Friday, July 30, 2010

Kampong Separap, Batu Pahat

So Ramadhan is in less than 2 weeks' time and already, I'm thinking about Raya.






O how fun Raya is when you have a child!
No, not so much about Nyla receiving those green packets making Mr E and I richer but really, Nyla is at the age where she knows that Hari Raya is fun!

She gets to wear fancy clothes.


She gets to drink those gassy drinks.

Come on. How can I expect her to drink plain water when her other cuzzies togok all those fruitade, coke and all. For a few days, close my eyes la hor. Ooooooiiii sedap, nak?

One thing I know is that Nyla especially looks forward to the kampong trip on the 2nd day of Raya.
Mr E's grandma's kampong, to be precise.
At Batu Pahat.


Balik kampong yo! Never mind that it is a lonnngggggggg drive.
She'll always end up sleeping anyway, on her cuzzies' laps.

That's my grandmother in law! :)
She is so cute, I so feel like squeezing her.
Everytime I go back to kampong, I'll ask her the same question:

Me: How old are you, nek?

And every year, she'll give the same answer.

Nenek: A long pause....... 65 I think.

Oh Nenek, how is that possible?
My father in law(her son) is already nearing 70 and you're 65! Hehehehe! Cute hor!

Anyway, yeah, back to the kampong trip.
I guess even Nyla loves the kampong atmosphere.

That's my Mat and Minah on scooter.
I gave Mr E a shelling after taking the picture. Where's the helmet on Nyla's head, Dy?!




This is the way to ride a scooter in Mesia yo!
4 in 1!
Too bad no basket, if not, that will be where Nyla sits. Heeeee!


You look like Charlie Chaplin here Nyla. Shofi, a durian head.
Plenty of kitty cats, much to Nyla's delight and Mommy's frustration.
So tiring having to sit cross legged and be on a constant lookout for the cats and not to mention, suffer from spasms whenever their tails brushed past me. EEEEEEKKK!

The only thing Nyla detests about kampong, I guess will be the toilets.

Shofi snapped this picture because she knew Nyla would spend less than 10 secs in it. How true.
Nyla wanted to poo but yeah, the toilet conditions are not conducive for her to do so and she gagged the moment she entered the toilet.

She just said this: "Mommy, never mind. I tahan. I'll poo when we reach home.

And with that she scooted away and reminded me to bring diapers the next time we go to kampong.

So this year, I'll be bringing pull ups for Nyla and adult diapers for Shofi and Farha and Mr E and myself. Heheheh!
Can't wait to see you Nek!

THREE more slots!

Hello all!
An update regarding the Oral Communication Workshop.

As the Oral Communication Workshop on the 8th August has now reached full capacity, we regret to inform you that we are unable to accept any further registrations. :(

However, there are still available spaces for the 7th August slot!

THREE more, to be precise.

So hurry you tag teams of parent and child!

Here are the details!

Workshop Trainers: Mdm Nura J-Esman and Miss Jennifer Ong

Date: 7 August 2010

Time: 2pm-4pm

Cost: $50 per pair (Parent + Child)

Venue: Harmony Room 1 at Onepeople.sg (Near Braddell MRT)

As ex M.O.E teachers (plus oral examiners for the past PSLE Oral) and current educational trainers, we know what your child needs to ace the Oral Exam.
So parents and children, join us in our Oral Communication Workshop as we transform your child (and you!) into CONFIDENT COMMUNICATORS, yo!

PS: PSLE ORAL EXAM is sooooonnnnnn!
The oral component's weighting is 15% of the whole English paper. Like what Jenn has mentioned in our video, this 15% can get a U grader out of the U grade and an A grader achieve his/her A*!

Getting panicky already? Don't fret.
Just email me at nuraesman@gmail.com to register you and your child!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Limited available slots!

Yo parents/aunties/uncles to your Primary 4, 5 and 6 children/nieces/nephews!
Have you watched this video?
If you haven't, click on the link below.

Now for Reading Aloud,
does your child take note of punctuation...does his/her voice sound different when there are dialogues/speeches?

For Picture Discussion,

is your child able to interpret the picture in a lively manner?


Take for instance this picture:

There could be a number of interpretations for this one.

Which one is wrong?


A girl is sitting alone waiting for the boy to agree to marry her.


The girl is waiting patiently for the groom to arrive.


The boy who is sitting on his mother's lap refuses to participate in this form of pretend play.


The boy would rather play with balls and guns.


The mother is coaxing the boy to marry the girl. After all, it is just pretend play.


The girl will be wearing the pants if she ever gets married to any guy. (My interpretation! :P)

Actually, none of the above is wrong, as long as you can logically explain your answer.

So yeah, Picture Discussion is Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

Ever heard of the D.I.E methods when tackling a picture?

Jennifer and I will gladly share with you the DIE methods during the 2 hour lively workshop.

For Conversation,

does your child avoid eye contact and the only words spewed out of his/her mouth are Yes and No when he/she talks to an unfamiliar person (Eg: Oral Examiner!)


What are you waiting for, peeps?

Our 8 August slot is fully booked!

Jenn and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for trusting us. :)

Together, let's help these kiddos ace their Oral Examinations.

So yeah, we are left with Saturday 7 August Slot. There are limited available slots.

Here, we would like to inform you that priority will be given to the Parent-Child Duo whose 'other half' is in Primary Six since PSLE Oral Examinations is in about 2 weeks' time.

What: ORAL COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP (Suitable for Primary 4, 5 and 6 pupils)

When: 7 AUGUST 2010 (SATURDAY) 2PM-4PM

How (much): Parent+Child = $50

To register, email me at nuraesman@gmail.com/bottoms.uppers@gmail.com!

See you soon!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Oral Communication Workshop




The lady beside me here is none other than Jennifer Ong, who is someone very very dear to me. :) and this picture was taken when we holidayed together at Bangkok where our wallets got pretty much burnt. Hehe.

I've always loved to be engaged in conversations with her because this prettyhead is also one hell of a smartyhead.
She is a a multi- talented lass whose conquests include Art, Drama, Photography , etc.
Yeah, very arty farty la this woman.


Like me, she is also a former teacher.
Of course, I wasted no time in securing her to join forces with me to run The Bottoms Up Club since I have known her to be a very driven person as well as an excellent teacher who exudes a ready wit and enthusiasm. :)
So when we had a meeting a few weeks ago, there were so many light bulb moments and we have decided to focus on just one particular idea we came up with since the PSLE Oral Examinations are coming up.


Jennifer is now an experienced workshop trainer.
I, on the other hand, am comfortable with public speaking considering the appearances I had over at ChannelNewsAsia/ 938Live and also the fact that I have conducted 2 'Be A New Media Parent' Workshops a few months ago.



Again, I would like to mention that these spinoffs would never have happened if it weren't for The Right Spin peeps.
I am eternally grateful to them for giving me opportunities that have enriched me.
Big Huggies to the team.


So, where was I?
Back to the PSLE ORAL EXAMINATION.

The current P6 batch will be sitting for their oral examination on 19 August/20 August 2010.


That's real soon so Jenn and I sat down and decided that we give a crash preparation course to not only these P6 KIDS but to their PARENTS as well on how to ace the ORAL EXAMS!

Sometime ago, I was invited to attend an exclusive hands on workshop session at WowArt Studio (Again, God bless The Right Spin peeps!) and my, was I impressed at the fact that this particular workshop is the kind you go to with your children!
Talk about bonding, having fun and learning together!

Really, we should have more of such workshops where PARENTS AND CHILDREN attend together-gether. Hence, Jenn and I have mutually agreed that the workshops we will be conducting involve BOTH PARENT AND CHILD!
Back when I was in Primary Six, I used to hate it whenever my mom signed me up for workshops.
Think mind mapping kind of workshops!
YAWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
So my mom would happily drop me off at the venue (thinking her daughter here would end up smarter while she savoured her me-time!) and expect me to have fun in a room filled with strangers and dull faces (I suspect those kids also share my sentiment!)
So parents if you're reading this, UH UH, you're not going to sign up your child ALONE for our Oral Communication Workshop! We have decided to rope YOU in as well!
Trust us, it is going to be a super duper fun workshop for adults and children alike.
On the 7th and 8th of August, Jenn and I will be sharing strategies on how your child can ace the oral examination!
Yes, we are now extending our invite to the non-bottoms uppers!

This Oral Workshop is suitable for Parents and Children who are in P4/P5and P6 BUTTTTTTT because the PSLE Oral Examination is nearing and some parents and their P6 kids are in panic mode, priority will be given to the P6 Parent-Child Duo!

So here's the deal peeps.

TITLE: ORAL COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP

DATE: 7th AUGUST/8th AUGUST (choose 1)
TIME: 2pm-4pm

VENUE: To be confirmed.

PRICE: Parent and Child (Duo) :$50
Click here to watch our ad!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g03X977GOSc

To register for our ORAL COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP, please email us either at nuraesman@gmail.com or bottoms.uppers@gmail.com
Share this with your colleagues/khakis/relatives whose children are currently Primary Sixers since their PSLE Oral Exam is nearing.

Registration will close this Friday 30 July 2010.

Let Jenn and I help your child (and you!) be confident communicators and most importantly ace his/her upcoming PSLE Oral Examination in 2 weeks' time!

Cheers!

Saturday, July 24, 2010



The bibik has returned to her homeland last Thursday.
And man, goodbyes are hard. :(
The night before she left, Nyla told me to send her to school early.
She didn't want to go to the airport to see her Bibik off.

Well even though Nyla would be heartbroken to see Apriliyah off, my family and I felt that it is important for Nyla to be present at the airport for that sense of closure.



Nyla was very strong.
When we exchanged teary hugs with Apriliyah, Nyla was trying very hard to control her tears.
I knew she lost it when she told me to carry her and she buried her face in my chest. :(

My Thursdays are usually hectic beause I teach in the evenings and usually Nyla would spend time with Bibik.
Yesterday was an exception.
Seeing my girl sad, my parents and I suggested that a distraction would do Nyla good.

"Shall we go to JB?" asked my dad.
I called each of my tutees/their parents to inform them of the last minute tuition cancellation.
I am very fortunate to be blessed with such understanding children and parents. Thank you for the very kind understanding, mommies. Hugs!
So last Thursday, I cancelled tuition and Nyla skipped school.

And off we zoomed to JB.
My dad brought her to a pet shop where we spent a good 30 minutes admiring at fluffy cats, chipmunks, rabbits and hamsters.






Nyla also suggested buying fish for her Tok Daddy's 'pond' and her grandad bought 20 small fish, much to her delight.


Then yesterday happened to be my buddy, Hanin's off day and being the sweet person she is, she gave both Nyla and I a movie treat at Great World City. Distraction Number 2!
My first time there and thanks to my fellow twiterettes for your assistane when I twitted for help! Hehehe!
Nyla enjoyed Despicable Me very much.
Thanks Hanin! We had a wonderful time.



I also bought Pictureka at Great World City and Nyla and I played together before bedtime. Fun!


Well what are our plans for today?
Uh uh, not staying at home.
The 3 of us will probably head to Marina to catch the NDP rehearsals! :)
Distraction Number 3.
I must say these distractions do me good too because I've never considered Apriliyah as a helper. She has been a wonderful friend to me. You will be missed, April!
So yeah, anyway, have a good weekend bebehs. :)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Nura J the Tailor?



Ok so finally, orders for the toga dresses have come to a close.
Those who have missed the deadline, please don't fret.
I am always a click away.
You may continue to email me to order a toga dress should you have any special functions to attend. :)

But for now, please do let my moms work their magic on the tsunami of orders.
Here, I should also add in another occupation to my portfolio.
I am an assistant tailor.
There is this particular saying,
Give a man a fish, you have fed him for today.
Teach a man to fish, and you have fed him for a lifetime.
This is the thing with my mom.
She is right now giving me sewing lessons.
So far, I'm having a great time.
I've never imagined myself to be one who sits in front of a sewing machine, but yeah looking at the intensive training, I will not be surprised if I take in orders for Togas, Kebayas and Baju Kurungs in the coming years! LOL!
No la, that will never happen hor! I am so kidding! I don't even know how to sew a button! (This part, I ain't kidding!)




It is also nice to see that there are orders from fellow Hijab wearers who are impressed when Sabarina Abdullah hijabified the toga, infusing style and modesty. :)
Since the first launch, there were enquiries from you readers who asked if there would be any chance my bondas could add a sleeve to the current toga dress so that it becomes a long sleeved maxi lycra dress.
Babesies, 2 weeks ago, my mothers took the sugestions seriously and actually sat down together and created that particular long sleeved dress in mind and to my horror, it looked like a FREAKING BUTTERFLY DRESS!


So I told my mothers no way I'm going to de-class the classy togas and we scrapped the idea. :(
We'll think of something alright but for now, we are going niche and will only specialise in Togas.
We have some more beeyoootiiifuuul colours coming up.
Think pale pink and canary yellow!
Cheers ladies!

Monday, July 19, 2010

The Excluzif Toga Maxi Dresses Part 2

After the overwhelming response to The Excluzif Toga Dresses, it seems that you ladies and I share one common rule when it comes to dressing.
Conceal our Flaws.
Complement our Figures.
Hi 5 la!
I,for one, am not not not a fan of tight fitting/figure hugging clothes because I do not have a flat tummy. Thanks ah Nyla!
Usually I'd play cheat and wear a corset just to squeeze and flatten those fats and trick you people into thinking I have a flat tummy. Hehehe! Sorry ah!

Another thing I like about a toga dress is that it channels a feminine vibe.
Very effortlessly chic, tasteful and not in your face kind of sexy.

As promised and mentioned earlier, I would like to present you the second batch of these Excluzif Toga Maxi Dresses!
Enjoy!











Vibrant colours overload or whaaatttt!
Pretty hor?!

Anyway, I've roped in Nyla to label the colours so here goes.
Whatever in " " are her input.

From left:
First Row:
"Dolphin" Grey
"Soldier" Green
"Cool Mentos" Blue

Second Row:
"Chilli" Red
"Peachy" Orange
"Rose" Maroon

Third Row:
"Night" Navy Blue
"Pink Panther"
"Blackie"

There is also one more thing I need to share. My spectrum of readers also include the hijab wearers. I received plenty of emails from my fellow sisters who expressed interest in the toga dress but were rather concerned about that one sleeveless side.
Anyway, I many not be a fashionista but I personally feel that it is all about combinations and hence, cracked my head thinking how to fuse style and modesty together.
I have approached, in my opinion 2 urban muslimahs, who are edgy in combining fashion with their faith.
They are Nursha and Sabarina.
Unfortunately, the past week was quite tough on Nursha and I thought I shouldn't disturb her. Anyway babe, hope you are feeling better and yes, I still want you to model The Excluzif Toga Maxi Dresses! :)
Sabarina, also an avid blogger over at http://rise-to-the-occasion.blogspot.com rocked the togas, much to my mom's delight!
Sabarina, thank you for being part of The Excluzif Toga Dresses photoshoot.
Thank you for taking time off from your hectic schedule to do this. It means alot to us! Definitely not easy juggling school, tuition and an online business at http://simplyscents.multiply.com
Super Sabby indeed! Heheheh!
So my urban and hip muslimahs out there, I would like to present you as well, the Hijabified Excluzif Toga Maxi dresses! Woot Woot!


What Sabarina did was she wore a long sleeved long dress (preferably basic colours like beige, white or black) and then slant her tudung (get the big kind of shawls!) to that 'sleeveless side'! So creative or whaaaatt! :)
CREDITS TIME!
Models: Jenn, Sabarina and I
Make up artist/Creative Direction: Tina (Trasformazione)
Photographer: Jali (RebelPixel Photography)
Location: My heaven on earth.

That's my sista, Tina from Trasformazione. A very experienced and passion driven make up artist, what I absolutely love about her make up is that it is simple and and never overly done. Besides painting faces to make people like me look beautiful, Tina is also always very heavily and readily involved in organising shoots and directing photography sessions. Together with her partner, Lily Adali, they offer various make up services from bridal make over, glam shots, cosplay and special events. So yeah, if you would like awesome Tina to glam you up, do not hesitate to sms/call her for enquiries. Her number is 90300365.
Or you may want to email her at pipah_tina@yahoo.com
She's got her multiply site as well. Feel free to check out http://ystique.multiply.com
The feeling rockstar guy beside Tina is Jali, better known as Jaliboy. I first met him during the Violin Girl photoshoot assignment I had with his RebelPixel team members and we hit it off right away! Hehe! He is definitely a brudder to me already. A very laid back relack jack kinda guy, anyone would feel comfortable with him.

So if you need a gerek and artistic photographer to capture your moments, I strongly recommend Jaliboy and his RebelPixel members whose snapshots can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaliboy and http://www.facebook.com/jaliboy.ruder
The RebelPixel team just did a photoshoot with the gorgeous Azzah Fariha.
I've seen the shots and they are so Boomz! Jali is kind ehough to let me share with you readers 1 picture of the rocker chick. Niceeeeeeee.

And as I scrolled down the behind the scenes shots, I laughed out loud when I saw these lepak giler RebelPixel peeps letting their hair down after work!
Angel Rocker Amran appearing from the sky! Hah! Anyway, this jumping shot looks so effortless one!


Since the photoshoot was done at my home, Nyla was watching with envy as her mommy, Unty Jenn and Kakak Sabarina model. Everytime we changed, she'd go to Unkle Jali and pose for him. Too bad, Unty Tina was busy styling the adults so Nyla tried to be creative and did her own styling combining her pyjamas, shirt and kain telekong. Heheheheh!
Okay ladies, if you are interested in getting The Excluzif Toga Maxi Dresses and would like to place an order, do email me at nuraesman@gmail.com
Tailoring orders of The Excluzif Toga Maxi dresses will close on Wednesday 21 July by 2pm!
Type: The Excluzif Toga Maxi Dress
Material: Lycra
Length (From Top to Bottom): 142cm
Size: Free (Fits S-L)
Price: $65 (includes registered mail)
Available colours are:
"Dolphin" Grey
"Soldier" Green
"Cool Mentos" Blue
"Chilli" Red
"Peachy" Orange
"Rose" Maroon
"Night" Navy Blue
"Pink Panther"
"Blackie"
Nyla, thanks for labelling the colours of the toga dresses, partner!