Earth Hour 2009

Its today between 8.30pm - 9.30pm. We are going to participate, very simple, just switch off the lights for one hour and we have done our part. This thing is big, around the world would participate. Its all over the news, on tv and on paper. Even Shell also promoted it in our online bulletin. We rushed back from dinner with my parents so that we didnt overshoot the time. After shower and prayer and its already 8.30pm. I turned off the lights and surprisingly most of our neighbours took part tonight and the neighbourhood was just pitch black. So its cool. I wonder how the rest of the world reacted to this. Cant wait to hear and watch the news tomorrow.

Our neighbours without lights.

Our house with no lights

Crazy!

What a day yesterday. Took the whole day off work to sort out the mess. Really really pissed me off. This women our previous amah agent to be, but not to be, drove us all crazy.

The story goes like this. We are in the midst of arranging our new amah with our new amah agent. All went well until he went to immigresen to apply for amah approval. Lo and behold, the immigresen people informed him that hubby's quota is now full. What the hell??? Our amah just left early this month and we dont have any amah at the moment. They told us there was already an amah under my hubby's quota by the name of Wartiah. We knew straight away who was the culprit! Using somebody else's quota is not cool man!

We tracked her down and she admitted that she put that amah name there, without telling us, and she said that amah was meant to be with us. Again, what the hell?? I thought we no longer deal with her after we cancelled our agreement and all the money returned?? How dare she put a new amah into hubby's quota without telling us. And the amah was now with her but of course we didnt want her. We didnt even see her biodata let alone chose her to be our new amah. So the amah must go since we can to cancel that quota and stick to our chosen one from our new agent.

It was really messy, we even went to the police to make a report, since she didnt turn out at first when we asked about the original letter from Immigresent. We need that letter before the cancellation can be made.

At last everything was settled at around 4pm. And the amah who was here without us knowing had to go back to Indonesia on the same day. She must be so frustrated and upset since she just came on saturday to find out that her employment has just been cancelled. All due to the good nature of this woman named Siti Sufinah, and her company called Syazmena Employment Agency.

We were lucky our new agent was there to help us out otherwise it might not be as smooth as we wanted it to be. We owe him big time. Thanks Haji.

So now the waiting began again. Looks like we are going to be "amahless" for another month or so. And in the meantime, my girl has to be on her own at home and I have to sort out all the housework all by myself, which seems to be ok for now. Lucky me we only a small family so its not too bad.

Thats alot of meat!

We consumed lots of meat this week. Early in the week we went to Charcoal and Grill in Jalan Tutong, both hubby and I had our sirloin steak and our favourite soup. We love the place and we really had a good lunch. This is before we went to pick up our temporary Amah.

Then last night we had dinner at Fratini's in Yayasan. Again we couldnt do without our western craving so hubby chose his rack of lamb and I went to have my beef fillet which were so yummy. My girl as usual chose to have her sphagetti carbonara. And the mushroom at this place was awesome. They tasted soooo good. This was hubby's idea to have dinner here like we always do since we both share the same passion for western food, we enjoyed dinner so much but of course it cost us more than 100 bucks. Thanks hubby for the lovely meal!

Food at Charcoal and Grill.

Our meal at Fratini's last night, yummy.

Temp Amah is here

Her name is Kasinah. We came to know her from my bro. They recommended her to us since we are so lost without Amah hehehe. Not exactly! More to accompany my girl at home when we are away working. Pity her so much when she has to stay home on her own.

We picked Kasinah at Bandar Multipurpose Parking. She wanted us to pick us up at her house in Kota Batu at first, but that is so unfamiliar territory and asked her to pick some other place instead. She was with her husband, found out later her husband works as a contruction worker and she is a "freelance" Amah. Very glamorous. Even Amah is freelance ;-) She asked for B$20 per day since she lives with us and we are desperate and has to agree. Its very very expensive. More so she doesnt have to do much in our household. So we will see how it goes, we may not keep her all month long maybe occasionally.

She starts work today, on her own while we are off working. So far she is ok, very humble and respectful. She also wears tudong even in the house. I am ok with that, of course we are all not her muhrim so I guess she just wants to covers up.

Its more a necessity than luxury all of this Amah stuff. Wish we dont have to have one but the situation is just crazy not to have one at the moment. I was ok with the housework for the last few days. Although its tiring but I can keep the momentum and in control. And its good feeling not to have a stranger in the house. Its just me, hubby and Ayang, my little family and we did enjoy the time. I think my girl loves it too, she is more independent and take care of the house. Its lovely. Anyway, its part of the everyday life and having an Amah is part of the deal.

My good girl

So our amah left yesterday right at the end of her contract. She was tearful but thats inevitable. I've decided not to renew her contract and prefer to hire new one. She left and thats the end of her.

Now we are without amah. I know we can manage just fine. My only concern was my girl who has to stay on her own when we are at work. Like today. I left the office with heavy heart, since I have to leave early before 6.00am I have to leave her at home to wait for the driver to pick her up for school. She has her own key to the house and she has to lock the door, switch off all the lights, have breakfast on her own, prepare Robbie's meal for the day, close the gate and off to school. After school she has to come home to an empty house. My heart goes out to her. This is the first time ever that she has to do this. She is home alone.

When I came home today and asked her how did it go? She said she was ok. She didnt look sad or distracted or afraid so thats very good. She is all grown up I think. So glad she went through today without so much hussle.

Now working on hiring a new amah after the last one flopped. Very bad experience so we are weary of doing it again but we have to I am afraid.

Very Stressful

I never been so stressful in my life, not at this magnitude. This is awfully painful and excruciating.

We have been waiting for our Amah since Dec 2008 and the Amah Agent keep on promising the Amah will arrive soon but she never has. We are so sick and tired of the delay. Our current Amah is leaving tomorrow since its the end of her contract but the new Amah is no way in sight. We contacted the agent again, and she promised to loan us a temporary one. We were supposed to collect the temp Amah yesterday but there was none to collect. Another empty promises. This woman has been telling us so many lies, and there is no way that we want to deal with her again.

Driving me and hubby up the wall. How could someone looking so innocent can do such a thing. We have been promised the new Amah will arrived in December, then January then February and its now March. Our intention to find new Amah is for obvious reason, so that the old amah will go and the new amah continue. But it didnt turn out that way. My girl couldnt stay at home on her own, thats the main reason.

We have enough. We no longer want to pursue this business with her. We want our money money back and never to deal with her again. Very frustrating.

So for anybody who wants to find new amah, pls do not deal with this person.

Her name is Finah, Syazmena Employment Agency. She is poison and a liar, plain and simple.