Accessorize

Accessorize is in town! KLCC to be exact. No points for guessing whether or not I’ll be making my way there sooon.

Sweet treats for sweetness

the Nu Yorka

Two nights ago I kinda pulled an unnecessary girlfriend-merajuk-for-something-small stunt (cant believe I admitted to that, but hey, I very rarely pull it – so cut me some slack ;p ) and i felt really bad after that, cos the Nu Yorka took every ounce of effort to pujuk me. yes ladies, this one is for keeps!

 from Wondermilk

So to say sorry I pulled a stunt + thank u for pujuking me with every ounce of effort + i luv ya.. I gave the Nu Yorka..

a bag of jelly beans,

4 cupcakes,

a toy soldier and

a postcard scribbled with a luv note…

~simple, sweet, quirky treats

Return

My dearest Nu Yorka parted with his mother last Monday, 11th of May. She had cancer.

Arwah and the Nu Yorka had only returned from Umrah the day before she passed away. She was admitted to the hospital in Mecca in the second week of the trip. But Alhamdulillah she managed to complete her Umrah before that.

Every call and text from the Nu Yorka  got me smiling & anxious at the same time. Pleased to hear from him, but worried about his mother’s condition, and how he was coping.He was the only male in the group and had to manage almost everything from medical to travel arrangements on his own. Their stay in Mecca was extended as his late mother was unable to travel on a flight.

To say he was strong would be an understatement. He was always calm when he spoke to me, and truly handled the situation like a man. Of course he was worried, who wouldnt be when watching your own mother ailing away.. but he always kept a steady head on his shoulders. Not a hint of panic, desperation..when the situation certainly would’ve permitted him to be so.

He managed to bring arwah back to Malaysia that Sunday, which was Mother’s Day. Although she did not have the chance to go home, as she was admitted into the hospital upon arrival, but she did set her eyes on her loved ones one last time before taking her last breath the next morning.

There was a point when I wasnt sure whether the Nu Yorka and his mom were going to be able to come back to Malaysia, and he wasnt sure either. I had already made travel arrangements to go there, as all I wanted to do was to be by their side. If they werent in Saudi but any other country (travel restrictions, mahram requirement etc), I would’ve flown out already.

I told the Nu Yorka..while every son, daughter today is busy whisking their mothers away to a hi-tea or fancy dinner for Mother’s Day, you gave your mother the best give ever..you helped her fulfill her hajat to perform umrah, was by her side constantly with love, affection and prayers and overcame all obstacles and fulfilled her wish to return home.  For me what the Nu Yorka did for his mum beats a Mother’s day card, dinner, tea, spa anytime.

It is never easy to part with a loved one. Time may heal the feeling of loss, but it will never erase the memories that will make you feel rindu. His late mother was a lady that was loved and respected by many. I will fondly remember her everytime I eat durian now, cos there was once when she ajak me masuk rumah and makan durian. May God forgive all her sins, accepts all her ibadah, good deeds, and bless her soul.

Reaching out

Just remembered that I have to submit a budget proposal for a corporate responsibility project my division is working on. It involves setting up learning spaces at orphanages. Fitch, Fairy and I went scouting for orphanages a few weekends ago, but didnt manage to find any that was “in need”. Have to start hunting again soon.

we stopped for cendol at TTDI

Not so in love with my skin right now

This is one of those times when I wished I could go to my boss and say “Boss, look at my face, I’m having breakouts, I dont feel like coming in to work till the visitors on my face decide to ciao”. But of course that shall remain wishful thinking – breakouts dont impede my ability to work..tsk tsk.

I’m having one of the worst breakouts ever.  I sometimes get one or two harmless pimples (that are not so obvious) before the time of the month, but this time around it’s more than two, and very obvious. Causes are:

• its a few days before the time of the month
• i’ve been missing the Nu Yorka
• the weather that has been a bit more panas than usual lately

I hope my face clears out before Thursday – I have to emcee two events, one on Thursday morning,and another on Friday morn. a bit shy la to emcee and face a crowd while spotting unattractive spots on my face. sigh. ok i shouldnt get myself stressed out over this, God forbid another pimple erupts!

Away for Umrah

The Nu Yorka left for Umrah 2 weeks ago, and Insya Allah will be back this Thursday. Needless to say, I miss him terribly. I am excited to hear him spill the details of his experience. The bits that he’s shared with me during calls got me smiling and saying “oh my God” already.

image from www.arabamericannews.com

I know for a fact now that distance does make the heart grow fonder and as jiwang as this Malay saying is, I kinda understand the meaning it invokes “tidur tak lena, mandi tak basah, makan tak kenyang “. Yup, Nadia is missing her boo.

Lama tak Blog

I should just shut this blog down shouldnt i? considering it has been dinosaur years since I last updated it. But i will do no such thing, cos occasionally i do get the urge (yes believe it) to blog. So, blogging will be on my to-do list, actually it has been for a while now, i’ve just not gotten myself down to actually doing it. But I will, i will.

Saturday at the museum

I decided to check out  a photography exhibition at the Islamic Arts Museum last Saturday- The Art of Integration: Islam in Britain. 

The shots were lovely, some very powerful. I wish more were placed on exhibit. A lot of potraiture, natural I suppose for an exhibition on people. There were a few shots of Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) as well.

We went around the entire musem, well actually..almost the entire museum. The reason why we couldnt complete touring the museum was because I was hungry, as in very hungry – made the mistake of leaving home on an empty stomach and thinking I could last till lunch time. I was  just famished.

The New Yorker likes to take his time to look at each and every one of the pieces carefully. Especially the weapons and arms section. I would have done that as well but I was veeryyyy hungry. I think the mere repetition in this post about how hungry I was is testament to the gravity of my need for food that morning haha.

Saturday at the museum wasnt too bad at all. But the next time I go, I will make sure I dont go on an empty stomach. Empty stomach + museum/anywhere for that matter = bad idea ;p

Moving forward

Felt like it was only yesterday that Zoey pulled up in front of my house, with Elsie and Nina in the car, waiting for me to get ready. We were making our way to Aspa’s wedding reception.

at Aspa’s wedding reception 2 years ago

And it also felt like it was only a short while ago that us girls, checked in at Impiana for Wan’s hen nite (I fondly remember the walk down to the pool at 4am, only to find that we couldnt go to the pool at that hour haha…obviously).

Well this year marks Aspa & Azza’s 2nd year anniversary and Wan & Zul’s 1st. We celebrated  Wan & Zul’s 1st anniv in full style and energy two saturdays ago at Sultan. Congratulations to both couples. Babies are part of the plan starting this year. So hopefully, I’ll be proud aunts to very cute little ones soon.

Raju’s for Roti

the kuah tray @ Rajus

Nasha woke me up  this morning with a loud yell ”Kakak nak ikut pergi Raju’s tak, kalau nak, siap sekarang!”. All I could manage to reply was a lazy, sleepy ”hmmmmm…nak” then pulled the comforter over my head, curling into a new position.

I knew Nasha was gonna come yelling again, since I was still in bed ten minutes after the first yell. This time she yelled even louder and yanked my comforter off me “Woi cepat la mandi!”.Yes my sister loves me a lot haha.

So after dragging my ass off the bed, dragged my feet to walk to the car, Mom, Nasha and I made our way to Raju’s. It is the only place I go to for a good piece of roti canai. Dont care about what people say about other places but I’m a loyal Raju’s fan plus they have that nice under-the-trees sitting area outside. For those of you who want to check Raju’s out, it’s next to the La Salle highschool in PJ. Try the sotong goreng as well.

Not Smoking at all at the Smokehouse

Yesterday was me galfren Elsie’s bday. I had to take half day leave cos I had to buy her cake and shop for a gift. Plus I wanted to catch up on some sleep -have been having a few late nights in a row.

Anyway, I got a cake from Just Heavenly..the Death by Chocolate. A dramatic cake which does make you feel like you’ve stared at death’s choclatey eyes..hmmm. But I couldnt find the Havaianas (flip flops) she wanted. So we’ll prolly go out this weekend or sumthg and get em. This post unfortunately is not going to be about the fantabulous time Elsie had and the many pressies she received..but it’s a complaint + review of the place we went for her bday dinner.

Elsie’s bday dinner was at the Smokehouse, along Jalan Maya (at the back of Avenue K).  I think its the same as the one in Cameron HIghlands. Anyway, the dinner went great, cos there was good company, but that was about that – cos everything else when it came to the service at the Smokehouse was poor. Everyone arrived at around 9ish. By this time there was only cordial, plain water and butter on the table. Just butter, no bread. It took a good 45 minutes or so, before the high and mighty bread finally made an appearance. By this time everyone was already pissed, gastric juices were flowing – the New Yorker kept his cool (he, just like me, can get very edgy when hungry), but Tariq gave the manager an earful, after which the starter, and entree landed on our table, and it was almost 11,there you go - dinner turned into supper. And the food was just so-so.

What is MOST IRRITATING about this debacle was, that we had pre-ordered 3 days ago! Admittedly they had many patrons that night, but that shouldnt be an issue, cos we made reservations and pre-ordered, if you place yourself out to be able to hold that many pax in the restaurant, then you should be well staffed to handle the orders. It didnt help either that the waiters werent able to speak English, which made things a tad more difficult, cos everything had to be requested for, from forks, to more black pepper sauce, to proper cutting knives, and we had to confirm our request with the manager, to ensure that we get what we wanted.

All in all, the service was very poor. We were that close to just leave and cancel our orders after the bread and butter. Waiting for bread alone was such an ordeal.I am not sure if this is the case with the Smokehouse every night, but first impressions do have a bearing, and from this first impression, I dont think I’ll be going there again.

not quite Nadia

I am feeling blue today. I wish the flight tix to London werent so expensive and I could fly there and see my brother. Right at this point, I need a dose of his sarcasm & lawak bodoh. Used to take it for granted when he was around (Adik : kakak still repeat your mari lah join Parti – all night long joke k haha). 

I just need to break away for a bit – to go somewhere far, and see a familiar face. If Nasha wasnt having her finals soon, I’d drag her on a trip already. Cant drag Abang cos he’ll be going for a spanking holiday in January (jealous jealous).

This is one of those days when I’m feeling down in the dumps, and I cant quite tell what I can do to make myself feel better. Nadia is just not Nadia today.

They sometimes irritate the crap out of me but i love em. wish I could have all 3 at home..miss those days..a lot.

at Rasta

How do I even begin to describe the atmosphere here. Am at Rasta ( the New Yorker and I was not left with an abundance of choices of places to go for supper in TTDI + we were too lazy to think of alternatives). Back to the atmosphere – there are lots of what to my eyes look like young-lings who are prolly doing 1sy year in uni, and some working adults..most of them flocking Rasta for the match Liverpool vs Arsenal. Its packed to the brim.

I’m waiting for my nasi goreng kampung (not a healthy choice, I know..again a case of too lazy to go thru the menu scouting for a healthier option..not like I’d be spoilt for choices anyway).

Earlier, I was working on Norlin’s photo book for her MIL. It’s a compilation of pics of her kids – that she plans to give to their grandmom for her bday. Her kids are super comel..there were about 190 pics..and I couldnt cut out any..just couldnt.

Anyhoo, am a bit poofed. not in the best mood to blog. Later

Jam

Every morning on my way to work, just before I get to the Batu Tiga toll (I stay in Shah Alam for those who dont know, and work in Mont Kiara), I’d be playing this guessing game – will traffic be bitchy this morning or will traffic be bearable? (note the use of the word bearable instead of “good” – its cos there is no such thing as good traffic on the Federal Highway).

Plus I’m always left in a limbo – option 1: leave for work early and i get stuck in the morning rush hour – work folks and work folks sending kids to school..option 2: leave home slightly later and miss the rush hour, traffic is not as bad, but arrive at work slightly late. I have, on most days opted for option 2. being stuck in traffic can drive me berserk, not a way to start my day wont you agree?

Anyway, I take the Federal Highway – Kerinchi Link route to work, choosing the route cos on a not-so-bad day which I must admit happens on most days – traffic although heavy, moves at an acceptable pace (option 2 above). But the thing i despise about the Notorious Fed (I now name the Federal Highway, Notorious Fed hehe) is that it is soooo unpredictable. The road can get jammed up that it strecthes all the way from Batu Tiga toll to the bus stop along the highway opposite the Guiness factory. Ah before i forget, I beg that someone looks into the issue of this mysterious bus stop. For the love of God, I have absolutely no clue whatsoever as to why, the traffic will move slower than a snail at the brink of death just before the bus stop, but after we pass the bus stop..traffic clears and we’re moving at normal speed..seriously, what is up with that effing bus stop?? or that part of the highway?? its just a bus stop. how can that cause a jam?

Isn’t it enough that the slightest thing can already cause a jam, like:

• a policeman standing by the highway, doing nothing, but standing by his bike. really, all he’s doing is standing,i cant repeat that enough, and he’s causing a jam. Not like he has drool-inducing looks. I swear i have seen this happen on the Notorious Fed one too many times. why?
• hujan renyai causes traffic congestion too! i can understand if its heavy rain, and cars are going much slower than usual cos of the slippery road condition, but hujan renyai? are people driving slower to admire the rain drops?? am i missing something here?
• accidents. this factor needs no explanation. am sure you’ve heard or even said this anytime you’re stuck in an unexpected jam “Sure ada accident ni”..right? ;p i think its the kepochi-ness in people.just need to look, then look a bit more before driving off. First to see how bad was the accident, then want to be pandai and see who was at fault- so peek to see the extent of damage, then if there’s an ambulance, ha here’s where the kepochi-ness gets turned up a notch, and traffic gets worst -you’ll see drivers stretch their necks out to look for bodies or anyone injured. for what? you want to go and help make the police report isit? or you’re gonna park your car and offer some medical help? if no, then move along! 

So as you can see, I am quite disgruntled by the Notorious Fed, and the traffic condition in Malaysia in general. I know i should count myself lucky that i’m not driving in Calcutta, but still, I dont have to be jumping with joy either. 

Tomorrow will be another day, another guessing game. The only thing that keeps me going are good tracks to listen to otw, and breakfast with my lovely colleagues. Ah could I get a pair of wings so that I could fly please?

p/s: my good friend Fitch even suggested setting up a Commission consisting of traffic analysts to solve our traffic woes…see it’s that bad.

the more Apples the merrier

 I currently own 3 members of the Apple family. The Macbook, Shuffle and iTouch. All serving different purposes.

• Macbook as my laptop (duh)
• the Shuffle – for music while at my workstation, while walking alone anywhere, working out at the gym
• the iTouch – for movies, pics and tunes, especially when travelling and there’s waiting involved

Now I’m considering to expand the family and introduce another member, the Nano-Chromatic. I am just hooked on the colors  esp purple (my fav color) and yellow. I actually kinda like yellow more than purple. But have to view it upclose first to decide.

 

Guess I’ll have to accept it if anyone wants to call me an Apple-snob or brat huh ;p what to do, they’re irresistable!

Face Lift for my Bold

My Blackberry suffered from a nasty fall last weekend, on Saturday to be precise. Slipped from my hand and fell! Had it not been for the New Yorker who was standing by me when the tragedy happened, i would’ve curled myself up into a ball, held my blackberry close and weeped (exaggeration intended for dramatic effect). Note:  I hate it when i drop my gadgets,especially my phone.

The New Yorker was very quick to grab me, and console me.. “oh the scratch is not that obvious”. Obviously lying to my face,to make me feel better, but it was a lie that I adore him to bits for My Blackberry was just not the same anymore, now that it spotted 3 hideous hideous scratches. I immediately ping-ed Glam (Imran – Glam is his nickname) my good friend, ex collegue, fellow Blackberry owner and asked him whether i could replace the housing. I was fidgeting while waiting for his reply. Anxious. And when Glam replied “of course can”, it felt like I just got a new life line haha.

See the thing with using a Blackberry, well at least in Malaysia is, Blackberry owners in Malaysia are not spoiled with accessories like Nokia and other phone users are. There are plenty of shops selling everything from batteries, skins, pouches etc. But with a Blackberry, you’ll need to purchase the stuff online. So i went to the official Blackberry site – and to my dismay the housing for the Blackberry Bold was not available.So i decided to get a Merlot skin (red) for my Blackberry, well they had safer colors like black, white, blue..snore bore..the Merlot caught my attention.Red but not too red. So I made the purchase and it arrived as promised within 5 business days, 2 days ago. I fitted it on and absolutely love the look! PLUS, it hid the scratches! Nasha liked it as well, so much that she was considering selling off her E71 for a Bold haha

Nasha caught my Crackberry moment – while driving sumore tsk tsk..oh yea check out the brand new skin

See what a Crackberry I am, a whole post just on my Blackberry. Well here’s to the new look!

Zoey’s Gorjes

It’s another installment for Gorjes – Zoey’s back with loads of new pieces. Background: Gorjes is the new clothing collection that Zoey started early this year. She doesnt design nor make the clothes herself, but she relies on her fine and avant garde taste in fashion to sniff out good designs and items for us to purchase!

So, I went to her place last Fri nite for first dips of Gorjes’s latest installment. The girls (Sherean and Lynda) and I stripped clothes  of and on like we were at the backstage of a Milan Fashion show! I loved most of what I put on, actually almost all of what I put on. By the minute my pile of things-Naddy-is-buying got bigger and bigger. I walked out of the house with a whooping hundreds on my tab, but I must say, it was worth the amount.

Spotted..Zoey on hippie mode.

The New Yorker of course gave me that “You did not just spend RMxxx amount, did you?” look + question, and I sheepishly nod, bat my eyelids a lil, hoping my deer caught in the headlights look will save me. But he’s alright, so long as I can justify my purchase. Which I did, showed him one of the pieces I got, which he liked a lot (weee!)..and I convinced him that all the other pieces were equally as nice..and I told him I wont be purchasing anything for the next 4, 3 months *grin* the New Yorker obviously did not fall for my shopping-celibacy vow haha. 

Anyway,Gorjes made its debut @ Threadszoo at Capsquare last Saturday and Sunday. Happy Hippyz fair! The New Yorker and I made our way there after running some errands,to memeriahkan suasana at Zoey’s booth. The place was meriah all right. I told the New Yorker, that it almost felt like a mini Woodstock was happening…mini only, not the real deal.

We finished at Capsquare around 8ish – with impressive sales made on the first day! woohoo. Helped Zoey pack up. Farah sold home-made pies too- sedap. Very entrepreneurial these people ;p Once done,  Zoey, her beau Epool, the New Yorker and I made our way to Alexis for dins.

I must say I am extremely proud of Zoey – hats off! To check out Gorjes, visit their blogsite (still new, the latest pieces are not up yet, but will be soon) www.gorjesme.blogspot.com

a night at Betel Box

Earlier this year, I had a wedding photog assignment in Singapore. I was in charge of getting cheap accos for the other fellow photogs, and upon googling I stumbled upon this cosy backpackers hostel – Betel Box I was attracted to the pics of the communal area. Before making a booking, I was pretty sceptical as to whether the place would really be as cosy as it looked in the pics. I was happy to find upon arriving there, that it was. the beds were so-so la. Bathroom too. but if all you need is a place to sleep, shower, grab quick light meals, AND meet interesting travellers..then Betel Box is the place for you.

I still remember, waking up in d morning, after washing my face, brushing my teeth, made my way in my jams to the communal area and had breakfast. Coffee and tea is free flowing, local fruits as well. They have toast, jam etc etc, all on the house, or rather..fitted in with your bed-price.

ahh wouldnt mind a short getaway to Singapore, and staying a night at the Betel Box.

*Pics are from www.betelbox.com

1st at Toastmasters

 

*a pic I took of a speaker at Speakers Corner, Hyde Park, London*

Below is the script (which I didnt really follow in the end) of the first and last speech (malas to go for the meetings after that) that I delivered at the SC Toastmaster Club meet up some 2 years plus ago. The first speech any member delivers is called the Ice Breaker (for obvious reasons).

Anyway, tot I’d post this up, cos i am not really in the mood to compose anything at d mo, but have this compelling need to feed my blog.

Please bear in mind, that this script was for verbal delivery, so some of the sentences sound better when you hear it, rather than read it. The title of my speech was “If Only”. 5 minutes speech. I think somewhere in the middle of the speech, I actually said “Mr Speaker” haha, a habit I pixcked up after years of debating.

 If Only

• Madam Toastmaster

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

• I don’t intend to deliver a resume like speech; I tell you where I was born, my alma maters, and what’s my favorite pass time. For me the best way to get to know someone is by getting a little personal. So I’d like to share two of my most valuable experiences growing up, as well as some of my thoughts about this rat race. A little touch of the past and future.

 

• When I was 9 years old, at the time I attended the Bukit Bintang Girls School. A fabulous school! It was located opposite the Star Hill Shopping Center, a very strategic location (I know) for a school. They tore the building down a few years ago.

 

• But that’s not the story. When I was 9, my dad got me started on essay writing. He bought me a huge writing pad. The highlight of this essay writing exercise was the title of the essays I was requested, wait instructed to write. It wasn’t the typical-9-year-old essay topics, my favorite teacher, my pet, where did I go on my last family holiday. The titles my dad chose were far from typical. I got titles like, matchbox, wallpaper, towel, soap, and chair. The first thing I said to my Dad was “write about towels? What is there to write about? A towel is just that, a towel” And he wanted it to be two pages long, mind you that it was a huge writing pad.

 

• So I wrote essay after essay, cracked my little head, tried to find ideas to fill those two pages. When I got older I realized what my dad was trying to do. He wanted me to think out of the box. It wasn’t enough to write that towels came in different shapes and sizes. I had to use my creativity, stretch my thoughts. And this I felt was the best mental exercise that my dad taught me. I find myself being able to be multidimensional in my thought process (at least I hope I am).

 

• When I have children I’ll buy them a huge writing pad too and the first title for their essay will be, you guessed it right, towel.

 

• Just before we get to the present day, lets stop at 1996, when I was fifteen, I joined a theatre group called Five Arts, similar to the likes of the Actors Studio and Instant Café, I considered myself very “arty-farty” then.

 

• My mother made sure I attended every rehearsal and performed my best for every workshop or play. I was exposed to everything from puppetry skills to classical dance. It was extremely exciting! One of my most memorable plays was when I performed a play entitled “The Sky Is Falling Down” at the 1996 ASEAN Wetlands Convention. One of the reasons why it was memorable was because my costume was my primary school uniform, I was fifteen, and so the skirt was ultra short! The experience I had was amazing! Plus I got to whisper into the ear of the then Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir, it was part of the play. Had to run down from the stage and ask him “Have you seen my brother?” Proud moment there.

 

• There’s a popular saying that a child is like a plain white cloth. I agree with that saying. One of the few strokes of colors that you get on that piece of cloth will be from your parents and your environment. My parents always took the opportunity or made it a point to make sure that I got more than what the curricular activities after school could offer, some exposure to art, creative thinking, which has really influenced me, I love antiques, catch a play or two when I have the time, absolutely love the Balinese Gamelan, and I have a Degree in Economics. So my cloth has the black and white, basic primary colors as well as lime green, fuchsia, and greenish blue! With one’s personality, having a lot of colors is not tacky.

 

• Having said that, I guess you must be wondering as to why I picked the title “if only”. This is where I’d like to share some of my thoughts on the future and life generally. This is the first meeting of the year. So I’m in the mood for some talk on New Year resolutions. Well the phrase “if only” stinks of regret. At least in my opinion. I have a few if only’s : If only I spent more time studying I would have graduated with better results, If only I drank more milk, I would have probably been taller, If only I spent less on shoes I could buy more bags.

 

• I think the best way to move forward and face this rat race is to make sure that everyday you don’t create an “If only” for the future. To work hard and strive to be the best at what you do, spend as much time as you can with your children or parents, eat right and lead a healthy lifestyle so that on one not-so-fine day you won’t find yourself waking up and saying “If only I stopped smoking earlier I probably wouldnt have contracted lung cancer”. Of course we can’t run away from regrets but I think it’s quite possible to minimize them.

 I think my time is about up..

 

• So far this year I don’t think I’ve created any “if only”s…ladies and gentlemen have you?

 

 

do you like what you see

I was looking through some old shots that I took, and I had a wild thought running in my head while I was looking at the shot I took below..

What if you dont like what you see outside the window. Do you seal the window permanently, or do you open the window, and look out anyway and learn to like what you see?

What if it’s impossible to like the view, do you force yourself anyway, or do you just move and look out a different window? Perhaps you might also consider changing that “eyesore” into something more pleasant that you can look at, but is that possible if that something is a permanent structure that you cant change? If its something permanent..then what can you do?

*this was taken while I was on a day trip to Malacca with Nina & Lya*

Notice the pic, the window on the left, looks like its still intact and can still be opened, while the one on the right, is sealed close..not too good a view perhaps? or maybe just broken and due for a fix.

Cappuccino in hand, New Yorker by my side

 

*another entry in the special box*

It was drizzling. Night. From where we sat at Espressamente,Pavillion, we could feel the slight chill from the cafe’s air conditioning and also the natural cool weather thanks to the rain. I told the New Yorker that the whole atmosphere..slight hint of fume in the air..chilly weather,lights from the street, cars lined in traffic, smell of coffee..reminded me of London. Diana Krall’s rendition of Besame Mucho was playing. Felt like we were on foreign land, but still at home. We were sitting,sharing a slice of apple crumble, me and my Cappuccino Vienesse, him and his chocolatey drink (forgot what its called), the New Yorker is not fond of coffee..very not New Yorker-ish but he’s my New Yorker anyway ;p We were talking, laughing over things, simple things. Every now and then just grinning at each other..it was like time stood still. May have been like a scene from a romantic movie, but it was just that perfect. I really couldn’t have asked for a more perfect ending to an already perfect weekend.

back home

Mum and Dad will be arriving from London tomorrow woohoo! gosh I’ve really missed them. this time it feels macam sooo lama they’ve been away, Nasha told me she felt the same way too. It’s not like they’ve not been away before, they have, several times, but we miss em anyway. Now, baru I’m a bit more semangat to Raya

Charm Bracelets..a must have

Charms by Tiffany & Co 

by Juicy Couture

Was browsing through a good fren, Syaheeda’s blog, the Stylemonger (whom I more fondly call Poshy, thanks to her 80 inch stilettos and Posh Beckham walk) and stumbled upon her post on charm bracelets. It reminded me of my quest at one time to find a charm bracelet for me-self.

I was looking for something simple, cant be silver cos I’m allergic to silver (my skin will get itchy), daily wear, nothing OTT. Single charm, or two will do. I was tempted to splurge on one from Tiffany & Co. but dont remember why i didnt. It’s a fantastic piece of jewellery, charm bracelets, cos it can have such character (according to the charms you select) and it’s a statement about you. All of the charms in the pic above carries a different meaning, but all dependant on the wearer’s interpretation.

Ahh Poshy, one of these days you might just have to accompany me go shopping for one.. Btw am using the same pics Poshy used for her post, am a tad too lazy to drag my mouse and look for new images. why reinvent the wheel they say ;p

the significant other

Below is an excerpt from Pugly’s post aptly titled Signs of Significance…i loved the post, and I found myself, nodding in agreement, smiling cos Pugly was spot on with the tell-tale signs. I am sure you would be too, when you go through the list.

Well I found someone who sent out such signals..thrilled that he did,thriled that I caught the signals  Here’s to you New Yorker!

Based on my personal experience, some of my friends’ experiences, and some of the answers I have received from my male friends (yes, I, too, have obsessed over the same question once), if a guy does 3 or more of the following (or, even better, all of the following), you have basically got him where you want him (guys, please feel free to challenge any of them or add on some tips of your own):

1. He teases you. A lot. About anything and everything. Especially if he doesn’t normally do it to other women. New Yorker teases alright haha, the good thing is his teasing is not the bloody-hell-you’re irritating-get-out-of-my-face, kinda teasing.
   
2. You catch him looking at you secretly sometimes, especially when he thinks you don’t notice. i’m so blur, so even if he was, i wouldnt perasan haha
3. He willingly flirts back when you flirt with him.yup yup
   
4. He shows interest in your affairs and your friends.yes he does.
   
5. You find out that he’s been talking to some of his mates about you, especially his close mates.well some of his close mates are my close mates too, and yes he did. and as u can imagine, since we share the same friends, keeping things under the lid was a bit difficult, although we did manage to keep it on the down low and our mates didnt suspect a thing until our big “come out” ;p
   
6. He doesn’t flinch when you move into his ‘personal space’, in fact, you’ll find that he rather welcomes it and attempts to get into your personal space more often. giggles :-) giggles
   
7. He remembers the details – for example, seemingly-insignificant snippets of personal information that crop up in past correspondences that you don’t even remember yourself.
8. He finds every opportunity to speak to you/spend some time with you. This is perhaps the most obvious and straightforward signal. If a guy enjoys your company so much that he actually makes the effort, chances are he is interested in you. yup.well travelling all the way to shah alam…given that he’s staying all the way on the other end..is testimony. well i’ve travelled to his end of the world too. so yea, I enjoy enjoy enjoy enjoy his company, that phone calls can last for hours, meet-ups are filled with giggles and more..
   
9. He asks around about you, in an effort to indirectly find out more about you. New Yorker did you do this? I think you did haha. I did, after we went out..(remember, mutual friends)
   
10. He actually listens to you – your suggestions, your complaints, etc – and takes heed.Havent complained bout him, so far there’s nothing to complain about New Yorker: dont give me things to complain about ok haha
    
11. His body language. When he is talking to you or when you are talking to him, his whole body is inclined towards yours, like it is paying full attention to your presence. If he has his back towards you when you call him, he will reposition himself to face you fully as you approach him. I feel that I get every ounce of his attention whenever i am ranting  on and on about silly nonsensical stuff, or anything at all for that matter..gosh I am his “Squawk Box” (you know CNBC). he is a bag full of thoughts and opinions..and I absolutely love that about him.
12. The way he looks at you. I can’t explain how exactly, but normally, you would be able to tell just by looking into those eyes when you’re talking to him. The eyes are the windows to the soul, after all. Pugly is right, you cant really explain it…but let me tell you..I feel like a helium balloon everytime…that swept of my feet, floating feeling..(as sickly romantic as that is,its true )

To read the entire post, click on the link below:

http://pugly.blogspot.com/2008/01/signs-of-significance.html

High on Info

I was at home this afternoon..on MC, nursing my sore throat and running nose. Thought I’d nap, but I was in for a treat. Information treat!

I turned on the TV and surfed according to the usual order..511 for CNN, followed by BBC..got stuck there. There was a live broadcast of the press conference at 10 Downing Street, by PM Gordon Brown and Chancellor Allistair Darling on UK’s rescue package for UK banks. So I tuned in to BBC. Then I remembered that the US presidential candidates had the second round of debates..I found the video on wait was it CNN or BBC’s website..dont remember..waited for the buffering thingy..and caught Obama and McCain in action.

All this while listening to Mr Brown explaining the game plan for UK’s economy. Also news on how markets are doing, most markets dropped today. Then later, on Squawk Box (CNBC), they had Joseph Stiglitz as a panelist – made my day. So TV on CNN/BBC/CNBC…laptop watching the debate.

I had hours of just latest news, commentaries on the market, forecasts…it was exciting. These are exciting times indeed, I cant wait for Dad to get back…am quite sure he has his thoughts on all this. I do too, but since its 230am I’m not gonna detail them out here. 

Let’s see what’s in store tomorrow.

When you least expect it

I am very happy right now. I’ve been happy..but am happier. It shows doesnt it haha..happier! Its always the unexpected things that surprises you..it certainly surprised me. Things I never expected would happen, happened.  

Was talking to a friend tonight, who told me “God has greater plans for me” ..this was in relation to a conversation we were having as to his state of bachelorhood. And I believe in that – God certainly has plans for us and I am certain He knows what’s best. I am delighted with the “plan” for Nadia right now. I dont know if this plan is permanent, if there are going to be changes, but I will so surely, as surely as there will be sun after rain, give this part of the plan my best.

Why am I being vague? well cos it’s not time to spill the beans just yet. when will i spill the beans? well just watch this space

Skittles..one of my fav candies when I was a kid, Dad used to buy packets for us almost everyday (I’m surprised we still have good teeth). These colorful sweet treats made me happy too! ;p

7th October 2009

 

 

this date will be cherished always…

Flu Bug dropping a visit..hope not!

I feel like I’m coming down with something (God forbid I actually do). I have the following symptoms..which are the famous first few signs that the flu bug will be paying you a visit

1. telan air liur sakit thingy (I hate this the most, cos it hurts to swallow anything..saliva pun sakit)

• sniffles (Kleenex my trusted companion? yes)
• endless sneezing ( I dont bother saying “excuse me” anymore after the 3rd sneeze)

Possible origin of the bug – my dear sister Nasha, who’s feeling better now. Abang is down with fever and flu. Yea la, must be Nasha haha.

Oh dear just when I’m on full speed mode at work, am feeling under the weather. sigh sigh. go away flu bug!

*illustration from www.homeoptah.org

random stuff at 1am on a monday morning

 

1. The presentation slides due this week…eek! have got to start cracking on it
2. John Legend’s PDA “We dont care” song 
3. Thoughts on whether am wasting my time…
4. above: a pic of Nasha, after stepping out of EAT…good healthy food!…saje je. felt like uploading a pic. this is a vertical shot, dont know why it turned horizontal when I uploaded it. and its a full shot – dont  know why also, pic is cropped that what is visible is only a part of her face..ah beats me.
5. hating the break outs on my face…no thanks to the kuah kacang i happily helped myself to during raya
6. eager to hear the sound of the coffee machine tomorrow morning
7. New Yorker

As we welcome Syawal

 Mama’s tarts

So another Ramadhan has passed. I will miss the walks to the mosque. when I would contemplate on my doings,silently pray for blessings, and pray beside my beloved mother. priceless.The reasons why I love Ramadhan more than Syawal and why I will miss it. I pray that I will get the chance to see Ramadhan again.

At this point, I am also thinking about loved ones who are away..

Raihan in Australia *** wish she was back for Raya. It’s Laila’s first Raya and would’ve been nice to have them around. She’ll be back in November. At the the rate that time flies these days, November will be here in a jiffy. Am so happy for Raihan, that she has found a wonderful life partner in Andrew. I still remembered how “sejuk my hati” was when I saw Andrew become imam for jemaah Asr with Raihan. He also catches terawikh prayers. He is my new brother in Islam,and has embraced the religion so beautifully. On top of that, he is an open minded, well read, charming guy. Nice!

Uncle Man in the States *** it’s been ages since Uncle Man was back for Raya, or even back here for a visit. Nenek misses him dearly. so do all of us. The last I met him was in 2003, when I was there. I hope he is well, and wish he would come back soon. I bet Nenek still in her heart hopes for him to do his usual “sneak in through the back door surprise visit”. Dont tell anyone except for whoever it is he wants to help pick him up at the airport and coordinate the surprise that he’s coming back. then sneak in and give us that loud American hello with that Colgate smile of his. It’s not just Nenek who still hopes.. I do too, every year.

Mama, Abah and Adik in London *** the first Raya that the family is not together. It is a both sad & joyous occasion. It is sad cos we miss each other and miss being together for Raya. but it is also joyous cos it marks a natural progression forward for our family. though we love the times we spend together, it is only natural that each of us will eventually pursue and tread on our own paths, but at all times not forgetting where we started, where home is. Adik is furthering his studies, experiencing new things, maturing his thoughts..that’s just wonderful.

I am thankful for the loved ones that are close to home, just came back from Opah’s house, and will be at Nenek’s bright and early tomorrow morning. And thankful for my most dearest friends, some who are like sisters and brothers to me.

To all who are far and near, Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir Batin. May we leave Ramadhan taking the best of what we were during that holy month and keeping it alive always, and may this Syawal bring all of us much joy and happiness.

Fuchsia & Taupe

Mrs Foo visits Martha Stewart’s site regularly. You’ve gotta give it to her, Martha Stewart knows her stuff. She really does. Well.. on one of Mrs Foo’s visits, she stumbled upon this color combi for a wedding and called out to me “Pucci, found a nice color combi for you”. She like my parents are very eager to hear my wedding bells or kompangs (for something closer to home). And yes she calls me Pucci ( amongst other things). Pucci after Emilio Pucci. ok nevermind ;p

Anyway, I loved the colors. Fuchsia and taupe! Taupe is the brownish color. Can already imagine an elegant taupe kebaya or baju kurung with soft fuchsia details or a taupe baju melayu…yes yes visions and imaginations for when and if the day comes ;)

 

chair details – absolutely lovely. still maintains the fuchsia and taupe combi. adore the chairs too.

 

right down to the drinks and napkins. the napkins are personalised.

 

the choices for flowers

 

seating cards. i think the design makes for a pretty inivitation card too.

pics are from www.marthastewart.com

that sticky situation

Break ups – most of us have gone thru them. some take it badly, some just breeze thru the process and bump out with another around their arms. There’s another very common situtation – when one party refuses to accept the break up and is trying their hardest to win his or her ex over..

Wat are the rules of engagement for this situation?

1. Are you allowed to still be in touch, stay in talking terms? Yes. Provided that both of you are over each other, ready to move on. if one wants to leave while the other is still begging to make-up, then no need la (this is if breaking up is the best thing for the both of you). it will just complicate things if both parties stay in talking terms -one trying to be diplomatic and casual, the other taking every chance to reminisce and rekindle past moments in hopes of igniting wat is already lost.
2. Stalk your ex? That’s a big obese fat NO!!. it is scary and will just flush whatever small bit of chance you “think” you have to patch things up down that Johnson Suisse toilet bowl!. So please, accept the break up, move on and DON’T be a stalker.
3. Pestering your ex to explain again & again the reason for the break-up? If the other party has explained him/herself as to the reasons for the break-up, then accept it, argue it out if you want to, but just there and then, dont keep bringing it up-sending emails, texts, or force every call to dwindle into the subject. if someone wants out- that’s just it, she wants out. no two way about it.
4. What if the reason for the break-up was because your partner cheated on you, then are you allowed to open your closet of weapons and turn his/her life into a living hell?  Yes, I guess. but only if you yourself have been loyal, truthful. If you pun have cheated on your partner in the past-then i say “what goes around comes around”. Scary isnt it – but yea. Cheating on your partner is the worst thing you could do – the scar and damage is permanent. it is the toughest thing to rebuild the trust.
5. Try your extreme best to impress your ex in hopes of getting her back? This would work if the only thing your ex was looking for is a hot car, hot property and hard cash. Cos then probably, working your ass off to get all of the above, wud get her in your arms again, but if the issues that led her to break up with u are huge- something she cant budge on, then dont waste your time and hers. just move on. impress someone else.
6. Jump up and down just to get her attention? No need! Cos yea. she’ll notice you but that’s about it. just like she’d notice someone walking in front of her.

It is harder said than done to just move on, but pestering, and pushing for things to “get back to the way they were” is just going to make things worst. instead of being able to be friends, your ex might just shut you out completely. the sky will be clearer after a while, let things run its course and dont force it. only my 2 cents.

It’s out & I want it!

Half way through Ramadhan

I would love to think that most people take the chance to truly appreciate Ramadhan, the holy month which has so much beauty and bounties awaiting those who are in the know. But unfortunately much to my dismay there are many who treat it with an “oh its just fasting month” attitude. Dismissal.

The much that they would do is to abstain from eating and drinking- which is hardly the essence of Ramadhan. Abstaining from eating, drinking, sex.. is the physical aspect of it, but where the gist of the month lies is in the spiritual gain.

I used to treat Ramadhan as a month where I’d just be fasting, then..I didnt have the same appreciation I do now. These days, I find myself making it a point to go for Terawikh when I can, able to be more khusyu’ during prayers, and recite the Quran more than I usually do. I am no “holy chick” but I try to be a good Muslimah. I am not without desires, hell I cave in to my desires more than I’d like to.

It would be a complete waste if any Muslim allows Ramadhan to just pass..without appreciating what it brings. Not once attending Terawikh, reciting the Quran, thinking about ones deeds. Well it is not too late, there is a week and a half left, and the last nights of Ramadhan hold its own secrets.

I am proud to say that I am pleased with my Ramadhan this year, i have so far made it better than the last. Have you?

Aspa & Azza @ Pak Li’s

I met Aspa for drinks/moreh last Monday. We’ve not met up for about 2 months, despite living so near each other (but driving to Klang is hell, cos traffic is such a b*tch). It was wonderful catching up..loads of updates to share. Dont remember how, but the conversation developed into a ”Aspa sharing with Naddy the 101 of marriage life” session. Aspa shared tons, from the endless bliss that she and Azza are enjoying to their agreed arrangements on finances (of course without spilling the private details). I listened attentively..of course la, valuable pieces of information here haha. We were at Pak Li’s from 8:30 – 1:00am.

Azza joined us later. The only thing Azza had to do to start the talk on health, working out, and other health related matters was the opening question..”so Naddy how are your lunges?” and me confessing that I’ve not been doing that many sets of lunges of late tsk tsk

For background information : Azza is a senior personal trainer with True Fitness. Am going to enroll for some personal training sessions beginning next month. He showed some pics of clients that went from skin and bones to hot and yummy in just 1.5 months! ;p that just sealed the deal for me haha.

It was fantastic catching up with Aspa and Azza. One of these days am gonna pay Castro (the cat Azza and Aspa adopted from me, and yup i named the little feline, Castro ;p) who is now super gemuk a visit, and Aspa said she’ll make her signature nasi lemak for iftar.

Mango Sunday

I was up early one Sunday morning, it was about 9:00am. walked around the house, couldnt find my parents, they were out obviously. I was fasting so I didnt bother checking out the fridge and kitchen table for breakfast. looked out the kitchen window and saw that our mango tree had menggugurkan some mangoes. Since the tree bore fruits- we’ve had endless supply of mangoes every day. Anyway, I wanted to pick the mangoes up before the tupai & family, bird & family eat all of them up. dont worry I left ample for them. then i thought maybe i’d pick up my camera and get some shots of the mangoes. nice bright yellow mangoes. so here are some shots.

titled this pic lonely mango. used the pebbles to provide contrast and clean background to accentuate the color of the mango.

had to allow this mosquito to suck the blood out of me just so that i could get this shot.

two ants on the pebbles

under the tap..wish i had clearer droplets though

What’s in store for Raya

This Raya will be a so-so affair, since my brother & parents will be in London. Folks are leaving on the 27th of Sept, yup just a few days before Raya, so only Nasha, Abang and I will be at home. Maybe that explains why I have not put much thought into what I’m going to wear for Raya – not like I’ve ever been that big on baju raya to begin with.

Mum & Dad have already started on the Raya prep, changing the curtain etc. The thing about our home that i love is that it doesnt require some big “Raya cleaning up” session. I know some houses that need to do an entire clean sweep of dust and old junk before Raya. but not at our home so we’re spared from rolling up our sleeves, and stacking bags upon bags of rubbish outside the house.

Adik is away so I’m guessing we wont be placing pelitas in the garden, he’s the tukang pelita at home..but hey, in true Adik style and tradition, we should! cos I bet Adik will ask “so dah pasang pelita?” . But we’ve had a pretty wet weather of late, not sure if pelitas will last the night.

Anyway, I hope I’ll still have an excellent Raya this year.

Hello Laila

Text received from Raihan yesterday:

Hey babe! You’re an aunt! I gave birth yesterday and was in labour for 37 hours. My Laila looks more like Andrew than me. She weighs 3kg and to me she is beautiful. Miss you.

Congrats congrats! Can’t wait to see Laila. She has a cool birthdate eh..060608 ;p

Dude and the Duchess

Was out for lunch with Nikky just now @ Delicious in BVII. After lunch we checked out Dude and the Duchess (in between Puma and Fat Face). We loved it! I was already in love with the entrance;black thick frames. the interior was simply Boho (like!); tall mirrors, very lovely art pieces around, the first few things that caught my attention actually (tempted to ask where they got em from, dont mind having one in my bedroom or future home ;p) a four poster bed in the mid of the boutique, bath/shower inspired changing rooms..loving!

The pieces they had on the racks were not bad at all. Mostly light material, simple yet with character, nothing OTT. And it’s by a local designer, Richard Tsen (clap clap) I must say that I will definitely come back for work pieces and  non-work wear as well. I did make a purchase just now cos I just couldnt resist; a polka dot number. I think I might go back and get another piece, the one in the pic below, extreme right, the brown linen with the pixie collar (nice eh). And the packaging..no not just some simple paper bag k..nvmd go make a purchase and see for yourself Am a sucker for packaging.

Didnt take any pics just now, pics are from Tongue in Chic

Saturday in Bandung

-Part 2-

Got up at 630am – only 1.5 hours of sleep. Was told that it’s important that we leave early, cos the traffic during the weekends in Bandung is cra-zy! No thanks to Jakarta folks who flock the town for leisure.

Traffic was definitely crazy. But it allowed me to observe the surroundings and take some shots from the car; the entrepeneurial Indonesians who would go from one vehicle to another at traffic light stops – selling everything from candy, ciggaretes (which I think is the most fast selling item), newspapers, mags, to mineral water. The streets are lined with the stall-on-wheels selling Bakso and the like. I’m left wondering..there are so many sellers – but dont see that many people buying..hmmm not a perfect market.

We arrived at the hotel @830am. Fareez was waiting at the lobby.

We then walked for about 20 mins to the venue for the workshop;Institute of Techonolgy Bandung. Very beautiful + green campus. I didnt realise we were entering campus grounds, cos the entrance looked more like an entrance to a botanical park or sumthng. Saw some eye candies playing basketball ;p and a bunch of other students making their way around.

The workshop was held in an old school lecture hall, with wooden seats + flaps, and chalkboards!ye papan hitam… brings back memories.

We ran the debaters workshop on Sat -theory and tactis in the morning, then after lunch we had a debate. Guess what i had for lunch? the original ayam penyet ;p

Best part about going for debate tournies, or workshops such as this one; is meeting new people.  Had the opportunity of nongkrong-ing with (hanging out with) Minerva,Lauren, Pandu, Nik, Alpha, Freida, Miranda..extremely friendly, fun and hospitable group of people.

For dinner, we went to this joint at Cumberlueit..if i recall the name correctly; it was raining, so it took us quite a while to get there- traffic was annoying. Poor Pandu and Nik had to wait quite a while for us to get there, they reached the place earlier, cos they went on the motorbike.

Ok this is the part where I indulge by sharing a compliment thrown at me. Once in a while, takpe haha. Pandu and the gang are aware that i’ve graduated and  am currently working, so they knew I cant possibly be 19, but when he guessed my age, he tot I was a 1985 baby!yeay.that obviously got me smiling from ear to ear. of course la, that’s 4 years off my actual age. goodie. it’s not that I hate aging or anything. heck i cant run away frm it, but it’s nice to know that i’ve not run out of youthfulness. hey it’ll be quite sedih if someone mistakens me for a 30 year old or sumthg. God forbid!

dinner was lovely, and we had great company. we extended an invitation to the Indonesian debaters to come to KL and spar with the IIU debaters, it’ll be good practice for both parties. if not for debating, they shud come by anyway; so we could give them a taste of KL, only 2 of the whole bunch have actually been to KL. i know exactly where to take them if they’re ever in town.

got back to Meta’s place around 11ish, was poofed. took me less than 5 minutes to be in lil dreamland. one down, two more days to go.

One for the Ladies

Lady #1

Thanks to Mrs Foo, I’m now listening to the wonderful sounds of Joanna Wang (Album: Start From Here). She’s a Taiwanese artist who’s based in California (if the information I gg-ed is correct) and is just extremely pleasant to listen to. If you enjoy listening to Norah Jones, Corrine Bailey Rae..then you’d love Joanna Wang.

Lady #2

I bought the Best of Roberta Flack. Mum adores her stuff, Dad told me he used to listen to her when he was younger on his old record player. They still listen to her now, but on our burn-your-own CDs. Roberta Flack is one that I would dish out RM43.50 for, and it’s worth it. how can anyone not love “Feel Like Making Love” “The First Time I Saw Your Face” or the classic “Killing Me Softly”

 

Lady #3

What I picked up at Kinokuniya for my reading pleasure last weekend. She’s amazing.

Aspa & Wan turns 27

Just got back from Aspa and Wan’s b’day dins (belated for Aspa, pre celeb for Wan). We made reservations at Neroteca, but after finding out that almost all the dishes were non-halal ( it was either suckling pig, pork ribs, or suckling pig sumore haha), we headed out to 21 (again!..we’re forever there whenever we’re at Changkat) At 21 I ordered the same dish again,chicken with creamy mash.. Elsie ordered the duck salad which was super nice, next time I’m having that.

Oh before that, when we arrived at Changkat, we saw a Ferrari pullover at Somerset, and we were wondering if it was Wan & Zul, it was them! they decided to take the red horsey out!Supern delish! Wait, i’ll post up some pics once Jimmy uploads em. only now I sedar my pic with the Ferrari takde, Elsie and Aspa got. damn la!

Anyways, we had the funkiest b’day cake, thanks to Mrs Foo. Cake was extremely whimsical, imagine stripes and polka dots on a cake. again wait till Jimmy uploads the pics. I know, I’m the photographer, but got no pics, off duty k. Note: Jimmy’s Canon is super cool. and I so tak tahan with Jimmy’s rule: If anyone deletes their own pics from his camera, cos their picture cacat or whatever, he wont take their pic again. Cannot tahan! I hate it when my pics tak jadi, so I like to delete the cacat ones, but cannot la with Jimmy’s camera..;p sigh

anyway,Aspa and Wan lovvedd the cake. yeay! all of us adored the cake so much that we  tak sampai hati to cut it up. cake got the attention of the other patrons at 21 as well hehe.

Well the night ended early, 12ish.. cos Wan has to get ready for her house global warming tomorrow – not a typo, Wan wants to call her house warming, house global warming, dont ask me why ;p That reminds me, need to get something as buah tangan, unfortunately I cant make/cook anything, except for chicken pie which my aunty, Sarah taught me how to make a few years back, but am too malas, so I’ll pick something up on my way to her place.

So that’s a wrap, Aspa and Wan’s party down..a few more to go this year. Now, am gonna catch up on some reading, then go to sleepppp.

Love Actually

I’ve watched bits and pieces of Love Actually, just the ending in fact, by chance. I’ve never sat through the entire movie, till tonight and I am absolutely glad I did!

So many people have told me how it’s one of the best romantic-comedy movie to hit the screens and almost killed me for missing it.

The best thing about the movie, was not because it was witty and romantic (duh! it’s a romantic comedy) but it got me sinking in to every line, really, you gotta watch it to know what I mean.

When little Sam said ” what could be worst than feeling the total agony of being in love?” or when he said “let’s get the shit kicked out of us by love!”

total agony of being in love? haha, yea whoever said being in love is all good eh? and can we get the shit kicked out of us by love? definitely.but do all of us (well almost all of us) wanna fall in love anyway? the answer to that is yes. It’s a yes for me.

What happens in Love Actually, the whole drama, sincerity, impromptu acts, is all that only possible in a movie? Guess so.

Cos it feels too good to ever happen in real life. somehow in real life, not many people actually take chances do they? For 2 people who have a language barrier to fall in love, for a guy to wear his heart on his sleeve and confess his love to a girl he knows he has no chance to be with, or a sister to give up the love of her life for an ill brother? (for those who have yet to watch the movie, what I just described are amongst the plots).

Impromptu acts are very rare and far in between in real life. Except when you’re in a relationship, and there are those little surprises – but that doesnt count. How many of us get caught, without us expecting it, like the scene between Karl and Sarah, when he suddenly asked her for a dance that one night.Maybe some of us do get lucky and actually get to experience the “Love Actually” feeling. Have I?Hmmm…to some extent, maybe.

I wish I could have a guy hold placards outside of my door and tell me that his aging heart will love me forever. Or have him run illegally through an airport just to get hold of me and tell me he loves me and I’m the one. Aah bliss..

(Of course it would only be bliss if the above was done by someone I actually have feelings for and not just some random guy..random guy doing the placard thingy = weird = scary ;p)

I know, quit it Nadia, that only happens in Love Actually haha. Nadia’s on romantico mode tonight, all thanks to the movie.

At the start of the movie it said..Love Actually is all Around. Is it? Dunno la.

If you’ve not watched the movie, please do. Warning: you might experience the all sickly romantic after-effects.

Here’s one of the tracks from the movie, by Sugababes – Too Lost in You. love it.

Damsel in Distress

My car bailed out on me! It was 6:20pm, was supposed to meet Zoey and Elsie for a movie at KLCC at 7:40. No way that’s gonna happen now that my Bumble Bee ( i drive a gold Peugeot 206 - hence the bumble bee nick) was dying and stuttering when I tried to start the engine. Luckily I was still at SC.

Well what you are about to read is a heartfelt confession from someone who has no clue about cars other than driving it, and doing the basics of operating the indicator light etc. Am just hopeless.. truly – I had to pull out the manual (embarassing!) to get instructions on how to open the bonnet! page 111..i still remember hehe.

Once I pulled the lever and heard the thump, I couldnt lift the bonnet to open it (am really that bad).  I knew then that there was just no way in hell that I would be able to get myself out from this one, so:

1. I called Sani ( one of the guys in my dept, who also happens to be a good friend, so I takde la so malu) but got thru to his mailbox
2. Called Mrs Foo, told her what happened, and she told me she’d get Sani for me
3. sent a text to Elsie ” my car wont f-ing start. i’ll try and make it if i can”
4. Elsie replied “Wth! omg! k perlahan2 k. check gear on ‘P’ n start slowly”so mechanic of her, like talking thru experience haha, she must’ve tot I was already on my way to KLCC.
5. Mrs Foo and Tai Tai came down to d carpark, they of course didnt give me the light of day for not knowing a thing about my car haha
6. Then Sani, Nizam and Zahril showed up to help me out, by that time Mum (Norlin ok, not my actual mother ;p) was down at the car park too. Used her car to jump start mine
7. They tried jump-starting the car but tak jadi!! Tension! Diagnosis: wasnt the battery, cos I could turn on the headlights, honk, radio was on. So that was that.
8. Mum was also in amusement at seeing me being ultra clueless when the guys asked me “bila last tukar the battery?” ” did you change the water for the battery?” I just greeted them with a “huh” “whaat”. Yup in this area I am literally very spoiled, cos everything gets done for me, battery, sending the car for service etc etc
9. Since all our efforts failed - had to leave Bumble Bee at SC. Urgh!

Well no movie. If I get home in time, might meet the ladies for dins and drinks. So what is the moral of the story? I need to learn the 101s on my car. Must! Although I’m quite certain I’ll still make SOS calls if ever it happens again (God forbid), but at least if I knew a thing or two I wont be a total damsel in distress *eek*..well I’ll try not to be

Thanks guys for helping me out..Love!!

Pug for Nadia

Part of my lunch chat with Mrs Foo and Sarah J earlier today was about dogs (yes we’re very versatile) . I asked Mrs Foo “if I were to get a pet dog, which dog would suit me?” and she told me it’d be a Pug, and Sarah J agreed with her. I had no clue what a Pug looked like, so upon googling the image, i found Pugs to be pretty comel (cute), although at first sight, I was like “hello like mini bull dog je” but after a while, the Pug kinda grew on me haha.

Jessica Alba and her Pug

A post from Pugly

http://pugly.blogspot.com/

I absolutley love Pugly, love love! it’s so raw and real. i find myself going “my God that’s so me”, “Spot on!” “so true!” when reading the posts on Pugly.

Below, is one of Pugly’s post, she’s that good,that she can come up with what I believe is a should-be-adhered to list of dos and donts for you men ;p This was extracted from a post in Dec o2 2007, titled

“Wooing Women without the Woes 101″
Hello boys.

Hands up if you haven’t been too lucky in love all these while.

Two hands up if you are one of those who have often wondered “How do you impress a woman?” – thinking that it is an impossible feat not unlike the logic-defying acts that David Blaine tends to put himself through in the name of entertainment.

Do I see many with both their hands up? Good. At least you’re man enough to surrender and admit defeat. Chucking your massive ego aside is the first step on the road to becoming a better man.

Fret not and wonder no more, because here, especially for all clueless blokes out there, is a concise yet comprehensive guide to impressing the ladies – and it doesn’t even involve a fat wallet, a fast car, a six-pack or a huge dong.

Don’t worry, all is not lost. There’s still hope yet for those who are willing to learn. It’s not about what you have, it’s about how you use it to your (and her) advantage.

15 Ways to a Woman’s Heart

1. Be the perfect gentleman. Always put her person and her needs before yours. This is not the time to be selfish. Open doors for her, ask her how her day was, give her a leg rub when she’s having a bad day, carry her stuff for her, walk protectively behind her in crowded spaces and let her have the Big O first. Never, ever, ask her to come all the way to a specified location on her own, in the middle of the night, just because it is convenient for you. Agree to meet halfway at a location which is convenient to the both of you, or even better, pick her up from her home and send her back afterwards. A woman can never be too careful these days, and such gallant act shows that you care greatly about her and her safety. The first rule you have to remember is when it comes to wooing the woman, the old-fashioned way is still the best, no matter how modern we’ve become and how independent ladies get.(JustNadia: and if she’s driving back from a date with you on her own, make sure you call/text her to check whether she arrived home safely, it’s what a gentleman would do, definitely.)
2. Never stare at her breasts (or other women’s for that matter). Keep your eyes trained on hers at all times, even if they’re just itching to move down south. Yes, we are all aware that you only have one thing on your mind, but can you not make it too obvious?
3. Make an effort. Send her a little message to let her know you’re thinking of her, scrub yourself clean before meeting up with her, take her to a nice place instead of just the corner mamak stall (unless she absolutely insists on it). Be thoughtful. Train yourself to be attuned to her needs, which can only be achieved by paying enough attention to her. Observe and take note of the things that she likes and doesn’t like, and keep her happy by doing more of the former and less of the latter. Don’t be a selfish prat who only thinks of himself. Guys who try score extra brownie points, and lazy lads who don’t bother with nice little gestures end up being left behind.
4. Be charming. And no, I don’t mean it in the sarcastic sense of the word. Impress her with your impeccable manners, not superficial or material stuff (only men with small dicks and/or not much of a self-esteem hide behind ‘stuff’). When it comes to women, keep your difficult nature nicely tucked away. You have no use for it whatsoever. Respect her views, no matter how much they differ from yours. Pay her a compliment when it’s due, apologise when you’ve acted out of line and never, ever, agree with her when she complains that her ass looks big in a given outfit.
5. Humour her. Laugh at her jokes, listen and pay attention to what she has to say and show interest in her affairs. No matter how much she bores you, don’t let it show. And never, ever, under any circumstance, ridicule her or make fun of her, especially when it comes to things that she believes in or is passionate about. That’s a sure-fire way of getting her to permanently label you as The Complete Twat. (JustNadia: A sense of humor is definitely a prereq for me, keeps things light, but obviously the guy must still be able to have those deep conversations as well ;p)
6. Don’t try too hard to impress her. It only gives out one of these 3 signals: a) you’re desperate b) you’re a stalker c) you’re a smooth operator who makes a habit out of charming their way into women’s pants. You’ll push her away sooner than you can say “I’m a Great Catch!” (JustNadia: yup, the “I’m so great” “I’m the best one on the shelf” attitude is a big turn off)
7. Don’t play hot and cold with her. Mind games are so tiring. Either you make it clear how you feel towards her, or you stop leading her on by giving mixed signals on the random occasions that you decide to give her the time of your day. Don’t worry, we’re big girls. We can handle the rejection. What we can’t handle are men who take us for a ride. (JustNadia:Pugly’s spot on. I totally agree with her, mind games are tiring and a plain waste of time. Guys, if you dont act on it, believe me the ship will sail away)
8. Be straight and honest with her, yet sensitive and tactful. There’s nothing more off-putting than chronic foot-in-mouth disease. For every bad news, there’s a better way of putting it. There are the right things to say, the right time to say them and things which shouldn’t be said at all. Learn it well and you shall be amply rewarded. It might even save you a bruised arm and/or a bruised ego.
9. Watch your social etiquette with her. Don’t burp or fart in her presence, or let any of your less-than-desirable traits rear its ugly head. Never let her wait and don’t keep her guessing. Don’t leave her hanging in the dark. The same goes with your netiquette. When chatting with her online, say your goodbyes when ending the conversation, and never make an abrupt exit in the middle of one (unless you have a valid reason such as being abruptly cut off by your server, of which you must quickly get back to her at the next opportunity to apologise and explain the situation). It’s rude and it’s socially unacceptable. I mean, you wouldn’t like it if a person just walks out on you mid-conversation without a departing note of some kind, would you? So don’t do it to her. Just because she can’t grab you by the collar from behind on the net, doesn’t make it okay for you to do so. It’s all about manners and common courtesy, honey. (JustNadia: I tend to just live with it when it comes to guys who cant seem to keep that burp in,it seems so impossible for some men to keep it in, but farting, yes, please do all of us a favor and work some magic with your body to not let one rip!)
10. Don’t try to be/sound clever, because it’s just plain boring. The key is to offer her glimpses of your intelligence, not smother her with the vastness of your knowledge. Nobody wants to hear you quote some dead guy or give a full-length speech on the merits of economic stability in a third-world country. Subtle display of intelligence is sexy, but a Mr-Know-It-All is just plain annoying (not to mention boring … YAAAAWWWWNN!) (JustNadia: yea I would just tune in to BBC, if all I wanted was to get the latest news, dont need a newscaster haha, although on the other extreme I cant tolerate total idiots either)
11. Don’t make her work hard for you. Playing hard-to-get is so yesterday. Besides, you’re the man here; you should be working hard for her, not the other way around. If you prove to be too much hard work, the lady will quickly get bored and move on to someone else. We don’t have the same competitive streak as men do and we don’t thrive on challenges as much. Plus, we don’t have the time. We have this thing called The Biological Clock which keeps ticking louder and louder until we find that man to procreate with, so we really can’t afford to waste any time on some difficult prick. (JustNadia: yea playing hard to get is soooo passe!)
12. Don’t ignore her. Nothing says ‘you are insignificant’ louder than blocking her off. And never openly criticise or berate her, especially in public. It’s something which a bully would do, not a perfect gentleman. If possible, let her win in arguments, then if you absolutely need to prove that you’ve been right all along, do it at another time in another (private) place. It’s not worth it. Nobody likes a nag, do they? Losing in your petty arguments doesn’t make you a loser, it makes you a winner in more ways than one. At the very least, it will save you from the discomfort of sleeping on a lumpy sofa for the night.
13. Be confident and self-assured, not cocky and arrogant. There is a huge difference between the two. One is a turn-on, and the other’s a complete turn-off. It’s well worth learning the difference.
14. Do unto others what you would like done unto you. Treat her the way you’d like to be treated. Don’t expect her to be sweet all the time when all you’ve been doing is treating her according to your mood of the moment. It’s not big and it’s not clever. You get what you give, it’s as simple as that.
15. If a woman takes a dig at you, take it like a man, not a big baby (that is why you will find that women tend to go for good sense of humour – this is where it comes in handy). Your inability to handle crises well is so not attractive. What are you, a big girl’s blouse?

The above guidelines should not only be used on the women you fancy. It should apply to all the women in your life. Because you know how we women discuss things among us, which includes the men we know. Treating other women right will earn you a good reputation – they will readily put in a good word for you to their hot, single friends out there. Never underestimate the power of the female endorsement. Women are experts when it comes to viral marketing, and there is no method more effective than the word-of-mouth kind that they’re so good at. Likewise if you treat them badly. You will find that you have quickly become an incurable social leper. So help make this world a better place (with less women tearing out their hair in frustration while bitching about men’s unsavoury behaviour) by printing this out and sticking it to your pinboard, or memorising them by heart. Before long, you would be effortlessly pulling the choicest babes that the only problem you would be facing is deciding which one to choose to live happily ever after with.If you want to emerge a winner, you have to play your cards right.

Try it.

It really works.

Rain on Me

Last Friday I was in Kuantan for a photog job, taking pics for Nora’s nikah and reception. Nikah was on Friday night, reception, Sat afternoon. So I had some time to sneak in the job sched  to soak up some sun and get some salty sea water on myself, but tough luck, no sun nor salty water. Cos it just kept on pouring like non-stop, the rain didnt stop, am not kidding.

We were worried bout the job, cos it’s a bit difficult to move around when it’s raining. But it worked out just fine. It drizzled on Friday night, and on Saturday afternoon. So it took a lot of quick shoot-and hide the camera for fear of wetting it when we were outside taking shots.. other than that it was all good.

Let me just do a run-down on some highlights:

1.  I didnt get any sun & sea (s&s)
2. I didnt get any s&s (yes I am that sad, and I am suffering that bad a craving for s&s)
3. It just never stopped pouring (from the point we got to Kuantan town till we left)
4. Shuq and I developed a no-fear attitude towards wetting our jeans, his Crocs, my shoes and stepping into puddles of water, cos if we didnt we wouldnt have been able to move
5. I learned that when a person is stressed out, the body releases a kind of hormone that induces you to laugh, yea laugh,I didnt believe it at first when Shuq told me, but I witnessed it first hand, yes he just burst out laughing and continued to laugh when we got lost and was running late for the nikah, not the usual laugh k, this was the “hearty-laugh-ur-heart-out-it’s-so-funny” laugh …and that got me to laugh as well – that reminds me I need to check if it’s true the body does that, I usually get pissed when I’m stressed out ;p
6. The job was fun cos the bride and groom, Nora and Kie was very easy going, Nora especially, she was a natural. We didnt have to direct any poses at all, natural I tell you. We have great shots of them and the whole do.
7. Kuantan has a 7-eleven looking joint called D5 or something like that. Seriously, if u didnt know it was called D5 you would’ve thought all the way that u were in another 7-eleven
8. I found out that I am capable of having total dumb-blonde moments or as someone would put it “budak sekolah pun can do it” with the latch on the hotel room door. In my defense it wasnt a typical latch ;p honest to God it wasnt.
9. Gotong-royong weddings are here to stay, that made Nora’s wedding different from the town-weddings, she had the whole neighbourhood help her out, so you had the makciks slicing the watermelon, to young boys washing the dishes, felt very merry and warm.
10. Hitz plays Rihanna’s “Please dont Stop the Music” too often, I know I had a post earlier on loving that track, but when it’s overplayed it gets booo-ring! hehe
11. On the other hand they dont play enuf of Janet Jackson’s “Feedback” which is my new craze
12. The “Haunted Volkswagon car on Karak highway” story is famous. I didnt know everyone knew about it, my brother told me the story. And someone has a funky theory that the ghost will now simply ride in another car cos everyone knows he shows up in a Volks (sure sure)
13. Kuantan has those timers at the traffic lights (that counts down how much time left till it turns green/red kinda thingy), while KL which has way heavier traffic doesnt have em, (although I did spot some in PJ) We should have em.
14. I love KL cos it rarely rains non-stop 2 days in a row.

There you go some highlights…the trip just made me more excited about my Perhentian trip end April and Bali in June. Kuantan just rained on me tsk tsk but I had fun.

Now am going to spend some time with my MacB and go through the shots. Nora & Kie can look forward to two elegant and moment-freezing storyboards of their special day

Quality Time

Dad had a dinner engagement tonight, so Mum needed a dinner date, and since brothers and sister are at Cyber, and I’m the only one left staying at home, I was the first pick. Plus I will never allow my Mum to eat dinner alone.

Mum chose to have dinner at SACC mall, 5 mins from home. she’s not really fond of travelling out of Shah Alam, unless it’s a weekend, or she has cravings for ice cream, then she’d drag any one of us to Swensen’s in Subang Parade, the nearest ice cream joint. Or if it’s nasi lemak, it’ll be the one in Ampang (yes all the way). My Mum and Dad will go anywhere for good food, and they almost always go together. Well wait they’re inseparable, it’s very sweet and romantic. I hope I’ll experience and enjoy the same kinda “togetherness” with my husband.

Back to the night with Mum.

We had dinner at Uncle K’s. A mamak place at SACC mall, was pretty comfy and the food wasnt too bad, our first time there.

Mum and I sat for quite a while, chatting over teh tarik, mine kurang manis, while hers, full blown(she wont budge, not with teh tarik, no such thing as kurang manis haha). We spoke about everything, as usual la. I was talking to Mum about guys, my tough pick between going to Krabi or Bali with the girls, office goss, and sumore. 

I am so grateful that I can enjoy casual moments like just now with my Mum, very Gilmore Girls, except that my Mum is way cooler (haha). I know some people who’s Mums are just too busy, barely at home, or they just don’t enjoy the same open, relaxed relationship with their mothers, the way I do. So yes, thankful, thankful.

She’s upstairs now, reading with a mug of Nescafe beside her. Some people dont get why I enjoy or I dont mind spending time at home. It’s not boring, cos I can chat, talk with my parents, and it’s never dull. Of course like any normal child-parent relationship, we have arguments, but it’s all good.

When I get married, Insya Allah and have my own place, I wont be able to spend as much time with them, as it is I rarely get to do the things I used to do  often, cos of work, social life..like having dinner with my parents (I make it a point to at least catch 2 dinners a week with them), dinner is hard to catch but I if I get home and they’re not asleep yet, you can be sure I’d pop by their room, say hi. And if there was some interesting happenings during the day, I’d definitely share it with them, either for laughs or to get their 2 cents worth. Oh and I’m not the only one downloading, they will give me the whole nine yards of their day too. Which is cool by me ;p

Whether we wanna accept it or not, our days are numbered, we’re not gonna live forever. So when I have the opportunity , I wanna spend as much time as I possibly can with my folks, to enjoy their company and have as many moments with them stored with me for supply during those times and days when I will miss them terribly, or when they will miss me terribly.

So make time for your folks, quality time, it’s priceless.

The Art of the Eight Limbs

Went to watch a Muay Thai competition last night at Titiwangsa. Shuq told me bout it and asked if I wanted to tag. His trainer was competing. Am always up for doing new stuff, so I said ok. Was a bit apprehensive at first, cos I can’t stand the sight of blood or people punching the lights out of each other. Plus Shuq had shared quite a bit about his rigorous Muay Thai training regime, and from what I heard, these people mean business. It makes Body Step classes peanuts ha ha.

There was a huge crowd, locals, foreignors. The fighters were from different clubs, from KL, if I recall correctly, there was TNT, Allied Gym, Muay Thai Academy of KL and a host of other fighters from clubs in Terengganu, Kedah and Kelantan.  Anyhow, surprisingly…I actually enjoyed myself, I tot I’d be covering my eyes up 3/4 of the time, but nope – I found myself cheering and clapping at some good kicks/moves. And of course supporting Shuq’s trainer, who was very very good. He won the match. It wasn’t too violent although being me I did squirm here and there.

Another thing I found amusing about Muay Thai was the almost dance like movement, the legs, head..it’s not stiff like boxing, and I love watching the fighters do the “ritual dance” before the start of the match…so cultured. all thanks to my theatre training with the Five Arts Center ;p 

Muay Thai is definitely not for the faint hearted. Takes a lot of guts to be in a ring facing an opponent that is allowed to do almost anything except going at your crotch or behind your neck to bring you down. Saw quite a few last night, who left the ring bleeding, or just had to be carried out cos they blacked out. Scary.

So I got a dose of Muay Thai, my very first experience of sitting outside a ring watching people as I said earlier, beating the lights out of each other. It was interesting and fun in its own way. But I’ll stick to the treadmill, yoga and body step classes

Does Retail Therapy Work?

Yes it does.

Splurging on lovely things – always cure any down-low mood.

Last Monday (a day that gets a lot of people on the down-low) Mrs Foo and I went to One Utama after work to get one vampy red Kenwood mixer that she has been talking about for the longest time. She needed some retail therapy, I dont mind this form of therapy anytime, needed or not needed ;p And since Mrs Foo is a baking goddess, getting a brand new mixer, just means more sweet delicious treats for us, her loyal fans at the office, woohoo!

And we didnt just stop at the mixer, there was the post Christmas, new year sale going on so we checked that out too. I’m all for shopping, you cannot count on me if you’re expecting a shopping partner that will tell you, you already have enough bags, so dont waste your money and get another one. First, there’s no such thing as enough bags. Second, there is no such thing as enough bags! There isn’t.Women should have as many bags & shoes as possible.

So anyway yea, we, Mrs Foo and I make a deadly shopping combo. We dont ever stop each other from splurging haha. At the end of the night..Mrs Foo got herself a brand new mixer, and a bag from Aldo. I got myself a pair of Aldo heels & bag and a belt from Pull & Bear. Less than five items each..moderate therapy I would say, but an effective one

Holiday

Christmas is over, but the holiday mood is here to stay, till Jan 01 at least, when everything will automtically, like it’s the most natural thing to happen, go full steam ahead, especially at work.

So i thought I’d change my blog presentation, to one that would best desribe the mood. Feel the snow..see the snowman..sorry no snowman..kay maybe the feeling thingy won’t work in KL, it’s either rain or shine here hehe

Am so jealous of Elsie, Zoey and the whole entourage who will be heading to Koh Phangan for a lose yourself, get beach wet, sand on your feet, sounds in your ears 08 welcoming celeb! I can’t go sob sob. But they promised they’d bring back a funky keepsake ;p

Urrghhh I must get some sand and sea before 1Q of 08 is over..must!!

New year plans for me? Nothing at the mo, like Dad always says, it’s not like the sky turns purple the next day, it’s just another day. But I think Mum is planning on a new year family barbeque, we’ll see.

Am feeding my blog..finally

It’s been ages since I last posted anything on this blog. So here goes, multiple posts.. which was all due a long time ago..

Raoul’s 26th

Refer to my earlier post, the metrosexuald december baby is Raoul. and it was nerve wrecking trying to find him a suitable gift, but I managed to and am soooo glad he liked it. the gurls were giving me a hard time when I told them what I got `Naddy he’s a personal trainer when will he wear a tie!’.

Was a nail-biting moment for me when it was time for him to open my humble-dont-know-if-he’ll-like-it gift. But when Raoul and everyone (including gurlfrens) exclaimed `damn nice’ when they caught sight of the tie, I could feel my heart slowing down its pace from 1000 beats per minute hehe and my face spotting a proud dimpled Naddy smile

oh and it was also a house warming, the apartment was spacious, and aspa being aspa, the place was spic and span, germ free, anthea turner approved.

Click on the pic, the well picked piece of item around Raoul’s neck was my pressie for him hehe

the rocking wifey Aspa who made it all happen, that’s her giving directions to her place

these ladies will set the mood for any partay, especially the one in the middle, Zoey!

Raihan was Back! 

Raihan & Andrew was back for a few weeks last month. Raihan didnt look like she’s pregnant, still slim and wearing heels! (it’s very rare to catch Raihan’s feet in flats actually)

I don’t recall ever shopping for maternity clothes before, but I did, for the very first time when Raihan came back, and  let me tell you shopping while converting prices from RM to Aussie dollars is way more fun, the RM-pricey is now `oh cheap in Aussie dollars’

`here An,this top is cute! take one in purple, blue and pink!’

It was difficult saying bye, but I pacified myself with my plans of visiting Raihan & Andrew next year in summer, and of course baby Sarah or Monkey Magic (that’s Andrew’s idea for a name if it’s a boy haha)

She’s the best-est most incredible gurlfren to have and he’s a wonderful, loving, sweet guy who I know, and can bet my last Ringgit will take darn good care of her. sealed deal.

Miss them, and cant wait to see them in 08. Below shots I took of Raihan and Andrew

must get andrew to eat cendol the next time he’s here and not ice cream!

 

the Family Papparazi

 Went for saturday family lunch at San Francisco steakhouse in KLCC [like a month ago, since this post is long due], cos dad, brothers and mum needed to stock up on some essentials at M&S. I brought my cam along and shutter bugged away..and I realised that my brothers are photogenic, an observation that I will never ever share with them ;p

Abang

 

Adik

 

a Christmas ornament at M&S

The pics are a bit small here, I’ll upload all & more at my Flickr page later. So check em out. And I have no idea why the paragraph alignment for this post went cuckoo hmmph!

Just random stuff that are on my mind right now

Presentation pitch – Nervous about a presentation pitch to our division director this Thursday morning. Hopefully the team will get a nod of excellence again like we did when we showed her the first cut of the presentation.

Pecan pie – yea have this crazy craving for it. The last time I tasted pecan pie that was ceiling crashing, floor tearing good was in Detroit. Shahnon’s [my ex] sister who’s living in the States came by with her boyfriend and they brought me some goodies which included slices of pecan pie. Have yet to find one here that can match that “pecan pie delight”.

Body Step- by hook or by crook and no matter how tired I am, I need to catch Body Step at least once this week. Have only been working on the treadmill, doubt that’s enough considering how much I pig out on trans fat, cholesterol, sugar laden food. And yes I know I’m petite, slim, kurus, whichever, but that doesnt mean I’m entitled to eat-all-I-want, it’s all about inner health and making sure I treat my body right so that it’ll serve me better and longer hence, must go in for Body Step.

IIUM@ Royals- the Royals Intervarsity Debating Champioship 2007 [national tournie for all local universities, the trophies will be presented by the Agung, hence the Royals name] is going on right now in UITM and IIUM have not won Royals since 2005- which was when Raihan, Azrul, Fareez and I were in a team, and we won the senior category. Hopefully we’ll bring back the trophy this year. Good luck guys.

Kimora’s Life in the Fab Lane-love her & the show! yes she’s loud, bitchy at times, but I think she’s great. Mum, mogul, model. ya-ah! All that I want to be, except for the model part, am quite sure I dont meet the height requirement hehe. Her kids are just A-dorable and her label, Baby Phat’s logo, the cat thingy, is spot on.

the little black dress – I feel like getting one and wearing one. no reason. just cos.

Have got a few more things on my mind, but they’re a bit too personal. So let me just keep that with me and not place it here on this blogosphere.

Night.

Mikhail Turns One

Got invited to little Mikey’s [Wan Mikhail] 1st birthday bash. Diha, Mikey’s mum..my high school senior [who without fail will tell everyone she meets about my cheerleading days and how I'm the one on top of the pyramid - stop it Diha ;p], and university mate who was also my team mate at the Australs debate tournie in Melbourne sent me a b’day invite a 25 year old would be jealous off.

The party was fun! Guests made up of hip young mum and dads with their precious toddlers or kids. I saw some of my high school seniors, including Natasha who was the Green house cheerleading captain, I can almost imagine her calling out for a formation. They have not aged a bit. Put them in their uniforms and you’d bet ur penny that they drank from the fountain of youth. I hope it’s a BBGS thingy, then I’d look as youthful too. Used to see them carrying poms poms or school bags, now they’re hip moms with baby bottles.

Cik Wan , Mikey’s dad is the epitome of funkyness. Team up with Diha, and you’ll have a great party. Diha made sure the party favors were top class, food was great -nasi lemak, ABC, potato salad, b’day cuppies, rocking cake. Canopy created the mood, the play area for kids was a mini toys-r-us!

I couldnt help myself from making mental notes for when I throw my little baby’s 1st birthday bash hehe. I hope Mikey, more like Mikey’s mum and dad like the gift I got. Check out the pics of mums dads babies @ my Flickr [link on right panel].

Happy Birthday Mikey baby!

first thing that greeted the guest- stylo

Mikey’s gfit from Aunty Naddy

Diha and her prince

Children are our future

I was in KLCC yesterday,and there was a Batik pesta or something like that. I saw some kids taking a stab at batik painting. Perfect shot. Took my camera out and the minute the kids saw my cam, they smiled! I thought they’d just run away, most kids are camera shy but not this group of kids. Innocent smiles – very happy that I captured that mo.

the Perfect Housewife

I enjoy watching the show, the Perfect Housewife with Anthea Turner on DH&H. Heck I even look out for Anthea’s tips and tricks. I envision my future nest to be cosy with a rustic touch and of course well kept (full marks on Anthea’s book haha). Am not too fond of the modern, steel, black and white kinda interior for a home, am more wood-base (I think it’s the influence from my folks).

Fashionably Late? NOT!

Was talking to Lya last week and she told me about an incident tht happened to her a few weeks ago..an incident which I consider to be most appaling. Here’s what happened:

Location: Tanjung Malim, Perak.

Lya’s mum has asthma, and sometimes she gets very severe attacks, not often but it happens. A few weeks ago, she had an attack. Lya was at home at the time with her mum, and quickly did what any daughter would do upon seeing your mum frantically gasping to breathe, dialled 999 for help.

1. The customer service like 999 operator – you would expect the operator to have some sense of urgency since she’s handling an emergency, but NO she was taking her own sweet time asking Lya for her address [shouldnt there be a database for addresses, like the one Mc'd, Celcom, Pizza Hut has? so that people who are in the state of panic dont have to give their home address? what if it was Lya's mum who was making the call cos no one else was at home, she's gasping for air and she needs to give her add??insane!] Then once done with the address part, the operator in her customer service like tone said “Sebentar ye, saya sambungkan ke balai Polis” [Hang on, I'll transfer your call to the Police station] Huh??
2. The “Takut Sesat” Policeman- Once the call got transferred, Lya had to give her add, AGAIN! then the policeman asked her to do the most utterly ridiculous, unreasonable thing “Boleh tak tunggu kat luar taman, takut ambulance tak dapat cari rumah?” Hello??? Ridiculous or what. Lya of course gave him a piece of her mind. And then for double dose of ridiculousness.. the policeman asked her “Hospital mana yang paling dekat?” Say what?? Shouldnt they have all this info at a click of a mouse?? At this point, its already minutes since Lya made that desperate call for help thru 999, and she still wasnt getting the help she needed.
3. The “Super Hero” &  driver- The ambulance showed up after 30 minutes! Appallling! And there was only a hospital assistant and the driver. Lya’s mum was on the first floor of the house, extremely weak and the assistant asked Lya to “tolong pimpin mak bawah” Pimpin? Where’s the stretcher??? I wasnt there, but just listening to Lya telling me about all this nonsense, got me so pissed.

It was just awful. Lya was in tears, anyone would be, seeing your mum getting weaker by the minute and help wasn’t there. Lya told me when she was staying in the States, her mum had a similar attack, she called 911,and didnt have to give the operator her address [good], the operator even gave her instructions to calm her mum [good] then the ambulance with more than one paramedic arrived at her house in less than 3 minutes [excellent]. that’s how it should be.

I would want to be assured that whereever  my family, friends and I are at in this country, we can count on getting timely and proper medical assistance when we need it. I hate to imagine what would be the outcome if Lya’ s situation happened in rural areas. Having a top notch education system, where children are educated, characters are mould, and a healthcare system that is close to flawless are the amongst the most basic needs of every citizen and these needs should be catered to. Must get the basics right.

Ask any Malaysian if they cared more about having a Malaysian in space or getting assurance that their parents can get medical help at the push of 3 numbers? Don’t think it’s gonna take a rocket scientist to figure out the answer to that.

I doubt that anyone would be thinking bout Malaysia’s participation in space exploration while watching his or her mother fighting for her life and getting measly help after a painful 3o minutes.

I wanna feel sand under my feet

Am longing for an impromptu let’s-drop-everything and head to the beach getaway. Is this a year end syndrome? No, maybe it’s cos I’m half beach whale half human, need to recharge the other half and soak up the sun ;p Although I was in Langkawi a few months back, but didnt get that much beach time. 

My sister was just rubbing it in telling me how much sand & sea fun she had in Maldives, when my whole family except for me, was there for a vacation. At the time I had to attend debate training for the World Universities Debating Championship in South Africa, but I didnt feel too bad bout missing the trip to Maldives, S.A was equally exotic.

Oh yes a dose of sand & sea would really do me good now.

cousins heading to the beach, my sister’s as big as the dolphin she’s carrying hehe [love u Piggy! ;p]

 office peeps made a trip to Langkawi earlier this year to save the mangroves – pic: with Madame checking out flip flops

that’s me getting a free mud bath

Another Must Watch

Zoey’s

the invite

Ya-ah another party!

As usual highlights:

The Pucci cuppies

Elsie had the best idea – Emilio Pucci inspired cupcakes. We commissioned Mrs Foo for the task and she did an excellent job, it was extreme Pucciness! Birthday cakes are an all time for b’days but for a party of about 30pax, cuppies do a better job, more to go around, smaller bites and they’re more fun!

Palate Palatte

It’s behind hotel Istana. Describe it? Artsy fartsy.giraffe popping out of the ceiling, peacock tiled wall, button latches for the lil ladies room (yes I noticed), horsie on the bar, and cool sounds to go with the ambience. Comfy-ly placed couches, rattan chairs, bean bags gave way to pleasant chats, giggles and more.

 

i love the horsie shot

my camera 101

Having not figured out how to use my brother’s Nikon properly, I was getting pretty agitated when I didnt manage to fix the settings..I wanted to test out my skills, not wanting to use auto mode.. but wasnt successful and pics just didnt turn out right.

I had to make a SOS call to Shuq to ask him how to adjust the flash so that the pics dont look overexposed. But Faesal saved the day, Aspa’s cousin who’s not alien with the DSLR, can tell by the way he handles the machines hehe. Once he placed the settings, gave me some quick tips, I was on full shutter bug mode ;p Merci Faesal! He took some great shots too.

right- Faesal, my guru for the nite

Zoey!

Ah yes, ze b’day chick. It was a surprise b’day partay and she was surprised! She looked like a budding actress receiving her first Oscar..glam + overwhelmed ;p Spotted a new hair-do that looked fantastic on her and reminded me of Catherine Zeta Jones in Chicago. She dressed for the occasion too (makes me wonder whether she already knew about the party- did you Zoey? ;p)

Partay goodies

Cuban hats for the guys and double headbands for the ladies. The hats really fitted the mood, and looked great in pics too.

my hand on the hat

Color Splash.

The theme. I wasnt exactly splashy..brown + dark purple + light purple + purple wedges + green tote..ok la. I wanted to wear black, but there was a strict no black and white rule [arent black and white colors too?]. But everyone had colors on..with Elsie as the party planner no one would dare beat the theme hehe.

Parties at this age are way different from the Mc’d parties when we were kids, we’ve all grown and so has our style of celebration. Burgers to baked salmon and salad. Party hats to Cuban hats. We had a fahbulous time! And I had fun shutter bugging away ;p Went back with a slight headache though.. thank God I came with Aspa and Raoul- thanks peeps.

Next party- December!

Check out more pics at my flickr page

10-is

Got to know from Mrs Foo that Roger Federer will be playing against Pete Sampras in November here in Malaysia, Shah Alam to be exact. Thought i’d treat my parents and get tickets for them and me-self. So I did – 3 tickets for the match on 11 November. Mrs Foo will be there too.

Folks were thrilled when I told them that I had gotten tix.Mum and Dad are huge tennis fans. So are my brothers-they used to play tennis quite seriously when they were younger. I remember watching them play at tournies all across Malaysia.. tagged along like I was part of their entourage ;p

Ikbal, the older twin has a temper like Boris Becker hehe, Ikmal is relatively cool-er on the court, but both equally talented. They can still play pretty well.  I should’ve gotten tickets for my brothers too, I’m sure they’ll get on my case when they hear I didnt get tix for them..eek! Will try tomorow, but most of the seats are sold out.

So, between Sampras and Federer, mmm I think Federer would win, hey he’s good, plus he’s younger.. but I’ll be rooting for Sampras!

WUPID..happening soon.

It’s going to be a blast!

Lurve the video.

After the Break

Things I’m looking forward to do once my Raya break is officially over tomorrow:

1. Going out for lunch with Mrs Foo, Tai Tai, Sarah J, and Madame
2. Body Step! Need the workout after all the pigging out.
3. Enjoying rojak and leng chee kang at Mont Kiara’s flea market- instead of take away [see 2nd post on workout, 3rd post on food- so not focused hehe]
4. Going on full speed mode at work, after the Raya fever hit me pretty badly last week ;p
5. Taking food shots for WUPID’s magazine!

White Raya

The first and second day of Raya has always been reserved for family members..of course we still have family friends and neighbors coming over to celebrate. Since I dont have kampungs to go back to, first day of Raya in the morning, I’ll be in Keramat, to celebrate with dad’s side of the family, then later in the evening in Damansara, my aunt’s house, mum’s side. My grandmum stopped hosting at her place in TTDI and shifted the Raya celebration to my aunt’s place- Mama Wa has turned into a pro at playing hostess on behalf of my gandmum!

This year, I noticed a “white” theme in the baju raya. My sister for one wore an elegant white Italian linen with soft grey prints [wished it was mine!] They look so suci murni in the pics hehe!

I didnt have time to buy any materials for Raya, so had to get my baju Raya off the rack. Drove Mrs Foo crazy when she helped me go through some potential outfits. I finally decided to just mix and match what I did manage to buy with some old pieces that I had.

see..all white

nasha with my cousin Iqral-also in white

yup in white..Mama Wa (my mum’s sister, Sarah) looking pretty as always

Did I not get the memo that it was gonna be white this year?? Tsk tsk tsk

**************************

Am so exhausted, the big makan at our house just ended. Naturally, there’s all the cleaning up to do. My sister is hopeless when it to comes to the “after party”, hosting guests she does ok, but cleaning up-nope!

Second day of Raya is reserved for Uncle Din’s open house for the family. The menu is not the usual Raya dishes-we dont serve rendang and the gang- but nasi, ulam, sambal sotong, sup tulang, ikan kembung rebus and mee udang. Yum! I know.. very uncoventional, but after all the rendang and lontong on the first day- everyone looks forward to some ol fashion food to break the taste!

********************

Well Raya is officially over for me..actually the best time is on the eve of Raya..especially when I hear the takbir and seeing all my family members around me, thankful that they’re still with me in good health and spirit, and thinking of those who can’t be home for Raya like Uncle Man in the States.

After this it’s just the numerous open houses to go to, and picking out dates to host my friends at home.

**********************************

Am poofed.Oh yea, the so called accidental theme was white this year, but as always I  had to be extra “special”..I went all black haha. So Yin&Yang!

Arrival of Syawal

Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir & Batin

To do List

My to do list on the eve of Raya..short surprisingly:

1. Drive to Mrs Foo’s place in Damansara and pick up gradmum’s cakes + my lemons
2. Drop the cakes at grandmum’s in TTDI
3. Take Piggy [my sister] to Ikea – she wants to buy this cupboard thingy, dont know why it cant wait till after raya
4. Then to One Utama cos Piggy needs to do some last minute shopping for Raya [sigh why cant she be like her sister hehe all done, no actually I might pick up some last minute items myself]
5. Drop by Ponytails for a quick wash and cut [ this is last minute on my part]
6. Home – helping folks with the final touches!

Balik Kampung

I stopped using the NKVE to get home today opting for the Federal Highway instead cos traffic started to get really heavy on the NKVE since yesterday with city folks starting their balik kampung journey. I wish I had a kampung to go back to. TTDI, 5 mins away from One Utama and Keramat,15 mins away from KLCC is hardly kampung.

I envy those who have kampungs, am sure there’s an unbeatable excitement about packing for the trip, hitting the road, and the pumped up spirit just as you draw minutes away from your destination, eager to meet your parents, siblings and the rest of the gang. I’m not sure how much my idea of a kampung is still accurate but I’m imagining, nice papan houses, surrounded by coconut trees, or a paddy field at the back, with ketupat,lemang and dodol cooking in the yard. Okay maybe a bit too Petronas advert, Hari-Raya-music-clip like but am sure there are some kampungs that still fit that bill..I hope so.

Perhaps, I should live really far away when I get married, then I can enjoy the “balik kampung” spirit. I hate having to reply when people ask where will I be celebrating Raya..”Oh just here, I have no kampung” bleech.

 Guess for now I’ll just savour the traffic-free roads of KL.

Raya’s Just Around the Corner

What the house smells of..mum’s freshly baked pineapple tarts

Sister came back frm MMU for Raya today, that’s her doing what she does best-

sleeping at her fav spot..the TV area. She just got a text message.

Some of Dad’s graceful Kois. Hope no kid will try feeding them kuih this Raya.

Last year, one of our guest’s kid did

Triple Dose

Last week I had 3 iftars, 3 days in a row with friends I made at work, during my uni days and when I was a very young girl in school.

Wednesday – Iftar @ Sri Melaka with SC mates

Highlights

1. Celebrating Mc-g and Zul’s new job -they’re both working at the same place.
2. We were a big group- 16 heads, so there was a lot of passing of lauk (dishes) to the different ends of the table
3. Everyone guessed the damage amount ie bill- my guess was RM350, I was waayyy off, Mc-g came closest at RM450..and the tab was a whopping RM470.
4. We were the loudest group there hehe.
5. Watching Alimin count the stacks of notes after everyone passed their share

 

Thursday – Iftar with Uni mates @ Basil, Bangsar Village 1.

Highlights:

1. Met up with part time model- NTV7 staff Hyda whom I have not met in ages. Looking as tall as ever.
2. Ama – I totally miss listening to her laugh. It’s loud, hearty and extremely contagious. Can you hear her laughing through the pic above ;P
3. Nigs lost a lot of weight-she was almost size zero. Can imagine her walking down a couture runway. Workaholic during puasa month..tsk tsk. Poor Nigs, we’ll stuff you with ketupat and rendang soon.
4. The sinfully delicious cheesecake at Starbucks

   

    Hyda protecting her all-the-way-from-France LV

Friday – Iftar at Korean restaurant, Bullgogi with schoolmates.

Highlights

1. Excellent-exciting hot plate and steamboat dining experience! Good pick Zoey!But I was very scared to “cook” the food though cos the minyak sometimes “meletup” [sorry I cant find another word to describe it hehe] Next time I’ll bring a long chopstick with me.
2. Delicious lamb and Korean jelly!
3. Aspa’s fan saved us, we sat outside and it was HOT cos the hot plate was right at our faces.
4. Cooling off session at Starbucks in Bangsar [yes again] where Elsie and Tariq joined us then later Mr PT [personal trainer] Azza [Aspa's hubby] made a special apperance at 12am haha
5. Getting pink-tastic goodies from Wan…thanks babe!
6. Owh and of course, Wan’s multi role as Kak Nita, Oprah, Dr Phil all in one night amazed us, you should hear her thoughts on relationship, men…talk-show material! ;p

the mighty fan at work

 Mr PT, Oprah and Elsie

So there you go, my triple dose.

Bunga Api

I know it’s illegal. Although i’m not too sure which type is and which isnt.

I’m talking about mercun, bunga api.

It doesnt feel so festive [no suasana] when i dont hear mercun going off at night. I used to hear it a few years back, but nowadays, hardly.

But when I’m at my grandmum’s place in Keramat, it really feels macam nak Raya, cos kids play the bunga api after Iftar and I can hear the mercuns pop! Nothing signals festivity to me more than the sound of mercun or the sight of bunga api.

I bought tons back when I was a kid - mercun katak, the spiral thingy, then the long one that sparks when it shoots out, and the harmless Pop Pops.

Well, brothers will be home this Friday, I’ll remind them to pasang the pelita around the house. That would defintely get the festive mood kicking.

Or am I just growing out of Raya? Mmmm

Let’s Debate

I spent the last weekend listening to 40 speeches from almost 30 debaters that were trying out for spots to represent IIU [my beloved uni] and compete in the upcoming Worlds Universities Debating Championship in Thailand, Oxford debating tournie in UK and another tournie in Dhaka, Bangladesh end of this year.

Aaah yes, one of the perks of being a debater..travelling all across the globe to compete in international tournaments. I certainly enjoyed the travelling.

The university can’t send all the debaters to compete, so usually depending on the budget, number of teams allowed per uni, format of the tournament.. the top 10,6 [number varies] debaters out of the whole lot will be selected, they will then attend intensive trainings and continue to be in the running [read that line the Tyra Banks style haha]to be Champions.

So I was tasked along with a few other former debaters to judge the performance of those trying out and select the top debaters. Debaters had to debate for 5 rounds, over Saturday and Sunday.

Not easy okay, considering that some of them are neck-to-neck close in ability, style.

It’s all done systematically and very transparent, speakers are given scores and ranked after each round, marks are averaged out and become a reference for the selection committe to delibarate on. very serious business.

Selections can be nerve wrecking..I know..cos I’ve been through quite a number during my debating days. Some of the nerve wrecking bits are:

1. Knowing that there are limited places and there’s a gazillion people trying out
2. Competing against your seniors for a spot.. nervous + intimadated = not a good combi
3. waiting for your speaker positions [debaters you know how no one wants to go 1st speaker Opening Gov or PM in Asians] 
4. Getting the motion
5. Selectors having that glazed out look while they’re listening to your speech
6. Someone pointing out that you had a contradiction in your speech [die la]
7. The long wait [it's actually just a day or two] for the results

But after all that.. the adrenalin rush, pressure from your peers and yourself to do well, beating yourself up after everyone round cos you’re not sure whether you gave a good speech or whether the judges cum selectors liked your speech..it’s a pretty overwhelming feeling to finally read your name on the list of..

 Top Speakers Selected to Represent IIUM at the Worlds Universities Debating Championship

It feels great! It makes all the effort worth it. And I know some debaters are feeling it now, cos they’ve got 3 different countries to travel to in the next 2 months and make their mark.

Those that didnt make it, they’ll be devastated..but I can bet that I’ll see them again in the next selection for the next set of tournaments. Debaters dont give up easily and that’s an admirable trait.

So, congrats to those that made it & I’ll see you guys at training!

Below: Baby Hannah, the debater in making made a special apprerance at selections, both mum and dad are debaters. Isnt she adorable..look at those cheeks! I nicknamed her Sandwich :p She loves the camera.

Short Drive

Had to run some errands just now.

I dont remember the last time I did this, but I decided to drive with the window down. Driving in Shah Alam is, contrary to popular belief-pleasant [the Istana side of Shah Alam], not that much traffic, very few stop lights,wide roads, doesnt feel crampy and congested.

That made driving with the window down a surprisingly, not-too-bad experience..

Slipped Corinne Bailey Rae in the player, selected one of my fav track Trouble Sleeping [wind down tune after a hard day]

cars shooshing by

suburb night breeze and a hint of fume..

ah yes, my window-down driving experience..

Trouble Sleeping- enjoy

Raihan Update: Her Home

Raihan just got the Internet up and she emailed some pics of her place in Canberra. 

It looks so cosy! Unfortunately I dont have a lot of blogging space left for pics so I can’t upload them all. Here’s a few..

 A comfy couch is a must have!

  where I’m sure everyone enjoys Raihan’s culinary delights

 was teasing Raihan how we dont need a dryer here cos it’s panas terik ;p she says it’s really sejuk there,dont worry An, when you come back we’ll go soak up the sun!

 the kitchen looks spotless! can you spot the lesung? That’s the way An hehe

 it’s pretty outside too

 

Doesnt Andrew look like he’s gained some weight? I got confirmation from Raihan that he certainly did.  Looking good Andrew! Next to Andrew is his dad [the one in blue duh] who just took Raihan around Sydney on his boat last Sunday..nice.

Cant wait to visit them!

What a Day

Didnt have such a great day at work today. Not a great day at all. Dont feel like spilling it here.

Rearing cute fat cows and fluffy little chickens is becoming more and more of an excellent idea by the day. Oh or becoming a larger-than-life cashier at Mrs Foo’s pastry and cake heaven “the Beater”

Needed a good dose of laughter. Second to Kuc, Will and Grace always does the trick. So i watched a few episodes just now.

Jack and Karen always crack me up! I cant stand Grace- hate her. Will is adorable. If you’ve watched it you’d know what I’m talking about. Sigh why do good sitcoms have to come to an end? Cant they just keep running till my eyesight and hearing wears off to old age?

Hope tomorrow will be a better day.

Bee’s E-Day Part 2

So here’s the juice on Bee’s e-day, the words in purple are Lya’s [i copied and pasted from her blog-thanks Busuk! ;p] and in turqoise are mine [duh!]  Bee and I go a loong way back. She was the first friend I made in UIA. I just registered at UIA’s matriculation center in PJ and it was also the first day that i wore a tudung [headscarf] for more than an hour [ when I went for mengaji lessons as a kid, I wore a tudung but only for the duration of the lesson ;p]

I felt a tad uncomfortable, plus I was in surroundings that I wasnt familiar with. Didnt attend boarding school, that makes staying in a room with so many other girls a first – had a case of “culture shock” i suppose.

Then I met Bee, who also stays in Shah Alam [felt connected already cos I was so homesick though I was only 25 mins away from home], her tudung was perfectly in place [mine was soo cacat- didnt know how to put one on properly] AND the best part about Bee was that we had the same wave length - entailing comfortable conversations and compatible silence! 

Then on we became close friends, we were in the same Arabic class [our lecturer always picked on us - but we were ok with it cos he was kinda cute hehe] and Bee and I were also in the same dorm. Very fun! I still remeber those days so clearly and now Bee is about to become a wife. Time just jets off doesnt it..sigh

Alrighty enuf on the history 101..back to Bee’s e-day!

Lya-purple and red

Mine -turqoise

090907 marks the date that my best friend bee becomes mimie’s fiance.Sorry mimie, susah nak tuka panggil amirul. [am just going to stick to Mimi - can right En Amirul? haha]Hehe. I was excited many days before that. Bile orang tanya last week, “Are u free this weekend?” I’d be like… “Nope! My best friend’s getting engaged. There’s no way i’m missing her e-day!” Hehe. Okay, overly excited. Sampai my selendang i wore that day pun over like i was the one getting engaged pulak. [ no it didnt look over and i've got pictures to prove it-see pic below, they both looked nice, but of course Bee had the extra glow - wait Lya it'll be your turn soon to have the same glowy effect on your face]Haha. Tapi takpe. I have every right to be. She’s my best friend!

Oh, I can’t even begin to describe how gorgeous she looked.[yes like i said Bee was glowing and looked stunning, every piece was in place] Turquoise on her looked perfect! Seriously cantik. Not many people can pull off wearing turquoise and look dazzling in it u know. [ i know for a fact that i cant boohoo] No one could’ve stolen her limelight that day even if they tried like hell. [I second that Busuk!] Hehe. [Haha]

I’d put up pictures but i have nil. I was, again i state, overly excited and nape tah that i forgot i could’ve taken photos using my phone’s camera. **too broke to own an actual camera. haha.

Anyway, i hope someone send me some photos of that day soon. I’m gonna keep bugging them. Hehe. ** That’s you Dya. ;p Oh, Dya’s on her way to becoming a superb photographer! She’s got talent. And i’ve got photos to prove it. Ehehe. [pics will be up soon - eh where got talent, so many shots tak jadi haha]

Okla.. a few words for bee…

Bee, congratulations on your e-day. You are one step closer to every girl’s dream. [It's definitely mine ;p] Well, most girls i think. Hehe. You two deserve each other undoubtedly. And you guys deserve a beautiful life ahead, together, which i’m sure will happen soon. Okla, poyo je. Hehe. Bee! Seriously, i’m overjoyed. You deserve this bliss. Luv u!!! [Yea Bee, u guys rock! luv ya too babe]

p/s: this has got to be my most colourful post ever!

Lya (Busuk ;p) and Bee

Bee’s E-Day

Nabilah [I call her Bee] got engaged last Sunday to Wan Amirul [or more fondly known as Mimi ;p very masculine eh haha].

I’ll spill more details soon.

Congrats Bee and Mimi!

@Bakerzin last week

Elsie found a great background for a pic..

So we took a shot!

Zoey got us some souvies from Bangkok; double strip headbands - so Marc Jacobs

 

Zoey showing us how to wear our souvies ;p mine is pink – i love!

Elsie trying hers on.

Embracing Ramadhan

San Francisco..about to go for iftar

It’s the first day of ramadhan-and i just got back from terawih.  I love Ramadhan more than Syawal..the heightened spirit of togetherness amongst Muslims is so obvious during this holy month. We often or sometimes take for granted the common bond that we have as Muslims, but during this month- it will be reignited as millions of Muslims observe the fasting month of Ramadhan all across the globe.

The roads around Masjid Besar Shah Alam was so busy, the parking space in the compound of the mosque that used to be enough during the rest of the year was just now filled with cars, till I had to park on the pavement by the road! 

I stepped out of my car and joined my fellow sisters and brothers who were also making their way to the mosque…all for one purpose. Very moving.

As I walked.. my thoughts were on my parents in Mecca and my siblings. And how I cant wait to have iftar together with the entire family.I’m missing my parents terribly.

Tomorrow i’ll be having iftar at my grandmum’s. This is the second Ramadhan that I’m not with my folks on the first day. The first time was when I was in the States, in San Francisco..quite sedih not having your family around, but it was an experience breaking fast in what I consider one of the best town in the States. I did not go for terawih though.

The second day of Ramadhan i flew out of San Fran to LA to meet my uncle. He made nasi ayam for me but unfortunately we were stuck in LA’s rush hour trafffic on the way to my uncle’s place from the airport and all I had with me were some Jelly Belly beans and Uncle Man’s mineral water. So that was my iftar

Bibik just came up to ask what I’d like to have for sahur, told her not to trouble herself I’ll just have cereal and yoghurt and she gave me this puzzled look that said  ”are you mad- you’ll get hungry” she dismissed me and said she’ll cook something..ok la-that works for me too hehe

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Ramadhan has a special way of making even those who often neglect their duties and obligations to pull their act together. Thriving to be a better Muslim should be one’s aim every single day and not just a moments realisation..of course that’s the ideal state. Which is hard to attain.But Ramadhan makes a good launch pad.

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Folks will be back Friday next week.I pray that they have a blessed Umrah.

And also for all of us to be able to make this Ramadhan better than the last, for our prayers and sujuds in submission to be accepted , and for a stronger bond between us and our Maker.

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Ramadhan Mubarak everyone.

Madame’s Promotion

Madame [Azrina] just got promoted, so to celebrate she took the ladies out for dim sum lunch at PJ Hilton earlier today-Delish!

We had a sceptical waiter who was very worried that we ordered too much and we wouldnt be able to finish what we ordered…hello! of course we proved her wrong haha

Congrats Madame!

Pic below: That’s not all that we ordered ;p

Read : Because She Can

 

What i’m reading at the mo..

Just bought it last Wednesday..On the first page of the book [in the Prologue]  the words Vera [Vera Wang] and House of Lesage appears..

Then in the next few pages..Oscar de la Renta, Vintage Bulgari, Harry Winston..

my review….so far so good *wink*

Budget 2008

The budget’s out.

Unfortunately at the time the budget was announced I was in a meeting so I didnt get to watch or hear it live.

My attention is on the policies for the fund management industry - cos it happens to be part of my portfolio. 

Excited to read the round of commentaries tomorrow!

Furry Friend

I’ve been relying on Kiki and Boo for feline love for a while now [I'm like an aunt to my brother's cats] forever bugging my brother to bring them home for the weekend [they stay with my brothers in their apartment in Cyberia].

 For the longest time, I’ve wanted to get a cat for myself, one that stays at home with me [only stays in the house -very domesticated]. But the only problem with having a cat at home is their poo poo [yes, they can be trained] but still it’s a hassle to clean up the litter box etc. that’s my only bug bear with cats.

oh and an added concern- my house [folk's place] has a lot of wood based furniture not to mention carpets which make great scratching spots for cats [and yes i know i can get scratch posts] but am a bit worried that the cat would get bored of it [of course la, after a while i'm sure it'll be bosan to scratch the same old surface] and hence resort to putting their little claws on the forbidden items.

other than the above, if cats dont poop [will never happen..duh!] and they dont have this scratching habit-im more than happy to have one at home.

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BUT just yesterday while I was in Bangsar , to pick up a birthday balloon for Mrs Foo [was her birthday yesterday - got her a nice clutch from Aldo too] at my favorite balloon place, Balloon Bouquets, i passed by Rainin Cats and Dogs and saw the most adorable pair of blue eyes looking out from the display cage. Brown ears, paws, tail and shade of brown on the face..I later found out that he’s a Persian Siamese mix that’s about 3-4 months old. CUTELICIOUS!

There were also 3 one year old Persians but they’re too common, and when I went back to the office and showed Mrs Foo, Madame and Tai Tai a picture of mr blue eyes-they told me to get him, he’s a rarity and I agree.

So I’ll be getting a cat!

Need to bring him in when Mum and Dad leaves for Umrah, cos it’d allow me to introduce him to the house and should there be accidents [ pray there'd be none] I can deal with it.

And when folks get back, hopefully they wont notice any difference; like funny cat smell,  fur everywhere, or scratch marks on the furniture. 

Only then will I break the news that a little kitten has been staying at home while they were away and has been an angel and did not do anything to disturb the cosy ambience at home hehe

But am quite sure once they look into those blue eyes just like i did – they’d say welcome to the family

So we’ll see.

Picking Castro up [I named him Fidel Castro- lurve it!] on Saturday. Can’t wait.

Noni’s wedding

Am running out of space to upload pics.

So go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinkcoat/ [it's also on my blogroll - right sidebar] for some pics at Noni’s wedding.

I was the bridesmaid but still had time to take some shots hehe. Talk about multitasking.

Hey if I wanna be good at photography I’m gonna have to practice ;p

Am a newbie on Flickr so Noni’s wedding shots are the first batch. More to come!

Am feeling blue

Am I having a prolonged case of Monday blues? Cos I’ve been feeling so malas the whole day, although while feeling malas..i was still very productive ;p

I blame my malas state on last night- I usually sleep like a baby, but last night was out of the ordinary. I was tossing and turning like roti canai..trying to sleep, and to make matters worst..the few minutes that was far in between that I did doze off..I had to get up for “temperature changes” ..

It all began when I misplaced/ someone moved the remote to both the air con and the fan from the bedside table. So when it got too sejuk in the room, I struggled to pull myself out of the cocoon of warmth i’ve created with my comforter..and walk to the switch to turn off the a/c…and cos i didnt know where i placed the remote to the fan, had to walk to the fan to switch it on.

Just to add to my already not so good night, after 2 hours or so it got a bit warm, and the whole process repeated.. i had to walk again to on the a/c then switch off the fan.. at this point I was ready to point a shotgun at whoever it was that moved the remotes [ i think it was my brother].

Tonight I’ll make sure that both the remotes are on the table.

Thankfully traffic this morning wasnt a b*tc*- got in, traded morning tea for kopi-o. Much needed after the roti canai episode in bed, having to face multiple tasks and also a slight case of the morning blues.

Bring on Tuesday!

Merdeka Eve

Merdeka eve was spent at home entertaining some family friends that are down from London. Aunty Norbi and Uncle Mokhtar overwhelmed us with their hospitality when we were in London, now its our turn to membalas budi ;p

Mum and Dad decided to serve steamboat in our pondok. Dad was in his kain pelekat- “casual”host haha. Mum’s steamboat was a hit!

I’m glad I was home instead of stuck in a jam somewhere, got stuck in a jam just as I got out of SC [which has never happened before] but it was entirely my fault for not leaving the office early [could't even if i wanted to anyway]

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Happy 50th Birthday Malaysia!

Sarah J’s Day

the after party 

The bride and groom after the after party

I was only half right when I said that it was going to be a garden wedding. Cocktail was served in the garden [very elegant setting], dins and the rest was in the hall [ wise choice considering the unpredictable weather condition these days]

Sarah J looked stunning!  So radiant and I aboslutely loved the color of her saree. I wanted to get a saree for myself but then I thought maybe not cos I’d drown in it hehe

Robbie [also known as Hari] and Sarah J made sure that the reception reflected their character - funky and outgoing. The wedding theme was all about cars..they arrived at the church reception earlier in the morning in a Bentley, the wedding invite had a VW beetle printed on it [will upload the pic]..and it went all the way to the stage prop-

At the dinner reception..

[below] the VW message + VW shaped cookie favors [Mrs Foo baked them-very delish!]

Table ID

[Attila was jealous that we were sitted at the Porsche table while he was at the Morris Minor table- hey I think Morris Minors are very stylo]

They had an extremely talented entertainer too, Kuc [who looked very handsome that night in his maroon kurta] thought the guy was an American singer, but Bala was a Malaysian. He rocked the stage! He had us at Quando Quando Quando [can almost give Michael Buble a run for his money haha] I’ll try and upload the video ;p

The after party ended at 2:30am..we got some exercise doing some Bangra moves and dancing Hindi style to Ledja Ledja (is that how u spell it? from that Kuch Kuch something movie], and even Macarena [oh but I didnt join the crowd for Macarena..cant stand the song]

It was fun. 

Great company while sharing the wedding bliss of a friend and enjoying good entertainment..nice! 

Congrats Robbie and Sarah J~

my killer peep toes for the nite

squeezeee in

 mrs foo in a saree

Passing

Hazi lost her sister, Adelina yesterday..my condolences and prayers goes out to her and her family.

It was undeniably a tragic death..but I wish people could just stop talking about her sister’s death..so many different versions of what happened, so much speculation. The media sensationalises it too. I think everyone should learn to show some respect and not treat the details of what happened as if it’s the latest goss or juice in town.

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May her soul be blessed and her family find strength through these testing times.

Sarah J’s Getting Hitched

Another hen night passed last Friday..Sarah J is getting hitched this Saturday at the gardenly lurvely Cyberview Lodge! [yes it'll be a garden wedding]

Unfortunately Madame, Mrs Foo and I werent able to make it for the party cos we were stuck at work (I know on Friday nite) and I was having the king of all headaches – not the recommended condition for a party.

But I managed to do-up something nice decent for Sarah J’S hen pen book…[It could've been nicer but I was groggy and sleepy  at the time ;p]

Pic above : my so called tool kit..[of course it's actually just my scrapbooking stuff]

Below:added some fine touches..V&H..Venee [Sarah J] and Hari..it’s just too boring to write on white background..so purplish pink on stripes it is~

 

All of us are booked in at Cyberview Lodge for the weekend.

Sat-garden do, Sunday morning-spa! Sounds like a great weekend to me!

Bukit Bintang Girls School

The Pavillion is almost ready to open its doors to those with deep pockets and those who wish they had deep pockets.  It’s set to be the premiere shopping spot in KL as well as boasting 2 highrise condominiums.

I’m not one of those who’ll look at the Pavillion in awe or excitement. I would much rather  see my dear alma mater Bukit Bintang Girls School with it’s fine architecture, storing 100 years worth of memories, than a concrete skyscraper.

The school was torn down to make way for a new piece of development.

BBGS used to be in front of Star Hill. We could see Star Hill from our classrooms!

 But of course we couldn’t enter in our uniform. We believed back then that the Star Hill peeps had a secret arrangement with our school, cos anytime anyone went there in their school uniform after school, they’d get caught. Everytime. Beats me ;p

I was so disheartened when I passed the Pavillion earlier this evening. In the past when Dad’s car stopped on red at the traffic light opposite BMW’s showroom, I would unbuckle the seat belt, reach for my school bag, sling them over my shoulders and get ready to say bye for another day in school.

BBGS was special. Every BBGSian would be able to tell you about..

• The one of a kind architecture of the building- not like the usual sekolah menengah 
• The blocks; it wasn’t named blok 1, or blok mawar etc. We had the Prouse Wing, Art Block..
• Our respective houses (for sports) wasn’t Rumah Merah, or Rumah Hang Tuah. But Shirtliffe (red), Prouse (purple), Green (duh green), Cooke (yellow), Maclay (blue) named after our former headmistresses. I belonged to the Shirtliffe house
• The ribbons that we had to tie around our ponytails or pleats- we could only wear a black or white ribbon  and it had to be of a certain width. No purple, brown etc. If you tied your hair using a hair band then you’d have to tie a ribbon around it-that was the rule.Every morning the prefects would make sure we had them on and again after recess. I didnt mind. So proper..i loike!
• The tunes we’d sing together if we had extra time during assembly “One man went to mow..went to mow a meddow, one man and his pet pomeranian pup and a bottle of pop went to mow a meadow”haha. Approach any BBGSian and she’d be able to sing this for you. Oh and of course Adelweise (all time favourite)
• The choral speaking season. You’d hear so many different pieces  being presented in so many different very creative ways. It was compulsory for each class. I remembered we did Matilda when I was in Form One. I even had a solo ;p

I can’t attempt to finish the list cos it’s endless, really.

I loved BBGS, I’m thankful my parents decided to send me there. It had such character, and presence – and that character and presence helped mould so many fine young ladies.

I’m going to end this post with a song that I can still remember seeing everyone singing with such pride and joy, I was beaming too.. BBGS’s centenary song, when BBGS celebrated her 100th birthday.

Within These Walls 

If through these walls,
we can hear the stories long ago,
Those BBGS dreams
their hopes and more …
And if through these walls,
we can see the days before,
We’ll see the joy, the rise and growth,
Every smile that greets hello…

Names may change and faces pass,
But the tune’s the same
we’ll make it last,
We’ll learn these words before
they come to pass…
BBGS in my heart, ten decades
we’ve grown to love,
Add a hundred more,
my heart will still belong,
Within these cherished walls.

Within these walls
I’ve found meanings of love,
To conquer fears, to wipe
the sorrow tears,
here I learned of friends,
learned to give a helping hand,
And when I’m lost, they’ll guide my way
with God’s will till the end…

Names may change and faces pass,
But the tune’s the same
we’ll make it last,
We’ll learn these words before
they come to pass…
Within these walks, we’ve built our lives
For a hundred years it stayed with us,
Let us keep it standing strong…

Written by Raja Ismahan Syahnee bt. Raja Dato Ibrahim (Form 5-1992) and Nik Serena bt. Nik Zainal (Form 5 – 1993) , winners of the BBGS Centenary Song Competition.

Hey there Delilah

Been playing the track over and over again..lurve it!

Pet Treats

For dog and cat lovers.

Sixth Sense Pet Boutique and Grooming Parlour in Hartamas.

 Owned by Marilyn, a lady that will definitely remind you of Yoko Ono thanks to her long black tresses (not the rebonding style-hence the Yoko Ono look).

The dogs that are there for day care roam freely in the shop, but dont worry, they would happily shoo the cute doggies to the back of the shop before you enter…and nope no dog poop on the floor and the place does not have a nasty smell.

What you can find in the store? Stuff your dog/cat needs like food and the ones that you buy to pamper the little ones..tops, toys, comfy modern patterned pillows etc.

They have obedience classes for dogs too, not sure if they have classes for cats.

I bought Kiki or Boo(don’t know which one of them will get it) a top. A slightly naughty one haha.

Prada Cupcakes

I almost didnt make it for my dinner date last Friday with the lurvely ladies aka ze Prada Cupcakes- thanks to work la what else ;p

But I managed to go, though a few minutes late (a big improvement compared to my “a few hours” late not so grand entrance at Souled Out ;p)

We of course had a blast. Elsie was the first to arrive and unfortunately when we went to the Apartment, the waiting list was THAT long (note: the Apartment has a policy of not taking reservations from Friday to Sunday-weird, so on blue Monday when no one is really in the mood for chilling and the place is empty u can make reservations)

So Elsie and I went to Laundry to get some dinner:

1. We shared a Cioppino (my fav)
2. My virgin margarita didnt have salt on the rim..dunno why
3. Wan and Aspa came along a few minutes later - didnt have enuf light to look at Wan’s pretty engagement pics (darn)
4. We ordered carbonara that didnt show up on our table-Laundry on Friday biasala- so we cancelled

Then we got a call from the Apartment-there was a table available for us, so  went off to the Apartment for meals, dessert, and koh-fee. At the Apartment:

1. We got the side “smoking” section seats, a bit cramped but ok la- would’ve preferred sitting outside
2. Zoey came, looking all dolled up in her summer tube dress ( i loike – we must switch at our next swap-what-you-dont-want session)
3. had an African waiter that was a bit kelakar and I think had a crush on Zoey haha
4. Elsie went shutter-manic with her new N73 ;p
5. We ordered chicken in the bag (good) meringue with peach and strawberry (good) and this other dish with large prawns (ok la, a bit bland)
6. latte wasn’t too bad
7. the Apartment’s decor get’s you into this Soho mood,and they have a console and dj playing latin, and mix of some other genre which adds to the spunky ambience-nice

But if you’re looking to go there for a first date, no need la, cos you’d have to up the volume when speaking, so kills the flirting, i-wanna-get-you mood. Although I’m not too sure whether the dj spins on other nights as well, Zoey you know?

Then we decided we’d go to Starbucks for some air suam and wind down- it’s quiter there. Anyway, we were hogging the table at the Apartment and people were queing outside like it’s a club- so I’m sure we made some folks happy by making a move

Starbucks:

1. Shared a bottle of Nantucket Nectares Big Cranberry
2. Talked
3. took silly pics
4. talked sumore
5. sumore silly pics

Then at about 1 plus we made a move.

It was another night of good laughs, bitching sessions (can’t do without), updates and plans.

Oh but this time at 3 different spots *wink*

Pic: L-R Zoey, Aspa, Wan, Elsie

Absent: Nigs

Mak Yeop’s Dusun

 

Why was I wearing Phua Chu Kang boots? (I know I know they’re not yellow like his ;p)

Visit my photo blog, Capture-d Mo at

 http://nadiazainuddin.fotopages.com

Not So Weekend

Zoey Ink 

Ok before I even start to blog away- I must document my sorry to Zoey for not helping her out with her Miami Ink project. I just couldn’t find an ideal time to do it, once I’m home after work.. I’m often just too tired to do anything but have a quick chat with my folks, shower, chat date with Kuc then sleep.

Takpe Zoey, Miami Ink will wait for you ;p and I’ll send you a balloon bouquet..pink hearts and smileys? Sorry Zoey! Cupcakes on me this Friday eh.

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This week was crazy- I was entrusted with another portfolio. Yikes! I really hope I can come up to speed fast enuf-very nervous about it,but it’s great exposure, even more direct dealings with intermediaries, good!

Like always I looked forward to the weekend, not like it wasnt as hectic as the weekdays that passed cos my weekend was filled with “things-to-do” too.

Cancelled plan for Body Step at Axis

Was supposed to go for the Body Step class at Axis @ 3:15pm yesterday- but Dad wanted to leave for my aunty’s pot luck early and I was too lazy to drive there on my own- so my plan for a good leg + thigh + ass workout was bumped off.

I consoled myself by the fact that I went for Line Dance Funk on Monday & Body Step on Wednesday- so requirement for cardio workout this week- done.

Although I totally pigged out at my aunty’s place yesterday-so much for burning calories.

 Judging Friendly Tournie

The Australasian Debating Championship will kick off this Wednesday, UITM is hosting the tournie this year- they won the bid against New Zealand.

International teams from Australia, Singapore, Korea etc have started arriving since Saturday and  also began sparring sessions with the local teams.

Sparring sessions= warm up= spying out for competition before the tournie begins ;p

I had to go to campus and judge a few rounds today, IIU & NTU (Singapore) sparring  - deciding over motions arguing Aborigine politics in Australia to the military govt in Thailand- fun eh for a Sunday? haha.

And I pigged out again- we had Domino’s for lunch. I couldnt resist. IIU always provides good food..aren’t we spoiled ;p

Pic above: School debaters who came to watch the sessions waiting to snap some slices.

So..weekend’s almost over and I’ve not had any “me” time yet. Blurgh!

I’ll just go do up a foot soak for myself, grab the latest Economist and chill. [I realised after the debates that I've lost track of quite a number of the current issues-shame on me]

This coming weekend should be exciting-there are goats involved (ye kambing..kambing hidup ;p)- so watch out for that post.

Bite: Bora Asmara

the art piece in our bisek bisekdinner

Bora through a lenseMadame

“Are we lost?” That was one of the first remarks I made while driving through Kg Sg Penchala for Alina’s farewell dins. We passed by warongs with patrons watching WWF, small kedai runcits and young kids on motorbikes without helmets on [see I had reasons to think we were lost]. 

But Madame assured me that we weren’t lost and indeed we weren’t..just a few minutes after exiting Penchala Link, wheezing through the kampong we arrived at Bora Asmara [got connection with Bora Ombak? maybe] 

Ambience is something that Bora Asmara boasts..and you’d have to be blind to not notice the Balinese influence at Bora ..from the Balinese gargoyle stone lamps to Bali thatched roofs. This Bali inspired garden eatery serves Indonesian, Western and local dishes.  

I was more excited about the setting than the food [wedding reception at Bora Asmara..hmm? ;p]  The place automatically puts one on the romantic-wind down mode- preferred mode after the rat race comes to a temporary halt. 

At Bora, you can choose to dine al fresco, in the Bala Gede [air conditioned], or in the few bisek-bisek [private hut] that sits 6 comfortably [I believe you can request for more sitting pillows if you there are more than 6 of you].  

Unfortunately the food wasn’t able to match the ambience- it’s not awful but not great.But I enjoyed the Lemongrass Chiller..iced serai.If I’m not mistaken Bora is also open for lunch but doubt the feel of the setting will be as great..no night breeze, lamps etc.

It should definitely be your pick if you’re staying/working near the area,dont want to curse while looking for a parking space and definitely a pick if you’re in the mood for some Balinese ambience and coo coo time.

 Directions to Bora Asmara:

Get on the Penchala Link,take the Kg Sg Penchala exit, left at the first traffic light [in front of the mosque] then drive straight on for a bit, it’ll be on your left-you wont miss it.

Bag the Man

Went to a Vietnamese restaurant near home just now to get dinner and I saw what I consider an extremely irritating sight…a guy carrying his girlfriend’s handbag! 

I’m very very confused as to why this –unexplainable- -unfortunate- phenomenon that’s becoming a bit too common these days in Malaysia is happening. I’ve been tempted to go up to the girl and ask her “Why oh why is your boyfriend carrying your handbag?” But nope my sane side [yes I have one haha] will hold me back and save me from what I expect would have been a very awkward situation for all of us. 

So I decided to just place my questions on this puzzling practice in my blog. 

I’ve seen really feminine-ly designed totes to aunty looking bags on the shoulders of a guy. It’s different if the wife is carrying an infant in her arms or a 4 year old who refuses to walk…but no..most of the time-the girl/woman/lady is just walking freely with nothing impeding her from using her own shoulder to sling the bag…jalan melenggang (bak kata orang Melayu ;p) Puzzling. 

Ladies- I’m guessing the bag you picked for that outing was intended to match thelook you were going for..scruffy out of bed, Barbie doll plastic, boho….5^thavenue chic..whichever..(well I do that…matching color for color is a bit passé) so why do you get the guy to hold your bag?? Unless you picked out a man bag for yourself.  

Guys-My only question is.. don’t you feel emasculated? 

Please don’t mistaken me for a woman who wants her man to be Hercules-like manly..I’m ok with guys embracing all colors including pink (Kuc does-and he looks good ;p) they ought to go for manicures and pedicures, or facials ( if they want to) have a skin care regime..etc…but I simply draw the line at carrying handbags.. blurgh! (there’s just something very off with that) 

Is this the new age form of PDA (Public Display of Affection)??  If it is then I say no thanks..my clutch..holdall..buckle bag.. whichever..stays with me

The only thing Kuc carries for me is my Crumpler..cos I don’t trust leaving dear lap-t in the car..and I doubt a Crumpler can be classified as a handbag. 

I’m very puzzled- I hope someone can offer me an explanation (I’m sure there’s a reason for this) or else I’ll just roll my eyes and have that bewildered look on my face anytime I see a female accessory on the shoulder of a man. 

Notice the pic-it’s on her hand not his ;p

Go Fly Kites

It was that time of the year again for Dad to take his workers away for a retreat. And as always on previous retreats..our whole extended family..aunties,uncles, cousins, nephews would tag along.So last Thursday night all of us left for Langkawi, for a 3d2n stay at Berjaya Resort.. consistent with our previous sand & sea trips to Redang, Perhentian…

Let me share one of the highlights of the retreat..it was the evening when all of us went down to the beach to fly kites..yup main laying-layang. I can’t remember the last time I flew a kite…must’ve been ages ago.

 My uncle’s Bali workers made them..if I’m not mistaken they made 11 kites in different shapes and colors.[Talented eh?]

 It was fun!

Tugging at it when it looked like it’s about to fall or giving it sumore benang [thread] when there was enough wind and it could fly higher..not easy peasy k ;p

I was proud of my little layang-layang..mine had a slim long tail ;p…it flew wayyyy up there..so way up that it was a bit tiring reeling it in when it was time to wrap up.

The layang-layang idea was a great one..everyone took turns to play..it was a breath of fresh air from the usual beach ball game [though of course that took place simultaneously- ball + sand= auto beach ball game], walk on the beach or making sand castles.

 twin cousins, sister and aunt taking a stab at beach ball!

Nothing but wind, sand, and good ol fashion layang-layang for a spectacular time in the sun!

Can you spot my kite in the pic? It’s the one with the slightly pinkish tail and no the one next to it is not a bird.

Say Cheese!

People usually take their cameras along with them when they travel, go for trips, holidays with great enthusiasm that they’d be able to “capture the moment” or for some to take the “I was there” type of pictures usually in front of famous buildings..streets, signboards…etc

I’m a shutter bug when it comes to taking pictures.. I always try not to take typical pictures. Recently I was hit by a surge of interest in photography.. not to become a professional [though I actually wouldnt mind becoming a pro photographer] but just to be able to take shots that tell a story, that really captures the moment.

I think this interest kicked in after I came back from Ubud which is a photographer’s playground- with all the scenes, landscapes, culture.Plus I’m also very sick and tired of the Raya sitting in a row with everyone smiling type of picture.. [boring!]

So this afternoon I attended a Photography Workshop by Eric Peris..a self taught photographer,was NST’s photo editor for 24 years, a master in black and white photography and have had countless exhibitions both locally and internationally.

I brought along my brother’s SLR [must ge one for myself] and my point-and-shoot Sony Cybershot, I have no idea how to use an SLR [but I did get a taste of it's power when I tried taking a few shots]

Was hoping the workshop would give me a quick idiot’s guide but it was more about the art and philosophy of photography.. which was  fine with me.

  getting to know the SLR..

 “The image is captured in your mind first not by the camera”..that was one of the first things that Eric said and it made perfect sense.  Shouldnt just aimlessly take shots [ I've done that a couple of times ;p]..there has to be an idea behind the shot and a clear expectation of what the final image will be. Patience is key. And nothing comes without practice.

An interesting advise Eric gave was when he said ” the last thing you should read are photography books..you should look at the works of Rembrandt and other classical painters” According to him photography is just mimicking of what earlier painters were trying to do with canvas and oil. He also mentioned that there are no strict rules in photography [good] and we shouldnt be afraid to try new angles and use different styles [very good].I left the workshop eager to practice and learn the basics of taking good photographs- familiarise myself with the apperture,tones [there's a LOT to learn].

But I dont intend to take masterpieces, just shots that are alive and do justice to the image that it tried to freeze…for coming birthday parties, weddings, holidays, births and more.

Well at the moment I’m still looking out for those photography-for-idiots classes.

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Some of the photographs that I’m proud of..

Above is a picture that I took on my way to the market in Portobello Road when I was in London early this year (using my N73)

Below is a very old man at a very old courtyard (400 yrs old) that I visited as part of a night Hutong tour in Beijing. (Cybershot)

Click on the pciture to see the full shot

Of Salmon and Hunt for Pie

Within 45 minutes of arriving home from work I drove out again with Nasha to Bangsar..all cos I felt like eating salmon. And dad wanted apple pie with ice cream, and the best place I knew that’s not too far (mind you I stay in Shah Alam) to get both under one roof was Bangsar Village.

Delicious has salmon and toast on the menu..a fair amount of salmon.yum!

For dad’s pie..now that was a whole hunt..I thought I’d just go to Suchan (on the way stop by Lollipops to see if there are any newbies I can pick up..bag temptation.-hardest to fight haha) but unfortunately Suchan ran out of pie..so next stop ws Haagen Dazs..the slice was small but no choice..however no-go at Haagen Dazs either..cos they didnt do take outs for pie (silly!)

Why go all over? Well if only Delicious had apple pie as part of that long list of sweetlicious stuff they had..then sister and I wouldnt have to go through all the trouble,but Delicous has blackberry apple crumble..too bad dad’s not a fan of blackberry…and he wanted pie..or else the hunt could’ve been officially over.

 

In the end “takut kempunan” I picked up a slice of apple crumble from Coffee Bean and a slice of pecan pie for myself. Dad was a bit dissapointed but he finished it nevertheless ;p

So I got my salmon..as for dad..he’ll have to wait till tomorrow..I’ll get him a whole pie

Bite:Saravana Bhavan

For lunch today, my colleagues and I headed out to Saravana Bhavan in Telawi Bangsar. Madame told me they serve vegetarian food…and chicken that’s not chicken but vegetarian..something like chicken tasting tofu (am I making sense?maybe not)

Well I’m not so familiar..in fact to be more accurate I’m not familiar at all with Indian food. So this was a chance for me to experiment.

If you’re alien to the food like I am, then navigating through the menu at Saravana will be a bit difficult. Luckily for me Venee aka Sarah J (call her Sarah J cos she reminds me of Sarah Jessica Parker ;p) was there.

But I shouldnt scare you.. they do have descriptions of the dishes in English..and they’ve got quite an array of dishes there.

The four dishes that we ordered were:

Madame had Vegetarian Chicken Briyani..the chicken that’s not chicken dish. And I must say the briyani was delicious! The rice berderai (what’s the translation for that in English) rice wasn’t lumpy? ..there. And it came in a reasonable portion that wont make you feel like you’ve been ripped of your money.

Oh yea and the veg chicken did taste like chicken. Interesting eh..I’ve yet to figure out how it’s made.

Vegetarian Chicken Briyani RM7.50

We also shared some Bainan Bartha..brinjal dish. Goes well with the briyanis. (RM8.50  for a bowl)

Sarah J had the Paneer Pulao..I love the name..very exotic. I’ll get Sarah J to leave a comment on this one to describe it.. but I’ll try..it was rice mixed with Indian cheese (oh dear..I hope I’m doing justice to the food). This was tasty too.. though since it has cheese as a main ingredient it may turn out to be an acquired taste for some. But I liked it.

All the briyani came with this white gravy thingy that had onions in it..(I’m really showing that I have no idea about  Indian food arent I..eek)

 Paneer Pulao RM8.00

I had the Masala Dosa and it was the first time I ever ate such a huge tose..the last time I had tose was when I pinched some from Sarah J and the other  from my mum and that was it…my whole tose history.

But the tose at Saravan was good…not too sour,though I prefer the tose to be soft, so I had to tear out the crispy parts..the next time I’m there I’ll get them to make it soft all around. Had 4 different dips..so I amateurishly dipped the tose into all four. It was very filling and Sarah J told me it’s high in protein..yeay healthy living ;p

Masala Dosa RM3.50

Norlin had Poori Masala which looked a bit obscene…ha ha. 

Dont you think so? Anyhoo..this I didnt get the chance to taste..but Norlin was eating away so I’m guessing it was good too.

For dessert Sarah J picked out the Carrot Halwa..it’s like a paste..taste of carrots (duh) though not overwhelming and milk as well. Wasn’t too sweet..which is good. Should share it..cos it may be too “heavy” for single consumption.

 Carrot Halwa 100gm for RM5.00

The place is air conditioned, clean, has a clean restroom too. Service is ok (nothing to complain about). Not crowdy..wasn’t full when we were there. Parking- can park at Jolly Green, won’t advise you to try your luck finding parking along the street. Location: same row as Public Bank so dont park at BV..too far.

I would definitely go there again, food’s good, not pricey..recommended-especially for anyone alien to Indian food.

Whoop It Debaters!

I remember complaining and whining quite often at debate tournaments.. (actually I shouldnt just implicate myself.. all the debaters whine! haha) some of the most common things we complain about are, in no particular order:

• The Tab: usually cos it’s late (Tab= results from the last round which determines match-ups for the next one) Why does it take so long? most of the time its cos the adjudicators take too long to fill in the scoresheets and when they do.. they sometimes mess up the scores which screws up the tabulation process.blurgh!

• Sucky run-down motions- (motions= topics we debate on) anything that has to do with the Israel-Palestine conflict is run down (no not cos I dont think the issue is of global importance.. it is) but not to be debated till its death at countless tournaments.Camp David repeated 100 times..not fun.

• Lousy accomodation- yes debaters have all had their share, although we are sometimes spoilt.I  had cosy acco when I was in Melbourne, it was in Melbourne unis dorm- but it was single occupancy AND had a fire place (beat that), South Africa-Stellenbosch uni wasn’t too bad either..room had a priceless view. Usually international tournaments are ok but lcoal tournaments…depends on your luck and the host.

• Horrible food- ahh yess.. so they say the tummy offers the nastiest critique, we’ve had everyhting from packed nasi ayam..to no-flavor-bland veg pizza!  The worst thing is when you’re overseas and organisers have difficuly finding halal food..then no choice..unless we choose to knot our tummies and try finding halal food in a foreign town.

So there you go..the list of complaints..owe up guys I’m sure at one of the numerous tournies we’ve competed in, Australs, Worlds, AUDC, Asians, Royals..surely something must’ve gone wrong..oh yea I forgot the king of all complaints…I can bet my last sen on this one..debaters must have at least once complain that..

they had  bad adjudicators judging in their room (bad= the judge gave them the loss) and we’d all have the reasons why we think the judge was lousy..he read into the debate, he was bias,it was his first time judging..bla bla..haha. Well I’m guilty.. I’ve lost rounds too and yes unfortunately thanks to bad judges.

Well peeps the organisers of WUPID (CIMB World Universities Peace Invitational Debate) are making sure that none of the debaters competing at the tournament will whine, complain, or get worked up over anything else but silly rebuttals or arguments ( believe me debaters confidently arguing nonsense can be quite irritating). H&G is the event organiser (great job my lil Kuc!)

I wont spill the details, you can and must check out WUPID’s website or WUPID’s blog..by the way funky name eh..pronounced Whoop-it..haha.

Motions will be fresh, sure we’ve all had peace as end-objectives for our cases but this time they must be the gist of your arguments. Debaters will get a chance to attend a Corporate Social Responsibility Conference (if you dont know what that is- dont call yourself a debater) and since it’s invitational…you’ll be debating against the best of the best.. Oxford A anyone? (hold on.. they still the top team? I’ve not checked the rankings).

It’ll be held end of this year.. so watch that space.

Kate Moss & Topshop

 

Sunday is not a good day to be in KLCC or wait any mall for that matter.

I was already contemplating on using the valet service at Mandarin..scared that I wouldnt be able to find parking. But my brothers told me “takpe sure ada”. Lucky enough for me I didn’t have to drive around for 20 mins cursing at every turn looking for a space…I found one just as I got in.

Anyhoos, KLCC was filled with people..too-busy-during-weekdays-parents making up to their kids for the lost TLC, love birds of all ages and other classifications/types of people possible.

Defintiely not a time for window shopping, gift hunting or a calm mall stroll with your other half.

Brothers and I just headed straight for Topshop..I wanted to check out the Kate Moss collection which made its debut on Thursday,the twins shopped for some shirts and t-shirts.

Well if any of you are expecting to have a whole section filled with Kate’s pieces then you’re in for a dissapointment (so I was dissapointed).

They only had a few pieces..I got myself a double wrapped studded belt and the signature top.

Wanted to get the Gothic Print Tee but my size ran out.Boo. See the cute K in the middle.

Topshop will be bringing in new pieces every Thursday.