya yang terasa terasing di negara orang dok ingat budak MAS tu orang Melayu, so bantai la cakap Melayu dengan dia (sebab muka dia macam orang Melayu) and he replied back in English. Dia mintak maklumat baggage dan selepas lebih kurang 15 minit, dia datang membawakan semua beg-beg kami yang besar dan banyak itu. Lega rasa sebab dah tak payah fikir pasal beg lagi dan dalam pada itu, budak-budak mulai tidur. Sorang kat atas peha kanan sorang lagi kat sebelah kiri.

Tunggu punya tunggu, at last my husband pun muncul. Lama jugak about 45min or more. So, by the time, budak2 pun dah sound asleep. Kami dah mula kena fikir macam mana nak carry bags and the kids to next terminal. So, kami pun tanya satu Uncle Black yang peramah how to get to Terminal 7. It turned out that he was a Porter and he can carry all our baggage up to exit. Saya dukung Aqif dan suami dukung Aqil. Bagus jugak sebab tak payah beratur, dan yang penting kastam dia tak cek pun kami punya beg. Dia tanya ada meat tak and I said tak de, just dried anchovies. Then, itu saja and terus Uncle tu bawak kami sampai ke tempat check in bag. So, saya dengan polite tanya dia biasanya berapa banyak orang bagi kat dia, dia kata ikut suka so saya pun bagilah $20. Then, dia mintak tambah lagi $10, terus kami tambah. OK lah sebab tak payah beratur, tak payah cek beg dan tak payah bawak beg.

So, sebenarnya, US Immigration is not as bad as some people think. Bagi saya as long as we're nice and OK, they're just as nice, sama macam Imigresen kita juga. Silap-silap lagi considerate kot. Macam ada member saya cakap minta saya pakai lawa-lawa lah, touch up la sikit muka tu, pakai tudung kasik vogue sikit. Hah, apanya, saya rasa tu la paling sememeh ever. Mana taknya, dengan tudung Indon style tu, dengan muka tak mandi, tak cukup tidur pulak tu, bibirpun kering sebab dalam air-cond lama, dengan beg depan belakang. Nasib baik tak de apa-apa. Bagi saya just be yourself and tawakal kepada Allah. Insya Allah dipermudahkan.

I was told later by MSD Officer, Cik Hamidah that some of our undergrads student was detained more than 2 hours. That 45minutes is a minimum actually. Alhamdullilah, puaslah mulut kumat kamit dok baca ayat Qursi dan memohon pada Allah dipermudahkan sessi suami. Bab baca ayat Qursi ni Mak Ngah (sebelah suami) yang pesan. Masa tu dia nak chk in kat Heathrow nak balik KL. Polisi dorang, carry on beg ni kena bawak sorang satu dan mesti lepas rangka yang disediakan. Her carry-on bag eventually turned up to beg slightly bigger at the bottom. So, dia cakap habislah dia ni, apalagi bertawakallah Mak Ngah dan terus membaca ayat yang dia ingat dan lancar. Alhamdulillah, bila turn dia mat saleh tuh terus suh masuk ke dalam tanpa perlu cek beg dan not only that, body search pun lepas.

OK, then kitorang pun bergegas pulak ke Terminal 7. Mak aii, jauh ey kono menapak! Cuaca di LA dingin dan selesa jadi OK lah cuma kepenatan sebab kena dukung Aqif dan Aqil terlelap di atas trolley. Leceh betul kali ini sebab kena bukak kasut, sweat shirt, buang semua air dan segala-galanya lah. Dalam pada tu si Aqif buat hal menangis lagi. Pening kepala dengan budak-budak ni. Yelah, dorang penatkan so meragam la sikit. Bila sampai kat Gate United Airlines untuk ke Denver, flight delay sebab cuaca tak berapa elok. Nasib baik tak lama, dalam 45minit kot dan pastuh kami pun boleh masuk. Kapal terbang tu punyalah buruk dan sempit, barulah terasa MAS tu sepuluh kali ganda best. Selepas 20minit, flight attendant mula menghidangkan air. Saya meminta jus oren dan suami minum kopi. Snack dia nama Snyders kaler coklat gelap. Nampak sedap tapi bila makan, mak aii punyalah masin. Orang putih ni memang salt freak betoi! Dia bagi 3 pek untuk saya dan anak-anak. Budak2 tu tengah tidur. walaupun tak sedap, tabii semulajadi susah dibuang serta merta, tapau tetap ku tapau. Masin-masin pun tapau jugak. Sampai sekarang ada kat dalam laci ni. Tak bersentuh pun!

Lebih kurang 2 jam lebih kami pun mendarat di Denver International Airport (DIA). Mata ni mula melilau kot-kot boleh nampak salji tapi tak nampak pun. DIA ni lebih kurang macam KLIA lah cuma kat KLIA trolley free tapi kat sini kena bayar $3 untuk satu trolley, boleh? Habis, nak tak nak terpaksalah keluarkan duit dan bayar untuk nak letak beg yang berkodi tu. Tunggu punya tunggu, tengok2 satu beg hilang. Masa ni, tag bag yang dia lekat kat tiket kapal terbang tu amat berguna. So, saya pergi di kaunter United Airlines dan bagi tau beg mana yang tak sampai. Kalau tak mau repot kat kaunter, kita boleh buat repot kat mesin yang terletak di sepanjang kawasan baggage tu. Masuk je nombor daftar beg dan nanti mesin tu print out status beg dan bila sampai. Beg kami yang hilang tu akan sampai lebih kurang sejam lagi. United Airlines boleh hantarkan beg yang tertinggal tu ke alamat rumah/hotel yang kita bagi, tetapi pasal saya pun tak pasti beg yang tertinggal tu beg baju anak-anak dan suami atau beg general items, so kami pun tunggu.

Dalam menunggu tu saya mula mencari hotel termurah untuk bermalam. Di tepi dinding tu, ada bermacam iklan hotel dan pengangkutan pun disediakan iaitu free shuttle. Masa menunggu tu, suami membawa anak-anak ambil angin kat luar. Tiba-tiba, anak saya yang sulung, Aqil, berlari ke dalam ke arah saya dan berkata, "Mama, mama, magic la mama, mulut abang keluar asap!". He..he..he.., nak tergelak pun ada. Yelah, first time kan, so kami jakun la sikit. Lepas sejam, beg kami pun sampai dan kami terus bergegas naik shuttle untuk ke Red Inn Roof Denver. Masa nak berjalan ke shuttle tu, angin punyalah sejuk, tangan ni rasa macam rendam dalam air ais. Pipi pun mula rasa pedih sebab sejuk sangat. Mak aii, tulah angin paling sejuk pernah kami ketahui. Lebih kurang 20 minit, kami pun sampai kat Red Roof Inn. Suami saya bagi $5 pada Uncle drebar shuttle tu. Uncle tu beriya-iya menolak. Baik betul mat saleh ni.

Masuk je bilik, lega rasanya. Masing-masing berebut nak mandi, yelah lebih sehari tak mandi! Saya pun check la beg yang tertinggal tu apa isi kandunganya, nasib baik tunggu sebab itulah beg yang ada baju suami dan anak-anak. Kalau tak tunggu, budak-budak ni ada la baju yang nak pakai lepas mandi tapi suami takde. So, moral of the story, biar semua baju simpan dalam semua beg, kalau tertinggal tak de ler meraban sangat. Lepas mandi, perut pun lapar. Menyesal pulak tak beli fillet O fish ke kat Mcdonald kat Los angeles tadi. Nasib baik ler saya bawak periuk nasi kecil dengan converter sekali. Boleh lah masak 4 peket megi mini perisa sayuran. Habis licin, budak-budak ni pun semua kebuluran. Kena masak sekali lagi. Perut dah kenyang baru boleh tidur. Bestnya dapat tidur atas katil. Walaupun seat business class tu punyalah best boleh control2 at the tips of your finger, tidak akan sama dengan tidur di atas katil. Alhamdulillah dapat berehat jugak akhirnya. Selesai satu cerita!

Untitled.

Today is one of those days when you suddenly feel sad and anxious at the same time.. sort of like blues kind of feeling. I don't know. It's very hard to explain. The feeling bussiness is somehow very complicated and extremely delicates. so lets leave it alone...

I believe that the anxiety and the nervousness that slowly build up its structure inside me it's partly because I am start counting down the days I suppose to leave Kuala Lumpur and head for Fort Collins, Colorado. I am so afraid of the uncertainties, of what kind of life there, what kind of troubles awaits, what kind of environment, etc.. can my children adapts well to the new life there? although it's only 2 years but moving your life from here to there somehow sounds kind of quite exhausting yet exhilirating.

I really hope for the best. According to plan, we will leave by January next year. Just another 4 months to go. I supposed to start class on last August but I'm just not ready so I postponed it to Spring 2008. At this moment, it's still zero preparation. So I shall get everything ready by October, in which I assume I will received the Visa Form from the University. I have to submit all the documents to JPA by November. The financial documents still pending and guess I need to "mengadap" JPA soon to get the latest allowances details and sort. Now, I am compiling the bills, the transcript, the offer letter, the english result, the bla..bla..bla..

Good thing is, bulan puasa is around the corner. Today is Monday and taraaa.. hari Khamis sudah pun puasa. Solat Terawih will begin this Wednesday evening. Oh, I loves bulan puasa. We will have our sahur soon and pejam celik pejam celik suddenly it's Raya already.. Ohh, even talking about this makes the acid in my perut buncit churning and whirpooling. Or is it because I did not take my lunch? But no, even my heartbeat is pounding very fast. Yelah, bulan puasa ni doa banyak2 so that we will go there and live there as safely as in here.

Ahlan wa sahlan ya Ramadhan! May this coming Ramadhan Al-Mubarak will bring pure joy and happiness to my family and friends. May the blissfull Ramadhan will bless our life and purify our soul. May we live harmoniously and peacefully cross the races, the religions, the border, the whatever...

OK sudah, sambung keje balik!

A stranger inside

I just feel like a stranger in my own office. I guess this is because I've been on and off in the office since last April. Now it's already July and in that 3 months period I really feel weird being in my office. Sometimes, it makes me feel that I should have leave earlier, I should be gone by this August. I clearly could not fit in here any longer. I feel like residing in US. I would never give up my citizenship though but sometimes being here is not so fun anymore. I don't like the politics in my office where small things (like getting yourself in a certain event where you're clearly not really doing anything at all but just for the sake of joining the trips) is really a big deal! I guess that was the result, the culture that has been nurtured over the years of getting yourself to be able to join every events especially when it involves hotels, highlands or beaches... With this kind of culture, I feel like giving away all I have in here and start all over again somewhere far far away. Ohh, perhaps one will talk about the patriotism and nationalism, I love my country and I love my people but perhaps it's not enough. I kind of feel like I am not coming back to KL. That's why I want to enjoy every moments in here as much as possible.

Kembali menjadi pelajar!

I am now in the process of becoming a student again. Today I had sat for Research Methodology (RM) Test, it's pretty tough because I have insufficient time to study. Unlike those days when I am single and available, the time is not an issue. At least no one will distract me. Now, I have 2 beautiful sons who will sit in front of my study desk and keep asking questions or the least they can do is seducing me with their sparkling eyes and the innocent face. That's the challenges for a mother who wants to study again. Aku memang nekad nak study lagi so considered the test is the kick start of the longer journey ahead. Memang terasa ketepuan otak apabila sepetang dok menelaah buku, nota, internet. Itu baru satu subjek dah macam nak pengsan. Tomorrow morning, I'll be learning the Statistic for another 3 weeks with 2 test on the way. Otak ni pun dah agak berkarat sebenarnya pasal bab-bab Stats ni. Fortunately ada preparatory courses for Graduate Students yang at least dapat menghangatkan semula mesin yang dah lama sejuk ni. I really hope my application will be accepted and looking forward to start my class this year. Itupun, on the second thought, I am considering to change study terms from Fall to Winter or Spring. Reason is, kalau Fall; class will start on September dan itu adalah bulan puasa. The idea of moving abroad in Ramadhan sound so unpleasant and univiting. That's why kalau boleh aku nak tukar term ke winter or Spring. At least, dapatlah berpuasa dan beraya di sini. Lagipun, I haven't sit for GRE and kalau bulan 8 atau 9, sangatlah terasa kalutnya! Apapun, make sure dapatkan tempat kat University dulu kalau tidak, haa.. duduklah engkau kat sini.

Cermin mata dan bingkai patah

Pagi ni, bila terjaga dari tidur aku terasa aku sedang berbaring di atas sesuatu yang keras. Bila aku check apa benda kat bawah badan aku tu, I found that it was my glass. The frame was broken. Luckily I had another glass. The other glass was multi-coated transition lens which is perfectly suitable for outdoor activities; but I don't really like it because the frame is a bit outdated. I'll use it when I have site visit and sort. The broken one used to be my normal wear. It was cheap,clear and very light. That's explain why that fast and easy.

Anyway, I want to do a new one today. So, I did some readings on the glass prescription and related stories. It was difficult to understand it so I end up with these lines in my blog. I'm a hyperopia (farsightedness) with a 2D degree of blur. Which one is suitable for me? The CR-39 or the polycarbonate.

"CR-39 is transparent in visible spectrum and almost completely opaque in the ultraviolet range, it has high abrasion resistance, in fact the highest abrasion/scratch resistance of any uncoated optical plastic."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CR-39

"Polycarbonates are a particular group of thermoplastic polymers. They are easily worked, molded, and thermoformed; as such, these plastics are very widely used in the modern Chemical industry. Their interesting features (temperature resistance, impact resistance and optical properties) position them between commodity plastics and engineering plastics."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycarbonate

"Polycarbonate lenses are the lightest and most shatterproof, making them the best for impact protection. Polycarbonate lenses offer poor optics because of a low Abbe number of 31. CR-39 lenses are the most common plastic lenses, due to their low weight, high scratch resistance and low transparency for ultra violet and infared radiation."

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasses

OK then, I will go for the CR-39. Wait! There's more. This Essilor product making me more confused. Macam nilah, time now is 4:20 pm. It's still very super-duper hot out there. These days, the weather is extremely hot. It's the global warming. I would like to write about it later. Right now, let's go shopping!