I'm sick of them!

Picture courtesy of People magazine

It's the weekend again, and I am relieved. Most of the things on my plate are done, except minor assignments for the teaching class. I just want to relax this weekend, spend some time with my dearest hubby and watch the snow fall. Ahhh.... temporary bliss!

In the meantime, I am really sick of these people, especially HIM. They are everywhere!! In the words of Perez, he is such a douchebag! I wished he would get out of my TV screen and the Internet. Why are people so fascinated with them?

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Stuck in a rut

This is my daily path to school. One of those perfect Autumn days. (P.S: Gambar ini tidak kene mengena dgn post dibawah :-P he he he)

These last few days I've been so lazy!!

There are a ton of things I can do, but I am not doing it. Instead, I am just relaxing, taking my time and watching a lot of telly. Plus, I ordered two new crime fiction book from Amazon, and I actually finished the first book in just three days! (about 670 pages!). I will try to review it later, but seeing that I am very lazy that might not get done in the near future. :-P

On Tuesday, I had taped a teaching session for our teaching video critique. It went alright, I think. The instructor in the class was nice enough to shift her schedule to accommodate me so I could not spoil it as I only had one chance. I was so lucky to have Sad with me to kindly video-tape the session for me, and I must say his presence sort of calmed me down. Thank you, sayang! I really have the best husband ever! :-)

I was antsy because I have not taught in a while, and I was wondering if the change in audience demographic will make any difference. In a way, it was still the same. I had to tailor my examples to American examples, but the students seemed to understand me just fine. There were a few questions, and they look interested enough in what I was saying. We'll see how it goes. The teaching class is really loaded with assignments so if I mess up one assignment, I still have other avenues to make up for it.

After the assignment, we went to see a movie, Zombieland. It was one of those really indulgent movies that you watch that don't require any thinking! But it's a lot of blood and gore, with bodies parts being yanked out so you might want to leave your toddlers out if you want to give it a go. All in all, both of us are still waiting for the premier of "Vampire's assistant" next week. We are so lucky that the cinema is actually just minutes away from our apartment, within walking distance. Sweet!

After that though, I still have this nagging feeling that I still can't shake. It's actually been there after the mid-term. I feel a bit sluggish, demotivated and slightly depressed. I don't know why. There are still tons of things to do! I also felt guilty for resting on my laurels when I should be doing work, but can't seem to get myself to do something useful. Sigh. One classmate was saying that perhaps we spent so much energy on the mid-term that we have gotten to the stage where we feel entitled to some rest, and not wanting to do much. Maybe. I think so. Let's hope I get out of this funk!

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Mid-term, weather and the rest

This week has been really hectic. I had one mid-term and I also finished one presentation the day after the mid-term. Next week there is more on the plate, I have to finish video taping my teaching session and a few assignments to complete. But the worst is over! When you haven't been studying for such a long time sitting for exams can get quite scary because you don't know if you can still do it. It was alright though, the instructor gave us a study guide and it was almost word for word what she said would be out. Even though I don't know my marks, I am pretty sure it's not horrible. :-)

The weather though, has been really horrible. It was projected to snow this weekend, something I am crossing my finger wont' happen! I'll just be sensible though next week and put on my scarf, my coat and my gloves. But not the woolly hat, that would just be too much don't you think? :-P (plus, I think I will look ridiculous!).I also had a nice conversation with a classmate yesterday. He told me that the rest thought I was 'precise' and 'analytical' and he also mentioned "we were worried that you thought we were a disorganized bunch of clowns!". Wasn't that the nicest thing to say? He he he he. I didn't expect that though. I guess sometimes our perceptions for other people can be totally the opposite of what we are thinking. I am sure they thought I was also quiet and proper, which I am totally not! He he he. As I am gradually getting to know my classmates, I am also shedding some of my stereotype that I might have had. :-)

This weekend though I don't want to think about school, I just wanted to relax. Aside from watching some trashy telly (yeay reality TV!), Joey took us to a Lowe's (something like Home Depot) and we got some house plants and other house stuff. The apartment looks really cozy now, especially the living room. We also got some new curtains to put over the blinds, but the stick that was supposed to hold up the curtains was too long so we have to buy another one. Other than that, me and Sad has been meaning to watch the Vampire's Assistant soon, but the cold weather has prevented us from going out. It's just too freaking cold!

Meanwhile, I had the nicest e-mail this week. I contacted an old teacher in my uni day, the one who taught me "Introduction to Mass Communication". I shan't mention him here (you never know who will read your blog with the power of Google!) but to me, he WAS THE BEST EVER. It was him who made me major in Communication, and he just had so much passion in it. I was glad to get a reply from him because I really wanted to tell him how grateful I was that I had the chance to study with him.

I'm stopping my rambling here. I have me some cekodok to fry! Take care guys, and have a good weekend. I know I am going to. :-)

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It's been a month!

Some Malaysian and Indonesian friends in Kent and Akron

Wow... I can't believe it's been a month that I've been in Kent. Here are some short updates (to those who have been wondering :-P):

School etc

Things have been improving. I am no longer scared in class, just a tad intimidated. He he he he. Assignments are piling up but I am taking it a day at a time. No point getting too stressed out about it. It's a learning curve, hopefully soon I will get the hang of things. By the end of this semester though I am supposed to decide what specialization area I should be heading because the subjects I take will determine my comprehensive exams. I think I am almost sure what to do, but lets give it some time till the end of this semester to see. My school is good in Interpersonal, and there are about 2-3 good supervisors in that area. People here are quite nice really, and I don't really get stared at. In fact, there are a few Asian students in my program.

Apartment etc
We've moved in comfortably. I am sure some of you have seen the pics in FB. Today, we actually got a sofa bed and rugs. So we have some decent furniture now! He he he he. Some of the other furniture were donated kindly by our friends (i.e. Joey, Na) and we even got some nice dishes today from Devi, an Indonesian girl we met at an open house last week. I don't see the point of getting really expensive stuff since we are only going to be here for maximum four years. We haven't even bought our own car yet. Probably that will be sometime in December, when the winter time starts. Apparently, winter here is quite vicious so we have to get a car to get around and buy groceries. We don't have an awful lot yet, but the apartment is cozy and comfortable so I am grateful for small things. :-)

Friends
We've made a few new friends here, mainly Malaysians in the Kent area. There are so few of us so that when we meet up it feels almost like home. Seeing a Muslim face is also something I normally look forward to. Automatically, if you run into a women wearing scarf on campus (usually Arab or Pakistanis) they will look up to me and give salam, complete with a warm smile. Now how often do you see that happening in Malaysia? :-P

Funny observations
I am still trying to get their slang here. Once or twice, I've had to repeat myself. My English is still not American. I don't think I want to adopt a slang. Perhaps I will just adjust myself when I am speaking to American friends and classmates, but other than that, I am happy to retain my 'lah'. He he he. Cultural differences? Americans are very diplomatic in the way they talk. I.e. everything is 'have a nice day' 'how are you doing' 'good to see you', for one. The professors treat their students like friends, at least at the post graduate level. They way they joke also differ. It's a very sarcastic, quip-ish way of joking, and once or twice I have been caught of guard because I never know if they are joking or not. And oh! my friend warned me never to extend an invitation to an American friend if you don't mean it, a.k.a. "ajak2 ayam", they really expect to turn up if you invite them at their houses! And of course, customer service here is really fantastic. We are always greeted professionally, and I have yet to meet an irate cashier.

Guess this would be it for now. I've had an exciting day today, so I must turn in early tonight. Have a good week, all! :-)

p.s: Frea, pop quiz. At what stage am I in intercultural adaptation? He he he he. :-P

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Letter of the week!

Usually, there's nothing exciting in my pigeon hole. I have the usual credit card bills that I have to sort out, insurance notice, and of course not to forget boring administrative letters (calls for meetings, workshops, warning letters from top management to pursue PhD etc). But a couple of days ago one letter broke the trend.

The first paragraph read:

"Dear sister in Islam, Assalamualaikum Wbt... I hope I do not disturb you, and above all, apologize if the message below (MARRIAGE PROPOSAL) is not appropriate for you, because you are already married, engaged or simply not interested. If so, you can stop reading and tear down this sheet immediately"

Should I continue reading? Of course I did! Ha ha ha.

"So I hope I am addressing a single woman who has never been married. I am so sorry I could not find a better approach, even though I was very reluctant and had no idea on your identity, background etc. I learned that many Malaysian highly educated Muslim are unable to get married because of many social factors, so I hope you understand my situation. I just opted for addressing your good self directly, hoping that may be our common destiny prescribed by Allah SWT to be fulfilled in this way. This attempt for marriage proposal is sincere, pure, innocent and I have no evil nor game plans"

He went on to explain his background, why he came to Malaysia and reasons for wanting to settle down here, and of course why marriage is important, i.e. Surah Hujurat, verse 13. I have no idea whether he is sincere or not, nor am I in any position to judge about his rather er... unusual method. I only have ONE question: just how many letters did he sent out? It certainly wasn't personal because my name could not be found anywhere in the letter and it was just slipped inside my pigeon hole at the office.

Oh well, at least it certainly merits as the most interesting letter to make its way into my pigeon hole this week! He he he he. Have a good week, people!

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The idiot's guide to 'nikah'

OK, OK... this is not a 18sx post nor is it providing dating tips. I would not know about that kind of stuff. :-P He he he. But due to my difficulties in getting my wedding documents settled, here are some tips for those of you who are not married yet. So you don't become "Bridezilla" (in Mrs. Curmudgeon's words!).

1. Tip number 1: Hell hath no fury like the pissed off tuk kadi. He is the one who is going to officiate the ceremony. So if you are in doubt, please ring him. Or if you don't know who he is going to be, make sure you get his contact number.

2. Tip number 2: Keep your eyes wide open for inconsistencies. Bear in mind that the procedures in each state in Malaysia differ. Case in point: for Selangor, you can submit the documents two months from the akad nikah, while in Kedah, you have to submit it only ONE month before hand. To help you with all this unnecessary rigmarole, I would suggest reading the procedures online or looking very carefully at the check list of documents you need to submit.

3. Tip number 3: Try to avoid going up and down to the Jabatan Agama (s). The procedures are different, yes in detail, but in actual, you have to get the forms for your permission to marry inside or outside of your state, and to submit it to the Jabatan Agama according to your address in your IC. So to avoid going so many times to the JAs, you can always download the forms, fill it in then only go ONCE to the JAs. For example, you can download the Selangor forms from this URL and you can downloaded the "Borang 1" (KL) from this URL

4. Tip number 4: Usually, the females have a harder time! This is a fact, OK. First off, you cannot settle yours until the bridegroom has gotten permission to marry, then only you can submit your forms. Secondly, concerning your wali. If your wali @ usually your father is no longer around, things will get complicated. Third, beware if you are the FIRST CHILD. If you are the first child, in most states I think you have to provide your parents marriage certificate (certified) to prove that you are their legitimate child.

5. Tip number 5: Try to do it according to your IC address. If you are in KL or Selangor, it is still better to do it in your hometown. If you are residing in KL or Selangor, there are more documentations to provide to prove that you are 'bermastautin'. So it's better to do it in your hometown. And that reminds me, you can only submit the documents in the Jabatan Agama in your district. I.e. if you live in Petaling, you have to go to Shah Alam office.

6. Tip number 6: If your akad nikah is at a different place, there are more forms to fill in! If you are living in the same state that you are having your akad it is OK. But if you are having the akad somewhere else, there is going to be trouble (and more 'beauty' of bureaucracy).

7. Tip number 7: Be prepared for a lot of waiting. Sigh. I spent 3 hours in the JAIS office alone. For what? Owh, I had to wait for the clerk to manually key in the information one by one. She was so slow that I wanted to take over the typing! :-P To do my HIV, I had to take at least half a day to complete it in the government clinic. And yes, the kursus kahwin took me two days. So be prepared to take leave, and allocate at least one to two months to settle all the paper work.

Hope this doesn't scare off all of you who have not tied the knot yet. Bear in mind, the degree of complexity depends on you and your partner's background and residential area. Moral of the story: Marry someone from the same state, and don't bother to do the akad nikah OUTSIDE of your residential area! People, you have been warned. :-P

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Slow and steady!

Have you ever felt harrassed because there were SO many things to do and so little time to do it? He he he.

I'm trying to do things bit by bit. What worries me the most is the documentation. I have gotten everyone's signature, but have to go again, twice to the JAIS office in Shah Alam to get it in. (since my address is in Petaling, I can only go to the Shah Alam office). Once, to submit all the documents according to the check list, and that I will obtain permission to get married outside of Selangor. The second time around, to pick up the permission document (it takes one day to process!). The ustaz I met yesterday warned me to be careful; there has been cases where the couple in question did not get permission to marry because the document was not completed as required, and the akad could not go on. Horror gile! They make us work very hard, don't they? :-) Probably the last week or so before, I have to meet up with the ustaz from Felda to make sure the documents are correct and in order when he perform the akad nikah. Wish me luck, I hope to settle the documentation by next week so I can concentrate on doing other things.

My parents has been a blessing. They've really helped a lot; they've been working hard this week at getting the event co-ordinated; my mum sampai demam2. And since they've been making things so easy for me, I've tried to co-operate with them in any way that I can. All in all, my family have been really helpful in getting things done. I am so thankful for that. :-)

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Road rage!

Yesterday was a strange day.

Now, I am known to drive very slowly in some roads and very fast in others! Nevertheless, most of the time my average speed does not usually exceed 80kmph (I know Rudy will agree with this!). And I don't like following another car too close, just in case I have to brake suddenly. What annoys me when I maintain a safe distance is that some cars will take opportunity to cut in suddenly. If they signal its OK but if they don't I get very irritated. How rude!

Anyway (yes, I'm rambling here), I was driving to work minding my own business when a Wira followed close behind me on my way to the Damansara toll. We were nearing the toll so I gave way because we had to slow down anyway. Why fight idiots like this? You're just wasting your breath and its better to let them have their way. It's just not worth it. Since you are so impatient, just go ahead, I won't fight you.

After the toll, because of the Touch n Go, I managed to get in front of him. He was stuck about a few meters behind so I thought that was that. Then, suddenly, he veered behind me impatiently, again tail-gating me. Again, I let him go first. But when I moved lane, he didn't pass, but instead move lane behind me! I thought that was weird so I sped up. He sped up too. At this point, I was getting really annoyed. Dah kasi potong tak nak, tapi ikut dekat2. Ko apehal?!! What is your problem, dude?!! So when I glanced at the rear view mirror, there he was grinning and he actually waved his hands at me. Idiot!! Are you trying to be cute?!! I couldn't tell what race he was though or what he really looked like because he had his shades on. But he followed really, really close and I felt very uncomfortable.

For the next 20 minutes or so, the cat-and-mouse game went on. He followed very closely till I got to Batu Caves and then suddenly, he disappeared. Just like that. I guess he was trying to be funny, or maybe he's the sort of person who thinks that the road is a good place to show off his so called driving skills. Whatever it is, I hope I don't see that car or that weird dude again!

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By the pricking of my finger

...I declare that I do not have HIV! :-P I took Friday off to go to a government clinic to get my HIV test done. Since it's only done in the afternoon, I did not see the point of going to work in the morning and fighting the traffic in the afternoon (i.e. Friday prayers jam) to rush back home by 2pm. The clinic I went to was the nearest one to my house, and I didn't even realize that there was one clinic so close to home! And it was huge. And jam packed with people complaining of various ailments.

Luckily, the procedure did not take too long. I had to take a number, but it was not necessary. I was however pushed from one counter to the next and the nurses did not seem to 'enjoy their work' very much. Overworked and underpaid, perhaps? They certainly look brusque and curt; dealing with hundreds of people daily must be taxing. That did not bother me too much, though.

What was funny was how the test was conducted! I expected patients to be ushered into a room, but maybe because we were considered outpatients, we had to stick our hands over the counter and the nurse would prick our finger to take blood samples! And she was so busy gossiping with her colleagues, she missed once and had to do it again. And to add to that, she was so 'careful' with her work that she dropped one big dollop of blood on my HIV form! Aiyoooooooo.....

By the end of 15 minutes, I was glad to get it over and done with. Never again will I go there! :-p Anyway, the amount of paperwork for getting married appears to be quite daunting. No wonder people are NOT rushing to the alter, it can be that discouraging! However, we have to do what we have to do. The paper work is not something anyone should take lightly; without it the marriage cannot be solemnized.

Now, onto my guest list this weekend!

BTW, remember this? Recently, I got an offline YM message from the person involved. I had helped his group mate for an assignment (NOT my class assignment) because I am genuinely fond of that particular student, he was not getting any help from his group mate (including this person involved in my previous post) and to exercise my thesis proposal writing skills! :-P to cut a long story short, this kid wanted to thank me for helping his group. Perhaps he was shell shocked that I helped him (indirectly) despite him being rude to me. Well, it's my duty as a lecturer to guide even though I don't like him for what he did. The sad thing is, he failed to recognize that I will never be personal with him anymore. What I did was out of duty. And at the end of the day, that is all he is to me. Just one student who happend to be in the same faculty. To get things back the way they were is very, very remote. And what he did says volume about what type of person he is, and that is something that he will never admit, EVER.

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Updates... and then some...

Friends and readers, my update, as requested. :-P
Work woes

Things have been kind of hectic lately. I've been snappy and impatient with my students; it might be due to a lot of reasons. For one, with the dwindling staff, I've been doing a lot of admin work. That takes a lot of time. Two, they've really been testing my patience; every step of the way needing hand holding. I've taught them how to write research objectives, edited their questionnaire, key in data, analyze data, how to generate graphs from Excel, now you want me to check your power point BEFORE you present? If I had only one group who did that, its OK but if you multiply that by ten, you are pretty much testing my patience! And the third most scary reason of all, I think it's time for me TO GO. No, no! I don't want to quit my job (nothing that extreme). But I think it's time I leave for my PhD. Everyone tells me that, when the time comes, you know. And yes, I know it's MY TIME to go. I've sent my forms and certs, but of course to process the application, it takes time. Friends and readers, please, please pray for me. I really hope to get a place soon.

Bells are err... ringing (or going to ring!)
Yes, yes, I am preparing for THAT. Most things are done though (or at least halfway done) and I've had a lot help from my sister and my mum. Ahhh.... to be so blessed. :-) P.S: La Signora, I think I will check out the shop that you recommend me. It's worth a visit! And yes, some people have been asking me whether things have changed since you know, the status has been 'formalized' and now that you are just counting the days... Hmm... tough one to answer: I've known my other half for three years so there's not much change there but I do know I seem to feel very calm and peaceful lately, and that I am really looking forward to 'the day'. :-) So does that answer the question?

Idol fever?
Not really! I haven't had time to sit down and watch in detail, but I am glad that Tatiana chick did not get through! Talk about annoying! Ha ha ha ha ha. I did though like the blind guy (OK, I don't remember his name!), the guy who lost his wife (forgot this one, too!) and Anoop (that's easy to remember since he's the only Asian American). As for the girls, I like Lil Rounds. Her personality and her voice is amazing. Having said that, this year's season seems a big sluggish and not very exciting. Maybe coz there's so many contestants. Hopefully, things will heat up soon.

Brown-Rhianna fracas
So many rumors flying about with this one, you just don't know which is which. He says she's jealous and possesive, she claims that he was unfaithful. She checks into her hospital, the picture is circulated, her looking battered and bruised and now, she DOES NOT want to persecute! Eh? Whaddup? Whatever happened though, there is certainly NO excuse for beating up a women to pulp. No matter if she looks like Linda Hogan or is as frail and emaciated looking ala Kate Moss.

Gee, I didn't mean to write so long. Lepas geram kot. He he he he. I better stop here before I start to ramble. Have a good weekend people, and and a long one at that because (yeay!) Monday's a holiday! :-)

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Kids say...

The offending picture, he he he he :-P

... the funniest things!

This is an excerpt of a Facebook conversation (via chat) between me and my youngest brother:

"Oi... dah skolah mana boleh main2 game lagi!!" - me
"Pegi check mail box ada ke tak surat GRE" - me
"Aim dah check, takde!!" - Aim
"By the way, I uploaded your picture @ Oldtown" - me
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" - Aim (ni yang tak tahan ni, sakit perut aku gelak dgn perkataan yang ditaip ni!)
"Ha ha ha ha, suka hati arrr" - Me
"BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" - Aim

note: Aim is eight. :-P And yes, I had to fix his age at 13 to register for the account. And yes, I've changed the security setting of the account so people can't add him easily.

I have the best little brother ever!! :-)

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Final scribble of the year

Whew, it's been a hectic week and it's only Wednesday. Here's why:

1. "Bed time stories"

Last week I took my little bro for a movie. Quite momentous, since it was just the two of us and boy, did we enjoy ourselves. He wanted to watch "Bedtime Stories". For both of us, since the movie was at 11, the tickets cost only RM11. Although I had to wake up really early (:-P), it was totally worth it. I don't often often get to spend time with my little brother, and when I do, I really treasure it. For an eight year old, he's really good company!

2. "Classes, classes and more classes"
Now that the add and drop period is over, I'm starting to get back into my lecture mode. Plus, with this new subject being introduced by the department, I've had to build the materials from scratch. It's quite daunting too, since this is the first time I'm teaching a third year course. It's pretty heavy! I'm trying to have as much fun with it as I can, though. He he he he. As usual, for my two sections for one particular subject, one class turned out to be so much fun while the other section is quite bland. Maybe it's the timing? I've only had one lecture so far so maybe it's too early to have pre-conceived judgments. But overall, things are already starting to move, quickly and I'm trying to be one step ahead!

3. Edward, sick no more
I went to the Vet last week and managed to get a tube of medicine for her. The vet said it was probably hair ball problem, that's why she's having trouble... err... disposing. Ira applied it to her, and in a week she's already OK. Thank God! Last week she was moping around looking depressed, and not eating much. And of course, had trouble 'going'.This week, her consumption of cat food has increased and she looks much, much more lively. And yes, she's disposing. :-P

4. GRE anticipation
The results is coming next week. Wish me luck!!! Will blog about it later.

5. What's in store next year?
My personal life might be changing sometime soon. Some initial work has been done; and I am looking to it with some anticipation, nervousness and of course, excitement. But for sure, this is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. :-)

Owh, it's the last day of the year. Happy New Year, everyone! What is your new year's resolution? Me? I have none! Ha ha ha ha. Be good, people.

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Bits and pieces....

This week, semester just started. I am feeling a bit lazy, but got to get the cobwebs out of my brains after resting from lecturing for nearly two months. Here's a snippet of this week's happenings.

1. "15? Jgn harap!!!"

I was supposed to teach a new subject this semester; its a new core course and since it was offered after the pre-registration I was hoping the number of students would be small. Before the add and drop period, I had only 15 students. Hooray!! My joy was short-lived. Yesterday when I checked the list, the number had ballooned to 40. Owh well, a girl can hope, right? :-) I am looking forward to it, though since I want to make that subject my area of specialization. The main text book seems to be a lot of fun, and I am already thinking of fun things to do for class projects.

2. Less chaos

This semester there seems to be less chaos. Students are still coming for manual registration but its not as bad as last semester. Maybe because we are offering two sections for second level subjects. There were however, a few things that came up that I might have to highlight during the department meeting.

3. Edward is sick

I am not sure what is wrong with the cat. She is not eating as much and seems to be having trouble 'going to the toilet'. Can cats be constipated? She's been eating a lot, and drinking very little so maybe that's it. Any ideas people on what to do?

4. Chick movies! Chick movies!

I really need to de-stress. Perhaps a spot of chick movies will help cure my stress. He he he he.

5. Family time

My cousins from Kelantan came down. They're loads of fun. Too bad they're only staying here for a few days; I think by Christmas they're leaving KL. However, they will be spending the night at my house tonight so I look forward to spending some time with them.

Catch up with y'all later. Owh, to Kak Hana, if you're reading this, get well soon!

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Got tagged

Back from Cherating, I am now down with flu. :-( I have to rest for a couple of days before resuming my studies. Anyway, just to distract myself, here's another trivia, courtesy of my other half who tagged me. Enjoy! BTW, it's actually in Malay, I wanted to translate it into English but got lazy. :-P

Complete these sentences:

1. Bekas kekasih saya... ialah anak saudara kepada tauke sate yang paling glamer di Malaysia. He he he he. No prizes for correct guesses!
   
2. Saya sedang mendengar... lagu favourite skrg, "Better in time" - Leona Lewis dan "Crush" - David Archuletta.
3. Mungkin saya patut... balik rumah dan berehat sebab kepala pusing, perut sakit dan hidung berair sebab dah demam.
   
4. Saya suka belajar... bahasa2 asing. Cita2 masa kecik nak jadi linguist.
   
5. Sahabat baik saya... berubah mengikut keadaan. Skrg ni, rapat dgn Ezza dan Ben... selepas sekian lama terpisah dari Matrik. Tapi sahabat paling best (dekat tapi jauhhh) ialah Emee (di Perak) dan Tg. Marini (di Jakarta).
6. Saya tak faham... kenapa Matematik susah sangat!!!!
7. Saya kehilangan... tubuh badan yang langsing bila masuk Matric sebab kerap makan junk food! Ha ha ha ha.
8. Ramai yang berkata... saya ni sentiasa ceria, senyum sokmo dan tidak bermasalah. Hakikatnya bukan begitu. Saya juga ada masalah. Cumanya, I prefer to be eternally optimistic and to avoid sweating the small stuff. Enjoy life!! :-)
9. Makna nama saya... tidak diketahui. Tapi persis nama istri Rasulullah, yang kalau tak silap, nickname dia "humaira" sebab kulit dia kemerahan.
10. Cinta itu... sesuatu yang seharusnya dihargai dan dijaga. Sayang, kita jarang menghargai sesuatu dan cuma menyesal bila bende itu dah tiada di depan mata...
    
11. Disuatu tempat bernama... Cherating, saya betul2 enjoy minggu lepas walaupun pergi bukan untuk bersantai. Totally serene!
12. Saya akan cuba... sedaya upaya untuk score buat GRE. My PhD future depends on it!!
13. Makna "selamanya"... lagu Innuendo yang best! He he he he he.
14. Handphone saya... yang terbaru ialah SE series W660i. Best!
15. Saya paling meluat... bila berhadapan dgn orang yang kurang sopan di jalan raya.
16. Bila saya bangun dari tidur... dgn automatiknya akan tutup alarm hp. Lepas tu baru terkulat-kulat bangun, mandi dan buat apa yang perlu.
    
17. Party adalah... satu perkara yang tidak wujud di kamus hidup saya. I'm too old for that! Now I prefer small gathering with close friends instead. :-)
18. Haiwan yang paling cute adalah... Edward the semi blur Cat.
19. Peringkat umur yang paling menyeronokkan adalah... masa kat Matrik. That is where I felt most carefree, accepted and relaxed. Plus, I got to meet this group of HS1 friends who are still some of my best buddies till today!
20. Hari ini saya rasa sangat tension... sebab level konsentrasi dah turun, gara2 demam. Hope to get well soon!
21. Malam ini saya akan cuba... tidur awal. I need the rest!
22. Saya betul2 inginkan... total self-acceptance. That is something money cannot buy. :-P
23. Bila tengok muka kat cermin pagi tadi... sambil sibuk betulkan tudung, saya sempat berfikir: alamak, pipiku dah tembam. Nak kene diet ni, berat badan dah naik!
24. Shopping kompleks... tempat yang harus dielakkan masa hujung minggu (i.e. KLCC). Ramai sangat orang!
25. Makanan segera biasanya... Maggi kari dan sandwhich Dunkin Donut. Yummy!
26. Ayat2 terakhir pada orang... "OK nanti di-emailkan lepas dah resize" kepada group mate saya, Br. Nor yang tak sabar2 nak tengok gambar waktu program minggu lepas. He he he he.
27. Nak panjangkan tag ini? Silakan... Beautiful Life, Mrs Curmedgeon, Puan Naziah, Wani, Dini ND, Alina (adakah anda masih mem-blog?), Tuan Azmil (updates, please!!), Joey Nor (updates, please!!), Pak Alang a.k.a. Bro Harris (kalau ada masa) dan rakan2 lain yang rajin.
    

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Finally....

...I bought a new phone. :-P. I've been wanting to buy a new phone for quite some time but did not have the time to buy it. So I waited until classes finished so I did not feel too guilty about slinking off to go hunting during office hours. He he he he.

After initial surfing in the Sony Erricsson website, I was attracted to the C902 model (refer to my previous blog post, here). But after thinking for a bit, since in my opinion, it was a bit too pricey I revised my target and decide to go for the "W" series. Well, one man's meat is another one's poison right? He he he. For me, I like storing lots of music in my phone (sound system has to be good) rather than picture quality (plus, I already have a digital camera so why bother??). Plus, I like phones that have huge keys (to SMS!!), light-weight, simple design and is not too complicated to use. I prefer the candy bar, rather than flip or slide, and that's another reason to go for SE. No matter how clumsy you are, SE phones are damn durable! I know I've dropped mine more than ten times, and it still works fine! Ha ha ha.

The minute we got to Low Yatt, it was raining like hell. So I was in no mood to stay there long. After looking at a few models, I decided to get the W660i. Within the price range offered, and its features, it fits the bill perfectly of what I would want in a phone. They have this model in two colors, one in black with gold edges, the other one is red with pink edges (too girly, eew! :-P) so of course i got the black one. To the person who accompanied me, thanks so much. But please stop nagging me like I'm a little kid! :-P I probably won't be going again to Low Yatt for quite some time. He he he he.

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Updates... among other things...

Nur Insyirah Batrisyia, isn't she just adorable? :-)

I had a really nice weekend.

Saturday was a weekend with friends. In the afternoon, me, Ben and Ezza went to Rudy's open house. We thought it would be a gathering of HS1 members since some of them were supposed to come over. Bad luck, Rudy himself was rushed to hospital due to an asthmatic attack. Dude, hope you're doing OK right now! Anyway, the three of us spent almost 5 hours after that just chit-chatting. Both Ezza and Ben left Matriculation and did not make it to the Main Campus for reasons of their own. But I was very surprised (or perhaps I should not be) that conversation flowed very easily between us. There was very little inhibition between the three of us, despite the long hiatus. But that is typical for most of the HS1 members (these group of friends that I've had since entering university for my undergraduate). We had always got along very well as a class, and most of us tend to behave with each other in a manner that is not always seen in other situations. We tend to be loud, comfortable, and sarcastic with each other at the same time. Thanks to both of you, I really had a blast! :-)

And owh, since I promised Zaza, here are some latest updates on HS1 members:

1. Are @ Marziana just gave birth to her first child, a baby boy, and Along just gave birth to her second child, a baby boy also I think.
2. Nazir is teaching somewhere in Sri Gombak.
3. Some people have relocated back to their hometowns (Emee - Ipoh; Nita - Selangor) while others are thinking of moving back (Yasir - Penang).
4. Izam Shafinaz (remember her?) is now a stewardess with MAS.

If you guys hear of anything else, update me lah... I also post a recent picture here of Jab's daughter, with her permission of course. :-)

Later that night, I met up with Ni and Faisal at the Curve. Congratulations on your convocation, dearest Ni! I am really happy for you that it's done and I am glad we had the chance to meet walo sebentar doank. Ya gpp ntar lain kali kita ketemu yah? Tunggu yah saya maen ke sana! (hug).

On Sunday, I had two open houses invites and I decided to accept it. This semester, I seem to be receiving a lot of open houses invites from students, and I've had to pick and choose the ones that are close to me or within convenient locations. Besides the danger of over eating, I am simply too exhausted to go to all of 'em! Thanks to Dini as well as my favorite student siblings (:-P), Iera and Kodoq for the invitation to both open houses today. I had a fantastic time at both!! There was delicious food, good company, (thank you to Muaz, Fadly, Grace, Faried, Syaza and Wani for accompanying me) and I was honored to meet both your parents. :-)

Plus, I got to meet Faizal Tahir at one of the open houses! Ha ha ha ha. BTW, a) he's very nice, polite and obliging b) His wife keeps scrutinizing female fans who wants to take photos with him (which wife doesn't?! :-p) and c) he's not that tall. Yup, its official. TV adds ten pounds , and makes people look taller than they really are. :-P

Have a good week ahead, people! :-)

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Raya activities

Now I know why they call this nasi ganja!! :-P

Dear friends and readers,

How was your Raya holiday? Mine was quite good although nothing out of the ordinary happened. p.s.: I'm still bummed out that I have to work on Monday. I err... need to take a break from my break! Ha ha ha ha. It's just lazy me who's not really that motivated to work. Anyway, here's a summary of my Raya activities, in these neat and succinct paragraphs:

Flyin' with Fireflyz

This is the first time I am trying out this flight. Usually we fly via Air Asia (famous for its delays but cheaper than MAS!!). We picked it coz it was convenient (based in Subang, which is 20 minutes drive from home). All in all, I can say its pretty OK. Very little complaints although they did not bother to tell us during the flight back that it was delayed. On the way back, the flight was on time though and the pilot was fantastic. Very little turbulance altough the weather was not too good. If they maintain this kind of service, for sure we'll be using it again. :-)

Overdose... of food: burp!
As usual, this is the time to indulge. Kelatanese fare is quite sweet so by the third day we were all begging for regular food. I had my usual fare of nasi dagang and kuzi. Yummy! And even though I hate to say this, its time I start back my workout routine... although not that regular, it helped keep the kilos from piling up! Ha ha ha ha ha.

This the time for...
1. As usual, I met my cousins whom I see only once a year, and also my favorite aunts and uncles. It was nice to see them as well as my grandmother. I don't get the chance to see them often so it was very comforting to sit down with them to borak2 and to let my hair down. :-) My grandma is looking a bit frail this year. Her eyesight is failing her and she seems to have trouble hearing, too. I hope she does manage to come down to KL to operate on her eye, but that doesn't seem to be possible just yet.
2. I also managed to sneak in a bit (not much!) of shopping for my year's supply of tudung and kain for next year's raya attire! I realized that I was overspending when I had to rush to the ATM for some moolah! Ooops... :-P
3. The ONLY bad Malay movie is saw this year was something entitled "Shaitan". The movie was about two hours but it seemed wayyyyyyy longer. Why? Coz it was only at the end of the show that I figured out what was happening! Ha ha ha.

Downtime with the girls
Today, me and Baby drove down to Ipoh to visit Emee and Wani. Emee took us for lunch at the Ipoh old town and we had some wicked nasi kandar. It's supposedly called 'nasi ganja' coz it's very addictive! After that we headed to Wani's house. We had such a nice time, especially at Wani's house. I haven't seen cute little Firdaus for such a long time, and it was really great to catch up with the girls and reminisce. I managed to get Wani to give me two big fat albums from our college days and will be scanning some pictures soon. Ahhh... the good old times... :-) I'll e-mail you guys the pictures soon, too once I've done scannning.

Hark! It's already 11.30. I need to get some shut eye! Hope you guys had a good Eid break too. Have a good week ahead, y'all!

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Ramadhan Round-Up

It's been a really busy Ramadhan for me. Lectures to complete with the remaining syllabus, admin work to sort out, friends and such to meet plus some family matters have kept me quite busy this month. Here's a round-up of this month's happenings.

1. Nasi Kerabu overload

My mum makes this EVERYDAY for the past month, as this is my dad's favorite dish during the fasting month. I have no complaints, I love it and can have it every day without feeling bored! ;-) While helping out, I've been trying to observe closely her techniques of making it, and I appreciate all the love, effort and 'air tangan ibu' that goes into it. It sure is not easy....

2. Iftar gatherings

I've also made some time this month to meet up with some friends and as well as to spend some time with my students. The best was the iftar gathering with HS1 members. I really enjoyed myself even though not many turned up. Reminiscing about the past and catching up on each other's lives really recharged my energies and lifted my tired spirit during a particularly difficult and trying month. We are planning a very big gathering after Eid and I really hope this plan works out. We will try to make this gathering more 'family' friendly so we can include spouses and your little tots. ;-)

The best time I had with my students was when I had iftar with Dini, Puti and Ridza; you guys are always such a hoot and I enjoyed every minute of it! FYI, Dini if you're reading this, I am glad you guys were there to help during the conference, and this is just my way of saying thank you. ;-) Of course, I also had fun as always with Ina and Acu. We always have loads of things to gossip about! Pineapple rice again, girls? He he he he he. They were kind enough to accompany me to break fast during the few days that I had to stay back because of work.

3. Welcome to the world, Amani!
My sister in law and eldest brother welcomed their second child, a girl this time. Little Amani is healthy and beautiful and I am happy for you guys. Congrats to Kak Hana and Abang on the latest addition of our family! :-) Little Anas was so looking forward to baby 'A' and its so cute to see the picture of him, grinning beside his little baby sister.

4. "You guys really surprised me!"
This semester, I am teaching a class with the lowest number of students I've ever had: 30. They didn't do so well during the mid term so I really had a go at them and warned them they had to buck up for the group work. This particular group is weaker compared to the other section because they have mostly first year students just majoring in Communications, and most of them are not, I think academically as 'quick' or naturally intelligent as students from the other section. But they really made up for it by totally performing for the group project. Every week, each group came to see me prior to the presentation week to discuss the group work and boy, was I really satisfied with their work. Hard work really pays off, you know! For the last class before the break, each and every one of them came to see me after class to thank me for my guidance and to wish me "SHR". I feel like I've also gotten to really know them individually and the satisfaction of mentoring all of them and seeing their progress is like no other feeling I've had before. I know it sounds corny, but it is at times like these, that I am really glad and honored to be in this profession. :-)

5. Raya shopping with my other half
You don't know how hard it is to meet up this month! We've both been so busy that we scarcely had time to meet up. I was so glad that we had time to squeeze in some one-on-one time to do a bit of Raya shopping (and to catch up with each other) before the break. As always, spending some time with him is a very much needed antidote. Ah, to be so lucky in love! :-)

To all my Muslim readers and friends, Eid Mubarak and Maaf Zahir Batin for any wrongdoings. Have a safe journey back home, and enjoy feasting on the wonderful food and spending some precious time with the people that you love (or have to tolerate once a year!). Take care now!

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Should I... or should I not?

Yes, folks. It's that time of the year again... He he he he. Or rather, it's time that I... buy a new phone. I've been sticking with my current model for two years already. It's still doing OK, and functioning pretty well so that's why I am hesitant about changing for a new one.

Yesterday, me and my other half took a stroll to KLCC just to survey the phones there. When we got to Sony Style, three models stood out to me, but the one that captured my attention most is the C902 model. It's very simple and very me. I just like phones that have clean lines, very light-weight, easy to use and as long as I can surf Internet, store lots of songs and pictures, plus take reasonably good pictures I am already very satisfied. Plus, the keys are big enough, I don't like small keys. It makes it difficult for me to type SMS and a girl can't live without texting you know! He he he.

My other half was eyeing for another model, a flip model which was actually very sleek and stylish. But, after my last love-hate relationship with a previous flip phone, I am a bit apprehensive about their longevity! The model I am eyeing is about RM1600++ which is a wee bit pricey. So should I or shouldn't I?

I should sleep on this one for a bit before I make a final decision!

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My first trivia!

This is considered as my first trivia in this blog. Specially dedicated to Mrs C @ Kak Lisa... :-)

Hit forward and place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not. Answer the 30 questions at the end. Those who want to repost, please do!! (especially Wani, Ziah and Kak Nuwal if you are reading this).

(X) Gone on a blind date -- yeah, and it was awful!!
( ) Skipped school
( ) Been to Canada

( ) Been to Mexico
( ) Been to Florida

(X) Been on a plane
( ) Jumped out of a plane

( ) Been on a Helicopter
(X) Been lost -- yes, in the car. I was picking up my friend Ni in KL and got lost!
(X) Been on opposite sides of the country
( ) Gone to Washington, DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers -- yeah, a favorite childhood game!

(X ) Recently colored with crayons -- yup when Aim was small. Helped him a bit.
( ) Sang Karaoke
( ) Paid for a meal with coins only?

(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? -- Was not supposed to call @ contact a particular person and did! Was not supposed to eat rice for dinner and promptly did! Promises, promises!
(X) Made prank phone calls -- does picking up the phone and putting it down when the person says "Hello" count?!

( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose -- ha ha ha ha, that's gross.
( ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Danced in the rain
( ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
( ) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about -- maybe when I go for my honeymoon with my other half. How 'bout it, yang? :-)
(X) Blown bubbles
( ) Gone ice-skating
( ) Gone Skiing
( ) Been skinny dipping outdoors

(X) Cried in a movie -- yes, couple of times. But I am not as bad as Jabs who cried during Enemy of the State (an action flick!!!)

( ) Been to a drive-in movie

More about me:

1. Any nickname? Silent Scribbler! :-P

2. Mothers name? NPR (her initials, actually)

3. Favorite drink? Air putih doank

4. Tattoo? Not relevant.
5. Body Piercings? On both ears.

6. How much do you love your job? Yes, I do. Alhamdulillah.

7. Birthplace? Uptown.

8. Favorite vacation spot? Somewhere scenic, colorful and lively, with the opportunity to sample local culture.

9. Ever been to Africa? No
10 Ever eaten cookies for dinner? Nope. I am afraid I have to have a proper dinner. :-P

11. Ever been on TV? Yes, it's not an experience I care to repeat!!
12. Ever steal a traffic sign? Setakat ni belum lagi.

13. Ever been in a car accident? Yes. Once (2006 - someone else was driving), 2007 (my fault!).

14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door? 4 door. 15 Favorite Salad Dressing? Sinful thousand island.

16. Favorite pie? Shepard's pie, yummy!!

17. Favorite Number? 2

18. Favorite movie? Shawshank Redemption, Batman: Dark Knight, Eiffel I'm in Love, Janji Joni and Tiga Abdul.

19. Favorite holiday? One that I can lie down and do nothing!

20. Favorite dessert? Ice Cream, any kind!

21. Favorite Food? Nasi Lemak, Pulut Kuning, Nasi Dagang and Lasagna.

22. Favorite day of the week? The days that I get to spend with my other half, just unwinding and talking about our week. And owh, Friday because I am so looking forward to the weekend!

23. What do you do to relax? Reading trash magazines, crime fiction novels, playing word-games and watching sitcoms.

24. Favorite toothpaste? Hmm... dunno. They all taste the same to me!!

25. Favorite smell? Freshly washed laundry, a baby who just had a bath, and the freshly brewed coffee and hot pastry from the oven!
26. Favorite sound? Comforting ones like the sound of my parents and siblings talking downstairs, familiar music on the radio and little kids giggling.

27. Famous person you'd like to meet past or present: I'd like to meet Ann Rule, to ask her for her secret of success. And owh! I would love to meet Roger Federer, just to tell him that he is still the best tennis player EVER in my books no matter what!

28. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Have a Dr. title to my name, married to my other half, having children with him and living in our own house. In short: domesticated and contented. :-)

29. Furthest place you will send this message? I don't think I'm going to forward this. Whoever feels like reposting you are welcome to do so!

30. Who will respond to this the fastest? Definitely Wani, she loves doing trivia. And maybe Ziah?

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