Park Right

Posted under About town..., Admin's Logs, Being a mom...., Ggggrrrrrr, Issues, Meluat, Pondering..., Stupidomundo!

Image taken from Leo Reynolds via flickr

Earlier during the day, I took Tia shopping over at Tesco’s over in Seberang Jaya. They just opened up a new Tesco there, occupying the space of what used to be Makro. I had been to Makro like twice, once in 1995 and another time late last year, or earlier this year. And you can see how much improvement of the space! The same building, the same location, but boy, a lick of paint could really spruce up things. OK, so they did do more than just paint the building, I give them that. It is a nice place to shop, with nice food court, though they don’t have carrot cake over there. Darn it.

OK, so back to Tesco. Since the opening of this new Tesco, I have yet to cross over to the island to or to the ones in Sungai Petani. That saved me some pretty pennies, I tell ya. You gotta save much considering the price of fuel, you know. OK, I’ll stop.

But anyway, whenever I go to Tesco’s, I would try to park over at Parents and Child/Baby/Toddler parking because it would be easier because I am minding a very rowdy child aka Tia on my own. It would be a challenge trying to find a parking over at these designated bays, especially if I were to go there during the weekends, or during late afternoon, because one would presume that those bays would be taken by parents with tots or young kids during those hours.

One thought wrong. Yes, I know, our mom’s had to cope without designated bays for parents when they raised us, and they had no problems whatsoever. That is not my main concern. My main concern is that the bays were used by thoughtless people. Oh, you know those kind.

Few instances like today. While I strapped Tia in her car seat, a man of undetermined age between 30-40, alone, driving a sedan, probably one of those Japanese models, slowly drive in the parking area, waiting for this car to pull out. Of course, he would have to park inside the parents and children parking bay. Was it raining, that he would want to park closer? It was bright and shiny. Did the parents and child/ren parking bays covered? Yes, so does the other 100 parking bays. Was he handicapped? Of course he was not. He was balding, but I doubt that could be considered a handicap, no?

Another instance of this thoughtlessness couple of weeks ago. A car parked right beside us, at the same location in Seberang Jaya. I was helping Tia out from her car seat, and did not pay them no mind. While walking with Tia to the entrance, the people parked beside me walked out from their car, and rushed inside. I was quite surprised, because not only there were no young kids around, they were not even pregnant, to boot. I would think that pregnant mothers would be entitled to these parking bays, since they would be having some difficulties moving around, etc etc. These two females ( I would not call these two ladies) looks to be around my age or younger, and I doubt that they could not understand English, if they did have any problem understanding Bahasa Malaysia, so what is it so hard for them to understand that those were not parking bays for them? They could be handicapped, as well as the guy that I mentioned before. Mentally handicapped, I would believe.

All was due to the fact that those designated parking bays were closer to the entrance than not. Of course nobody would expect Tesco’s management to police the parking bay, but why even bother when all Tom, Dick and Harry (not forgetting Jane!) could just drive in, no tots in sight, and just park right in? Why can’t Tesco Malaysia make do like what Tesco UK is doing-issuing a sticker for parents with young tots? Young kids under eight would be ok, I would believe. Some took their ten year old and park over at the bay, which I feel would be quite preposterous, don’t you think?

Tesco should do what ASDA is doing. ASDA had, starting this year, fining people who had parked over at these parking bays, and those money were channeled to charities, and not going back to ASDA. Though some question the legality, I think that is such an awesome idea. Read the story here .

Does it make me sound like I feel like I deserved special treatment? I don’t think so. But, I do feel that some people, young or old, should use their head before parking at some areas. They wouldn’t, after all, park at disable bay, now would they?

Do I feel that I am entitled to park there? Well, compared to those two instances, yes, I am definitely entitled for the space. And, I believe those spaces were for parents with tots, so heck yeah, I am entitled for it. Me and other parents with young kids, that is.

Protected: Inconsiderate @sshole.

Posted under Admin's Logs, Issues, Meluat, Mumbling..., Pondering...

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Ramadhan al Kareem

Posted under Admin's Logs, Pondering...

Seemed like yesterday that we boarded the plane back home to celebrate Syawal in 2006. Almost couple of years later, we are here welcoming Ramadhan 1429 in our embrace.

In 2006, we celebrated our first Syawal in Malaysia with little Tia. She was about 22 months old, and still adjusting to our weather. She would sweat if we were to stay inside without air conditioning, and she turned from quite a light skinned little tot into this little brown hoyden. It was so funny watching her squinting in the sun, for we did not have much of it while back in Kent.

Since today is the first day of fasting for Muslim’s around the world, my family and I would like to wish to all our family and friends Selamat Berpuasa and Selamat Menyambut Ramadhan 2008. We would also like to extend our sincerest apologies for all our wrongdoings throughout the year. Semoga Ramadhan kali ini adalah lebih bermakna untuk kita semua, insya Allah.

Bored.

Posted under Admin's Logs, Pondering...

I tentatively planned to go out today to take some photos of some things that would catch my fancy. But, of course, that plan did not materialize. I and Tia slept really late last night, and when I woke up, she was still sleeping. It was not early morning, almost noon when we woke up, and so I decided to let me sleep in some more.

By the time, my husband went out to some work that he had to do. So I stay in bed and watched more movies on Astro Movie Channels. I got bored, so I channel hopped afterwards.

See how boring a sahm’s could be? I don’t work, and I don’t plan to work for the time being, really, but my life is boring. Oh, I know, some working mothers would scoff at my statement above, after all they would really want to stay at home full time and take care of their kids.

Nothing is wrong with that. Mothers who had to send their kids off to the daycare or nursery would wish that they could take care of their kids themselves, especially if the kids were a little bit clingy. I know I would be affected, too, should Tia were to scream whenever I sent her off to school. But, that’s beside the point, and I am going off tangent here.

What I am saying is, I feel like doing things for me. I had spent all these three and a half years taking care of Tia, and I am tired. When she was younger, it was easy. But now, it is really not.

The idea of working is quite scary. I have not worked for the last 4 ½ years. And I wonder what I could do now if I do want to work. I could probably teach. But then I would have to get teacher’s certificate. And that would take around 1-1 ½ years to finish one.

Would I want to do that, though?

I read Literature at school, so naturally one would thought that I would want to be a teacher.
I did that because that was the only thing that I did quite well.

It doesn’t mean that I wanted to be a teacher.

Though there is nothing wrong being a teacher. I have lots of friends who are great teachers.

But I don’t see myself being one.

Great or teach.

So how, eh?

P/S I know some mothers would say that they had been taking care of their kids all these while and not get bored at all. Some would think that I would be a bad mother if I even think of wanting to have some me time. Like I said again, this is what I am feeling right now. I don’t expect anyone to agree, though I know some would not.