Mr. Potty

I have a new best friend.

His name is Mr. Potty.

I have been away for awhile. Not by choice really. First it was due to examination week. With my promising 1st semester results, I opted to take extra papers for the 2nd semester thinking that if I just push myself a little bit more, I could finish my course in a shorter duration of time. At the end of the day, I find myself buried beneath piles and piles of assignments and series of tests and furthermore, as it was a shorter semester (because of the Ramadhan and Syawal) we even had classes on weekends to ensure that the syllabus can be finished within the time stipulated. In other words, my days were filled with either work, classes or group discussions. My social life for me, in short, was sacrificed in the name of education. Furthermore, I had registered for myself to take the MUET exams - a pre-requisite by the Ministry of Higher Education for all uni students to sit for this exam while pursuing tertiary education.When the exams timetable was published, to my ultimate horror, I find myself
squashed back to back up to 3 papers in 2 consecutive days - and they were all core papers
which means if I were to fail any of the two papers, I will certainly be dismissed from the course.

Bloody hell, what in God's-green-earth have I gotten myself into?!!!

Long story short, after my exam week was over, I got myself pretty sick. First, from
shock - apparently just as my exam finished, the sale at Jaya Jusco Deparmental Store had just started and I thought, naively at that time, that I would buy myself some things just to make up for all the outings I have sacrificed while studying. At the end of the day, after 3 consecutive days of shopping, I had spent more than half of my savings and my bank account is very well on its way of being depleted of its resources. All the nice, warm and fuzzy feeling that I had experienced while busy shopping around, working through the merry crowd of crazy shoppers quickly turned my stomach into knots and left an awful feeling in my mouth - I was literary going to throw up at when I saw the amount of balance left in my account!!!

What I had not anticipated was that the stomach churning and the nausea would last me up to 3 weeks!! My stomach could not keep any food in for long. It's either I would throw up after 5 minutes after my finished meal or I would run straight to bathroom - to answer the call of nature. Apparently, it was a rather looonng call of nature and it was routine for me fort he next three weeks until there is nothing else left in my tummy to be thrown out. That is how I found my new best friend, Mr Potty. Without fail, I would be spending most of my time with him, especially at night - moreover after every meal. ( I would like to think that it is a male - just because I think a male potty would have a stronger resilience and durability rather then a female potty).

God, what in the world am I talking about here? Going on and on about my experience with the
toilet?!@#$%^&*!!! Aarrghhhhh. Gross!!!.

By the end of the 3rd week, after being screamed at by the family for my determination not to seek medical treatment from the specialist ( I was actually feeling quite happy as the diarrhoea had made me loose 5 kg in one week ) and after my bottom has resembled somewhat like the bottom of a baboon, I then got myself admitted at one of the prominent hospitals in Subang for further tests. Frankly speaking, I really think that they - the hospital - should start a reward program for all its patients. By the looks of it, my clan could very well be one of the reasons why they prosper so well. Practically almost everyone in my family has at one point in their life been admitted there for a all sorts of sickness - from my late grandfather, to even my nieces. I would like to suggest that they award us points everytime we visit them or get ourselves admitted and the points in return, would allow us to redeem gifts - a free meal, or discounts on admission and medicine. I really think that it would be beneficial for all - a win win situation, wouldn't you say so yourself? :)).

After 2 days in the hospital, I got discharged for good behaviour ( I am, of course referring to my bowel, what else?). The doctor concluded, after running a series of tests, that I infact had a severe case of infection which caused the Irritable Bowel Syndrome. After tones of medicine and a long list of diet intake, I returned back home after promising the doctor that I would utilize the medical leave that was given to me and take due rest for the whole week until I feel better again. I left the hospital with a smile and thoughts of reading my Jane Austen collection and relaxing at home by the pool for the rest of the week, basking under the sun.

Unfortunately, all my hopes and dreams went down the drain as I find myself back in the office the very next day, after finding many messages sent to my mobile phone and one was from the boss asking me when I will be coming back to the office. My incoming tray (not to my surprise of course) was in a very dire state and cracking from all the weight of the pending works all piled up on top of it - and this was all accumulated while I was away from office which was only for 3 days!!. Forfeiting my leave, I went head on tackling my job to complete all of my
pending tasks and I am happy to report that by the following day, it was my boss's incoming tray which was stacked up with all the reports, read proof and arranged - ready for his authorization.

My bowel, unfortunately, was taking its own sweet time to recover. Whilst at work, I still find myself now and then making trips to the ladies so much so when a call for me was left unaswered the receptionist automatically informed the caller that the reason I was unable to take the call was because I was at the ladies. She must be gifted with ESP (Extra Sensory Perception) as my workstation is on the 2nd
floor whilst she is on the ground floor. She would not have known where I was unless there is a hidden spy cam in the office monitoring all the staff and their activities (errrr, is there???). I really have to give her credit for her efficiency and professionalism :).

Then last Saturday, at the office, while I was cursing at my computer for its bloody mood swings (it kept popping out the blue screen especially just when I need to save a report), I received a call from my good friend Lia who is in the same class as I am.
I knew that today she will be attending one of our classmate's wedding in Tanjung Karang. Perhaps
she has called to check with me whether I am joining the convoy to the wedding, I thought. Still cursing under my breath, I clicked the answer button on my mobile phone and took the call.

" Reane, result dah keluar ( results are out ) ... " she said.

My heart must have stopped beating for a second and my hands grew cold as the realisation of her statement hit me right smack in the face.

Damn, how I wish I was still back in the hospital.......


to be continued.....

A Hari Raya Tribute

The saying goes, " If Muhammad cannot go to the mountain, then the mountain shall come to Muhammad".

The norm for our family would be that on the morning of the Aidilfitri, we would all go to the graveyard to say our prayers for our departed love ones. And just as last year, cousin Alif is not with us again to celebrate the Aidilfitri celebration as he is in London, furthering his studies.

Therefore,being the ever dutiful cousin as I am, I have decided to make this little video just for him, for his viewing pleasure - a tribute to our love ones who has since departed from us.

Our love and prayers are with them.

Al - Fatihah.

The Departure

This a 'rather' long overdue video presentation. I promised dear cousin Alif to send the recorded footages to him after his departure to London. But alas, personal agendas and other matters arising got in the way of fulfilling the promise made (yeah,I know. Excuses, excuses).

As I find myself with no pressing matters to attend to today, I had decided to complete the much delayed work. As we are in the midst of the Hari Raya season, I thought it would be best to edit the footages and make it as a hari raya presentation all together.

Dear Alif,

Selamat Hari Raya sayang. We've all missed you terribly... :(

Love,
From your clan.

The Promise

Last week I finally managed to spare some time to make a very much overdue visit to see the lovely and adorable baby 'Ash' (leave it to me to 'orang-putihkan' the baby's name. Note to the very proud parents - jangan marah ahhh ;p). After the numerous 'janji-janji kosong' of meeting up and the many cancelled appointments, I finally secured an evening off and took the opportunity to visit Ina & Mir at their lovely crib in Bukit Jalil. This time I took my small little 'entourage' with me, consisting of Patti, Nana & Nino, since hubby is away AGAIN in the eastern cost of peninsular Malaysia in the name of, what else, work of course. After work on Friday eve, I made a quick stop at Bukit Jelutong to pick up the ladies and made a dash for the kesas highway as to avoid the ugly traffic jam over at the Puchong area. Safe to say, my aunts now have very, very high regards over those people commuting in and out of Kuala Lumpur in their cars. The 'pesta lampu merah' over at the Kinrara route to Bukit Jalil really opened up their eyes to the possibility of the existence of life 'outside' the safe haven of Shah Alam town.

I once made a promise to Mir that I would cook for him again when time permits me and I guess Mir has decided to claim for the said promise. Furthermore, I needed to make it up to Ina & Mir for not being able to attend to baby Ash's 'cukur jambul' ceremony a couple of weeks ago in Ipoh due to my commitments. So, there I was that evening, with entourage - ever so ready to bring down the house with my signature dish - what else, PASTA of course!!

Spicy Seafood Spaghetti

Ingredients:

Prawns and Squid ( cleaned ) – you may substitute for chicken meat if you want to.
Olive oil - 4 spoonful Spagetthi (500 gm) - 1 packet
Processed chili (cili boh/mesin) – 1 spoonful (add more if you want it hotter!)
Garlic (crushed with the back of the knife) - 3 cloves
Large Onion (roughly sliced) - 1 pc
Ginger (peeled and sliced) - 1/2 inch
Bird's Eye Chili (cili padi - sliced in two)- 7 pcs
Vietnamese Mint Leaves (daun kesom) - 5-7 pieces
Kaffir Lime leaves (daun limau purut, roughly torn) - 3 pcs
Ripe Tomatoes ( roughly chopped ) - 3 pcs
Baby corn (sliced) - 4 pcs
Snow peas (ends taken off) - 7 pcs
Red Capsicum (sliced thinly) - 1 pc
Carrot (sliced) - 1 pc
Straw mushroom (sliced in half) – 1 can
Oyster Sauce -1 tablespoon
Sweet Soya Sauce - 3 spoonful
Light Soya Sauce - 2 spoonful
A dash of pepper & mixed herb

Method:

1. Prepare the spaghetti as per instruction on packet(boil with a little bit of oil and salt until a la dante).
2. In a large hot wok (kuali), heat up the oil.
3. Add in garlic, onion, ginger, cili padi and fry until fragrant (or onions turn transparent).
4. Add in daun kesom and daun limau purut).
5. Next, add in cili boh and the seafood, followed by the chopped tomatoes.
6. Add in the vegetables – baby corn, snow peas and capsicum. Lastly the mushroom.
7. Then came the sauces – oyster, sweet and light soya.
8. Add in the spaghetti. Mixed it up well.
9. Serve it hot with a dash of pepper and mixed herb.

*Note : If its lacking sweetness or saltiness, just add in a bit more sweet or light soya sauce. End result, there should be a harmonious mix of sweet and spicy with a lttle of 'zing' from the Vietnamese mint leaves.

I asked Mir to buy a bottle of sparkling red grape juice, just to get us in the ' Italian' mood (yelah, since we cannot consume alcohol kan, asalkan botol die nampak macam wine pun jadik la). I cannot very well tell you if the dinner was a huge success or whether the pasta turn out to be everyone's cup of tea, or not. What would anyone think of me then if I were to rate my own cooking? Sungguh tidak professional betul.

Instead, I shall let the pictures speak for themselves ;p..hehehehehhe

Aiseyman.....

Had a test just now. A problematic question concerning the Law of Torts. Unlike the last time, I am determine to make it through this semester with flying colours!! My goal is to achieve the ultimate score of 4.0. for my final exams and making the dean's list. Well, a person can dream, right ?

What I have discovered from my previous exam is that I have a problem remembering case names. The storyline, remedies and judgement granted, not a problem. But remembering the names is a different story altogether. So this time, I vowed never to repeat the same mistakes again! I have taken preventive measures to ensure optimum result - studying, making extra notes, even having group discussions with my future lawyer friends until we got chased out of the library (apparently the librarian wanted to go home already as it was already late night). I wanted to make sure that this time I am more prepared - physically, emotionally and mentally. I wanted to become a good lawyer, and to be one, I would need to be able to cite the right cases to support my reasonings and my conclusions. Furthermore, who wants to deal with a forgetful lawyer, ehh?

Long story short, when I finally receive the question for the test, I smiled away. A huge 'ear-to-ear' grin, just like a Cheshire cat. I was so relieved because my group and I had just discussed a similar case just last night during our group study. The moment we got the signal from our lecturer, all of us got busy writing down our answers. For the first time, I am able to answer a question with my head full of answers. And the words keep flowing over the pages as I wrote my answer quickly, fearing that if I am not fast enough, the answers would dissipates into thin air. i have got all the answers at my fingertips. The issues, the application of law, citation of the relevant cases, remedies and etc. It was as if god gave my hand a will of its own to write down the answers, and by god, they all made sense!!

By the end of the hour, I had actually written more then 2 pages worth of answers to backup my reasoning for the case. Out of habit, I recheck my work, just to make sure I've got the spelling right, dotted all the 'i's and crossed all the 't's. Somehow, there was a feeling of unsettlement as I quickly scheme over the page as I read my answer. I knew that somehow this is the correct answer, a classic textbook case which I don't have a problem dealing with. But somehow there was that nagging feeling at the back of my mind, just as if I would have the feeling of missing somethin, but I just could not determine what is it that I am missing. Putting aside the feeling for sheer anxiety, I submitted my paper with confidence.

Back home, I was about to go sleep just after a light meal and a hot shower. I felt tired and sleepy as I have been lacking the rest which my body requires for the past week, busy studying and preparing for the tests. I closed my eyes and wait for the sleep to come and enclose me in the blanket of slumber, but somehow, sleep never came. The nagging feeling that I had earlier on kept coming back to haunt me. My heart says that I should just make a quick check on the answer that I have submitted while my head says to just forgo it as it is already over. At the end of the day, my heart prevailed.

Came down to the library and I went online to check my mail and at the same time making a quick search on Wikipedia on the cases that I have cited.

The test was a classic case of negligence of misstatement resulting to economic loss and I knew immediately that one of the relevant cases that needed to be cited here is of Hedley Byrne v Heller. The other, is for the case also on economic loss due to negligence misstatement. However in this case, the judgement differs from Hedley where the court held that the defendant was not liable as he did not know that the statement he made would be relied upon by the plaintif. Oh, let me tell you how proud I am of myself for being able to cite cases such as these as if I was reciting my A,B.Cs . Just as the Malay proverb goes , " Masuk bakul angkat sendiri". But alas, truth to be told, yes, I can be vain sometimes. :D

My happiness did not last for long, though. As I scanned through the article on the monitor screen, I immediately saw the mistake that I have made. I just sat there staring at the monitor, rereading the case again and again, until my eyes start to water. I closed my eyes and took a long deep breath. Then, unable to handle my frustration, I knocked my head on the table a couple of times. Although, not hard enough to fracture the skull, but definitely the pain is enough to act as a reminder for me. I just don't know if I would ever learn from my mistakes. Apparently, it looks like perhaps, I might never will.....

On the case which the Judgement differs from Hedley, when I should be citing the case as Caparo Industries PLC v Dickman, as how the makers of the law demands that it should be, this was the answer that I gave instead, with such confidence and dignity.

Instead, my answer was :


'Cannavaro' Industries PLC v Dickman.


Hiiiyaaaaaaaa, ini buka Forzzaaa Italia 2006 World Cup Champion la kak!! Ini macam punye perempuan aaaa , how to become lawyer like this laaaa.....???

*Sigh......Die laa, die... :(

'Tis But A Small World After All, Isn't It Darling?

I am a firm believer (well, sometimes not. I can be fickle minded at times) of the theory that everyone is separated by 6 degrees and all. The theory is proven just two weeks ago during hubby's cousin's wedding in Kuala Lumpur.

I love to read. Seriously. It's just nowadays I don't have much time for this hobby of mine as most of the time my nose is buried way, way deep in my law books. I guess that is what attracted me into taking up law ( though I suspect the main reason is because I wanted to feel 'smart' as most of the time I am a coconut head - according to someONE la kan ;) ). I love to read books, magazines, articles, notations, diaries, reports, thesies and eversince the world of internet was discovered, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE reading blogs. I have read, if not all, some of the blogs that have been posted online. Most of the blogs that I have read are by my friends - its a good way of keeping track of their progress and of their development, i.e. status, families even gossips. Other times I read blogs written by people that I do not know - strangers really who share the same passion as I do - writting. I have a few of which are my favourites and one of it I stumbled upon by coincidence, literary.

Back then in 2005, when my sister informed us of her intention to get married, I was automatically (or did i volunteered? Can't really remember now) elected as one of the committee members for the preparation of her wedding, a.k.a the younger sister-cum-event manager-cum-minah despatch-cum -trouble shooter-cum physchiatrist. Yes, planning a wedding can be QUITE stressful, if you know what I mean >;).

Anyway, I was surfing the net, looking for any websites or pictures of the 'pelamin' by Istana Kanopi (the same people who did mine) for along's wedding . A search through Google returned pages of result and one of the results returned was for a blog written by young lady named Izreen, mostly on her everyday adventures, work, family, friends. Basically it is about Izreen and her incidental issues. Now, mind you I have read quite a number of blogs but I have to say, hers is one of the most entertaining that I have had a chance upon - in my perspective anyway. Not trying to kiss arse here, but I just love reading her blog. The way she expresses her views, thoughts and stories are very entertaining. The words flow beautifully on the screen and I just cannot stop reading from one post to another. Indeed, I actually got to know Izreen even before I met her!!

When I saw her at hubby's cousin's wedding in KL two weeks ago, I could not believe my eyes. I mean, what are the chances of me bumping into her at this particular wedding, of all places? I had to pinch myself, just as a reminder that I am not dreaming and that no, I am not in front of the computer reading her blog, AGAIN!!. She was sitting just across from where I was, obliviously to the fact that I was gawking at her with my mouth hanging open and my eyes almost popping out of their sockets. I deliberated a few seconds, actually telling myself the pros and cons of introducing oneself to her and telling her," Hey, you don't know me but I know almost EVERYTHING about you and i think you're a GREAT writer." Of course the chances are that she might just freak out and sue me for harassment (she's a lawyer by the way) or she might just think I am one nutcase, going about striking up conversations with strangers. Long story short, I finally introduced myself to her and we had a good, but short, conversation. She looked very pleased when I told her that I am a fan of her blog and she gave me a few pointers on taking up law and such. Although, I have to tell you, what amazes me most about her is that she is EXACTLY as how I thought she would be, reading from her postings in her blog. Open, friendly, exuberant, glowing. *Sigh..next to her, I look like a bloody ogre with my panda like eyes and my pale sickly yellow skin :( .

Oh, yes. The six degrees of separation thing ? Well, hubby's cousin -the bride, is one of Izreen's best mate from high school. Imagine that, huh?


It is a small world after all, wouldn't you say so yourself? ;p


*p/s: Izreen darling, I hope you won't mind but I've put a link to your website on mine :) . Think of it as a Promotion : Free advertisement sempena Meyambut Hari Kemerdekaan Negara yang ke 50 tahun....heheheh

Red Hot Mama Alert!!!

Myriam Fares - Haqleq Rahtak (مريم فارس - هقلق راحتك)

Waallaauuweeyyyy, ni yang nak buat den belajo nari 'gelek' ni....hehehehe ;p

The Colour Grey

I have been asked on numerous occasion by not just friends, but even family members concerning the choice I have made for the colour of my car. Usually they'll ask " Oren ke merah ke, takde ye?" and when I gave them the affirmation, they had this look on their face that apparently says " Ahhhh, no wonderlaaa " or "yup, I thought so...".

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE COLOUR GREY??!!!Shheesshhh.

After recently being asked the same question AGAIN (despite owning this car for two years now) during one of my outings with one of my girlfriends, I had to find out why. So, during the trip to hubby's cousin's wedding in KL last Saturday, I asked him, as he is my pillar of strength, my knight in shining armour, the smart one. The sane one. Perhaps he would be able to give me a good insight on this issue or even provide me with a logical explanation as to why I should have chosen the colour orange or red instead of the colour grey that is the current car colour that I have now.

Me : " Bang, why aaaa they keep asking me about the colour of my car? "

Hubby : " What do you mean?"

Me : "I mean, they always seem to think that I am better of with either orange or red rather the the grey that I have chosen. Why is that you think?"

Hubby : " Easy. 'Cause you're fuzzy. "

Me : " Fuzzy??!!! What is that? Is there such a word? "

Hubby : "Ada."

Me : " Well, what does it mean then? "

Hubby : " Look it up in the dictionary. Under fuzzy, you will find a picture of you. That is what it means laaa.... "

Me : " What the ???!@#$%^&*!!!! "


Laaaaa, I think he has been married to me too long now so much so he too has turned into as "3-suku" as I am already........Muahahahahahah :)


*Note : For the record, 'fuzzy' according to :

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
fuzz·y /ˈfʌzi/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fuhz-ee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adjective, fuzz·i·er, fuzz·i·est.

1. of the nature of or resembling fuzz: a soft, fuzzy material.

2. covered with fuzz: a plant with broad, fuzzy leaves.

3. indistinct; blurred: A fuzzy photograph usually means you jiggled the camera.

4. muddleheaded or incoherent: a fuzzy thinker; to become fuzzy after one drink.

Hmmmm, I wonder which definition is he referring to??? :)

Alahai Sayang .....

I finally got the opportunity to check on my personal email and found quite a number of outdated messages. There was one from hubby with no title, just a smiley face. Now, one thing I have to say about my man is that he is indeed a man of logic and reason. Everything that he does must have a cause. Nothing is done on "ala, saja aje" basis. For goodness sake, this man would not even send me flowers in the name of romance because his excuse is that," Ala, bukannya boleh makan pun bunga tuh..".

*Sigh. Spoken like a TRUE romantic.

There was no message in the email he sent. Just an attachment. A mp3 file - a song by Ronan Keating. Now, I may be a fan of all three CSIs, Bones, Numbers and whatnot's, but man, I am not THAT bright!! I am an enthusiast but that does not make me necessarily a genius!! There are certain things that I could not decipher and this mysterious email is one of it.

Just now I asked him about the email. He gave me a blank look that says " NOW only you check your mail???". I gave him one of my best pathetic looks and he just shook his head. When I pressed him further, all he said was, " Listen to the lyrics". Then he walked off. Huh, drama king.

So, here I am, searching through Google for the lyrics of the song and this is what I found :

"If Tomorrow Never Comes "

Sometimes late at night
I lie awake and watch her sleeping
She's lost in peaceful dreams
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark
And the thought crosses my mind
If I never wake in the morning
Would she ever doubt the way I feel
About her in my heart

Chorus

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
That I try in every way
To show her every day
That she's my only one
If my time on earth were through
And she must face the world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

'Cause I've lost loved ones in my life
Who never knew how much I loved them
Now I live with the regret
That my true feelings for them never were revealed
So I made a promise to myself
To say each day how much she means to me
And avoid that circumstance
Where there's no second chance
To tell her how I feel

Chorus

So tell that someone that you love
Just what you're thinking of
If tomorrow never comes




Alahaiiiii, 'romantic' jugak laki aku ni ye.... ;)

HELP ME!!!!

I am an insomniac.

I am someone who cannot sleep at night.

According to Wikipedia, " Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by an inability to sleep and/or inability to remain asleep for a reasonable period. Insomniacs typically complain of being unable to close their eyes or "rest their mind" for more than a few minutes at a time. Both organic and nonorganic insomnia constitute a sleep disorder.[1][2] It can be caused by fear, stress, anxiety, medications, herbs, caffeine, depression, or bipolar disorder and sometimes occurs for no apparent reason. "

Shakespeare described this phenemenon delicately in 'The Two Gentlemans of Venora' , Act 1, Scene 1 as "twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights".

The French calls it insomniaque.

The Italians, insonne. ( sounds insane to me...)

The Greeks - (αυτός)που υποφέρει από αϋπνία (!@#$%^&*??!!)


Moi? I find it to be a bloody NUISANCE.

This is not the first time I am experiencing this phenemenon. Apparently eversince I started studying again, I find myself with less quality sleep and more restless nights. One would have thought that when a person is running up dan down on a daily basis like a headless chicken, trying to get to get as many things done as possible, e.g. work, study, cook, wash, become the dutiful wife, daughter; the 'hapPening' friend - you would have thought that by the end of your loooonngg exhausting day, after a full day of vigorous activities which includes amongst others 'merempit' across roads to work, lunch, school and home and frying ones' brains out in your conquest to achieve absolute control in your work and to maintain some sanity while trying to make it through your legal classes - that you would be able to get a decent good sleep after a full day of buzzing about like an insanely busy bee.

How wrong can a person be?

I am here, on a morning which I initially plan to sleep in, now in front of my computer, vigorously typing away trying to get all this junk out of my head despite sleeping only at 5:00 am, and waking up just 3 hours ago.

I have tried numerous remedies for my ailment, hot cocoa, exercise, meditation.... I am short of taking sleeping pills and shooting myself in the head.

Please, can anyone help me?

My Lady 'D'

Dianne finally joined our "young wives" club on 07.07.07, five years after I tied the knot myself on 02.02.02. She looked beautiful with her delicately sewn nikah dress and the beautiful flowers in her hair. But what fascinated me most was the fact that she was almost too 'quiet' that night, which believe me, is not a word that you would associate with our little Lady 'D' here :). Dianne is most definitely neither a demure nor a shy person. On the contrary, she sometimes reminded me of "bertih jagung" (popcorn). She loves to chat and would constantly have something to talk about everything from family, friends up to the latest gossip. However, the best thing I love about Dianne is her naivety. Despite her 6 years of living and her 'happening' lifestyle in London, deep down inside she is still the same innocent and sometimes "lurus bendul" (naive) person that I have known since I was 16 years old.

Dianne, to me, in other words, is just like a breath of fresh air in the midst of this modern and chaotic world.

That night my Dianne was as quiet as a mouse. Occasionally I see her looking down at her 'inai' tipped fingers and taking long deep breaths. I know what was going on through her mind at that time. I myself have been in the same shoes just five years ago. The feeling itself is quite indescribable. Not exactly as stressful as getting ready for a driving test. Nor is it as exciting as waiting at the cinema for the new movie that you have been anticipating to start. The term " butterfly in your stomach" does not seem to describe the feelings that you have at that accurately. Instead of the light flutter of the wings of the butterfly fanning the inside lining of your stomach, what you have instead is the heavy tramping of the Godzilla creating chaos with your internal digestive system.

After some final touches to her makeup and putting on her jewellery, Dianne is finally ready for her nikah ceremony. Gina and myself went downstairs to wait with her relatives for the groom to arrive. Before leaving I looked back at Dianne and saw her again looking down at her fingers, perhaps thinking of her future - which will change in less then 20 minutes time. I prayed for her silently - so that god will give her the strength and the wisdom to undertake this new role in her life; to be the beautiful, smart and wonderful wife that any husband would be proud of.

" My dearest Dianne,

Congratulations on your wedding, my friend. May you and your husband receive the blessings from Allah SWT and live a prosperous and wonderful life for many years to come.

Amin. "

*p/s : More pictures at My Fotopages

Monday Blues

You know that you are going to have a bad day WHEN :

1. You accidentally burnt your favourite 'executive' top while ironing clothes to go to work that morning.

2. You are already late and just remembered that your car is low on fuel, thus you had to wait in line at the gas station near your house while swearing loudly (with the windows up of course!) at the bloke in front of you to quickly fill his tank.

3. Two out of three traffic lights is out of order therefore everyone had to be a dare-devil and 'merempit' while crossing the 4-junction on route to work and pray that no one will crash their vehicle against yours.

4. You switched on your computer and the system prompts you and said that they are experiencing a problem with the network connection so for most of the day, you will be isolated from the outside world.

5. The reports you naively volunteered to get it done during the weekend was a HUGE disappointment to your boss. While he did not scream or make any public spectacle about it, he did however gave you a piece (no, make it pieces!)of his mind, so much so you that you just felt like jumping out of his office window in an attempt to save of little dignity is left still - but stopped short of doing so because you realised that the jump will not kill you but instead most probably supply you with only a broken rib or two but most of all, a heavily bruised ego!

6. The bank called and gave you a nice lecture on the importance of prompt payment when in actual you are only short of RM 1.41 for your monthly credit card payment !

7. Lunch was a blaaaahhhhh!!! You ordered mee goreng basah letak daging (fried noodle with sauce & meat) but what you got instead was just "basah" only. The noodle tasted more like damp threads while the daging (meat) .....well, where the bloody hell are they???!!!

8. Your boss is obviously still upset with you and looked like a character from "Hellboy" minus the broken horns, red skin and tail.

9. Your boss caught you messaging your friend telling her about him.

10. When submitting the amended report as instructed by your boss, you happen to see your semi-annual performance and assessment form on his desk and saw the comment box under the 'achievements- up- to- date' column - blank.

By 5:20 p.m. I was seriously contemplating on whether to make that jump over boss's window or just hand in my resignation letter. I mean, why bother staying on if your boss does not find you competent or worthy enough for the job?

I went to the ladies first before making the move home. Boss was in his office, getting ready to go back. By the time I got back to my desk to take my bag and keys, I saw the reports I've submitted earlier on my table with a note attached to it.

Wel, well, well.....not bad, ehhh? Not bad afterall :) .

The Reunion

Hubby has been away to the eastern cost for almost 2 weeks now in the name of work & professionalism and also to the possibility of a promotion (Yiippeeee!!). During his absence I have been keeping myself busy ( frankly I could not sleep at night without my other half with me. So the plan is to exhaust myself tremendously until I drop dead rather then forcing oneself to get a decent shuteye when all other attempts failed). A friend of mine is back from 'London-bridge-is-falling-down" for 6 weeks to attend to her wedding preparations. Coincidentally, I have just moved back to my hometown and currently on semester break. As fate seems to be on our side, the girls and I decided to get together to catch up on current breaking news, updates and hot gossips on who's doing what around the neighbourhood.

The initial idea was that for everyone to meet up at Starbucks at 9:30 pm. Somehow, along the way there was a change of plan and I ended up picking up everyone in my car instead ( thank god we live nearby each other). Gina (short-message-service provider), Dianne ( Lady D )and myself got there first and made ourselves comfortable. We shared drinks and a slice of blueberry cheesecake while waiting for Cynthia ( Digi - I-will-follow-u-yellow-toyol) to arrive. We interrogated Dianne on her new man and husband-to-be and of her wedding preparations. I was so happy to see Dianne talking to us about her love life and to see that sparkle in her eyes with the look of utter happiness and bliss. It was just wonderful to see her this way. To see all of us - together after all this while - just enjoying each other's company. A girl's night out.

After a while, we received a lovely surprise when my aunt, alang and her inseparable husband, paklang, who dropped by to get a frapp for themselves. This is what happens when you live close to your family. Sooner or later you are bound to cross paths and bump into each other. (Although I suspected alang just wanted to check on my whereabouts while her Friday Boy is away from home just to make sure I am not gallivanting all over the place with a good looking 6 feet something tall, tanned bloke and looked just like Clive Owen draped all over me ..WooHHOooo !! :) ). The girls and I are very close so much so that we knew each other's family right down to their aunts, cousins and etc. So it was sort of a wonderful mini reunion when we all met up. To alang's delightful surprise, we all apparently grew up, managed to get out of those bloody hideous school uniforms and survived to tell the world our story.

Wondering how we got close to each other? Let's see now.

Cynthia, Gina and myself were classmates in high school. Dianne was in the next class. I knew Gina way back when I was in primary when we attended the same tuition class in section 10. Cynthia and Dianne were from the same primary school. Dianne's mother and mine are friends and used to attend the same religious classes and high teas/functions together. We all attended to same tuition class for accounts at Cikgu Tengku's. We used to ride the bus back home together and since we resided along the same bus route, Gina usually goes down first at her stop, followed by Dianne and myself next and lastly Cynthia. We used to do study group and play badminton at Gina's house. Also since the pasar malam (night market) is near Gina's house, naturally her crib would be a one stop center for all of us to hang out(although frankly speaking, the main reason why its always Gina's place and not any of ours is because there were a group of young men ( Uni boys ) renting the house next to Gina's. I can't very well remember whether they were good looking blokes or not but since we were young high school girls back then , I guess you can say we were all teenagers with raging hormones and anyone that is male, older and drives a satria is basically a heartthrob!! :) ) .

That night we talked for hours. We talked about everything that we could just think of. Friends. Classmates. Gossips. Family. Work. Future. We were one of the last customers to leave Starbucks. Even when they were already switching off the lights and arranging the seats, we were still sitting there, our butts glued to our seats , talking and talking and talking - trying to get as much information off each other as we could. Finally it was time to go. On my drive back, after sending the girls back to their homes, I mused to myself.

Amongst us, only Dianne and myself left our hometown. Dianne pursued her studies in London and eventually built a career for herself there. Myself, left after tying the knot and have since been to few places due to work commitments. Cynthia has always been here and Gina returned home after completing her studies. We have all been buzy with our lives, doing our thing, achieving our goals. But it seems that now, at the the end of the day, we are all back here again. Back to our hometown.Back to our roots.

Back to where it all began. Sixteen years ago. Plus minus here and there, of course. (Calcalus has never been one of my strong subjects) ;P.

p/s: More pics can be viewed at my fotopages.

Phewwwww...

It's been a while since I last sat for an exam and mind you, this is no laughing matter. Since I am no Einstein nor am I a Pulitzer winner, it requires a lot of effort and a rather huge chunk of my personal sacrifice just to pass the exam - no, even to just manage through the scheduled classes.

I have always known that I would want to be involved in science social studies. At one time I even thought of becoming an ambassador, proudly representing my birth country to preferably one of the European countries. But alas, father had already formulated a plan for me, so I was then shipped off to UK after completing my SPM to major in computer studies. God knows how I even manage to make through the course when half the time I don't even know what the lecturers were talking about.

Fast forward to present time, I told myself if I were to decide for a career change, now would be it. The fact that I had to both work and study at the same time, plus manage the family does tend to take a toll on me sometimes. But then again, like I always tell myself, I am not the first one to walk down this path. If others could do it, then so can I. Still, thank god for the ever dependant support system from 'ma familia', especially hubby dearest a.k.a my walking legal dictionary for enduring wifey's late nights from classes while indulging in not-so-healthy dinners all by himself.

I have still a looong way to go, but then after the first exam results, I can now proudly say, optimistically speaking of course - despite the earlier doubts I had of my capabilities to complete my first semester, the future does indeed looks promising now, doesn't it .... :)

Backtrack

A rather lonngggg due post.

Eldest sister wedding on 27th May 2006. Beautiful wedding. Beautiful people. An unforgettable event.

Photos are finally up. Thanks to the photographers from Prettypeektures. Min, you're a life saver! :)

http://prettypeektures.fotopages.com/?entry=1186778&back=http://prettypeektures.fotopages.com/?page=0#CommentsTop

Our original photographer had to pull out 2 weeks prior to the wedding date - due to some unforeseen circumstances. But thanks to Effa (my junior back in STF) and her husband, Min who managed to squeeze us in at the very last minute, the event was beautifully captured. The pictures were gorgeous and above all, the service was excellent!!

Thank you again Prettypeektures ~ from your very satisfied customer... :)

*Note : Sadly, late grandmother passed away on the anniversary of my sister's wedding. Poor along. It was hard on both my sister and bro in law - they already made plans to held a kenduri to celebrate their wedding anniversary but instead, that day we had a kenduri 'tahlil' for arwah nenek.

Thank you Min for your wishes. We appreciate them.

The Lovely Surprise

Last Saturday, I went back to visit mum-in-law with dear hubby just to say hello and to see how she was doing.

As I entered the house and greeted her, she gave me a wide smile and told me to sit down while she went into her room. Upon her return, she presented me with a l-o-v-e-l-y surprise.

Bling, Bling!!

I asked mum-in-law why would she buy me a ring, since it isn't even my birthday yet.She just gave a little shrug, smiled and said that it was merely a gift and that she just felt like giving it to me.

WooHHhooooooo...tak sia-sia jadi menantu tunggal ... :)

Ladies, do try to control your jealousy....Muahahahahahah ;)

Soya Bean

...that was what my late grandmother used to call me. She was the only person to call me with that name. She had poor eyesight with blurry vision and she could only see in monochrome (black & white). In order to identify a person she had to ask them to come close to her so she would be able to see them clearly. She called me by that name because according to her, I am as white and milky as the soya bean drink.

'Was' is the keyword here. Arwah nenek drew her last breath peacefully in front of all of us, her family members on Sunday, 27.05.2007 at 2:00 pm.

What can I say about the most beautiful person in the whole wide world?

Hjh Hapsah bt Hj Shafie was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother. A woman of substance, she was like a breath of fresh air, a light in the dark - shining the way for everyone. She was the kindest person I have ever known. As far as I can remember, she always had something nice to say about everyone. She may look like a timid docile woman on the outside, but inside she was strong and hearty. A true perfect example of how a woman should be. The one lesson that she had taught me well was to always have faith in god. To be sincere and everything that we do, to never-ever give up in life and that patience is a virtue. Despite not being educated formally, she was a brilliantly smart woman.

Prior to this I was blogging at Friendster. And for those who have read my blog there, I'm sure you remember one of my previous post on my grandmother, entitled "Super Gran".

I can't go back there now. Not to read that post. Not yet. I am scared that I might breakdown again and cry like a baby just like the night after they have buried her. When the Imam was reading the talqim, it finally dawned on me that nenek is no longer there with us. She will not be there sitting on her bed surrounded by her pillows looking faraway deep in her thoughts. No one to ask my husband why he shaved his head bald, no one to ask me to make mashed potatoes just like the way she wants it, no one to tell me about the story how she got married to my late grandfather with a borrowed ring during the Japanese invasion. No one to call me Soya Bean anymore......

On the day she went away forever, I made a promise to myself not to cry and to there for my family as they needed me to be strong for them. God knows how badly I wanted to cry for her, to voice out my grief and sadness of losing her. But I needed to comfort my family - my aunts, cousins, sisters. To help them to let Nenek go, especially my father. My dear, dear, dearest father.

He was her favourite, the jewel of her eye. Don't get me wrong, she loved all her children and her children's children. But somehow Zakaria was her favourite. Father used to be away for a long, long while. When others were angry and frustrated with him, arwah nenek stood by her son. Never to scold him but constantly prayed to Allah Almighty that her son would one day return to her.

After 18 years of hoping and praying, he finally did. Even if it was only for a short while, I am sure she was happy. That they were both happy and that her last days were filled with wonderful memories of them together with the family.

I shall never ever forget her. We all will never forget her. Her faith, strength, and wisdom shall always be my guide in pursuing life's conquest. And insya-allah, if god would permit, I shall try to fulfill the promise that I made to her - long before this day is to come. I shall make her happy and proud. Me, her grandaugther - the 'Soya Bean'.

Al-Fatihah.