Retro?

What's New?
Definitely not my kitchen..
Haven't renovated my kitchen yet...since the last time I blogged about my dreams on how I'm gonna design it..
And for the don't know how many times..I've got more ideas!!

Well, It started with a very good friend of mine since university, Mona, bought a new house in my part of the town. She and her husband, Iif, who is also a friend of mine, have been doing some repairing to the house ever since and planning to move in at a couple of these months forward.

So, a couple of days ago, we went to look for drapes and curtains for the house.
We went by the house to put some stuffs first. The house is still being repaired here and there, and some furniture are still scattered around the house.
We came in through the kitchen. That's when I saw that huge teal green refrigerator and the gigantic stove and oven....haa!!! Retro to the core!!!!...
When I was in amazement,  my friend kept on whining of how her mother kept on giving unused furniture from her old house to fill in my friends' house, in the time being.
Mona was so annoyed with my excitement..hahahaha..and she told how even her son complained about the color of the fridge..green..

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When we got to the living room...there it was an enormous 3 seater sofa!!

That's when I started insisting my friend to do Retro as the concept for her house's interior design.
She's got the big ticket furniture that have already shouted  Retro anyway..
The small furniture and other interior elements could just go with the flow and don't have to be so retro.
Probably just go with the color scheme, but with a more simple modern look.
She still thought I'm setting her up with something bad..

When we got to the drapes & curtains shop..
I can't believe that we found this!! hahahaha..
a bright colored floral pattern drapes!!
I kept saying to her that it was a sign...hahahaha..

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Actually, I know that she won't buy the Retro idea..

That's why I kept on laughing out loud whenever I come up with my bizarre ideas and she kept turning that idea around as if I'm telling a big joke.

Mona has been friends with me when we studied Architecture. Her husband too..

I know exactly how her style is. And it's everything else, but Retro.

Mona said she's gonna get rid off of the gigantic furniture gradually when they have enough money to buy furniture for their own.

She knows exactly that I was the one who has always been the experimental type when coming to designing..hahaha..

I've let her know, that I would gladly take those stuff if her mom doesn't want to take them back whenever it's time.

Come On..
How cool will it be..
From doing it totally retro, with the checked flooring, either black and white or better yet red and canary yellow!
With all the metallic lining and back-splash..

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The turquoise or teal green laminated cabinets...

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Or..
make it modern retro..

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Awesoooommmmeee....

My Analysis

I always see it as "analyzing people"

And when I say "people", it means almost everyone..

From a member of a family, an old friend or acquaintances, until someone that I just knew for quite some time, or briefly, even someone that's hanging around just long enough to be analyzed.

But off course the people who are being "analyzed" look at it differently..

Some of them don't care, some don't realize it, but most of them.. get annoyed.. :P

People will see it as being nosy,  

But then, I think there's a big difference between nosy and what I'm doing..

I do it unpretentiously..without any reason at all..

I just find it amazing how different people are..what kind of characteristics that they have, and with their characteristics facing the problems and come up with different solutions for them..

I do this to my family all the time, since forever..
Back when I was still in school,
My objects are my friends, my fellow students and teachers/lecturers..
When I got married,
They are my husband, my new family, my kids..
At the place I work..
Off course, my boss, my colleagues, the clients..

And lately, as a teacher and lecturer, my favorite objects of analyzing are..
You've probably guessed it..My Students!!

It's different though when I analyzed them..
If before I do it unpretentiously,
Now, it's somehow useful because their characteristic really shows up in their work,
How they do their work, how they face and solve problems..
So, it's an advantage to have known them better when 'teaching' them..

Some of the first students that come to my attention are off course the ones with issues..
Them who come late so many times or miss a lot of meetings, always late on submission and come up with poor result..the ones with minimum effort..
Usually, in the beginning I would listen on how their friends think of them..
Have they got problems outside school, with their family, their health, their love life..
Then, when they're around, I would start analyzing..
Some of them, really got potential to be better or even great..
But are just not motivated enough or mistakenly motivated..
Being their lecturer and old enough, I always think that they're repairable..they're all still so young..

On the way, during all the teaching process, I'll get interested in the ones who are in class physically but their mind is wandering everywhere but in class..
Some of them, just needed a wake up call..to be reminded of the reason they're doing what they're doing and the consequences of their action..

The ones that sometimes slip away are the ones that are really good in the beginning and the process,
but then when it comes to the end merely survived..or worst, doesn't survived..
These cases are such a pity..they've been doing so well and getting so close..
These, usually, are technical..managing, prioritizing..

But when I say everyone is under my radar..I mean everyone, each and every one of them..
Even the good ones and the best one..
Curious on how they did it..what did they have to 'sacrifice', what motivated them to have pushed it to that point..

Each and every case then become a lesson for everyone..
To know and understand themselves better..
To do better in the future..
Me, included..

Creatively Done Kids!

My 4 boys are getting bigger and smarter..
But some things just remain the same..
The quarrels, the fights, the teasing..the mocking..
And every time they do any of those or other similar things, I never jump in too fast..
The right parenting reason is to let them try to solve things between them by themselves..
But actually, the fun part is, I noticed that they get more creative in teasing each other..
And I try not to laugh when this happens..

They always when going down or up the stairs, or getting in or out from the car, entering the house,..
Everything that involves queuing, taking turns..they'll fight over it..
I've reached that place where I just don't wanna even hear them fighting about this..
So, whenever it happens..I would just let them take their time..
And then one morning going to school, that usual moment when getting in the car..
The young ones start to fight over getting in the car first,

then kakak said..
Ladies first..
and gave way for them..

Off course, no one then didn't want to get in..hihihihi..
It took time after then, waiting for them to finally get in the car..but it was worth the wait..hahaha..

Going to the mall is still a big challenge for me confronting the twins..
They will still nag for things..toys, books, whatever..
My last reaction is just to ignore them..
It takes time, but eventually they'll stop nagging..
Turns out the older ones are starting to get annoyed,

and they came up with..
Little boy, do you want to buy this toy..
with an exaggerated sweet voice and gesture as if they're talking to a very young little kid..

And off course, the twins don't want to be called little anymore or treated like one..
They'll just stop! Just like that..hahaha..

And these things are contagious..
hahahaha.. Maybe the idea definitely came from the older ones..
But now, every now and then, the young ones will say the same thing to their older brothers..
And that..is even more hilarious..

Save the Best for Last..

The twins are in elementary school this year..
Hard..hard..hard work for me..
After the experience of graduating my eldest from elementary school and Raihan, my second son in 4th grade..
I thought it's gonna be easier..
Nope! Not even close..

It's not about giving them less attention because they're my last kids,
It's about financially, now, with 3 boys in elementary and 1 in junior high school, I just can't afford the luxury of giving them basic courses that I had easily given the older ones
Back then, giving the older boys reading and writing course, English course, Kumon course when they were still in preschool was so taken for granted.
I easily thought, I was just not patient enough to teach them the basics.
So, when Rizqi and Raihan first entered elementary, they were all prepared.
No worries.

But with the twins now,
Without any courses, I've got so many things to do!
OK! the basic of the basic: Reading
I bought that learning how to read in 30 or 40 or 60 something hours books.
And I don't have any ideas, which book is good..
I just run through the books briefly before buying them or checking out the title with the less hours taken to learn..hehehe..
and I also like compare the price..but then because I'm such a graphic person, I look for the ones which are visually good. So long for don't judge the book by its cover..
But then, between the much time taken to pick a book or two, I thought..come on! so what if I didn't buy the best book..It's reading! How difficult can that be? 
Yeah..Now, you tell me...It's breathtakingly difficult..

And I don't want to make excuses, but them being twins has taken difficult to a doubled higher level..
Seriously, I'm not blowing this out of proportion..hehehe..
Well, it's not as easily saying because there are 2 of them..
But these two are twins. Who extremely compete with one another. Extremely.
At first, I taught them together at one time. Wrong first move.
Obviously, one is going to be faster than the other.
Then the slower one, would have just gave up and started acting up.
I literally had to use different books for the two them just because they don't want to be compared with one other.

Owkaayy,
One by one, it is.
That turned out just fine after fighting over who's going first. Not to mention, the one who went second distracting the first one or the other way around, the first one being a smarty pants when it's the second one's turn.

I'm older (by 3 minutes), so I get to go first...Why am I always the last just because I'm younger...
When one of them was in the middle of trying to read something, than the other will give the face..I know! I know!..it's sooo easy..how could you not know this..

I think I was just a bit rusty and went through a bumpy start..Off course..we have to set the rules first!
So, we came up with a fair schedule that includes taking turns, time slot, and no distractions of any kind..

Pffiiuuuhh..One subject covered..

But then, I kept on being behind schedule with the twins..
I knew they had trouble in English, later after they had their school work given back to them..with bad scores..
That was a bit embarrassment for me as an English teacher. Not because they got bad scores but the fact that it pictures how I didn't give them the attention needed.

Not like their older brothers, which I made them going to courses before they even know what they wanted, the twins asked to go to courses..Reading, Kumon, and English..and swimming..and taekwondo..and drums..
So, between trying to keep up with the budget and not to look too stingy in front of the twins :p, I gave them the luxury to go to Kumon course.
At last..everyone's happy!
The twins finally could go to a course..
and I'm the happiest..off the hook!