MeiOrdinarusVita

ReCap

2009-08-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Peeps! Haven't heard from most of you for a while now. I totally miss everyone! I still have not overcome my laziness to write syndrome. Nevertheless, the laziness to do my mounting assignments surpassed my laziness to write. So here I am trying to come up with something decent enough to publish.

Let's recap what have been happening..

We're moving towards the end of another semester of the Masters degree. This semester it's phonetics and modern English. I really think Phonetics is the 'math' of language studies. There's no need to go into detail on my inability to grasp mathematical concepts. Suffice to say phonetics is killing me this semester. At least there's only the final exam left to go through. Modern English, despite the course name is dry and boring. I so prefer sociolinguistics and SLA.

One of my hommies got married on the 1st of August. She's one my dearest friend and I am very happy for her. Ahmad her husband is very nice and friendly and now has become one my friends to. The wedding was very nice. All the hardwork preparing for it paid off. I wish both of them the best of luck and happily ever after. I don't have the pictures but will update later. They used fresh flowers from Cameron Highland for the wedding. so it's something to fuss over.

I wish I can go to KL. Meet all the friends and catch a few movies. I missed many of the movies that I want to watch. Especially Harry Potter. Haih..

Anyways, next week Ramadhan Al-Mubarak will visit us again. Can't wait! (^_^) I've always Ramadhan. This month is magical to me. I always feel extra safe in Ramadhan. Don't know why. Hope this Ramadhan I can gain a lot of pahala.. I wish all of y friends and those reading an early Ramadhan Mubarak wish. May Allah blesses us all this month. Till then people, take good care!

Once In A Blue Moon

2009-07-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

Talk about once in a blue moon ya?? I know that I'm not the most hardworking blogger when it comes to updating. Hehe.. However, this entry here is to tell everyone that I'm still alive and kicking. Life's been hectic.. not! The thing is I was just lazing around playing Mafia Wars and Pet Society on Facebook I just dont have the mood to write. Plus with all my siblings at home I find it hard to concentrate in writing. They are going back to their colleges soon and I know I'm definitely going to miss them terribly..

By the way, a humongous congrats is in order for my dear friend Nidana and her husband Farihan for the birth of their own little princess who is yet to be named. I saw the pictures and the baby is soooooo cute and cuddly. Lucky Dana is faraway or else I'll be kidnapping the little angel. Hehe..

Next week the new semester will be starting. New faces to be taught, new antics to be tolerated. I wish everythin would go on smoothly especially with the masters degree and Ramadhan all rolled into one giant madness. Huhu.. Wish me luck everyone.. Am going to need it.

I guess that's all for now. I'm going to go back to Mafia War.. heheh

Of Football and Boys

2009-02-03T18:44:00.000-08:00

I just got back from class. Today a student of mine did his public speaking. His topic was football. He managed to deliver his speech quite smoothly and at the end of the presentation, he asked if the audience would like to ask him any question about football. He was very confident and said that he would be able to answer any question from football clubs' information, to the players right down to each of the players' jersies. I then asked him a question. "You seem to know a lot about football. Do you play football often? I mean the 'real' football?" He suddenly looked embarrased and admitted that he does not play football.

Well that's the problem with boys nowadays. They know everything about football but they may not even know the feeling of wearing football shoes. What a pity. They're no different than girls who like football. Boys just don't want to sweat and get dirty nowadays. I have brothers and they too rarely play the sport. The comfort of playing it in front of the computer is much more appreciated.

My point in writing this? Just to share my opinion. Sometimes I'm annoyed with boys who fought over which football club is better, which player is better, girls are not supposed to like football.. yada.. yada.. when in truth they themselves are only pretenders. Especially Man U fans. The 'poyo's. (^_^)

***Frustrated with the last result. Liverpool-Chelsea (2-0)! Damn!

Tagging Grudgingly

2009-01-20T22:30:00.000-08:00

Haiyaaa..! Hana made me do this difficult TAG game again.. I will 'humor' you grudgingly, Hana (^_^)

1. Five characteristics of your dream girl / guy:

Respectful (has to earn my respect)
Smart
Mature
A gentleman
Possess qualities of a leader but not being bossy.

2. Five characteristics that you have never liked in a girl / guy:

Being lazy
Being too talkative
Being fussy
Being rude
Being too emotional (save that for women only please)

3. Five feelings that you have when you are out with the one you admire:

Awed
Respectful
Admiration
Nervous
Cautious

4. Five places that you want to travel to with your loved one:

Rome
Venice
Mauritius
Sipadan Island
Hong Kong

5. Five special things that you will give to your loved one:

That depends..

6. Five songs that you will sing to your partner:

My Valentine
Always
Dreaming of You
From This Moment On
Take My Breath Away

7. Friends that you want to tag:

Amir
Tya
Jem
Hannef
Dana

A Heart-rending News

2008-11-29T16:33:00.000-08:00

*** Hi peeps! Sorry for the long silence.. anyways, I just want to inform everybody who read this blog about the condition of Nik Mazrina aka Baby. Alhamdulillah, she had gone through with the operation and seems to be recovering nicely. Her baby is also OK and hopefully it is healthy. Just pray for her ya?

It has been forever since I last updated. I’m seriously considering terminating my blog account. I just do not have the motivation to write. I know this is like the umpteenth time I’ve said this. Bear with me will you?

There’s not much been happening that’s worth mentioning, really. I’m quite busy doing nothing at work. I’ve installed games in my laptop and since I only write my blog entries at home, I never got the chance. I’m trying to finish Sally’s Spa right now. Not to mention having to take turns to play the games with my brothers and sisters. No private time to pour my thoughts out. Yeah, excuses, excuses.

Anyways, this entry is actually to inform everyone about a friend of mine, namely Nik Mazrina a.k.a Baby as most of her friends know her. She is now in hospital because of a blood clot in her brain. It breaks my heart really to be writing about this. It just happened one day when she was in her workplace and suddenly she can’t move her whole body. Taken to the hospital, the doctor diagnosed her to have a brain tumor. Further examination revealed that she has a blood clot in the brain that affected the motor system of her body. Half of her body is now almost paralysed.

The saddest part of it all is that she is now 4 months pregnant. It was a shock to everyone of us. Just a few entries past I wrote about going to her wedding with Eme and Ina. It was such a joyful occasion and she was one very happy bride at that time. Looking at her smiling face in the picture makes me want to cry. I’ve visited her and she’s putting a very brave front for everybody.

Thus, it is my utmost wish for everybody who reads this blog of mine to pray for her and her baby. Let us hope that they both will be safe and be with us for years to come. My heart also goes for her husband, Nik Kamal and her family. They will have to be strong to support Baby and take this as a test for their faith on Allah almighty.

Diet

2008-10-19T02:47:00.000-07:00

Recently, I finished reading a book entitled “The Adultery Diet” by Eva Cassady. It was about a family woman who went on a rigorous diet to get in shape before she met an old lover after years of not contacting each other. The book was OK for me. It was presented in a simple manner and I think most of the readers can relate to the protagonist’s struggle in achieving her target.

I say so because, well, how many of us who has failed in our quest to diet. Whatever your reason is, (be it to look better or for your health), how many of you really did achieve that target? How many of you followed your diet plan religiously? I know I always fail. Not that I really have a diet plan in the first place.

I do admit that I’m quite ‘heavy’ these past two years compared to my uni days. After getting a job and having my own money to spend instead of scrimping up on PTPTN and parents’ allowance, there ‘s nothing to stop me from eating. To say that most of my salary went to buying food and hanging out with friends (with food involved, no less) is not a proud moment for me.

To quote Eva in ‘The Adultery Diet’, “... You need something stronger than creme brulee, more seductive than chocolate, more powerful than hunger itself... something has to be eating at you.” In her case, it was the fact that she was desperate to ensure that her old lover sees her just as pretty and desirable as she had been when they first met. Well, I wish I have the same kind of motivation to. I mean not the lover part but a strong motivation to stop my desire to eat and get my butt off to start exercising. Any suggestion?

Selamat Hari Raya!

2008-09-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

Selamat Hari Raya to all my friends who spent time reading this blog of moi!

Maaf Zahir dan Batin!

I Love You All!

15 Facts

2008-09-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

Hana tagged me so I guess I'll have to comply. Here goes:
Fact 1 - I LOVE reading. It's my passion. I can read anything but I really like reading books with historical facts.
Fact 2 - I am not a multi tasker. I have to process something one at a time.
Fact 3 - I am a fan of Chelsea Football Club
Fact 4 - I can be short tempered sometimes.
Fact 5 - I have a loud voice. Good for my job, not good when in public.
Fact 6 - I hate people who talk dirty and sneeze loudly.
Fact 7 - I would love to go for a tour around the world before I die.
Fact 8 - I hate exercising or play sport but love watching it. Well, accept golf. I hate golf.
Fact 9 - I have a thing for Chinese culture. I think they are brilliant people.
Fact 10 - I was never involved in a serious relationship.
Fact 11 - I used to be a prefect in school but was demoted because I got caught giving my friends answers for English exam. My mum cried like hell. I felt like in hell. It was hell.
Fact 12 - I am hopeless in maths. I'm so stupid with numbers, I had to cheat throughout my form 4 and 5. I once stole a math test paper from my teacher's drawer. He was baffled as to why I managed to pass.
Fact 13 - My biggest fear is being left alone. I will die.
Fact 14 - I love the beach! But I'm afraid to swim in the sea. I have this sudden visions of sharks and octopus whenever I'm in the sea! (same with Hana!)
Fact 15 - I'm afraid that I'll be an old maid. HAHAHA..
Well I guess that's it. I'm tagging Tya, Eme, Amir, Jam and Syida. heheh..

The Might of the Chinese

2008-08-25T01:35:00.000-07:00

The Olympic Games is finally over. After about 2 weeks being spoilt for choice in terms of channels to watch, we again have to settle with the boring and repeated programs being aired in ASTRO. I’ll definitely miss the different sports being played at its best by athletes from all around the world. The swift-ness of Usain Bolt winning the 100 meters race, the beauty of Isinbaeva as she broke the pole vault world record, Datuk Lee Chong Wei’s matches against all the powerful players.. Those would be the moments I’ll remember in this year’s Olympic.
Last night, I watched the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games being held at the ‘bird’s nest’ stadium. It was awesome. The closing ceremony was almost as superb as the opening ceremony. In my opinion, the Olympic Games being held in Beijing had the most beautiful and magnificent opening and closing ceremonies to date. The performance held was almost magical, at least from my seat at home watching it live via TV. To quote one of the commentators “ For the people whose ancestors had built the ‘Great Wall’, of course there would be no problem at all for them to organize this kind of great performance”. Very true, indeed. I was enthralled. Here’s one of my favourite performance in the opening ceremony.

China Dance Performance - video powered by Metacafe

In 2012, the Olympic Games will be held in London. London is a beautiful city with its own attractions and I’m sure the Games would be interesting there as well. However, I’d wish a very BIG good luck for London to come up with a better opening ceremony than Beijing did. During the closing ceremony, London prepared a performance to welcome people to their city in 2012. The performance was very dry in my POV compared to the extravagant presentation by the Chinese. I guess the vast culture heritage of the Chinese people really helped them to come up with such grandeur.
Well, in a different but not totally unrelated matter, I’m currently reading ‘The Last Empress: The She Dragon of China’ by Keith Laidler. It’s about the last empress who ruled China before the monarchy was abolished. It’s an awesome book. Very informative. I love it. It offers great insight on China pre-revolution era. Those who are interested in Chinese culture must read this book. I’m totally awed with how an English man can be so knowledgeable about a culture which is totally different from his. So, this book is highly recommended.
P/s: Now (only?) I’m watching ‘Princess Hour’ or ‘Goong’, in Korean. Adore it.

Past Few Days

2008-08-20T01:19:00.000-07:00

These past few days I've been all around Kelantan. My friend Ina came for a visit from kedah so Eme and I took her for a tour. We only visited common places that people come to kelantan for. Wished I could've take her somewhere nicer but truth be told I'm not good in finding tourist spots even in my own beloved state.

By the way, Ina's main reason in coming to Kelantan was to attend a friend's wedding. It was the wedding of Nik Mazrina (Baby, for us) and Nik Ahmad Kamal (a fellow collegue). It was a nice event and we really had great time. Here are some pictures on the tour and the wedding.

The Bride (^_^)

Congrats!

Wayang Kulit

2008-07-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

I remembered a scene from my past. It was night and my brothers and sisters were very excited. Our 'Tok Ayah' had promised to take us somewhere special that night. We were bundled into the car and after a short ride arrived at the special place. It was the field near our grandparents' house. That night we can see many people there. I wondered what was happening. Then, our 'Tok Ayah' found a place for us to sit amongst the crowd. Everyone was sitting on a 'tikar'. In front of us was a big white screen. After a while, the magic started. It was a 'wayang kulit' performance.

picture taken from www.cuti.com.my/Sub/Kelantan/culture5.jpg

As children, it was mesmerizing for me and my siblings to be watching such performance in front of us. The droning of the music at the background and the fluent story telling accompanied by shadows of past kings, princesses, villains and heroes swishing through was pure magic. The audience was transfixed to the screen. Time flew by unnoticed. We regretted the end of the show and our journey back. What happened to that magic now? I've never heard a 'wayang kulit' performance being held anymore even though I'm living in Kelantan. The young ones are missing a lot now. I asked my little sister if she knows what 'wayang kulit' is. She said, "Of course I do. It's like the ubat batuk cap Ibu and Anak ad!"

It's a pity.

Chelsea!

2008-07-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

Chelsea's coming! Chelsea's coming! Chelsea's coming! Jump for joy! Hooray! Hoorah!......................

Dem! I wont be going!

Father/Mother-less

2008-07-21T01:58:00.000-07:00

I just finished marking my students’ essays about themselves. Something I always do at the start of a new semester. I ask them to tell me about themselves. It’s always nice to be knowing a bit about your students before the lessons start. The students always manage to surprise me with their essays. One thing that I found from this semester’s essays is that many of the students came from a single parent family. They wrote about how they live in Malacca, for example with the mother while the father is in Terengganu. They wrote about how strong their mothers are for having to care for them and their siblings alone. They wrote about how they missed their father but they can always visit. They sound very casual like it’s the most usual thing to happen. I, on the other hand find it not as casual or normal. Coming from a family where my parents are always together and many siblings to accompany me growing up, I find it quite disturbing. Deep in my heart I pity these students. Maybe I’m wrong to pity them but I can’t help myself. I think there’s something lacking when they came from a single parent family. I don’t know why the parents broke up. I don’t know why the mother or father went away. I don’t know whether the students are truly casual and OK with their situation. However, I do know that by observation I can see more and more students don’t have their mother or father with them. Will this affect their personalities? The way they behave? The way they would react to others? Something must be wrong somewhere.. right?

Wari!

2008-06-23T22:54:00.000-07:00

That's an informal way to say SORRY in Japanese actually. At least I gather that much after watching episodes after episodes of BLEACH the anime series. I just couldn't get enough of it! Bleach is one reason why I haven't been updating my blog. That and my apparent lack of idea + laziness to write. I just couldn't get myself to do it.. eheh.. I haven't been able to overcame my laziness yet so for the time being I'll just post this video clip here for you to enjoy. Contemplate this please!

I got this videoclip from their official website www.malaysianartistesforunity.info/ Nice song. It really touched me. Tho, I'm quite confuse as to why Afdlin needs to sound like an American Country music singer at the start of the song. To give it an international flavour, I gues?? Well, apparently they want us to spread the song and videos so just go to their page and download it. It's free.

Ideal World

2008-05-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

In an ideal world, Chelsea should still be celebrating now. In an ideal world Cech saved every kick from the devils. In an ideal world, JT should be beaming instead of crying. In an ideal world, Chelsea never buys Nicholas Anelka. In an ideal world, Shevchenko played like he played for AC Milan. In an ideal world, Mourinho and Abramovich are best of friends. In an ideal world, Mourinho is still the manager. But now, in a less-ideal world, I'll have to settle with Grant being sacked! (^_^)

Rock You Like A Hurricane

2008-05-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how hurricanes got their names? I always do. Somehow, the hurricanes always got names of people like Katrina, Nargis, Andrew..etc.. Yes, Nargis was actually a name of a very popular Hindi artist around the 1950's and 60's, so I read from the newspapers.

Hurricanes can be devastating. No doubt about it. It bring sadness whenever it pass by. Such is the power of God through nature. Usually there are more than one hurricane in each year. I did a little research and found some information about how hurricanes got their names.

There is actually a committee being set up to name these hurricanes. This commitee is under the World Meteorological Organization. There are lists created for different parts of the world like the Atlantic, Central North pacific and Western North Pacific. In each of the lists, countries in the region usually contribute the names. For examples, in the Western North Pacific, our country Malaysia contributed names like Mawar (It hit the Philipines, I think), Sepat and Jelawat (names of fish), and other countries like Thailand contributes the names Durian, Hanuman and Chaba.

The lists usually will be used according to a 6 year rotation period but it may be changed. However, if a hurricane caused a massive death or costly number, the name that is being used will be omitted from the list. For example the name 'Katrina' that is being used for the hurricane that hit USA in 2005. This name is a 'retired' name in the list and would not be used again.

Well, I managed to get roughly that bit of information on the naming of hurricanes. You can read it for yourselves more about this on these websites.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/retirednames.shtml,

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames_text.html,

http://www.ksat.com/hurricanes/16239190/detail.html

Thankful

2008-05-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

Just be THANKFUL, people! (^_^)

Twenteen?

2008-05-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

Teacher: Ok students, now that we finished marking the exercise let me know your marks. Who got all correct?? Raise up you hand..
~Show of hands
Teacher: Owh very good John, Jane and Frank.. How about you Kim? what did you get?
Kim: 15 upon 20 teacher.
Teacher: That's quite good..and you Julia?
Julia: 11
T: Hmm.. Julia try your best ok? the test is coming soon..
~Julia shrug and grinned
Teacher: And how about you Rose?
Rose: Twenty
Teacher: Owh that's very good Rose! Why didn't you raise up your hand before? You got full marks.
Rose: No teacher.. I got Twenteen.. One.. Two.. (fingers show one and two)
~ Dead silence
T: Rose, there's no twenteen.. one. two. is TWELVE
~Class erupted into laughter.. Teacher led out a big sigh.. and the test was coming nearer..

Current Issues

2008-05-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

*** Huhu.. there's a silly mistake that I made for this entry actually. Nargis hit Myanmar actually not Vietnam. My bad.. Thanks for the highlight Shikin! (^_^)

Today I have the luxury to be reading through the newspaper without any interruption. The internet connection is excellent and nobody is around at the office so I can read peacefully (I can't focus on two things happening at the same time) Well, from what I've read, I think these reports from THE STAR are interesting:

a) The government will allocate RM725mil to subsidize the import of rice to help maintain the retail price and ease the burden for us consumers. I think that's timely considering the ever increasing prices of not only our main staple but also everything else.. haih.. In relation to this rice issue, last few days, I went for lunch at our cafe and it's quite dissappointing to see that they used a different type of rice which I'm sure of a lower grade.. The rice tasted weird and it's like eating pulut with 'Tom Yam' (what I ordered that day).. huhu.. Can't really blame the cafe owner since I guess they want to maintain the price without doing any damage to their bussiness though I think it's better to pay a bit more than being served with umm.. pulut rice?

b) Urge for the government to make the report on Lingam's case public. Yes, I myself want to know what the investigation come up with. I mean it's quite interesting to know whether it's true or not that the appointing of judges in Malaysia had been tampered with.

c) There's a spy squad in MCA! I mean a real one. It's really not confirmed yet but from what I read it seems like there was a spy squad allegedly being set up by the president of the party to identify political opponents.. err.. is it Ok to be writing about this..? well you can read more of this here.

d) Mr Karpal Sigh statements regarding the Sultans.. Hmm.. Yes, I know that it's his personal opinion but I guess it's better if he can go directly to the right source if he has issues about the Royal Majesties and talk about it behind close doors. It's a sensitive issue, this.

e) The earthquake in China. It's quite big. 7.8 in Richter scale. Many people died. Devastating. Poor people and this is not a few days after Nargis hit Vietnam. Many people died there to.. haih.. I guess we're approaching the end of the world. Many catastrophe are happening all over the world..

d) Nicol David won at the British Open. Way to go! (^_^) I've always been a big fan of hers. Our Thomas Cup team also won against Korea in Indonesia. Good for them though it's quite shocking to read about the Korean plan to actually lose to Malaysia due to their strategic planning in light with the new format. Well, soothing news anyways to nurse my broken heart because Chelsea did not get the cup in the EPL.. huhu..

I guess that's all.. (^_^)

Tagged

2008-05-11T20:33:00.000-07:00

Been tagged by Miss Tya.. Huhu.. so here it goes..

7 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:
1) Bookaholic
2) Not into multi-tasking (^_^)
3) Living with my parents
4) A big fan of CHELSEA
5) Hate shopping
6) Totally into food. Live to eat!
7) Seriously serious person.. haha

7 THINGS THAT SCARE ME:
1) Being left alone
2) New places
3) Losing my loved ones
4) Ghost stories and movies
5) Being hated by people around (same Tya! =p)
6) My parents being angry with me
7) Death (err.. bekalan not enuff)

7 RANDOM MUSIC AT THE MOMENT:
1) The Way I Are- Timbaland
2) 4 Mins- Madonna & J.T
3) Mospeada- Hujan
4) No Air- Jordin Sparks & Chris B
5) She- Groove Coverage
6) Kerja LaLaLa- Meet Uncle Hussain
7) Thousand Miles- Vannessa Carlton

7 “FIRST TIME” THINGS I EVER DID:
1) Breathe- January 1983
2) Entered school-1990
3) Major high-stakes exam-1995
4) Got a job upon completion of studies- 2007
5) Read a book- 1988
6) Got a brother-1984
7) Entered University-2001

7 PEOPLE I TAG:
1) Tya can i tag u back?
2) Hanef
3) Wanie
4) Dana
5) Cat
6) Amir
7) You!

Fresh Look

2008-05-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

It's been long since I last posted anything. Much because I don't really have the pleasure of time to be spent. I decided to get a new look for my blog. I think it's quite nice. I don't know what the rest of you would think. However, it came with somedisadvantages because now I cant edit the colours, can't add any other extra column.. etc.. well but I guess you win some, you lose some..(^_^)
Life had been hectic with finishing assignments and at the same time trying to make sure that my students were well prepared for their final exam. It's been a whirlwind affair last few weeks. Luckily it's over now ~phew.. Though I suspect that my grades would not bring me proud moments later on.. huhu..
Now, The students are all off for their term holiday for almost 3 months! The final exam is almost over, leaving only a few late papers to be covered. I've finished marking all my students final exam and I must say that they did quite well. Just hopeful that they don't abandone their English altogether during their hols! =p
Since the students are gone, we the lecturers here are left with pretty much nothing to do =p Am not really sure whether it is a good thing or not.. ehek.. However, I am determined to use these few free months as beneficial as possible ~wink Well, also hoping to post more entries for my dear blog here.. (Hopefully)

Boycott

2008-04-01T02:29:00.000-07:00

I have been called upon to post this entry particularly to express my total objection towards Holland's politician Geert Wilders. He is very rude in offending the Muslims with his short film -F I T N A. His Islamophobia attitude has sparked anger among the Islamic countries. I totally detest his absurd acts. Thus, I am hoping that we Muslims and people even from other religions who love peace and harmony to unite and show our objection towards Holland for allowing such hatred to be openly displayed. Let us all put our hands together and boycott Holland's products. Here is a list of Hollands product that we should boycott:

-Ferrero Rocher chocolate
-Dove Shampoo
-Rexona deodorant
-Fair & Lovely
-Dutch Lady Products (milk)
-Cadbury chocolate
-Walls ice-cream (huhu..)
-Knorr
-Shell fuel
-Planta margerine
-Lipton tea
For a full list please visit PPIM's (PersatuanPenggunaIslamMalaysia) website at http://www.muslimconsumer.org.my/. May all our efforts be accepted by the Almighty.

Work Blab

2008-03-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

I am an educator. I love my job. I’m helping the young generation to achieve their dreams and contribute a lot to my country. The usual sentences that go with the word educator. But now I’m saddened.
I just finished a typical lesson with my students. After giving them the routine homework, I dismissed them. Many of them poured out of the class, leaving a few students that decided to linger for a while and engaged themselves in something shown on a laptop brought to my class for no apparent reason. On the other hand, I suddenly faced a whiteboard filled with my own writings. I didn’t even realize I had written so much. According to one senior colleague, a good educator must never leave a class without clearing the board.
With a big sigh, I started to rub off the whiteboard. While I was on it, a thought struck me. Here I am in a class after yelling my voice off teaching and left to rub off two big whiteboards. Behind me, there is a bunch of students minding their own business, not paying any attention to me as if I was never there in the first place. Deep down in my heart I have this nagging feeling- won’t anybody help? Needless to say, nobody offered any help. I just refilled the ‘markers’ before the class started, making it more difficult to rub off. I finished with aching and blackened hands.
I remembered back then. When I proudly offered to dirty my hands. When I was so thankful I was given a chance to learn. When I went into classes expecting to learn. When I respected the person facing me, yelling to be heard. When I didn’t have a hand phone to use in class. When I didn’t have to decide whether to listen to MP3 player or the lesson. When I can skip my breakfast in order not to be late. When I knew my morning class is more important than my favourite telecast tonight. When homework meant deeper understanding. When overslept is not an option for excuse. When I was afraid to offend for fear of not ‘grasping’ the knowledge. Back then, when I appreciated God’s gift to me. Back then.

Fever

2008-03-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

It’s the Election Day fever. Everywhere people can see banners, posters even balloons being put up by the different parties to campaign for their candidates. I think it’s quite annoying sometimes because some of the things they put up can be harmful to other people. There were many incidents where I saw that the posters, banners etc obstruct traffic view, litters the ground or became tools for vandalism. I have nothing against campaigning during election because people need to know who they’re voting for but I think the ones putting up the posters and all to be more careful on where they put or set it up. Don’t just simply put or set it up without considering the safety of others. In Japan and I think Taiwan, they don’t allow candidate sor parties to put up all those stuffs. Instead, the candidates can go around neighbourhoods and use speakers to campaign themselves. I think that kinda add a more personal touch to the campaigning. I mean people can actually see and interact with the candidates face to face instead of just staring at their mugshot. But then again, maybe it’ll be more annoying to hear all the shouts of election campaigns going through your neighborhood compared to just seeing them at the sides of the roads. Well, just hope all this fuss will be over soon and the Election Day goes on smoothly.

Yong Tau Fu

2008-03-04T21:06:00.000-08:00

‘Yong Tau Fu’ (YTF) is a must each time I go to pasar malam. My foodie family adores ‘YTF ‘. After a few weeks been MIA from the pasar malam scene, my favourite YTF vendor has resumed their business. I don’t know what happened to them but this week seems like they’re back at the usual place like nothing happened. The sad thing is that while they were missing, I found a better (read: delicious) vendor to supply my dose of YTF. I felt really bad when I passed their stall carrying a plastic full of YTF from another stall. I get this guilty feeling because my family has been buying YTF at that particular stall since forever. Adding to my guilt, I saw that there was not many people at their store. As for the recently found vendor, I practically have to queue like forever for my turn of YTF to finish ‘swimming’ in the delicious pool of soupy water. Call me stupid or anything but I have this sense of ‘loyalty’ towards particular places that I’m familiar with even though I know there are better places. I don’t know why. I think I’m programmed to be like that. I guess I’ll be back buying our YTF at the usual stall next week. Some psychologist may be saying I need therapy or something because of my weird notion but I don’t care. The new vendor can afford to lose me. (^_^)

The Cool You

2008-03-04T21:02:00.000-08:00

Best thing that happened on earth
God’s gift for all of human kind
Worshipped the ground you walked upon
Used to..

Words came out like precious diamond
Never before as mesmerizing
Everything made possible
Used to..

Knight in shining armor
Cloud’s silver lining
Dream came true
Used to..

The cool you is still the same, I guess
Just the magic cloud is blown away

Seasons Change

2008-02-18T00:37:00.001-08:00

I just finished watching a Thai film entitled ‘Seasons Change’. I really love it! I did not intend to watch the movie actually but as I was flipping through the channels, I stumbled upon the movie being aired at KIRANA. The film was very sweet and enjoyable. It was a comedy movie about a bunch of high school students. The students were supposed to be students of a famous and established music school in Thailand.
The main character of the film is POM. He is a son of a grocery store owner. His father wanted him to be a doctor but secretly he wanted to be a musician. So in this film, Pom enrolled into a music school without his parent’s knowledge. Apart from his love for music, Pom enrolled in the school because of his first love, Dao. In that school, Pom met a girl, Aom and they became good friends. As the film went on, Aom fell in love with Pom. On the other hand, Pom tried to win Dao’s heart and when he knew that Dao wanted to go to Budapest to study, he applied for the same scholarship. Eventually, because of his good talent, Pom’s parent consented on his aspiration in becoming a musician and he finally got what he wanted, a scholarship and a chance of getting Dao. However, he then realized that he loved his life in Thailand more and decided to stay on, giving the scholarship to some other student. Dao went on to become a child prodigy or something overseas and Pom and Aom lived happily in Thailand.
That’s basically the synopsis of the story. I recommend the film to be watched by everyone. It’s bound to be aired again since we’re talking about ASTRO here. Anyways, I really love the film because of the elements being portrayed. As the characters carry on with their lives in the music school, we can see all the dilemmas they had in the film. Example, Pom had to choose between classical music and rock. Both have their own beauty and attraction. (I absolutely love the choice of classical symphony in this film) Pom also had to deal with his parents that did not believe in music as much he did. A lot of other elements are being shown despite of the film predictive values. The comedy included in this film also helps in making the film less corny. Well, I guess enough said. Do watch and enjoy yourselves!

F.O.O.D

2008-02-10T23:51:00.000-08:00

Food is a very dear word to me. I love food. Some people say we must eat to live. I think I am more to the side where I live to eat. Food is my passion. I absolutely adore delicious savory food. I am willing to allocate a big amount of salary for food. Or did I do that unconsciously? (;p) My love for food started since I was a child, I think. Growing up in a family that runs restaurants, I developed to be someone that appreciates food and actually knows the difference between delicious food and just-okay food.
I guess years of comparing commercialized food with my mother’s cooking did make some difference to my taste palate. Personally, I think food prepared with love is tastier than food for profit. I’m thankful because my mother is a housewife, thus allowing her to prepare our food herself. With the care she puts into preparing our food, we can be assured that we only have the best. After all, we are what we eat, right?
There are many types of food. We can divide it into all kinds of variety. We have western food, eastern food, healthy food, staple food.. etc. I love all kinds of food. As long as it tastes good, I’m going to eat it! (halal ones of course)
However, I do have my preferences. My favourite Malaysian food would be all types of fried rice (kampung, cina, kerabu.. you name it!) Fried rice is the best because it is simple, easy to prepare and tastes great. I order it all the times when I go out to eat. I also love roti canai! My favourite Western food is spaghetti. Basically, I think this is the only western food that can make me feel full (=D) I do like fish and chips and of course adore KFC and McDonald’s (blame them on my extra weight!) My all time favourite desert is ice-cream. Such a genius creation! I love chocolate to. My favourite drink would be all those delicious fruit juice. I’m also a coffee person. The more caffeine, the better!
Well, I can go on and on about food. Again, I stress that food is my passion. Food is essential for all living things. It’s our survival. I hate people who scrimp on food. Food is God given blessing to us. We should enjoy it. The truth is.. I’m trying to alleviate my stress after stepping off the weighing scale!
“Food had power. It could inspire, astonish, shock, excite, delight and impress..” -Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential.

My Birthday!

2008-01-22T20:19:00.000-08:00

Today is my BIRTHDAY! (^_^) It's my 25th birthday actually.. How times flies by! I'm now like a quater of a century! I feel like half a century actually.. =p Everything is very hectic nowadays and time is something that is very precious to me. iIdon't really remembered that today is suppposed to be my birthday. I retired to bed early last night and woke up in the middle of night suddenly. Felt around the bed for my handphone to look at the time and was shocked to see so many unread messages! All kinds of thoughts ran through my mind (birthday wishes were far from them in fact.. huhu) about what happened..
As soon as I read the first mesage, a smile spread across my face because then it was a relief! All were birthday wishes from my dearest friends and families who never fail to remember my birthday every year. I'm so touched by all the warm wishes where most of it hopes that this year would be filled with happiness for me.
All the messages made me feel so very lucky to be celebrating another birthday eventhough that means I'm getting older! At least I know that I have people who love me around to keep reminding me of my own birthday! (not really good at remembering dates)
Well, I want to take the opportunity to convey my deepest thanks to everyone who sent me all the birthday wishes via sms, phone calls, friendster, myspace.. etc.. I'm still receiving messages so also thanx in advance. I LOVE U ALL! God bless.

p/s: My father wished me a Happy Birthday. He thought it's my 24th.. Cant believe his daughter is already 25! (^_^)

Blogs Worth Reading

2008-01-08T21:55:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I recently added two links to my blogs. The two links are links to rantingsbymm- Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir’s blog and another one to niamah- Patrick Teoh’s blog. These two blogs are my favourite ones apart from my friends’ blog. I always read them every now and then. They provide insights for the going-ons of the country.

Marina (the daughter of our ex-Prime Minister) is usually unbiased and provides her opinions on topics without prejudice. That is what I love most about her blog. Besides, she is always writing about the current topics worth mentioning in Malaysia. Her ‘brutal’ comments on the political leaders are also worth reading. I guess you HAVE to be the ex-Prime Minister’s daughter to be able to say all those things to the important people and get away with it. (=p)

I adore Patrick’s writing because of its negativity. It seems that he can find fault with everything! That’s what makes it so interesting. I always wanted to know what he thinks about certain issues happening in Malaysia for example who he is pissed off at, what he thinks should be done, who needs to win the election.. Those sorts of thing. I know that he cares much about the country and thus always tries to find flaws so that we can try and deal with it. Besides, he is not Malay and I like to hear a non-Bumi’s comments on stuffs.

Well then, if you have the time, do check out these blogs. They’re worth reading and you can even join in the informal discussions on the subjects when you comment on their blog entry. Anyways, hope they’ll write more (^_^)

Sayonara 2007, Dozo 2008

2007-12-31T20:33:00.000-08:00

It’s 31 December 2007! How time flies pass. Tomorrow is a whole new year! I just can’t believe it. Felt like it was just yesterday I graduated from UiTM in 2006. Now I’m already a lecturer for a year. I’m still reeling from the feeling of it all.

New year, new resolution, people say. But I’ve never been the resolution kind of person. I never really had an organized new year resolution like what other people had. I want to diet, I want to control my budget, I want to get married.. that sort of resolution. It’s like I don’t believe in all of that. For me, if it happens, it happens. I just tried to make sure that my future is not in total jeopardy and I’m not a nuisance to other people. That’s good enough for me.

There are many things that we have to say goodbye to as the year opens to a new one. All the happy and sad memories. As for me, 2007 has been quite a year. Many things had happened and some of it is life changing. This year, I started to become a full grown up. After finishing my studies, I got myself a job and I believe that is one of my life’s defining moment. It’s not easy being a grown up and have your own big responsibilities and I’ll always mark this year as the start of it all. Many obstacles had to be overcome for me to be where I am now. This year has been good to me to sum it up. I’ve learned a total lot over just one year. From somewhat still a young adult searching for her path in life, I think I’ve grown wiser. I had to thank people around me for helping me get over the year. I can never go through it just by myself. The fear of starting a whole new world seems so little because of these ‘angelic’ people.

The people who had started with me into the working world, Kak Na, Nidana, Shikin and Hanis were the key ones this year. I owed so much to every one of them. When I felt depressed at work they were always there to help. No amount of thanks would be enough for them. Next year, I will lose the company of Shikin and Nidana. Kak Na was the earliest one to go from here but then she’s always around so it never felt like she really is gone. On the other hand, I will miss Shikin and Dana. They’re all going to KL which is far away! Machang will never be the same again. Shikin is like the ‘sunshine’ of my work place (can’t believe I’m writing this down!). Imagine not having sunshine?? Dana is like my ‘adult confidante’ where I can to talk to her and got the wise response of an.. well.. adult! I’ll definitely miss them both. Just wishing that they’ll be successful in everything they do. There are many other people who helped me go through it all. Haji, Kak Zee, Wei Ying Wennie, Lena.. those are few names. Couldn’t thank them enough.

My family has also been most important to me this year. They played all the major roles in shaping me up. My parents have always been there. They put up with everything I am and never showed any sign that they will stop. My siblings were always supportive since day one. I’m sorry for always stealing the attention of my parents from them this year.

Allah has given me blessings that I don’t think I deserved. Allah has been merciful for this particular servant of his. This year has seen me being showered with never ending happiness and joy. I pray to Allah that the new year will bring equal joy if not more.

Very well then. The sum of my 2007. I wish I could write more but I don’t want to sound braggier than I do now. Welcome to the new year. I wish everybody would have a happy and prosperous new year. Amin.

Sex and The City

2007-12-30T22:37:00.000-08:00

I just finished watching Sex and The City. Yes, I know I’m like the last person on earth who had finished watching Sex and The City. But I can’t help it. I’ve watch all of the episodes like years before but I just can’t bear to watch the last two episodes! It’s just so depressing. I love the series so much that I can’t bear to watch it ends. I’ve been dying to know whether I will like the ending or not but just can’t bring myself to see it. I finally had the courage to do so tonight. There was nothing else to do and the condition is good enough for me to be able to enjoy the last episodes. Another major reason why I ended my agony is because now I can expect another part of Sex and The City. The movie! It won’t be here soon enough but it’ll be out anyways so I can just anticipate that! =) I just LOVE the episodes. I think Pat (the creator) was such a genius. He has to be! I LOVE him for coming up with the series. There are so many reasons why you can love Sex and The City. It has everything a girl could ask for. Fashion, Love, Romance, Friendship, Humor, Security.. well, everything! All rolled into one brilliant program. Don’t you just think it’s superb? I always feel happy when I watch Sex and The City. The girls are all different in their own ways but I just love every single one of them. My favorite episodes would be Charlotte’s wedding and the episode where they went for the holiday together. It’s always nice to see the friendship being portrayed in Sex and The City. It just makes you feel like hugging your friends and say how much they mean to you! =) The least favorite would of course be when Carrie breaks up with Aidan. I love Aidan and Carrie! I don’t really adore Big. But then the story wouldn’t be as interesting wouldn’t it? The character I love most would be Charlotte. I absofuckinglutely LOVE Charlotte! I wish I’m her! She’s very elegant and sweet and sophisticated. She’s not as playful as Carrie, not as serious as Miranda and absolutely not as horny as Samantha. I love Charlotte! Sex and The City just rawks! It has definitely set a new standard for TV programmes. It’s a cult! Anyways, that’s it for me on Sex and The City. Just for the record I like the ending! Everybody has finally found their ‘personal legend’. And I’m a total sucker for happy endings! Wish mine would be one! =)

Four Weddings and One Emotional Breakdown

2007-12-30T16:18:00.000-08:00

It’s the school holiday and kenduris are taking over the whole nation! This is the season where you’ll be bombarded with wedding cards and invitatons be it via snail mail, SMS or even a public announcement through Friendster, Myspace etc.. It’s the technology being used to it’s full potential.. huhu.. I myself have been invited to many weddings this season. It’s quite new to me actually. Before this, I only see my parents getting all those prettynlooking and sweet smelling cards. Now, it’s my turn! It seems that everybody is getting married already! Altogether, there were four major wedding I’ve been to this school holidays. All of them are my collegues wedding.

First, there was the Nidana-Farihan wedding. Now, Nidana is not only a collegue but she’s one of my close friends. I’ve been anticipating her wedding since beginning of the year! This wedding was a really sweet affair. I’ve known Nidana for years as her classmates during degree and gradually have also to some extent known Farihan. They made a really sweet couple. Like the Malay saying ‘sama cantik sama padan’. The wedding day was simple and sweet. None of the traditional draggy-over-the-top wedding can be seen there, much to my relief! We all went there wearing pink so as to show our support as friends of the bride. It was very nice indeed. The pictures was all very gorgeous. Both the bride and groom really looked stunning that day! To Nidana and Farihan: I wish you all the best for your future! You guys are really lucky to find each other! May you get all the little ones soon enough! Dana, I’m soo going to miss you! =)

Secondly, there was the Omar-Fatiha wedding. Well, as for this couple, both of them are my collegues! I’ve known Omar first. A man of a few words actually. He’s one of the closest male collegue here in Machang. Fatiha on the other hand have been here only a few months before but I found her stunningly beautiful and sweet. Apparently their love affair started earlier before I got to know any one of them. They’re one of the sweetest and nicest couple I’ve ever got to know. The wedding day was very cheerful. I’m so happy for the both of them. The food was also superb!

Then, there was the Siti Aswani-Arif wedding. Siti is a collegue of mine. Not to mention one of my friend, Aizuddin’s sister. I only knew this quite not so long ago. I didn’t really know the groom but I think he’s a very nice person. The wedding was very grand and big. There was so many people and big names who attended the wedding. The ‘pelamin’ was very pretty. The tents and tables to! I managed to meet up Aizuddin after years! Siti and her husband are a perfect match!

Lastly, there was the Azra-Kiey wedding. The most recent wedding I attended. It was very nice! Azra is an ex-collegue. She’s now working as a teacher in Langkawi. It’s been long since I’ve hung-out with Azra. The wedding however was a chance for me to catch up with her a little. She looked very beautiful in her purple wedding dress. I didn’t get to see the husband closely but from afar they’re totally compatible! Wish I could’ve hung out at the wedding more but had to get back. Anyways, absolutely adore the wedding!

Now, coming to te emotional breakdown part. Haha.. a bit over dramatic actually. Nothing much. Just the depression I start to feel each time talking to my mother bout the weddings, she’s been asking me about my future state of wedding readiness! Arghhh! The inevitable part which I dreaded the most. I wish it can be easy for me like it’s been for everybody else. But what to do. Sigh. =p

Well, for the newlyweds, I wish only the best for all of you. Selamat Melangkah ke Alam Baru! It’s a really big step to take so be wise and calm for every decision. Hopeful that I’ll be seeing the minis soon enough! (which no doubt will take me to another emo breakdown! Haha)

Conscience

2007-12-30T16:14:00.000-08:00

Conscience. A recent event inspired me to write about this. A few days back, I’ve been imposed with a conscience dilemma. I knew that something is quite wrong and some people are clearly being mistreated. Justice is not served. It makes me ponder. What is the line that we are willing to cross in the name of conscience? Are we brave enough? Will our good intention of trying to stand by conscience and voice out our concern of the injustice happening slap us back? What is in risk here?
My parents tried all they can to make me be ignorant as possible. They were always trying to stir me away from conscience saying that I should not get myself into other people’s business. Just mind your own business. Just shut up. I know they’re not getting anywhere. After all, it’s embedded in my genes. My father never got the post he deserves at work because of conscience. My mother is always not in ease because of conscience. They are trying to make me learn from their mistake but just like them I can never let conscience be.
I know that my conscience will get the better part of me. I will be clouded with the delusion that it’s my call to try and set things sraight. I can not bear to see or to hear that people around are being served wrongly and some people who really don’t deserve it are enjoying what should not have been thiers in the first place. I will then do something that will make me to some extent regret and feel bad about. I will open my big mouth in the name of conscience and things would get worse.
Don’t ask me why. It always happen that way. I try to set things straight because I think it’s wrong and in the end it would be better if I only shut up and do nothing about it. Things just got worse. Nobody will back you up. You’ll pay because you’re going against something higher. This is what happen when we stand by conscience. No wonder our world is getting sicker by the minute. Nobody wants to stand by conscience anymore. It’s like an epidemic. People are afraid of it. They are afraid that their job, their life, their family, their money will be in jeopardy if they embrace conscience. In the end, because we don’t want to take the risk, the wrong will just slip by. It’s getting to be our culture.
We’re teaching our young ones to be ignorant. To be selfish so as not to offend ‘people’. We’re practically saying that if it does not happen to us, it’s okay. It’s their fate that bad things happen to them. Not because some people think that they’re better and everything they do are then justified. Nobody must question them. From litle things and litle wrongs, we proceed to bigger actions. When are we going to realise that the effects of this will in the end affect us anyways? I can only pray it will be soon enough.
It’s easy to say that "I have conscience somewhere in me, the others don’t. It’s their fault". The hard part is where we put our conscience into action. The sense of right and wrong is important. If it’s wrong, then it’s wrong. Do something about it.

Confessions of an Economic Hitman

2007-12-26T01:26:00.000-08:00

Another book that I had read recently. 'Confessions of an Economic Hitman'. The title itself had made it very interesting for me to start reading. Now, that's the thing with me and the word 'confessions'. =p The nosy part of me is just eager to know the happenings of other people's inner parts.. Doesn't matter if it is just the confessions of a simple shopgirl, a mafia or even a president. I'll be bound to dig in..
In this case, it's the confessions of an economic hitman. 'Economic Hitman'? I've never heard of it before either. I think the author can just 'coin' this one under his name. By the way, the author's name is John Perkin. This book is about how Mr. Perkin got involved in becoming the 'hitman' that he was.
It started off quite innocently I think. He graduated from business school, got married to a woman he loved and made friends with an Iranian general's son. Later on, the NSA (National security Agency) came into the picture and Mr. Perkin then dive in into the world of economy. As sick as it gets.
To cut things short, in the book the author gave out the details of his work which is cheating countries (especially poor ones) around the globe out of billions of dollars.. These 'hitmen' use all sorts of ways to cheat.. women, power, extortion.. You name it..
It's very alarming actually to be reading the book and see how the 'hitmen' operate around the world but it seems like there is nothing that can be done to stop it. It is the new kind of 'imperialism'.The more subtle one although the outcome would be more devastating and ugly. I mean, countries are being cheated under the word 'development'. I'm no economic major or anything but i do know that every contry wants to be 'developed' and has a stable economy. This just made it worse
Are we willing to risk our country for the sake of development? The imperialist are not coming at us head on for war on battlefields anymore. No blood or killing will be seen openly like years ago but now they are more quiet and discreet. They come under very unharmful even helping names to 'help' the country.. Yet, many more people will die. Silently and more slowly..
How then?

The Beginning

2007-04-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

hi there for whoever reading.. i just started to do this blog thingy.. dunno how i will fare off.. haha.. i think it's quite interesting to be able to write about what you're thinking.. and it would be better if somebody could read it and share their opinion with you.. so.. hopeful in starting something interesting here.. (^_^)