KRABI FOR THE SECOND TIME

*This is a backdated post from March 2017*

We’ve actually been to Krabi twice since I first wrote about it. I can be considered a Krabi family holiday expert now.

I personally enjoyed the first time we went more because Naila was 2 years old and we get to do more things. The second time around, we also brought along 7 month old Ibrahim and I was 4 months pregnant. It was a bit tiring compared to last time.

But I think the most question I get asked is “why go to Krabi again?” To answer this, I have to tell a story about one guy me & hubs got to know about in Bali. The guy was from Germany. He was treated like an old friend at the villa. And we found out from the owner that he returns every single year. Because he loves it there. It was so simple and profound.

It was a mental shift both of us went through in our one month old marriage at the time. So the answer to that question we get so many times is because we love Krabi the first time we went.

This time we decided to go by flight. I’m not sure which one is more tiring because on one hand, we arrived in Krabi within 1.5 hours. But the waiting in the airport took a few hours.

Naila was excited about the plane ride but Ibrahim couldn’t be bothered. I think more than anything, he was annoyed that we disturbed his sleeping time.

We arrived early in the morning at 6 am. We went straight to our hotel because we’ve requested for an early check-in beforehand. That morning, we took a rest for a few hours before heading out to eat. We’re so happy to eat at May & Zin again. Love it. The food is as tasty as it was before.

Our hotel has 2 pools and they’re empty most of the time. So we had fun playing at our ‘private pool’ that afternoon.

It was Ibrahim’s first time in a pool. He was 7 months old! He loves it!

One for the camera!

The second day, we decided to go island hopping. Just If you opt for the normal boat, there could easily be more than 15 people on the boat and you would have to follow their schedule.

Since we’re totting a 3 year old and a 7 month old, we decided that private boat is the way to go.

One of the stops was Hong Island. The kids loved playing in the sea. They enjoyed the sand. The limestone hills were magnificent. 

At Hong island is also where we swam with the fish. Naila was a bit spooked out by the fishes following and poking her. I think it was the flowery swimming suit that attracted the fish.

Ibrahim’s first boat ride. He was behaving so good. Totally enjoyed the wind blowing his hair. We spent the whole day outside on the boat. Luckily the boat was shaded and we brought some snacks on board.

Towards the end of the day, we were all so tired. Just going with a baby is a lot of work. Add that I was pregnant. I wouldn’t do it again under those circumstances. I really won’t. I’ll revisit the possibility when the kids aren’t in diapers anymore at least.

Here’s Naila really SLEEPING on the plank. Baby Ibrahim was also sleeping on our way back to shore.

On the third day, we hung out at the hotel. We ordered hotel food in the afternoon. Sunda Hotel food is good. The breakfast buffet is good, ala carte is also good. No complains there.

Hubs went on a diving trip to Koh Phi Phi island. This time around he said the water visibility is great, unlike the last time. It’s supposed to be one of the best times to dive when we went in March.

 

Ibrahim ready to spend the day in Krabi. That night, we went to the night market in Krabi Town riding a tuk tuk. The drive to Krabi Town took about 30 minutes. The tuk tuk was just a motorcycle connected with a contraption that allows 4 adult passengers to be seated. It was very windy to say the least.

Upon arriving at the market, I carried Ibrahim in the carrier and Naila was strapped in the stroller. The market had lots of interesting trinkets as should a Thailand market have. And tasty street food.

The best thing about being in Krabi is the HALAL FOOD. You can eat anything because they’re halal and cooked by muslims. Halal everywhere. I love it! One of the reasons we LOVE Krabi.

The market itself is small size. You can make a round within 30 minutes. We went back after having our snacks. (sweet potato balls yum. Come to think of it, I’m ganna make it for my kids)

So on the final days in Krabi, we strolled along the beach alot, enjoying the sea, sand and sun.

Krabi might be an annual thing for our family, because it’s just super friendly for us muslims. It’s different, you get to be in another country, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the food is superb. Last but not least, Krabi is very affordable. I guarantee it will not break your bank.

I think that’s the end of my 2nd trip to Krabi story! Thanks for reading! Till next time.

Moving

It’s May, and guess where I’m writing this. In the new apartment.

So we decided to move again sometime in April. It’s a BIG RUSH, but we had to do it…considering a new baby is coming in July. The decision is actually sort of like a family restructuring. Lots of companies are restructuring.. my businesses are too and we personally needed to restructure our finances to brace the current economy.

I feel really sad about leaving our comfortable nest but when things get tough, the tough has to get going.. I don’t feel like it but that’s what they say anyway.

The move was a brutal 5 days. We had so many furniture to shift around because of the size constraint.. We moved into an apartment almost half the size of our current apartment! It used to be 1450 sqft of running space and now we’re one room less.

I decided to sacrifice my beautiful office. *CRY* Hopefully the pressure of working in a tight space makes me work harder.

One month before moving I started googling tips about small apartment décor, organizing tips and zen living.

I got rid of some of my clothes & hubs.

I got rid of things I kept from our wedding and school days.

I wept and tore and said goodbye to my printed memories. We gave away a bunch of stuff at the FREEMARKET. We stored sooOoo much junk. The big space we had just swallowed up a lot of stuff, it didn’t look like we had any.

Before moving, hubs actually said,

I said, “did you forget the last time we moved?”

Yes, he forgot. Because when it came for time to move, we had to hire the lorry for TWO days. Imagine TWO days. One day just to get rid of things. The other day to move to the apartment. We even borrowed his dad’s pickup truck to move loose items ourselves.

I wasn’t supposed to carry heavy stuff but caught myself arranging racks and drawers. Carrying many many boxes, baskets, plastics. Carrying Naila & the cat. Carrying carpets. Okay you name it, I did it.

And now, on to DAY 5. This is what we’ve got.

The Virals: Beyond BRELFIE

Although the title sounds like a new virus, I assure you it’s not as dangerous.

I find the whole thing a bit amusing, and the way our people handle this issue is no different than the way they handle other viral issues. I was in the thick of one viral issue last year in fact, on the front page of Malaysian Insider for “I want to touch a dog”. Thank god the public didn’t know who I was personally. If they did, I would be getting hate mails and death threats.

My mom and dad did get a scolding from conservative family members. Some of my acquaintances were cynical at most. Some were like, “are you okay? They’re saying really mean things about you as a mom.”

I don’t want to get into specifics. Just that the experience was very surreal, like being in the middle of a hurricane. Uncontrollable. Anyway, again, thank god the public didn’t know me personally. The issue of touching a dog is a different matter completely, and people reacted as if the event personally insulted their parents.

Now back to the brelfie issue.

I don’t think people have issues with breastfeeding to say the least. It’s as natural as eating or sleeping. It’s always the norm ever since Prophet Adam had children I would imagine.

So it’s not about breastfeeding. 

It’s about breastfeeding--then taking a selfie while feeding a baby, then posting it to the internet. Here’s the catch. They posted the photos to a private breastfeeding advocates group on FB (undoubtedly women’s). Some jerk came and shared the photos to a popular FB page Amran Fans (undoubtedly men’s).

Guess what happens when men are shown photos of women breastfeeding their babies? Here’s what: Imagination. Exaggeration. As they say, hilarity ensues.

What men see and what women see are totally different things, I get that. The faster everyone accepts that, the more peaceful we become.

So the ladies did post breastfeeding pictures on the private group… You’d say, it’s inappropriate! It’s the internet, so nothing is private! Let me ask you something, have you been to a ladies soiree before? We share tips, we share stories, we compare notes bla blabla. Yes, we breastfeed in front of each other and it’s fun, it makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. When this gathering goes online, don’t you think it would be the same?

Do you blame women for simply being themselves? Yes, there’s a thin, blurred line as to how appropriate posting a breastfeeding picture online is. The group was supposed to be private. I personally would not post a breastfeeding picture anywhere online, as I am aware that these photos can leak easily. 

But I do think some people genuinely trust the privacy of these groups. About reports that some ladies posted these photos to their FB walls, I’m not sure but if true, then that’s a whole different animal there.

What’s more important though, is how you react to stories like these. Have you heard of the saying, “when you point a finger at someone, there are three fingers pointing back at you”? What does it say about people who respond downright crudely, even vile, beating these ladies to a pulp with their language?

Really how people react speaks volumes about themselves. I’m scared to think how they will raise their children. How they are merciless to mistakes. Sometimes I ask, do people like these really exist or are they trolls? Maybe keyboard warriors. But there’s so many of them with highly specific comments.

The problem of brelfie isn’t as bad as the problem of our self-appointed moral police. Brelfie could be a slight error in judgement. I’m sure they would never repeat it again once they know the consequences. People will start to learn where to draw the line. I’m not trying to downplay this selfie while breastfeeding issue. But here’s a fact: Brelfie will die soon.

The moral policing though? The crude language though? Will they die with the brelfie? I doubt it. Old habits die hard, they say.

I personally hate viral stories because they are seldom good things especially in Malaysia. The dog story, the pig dna in Cadbury chocolate, the diaper as plates, etc. None of them are really beneficial or inspiring, but more like a fun bashing party. Good people are slandered, dissected to be as worthy as garbage.

I know. I was at the receiving end, although by proxy.

I guess in all of this, I’m just hoping for at least one thing to happen. That next time another bad, viral story comes around, just ignore it. It’s not worthy of your time. It’s a sensationalized internet soap opera that will be forgotten in a few weeks’ time. Lost in the abyss of internet absurdity. Gone. 

My Labor Story Part 1

 

Salam guys,

I just wanted to share my partial gentle and natural birth. I never expected to go this way, I was PRO-epidural all the way until I stumbled across ‘gentle birthing’ during my 36th week of pregnancy. I never went to any prenatal class or any birthing class but I did plenty of research before deciding to submit my birth plan to the doctor. I changed doctors so many times, but only because I found myself in certain situations, price vs treatment factor (we’re fully paying patients because our insurance does not cover maternity at all), and also taking into account doctor’s willingness to follow my plan.

My birth plan:

I would like to point out that some things in the list are actually against some doctor’s or even hospital policy, so you can imagine how I had to look for the right doctor. Lucky me, I found my perfect doctor after switching 3 times and the hospital is just 5 minutes drive away from my parent’s :)

So here’s my story :)

I went over my due date, despite people’s positive assurance that I’ll go into labor early because this is ‘my first child’. The dates doesn’t really matter to me, if not for the fact that my husband has to leave for his offshore assignment on the 16th October. My due date was the 19th. So you can imagine how sad I was when my husband left… My doctor said she’ll allow my pregnancy to go until 41 weeks MAX, after that we’ll have to schedule for inducement. At that point, I thought, well… no husband, no natural birth. I felt hopeless and depressed.

I wallowed for a while, then get on with my life, still drove, did my work.

So after my husband left, I felt more strongly about letting my labor start spontaneously. My husband has gone anyway, why should I cave to doctor’s ‘inducement threats’. (OK my doctor is actually the bomb, she supports natural labor, found her name on a natural birth forum)  I learned so much about benefits of a spontaneous labor and the scary bits about inducement. I wanted to cry at the thought of a c-section. I did everything I knew about ‘natural inducers’. Pineapples, long walks, squats, eating dates and others… you name it. My doctor reminded me to do zikr a lot and talk to the baby.

Honestly I can’t tell you what works, because I did everything at the same time. Maybe that’s key, that’s what started the labor. Two days before my labor, I went to the park with my brother at 8 am and walked for about an hour. Someone should’ve pointed out that there’s a HUGE difference between walking in the mall and walking in the park. I could walk 4 hours in the mall but not feel tired. Walking in the park is a different story. You don’t stop to eat, or rest, or sit.

Anyway after the walk, I felt some pain in the abdomen. Well turns out it was nothing. Or maybe it was something…

Because two days later, I woke up in the middle of night feeling light cramps, the annoying type you’d get during a period. I thought.. no way.. this couldn’t be it, it’s just practice contractions. I sat up, and felt something gush. I checked and based on a thousand hours of looking up ‘labor signs’ on the internet, I was pretty sure that I was in early labor. At that point, my waters were leaking and I had a show.

I was like, YESSSSSSSS let’s get the show started!!

I started timing my annoying light cramps. I couldn’t believe it was rhythmic! Coming every 20 minutes. I stayed up feeling ecstatic until 4 am, but because it wasn’t strong I went back to sleep.

I woke up for Subuh, excitedly texting my hubby it’s ganna be today! Then I waited until 8.30am to tell mom. Mom was excited but we decided to wait until my contractions got stronger. At 9.00am my contractions did get stronger, to the extent that I couldn’t speak during one. I did a lot of research beforehand about surge breathing and took deep long breaths during a contraction. That technique helped a lot in managing the pain. My mom notified my MIL, and when she appeared at my front door at 11am, the contractions tapered off.

For real peoples.

So we ate and talked like any normal day, not in early labor at all. Around 12.30pm, the contractions came back with a vengeance. I excused myself from the dining table and sat near the tv. I told both moms that the contractions are strong and 14 minutes apart. My doctor and I agreed that I would labor at home until the contractions are 10 minutes apart. I remember watching 6 days and 7 nights while feeling the contractions come and go. At the same time I walked back and forth in front of the tv. Walking actually helped tone down the pain intensity.

Also worth mentioning is that around 3pm, I started feeling huge pressure in my back. Well well turns out I was experiencing the dreaded back labor. There’s nothing much I could do about it, but I remember that leaning forward and pressing into my back provided some relief.

Around 4pm-ish, I did my Asar prayers. Shortly after that, the contractions picked up in pace and strength. I was still doing the breathing techniques, but find it harder to manage. It was then that I started feeling a little bit panicked and out of control. I had my hospital bag ready and waited for my mom downstairs. By then my contractions suddenly jumped to 4 minutes apart, lasting about 40 seconds each.

 

Mom drove me to the hospital around 5-ish. I was really concentrating on my breathing because that is KEY in managing the pain and how I lasted that long. I checked in via emergency and was wheeled straight to the labor room. 

All the while I was like, I can’t believe this is happening!! I brought my headset, my phone, phone charger, a bottle full of water, a quarter bottle of zam zam water (spilled in the car nooooooooo) and of course my hospital bag. Felt like I was prepping for battle. Because my husband wasn’t around, they allowed my mom to be with me during labor.

The doctor came in, had me assessed. I was 7cm dilated!! Can’t believe I was so close!!

I texted my husband the update, feeling ecstatic. So far, the labor has been natural all the way and I thought well, it isn’t so bad. It’s been 9 hours of steady contractions but I‘ve eaten, I’ve prayed, and I could still walk around. I even slotted in a movie session in the afternoon and had a catching up sesh with MIL! Lol. I also felt baby actively kicking since morning. I can definitely do this. Little did I know that the drama was just about to begin.

Baby is waking up! I’ll continue in part 2!

PART 2 Here!

Love!

Hiking Up Bukit Tabur

As promised, I’m ganna tell you all about climbing Bukit Tabur. If you wanna count the times that I’ve actually hiked, that would be around er … twice. The first time was up Bukit Larut, also known as Maxwell Hill and even then, it was to fulfill the co-curriculum of recreation club in uni.

Husband on the other hand, has done nothing but climb. He’s gone up Bukit Tabur to the top twice, Broga, Mount Kinabalu twice, etc etc you get the picture. So just to set the record straight, I’m not a hiker, climber or whatever. Neither is my 13 year old younger brother who also followed us.

And the best advice as a newbie, is to take lots of water because it’s all you care about once you’re up there. Also take 100 Plus and some energy bars or snickers if you can.

The entry point is nearby a Puncak Niaga facility in Taman Melawati. It looks like an entry to some unbeaten pathway but you’ll notice many cars parked along the small road.



Unlike Maxwell Hill, Bukit Tabur is not as damp and less creepy crawlies (ex: leeches) so it’s safe to not wear insect repellant.

The climb upwards was quite challenging. It took us one hour and half to reach midway point. That’s where we stopped, because hubby said that the track afterwards gets even more challenging.

In fact, if you came across the Star’s article about Bukit Tabur some time ago, you’ll find out that some people fell to their death while climbing. So really, if you wanna go, make sure that you had enough sleep and not sick or anything like that.

At some parts we had to climb a vertical wall of granite rocks which really was something.

About 30 minutes into the climb, we came across this scenery.



The feeling of lethargy simply evaporates into thin air because the view was soo stunning.

 

I borrowed mom’s Nike all-terrain hiking shoes which was a blessing because the shoes really provided a strong grip while climbing the rocks.

One hour 30 minutes later, after 2 bottles of water and a couple of short pit stops along the way, we made it to our destination.



…The view was so beautiful and so worth the climb.



Me in my active gear that has not changed for the past 5 years.





One thing I noticed was how the plants at the top look almost Mediterranean. Small barks, veiny and sparse. Looks very nice for a photo shoot. That is if the model and photographer don’t mind climbing granite rocks for 90 minutes.



The climb down was not as tiring, but more slippery. We were lucky because the day we climbed, it was cloudy with a light breeze. Unlike the times husband climbed before, which was sweltering hot.

Overall, I’m excited to make it all the way next time! Hiking makes me high on adrenaline, and high is good!

Something to note though, as is the case with other hills, there’s always a group of elderly guys climbing up like a boss, in slippers and hot pants. They’re also going 5 times faster than us--seemingly youngish people. Makes me think, when I’m that old, can I be that fit?

P/S: Here's a blog written by Agnes that would give you a pretty good idea of what it's like to climb Bukit Tabur.

Reflections

I don’t really know what happened the past 6 months. It’s so crazy hectic puking mad and I don’t know what was happening and suddenly I end up married, and living with a guy in our own apartment.

Wait that’s not all.

I changed my job, and I set up a freaking shop.

Have I mentioned the word Crazy?

I was talking about quitting my job last year in June, and from there everything went spiraling like an aqua zorb ball down the hill (google pls, awesome ride). Except that my ride wasn’t exactly downhill, it was more about going up and sideways.

And after so many sleepless nights, early mornings, nightmares of empty houses, spreadsheets, some trips to Jakarta, some soul searching, thousands of surveys, a broken water pipe, bills, an accident, soliciting info on halls, thousands of ringgit, amendments, queues, Bali and dealing with suppliers from hell 7 days a week, we finally arrive here in this moment.

The moment I thought would never come.

And I feel very blessed. So so so blessed. And I can’t wait to start reading and writing again. From now on, I’m ganna stick to simple wishes.

Who knows what’s coming in 2012. Hope for the best!

And hope everyone’s well! xoxo

Cleaning Up My Closet

Actually I loved that song with the same title by Eminem. Anyway, the past two days I was feeling a bit sick and I think it was food poisoning. Thanks alot whatever I ate. I dunno which one is to blame because I ate too much over the weekend. –_-

So basically I stayed home and whined alot. Yesterday I felt a bit better and decided to do some cleaning. My house has so much junk… The other day I was looking for a usb cable and I found five! I looked into one drawer and I found two webcams, 3 mouse, one earphone, tv cables and God knows how many cds we’ve got, it’s like the infestation of rodents except these are….. er… cables and mouse?

That’s why I started putting them up on Ebay going very cheap. Remember this? Also since we upgraded to UNIFI, we’ve got no more use of the wireless broadband modem and I sold that too. Both in marvelous condition btw.

I’ve got my mom’s watch, a Raymond Weil, and I’m thinking of selling that off too.

This afternoon my mom caught me holding a batik sarong. She asked me whether I was using that for praying. I said no lah ma, I wanna put this on Ebay. My mom flipped. I was like, but why? We bought this for 15 ringgit! I’m ganna sell it overseas for more! Mom’s ears were smoking by the time I said that. Turns out that was the sarong my opah gave to us for sedekah. How was I to remember? That was 2 years ago and they magically appear in my wardrobe.

Epic fail.

Hit Me Crossroads One More Time

Just when I thought I’m finally free, turns out I’m not. I’m talking about my career or how I make a living. Just when I thought I’m beginning to soar, someone rains on my parade, namely the parents. I thought I had a plan.

Turns out they’ve got 10 plans. For me. Faaaantastic. For now, silence is my defense. I’m only speaking to people who are impartial to me i.e. not parents.

I love working at my workplace now. The people are super duper, the bosses are funny and one of them wears toupee (fake hair) that sometimes shifts to the side and makes me itch to correct it. (I hope them don’t stumble across this or I’m dead!) and plenty of soap opera drama enough to satisfy tv3 cerekarama.

The work is often challenging and fun and I collected more than 300 business cards since I first joined; pay is …. ok. But it’s not about the money at this point. I get paid as much as a starting engineer gets paid, and more sometimes, so it’s ok.

The only problem is that I’m not sure how I can grow in this company anymore than I have now. Plus recent decisions by the boss is … well, I don’t agree with him. Feels like a lot of hard work put to waste, a lot of relationships that are going to go into the drain.

Sighs.

Plus now I received a job offer with pretty good prospects from the looks of it. But say bye bye to the merry office, say bye bye to funny bosses, and say bye bye to showing off mediocre IT skills (ever since I suggested installing google chrome instead of mozilla firefox, they think I’m an IT god.)

We will see how it goes.

I Went To A Muay Thai Competition Because There’s Not Enough Excitement In My Life

Last Saturday, I was dragged to watch a Muay Thai competition. I know what you’re saying. “Of all things?” The place was PACKED. And so noisy! But it was fun!

We took the platinum seat because I was afraid of being trampled on. It costs an overwhelming amount of RM25. I didn’t plan. I heard, I agreed, I went. At night, and I went home at 12. Felt like I just got back from a rock concert or something. Anak dara apa ntah.

But phew. New experience. And I never realized before, but Kelantanese guys are hot. LOLs. But perhaps not for me.

OK shutting up. I’m out!

Yeh.

Terbukti Mat Salleh Memang Gila

Kenapa saya guna bahasa melayu? Sebab takut kena serang dengan mat salleh –_-

Enjoy!

Last Weekend At Bangi

Last weekend, the dad, the mom, the two brothers and I slept in Bangi. Bangi is what you could say a quaint little town. So many eating places to choose from, and everything has its own specialty. I found three shops that had ‘halal’ in its name. That helps I guess, considering there are even rumors of Sushi & McDonalds not being halal. I know… say whaaaa?

I played around with the camera continuous shot to make a motion capture video. It plays for only one minute but I got a thousand stares especially when shouting “HOLD IT, HOLD IT, DON’T WALK SO FAAAST!” in a densely packed PKNS complex. Snap 10x.

P.s.: Thanks to Elvis’s song, you can’t play the video here. Go watch on you tube instead. What a selfish tube.

P.p.s: Ariani is having a crazy sale. Go check out. Can you say buy one free one?!?

P.p.p.s: I switched to Vimeo platform because youtube might bring down my video. I dunno. Enjoy!

Little Sister, Meet Your Big Brother

I finally, finally bought an slr camera after years looking for the perfect one. Thanks to you photography geeks out there, the price of a Nikon D90 is now affordable enough for me! ;)

I know what you’re thinking. Oh so I had to go and show the ugliest and shakiest picture (above) I’ve ever taken to show how bad compact cameras are. That’s not it. The lighting was poor, it’s 12.40am and my hands can’t stop shaking. I posted this anyway because I can’t wait to show everyone that I have a new slr camera just like the rest of the world.

So what does this mean? I’m not going to morph into a ninja photographer (taking the slr like a body extension to the mall, mosque, toilet and other inappropriate places.) Nor will I start doing photoshoots on the Broga hill (heard that’s the ‘in’ place for photographers. You ain’t one until you climb Broga.) Not to disrespect anyone, but merely just poking fun.

It just means that…

…I can take crystal clear photos at night…

…and photos of lightning fast creatures…

…and photos of impatient brothers…

… and depth of field baby!!!!!!!!!!!! Woooooooooo yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Inception and Eclipse Blow My Mind

Hie everybody out there! Especially those who do not know exactly what to do with their lives (but working on it!). So today I watched Inception at Mid Valley. Christopher Nolan is the man! My introduction to his directing style came in the form of the Prestige back in 2006. I knew immediately that one, he doesn’t make movies for us to sit back and relax. Two, his movies aren’t for new couples on dates. Because his movies doesn’t give us a chance to breathe or stop thinking. It’s like watching a puzzle but in visual form. And after his movies, good luck talking about anything else.

I rate inception 8/10 on the Christopher Nolan scale because he deserves to have his own scale. His movies aren’t comparable to others but if it is, then tell me, I’d love to watch it. It’s just brilliant, mind blowing, mind numbing fun you think you’re running with the characters throughout the movie.

Leonardo Di Caprio. OMgosh Leo has always been on my list to watch for ever since he appeared in Titanic (I was, and still am a big fan of the big ship). He’s amazing. I love Chris (old friend) just for choosing Di Caprio to star in the movie. The way he chose Hugh Jackman (swooooooooon. Those abs. The accent. The height. The smile. The voice. I love you!!!!!) in the Prestige, he’s just unstoppable.

Honestly my mind is still reeling from watching Inception this morning. Owh by the way, if you’re really in hurry, go to the Gold Class counter, ask for the movie that’s about to start. In my case, I asked for the one starting right now! Make an exasperated face for extra measures and thank the lady at the counter graciously. I got the ticket in 5 minutes instead of waiting in line for 30 minutes. Another smarter idea is to book the ticket earlier.

Woosh. Hotness.

Yesterday I went out with Bella (yes BIG coincidence) and we watched Eclipse. Sighs. Eclipse didn’t get me reeling like Inception did but it wasn’t meant to do that. Eclipse is dreamy. Eclipse makes me green with envy. While Inception is like working on wall street, Eclipse is like an extended holiday on the beach. Twilight haters: oh please just get over it. It’s meant to be an escapism.

Those are two must-watch movies this month. I’m ganna take a short break from the cinema and maybe buy more cetak rompaks. Eat microwave pop corn while at it. If you’re wondering why, let me explain in one word: unemployed.

I’ll be back sooon. OMG I miss writing. I know I’m a geek. Bye.

Call Me A Rock Star

In a few more weeks, we’re having a batch dinner. I was excited until they told us the theme is “Rockstar”. So basically I really didn’t feel like going because I don’t FEEL the theme. What the heck am I ganna wear to a rockstar themed batch dinner anyway?

gah.. I honestly think the theme is a bit retarded, especially for a dinner. When I hear ROCK STAR, I picture denim, leather jackets, chains, and black eyeliner. You know, pretty standard stuff. Basically, you have to look badass with an I-don’t-care attitude and like you just rolled out of bed and get dressed under 5 minutes with yesterday’s make-up still on. Yeap pretty much like that.

So I went on Polyvore, check out what I found.

Born to rock! by Fleur C. (catching up) featuring GAP

:) by ♥ a l e x a n d r a ♥ featuring Charlotte Olympia shoes

Taylor Momsen of the Gossip Girls fame. Lately she’s been struck by the rock star, or rather rock chick style.

Then we have Kate Moss. Being a fashion model, it doesn’t come as a surprise that her definition of a rock chick is a mix between glamour and sophistication.

Rihanna. Her outfit is very pulled together and it’s my favorite out of the bunch.

… And in any doubt, just refer back to the ultimate rock star.

P/s: I’m talking more about girls here because face it, in real life, rock stars are MEN. Go Google yourself =P Choice number one: Steven Tyler.

Baju Kurung And Fireworks

I dunno where to start. JUst chuffed from all the Raya eating. Lemang ketupat lemang ketupat kueh mueh. My appetite is FULFILLED EVERYDAY. That's what I lOVE so much about the holidays and raya.

I kinda abandoned this blog for a loong time. I should've posted a big fat HIATUS and be done with it but I keep thinking that I'll write today, then today becomes tomorrow, which becomes one month after. SOO sorry bout that. The nasty college load kept me off blogging for a while.

I couldn't think of anything nice to say. If I had blogged one week ago, It'll be something like this:

"The lecturer today is a b****. She gave us MORE WORK. As if we weren't drowning in books already." But that's just hypothetically speaking. IF I blogged. But I didnt. So we're safe and I still manage to keep this blog G-rating (FOR GENERAL VIEWING).

In the spirit of RAYA, I’m showing my 4th day Baju Raya. Second and third day baju consisted of faded denim and Ipanema slipers.

Hope it’s not too late.

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI.

FORGIVE ME FOR ALL THE THINGS I’VE DONE TO OFFEND YOU.

HALALKAN MAKAN DAN MINUM JUGA. (I dunno how to put this in english –_-)

You're Not a Boy, So You Don't Understand

So you see, I was in the car on the way home when the ubiquitous Beyonce song came on air. I started singing along with the song though it was probably William Hung standard. I followed the song up to the part where she sang "If I were a boy, I think I would understand.........." I was taking a deep breath for another screaming part when suddenly Beyonce's voice was replaced by a guy's voice.

I thought, what the.... At first I thought the DJs were trying to be funny by intersecting the song! Yea, it was that bad in the beginning. Turns out they remixed the whole song to include a guy's point of view. I'm not liking the guy's voice, to be honest I still dunno who was singing and I'm not bothered to check. (Wait. It's Lee Carr?? I'm not sure who he is.)

There's just something about this song that explains something to me and I go, really? It's actually like that? After all this while, I was thinking guys are cruel and I agree with the song 100%!! But deep down, I always wanted the song to be answered. What would a guy actually say to those allegations. Sometimes guys avoid explaining themselves, it's very FRUSTRATing. Why can't guys be more forthcoming and honest for once! And the things they do just doesn't make sense. If you're protesting about something, just stop and tell us what's wrong for goodness sake. And stop behaving funny and hurting our feelings :( Huh.

Yeah and by the way, if you haven't seen the If I were a boy video, go check it out. That thing has been around for a very long time already. You wanna know which part got me heated up the most? The part where the guy says " What, it's not like Im sleeping with the girl." I felt like lending him a smack in the face with my metal-laden safety shoes. At first it was Beyonce who said it, same goes to her.

Some last words for the guys... don't treat your girls like yoyos. Menyampah ok. With that, I rest my case.

I Am a Mediocre Case of 9 to 5

I've been postponing a real entry all this while by putting up stuff like that fun fun commercial, and that video about the non-muslim who wants to wear Hijab. You should watch that. How often does a non-muslim wanna touch a Hijab? Let alone wearing it.

I can't put off writing a real post any longer. I just don't have much to say lately because working keeps me occupied and tired throughout the week. And I feel like a robot. Robots do not think. Robots do work. That's how it is with working. Most of the times anyway. Notice how many times I said work in the above?

Here's how my week goes like:

Wake up at 6.15am. Get ready, skip breakfast and head out to work. Stuck in traffic jam and sing Let's Dance super loud. Do work. Do work. Ladidadida. Lunch and gossip. Then back to work. Surf the net when there's no work. Get excited over Superbid Wednesday and cast worrying glances at the clock when daily meetings go on for too long. Do work. Do work. Rush back home at 5. Btw, 'rushing' takes approximately one hour. At home, walk through house in a blur and do activities which will later be forgotten due to temporary memory loss from exhaustion. Sleep at 11.30pm. I don't know how I manage, but I'll regret the morning after when obviously I'm sleep-deprived.

From all this, my hamsters suffer. Because I can't deal with another responsibility such as cleaning hamster farm & poo.

I'm just kidding, they get plenty of love. And when I'm too tired to monitor them roaming in their cute running ball, I let them free in my room, where they chew on my closet. And have more babies. I have alot to thank my hamsters.

On weekends, I prefer to take up space on the couch or stuck to the good ol computer chair and spend hours seeing how people live their lives. I know my days sound bleak, but it isn't, really.

I just didn't mention that on weekend nights, I'll be dragged off to another family soiree (<-- I like this word, swaa ray). We gossip, and laugh mad dogly and eat to our hearts content. At the end of the night, I can't even sleep.

Perangai semua orang baru balik masjid

One more thing that I didn't mention is that since my mom is a full-time homemaker, she'll be gearing up for a shopping trip on the weekends. And for those who don't know me, I respond to the word 'shopping' like a guy responds to the Pussycat Dolls. I don't have to explain myself here right?

Then there are other things such as home cooked food, comfy bed, comfy floor(in college we have cement as floors), Astro on standby, and of course 24 hours of fully functional internet connection. Plus, I've got time to indulge in my reading sessions whereby I've bought 11 fiction books in 2 months and read 7.

Sure, working may be draggy sometimes, but that's what's happened when you fall into a routine. And I know exactly what I need:

A holiday by the beach! SIGHS.

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Side Note: I stumbled upon this very likable, very adorable blog called Color Me Katie. The part I like most are her whimsical & funny pictures that makes you go OOhh that's too creative. Bravo!!

Source of Headache These Days

This is how a portion of my room looks like now. As you can see, it's really not very neat. In fact, that's an understatement because my room actually rivals the hamster cage. And perhaps the hamster cage will win hands down in terms of neatness.

I've been collecting junk without realizing it. Thing is, I can't seem to throw away anything--even plastic bags, which I stuff into a bigger paper bag. This have been going on since year 2000 since that was the year my family and I moved into the house.


These are some of my Reader's Digest and Archie comic books. I stopped reading the comic books when I was 15 but they're still on the rack. Now my younger brother continues expanding the collection of Archie.. (the one on the right side is an empty diary year 2003. Don't ask ~_~)


I couldn't even throw away boxes. It's a bit sad but I just know that I'm ganna need it someday. Whenever that is.



A part of my beloved collection of fiction books. Unlike other things, I sold off some of the books that I didn't like. So what's left here is concentrated Pulitzer, best-seller books. I'd rather eat worms than to have to burn/lose/give away the books. Can you spot Twilight?

My collection of mind-numbing magazines, except Times with the Benazir Bhutto cover. Yeah btw, Ashlee Simpson really looks better with her new nose.

Right now all those wicked stuffs are on the floor. I discard dirty clothes on the floor. Newly-washed clothes are discarded on the floor because even if I fold it, I'm going to have to take it out again right? So that's my mentality nowadays. Deep down inside, I know it's just a passing phase. I wasn't like this before, nor will I be in the future. This is now, and in the present where I feel kinda lost and unbalanced especially since now that I don't have a wardrobe. Or a book rack. Whatever. I'm out!