Awesome Blossom

Travelogue Bangkok: Oasis Spa

2012-02-17T23:41:00.010+08:00

If I were freaking rich, besides spending my money travelling the world, I would like to have my own spa. I won’t buy a custom-made ring from New York that will cost me millions (eh). I would rather spend it to have my own masseuse. My home will be a little oasis where I can enjoy and relax after a hard day shopping, something like this…

The moment I stepped in into Oasis Spa, my mind just go “Toing-toing! I want a home like this!”. Who could have guess there’s a little peaceful gem tucked away within the hustle and bustle of Bangkok city? A quiet, grassy garden greets you as soon as you walked into the main gate, and stood before it a handsome bungalow, with wood accent and clean white exterior. The building was build around a small pool, with chairs and umbrellas lining up along the side. Ah, if this were my home, I could just imagine myself eating cekodok and kopi-o at the pool area while waiting for Abang Anuar to come back from work.

I sat down, and the staff hurried in with a cold towel and a cup of scented tea. I wished I had taken the pictures of the reception area that was tastefully decorated with wooden floor, and bright, canary yellow cushions on the wooden bench chair. The colors are lively, but the whole effect was calm and soothing.

I decided to try, for the first time ever the Ayurveda treatment, which consists of two parts: first, the pouring of warm oil onto the forehead, followed by scalp massage; and second, Ayurveda body massage, using East Indian technique.

The warm-oil-on-forehead thing was okay; perhaps I had too much expectation heh. But the scalp massage that followed – OH MY GOD. And the body massage – NICE. Do I really have to return to KL? Can I just stay here?

The price is of course, OH MY GOD too, hahaha. The 2.5 hour treatment costs as much as something similar at the high-end spas in KL. Haishhh, see… this is why I have to work hard, in order to enjoy little luxury like this once in a while. Kalaulah dari kecil aku kumpul duit, mesti dah berjuta-juta dalam tabung. Hmmmm…

But then, if you are looking for the whole exquisite spa experience, the ultimate pampering and that queen-for-day feeling, go for it :p Sekali-sekala nak memanjakan diri, kan. Though I would say that this still can’t beat the massage, service and atmosphere at Khareyana Spa, my favorite spa in the Klang Valley - definitely the best, ever. And at a much cheaper price too. Malaysia Boleh!

It Is Love

2012-02-14T12:16:00.002+08:00

A male friend once said, “Aku tak paham orang pompuan ni. Korang kalau berkawan rapat, memang BFF gile. Tapi kalau gaduh, kalah perang dunia”.

(*BFF = best friend forever!)

Heh.

I wished I had the article (link below) back then. Not only it reaffirm my belief that being single CAN BE FABULOUS AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG IF YOU DO NOT GET MARRIED - LIKE, GIRLS, IT IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD – THERE’S SO MANY WAYS TO GAIN FULFILLMENT IN THIS WORLD (hehehe). But, back to my original point. It could have helped me to explain to him the beauty of that friendship, a bond that transcends genetically-related connection or marital vow. And why, if the bond breaks for some unfortunate reason, it will hurt bad. So, so, so very bad. Like, bad.

So for the shoulders that I’ve cried on; those ears who have listen to me venting, sobbing, whining, celebrating, complaining, wanting, wondering, going crazy; for the hearts that have sincerely shared my grief and joy; those who shared my secrets, shames and dreams. Those who’ve been there for me, no matter what time and distance.

To every girl’s wing-girl, the number 1 on speed dial, the fairy godmother…

Thank you.

The article is a bit long. But it is so worth the read. And you might want a tissue in hand.

Transformation and Transcendence: The Power of Female Friendship

Support, salvation, transformation, life: this is what women give to one another when they are true friends, soul friends, what the Irish call anam cara. It’s what the Wrinklies did for one another, what the French resistance fighters in Auschwitz did for one another, what women do for one another in real relationships with real consequences in real time, every day, what my friends do for me. We help one another other live and sometimes, we watch – and help – one another die. It happens in movies, sure, but it also happens every day, in real life – now, tomorrow, yesterday. It is transformative and transcendent. It is real. It is love.

Travelogue Bangkok: Health Land Spa and Massage

2012-02-12T23:57:00.003+08:00

Bangkok is such the perfect city for a girfriends’ trip. The shopping opportunity is abound, from the street-side stalls and flea market to the high-end fashion that most of us could not afford anyway. My head almost explode in excitement when I discovered that the stretch of road that I was using everyday is practically [Bukit Bintang + Berjaya Times Square + Suria KLCC + Low Yatt + Pavillion], but, 5 times more populated with shopping malls. Arrghhh, restrain, restrain. Nasib baik my day was totally filled with conference program, so I only had the night for some quick shopping (But yeah, within that ‘not enough time to shop’ pun, I came back with a new skirt and three new dresses, all but one acquired from street stall. So cheap! And I brought back some home décor stuff too. Weeeeee….)

And it is a perfect place for a girlie trip because spa is everywhere. It is like Starbucks in the States – you have one in every corner. After a long day shopping, what a good way to recharge for a new round of shopping the next day other than foot reflexology. Or a back massage to relax those tired muscles from handling so many shopping bags, eh? An hour or two of back massage or foot reflexology will only set you back RM 10 – 40 only.

My friend recommended me to go to Health Land, because he said the place is proper (hehe, because massage parlor in Bangkok can be a bit special too), nice and cheap. It is indeed close to the conference area and the hotel, so I decided to check it out. It is pretty much a huge mansion with multiple levels of spa rooms (it even has elevator), and from the amount of people there, it looked like a very popular place. The reception area is as huge as any big hotel’s. Put down your choice of massage and paid for it first, and after a while your name will be called.

The staff I encountered there were very polite and nice. The massage room is nothing special in terms of the décor, but it is soothingly simple and spotless. I love the wooden and grayish color tone. There’s a small shower and a separate basin area.

I am not a fan of Thai massage – I tried it once in KL, and I hate it. I go to spa to relax and drift away in slumber, but with Thai massage, I spent the hour cringing and fully alert, afraid of what the masseuse going to do next. Ah, I always felt like she is about to snap off my neck any moment. Shudder…. So, I decided to go for the much gentler aromatherapy massage. The massage itself was okay. It was nothing spectacular - a really good one always made me feel as if I was melting away, the tension dissolved into nothingness, and I’ll feel so light, almost floating on the way home. None of that here (maybe it is just the masseuse that I got) but despite that, it served its purpose. The ache and knotted muscles did go away. It is definitely a good massage place, but with such cheap affordable price, don’t expect the ultimate spa experience. The one-and-a-half hour aromatherapy massage was less than RM 85. Foot reflexology is only RM 25 (an hour) and Thai massage about RM 45 for two hours.

I had a much, much outstanding spa experience the next day somewhere else (and paid much, much more too. See the correlation here? Weeeeeeeee!), but that one will be reviewed next. This entry is already too long, eh.

Travelogue Bangkok: Land of Smiles

2012-02-10T10:19:00.003+08:00

We always prided our country has having the friendliest people. We sell the idea of warmth and hospitality to the tourists, as a draw for them to visit Malaysia. I do believe it is so, to some degree.

But man, I think the Thais beat us to it.

Take the conference itself. The national oil company of Thailand was the host of the event. By the end of the conference yesterday, everyone has only the highest compliment for them, calling them the ‘perfect host’. I’ve been to a couple of international and local conferences, but I’ve never been to one that takes pride in making the guests feel so comfortable and showcasing the best that they have to offer, especially the richness of their culture. It was nice that they also converted two small meeting rooms as the prayer room for the Muslims, and I did not see any pork served during the lunch as well (the other meat dishes are probably not halal as well, in terms of the slaughtering, so I eat the veggies or seafood only. But at least I am less squeamish if I did not see pork next to the vegetable lasagna, as example). If they were to host again soon, I will definitely come back even if I have to pay the conference fee myself, hehe.

Then of course, the ‘sawadeekap’ gesture, where you press the palm together in front of the chest. I absolutely adore that. Sometimes I will be the first to do so before the hotel staff or the shopkeepers, haha. That gesture, and the Korean bow (I watched Music Bank on KBS which is something like Muzik-Muzik, and find it so cute that all those modern, hip-looking artists - guys with eyeliners and perfectly coiffed hair and girls in short shorts and mini-skirts – bow to each other after the winner is announced) and the Muslim gesture of pressing the right palm on the chest, are so humbling and welcoming. I observed that the speakers, even the dignitaries, did these, towards the audience, before they took the stage. The younger staff will also do so when they approach the table where the more senior ones or their bosses were seated. Once, I got into an elevator with two high school kids, still in the uniform, and as they got off the escalator before me, they bowed to me before they walked out. I felt like an Empress!

I often heard how the King is revered, and it is only so evident once I am here They do think highly of the monarch. His huge portraits are everywhere – in the public park, shopping mall – and even the kids that participated in the science competition in the conference talked with so much respect of the King when I visited their booth display. Once, on my way back to the hotel after the conference, I wanted to take the BTS (the Skytrain, much like our LRT). I had only walked into the ticketing area when I realized something odd. Everyone was standing still. The guy in front of the ticket machine, the lady manning the booth, the guard at the turnstile, the passengers. Everyone. Did I just walk into a Twilight zone? Is this some sort of Inception movie thing? Or am I on Candid Camera? Then I heard some patriotic-sounding song over the speaker, which I assume was the national anthem of some sort. Ahhh, now it makes sense why everyone was frozen at their track. I wonder if KLCC played Negaraku in the middle of the busy lunch hour, will people stop whatever they were doing, stand straight up and stay still? Hehehe…

Hello, Bangkok!

2012-02-08T10:38:00.006+08:00

Sawadee ka!

Greetings from Bangkok. I've been here since a few days back because of this...

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I was a bit nervous because I was NOT nervous. I always had giant, ginormous butteflies-in-my-stomach before any public speaking - even when I gave career talk to school children way younger than me, or even for simple presentation in the office. And this was my first presentation to an international audience (What if they think I talk rubbish? What if they think my points are rather menial? What if I went blank or failed to form cohesive answer in English during the Q&A session? Arrghhhh...!). So, I was rather afraid that the lack of nervousness means I was not prepared, especially since that the final version of the speech was only completed the day before I was to leave for Bangkok, and on the morning of the panel session, I was actually up at 5 AM to start preparing the slides. Yes, START. Haha.

The speech has now been safely delivered, and everything went very smooth, so thank God for Your blessing. So now I can thoroughly enjoy shopping around Bangkok... eh, the rest of the conference.

Till later, xoxo!

The Little Ones

2012-01-11T21:53:00.008+08:00

One of my favorite subjects to photograph is kids. There's just something fresh and innocent about them. Unassuming and unpretentious. And they are just too cute!

I remembered strolling around the city of Khiva, which is a city-museum - such a lovely place - looking for things to photograph when we heard childish giggles drifting towards us. Two little girls, carrying a huge bundle which bottom almost scrapped the ground, were laughing their heart out. They were helping their mother setting up their souvenir shop, which to me is a chore, but they were genuinely enjoying the moment.

And then, there was the picture below, which details I didn't notice until I got home and was browsing through the pictures on my computer.

Hahahahaha. I am not sure if she even knows what she is doing. That is so EPIC.

When It Comes To Handbag, Size Does Matter

2012-01-09T12:24:00.001+08:00

Last week, as I got into my apartment’s lift, a young boy commented on the hugeness of my handbag out loud. His father was with him, so I just silently smiled, but how I wished to tell him that in the next two decades, when he got himself a girlfriend or a wife, he will finally find out that a woman’s bag is like a mini-mart. It has to be big enough to fit the wallet, keys and a slew of gadgets, such as a phone, an iPad, and an iPod (and sometimes all their cables too). It needs to be big enough to carry some or all make-up items as listed below: eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner, blusher, a lip balm, one or two or three tubes of lipsticks (neutral color for casual, something reddish in case there’s a need to vamp it out a bit), and a lip gloss. A moisturizer or sunblock. There is also a packet of mint, a packet of tissue and a packet of wet tissue (to wipe off the make-up, before reapplying the make-up). A band-aid or two, just in case. Also some panadol or paracetamol, just in case. A hard disk and thumbdrive. A novel or a Sudoku book, for that LRT ride or any type of waiting is really boring. And then of course those paper bills and receipts that just keep accumulating.

And just wait until you have a kid, and the handbag will also carry a bottle of milk or water, a pacifier, pureed food or snacks, diaper, a change of cloth…

Soon, little boy, you’ll find out the secret behind a handbag.

Connect The Dot

2012-01-04T00:37:00.004+08:00

Sometimes I think life is like a game of connect-the-dot, but this one is without a numerical sequence that you can follow in order until you've completed that cartoonish sketch of a cat, or a palm tree or a flower. A dot that leads to another dot, one after another, until you draw yourself a line. A path.

With so many dots scattered in front of you, which one will you take? Without knowing where it will lead you, which one will you choose? Do you wait until a better dot comes along, or do you grab what’s in front of you now, hoping that it will somehow lead to a better dot?

Huh.

I think… I think tomorrow I am going to walk in there and say, “I’ve been thinking about the dots that we talked about yesterday, and I decided that I want THAT dot!”

I hope I’ve chosen the correct dot, though. May it lead to future better and happier dots.

Don’t disappoint me, dot!

Yes, I am just as confuse as you are. Dots? What dots? In time, my friend. In time :)

(If only the only dot I have to choose is the one that involved being married to a freaking rich and superhot Korean zillionaire that looks like Park Shi Hoo and all we got to do was backpacking - on our private jet, of course - around the world all year round. Why didn’t such dot exist?!! Why….?!!).

The Running Diary – Countdown to Malakoff 2011

2011-12-15T19:12:00.005+08:00

Fave Running Playlist:
Marry You by Glee Cast
Superman by Super Junior
Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine
Blow by Ke$ha
Who’s Next by 4Minute (feat. BEAST)

21 Nov 2011
Location : Gym
Distance : 5.62 km
Oh god. Not yet 2 km, and I am already panting. My last run was Standard Chartered, and that was about six months ago. This first day after such a long break is such a torrrturreeeeee… Only 15 minutes had passed, but it felt like forever. I want to quit. Oh hoh. Mommy. C’mon, you can do this. Hit 5 km, or 40 minutes, whichever comes first, then you can stop.

22 Nov 2011
Location : KLCC Park loop
Distance : 5.72 km
I always ran clock-wise on the loop. Why, you ask? Because everyone else’s run counter-clockwise, following the 0 – 1300 m direction. But when everyone run in such a way, all you see is other people’s behind. I ran clock-wise, in the opposite direction of others, so I can see every single faces that pass me by. This is important as there are a lot of cute runners, with sexy legs, on this track. Am I clever or what?

29 Nov 2011
Location : KLCC – home, along an undisclosed route
Distance : 11.69 km
Decided to run home today from the office because a friend, who I am competing against in a Nike+ Challenge, spilled that she was about to add in another 17 km with two upcoming races. There and then I decided that there’s no way I should allow her to have such a huge lead and I know I am not motivated to run far when I’m on a treadmill, so after office, sneakers on, and off to home!

(Stopped by a stall for a char kuey teow dinner and durian at Seri Rampai area before completed the last leg home. Aishhh, macam mana nak kurus kalau tengah berlari boleh makan kuey teow?!)

30 Nov 2011
Location: KLCC – home
Distance : 10.5 km
Decided to run home from the office again. I followed the same route as yesterday. I think this will also be a perfect route if I ever decided to cycle to work one day – flat, and it has good pedestrian pathway for most part. But there’s no one else running along this route – I felt so lonely...

2 Dec 2011
Location: KLCC – home
Distance : 4.21 km
Argh, something is wrong with the chip. It only recorded half the distance covered. Penat je lari jauh-jauh hari ni, haishh…

8 Dec 2011
Location: KLCC Park loop
Distance : 4.75 km
Today’s run is to recalibrate the chip.

9 Dec 2011
Location: Gym
Distance : 4.48 km
Hmmphh, no eye-candy in sight.

13 Dec 2011
Location: Gym
Distance : 3.15 km
Aaahh, after a 40 minute run, I checked my iPod, and it only clocked in 0.1 km. Apa kes, 100 m jerrr? Helloooooooooooo? Only than I realized that, earlier, I changed the playlist as I started to run, but forgot to switch it back to Nike+, thus explaining the lack of recording. Ahh, penat je lari. But if I didn’t clock in anything today, then I can’t keep up with my friend on the challenge (who looks like she has been running everyday now. Ughhh, crazy horse).

So back on the treadmill. For another 3 km. Buhooo, I could have gotten 7 km today.

14 Dec 2011
Location: Gym
Distance : 4.33 km
Today is such a good run. I wish I could have run longer, but I was in a rush for a dinner meeting. I don’t know why, but today’s breathing is perfect, the pace is consistent, my legs are cooperating and I do not feel lazy or tired at all. Perhaps because I was flanked by two very handsome fella on the treadmill next to me? Awesome motivation!

15 Dec 2011
Location: Gym
Distance: 10.19 km
Ah, rain, rain, rain. The gym again, looks like it. I aimed to complete 8 km.

But I pushed my self and went for 10 km instead!

Tomorrow will be the last run, insha Allah, then Saturday a rest day, and then Sunday - hello Malakoff! Hello 12 km, over a torturous and hilly Bukit Kiara!

The Little Engine That Could

2011-12-13T17:43:00.000+08:00

“Okay, hari ni kita belajar kat luar pulak”

My grip on the steering tightened. Outside? Like, on the road? Where there are… cars? Like, hundreds of them? “Ummm, sure ke, cikgu? HAHAHAHAhahahahhmmm….”

“Boleh punya. Ok, mula”

Ohmygodibuampunkansegaladosaanakmuiniohmygodohmygodohmygod!

It felt a bit weird being on the driver’s seat, driving on a real road. It took my utmost concentration - I couldn’t even take my eyes off from the front that I wonder how you, my friends, can drive while answering phone, or texting, or eating, or singing, or even talking to the passengers besides you? On my mind it was all clutchbrakegearclutchchangegearsidemirrorsignalclutchbrake. I couldn’t think of anything else.

It was nerve wrecking at first, but then of course the excitement kicks in and I can’t stop grinning. Why didn’t I learn to drive sooner?! This is so much fun, and liberating! It didn’t matter that my car died several times on the road (damn you, clutch!), or that other cars sped by because I am too slow (sorry, fella. I lessen L. Jangan marah, okay?). It didn’t matter because. I freaking drive on a real road, people!!! Real road, I tell ya!!!

(sure korang macam “Ek eleh budak ni”. Hihihi)

I still have to improve on braking (“not gentle enough. Macam naik kuda” – hah!), changing the gear, and on getting over the hill (damn you, clutch and accelerator balance!). And then once, during side parking, the radio went “Because I naughty naughty… Hey, I’m Mr. Simple!” Oh my god, Super Junior!

Suffice to say, I failed that particular attempt to side park. Seronok menyanyi, terus terlupa sequence side parking >..<

From The Kitchen: Vietnamese Fresh Spring Roll

2011-12-09T01:58:00.004+08:00

Besides the beef soup and the drip coffee, this spring roll is my favorite Vietnamese dish. It is so refreshing, light and healthy. But with the lack of Vietnamese restaurant around town and since the only place I could find them is at KLCC (read: it is just so expensive to eat frequently), I decided to make them. Oh goodness. Awesomely delightful. 3-4 rolls are enough for a light dinner, and it is really delicious that you don't feel deprived of good-tasting food if you are in the midst of a diet. You can of course substitute whatever ingredients you want, and make you own unique rolls.

Ingredients for the roll:

Rice paper - Cold Storage @ KLCC sell this. Look at the shelf where they keep the sugar and instant ketupat etc.
Prawn - Shell off and deveined. Then poached, or lightly boiled. I put two pieces of prawns in each roll.
Salad leaves - just because. I have some in the fridge. Tear them into smaller piece.
Mango - thinly sliced
Fresh basil and mint leaves - these are the secret ingredients. The 'freshness' taste of the roll comes from these two fellas.
Bihun - depends on how much you want to put in the roll. I usually overestimated and had plenty of leftover. Isk. Soak in hot water and toss. Drain the water off as much as possible, because if it is too soggy, then your rolls will be too soggy too. I find that if I prepare and toss the bihun the earliest before I start preparing the other ingredients, it will be just ready when it is time to assemble the roll.

1. Prep all the ingredients so they are nicely ready for the assembly: sliced mango, poached prawns, salad leaves and fresh herbs, and bihun.
2. Soak the rice paper in warm water, one at a time (don't soak in multiples, or they might get stuck). It is quickly soften too, so don't just leave the rice paper in the water to soak and go to do something else. Gently hold it with your fingers in the water until it is soft.
3. Spread it on a clean tea towel to get rid of the excess water. I usually skip this, because I don't have clean tea towel. So I just try to give the rice paper a little shake here, a little shake there, hoping that enough water will fall off.
4. Assembly time! The first time will always be messy. You might put too much or too little. Don't worry, have fun! It will still taste as good. The rice paper is also transparent, so you can experiment with how you lay down the ingredient. I love putting the basil and mint leaves first, so that they will be 'displayed' nicely once rolled.

Ingredients for the dip:

Vinegar
Fish sauce
Sugar
Warm water - 1/4 cup
Peanuts - crushed them into little, little pieces. I just put them inside a zip-lock bag and smacked them with a wooden ladle
Chopped garlic
Bird eye chilli - optional. I just like the dip slightly hot. 2-3 pieces of this, chopped, should be fine.
Lime juice - a quarter of a lime is suffice

Okay, the dip is definitely a try-and-taste thing. The first time I did it, I put in too much fish sauce and vinegar. Uggh, nasty, even though I'd followed the recipe to the T. So the second time around I tried to adjust it bit by bit until it taste almost like how the restaurant usually prepare it. Start by mixing in 2-3 tablespoon of sugar in 1/4 cup of warm water. Then mix in one teaspoon of vinegar and a few dash of fish sauce. Taste and adjust. You might want to add some more water, sugar, or vinegar, or fish sauce - up to you. Once you get this part to your liking, add in the rest of the ingredients - lime juice, chilli, peanuts and garlic.

Dip in and enjoy!

Video Time!

2011-12-08T11:45:00.006+08:00

This video. No words. Pure awesomeness. Without a doubt, definitely, positively, awesome.

I was all like, "Oh, no, PATRICK...!!! SPONGEBOB...!!!"

(Hehe, seriously, visit the BBC website and read what they have to go through to shoot the video. I suddenly wanted to become a marine biologist)

_____________

And this, is just too cute (of course, the shoes too!). I miss the superadorkable Dr. Reid.

_____________

Marvelous. Beautifully danced, perfectly executed - watch how clothes have evolved in 100 years. I totally dig the 20's-50's styles. The skirts! The hats!

(the 80's are just weird, haha)

Travelogue Cambodia (July 2011): Zooming Through

2011-12-06T23:08:00.014+08:00

One of the most enjoyable things that I did in Cambodia was the ATV ride tour. Unfortunately though, since I did not have a driving license, I have to be the passenger. The seat was so wide that my short legs were just hanging at the side. I got leg cramps by the time we ended, boohoo. That was the only bad thing about the tour, for the view was breathtaking and tranquil. Of course, it looked quite similar to any kampung in Malaysia, but somehow the sky is bluer and the grasses greener. The rice field stretched as far as the eyes can see. What I love most was getting a peek at how the locales live, which is always a highlight wherever I traveled as I find it more interesting than actually being at a tourist attraction. The kids that we saw along the way – either shying away or running towards our roaring machines and giving us a wave; the wooden huts along the river that looked like it may crumble anytime soon, yet still function as a barbershop or a sundry shop; a group of dark, sweaty teenagers playing volleyball at a dusty, humble field – what an interesting glance at life.

The Sweetest Thing Ever

2011-12-01T15:40:00.003+08:00

One night a year ago this month, Lauren Bush didn’t think it the least bit odd when David Lauren suggested they meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at some new pictures before attending a holiday dinner nearby. Because they met at the Costume Institute gala in 2004 and have celebrated that anniversary by attending every Met gala since, the museum is one of the couple’s favorite sentimental places. When Lauren arrived at the place where they had agreed to meet, no one was there except David. The artwork he wanted her to see was not the museum’s latest Old Masters acquisition but photographs of the couple that spanned their seven happy years together, blown up and displayed around the room. “I created our own exhibition of our life together,” David says. “And I got down on my knee and proposed. Then we went outside and took a carriage ride with a clarinetist and a saxophonist following us.”

From “Western Union: Lauren Bush and David Lauren’s Wedding” (Vogue magazine)

Sigh, isn’t that the single most romantic thing ever? I swooned, and drooled. Of course, when you are the son of Ralph Lauren, it might be easier to pull it off. I do not think mere mortals could convince the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the famous museums in the world, to exchange their artwork with personal photographs that easily.

(Do check out the Vogue article on their wedding, though. Just for the pictures. So beautiful. I want to live in a ranch surrounded by mountains, too).

But do not fret, boys. While we girls always appreciate and will never say no to your thoughtful gifts of a bouquet of roses or a new iPad or that Chanel handbag (because even if, if, if, if in theory, I can afford to buy a Prada myself, it is always nice to get it for free anyway hahaha), this one real encounter, to me, is perhaps, the sweetest thing a guy have ever done:

During our office Raya celebration a few months back, the staff were encouraged to wear traditional dress. Most of the guys wore the usual office attire when they came to the office in the morning and brought along the change of traditional costume for the lunchtime event. When it was time to change, I noticed my friend was ready to go out and I asked him where he was going. “Home,” he replied, “I forgot to bring the baju melayu.”

“Alah,” I said. “It’s okay lah. I don’t think they will not allow you to join the party and eat merrily if you are not dressed in baju melayu. Bukan penting sangat pun. Wasn’t it such a hassle to go home now?” I know he lives like, 30 km away.

“Isk, tak boleh. Kena balik jugak. My wife dah spend masa menggosok baju tu semalam. Kesian dia kalau I tak pakai pulak today”

And my heart just go awwwwwwww…. He won’t mind making the 60 km round trip. Just because his wife had spent time ironing the cloth.

The material gifts, as nice as they are, can’t beat this one up, because this honest, sweet appreciation of what his wife meant to him comes truthfully straight from the heart.

The Aftermath

2011-11-21T11:58:00.002+08:00

Something very, very weird is happening.

It all started on Wednesday last week. I fainted at the office a few hours after donating blood. Perhaps I did not eat enough before and after the donation, and around noon as I was walking to the restroom, a sudden blackness, pitch black and somewhat comforting, enveloped me and I fall down hard on the floor. There was no sighing or falling gracefully to the ground like princesses and damsels-in-distress who fainted in movies. Only a hard “thud!” and there I was, sprawled on the floor.

I passed out for a good two minutes (seriously, it felt like seconds), as my colleagues were deciding what to do. When I finally opened my eyes, it was ascertain that except for some small bruises, I was all okay. I still know who I am, remember the names of all my seven siblings, can still recognized who is Anuar Zain and managed to return home just fine.

The weird thing was a few days later, I lost sense of days. I used to be rather acute with Friday, which is without a doubt my favorite day because it is the start of the weekend, and Sunday, a day when I will start to feel miserable as Monday blues started to descend. My moods on both days are usually predictable – very happy on Friday, and somewhat sluggish on Sunday. But on both days, I felt nothing. I even forgot Friday was Friday, and only realizing it when my male friend said that he was going to Friday prayer.

And the weirdest thing ever was, yesterday, I watched New Moon on HBO from start to end and somehow, dear God, ended up liking it. Yes, New Moon is a Twilight movie. Yes, I was supposed to hate everything about Twilight. A mere mention of the saga pricked my nerve, and not in a good way. I once tried to watch New Moon but gave up after a few minutes. But there I was, enjoying the music featured in the movie, appraising the fine editing and nice pace of the story, finding the scenery and shots rather gorgeous, giggling like a ditzy school girl every time Jacob went shirtless (which was perhaps 90% of his screen time), sympathizing with Bella who was totally heartbroken, and gasped as Edward uttered the last words of the movie, “Bella, will you marry me?”. And suddenly I have the urge to read Breaking Dawn and dear God, even wanting to watch the new movie.

Is this tender feeling towards Twilight a sign of going loco? Should I go and check with a doctor? Will I have a sudden urge to tattoo I Love RobPatz on my arm, or feeling a need to declare whether I am on Team Jacob or Team Edward (of which I will totally be on Team Jacob. Come on, Bella, didn’t you see Jacob’s magnificent, rippling muscles? He has the right skin color too, gorgeously bronzed and dark, not pasty, pale white or weirdly enough one that will go sparkly under the sun? And he smiles! And he cares so much about you! How could you say “I love you” to Jacob only to confess that you still choose Edward no matter what? Whyyyyyy? Whyyyyyyyy?)

Oh goodness, I think that bump to my head has an invisible damage.

Book: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

2011-11-17T14:15:00.003+08:00

Walcott: Tomorrow will be better.
Amy: But what if it’s not?
Walcott: Then you say it again tomorrow. Because it might be. You never know right? At some point tomorrow will be better.

Short summary: Amy’s father died, her brother is in rehab, and now her mother is relocating the family from California to Connecticut. Having moved first, mom needs Amy to bring the car over; however, due to trauma related to her father’s death, Amy doesn’t want to be behind the wheel. In comes Roger, a childhood friend who needs to visit his father in the East Coast, thus is tasked to drive the car. Though her mom has thoroughly planned their itinerary by mapping their route, booking the hotels for them, and expecting them to stick to her arrangement, the kids have their own plan. Thus begin one of the most memorable road trips ever.

____________

Love, love, love, love this book. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable ones I have read this year.

This book definitely falls in “Book That I Wished Will Never End” category. It is the perfect Young Adult book – light, easy-to-read writing, with appealing characters and interesting storyline. I am also a sucker for travel stories, so this particular book about a long road trip across the US scores some bonus point in my book (also, bonus points for the road trip play list. You can’t have a road trip without good music!). The scrapbook elements featured in the book is also cute and interesting and I also love their encounters with the other secondary characters, especially Roger’s friends.

If you have read enough Young Adult book, you’ll find that a lot of books featured boy-meets-girl story, which I greatly enjoyed in principle, as long as the book does not feature the following:

1. when the girl immediately swooned over the guy (who is always somehow the bad boy in the neighborhood) the instant she laid eyes on him
2. the girl and boy falls crazy, crazy, crazy in love (note the emphasis on crazy) barely a few days after meeting each other
3. the boy is some hundreds-years old sparkling vampire and the girl is the most helpless heroin ever (yeah, I am talking about Twilight)

Yes, I love a story that makes me all giddy and warms my heart, but an author should at least establish a good reason/foundation/storyline on how the characters become attracted towards each other. Don’t just put a hot boy with issues and a girl who somehow always thought she was not pretty when she actually is and expect us to believe they are in love when nothing barely happens between them. Unless the writing is exceptional and poetic (case in point: Lauren Oliver’s Delirium, which fulfill the first two criteria above, but I absolutely love the poetic, flowing words of the author, so I cut the book some slack) or the book features some really amazing twist in the storyline, most Young Adult book leaves me disappointed when it comes to dealing with this instant love crap.

So that’s why Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour is rather refreshing. Both characters are dealing with their own personal baggage in the story, and these become a good window in learning about their personality and dilemma. The setup was perfect – spending four days in a car ride with someone, you’ll bound to learn a lot about the other person – thus the friendship that grows between the main characters is structured in a believable way, that towards the end, I was the one willingly wanting for something to happen between the two of them. It was as if you are rooting for your two best friends, who you can see are just so perfect for each other, to fall in love.

(They do did something that I think is rather soon at that point of their relationship, which I am not going to elaborate here for it is a spoiler. That's my only beef with the story, but I'll forgive that)

If you like this kind of Young Adult novel or just looking for something light and fun (but not crappy) to read, I highly recommend this book. I find Ms. Matson is such a good storyteller too, so I am looking forward to check out her future book as well.

Travelogue Cambodia (July 2011): Introducing... Siem Reap

2011-11-14T21:25:00.019+08:00

Siem Reap is a city that moved at a leisurely pace, almost slow motion, despite the throng of tourists bargaining at the market, marveling at the ancient temples, snapping photos with their all-powerful camera as if the moment will forever be forgotten had they not capture it at that particular second. It was July and unbelievably hot. I was literally melting.

It is a city that thrive from its past. The sprawling complexes of temples, still proud and erect, still defying the forces of nature - water, sun, jungle - that are slowly eating them away. Its past was the reason people come from all over the world. It was supposedly the low season, but the crowd that trampled across the sacred ground of Angkor Wat was, already to my standard, huge. I can't imagine how the place looks like in the height of tourist season. Would one be able to feel lost among the grand stone structure? Would one be transported to the past, imagining ghosts of past priests and kings and villagers roaming around, when one was surrounded by touring groups chattering away in French, Dutch, English, Japanese, and pretty much all major languages of the modern languages?

It is a city that despite it's popularity, is still holding back. There are a couple of modern boutiques, bars, and restaurants - obviously catering to the foreigners - concentrated in the city center, but not yet overwhelming. Perhaps in a few short years, the modernity and tourism are going to go full-blast, and new buildings, squarish and common, are going to loom over the beautifully carved venerable temples. Perhaps. But as of now, the vibe that envelops the city comes from three or four decade backs, as if time has not move much since then, and it fits Siem Reap perfectly.

Travelogue Dubai & Oman (Oct 2011): The Three Amigos

2011-11-11T00:10:00.007+08:00

A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles – Tim Cahill

Oman and UAE are never high on my places-to-go-before-I-die list (a list which currently includes Bhutan, Maldives, New Zealand, Patagonia, Machu Picchu, Tibet, Austria, Kashmir, Jordan, Korea… among others. It is quite long, aahh). If not for my two dearest friends who reside there, I probably would never arrived.

But as Aldous Huxley said, “ To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries”. With the power of observation, even mundane sights become enlightening, and the people become entertaining to watch. There is always something to discover and new things to learn in a foreign land – no matter how ordinary a city is, if you open your eyes and heart, you bound to be what you aim to be: a traveller.

But most of all, sometimes, it is not so much of the destination that make or break a trip. It is the companion that you keep. You could have been anywhere, but with the right person next to you, it would have been a trip of a lifetime.

So thank you girls, for such a wonderful, wonderful time. Thank you for all the hospitality and pampering (never knew it is so nice NOT to backpacking and living in a hostel for once, hahaha) and great meals (I gained 2 kg, thank you very much). Thanks for the love.

I Am Number 4,576,539,973

2011-11-04T15:02:00.002+08:00

Last week on 31 October (a symbolic date chosen by the United Nations), the world received our 7th BILLION person. BBC News UK had come up with an interesting website in which you can estimate what is your number when you were born simply by typing your birth date.

On the day I was born, I was person number 4,576,539,973.
I am also the 79,240,756,482 person to ever lived since history began. Seventy-nine BILLION!

But the most impressive fact is not so much of the number, but actually the rate our population is growing. Just observed how steep the chart is climbing starting from 1950 to current time. The population growth from 2000-2050 is expected to double the population growth from 1950-2000. The same 50 years timeline, but oh, we are growing too fast nowadays.

Think of the food, clean water, education, energy etc that needs to be provided. It is kind of scary to realize that we are all fighting over rapidly declining resources in a deteriorating climate. Per BBC: “By the 2030s we will need the equivalent of two Earths to support us”.

Don’t be greedy, don’t be wasteful.

Book Sort

2011-11-03T20:02:00.003+08:00

Things to do when you are jet-lag and can't sleep a wink way past midnight.

Rearrange the furniture in the living room, and...

... sort the books according to colors.

I first saw the idea a few years back when I came upon the picture below somewhere on the internet of a real person's real bookshelf, and totally love it and I promised myself: One day, when I have enough books, I will do the same (acecehhhhhh...)

I just wished my books are just as colorful :)

The End of A Love Story

2011-10-21T11:18:00.003+08:00

I started cycling from home to the LRT station this week. It has greatly increased my ‘street cred’ since all my officemate goes “Ohhh” and “So cooool” when they enquired why do I have a helmet on my office desk.

Yeah, I am that cool.

I saved RM 8 daily by doing so, because I had been lazy for the last few months and kept taking the taxi to and from the LRT, for a distance of 15-minutes walk (I am sorry, but I am feeling awfully lazy lately). I recently bought an extra bicycle lock, so I am confident enough to leave it at such a public place for the whole day. I had this nightmare that upon returning from work, all that is left of my bicycle are the handle bar, or something. You know how much steel theft is occuring nowadays.

My goal is actually to cycle all the way to KLCC every day, but so far, even cycling to and from the LRT station gives me heart attack. If you are familiar with the road in my area, you know how fast the cars moved there since it is a double lane and that killer curve, urgghhhh… I am not sure if I can survive a 30-minutes ride to the office going through the superbusy Jalan Jelatek and the infamous Jalan Ampang.

Anyway, the real story is this.

On the first day I managed to lock my bike to the pole of the only shed available at the LRT station, which was apparently the LRT staff parking lot. I parked it way at the side, painstakingly making sure that I did not obstruct or intrude into the car’s lot, all the while also making sure that the end of the shed’s roof still covers my bike. When I came back at night, the bike is still there. No problem.

The second day I cruised into the LRT station and brought my bike to the same shed to lock it when this encik police came and said, “You can’t park there”. I was like, “Huh?”. He further explained that it was the instruction of the LRT people. And I was like, “Huh?”.

Wait… Did they purposely put him on standby that morning to catch this bike-parking felon? Like they saw my bike the day before but could not do anything about it because I was not around, so they make sure that someone is waiting for me in the morning in order to tell me that the area is offlimit?

So lame! It is just a freaking bicycle! Not a bloody Hummer or a rubbish truck!

“Then where should I park?”

He pointed to a lone signage pole a few meters away. No shelter. Rain or shine, Mr Optimus Prime (that’s the name of my bicycle, btw) will have to suffer.

I was kind of pissed, and as I hauled my bicycle away, I said out loud, “Kedekutnya!”. Hahah, nasib baik tak kena tangkap ngan encik police tu. Ada ke nak marah dia. He was supernice by the way, mumbling that he was rather sorry about all that.

Hmmph, LRT. If in anyway my action is causing trouble or danger, I would've understand. If you think that the bicycle is a sore in the eye, then what about all those double-parked cars and motorcycles? If you have provided the bicycle rack like the one you have in LRT Wangsa Maju and YET, I still improperly park at the shed, then I would've understand. But this... I just don't. Salahkah saya hanya mahu sedikit tempat untuk berteduh... salahkah?

For SIX years, I stick by you, LRT. Even when my friends mocked the fact that I did not own a driving license, my response is always “Who needs a car here. Our public transportation is quite efficient”. I have always defended you, even when you broke down and got us stranded; even when I have to berhimpit-himpit dengan sepuluh ribu other passengers yang kadang-kadang baunya... masya Allah. I stick by you through thick and thin, even if I have to change trains and buses fifty times to get to my final destination. I stick by you, darn it! Do you want me to quit you? Do you now?

Anuar Zain 2011: A Review?

2011-10-18T12:47:00.005+08:00

Oh… HELLO abang :)

Senyap-senyap you keluarkan album baru ye. Tak bagitau I pun.

Oh, it is a SURPRISE? For meeeeeeeeeeeee??? Awwwww, you are the best!

Kalau your second biggest fan, Miss Idd (hahaha, sorry Idd. Of course le I am THE biggest fan!), tak sms I – “Guess who just bought abg anuar’s new cd?!” – memang sampai ke sudah I tak tau okay. Saje je you ni.

(btw, love the cover. Renungan mata itu? Oh, my heart flipped and somersaulted like crazy. The short hair? Gorgeous. Macho sket I nak bawak you jumpa parents I nanti. Tapi you nampak muda gile. Macam budak universiti. Photoshop ke…? Isk isk, you know that I love you not matter how you look. Every little wrinkle and crinkle, I tak kesah, I tell you!)

Lepas tu kan, I pun excited lah, so I terus bagitau my friends yang masa tu tengah lepak dengan I. Diaorang rileks je cakap, “A’aah, hari tu lagu baru dia keluar kat radio….” - wahhh, semua orang tau, I je ke yang tersurprise ni?! – “… tapi boring aaaa. Macam nak tertidur je dengar”. Itu komen diaorang.

I pun: “Mana ada nak tido!!! Itu namanya PENUH PENGHAYATAN JIWA RAGA”. Beria I defend you, even though masa tu bukannya I dah dengar pun lagu tu. Anyway, maafkan lah kawan-kawan I tu. Mungkin diaorang tak reti appreciate the arts, you know.

So, lepas tu, lepas tu, I pun beria la nak dengar gak lagu you. Terus I cari.

I dengar sekaligus.

Oh ohhh.. betul la kawan I cakap. I tertidur….!! (Sorrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy)

I definitely loved your last album much more than this one. Yang ini…. Mmmm, macam kurang oomph. Mendayu-dayu sampai terlelap I. Where’s the magic, my dear??? I tau la cerita Harry Potter dah habis, but that means we need your magical touch even more. Lepas tu semua lagu macam lebih kurang sama – mula-mula you nyanyi slow-slow, lepas tu it builds into this huge crescendo where the music goes crazy huge and you hit all the glory notes. Tak de variation. Kalau semua lagu used the same formula, bosan la bang. Cuba you imagine kalau setiap kali kita keluar date I pakai baju sama je. Baju brand Prada ke, Chanel ke, walaupun cantik and stylo gila, sure you bosan kan tengok baju sama je hari-hari kan? Nanti Beautiful Nara komen lak yang girlfriend you ni macam tak de baju lain ke. Sape yang malu?

(Eh, ini constructive criticism ye, dear. Jangan la merajuk, bucuk-bucuk. I still love you lot lot lot. Arguments are good in relationship – kalau tak boring nanti kan? Sedangkan lidah lagi tergigit, ini kan pulak suami isteri.. ehh, over lak.)

But one of the song in this album is most probably my favorite song of yours ever: Nadi Terhenti (and Ajari Aku – swoooon). Dah 20,000 kali I ulang lagu ni. Ohhh, memang terhenti nadi jantung nafas I. Macam you tau-tau je perasan I ini. Kalau you ever sing this song to me, I cry-cry so sad-sad. Sampai hati you buat kat I macam ni.

Okay, I nak pi ulang-ulang dengar satu album. Mana tau, lepas dengar banyak kali, lagu-lagu lain tu tersangkut di hati.

Love you, muahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

(disclaimer: semua diatas adalah khayalan saje. Except for the fact that Anuar Zain memang awesome. On other matters: sila jangan saman saya!)

-------

Nadi Terhenti

Jauh sekali ku bermenung di sini
Cuba mengerti cerita kita ini
Pernahku rasa kau dicipta untukku
Entah mengapa kau terlewat tiba meluahkan cinta

Sukarnya memendam rasa
Sukar menimbus rindu
Terpaksa ku lawan gelora

Walau kini hasrat yang kau bawa terhempas dari jiwa
Walau kini sesaat terasa bagaikan nadimu terhenti
Aku harus pergi membawa diri

Bukan mahuku menghampakan hatimu
Entah mengapa kau terlewat tiba meluahkan cinta

Biar pedih realiti ini, kau perlu memahami
Dia yang terdahulu ke mari mengetuk di pintu kalbuku
Menghuni di sisi selama ini

Usah kau menanti mengharapkan kasih
Biarlah cerita di antara kita tamat akhirnya

Walau kini hasrat yang kau bawa terhempas dari jiwa
Walau kini sesaat terasa bagaikan nadimu terhenti
Aku harus pergi membawa diri
Aku harus pergi membawa diri...

Travelogue Uzbekistan: Of Blue and Green Tiles

2011-10-11T17:49:00.005+08:00

The Sky and I

2011-09-16T19:32:00.005+08:00

perhaps it is some sort of a cosmic joke, but maybe it is fitting that it rains very heavily now. the cloud is dangerously low and grey, and raindrops fall down mercilessly.

the sky is crying.

the sky is crying too.

i lie down on the balcony, curled on my side like a fetus, allowing the rain to drench me. i don't care if the neighbors see me. they might think i am crazy or stupid. they are somewhat right to think so...

because i do feel stupid now.

i feel like the biggest fool in the world.

the others have forgot.

i thought i have too.

then out of nowhere - bamm!

i have not forgetten it at all.

and the foolish thing is, to remember it exactly, every discreet detail, as if it was Day One.

so stupid, when it is so obvious that by now, the others have forgot. they no longer care.

i am the biggest clown in the world, surely.

stupid girl, get a grip!

my hair is soaking wet. the raindrops fall on my forehead, and slowly slide down to the cheek, merging with the warm trail of tears. i've never feel so alone and helpless, not being able to tell another soul, so, somehow it is a comfort that the sky is crying too. the sky and I - we are in this together.

what makes you so sad, sky?

did someone make you cry, sky?

No One Ever Finds Them All

2011-07-27T10:25:00.007+08:00

Happiness is like a crystal,
Fair and exquisite and clear
Broken in a million pieces,
Shattered, scattered far and near.
Now and then along life’s pathway,
Lo! some shining fragments fall;
But there are so many pieces
No one ever finds them all.

You may find a bit of beauty,
Or an honest share of wealth,
While another just beside you
Gathers honor, love or health.
Vain to choose or grasp unduly,
Broken is the perfect ball;
And there are so many pieces
No one ever finds them all.

Yet the wise as on they journey
Treasure every fragment clear,
Fit them as they may together,
Imaging the shattered sphere,
Learning ever to be thankful,
Though their share of it is small;
For it has so many pieces
No one ever finds them all.

- Priscilla Leonard

+ Be thankful of the things and people we have NOW, not about what we'd lost in the past, and not about what we desire for the future.
+ While we envied what others have, there are other people who look at us and thought, "I wish I was her". There will always be things that we want, and there are always things we have that others covet. No one ever finds them all.
+ Life is like a ferris-wheel. We did not stay at the top for too long, neither will we spend time at the bottom forever. If you are at a bad place now, don't despair and give up hope. This shall pass.

Thank you for being there for me. I am grateful for you, and you, and you, and you...

From The Kitchen: Pasta with Cream Sauce

2011-07-25T20:26:00.015+08:00

I've been a bolognese girl through and through, but pasta with cream sauce is surprisingly much easier and less hassle to make (and certainly will be harder to shave off the fat later!)

Ingredients:
Garlic - finely chopped. I used three cloves to cook a portion for one.
Butter - enough to saute the garlic
Cream - the sauce is going to be very creamy, so I usually use just enough cream to coated the pasta, depending on the portion.

Fresh mushroom - sliced

White ground pepper

Grated cheese - I use parmesan. The amount? Up to your level of cheesiness :)
Parsley - chopped
Spring onion - chopped
Chopped chicken/shrimp - cook it separately, simply saute with olive oil.
Spiral pasta

Cooking instruction:
1. Cook the pasta as per the packet's instruction. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a pan, then saute the garlic till browned.
3. Add in the cream. You can thin it with a bit of water or milk, and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add in the mushroom and chopped parsley. Mix well for one minute, then toss in the chicken or shrimp.
5. Add the cheese. Stir until it melt. Season with pepper and salt if needed. Done!
6. Toss in the pasta and serve with sprinkled chopped onion on top.

Apakah...?

2011-07-20T21:09:00.006+08:00

I was delighted when I see the box when I was wandering around the upper floor of KL Sentral. "Oh, how adorable. Book collection!". The box was filled to capacity too.

And then, a closer look...

Old random pages of newspaper. It's not even a whole newspaper, okay - the person actually stuffed only a few pages, mukasurat yang dah koyak-koyak. Harian Metro pulak tu (bukan Metro citer pasal kes bunuh, rompak, rogol je ke?). TISSUE. Brochures. PLASTIC WRAPPER. Buku latihan UPSR and Physics. Advertisements. Ada la satu sinar disebalik kekurang-asaman ini - sebuah buku puisi Sastera Melayu.

Ahahaha, sabar je la. Tong buku jadi tong sampah. "Bangsa Membaca, Bangsa Berjaya" my ass. Sedih, sedih...

The End of Childhood

2011-07-19T09:16:00.001+08:00

When the fifth Harry Potter book came out in 2003, I was one of the crowd lined-up at the stroke of midnight of its published date outside of College Hill Bookstore to be among the first person to get hold of the book. I even put my name down in the store's reservation list a few weeks before to secure a copy. That night, the crowd was sizable, even though I was actually expecting a mad rush of some sort, but it was definitely festive and all smiles all around, as if we were sharing a little happy secret among ourselves. Parents brought out their excited kids, still fresh-faced despite the late hour. The bookstore's staff even wore tall witch hats, and the store was opened way after its normal closing time to cater for these Pottermaniacs.

Needless to say, I started to read as soon as I got home and finished the whole book in one sitting less than 24-hour later, moving around only to shower, eat and pray (it was summer break, so no school, yeay!). Harry Potter series, while lacking the depth and complexity of Narnia and Lord of The Rings, is still as magical and captivating.

That was 2003, and how fast time flies. I have yet to watch the final film (ahahaha, need to watch Part One first! Sape ada DVD?). It will be bittersweet to say goodbye to these kids. We surely had watched them grow.

How adorable and cute were they back then, eh? Macam nak cubit-cubit je pipi tu. Emma is so stylish now. But the most surprising transformation of all is Neville Longbottom, who is definitely one of the most pitiful, awkward character in the story. Ever forgetful, ever bullied, trying as hard as he can to be part of the group. Remember him?

This is him now.

Like, "Yowzaaaa, hotness!". Haha!

First Step

2011-07-17T19:54:00.005+08:00

Ladies and gentleman, pop up the non-alcoholic grape juice, bring out your pom-pom and shower me with a burst of glittering confetti, for I, after so long, after so many excuses, after so many 'buat muka kesian sebab nak tumpang kereta kawan', and barely a few months to go before I freaking turn THIRTY YEARS OLD, yesterday I went here...

... and took that first step in obtaining a driving license.

"About time!!!" - I hear you :)

The Uzbek Troopers

2011-07-13T20:45:00.005+08:00

Interestingly, when three photographers travelled, even when we had five camera bodies and seven lenses between us three, we only had one photo of the three of us together.

Only one group photo... for the whole two weeks of travel.

And the rest of the time, we took pictures of each other taking pictures of other people.

Of the three of us, I was the most amature and less-equipped (one body - D40 je lak tu - and one lense), and I learn so much from these guys, like: waking up super early to catch the perfect sunrise shot (though I am the laziest when it came to this. I ended up asking them to just go, and met me for breakfast later), hunting for the perfect spot for sunset shot and waiting patiently in the chill of the dusk, chasing after a perfect subject, or just sitting idly at one spot to wait for the perfect subject to wander into our frame. It helps also that the Uzbek people that we encounter were rather sporting. They posed for us, or if they don't want to be photographed candidly, they simple turned their head or covered it with their hands, which will be our cue to lower down our lenses off their face. At least tak de aaa kena kejar or marah, heheh.

Not Even 10%

2011-07-07T08:12:00.001+08:00

I had only recently caught up with writing my travelogue for Turkey and Uzbekistan – so many stuff to write about, but so hard to put things in words – and yet today, I am off to Cambodia, adding another backlog to the long list of to-be-written experiences. Wuhuuu! Tak sabar nak posing macam Angelina Jolie dalam cerita Tomb Raider di Angkor Thom, ahaks.

If my count is right, Cambodia is the fifteenth country I’ve ever been too. I already have a plan to visit two more countries by the end of the year, which means 17 down, 178 more countries to go!

(So many places yet to see, so many places to be)

See you guys soon!

Travelogue Uzbekistan: Tashkent

2011-06-30T23:50:00.011+08:00

In 2009, Tashkent celebrated it’s 2200th anniversary. Just imagine 2200 candles on a birthday cake! Can you even comprehend the depth and wealth of the history of a city with such an extensive existence? Well, it turns out, a lot of prominent cities in Uzbekistan could make the same claim, boasting such an ancient lineage. The country was a part of the old Silk Road, the 6437-km trade route that connected China to Europe as early as 200 B.C, so scattered around Uzbekistan were towns and cities that became important trading points, and in time, evolved into significant scientific, cultural and knowledge centers as well. Conquerors came and go, molding the nation and leaving their marks. Of the many countries I've been to, Uzbekistan is on top of the list of countries with the most fascinating history, from its ancient beginning down to being part of the Soviet Union decades ago.

What struck me most about modern Tashkent is how clean the city is. Like, very, very clean, Singapore-ish clean. Streets are lined with trees, and parks are abundant, providing a shady respite for people lunching outdoor. It does remind me of the romantic, lush boulevard of Paris, against a backdrop of 1960's boxy, streamlined architecture. Most of the signage are still in Russian, one of the remain of its Soviet past.

You won’t see many tourists here though – the reason being that most tourists will be whisked away to other more touristy cities as soon as they arrived in Tashkent. Truth be told, compared to Khiva, Bukhara or Samarkand, there’s not much interesting, culturally rich thing to do here. It is just another busy, bustling city. It’s like when foreigners ask me what’s great in KL – mmm, tall buildings, shopping malls, so-so museums and zoo, all the things you could easily find in your own hometown? “Why don’t you go to Malacca, Pulau Perhentian, Penang or Borneo instead?”, I would’ve suggest.

We also read so much about the police and photography restriction that we barely took out our camera. For three photography enthusiasts, that pretty much killed the mood. When we were in Samarkand a few days later, we met with a fellow traveler from Israel who claimed "When I arrived in Tashkent, I thought I make a big mistake of coming to Uzbekistan. There's nothing to do there".

But fret not. If you are stuck here for one or two days, there’s still plenty to do:

1. Chorsu Bazaar
It is a sprawling, multi-complex market that sells everything under the sun. Fresh produce of vegetables and fruits were abound, and same goes for all kind of nuts and dried fruits and spices. Great photo op and people watching. There will be some men who will walk past you and whispering an offer for money exchange. The ‘black market’ rate offered by these guys are much better than what you’ll get from the bank, but do so at your own peril. It is illegal.

The pretty lattice-like dome of the Chorsu Bazaar. The stalls were arranged in circles.

There were also sellers outside, selling fruits and vegetables in a small basin. The moment they saw the police, they scatterred away.

Nom-seller. Nom is THE bread in Uzbekistan - you eat it for breaksfast, lunch and dinner. Each region has it's own unique-looking nom.

2. Metro stations
Surprisingly, the best part of Tashkent is its metro stations. I was flabbergasted. Each of them is uniquely, beautifully designed – a work of art of its own. One even reminded me of a set from Harry Potter - with lines of decorative grey columns along the platform. Unfortunately, no photograph is allowed (and don’t even try to snap one secretly! Plenty of polices monitored the stations) so I could not show you how impressive they are. If you have the time, bought a ticket and hop on the metro from one end to the other and enjoy the beautiful design from the platform. Be prepared for the police to check your bags and passports upon entering.

3. Amir Timur museum
It is a small museum, very unassuming from the outside, but quite impressive in the inside. The moment you walked in, you'll find yourself under a huge, beautifully gilded high dome with a huge chandelier dangling down, surrounded by high murals on the walls depicting the life of Amir Timur (also known as Tamelane), the nation hero who founded the great Timurid dynasty (and his descendant later established the Mughal dynasty in India) and whose military conquest comparable to Alexander the Great and Gengis Khan. Get someone to explain the significance of the murals and the exhibitions inside to better appreciate what you are looking at – otherwise, it is quite a bore. I could still remember bits and pieces of what my professor taught me on the history of art and architecture of this region, so to me personally, it was just nice to put things in perspective. Our guide did a good job too telling stories and history, so we rather enjoyed the trip to this museum.

My friends were swarmed with schoolchildren, asking for autograph (???), posing for photo or were just trying to converse in English.

4. Khast-Imam Square
Perhaps the highlight of our short excursion in Tashkent, though if you came here after you've been to Khiva and Samarkand, the place paled in comparison. It is a complex of buildings consisted of a mosque, madrasah and mausoleum. In here was kept the Qur’an of Khalifah Uthman. Stained with his blood, the Quran was brought into the country centuries ago by Amir Timur. It was then seized by the Russians and taken as a war trophy to Saint Petersburg, but was later returned to Uzbekistan. The small cells of the madrasah had been turned into artisan workshop and souvenir shops. When we were there, school was just out and it was about time for the Friday prayer, so we got a lot of shots of schoolchildren and people convening for the prayer.

This sweet old man was being led to the mosque by the young fella. He came towards us, shook hand with my friends, and gave me some raisins. So random, but so sweet of him.

I was rather amused that the school kids carried rather grown-up looking handbag to school. I saw this trend everywhere I went.

Our travel agent. She was so nice to even act as our tour guide.

Travelogue Uzbekistan: The Faces (I)

2011-06-27T20:53:00.014+08:00

Death By Cutie

2011-06-19T21:01:00.002+08:00

I am dying from too much cuteness. This is way too adorable!

From The Web: Favorite Book-Turned-Movie, Favorite Song, and Some Ridiculously Pricey Stuff

2011-06-15T22:50:00.009+08:00

1. "One Day" movie trailer is out. Anne's English accent could have been more believable, but overall, their looks are exactly how I pictured them would be. Jim Sturgess is kind of hot, hehe. What do you think, Rina? :) ~~ off to re-read the book~~

2. It is kind of yucky, but cute-sy creative too. At least it is more interesting to look at, no? Read: An English artist paints on discarded chewing gum (NYTimes).

3. This T-shirt cost USD 1,025, and that's a discounted price. Holy broccoli. I could have make one myself - just give me a scissors.

4. There's a version of "Jet Lag" in French! It is such an adorable song to begin with, but you know anything sounds so much better in French! Roties et de jus! Poulet roti!

5. These luxury gadgets - diamond-encrusted iPhone (a freaking, whopping USD 8 million), Swarovski-crystallized flat iron (a mere USD 850) or vacuum cleaner (USD 23,000) - are just insane, but if I have the money, I seriously could not resist buying that Stuart Hughes's iPad 2 Gold History Edition. An iPad with the frame made out of gold and a "75 million-year old Ammolite with sections from a 65 million-year old T-Rex thigh bone splintered and shaved into the stone". T-Rex! Who could say no to THE T-Rex! (It can be yours for USD 8 million). Read: The world's obscene luxury gadgets (MSNBC).

Travelogue Uzbekistan: The Long Train Ride to Urgench

2011-06-14T00:58:00.050+08:00

Amu Darya River. The origin is the high mountain of Pamir. By the time it arrived in Uzbekistan, it has transformed into a wide, lazy river.

I entered the compartment with a slight hesitation, masked with a huge smile. Four sets of eyes, belonging to complete strangers, stared at me. I’d never felt so odd and awkward.

After a quick salam, I dumped my bags on the top bunk where I was assigned, and sat down on the bed/seater below. I kept smiling till my jaw hurt.

I was boarding the train at Tashkent, heading to Urgench. Though I was travelling with two other friends, by sheer lack of luck, the two of them were assigned the same sleeper compartment, and I was bumped to next door, sharing with total strangers.

I love train ride more than anything. Except for the disgusting toilet (which seems to be a pre-requisite for any train, no matter how old or modern it is), there are some romantic notions attached to train rides. Lulled to sleep to the sound of the train slowly chugging forward, stopping in between stations, the contractors coming and going checking the tickets and announcing stops, food vendors selling simple dish, and travelling through an unfamiliar landscape - it was much different than car or plane travel.

My bunk bed.

However, my trepidation came due to how small the compartment was, and the fact that it was going to be a thirteen-hours ride. The compartment consisted of two sets of bunk sleepers (two on top, two at the bottom), with an aisle so narrow that two persons sitting across each other will be touching knees. There was no privacy at all. You either struck a conversation with your fellow compartment-mates, or become a total recluse by pretending as if you are invisible, which was very hard to do when everyone's aware of every single move you make - even the sound of opening a candy bar seemed to multiply ten-fold. It was too early to sleep too - we had at least three more hours before sunset.

Anvar Beyg

Bibi Sulfiya

I smiled at the little boy next to me, who peeked shyly at me from her mom’s lap. His name was Anvar Beyg, I later discovered, about 4-5 years old. His sister, Bibi Sulfiya, a year or two older than him, was seating next to their dad on the seater across us. Besides them was a lanky and tall middle-aged man. When he smiled, I spotted two golden teeth.

“Too-rist?”, the dad asked. “Ha”, I replied. Yes, in Uzbek.

I thought that was the end of our conversation. I didn’t speak Russian or Uzbek, and they did not appear to be conversant in English. Little that I know I was about to receive a lesson in Uzbekistan hospitality.

The moment the train moved, the mother brought out a heap of bread, fresh vegetables, cheese and meat. The father brought in hot water and prepared some chai, or tea. They offered me a chunk of bread, sliced tomatoes and cheese, and then offered me more and more and more - I felt so stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey. (Later I found out that my friends were deeply worried that I went to bed without anything to eat, since the food that we bought earlier was all with them. Little that they know I was having a feast next door!)

Fast forward two hours later, I was declining for the fifth time an offer for a glass of vodka. Out of hospitality, every time the men poured a drink, they offered a glass to me (though I noticed never once did they offer to the wife, nor did she pour one herself. I did read that in some countries drinking in public is a very male thing). I politely declined every time, saying that I am a Muslim but this is a country where even the Muslims drink alcohol freely, so my effort went nowhere. They would cheekily offer it again, winking as if to say ‘No one will know’. I responded by signaling that someone above – God – will be angry with me.

Ah, signaling, and a lot of weird hand gesture. It always fascinated me how two people can converse without a common language. It was trying, having to make conversation without knowing any single word, but somehow we made it work. What started with the usual – name, place of origin, my next destination – steadily progressed into our worklife, the childrens’ name, our family, our hometown and one topic that never failed to crop up no matter how many thousands miles away from home I was travelling - my marriage status. Part of the conversation went like this:

He touched his two index fingers together, then pointed at me.
Translation: Are you married?
I showed him my ring finger. No ring.
Translation: Nope, still single.
He pointed to next door, my friends’ compartment, and again touched his two index fingers together.
Translation: They are not your husband?
I just laughed, which means “What nonsense” and shook my head, while putting my right palm on the left one, and wrapped the fingers around, much like a nasyid singer did.
That gesture translated to: Just friends.
He then said “Urgench” which was our destination and his hometown, pointed at me, put his index fingers together and said “Husband”. “You should find a husband in Urgench”. The he laughed really loud, perhaps from the alcohol, or from the sheer hilarity of his idea.

(I find it hilarious, because I was the one teaching the word ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ to them barely a few minutes earlier, along with ‘father’, ‘mother’, ‘daughter’ and ‘son’, by pointing to each of his family members. See how useful our little English lesson was?)

Good Morning!

I did not get to read the book I brought as planned, because every waking moment was spent eating, drinking tea and ‘conversing’ with my super-friendly compartment-mates. I felt tired eventually and longingly thought of laying on my bunk bed above with my iPod on, but was too polite to ditch the party. So I stayed on until everyone decided to go to bed, only to wake up the next day and started the festivity all over again. This was seriously my most jovial train ride ever. Even Anvar and Sulfiya overcame their shyness and posed for my camera, and allowed me to play with them at the corridor.

Cubit Perut Kang....

2011-06-09T11:27:00.007+08:00

"Pada 12/05/2011 jam lebih kurang 1610 hrs semasa berada di alamat di atas saya terima beberapa mesej dari penama XXXX di lama web Facebook yang menggugut saya mengatakan aku jumpa hang aku cubit perut hang dan menyuruh saya melaporkan pada pihak polis. Tujuan saya buat repot adalah kerama saya bimbang akan keselamatan saya dan untuk perlindungan diri saya. Sekian report saya"

Cubit perut?
(gelak guling-guling)

Aduhai, patut aa polis tak de masa nak tangkap acid splasher, kalau kena layan report macam nih. Dah aaa kena bayar RM2 untuk buat report - baik beli nasi lemak.

A Villainous Night

2011-06-08T00:05:00.008+08:00

Last weekend, besides celebrating the birthday of our Agong (Daulat Tuanku!), my friends and I celebrated the third birthday of our KOMA group. This time we wanted it to be all out - a weekend away from KL and a dinner costume party!

We initially wanted to have a manga/anime theme, but apparently, it was very hard to find the costumes even around KL and almost all female anime characters wore such a revealing costume – short-short skirts, low cut tops and high cut slits.

Macam mana nak memuslimahkan gaya Sailor Moon ini? Hmmm....

Barely two weeks before the event, we changed the theme to Anti-Hero Night and asked everyone to dress up as a villain. It was a great decision, since we had a wider range of characters to choose from and it was a lot more easier to find costumes at the rental shops with this new theme.

Our KOMA resident artist designed the promotional poster.

I however, decided not too wear something too costume-y and look for a villain that wears something so ordinary, and yet can be identified by people, and if possible, at a low cost (tengah miskin nih, hohoh). If I could conjure something out of stuff I already own at home, even better.

My first option:

Nyonya Mansur – the ultimate villain in P. Ramlee movies. "Kassim Selamat? Siapa dia Kassim Selamat? Lawyer? Magistrate? .... Ahli muzik? Pantang datuk nenek aku ahli muzik!". I already have plenty of kebaya, I wear glasses. But if I were to wear tudung, nobody will have any idea what character I was supposed to portray (dah jadik macam baju pakai gi office je la kan), because I think the sanggul is an important part on the whole appearance. So, scratch this.

My second option is the one that I am most excited about:

Sue Sylvester!

I don’t think many people will thought of such a modern and current idea (I bet a lot will go as witches, vampires and pirates) which means that people will think I am pretty genius and original were I to come up as Sue. Hmmph, perasan gila. Anyway, her Adidas tracksuit is so ordinary and simple and perfectly reusable for my running. Just add a whistle and a hailer - you'll be the coolest villain in town. Except that it is freaking expensive – the jacket alone is RM 270, and the trackbottom is RM 199. Ughhh.. who spent that much on running suit? Will I run faster in such an expensive attire? Nak gi Bukit Kayu Hitam tak sempat la pulak.. hahaha. After multiple visits to several Adidas store around KL, I just give up. Scratch this.

So I ended up going as... a Slytherin house member, from Harry Potter.

My secret super-power is killing people with my super-kawaii smile and twin dimples!

The only thing that I bought was the white, collared shirt for RM 9.90. I used my graduation robe (finally, it has some use!), borrowed a friend’s tie and printed the Slytherin logo. Easy breezy.

Hahaha, kesian si kecik ni kena conteng muka

Okay, my costume is the lamest of all ('Ko jadik lawyer ke?'), hahah, I cannot believe that everyone who attended actually put such an effort to dress up to the theme. We got a few witches and pirates and vampires, the bad black Spiderman, Darth Vader and young Anakin Skywalker, a scary Clown, Chucky and even Hantu Kak Limah (or ABANG Limah???). Some even sewed their own costume, and their children’s costume. Respect aaaa… sampai tak tidur malam tu. Sungguh sporting. You guys are just awesome.

We ended up having a blast of a night, filled with so much laughter. Hopefully people enjoyed the things we lined up for the night (and playing at the waterpark the next morning), even though we ended up running out of time, everything was such a rush, I did not even get a chance to catch up with some of them who came so far away. And we definitely missed a lot of people! Wish you guys were there!

(some picture credit goes to Aiman. Thanks!)

Girlie Weekend

2011-06-06T22:37:00.010+08:00

Phewww, almost a month with no update. I ran out of my internet quota well before the deadline, so I ended up spending some quiet nights reading (and catching up with my many, many unread books), instead of blog-hopping-blog-updating as usual. And I do have a life, people, and the last few weeks I've been out and around spending quality time with some friends.

One weekend, I went for a hike with two girlfriends at Bukit Tabur. It was my third time there, and this third time was the charm. It was absolutely my favorite trip. The scenery was the most beautiful that morning, I had a good company, and though we were hiking at our own sweet pace, we still ended up arriving at the trail's end way quicker than my last two trips (because we did not stop much, and there were only three of us this time around).

The the next day, it was another girlie-get-together as we celebrate a baby shower for Anis, a schoolmate of mine. I am in love with Ifi's kitchen, and Syu brought the most kick-ass brownie ever (cik, mana resepi?). It was a 'loud' gathering as per usual - hehe, the husbands are used to these 'loudspeakers' by now, I think. Siap boleh keluar cerita pasal Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya lagi, hahaha... Of course, nowadays, whenever we had a mini reunion, it is not just us. Seems like with each gathering, we added up a new baby or a new spouse. How life has changed, even though I feel very much like a schoolgirl still :)

My handmade card for the mom-to-be.

Marvelling at the magical cloth diaper.

Hana figuring out the baby harness while Bolo played nanny.

3 moms, one mom-to-be, one bride-to-be, five happy aunties.

Book Addict

2011-05-10T21:47:00.015+08:00

I met up with a friend for an early dinner after work last week, and we talked amongst others, about books, of which I mentioned I still have about 50 books unread at home. He said I am probably addicted to buying books, and not as much of actually reading them.

I said, "Hell, no".

"So why don't you finish whatever books you already have, before you buy anything new?"

OK, I'll do that.

Of course, right after that dinner, I went into Kinokuniya (just because the restaurant was just next to it, NOT really because I need to buy any books), and OMG, I actually squealed when I saw Rick Riordan's "The Throne of Fire" on display, which is the second book in The Kanes Chronicle. I’ve been waiting for this book for months. I did not exactly gave the series’ first book, "The Red Pyramid", a glowing review, but I loved Rick Riordan and his Percy Jackson series, so I keep my hope alive for this.

But I remembered what my friend said, and after 30 minutes wandering around with the book in hand, I resolved, "This can wait. I should finish at least ten books before I buy this one". With a heavy heart, I put the book down.

So over the weekend, I stayed home and finished off three books (even putting "Secret Garden" drama on hold. Wait for me HB!), but by Monday, my resolution crumbled, and yesterday I came out of Kinokuniya with four new books, including "The Throne of Fire". Hehehe.

Oh yeah. The math definitely does not add up. Read three, buy four. At this rate, the list of my unread books will never decrease.

(BUT, at least I spent the money on books, which is much better than spending it on shoes. See, my shoe collection is not that much…)

So, a quick review of the books I read:

Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” (Autobiography) – hilariously awesome. If you are a fan of her work in SNL, Mean Girls and 30 Rock, or you just have a huge girl-crush on Tina Fey, you definitely have to read this funny book. I laughed from start to end. My only regret is that it is too short.

Emily Griffin’s “Something Borrowed” (Chick-Lit) – It’s a thin line between love and friendship, the book tagline said. The book is about a girl who falls for her best friend’s fiancé (and horror, horror – she was supposed to be the maid of honor at their wedding too), and once and for all, has to decide which is more important: love or friendship? Will she sacrifice her years of relationship with her best friend to chase the love of her life? I was like, duhhhhh, I don’t need to read this to know how it will end. Of course la she will choose love over her friend. Doesn’t love trump all? Doesn't it? Doesn't it?!!

(And yeah, I was correct. The story turned out exactly that way. Hihihi, take yah beli la buku ini. Simpan duit tu, belanja I kat Chilli's, okay?)

Rachel Hawkins’ “Hex Hall” (Young Adult) – Rachel is now my new favorite author. Love, love, love this book, about a teenage witch sentenced to a special school for supernatural beings (witches, shapeshifters and faeries) to learn to control her power - complete with humor, love interest (I’m giddy thinking of Archer and Cal, hoho) and teenage angst. Kick ass! It reminds me of that awesome goodness feeling of reading Percy Jackson. “Hex Hall” is the first book from a trilogy I can described as a cross between Harry Potter and Twilight (heh, bukan pernah baca Twilight pun. Pandai je), but lighter, funnier and wittier – I can’t wait for the other two to come out.

(The second book, “Demonglass”, is very recently published, but so far, there’s only the hardcover version in Kinokuniya. Sooooo expensive. Anyone’s up for a very advance birthday present? Like seven months advance? No?)

Hyun Bin Oppa, Help!!!

2011-05-04T21:55:00.013+08:00

I chanced upon this when I was updating myself with the latest Malaysian gossip at the Beautiful Nara website, and I do not know whether I want to laugh or cry.

People, presenting the first Malaysian K-Pop group, 24:7.

I was like: WHAT THE HELL...???

Sure. The girls are a little bit unreasonable when it comes to Korean entertainment. Be it our obsession for the superhot actor in popular series like Secret Garden (Hyun Bin = mad love!!!! Siapa tak tengok citer ni lagi, sila la tengok. Memang cerita Korea terhebat abad ini) whose character becomes our idea of the perfect boyfriend *sigh, dream, dream*. I listen sometimes to Super Junior and Big Bang, eventhough it didn't make sense to me why they need a dozen people in a group (and yet, only one or two out of twelve actually sing), or why they wear too much eyeliner, or why they like to take their shirt off or why some of the boys are a lot more beautiful than me or that I often laughed when they sing in English.

But they are Korean. They sing in their native tongue. Everything that is cute and adorable is because they are Korean. You can't dressed Ali, Ahmad or Supardi with tight leather pants and vest, tunjuk-tunjuk dada macam tu, and call them K-Pop artist and expect that we didn't know any different and will fall for you and call you, "Oppa! Oppa!". Ugh. Geli akak.

Oh, comelnyaaaaaa!!! Oppa!! Oppa!!

Man..where should I start? This is wrong at so many level, I have to stare at Hyun Bin's photo for 74 minutes and 36 seconds to remind myself that K-Pop, the real one, is really something beautiful.

Why called themselves K-Pop? Are they going to sing in Korean? Kalau betul, memang hebatlah artis Malaysia. Multilingual gitu: Itulah pentingnya English education! Or were they musically trained in South Korea, or something? Atau K-Pop actually stands for Kari-Pop?

Heheh, x sabar lak nak tunggu single diaorang. Mungkin suara diorang betul-betul sedap kott. Menari pun agaknya kalah Super Junior.

p/s: Malay guys are the cutest and most adorable when wearing baju melayu lengkap. Uh, terbaik. Memang cair hati melihat. Tak percaya? Cuba tanya awek-awek kat luar tu. No need to copy-copy how other people dressed up lohhh..

Love In Black And White

2011-05-03T21:35:00.008+08:00

If I ever forget
How lucky I am,
Remind me of you.

If I ever feel loveless,
And unfortunate,
Remind me of you.

If I’d lost something important,
Something irreplaceable,
Remind me that I still have you.

When the world is dark,
And life becomes so cruel,
Be my sunshine,
My voice of reason,
And I’ll count my blessing
That I have you.

-F.K, May 2011-

On Hiatus

2011-04-13T10:19:00.003+08:00

A new adventure.
It starts tonight.
Wait for me - I shall be back!

The First Encounter

2011-04-12T22:43:00.012+08:00

Toledo, Spain. 2004

I thought I saw you among the crowd bustling their way into the subway today, and my heart just dropped. It felt as if an invisible abyss suddenly opened beneath my feet, engulfing me into the darkness, turning the chaotic station into complete stillness. An eerie silence replaced the screeching sound of the halting train and the voices of chatting passengers. Even the crackled voice from the PA system went mute.

I stood paralyzed on the crowded platform, my eyes fixed on you. Only from far, and only from the back, but I would have recognized that blue cashmere sweater anywhere – it was my gift for your 27th birthday. How perfectly it matched the colour of your eyes. Even from behind, I knew too well your close-cropped hair, your built, your height... I could even smell your cologne.

Then the train’s door closed, and safely inside it, you turned. Our eyes briefly met – and just like that, with a snap, I realized it was the eyes of a stranger. He was not you.

I sighed with relief. He was not you.

I’ve been envisioning and replaying in my head over and over again of this very occasion: our first encounter after the breakup. In my mind, when we finally bumped into each other, at that particular moment, it would be so happened that I was laughing gaily in the arms of a new beau, wearing my prettiest dress, looking my best and happiest. We would say hi to each other, and I would introduce you to him. I would have told you about our recent vacation to Hawaii, and that he is going to meet my parents for the first time next Christmas.

And boy, seeing me that happy and pretty, I imagined you’ll be reminded of that very girl you first fall in love with, once upon a time, a long, long time ago. The one you promised to spend the rest of your life with, until you made the same promise to another girl. You will almost feel sorry for walking away from me. You’ll start to wonder what could have been of us. Yes, you will definitely feel sorry.

My dear, everything is okay now. I was hurt, but as time passed, all is forgiven, for I’d move on, and life without you has been just great. You no longer hold any meaning in my life - just an insignificant blip from my younger past. Another felt absence.

(Oh, how I wished that was the truth)

As the train moved away, leaving me behind to collect myself as my heart started to thump wildly. The whole drama lasted for a mere thirty seconds, but it hit me with a cold realization: I am still living under your shadows. Always afraid and unsure, nervously looking if you were around in close proximity.

I hate it. Hate it that you still hold such power over me. After so long, and despite what you've done – making a fool out of my devotion to you, betrayed my undying trust – I was still, stupidly, haunted by you. Just a glimpse of you, or someone who happened to look a lot like you, and my mind went blank. Words that I carefully strung together in my head vanished. People walked by me - they pushed me aside as they rushed their way to the platforms - but all I see was the vision of a guy I am still painfully in love with. There was no new beau I am holding arms with. Far from looking pretty and happy, I was in my miserable old coat, holding my miserable Chinese take outs, leaving my miserable office late at night because I had no one to return home to, no one to be with. All of it made me realized I was not ready for the so-called first encounter.

But will I ever? If we were to meet, what would you say to me? Will there be awkward hugs and uncomfortable hello? Will you notice the traces of sadness in my eyes? Could you see beyond my pretense that I’m pathetically, silently longing for you? Or will you just walked pass by, pretending not to notice me at all?

A friend once told me, ‘You can never stop loving someone; you just learn to live without them". I guess I am still struggling through my first lesson.

Travelogue Turkey: Up In The Sky of Cappadocia

2011-04-10T22:53:00.013+08:00

(I am having too much free time while on stand-by mode at the office, on a weekend. Hence, I’m finally catching up with writing old travel stuff.)

Have you ever look up to the sky, and wonder how does it feel to look down? We, the earthlings, long and sing for the stars and the moon, our idea of the unattainable. If we were to live in the sky, forever floating, will we look down to the earth, and long for something? And what would that something be? What would be the idea of the unattainable for something so securely grounded?

____________________

The sun was rising, barely peaking behind the hills. Goreme in Cappadocia under the sunrise was rather romantic, with a touch of pink and gold reflected by the towering formation around us. It was breathtaking. Wonder no more, boys - I can vouch for it now: proposing to your love one while floating a few hundreds feet above the ground, with a gorgeous background as far as the eyes can see, is not such a bad idea.

Not for me, kot. I probably will accidently toss out the ring out of sheer excitement, and upon realizing that, will then jump AFTER the ring (Tiffany ring kan, abang Nuar, kan, kan?)

It was an expensive idea though. 10% of my whole trip budget went to this 45-minutes ride. That 10% could have cover a few days of hostel stays and meals. I’d never been so extravagant while backpacking, but what the heck. It is a once in a lifetime thing. The good thing of working for your own pocket money is that you can spend it anyway you want!

We woke up super early to catch the sunrise hot air balloon tour. You’ll have to book at least a day early, and the cost usually covers the return ground transport to/from your hotel to the balloon launch site. It also depends on the weather and wind – the trip will be cancelled if the weather is bad, so if you really, really want to do this, you’ll have to stay a few days here to ensure you can catch one good flight day.

While the balloons were being puffed up with hot air, we were served with a light breakfast. I took a cup of coffee and a piece of plain bread, and there after, were busy clicking my camera away, in awe of the whole process of inflating a hot air balloon. It was like witnessing the rise of a giant.

After a safety briefing (“We might tip over during landing, so prepare to brace” – gosh!), a dozen or so people fit into one balloon and off we went. Then as soon as I realized my life was hanging on a steel cable attached to a basket, I said my prayer.

It was a serene flight. Thank god, no turbulence of any kind occurred – I’d probably scream like a mad woman. At times we flew so low the bottom of the basket was grazing the top of the trees. Once in a while, we went way up that we could see the top of other balloons, and the canyon below looked more like a tiny crack instead of a wide crevasse. The geology of the Cappadocia was simply breathtaking, which makes it such a perfect place to be viewed from above. Being a geologist, I could not help but to observe the rocks and geological stuff below. Nerd, but man, I would love to fly over Grand Canyon in one of these balloons – must be super awesome!

Would I recommend it to everyone? Considering the price (I paid RM 700 for less than an hour ride – hohoho. You can backpack in India for a whole week with this much money), it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. I did it as a once in a lifetime’s thing. But the view was breathtaking and the experience was priceless – in the end, worth the money.

Book Review: Born to Run

2011-04-08T21:57:00.008+08:00

For many years, "To Kill a Mockingbird" had been my favorite book, like, ever. Late last year, I read a book so freaking-ly unbelievable amazing, it pretty much knocked "Mockingbird" to spot number two.
People, the book is "Born To Run" by Christopher McDougall.

If today was the last day of your life, the last book you should read is this book.
If the civilization were to end tomorrow, you should read the book.
If by tomorrow dusk, all printed matters - newspaper, book, magazine - will cease to exist, you should read this book before it is too late.

(yeah, that was too dramatic)
(but that's how much I love, love, love this book)

It is the kind of book that moved and inspired and amazed you.
It is the kind of book you don't want to end.
It is the kind of book that when it does end, you do not know how to continue on living (eh, over nye).

I don't want to spoil the fun.
You should have the privilege to discover how awesome it is by yourself.

Side effect 1: you will probably have a big urge to put on your running shoes and go for a run after reading this book, even if you never run a kilometer in your life.

Side effect 2: you will probably cry, a few times, while reading this book. Eeheh, I did. But then, maybe because I am a cry-baby.

(Okay, it is not a book review if I don't at least give a short summary and why I love the book.)

The author tracked down the greatest distance runners in the world, members of a reclusive tribe living in the middle of a dangerous canyon in Mexico. The Tarahumara Indians purportedly can run for hundred of miles without rest, and they run barefoot. Like, what?! Gaining their trust, the author then arranged for a race by pitting the primitive athletes against the world best modern long distance-runner. Who will win the race?

The parts I love about the book is not only the engaging narrative of the author’s effort to seek the secret of being a superathlete from the hidden tribe which will thrill the imagination of runners and non-runners alike, or ultimately the epic race between the Tarahumara and a group of modern runners, but introduced in between the narratives are stories of some of the most inspiring athletes and thrilling races that had me jumping with joy and simply becoming amazed with the sheer tenacity of human strength and determination, and intriguing scientific studies on runners, running technique and modern equipment (and why we didn’t really need some of them).

The Cobra That Tweets

2011-04-06T21:11:00.005+08:00

Hehe, anyone here a fan of the Bronx Zoo's Cobra?

For those in the dark, here's the short story. Last Sunday, a cobra went missing from it's enclosure at the Bronx Zoo. The next day, a Twitter account by @BronxZoosCobra started to detail an adventure of the cobra slithering through New York City, along the way tweeting:

"Donald Trump is thinking about running for president?! Don't worry, I'll handle this. Where is Trump Tower exactly?"

"Holding very still in the snake exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. This is gonna be hilarious!"

"I want to thank those animals from the movie Madagascar. They were a real inspiration."

The actual person tweeting as the cobra remains as a mystery until today, but the cobra had even hijacked Ryan Seacrest's website and Twitter account for a few hours. The whole thing was strangely rather humorous. I could not even explain why - what's so funny about an animal that tweets?! I don't know! I don't have a Twitter account and never follow anyone's tweet, but for the first time ever I found myself checking the updates a few times daily, so it must meant something, haha. The cobra and the Twitter account received extensive coverage from numerous big media - that was how I first got to know about it, through Google News - and the followers keep hopping on the train, including real celebrities like Steve Martin, Ellen, and Mayor Bloomberg himself. As of today, the cobra that tweets has 237,851 followers. Fasha Sandha pun ada 76,256 followers je, okay.

It turns out the cobra had not escaped at all. A few days later it was found hiding in a secluded corner of the zoo. I was disheartened when I read the news, expecting that the tweets will cease since the whole idea was based on a snake enjoying its escape in the town - yeah, to that extent! Goodness, I need to get a life - but great enough, the tweets continued on and remained as entertaining as ever. As the cobra has become some sort of a celebrity, the zoo decided to run an online voting to name the cobra. The cobra strikes back by launching its own contest - to rename Bronx Zoo. Hah!

My Heart, It Sings In Your Presence

2011-04-05T10:34:00.002+08:00

My heart - it sings in your presence,
It beats to the rhythm of your name
bursting with joy: wild and untame.

Just a flicker of your smile, and oh,
the heart soars beyond the moon,
Among the stars, it swings and dances,
gleaming like a heavenly bloom.

The elation too much to contain,
Joy springs forth just by a single mention of your name,
Oh, the least the heart enthused the better,
Were sorrow to follow an unrequited flame.

I willed for it to be still, the little heart,
For it may lost what it never had,
So, I bid it to sing in silence,
In muted adoration of you, from a distance apart.

i carry your heart with me

2011-04-03T10:37:00.010+08:00

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

- by Edward Estlin Cummings

The Perfect Christmas Tree

2011-03-30T16:12:00.014+08:00

I recently managed to retrieve the data from my very first laptop, the one I bought as a student in the States, which promptly died upon my return here. Pretty much everything that I created during my study was there - pictures of my vacation and field trip, music collection, my old blog entries, my college essays and homework. These had been lost for the past five years, as I did not make any backup. I had lost hope to actually see any of them again, so I was extremely happy when I finally managed to take out the memory and convert it into an external drive by myself, and that it works! Oh, it was like meeting an old, close friend. So many memories!

The damage done to my laptop. It was so old that the screws pretty much welded themselves to the body. I had to forcefully pried the memory out.

Among the treasure found were pictures taken during Thanksgiving. A friend from Brown brought me home to spend the festive season with her family, and since Christmas was only a few days away, we went out for Christmas tree hunting. I was in awe pretty much the whole process, since that was the first (and only time, so far!) I actually be in the midst of Christmas preparation. We all piled up, nicely bundled in our warm jackets, into the family's car and drove our way to a farm. It was a beautiful place of rolling hills dotted with Christmas trees - though I had no idea what type of trees they are.

Basically you just walked around the farm to choose your tree. There are several type of trees and different sizes to choose from. Once you find your perfect tree, you cut it down yourself with a handsaw. This part was not fun - hahaha. It was cold, and trying to saw a hard tree trunk using a tiny handsaw with a thickly gloved hand: it got pretty hard.

I just love this picture perfect farm house.

The search for the perfect tree began!

Getting down and dirty to saw down the tree.

Hasil tangkapan. Such a cute tree! Just like the girl next to it, eh?

We paid for the tree, hauled it on top of the car, tied it over the roof and drove back home. That night, my friend's mom brought out boxes filled with Christmas light and decorations and I helped them to decorate the trees. Some of the decorations had their own stories and histories - handmade by the kids, a gift from the family, and so on - and they reminisced over the stories as we hanged up the decorations one by one. The living room was lightly perfumed by the sweet, fresh smell of the tree, and with candlelight flickering at the window, I could see how the whole moment is a cherished family time, much like when we are preparing for our Raya.

Book Review: The Lover's Dictionary

2011-03-22T12:17:00.009+08:00

basis, n.

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you're in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn't pass, that's it - you're done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it's even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover's face.

Ah, that tumultuous tempest of being in love. Or out of love. The book is not saccharine sweet; instead, it has that intimate, beautiful – sometimes brutal - honesty that every relationship endures. Nicely capturing the ups and down, the exquisiteness and agony of falling in love, the book was set up as a dictionary entry, each word is defined via the experience of an unnamed protagonist. Much like a dictionary, I did not read this book from page One to the next in orderly fashion. Rather, I picked up a random page, and hopped my way through, going back and forth, at my own leisure. Instead of being constructed as a fully-developed novel, this book is a snippet, almost like a book of quotes (at times I do feel robbed because there is only one line on one whole page! I like my pages bursting with words). I love the poetic nuance of the writing and find the book fascinating and enduring, one that will cause a person to pause and reflect, about life and love.

Sample of the entries:

corrode, v.
I spent all this time building a relationship. Then one night I left the window open, and it started to rust.

dumbfounded, adj.
And still, for all the jealousy, all the doubt, sometimes I will be struck with a kind of awe that we’re together. That someone like me could find someone like you - it renders me wordless. Because surely words would conspire against such luck, would protest the unlikelihood of such a turn of events.

stanchion, n.
I don’t want to be the strong one, but I don’t want to be the weak one, either. Why does it feel like it’s always one or the other? When we embrace, one of us is always holding the other a little tighter.

misgivings, n.
Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us.
"There are things I miss," you said. "But if I didn't have you, I'd miss more."

abyss, n.
There are times when I doubt everything. When I regret everything you’ve taken from me, everything I’ve given you, and the waste of all the time I’ve spent on us.

antiperspirant, adj.
“There is no common sense in smelling like baking powder,” I said.

“Baking soda,” you corrected.

“So if I want to make a pound cake, I can throw some butter, flour, and sugar into your armpit…."

“Why are we having this conversation? Remind me again?”

“You no longer smell the yeasty goodness that you apply under your arms, because you are completely used to it. I, however, feel like I am dating a Whole Foods.”

“Fine,” you said.

I was surprised. “Fine?”

“Let the record show, I have stepped onto the slippery slope of compromise in the name of promoting peace and harmony. There will be a ceremonial burning of the deodorant in ten minutes. I hope it’s flammable.”

“It’s just that I really hate it,” I told you.

“Well, I hate your toe hair.”

“I’ll wear socks,” I promised. “All the time. Even in the shower.”

“Just be warned,” you said. “Someday you’ll ask me to give up something I really love, and then it’s going to get ugly.”

I teetered on the edge of another joke. Then I pulled myself back. I told you if you said you really loved something, I would never ask you to give it up.

Really, I had only meant to bring up the deodorant. You never can tell where the small things will lead.

livid, adj.
Fuck you for cheating on me. Fuck you for reducing it to the word cheating. As if this were a card game, and you sneaked a look at my hand. Who came up with the term cheating, anyway? A cheater, I imagine. Someone who thought liar was too harsh. Someone who thought devastator was too emotional. The same person who thought, oops, he’d gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Fuck you. This isn’t about slipping yourself an extra twenty dollars of Monopoly money. These are our lives. You went and broke our lives. You are so much worse than a cheater. You killed something. And you killed it when its back was turned.

(hehe, okay, kids. Sorry for the F-bomb in the last one. To re-write it any other way, well, it won't be as 'livid' anymore)

Scarred For Life

2011-03-11T11:25:00.004+08:00

When I was small, 6 or 7 years old, I tried to ride a bicycle with out the training wheels on. I got as far as the house gate before I started to wobble and fall, the bicycle crashed upon me. I ran into the house crying, my knees scrapped and bled. More than two decades have passed, and the scar of a very nasty cut from the incident can still be seen on my knee. It happened a long, long time ago, but that scar, faint as it maybe, was a reminder of that painful incident.

I wish bad memories can be easily deleted. We can select the ones we want to retain, but everything else – death of a loved one, the heartbreak, a betrayal, losing a job – can be erased simply with a click of the mouse.

Unfortunately, bad memories are like scars. They fade as time passed, but are never completely gone, forever stored at the back of our mind. Just like the scars that remain on our skin, the bad memories are a permanent reminder of how hurtful things were. Once in a while it floated back into the main cavity of the brain, and you’ll feel that sting of hurt and sadness, just as fresh as when it first happened. Maybe it served as a reminder that we shouldn’t cause the same pain to others. Maybe it is for us to look back and realized we managed to survive something so devastating after all.

You can put a band-aid over the scar, or cover it with a foundation, but it won’t really, ever, go away.

On The Web: Google's Art Project, Alien Hand Syndrome and Angry Birds

2011-02-03T14:41:00.011+08:00

1. Google has officially becomes even more awesome by launching this website, Art Project. You can practically be inside a world-famous museum - such as MoMA, Versailles, Tate and Uffizi - and explore it, a la Google Street, but without the crowd! The arts captured are simply breathtaking - van Gogh's Starry Night is an easy favorite - with wonderful colors and popping details. Some of the pieces have been selected for a high-pixel digitalization - you can zoom in sooooo close you can even see the cracks on the paintings or wonderful details on the collar which we would have missed in real life, having to view it from a safe distance away. Pure awesomeness.

2. I could not imagine living with the Alien Hand Syndrome. A true mystery of the brain.

3. Angry Birds! I am addicted! I even paid for the game (all other apps in my iPod are free)! And this is the awesomest cake ever!

Book Review: My Name Is Memory

2011-01-22T22:23:00.008+08:00

The book has so much promise, but it was never delivered. How could you not be intrigued by a premise of a boy who had lived and died and lived again so many times, over centuries, and every time he was reborn, he fall in love with same girl, over and over again. The problem is, she did not remember him, and he was the only one who carried every memory of their past lives. In each lifetime, he searched for her and found her, but each time, they were torn apart. I mean, I saw the book's tagline "Sometimes love lasts more than a lifetime" and immediately decided to buy it because that is totally awwwwwwww.

I should have know better that when two (out of three) reviews quoted on the back of the book compared 'My Name Is Memory' to the Twilight series that this is going to be such a boring book. I can't read Twilight. I tried, but at each try I feel like tearing my eyes out. It was just not my taste (heheh, no offense, Twilight fans. I know there are several of you here. Peace, my friends).

This book was slow to start with, but it got better in the middle which I genuinely enjoyed but things just went downhill and the ending was just 'What the f....?".

I don't even know why I spent time writing this review. Hahaha...

Note: Okay, I just found out that the book is actually the first of a trilogy, and that's explains the rather abrupt ending, but still...

29

2011-01-20T23:30:00.003+08:00

Yesterday I turned 29.

29!

It used to be such a far-off number.

But in 364 days, I am joining the big 3 club.

Thirty just sounds so liberating. Accepting. Important. And mature.

It is kinda exciting, isn't it? I can't wait to turn 30.

When you were one to ten years old, you didn't know a thing. The world was your playground. Everybody adored you.

When you were eleven to nineteen years old, you could care less about anything. You were looking for a niche to fit in, molding an identity you thought would be yours till the end of time. You gravitated towards the friends, the clique, that you think defined you the most.

When you were twenty to twenty nine, you assumed responsibility. You learnt to take charge of your own life - working for your own money, buying your own house and car, paying the bills. You started to work your way towards your teenage dream: "I want to be a millionaire by 27" or "I want to be married with two kids". This is also the time you learn the nitty-gritty of adulthood. You made your way finding the correct path in the maze of life. You made mistakes sometimes, and you had to start over. In work and personal life - you'll go through all the ups and down.

By the time you are thirty, you've been through it all. You've laughed and cried enough all these years and are able to accept that things do not always go your way. You millionaire dream, the loving husband and two adorable children: they are still not here.

But you are totally cool with that.

Because by now you know that all that ambition does not mean a thing if you have no family or friends that love you unconditionally. That life is all about you being grateful. That despite whatever condition your life is currently in, there's always others in worst fate than yours. And you now understand that you can choose to be happy, no matter what. Once you realized that, life is a perfection.

So thank you to all who has been here all this while. Your calls, messages and that one very cool hat (thanks Amie and Aiman!) yesterday really made my day. May all your prayers come true, amin!

xoxo

(p/s: ughhh, does this mean I can no longer be pissed off when somebody call me 'Kak'? And I really have to take that driving class now, eh? Can I still be thirty, and has no driving ability, whatsoever? Hehehe)

Revenge Letter

2011-01-15T08:22:00.006+08:00

When you said you don’t love me anymore and that you wanted to break up, I went home that night crying my heart out and then I wrote you a letter. It was four-pages long, smeared with tears, the ink bloated. I was so angry at you. Words that you refused to hear, things I did not get to say – they were all there. I wrote how much I hate you. I listed things you do that hurt me while we were together, including things that I’d already forgiven you about, like you meeting up with your ex behind my back, to annoying things you can’t help but keep on doing, like leaving the toothpaste uncapped. Suddenly every little insignificant thing becomes a justification of why I should be hating you.

I left the letter untouched on my table for a few days, thinking that I will have further things to add to it. I don’t know. Maybe suddenly I will think of something new that you’ve done, and maybe suddenly I decided that had been tormenting me too (yeah, without me realizing it all this while). But this morning when I opened the pages again, and reread every word I’ve written, I was struck by how harsh it sounded. It was so vengeful and hurtful, and despite how broken I was by you, I could not fathom just how such hatred could be voice up. You left me, you made me cry, but still, I could not bring myself to blame you for the excruciating pain I am feeling. I tore the letter up and throw it away.

They say some things are better left unsaid, and you can’t take back things you wished you never said.

I think they are right.

Travelogue Bali: Campuhan Ridge Walk in Ubud

2011-01-12T21:33:00.013+08:00

Two years ago, when I visited Ubud, I tried to do this Campuhan Ridge trekking, but I could not find the trail head, so I gave up. This year, I bought the much recommended Bali Pathfinder (great for finding that trekking and cycling route, or for the road trip), and determined to conquer the famous trail once and for all.

And I did.

(Okay, conquer is an overstatement. The trail is a total la-la-la, leisure activity. It took me less than two hours for the whole trek, which is about 8-10 km long for the whole loop. There’s a slight elevation, nothing hardcore, but you’ll still sweat a lot)

I woke up early, put on my track suit and running shoe, and armed myself with a bottle of water and some chocolate. I was pretty much alone throughout the hike; my only encounters were a father walking with his two young daughters, a hot-looking runner and an uncle. It was a tranquil walk, and I quietly enjoyed the sounds of insects singing to the world and the beautiful flowers dotting the path.

The trail head was a fifteen minutes west-ward walk along Jalan Raya Ubud from the Ubud market, at the entrance of Ibah Hotel (if you find this hotel, you’ll find the trail). Follow the sign downhill towards the river and cross the bridge.

You’ll find a path paved with these bricks.

Follow it uphill (after a while, the brick path will give way to a dirt path), and you’ll be transported to a world with beautiful tall alang-alang grass swaying to the wind, coconut trees and the gurgling sound of the two rivers that run along, flanking the ridge. Such a romantic place – it would have been a great venue for outdoor photoshoot. The trek is also frequented by mountain bike enthusiast, zooming through the hilly dirt path.

If you are out early enough, you’ll be greeted by the mist, and on a clear day, you’ll get a glimpse of the mighty Gunung Agung.

The ridges are dotted with up-scale hotel, which can cost you USD 300-600 per night. Fancy.

After a while, you’ll hit the village, and from this point on, you’ll get to see a lot more people. Some local artists set up their shops along the route and you can also stop by at a café to enjoy a cup of coffee.

You’ll pass through the terraced paddy fields nestled within the village. I’ve never seen a terraced paddy field before, so I find it rather beautiful (sawah padi biasa banyak dah jumpa kat Kedah kan). You’ll get to see friendly villagers working very hard at their field and some elegant birds frolicking around.

At a T-junction near Romi's Art Gallery, you can turn around and retrace your steps to go back to Ubud center. If not, you can turn left at the T-junction towards the main road that will make a huge loop back to Ubud. It was quite a walk, the road is busy with honking cars and bikes, and once you hit the village of Sangingan, there are just too many dogs standing guard in front of their owner’s house and barking at you. But it will give you a good exercise though (especially if you are chased by the dogs, hahaha).

From The Kitchen: Honey-glazed Stuffed Chicken with Spinach and Cheese

2011-01-10T20:36:00.012+08:00

Yesterday was the debut episode of Masterchef Junior Australia, which is now my new favorite show to watch, and man, these kids are amazing. They are totally at ease and comfortable around the kitchen. I was utterly godsmacked with the talent of the little chefs. They are only 8 to 12 years of age, but they cooked food that look so professional and delicious, and that just put me to shame... isk isk isk. I could not even pronounced some of the fancy ingredients that they used, nor would successfully created such fancy meal, especially the desserts. They all sounded so passionate about cooking too. So young. I only got sincerely interested in cooking only after I finished college.... hohoh, tercabar deh. The cuteness factor is wayyyyyyy up, so be alert of frequent 'awwwww' moment, hehe. The show is on channel 711 Starworld, every Sunday at 8pm.

So watching the show make me excited to cook something new, so today after work, off to the kitchen!

Honey-glazed Stuffed Chicken with Spinach and Cheese

1. First, make the stuffing. Heat some butter in the pan, and throw in some minced garlic. Once the garlic is nicely browned, put in the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt. Set aside to cool. Afterwards, add the cheese into the spinach. For this recipe, I used a specialty cream cheese with cranberry and citrus bits, but any type of cheese would have work - mozarella, parmesan, ricotta etc.

2. Make a slit along the chicken breast and flatten it. Scoop the spinach and cheese mix on the chicken breast and fold it. Use toothpicks to hold the chicken together, ensuring that the stuffing is all contained inside the chicken (otherwise, the cheese will melt out of the chicken).

3. Heat up the oven to 200-250 degree C.

4. While the oven is heating up, heat up the pan on the stove with a little bit of oil, and brown the chicken for a while to create that nice, golden crust.

5. Make a 'bowl' or a container using aluminum foil to hold the chicken inside the oven (it will catch the delicious juice of the chicken and glaze which can be reduce and use later as sauce).

6. In a bowl, mix some honey, chili powder and a bit of lemon juice. Baste the chicken periodically with this mix. Cook the chicken for 15-20 minutes.

7. Transfer the juices of the chicken (caught by the aluminum foil) into a pan, and heat it up until it thickens. Pour it over the chicken.

8. Serve the stuffed chicken with your choice of side - I make some buttered sweet corn to go with the main meal.

Future tweak: The chicken can be a bit bland since it was not marinated, and much of the flavor comes from the stuffing, so just make the best stuffing to your liking, and this meal would be awesome. The cream cheese that I use it a bit too sweet, so if I were to make this again, I will just use regular cheese.

Travelogue Bali: Tanah Lot

2011-01-02T14:09:00.006+08:00

I was rather disappointed when I first saw Tanah Lot.

You heard so much about it, and how every single travel review swoon over its beautiful temple and breathtaking sunset. Well, the day I arrived it was so cloudy that the sun couldn’t even peek out of it, and there were two millions people converging at the spot. Junk food’s plastic wrapper and mineral bottles were strewn all over the ground; some were lodged in between the nook and cranny of the jagged black rocks. It was rather dirty for a place so hallow.

Getting to Tanah Lot itself was such a hassle, and knowing that I won’t be able to make it out in time to Kuta, I decided to spend the night here. There were only a few accommodations available with uncompetitive price due to the lack of demand, as Tanah Lot is a typical place that warrants only a quick stop for photo ops as there is nothing else to do around the area (though I read about a great beach trekking that starts from Tanah Lot to another beach towards the north, but I did not have the time to check it out). Tourists come in droves on shuttle busses during the day, but the area pretty much died down with the setting sun.

I checked in at Dewi Shanti Hotel, conveniently located a few meters off the main entrance, put down my luggage and went for a quick stroll. The temple area consisted of a rolling grassy area planted with trees and shrubberies, and vertical cliff that drops suddenly into the sea. It had just rained, so everything was still gloomy and misty – with the grass swaying to the wind, I could easily pretend that I was in a scene from “Sense and Sensibility”, when the distraught Marianne, upon discovering that Willoughby was in relationship with another girl, ventured into the field, lost herself in the rain and was then rescued by the heroic Colonel Brandon (alas, there was no colonel rescuing this particular damsel in distress on the island of Bali).

A few promontories jutted towards the ocean, each was erected with a temple, which you can’t enter unless for praying, so the tourists would only roam the outer area. In the ocean below, surfers were tackling the evening surf. I tried to find a quite spot, but there was pretty much none. The place was jam-packed with people. With bodies upon bodies scrambling for the best spot to take pictures, the area was alive with chatters and laughter. Among the Japanese tourists wearing straw hats and flower garlands were locals picnicking with their family – the children running barefooted on the field – and even more locals praying and giving offerings. Amidst the orderly chaos, I quietly observed a family on their knees in front of an altar decorated with a few statues. The mother bowed her head in prayer, her hands clasped in front of her chest, and her two small daughters behind her mimicked her action. The grandmother was sitting besides them, making sure that they had their gesture correct.

Afterwards, I searched for a place where I can sit down and write. I settled at the top of the steps that leads down to the beach, which has an unobstructed view of a small temple perched on top of an arched outcrop. I filled in a few pages of my travel diary and did a few sketches of the temples. An elderly Caucasian couple walked by, observed me deep at work, and snapped a photo of my sketch. “Beautiful, beautiful…”, she muttered. (Oh, tetiba I rasa macam artist pulak, ahaks…)

The next morning, I woke up early – after all, I had too much sleep by going to bed at 8 pm last night!- and went out for a morning walk. Tanah Lot looked so much different, so much serene in it being deserted. The sun was out, there was barely any tourist there. I was pretty much alone absorbing its tranquility; the park staff were collecting the garbage (Tanah Lot is a lot more cleaner that early of the day, thanks to the staff. Tourists anywhere should really be more environmental-friendly and respectful during visitation), and the souvenir peddlers waiting for the first sell of the day.

I went down to the rocky beach and stood as close as possible to the water edge. With no one around, all I heard was the sound of the wave and the wind. Ah, what a bliss. A few crabs were scuttling on the ground. I let the ocean sprayed its mist against my sun-burned face. It was rather hypnotic watching the wave crashing upon the cliff. Thirty minutes could go by without you realizing you’ve been staring emptily towards the ocean. It was such a peaceful time – my mind was empty, nothing worried me. You watched the wave rolled in from a distance and then it smashed onto the rocks, spraying upwards, turning all white and frosty. Then just as quick as it came, it retreated back into the sea.

The first impression does count, but if we immediately dismiss it without giving it a chance to prove its worth, we might be the one on the losing side.

Travelogue Bali: Bali Rides

2010-12-27T19:05:00.010+08:00

"In an air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser - the medium through which senior diplomats and top Western relief officials often encounter Africa - suspended high above the road and looking out through closed windows, your forehead and underarms comfortably dry, you may learn something about Africa. Traveling in crowded public bus, flesh pressed upon wet, sour flesh, you learn more; and in a 'bush taxi', or 'mammy wagon', where there are not even windows, you learn more still. But it is on the foot that you learn most. You are on the ground, on the same level with Africans rather than looking down at them. You are no longer protected by speed or air-conditioning or thick glass. The sweat pours from you, and you shirt sticks to your body. This is how you learn."

The Ends of The Earth: A Journey to the Frontiers of Anarchy, Robert D. Kaplan

“Apa mbak pernah ke Belitong?”
Belitong... hmm, why does the name sound so familiar? Wait…
“Laskar Pelangi!”, I exclaimed giddily, as if I just answered a question in a quiz show.

She smiled. The person asking was a fifty-something Ibu Kartini, a Javanese settled in Bali, who was wearing a flowery top much like a baju kurung Kedah and kain batik. Besides her was her shy six-years-old granddaughter who barely spoke through our thirty-minute ride together. The three of us were sitting on the rear seat of a bemos; I was on my way back to the airport on the last day of my vacation, and they were off to Kuta beach for some school-holiday fun. It was quite a sight when I looked around at the other passengers: one lady was carrying pots and pans, another was holding a basket full of undergarments (brand new, thank god), and another with fresh vegetables and groceries. From what I read, you can also bring on board a clucking, alive chicken, and no one will question you.

The humble interior of a bemos.

Traveling alone means that you get all the ‘me’ time in the world. It was what I was looking for in the trip, but truth be told, it does get a bit lonely when all you can talk to is your own inner voice. Thus I savored my time on the public transport, especially on a bemos, that rickety old van the locals use to get around. The old ladies especially seemed very fascinated to converse with me when they know that I was traveling alone. I was at first shy, but all it took was one smile, and you’ll discover hospitality like no others. The conversation ranges from family (Ibu Kartini’s just returned from a family wedding at Belitong, hence the conversation), marriage, food and the idea of serumpun between Malaysia-Indonesia, to Siti Nurhaliza, Kris Dayanti, Ashraff and Bunga Cinta Lestari.

There are so many transportation options in Bali. Renting your own car is the best option if you are traveling with family or a group of friends, because after splitting the cost, it is the cheapest and most convenient option. Otherwise, to get to the popular tourist regions like Kuta, Ubud, Lovina and the Nusa Islands, you can depend on the reliable service of the tourist shuttle company, Perama. It is a few times more expensive than taking the bemos, but when you consider the inefficiency of a bemos and how many times you might have to change to get to your destination because there is no direct service, you might as well take the tourist bus.

Take for example my attempt to get to Tanah Lot from the airport. I decided to shoot straight for the famous seaside temple upon arriving in Bali, and I was determined to ride the bemos for the first time (when I first visited Bali two years ago, I only used taxi and Perama bus). The bemos has a fixed route, but you can hop on and hop off anywhere along the way – there is no such thing as a bemos stop. At the end of each loop, the bemos will stop at a bemos terminal, from where they will start the journey all over again. The bemos are also painted according to their route: as example, the Nusa Dua-Kuta-Denpasar bemos are dark blue, and Sanur-Denpasar is dark green. They do not move in a fixed schedule, and sometime the waiting time is a lot longer than the traveling time as the driver wants to have as many passengers as possible.

(Note: The moment you entered with a backpack, or ask the driver “How much…?”, your fee will shoot up. I observed that the locals paid much less than the price quoted to me. It seemed that the drives will inflate the tourist price. You definitely can bargain the price down – I suspect they were trying their luck to get some extra money from a clueless tourist, and there is no reason why a tourist has to pay more - or ask the other passengers how much they are paying, and then pay the same amount)

After changing the bemos three times (Airport- Tegal, Tegal-Ubung, Ubung-Kediri) and two-hours later, I found myself at a roundabout of a small town of Kediri. I was supposed to catch the final bemos from here to get to Tanah Lot, but after waiting for twenty minutes, I decided to start walking. My first bemos lesson: the further you are from the densely populated town, and the later it is in the evening, the less frequent your bemos will be. In this case, it was almost non-existent. What a luck that I arrived in Bali in the midst of Hari Raya Galungan, a festival during which the spirit of the dead ancestors came back to visit their family. The roads were lined with penjors, a curving bamboo and coconut leaves construction, with a small niche for offerings. The temples were busy with prayers, and the procession of beautiful Balinese ladies resplendent in their kebaya carrying offerings on their heads was an attractive sight. But unlucky for me, it also meant that most bemos drivers were on holiday.

The penjors.

I referred to the guide book. It said that I was still 25 minutes away by car to Tanah Lot. Hmm... how long will it take to walk? One hour? Two hours or more, especially with my backpack which heaviness was already digging into my shoulder? It was 3pm and I was convinced that I will make it there by sunset, no matter what!

But suddenly, it started to drizzle. The cloud had turned a threatening grey. Oh oooo.. Dear god, I know I asked for an adventure, but can at least it involved being stranded with a hunky Australian surfer on some isolated beach, under a sunny tropical weather?

I’d walked for two kilometers when a motorcycle stopped besides me. “Ojek, mbak?”, the old uncle asked. So ladies and gentlemen, let me now introduce you to another unique way of traveling in Indonesia – the ojek. When I returned to Kuala Lumpur, I asked my Indonesian colleague to explain the idea of ojek. She basically said wherever you want to go, when the bus or a taxi can’t take you there, an ojek will. It is the last bastion of vehicles that will ensure that you will arrive at your destination, via motorcycle. Motorcyclist will offer you a ride and you pay them. Simple. It is an informal system – almost every time I was walking, there will be a bike slowing down and offering a ride – but one that can also had it’s own station (you can bet a group of men relaxing under the trees are waiting for customers, but I did saw in passing a small warung with a sign ‘ojek station’).

So I asked the uncle how far off is the temple. When he said 12 km, I was all no-way-I-am-going-to-walk-that-far-under-this-weather-and-carrying-this-much-weight. After bargaining the price (I managed to get it down from Rp30,000 to Rp 10,000), I hopped on his bike, and off we went towards Tanah Lot, zipping through the village and some of the most beautiful terraced paddy fields – take that, Julia Roberts and Eat, Pray, Love! It was he who regaled me with stories of Galungan and Kuningan celebrations.

These personal experiences won’t be gained if you did not go out there and mix with the locals. The tourists riding the Perama bus, once onboard, usually kept to themselves. It seemed like the bemos had a power to connect people, even among the rare tourists who are adventurous enough to unravel the intricacy of riding the bemos. I made friends with the only tourist I encountered on a bemos - three daring Spanish girls on a mission to travel around South East Asia. We shared stories of travel experiences to kill time, and at the end, they were comfortable enough to ask my help to bargain for a bemos for their onward journey that they want to exclusively chartered (you can totally do this, chartering a bemo to a specific destination outside of its usual route, provided that the driver is willing to send you there. You will pay higher than the usual fee, but if you were traveling in a group, this is another very cheap option). They spoke to me in English, and I helped to translate into Indonesian for the driver.

But to me the validation of traveling like a local came when another lady, upon hearing my conversation with Ibu Kartini on my final bemos ride to the airport, chirped in, expressing her surprise that the bemos actually passed by the airport: “Waduh, saya yang tinggal di sini pun ngakk tahu yang bisa ke airport dengan bemos. Ambil teksi aja kalau mahu kesana. Bagaimana nih, orang luar pun lebih tahu, malu dehh…”. Ho yeahhh…

The One When We Race All Night Long

2010-12-23T10:19:00.011+08:00

“Dude, do you think we are on the right track? Macam pelik je jalan ni”

The road that stretched ahead of us was pitched black. We’ve been racing in a night race for the last five hours, but our route thus far had been under the open sky criss-crossing the city, village, palm oil plantation and rice field where we can still see stars and the half-moon shining so brightly above us, assuring us that we were somewhere we should be.

We had passed the last village house ten minutes ago, and the road suddenly got darker as we walked into a jungle-like route. The trees that lined the road were so closely spaced that they hugged each other, and the long branches provided a thick canopy above us that I could no longer see the stars above. When we started, there were a couple of teams behind us, and we could hear their voices, so it was rather comforting. Suddenly, there were none. It was 4 am.

Do you realize that we were practically in the perfect setup of so many horror movies? Pure darkness. Check. Middle of the night. Check. Jungle. Check. Clueless and lost friends with only tiny torchlights to guide them. Check. Hantu Kak Limah? Eh, nasib baik tak de. We even saw a pair of eyes staring back at us (pheww, thank god those were eyes of a cat) and a ‘cow’ darted out of the bush and crossed the road really, really, really fast. I said ‘cow’ because I saw a huge brown body, but Aiman said he thought it was white, then we later realized that whatever it was it had moved quite fast for a cow… oh well, let’s say that we stopped discussing it just like that.

Gambar masa race tak de, sebab gelap dan tak de camera. So, lukis sendiri.

On top of that, I was in pain. The waist was aching as if it had carried a tonne of weight, my hips and calf were poked by needle-like pain, my knees were throbbing. But the cherry on top was the fact that we were unsure of where we were. We might be lost, and I was the one reading the map.

****

I previously refused any invite to participate in a team’s event because I am afraid I will let my teammates down. Despite the fact that I’ve been running regularly, anytime there is a race, the thought that I may crumbled and forced to quit halfway always accompanied me to the starting line. I wouldn’t want to be a burden to the team if I got too tired. When I’m tired I might get cranky too. And you won’t like Cranky Fatma, hehe.

However, considering that my teammates were to be Pa’e and Aiman – two very relax, supportive and cool people I knew, the kind of person who you want to be around you when you are testing your physical limit - I said yes.

*****

Our team was christened “Beauty and the Beasts” (for your information, I was not responsible for the naming. I was not narcissistic enough to call myself ‘Beauty’. Hohoh… eh, wait, perhaps I was one of the Beasts, then? Hmmmm). We started the race at 11 pm on Saturday. We had twelve hours to complete the race, with 39 checkpoints to cover and four maps to be navigated. The total route was about 60 km.

Yeah, a freaking 60 km (we only found this out during the briefing – huh, nampak sangat main belasah je masuk).

All we had was a map with locations of the checkpoints marked, a compass and our torchlight. All we had to do was run and collect as many checkpoints as possible within the time limit.

Map of endless sawah padi (rice field)

Aiman, the strongest one, would run alone to some checkpoints while Pa’e and I would take a shortcut and wait for him at the next checkpoint. Pa’e was our master in strategy. He was the one who had been reading the map all night long, deciding which route to take, leading us from one check point to another. A few times he will take the points himself and let Aiman and I went straight to the next checkpoint so that I can rest while waiting for him. Puas gak nak kejar. Sekaki Pa'e melangkah - berjalan sahaja ye - aku kena berlari untuk catch up, okay. Gila power. No wonder nickname dia Raksasa.

So there we were. I was wobbling along trailing my teammates after picking up the eighteenth check points among the rice field when Pa’e realized that we had been walking far too long to arrived at the next point. Oh ooh, for the first time, we had missed a junction. It was then decided that Pa’e would continue forward, while Aiman and I would retrace our footsteps and collect the checkpoints that we missed, make a loop and enter the main road again. All three of us would meet later where our two routes converged.

As we parted, I hold the map, as Aiman, as strong as he is, is a bit (just a bit... kot. Hehe) clueless when it comes to direction. Ah, that was the first time I was holding the map that night.

Which brought us to the beginning of this post, to that point of utter darkness in the middle of the jungle. I can’t belief that the only time I was tasked to navigate andread the map, I might have brought the team to the middle of nowhere. I was extremely confident that we did not get into a wrong turn, but how did we end up here? Map salah ke? Hehe. Sooooo embarrassing lohh… if I didn't get us out of this situation, I would have been teased to the end of time on my map-reading skill. Geologist salah baca map? Darn it.

Well, I was sure though that we were heading towards the right direction even though we might not have been on the right road, so we decided then to walk on. All these while I prayed silently that we would see some sort of civilization, or lamps, or fellow racers. Semua ayat lazim, doa makan aku dah habis baca.

After a few false 'hopes' of seeing some lights and houses only to discover that those were only street lamps and abandoned huts, we saw a junction. And a proper house. And three teams waiting around! People... I see living people!!! They were lost too! Hahaha! See, kawasan itu memang menyesatkan. It was not me.

It turned out that we were a few hundred meters off to where we were supposed to meet Pa’e. We managed to get to the main road that we wanted to, but I still did not know how we got there through that scary jungle road. Oh well, now that the Beauty, Beast 1, and Beast 2 were reunited, we raced on, stopping by at the surau for Subuh prayer, to the finish line.

At the finish line. Senyum lebar, kaki tengah kejang.

In the end, we recovered about 24 checkpoints, and ran and walked across Teluk Intan for 40 km in nine hours before we were stopped around 8 am as time was running out. It was quite disappointing not being able to continue on as I would love to find out how does it feel to run and walk for 60 km (ye lah, dah habis race, memang la cakap macam tu kan, padahal masa lari x habis2 mengomel dalam hati "Why am I doing this?!!!"). A 40 km race was enough though for me to fall asleep on the road in the middle of the kampung while waiting for the van to pick us up in the morning, hahaha. Memang koma terus, okay. By the time we completed the race, it was already more than 24-hours since we last slept, and we had just pushed ourselves to utter exhaustion. The villagers that passed by were certainly perplexed by the scene of a chubby girl sleeping soundly on the asphalt road with two guys guarding around.

It was definitely the most tiring, demanding and physical thing I’ve ever done, but it worth every single sweat and pain that accompanied it. It was astonishing to discover what you can do by pushing the limit. Fighting sleepiness, struggling against the pain, willing myself to continue on… this was so much outside of my comfort zone. But I just gritted my teeth, kept quiet (too quiet I assume. Awal-awal tu seronok giler borak dan nyanyi, tapi bila dah hujung-hujung race, diam tak cakap sepatah pun, heh) and kept the feet moving. I owed it to my teammates definitely - seriously, I could not have asked for better partners-in-crime to share this journey with. It was an honor, guys; I learnt a lot from both of you. You guys are awesomeeeeeeeee!

And we actually won third place!

(okayyyyyy, there were only three teams in our category, hahahahahaha. Whatever la kan. Korang nak kecoh, sila race 40km dulu, okay? Hoho).

All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye...

2010-12-22T08:53:00.005+08:00

Finally, I cleared out all old posts, links and albums. I stopped short at un-tagging the photos because it is sooooo time-consuming clicking on each picture, one-by-one. Once the account is deleted, it will un-tag itself, so okay lah.

Out of more than 500 friends, only two people (two! See, people don't really care, or noticed) have messaged me so far, asking why they can't view my profile, which I kept private in the last few weeks so that people don't post on my wall and it will make it easier for me to clear things up. "Ko block aku, ke? Apa salah aku kat ko?". Hahaha.. agak lawak jugak aah. Funny how friendship is now defined whether or not you are on someone's Friends list. I don't even know half of the people on my list!

It is kind of surreal seeing the profile empty. It used to be so alive before. I didn't miss it much - six days at Bali without internet connection, I realized that I can really live without FB - but I have to admit, it is still weird. Almost like saying goodbye to an old friend.

But you got to do what you got to do, eh?

It will take seven days for the account to be completely deleted. Heh, somehow FB know that it is so addictive, that even after you decide to quit, it gives you time to 'think' about it. That seven days are like a dangling temptation, "Are you sure you want to quit? Anda yakin dengan jawapan anda? Come on, log-in again for the old time sake. I'm sure you don't want to miss that youtube link of that dancing cat your friend posted, right?". If you were to log-in within that seven days, your account will be activated again. FB = Darth Vader.

Living Off A Backpack

2010-12-20T21:18:00.005+08:00

I’ve been living out of my backpack for the past four weeks that it is nice just to be home with no prospect of traveling anytime soon.

It started with a three-day weekend for an engagement of two friends in Terengganu; then I got into the office for only one day before I packed my bag again for a week of travel in Bali. Upon returning, I worked for two days before heading to Melaka last Thursday for a long weekend to celebrate my little brother’s wedding.

I do miss sleeping on my own bed :p

Being on the guy’s side, the preparation was not as hectic as my two sisters’ wedding, since we didn’t have to prepare for the nikah. The fun was to have long-distance families and old neighbors together under the same roof. Of course the stars of the wedding are not only the bride and groom themselves, but these two little buttons too – cutely decked in little baju melayu and baju kurung :) Oh, how fast they’ve grown. They can now ‘talk’ so it was absolute fun to play with them. The boy was all smile and cry, and the little girl – oh gosh, she reminded me of myself: she can sleep pretty much anywhere even in the midst of a busy kenduri!

Congratulations my little brother and my new sister. My best wishes and prayer for your everlasting happiness :)

Greetings From Bali!

2010-12-11T15:42:00.006+08:00

Hello! I am alive obviously, huhu. I got a few messages along the line 'Wooo, pergi camtu je. X cakap pun'. Sorry eh. Saje nak test, ada ke yang rindu. Ramai rupanya, sweet la :) There are only four people who know exactly when I am going - my sis, my mom, Mrs A and my carpool friend. Well, it has been an interesting trip so far. Details later, but for now enough to say that on day one, I got stranded somewhere because I could not get a transport out of the place, and on day two, I lost my pouch containing all my rupiah and dollar and credit card and bank cards and my passport! That was the most harrowing time, but they were safely returned to me a few hours later. I learn to be extra careful (sepanjang2 travel, x pernah lagi hilang apa2 ok) and I got to meet the beautiful, honest and friendly Balinese people who were so helpful during the incident. Today is day three and everything has been well so far ;p See you guys soon - I am having so much fun, but I do miss you people a lot :)

Where To?

2010-12-09T07:25:00.005+08:00

By the time you read this, I am thousands of feet in the air, on my way to the gorgeous island of Bali. But as now, my itinerary consisted of only 'Departing KL Thurs 0845, Arriving KL Tues 1745'.

Less than 4 hours before arriving, I still do not have a concrete plan. I have not booked any accomodation. I still can't decide which area to visit. All I know is that in a few hours I'll be arriving at the Denpasar Airport - I have no idea where I am going from there and how to get there.

Looks like this is not just a solo backpacking; this is 'redah jer' backpacking!

With the assessment, work and huha-ing with friends, I barely had time to plan for the trip. I am relying solely on my 'Rough Guide: Bali and Lombok' book, and the printed schedule of Perama bus - those are pretty much my only lifeline for the next six days (you can bet that I am furiously reading the guide book on the plane right now, haha). By the time I touch down, hopefully I've decided on, at least, my first destination.

This might as well be an adventure of a lifetime :)

---------

So I leave you with my current favorite Tata!-I-am-going-travelling-Don't-miss-me song (since people usually put up the song "Leaving on A Jetplane" - booooooosan. And Greg Laswell is awesome - do check out his albums). I am not roaming, but if I find free wifi or internet cafe, I'll try to update on my wellbeing once in a while. See ya in six days!

The One I Love - Greg Laswell

I'm all packed up now early in the morning
I'll take my leave
I'll bring your words along with me
Maybe one day they will mean something

For now they buzz and crumble down
A little bit too easily
From a time that I am not quite over
What the hell is wrong with me?

I might be gone a little while
I guess we'll see
I gotta make a home outta somewhere
And you're all over this city

And it'll take a flight to figure out
Where I'm gonna finally land
And the time it takes for me get there
I'll be one to start again

And if the plane lifts off
I'll write you a letter to say goodbye
And I will make it long and maybe lie just a little
Tell you that I'm doing fine

Then I'll send it out and let things be
If not for you
For me
and for the time I've spent
Foolishly loving thee

Random Thoughts

2010-12-04T07:57:00.006+08:00

We've all got scars as big as ours,
A token for the pain we hide inside of us.
Everyone's scared that somebody knows,
You push it inside, that's how it goes
If you've ever heard a beating heart
A rhythm for the songs we're too afraid to sing
Nobody here is perfectly fine
A delicate frame, a fragile design

Bigger Than Love by My Favorite Highway

1. Richard didn't win Season 4's Top Chef :( Stephanie won it fair and square though (and her dishes surely looked super-delicious), but Richard had always been my favorite. He was the strongest competitor for season 4, winning so many challenges, yet he was humble and kind. Once, he even passed his winning to his team mate, claiming the cake that she baked was why they won that round, even after the judges had chosen him as the winner. How couldn't you root for someone like that?

2. Did you know how hard it is to quit Facebook? Clue: Google it up. So complicated - definitely not as simple as clicking 'Delete'. I also need to notify each of my college and primary school friends, the two groups that I exclusively communicate via Facebook, and make sure that I got their email addresses to keep in touch in the future. Then, I need to copy all of the birthdays since this is a feature that I love most about FB, as I am really bad in remembering dates. Then as I want to make sure that I left as little digital trace as possible, so I already spent hours deleting posts and pictures. It is taking me forever. At this rate, I don't think I can fully quit by New Year...

3. Happy 15th Anniversary my 9599 school friends! We are old. Huhuhu... I am honored to have you girls in my life.

The Dam Broke Open

2010-12-03T08:38:00.005+08:00

This is a tale that is best forgotten, but what a lesson. Kids, please don’t do this :p

I tried to hold it for a few minutes more, but my lips were quivering, and tears had started to pool at the corner of my eyes. I kept my head down, with my hand furiously scribbling some notes, hoping that would calm me down.

“Do you want to say anything?”, one of them asked. I opened my mouth to speak, but instead of words, I cried.

Yes people, I did the unthinkable.

I cried during my assessment.

In front of my three assessors.

(... who I would say, were pretty flabbergasted with my sudden break down, hahaha. “We are sorry. Is it anything we said?”. Poor them! Now I am so embarrassed to bump into those three guys in the office. Isk, rosak reputasi aku sebagai wanita besi macho di office, okay?)

I seriously did not know why. I am usually a lot more composed than this. The whole assessment itself was okay – I was satisfied with how the whole thing was conducted, the questions were just like any other assessment before, and my assessors were far too kind. The whole drama sort of just happened at the end of the session, just as we were concluding it with some summary and suggestions on how I can improve further.

I guess there was some pre-conditioned expectation and extra pressure and emotional baggage and pented-up emotion and people who I am about to disappoint and everything just rolled into one and I just cracked. The dam just broke opened. Wiiiiiiiiiide open. I sobbed like somebody had just killed my cat. Even when I tried to talk, my voice sounded more like that squeaky toy, one that you pressed and it goes, “Eek! Eek! Eek!”

Why can’t I cry more elegantly like that those ladies in old black and white Hollywood movies?

I remembered back in my university days, my friends and professors called me Little Miss Sunshine. Apparently back then, I was always smiling, happy and positive even when I’m stressed with homework, exams, life or homesickness. Nothing will bring me down, no no no…

If only they see me now, I might be called Little Miss Moody Broody or Queen of Tears instead, hmmph.

Oh well, I think I had enough of this roller-coaster madness and emotional instability. Lately I noticed I got ticked off and depressed so easily. It was so tiring and draining. I want my happy, cheeky self back! My last holiday of the year will be the last time I’m going to dwell on this. I hope that few days alone will let me reflect and refocus, and that would be the end of it. Once I got back, I’ll start fresh and ready for new challenge and like Eugene said in ‘Tangled’, “Chase a new dream!”. I’m going to kick some ass, and be strong and will not whine and complain much and take everything in stride. Chaiyok…!!!

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Today I was extremely happy for when I looked into my office mailbox, I saw this!

A postcard from my bestest girlfriends vacationing in Oman! I love getting postcards. When I traveled, I even sent a few postcard for myself – I’ll scribbled on it my memories and experience, and sent them home. To me, that is the perfect keepsake, the best souvenir. The girls all left a small note each – Shah included, hehe, cute je dia terselit gak kat situ. It was an instant warmth, and such a pleasant surprise, especially after such a harrowing day yesterday. I smiled all day long. I love you girls a lot!!!

See, things are looking up already.

All Good Things

2010-11-27T11:14:00.001+08:00

I keep pushing the bruise,
'Cause I don't want to lose,
What I love about you.

Oh I wish you,
All good things...

- The Weepies, All Good Things -

From The Kitchen: Butter Shrimp with Pineapple, Calamari and Okra

2010-11-24T20:54:00.005+08:00

I got addicted to Top Chef recently - man, if I can ever trade my work with anybody, I want Padma's job as the show's host (nama pun dah lebih kurang), and if I ever have to participate in a reality show, it will be this program (syoknya main masak-masak!) - and that make me realized it has been a while since I cooked anything fancy besides the usual comfort of chilli, porridge and more chilli. So tonight, a new dish!

Butter Shrimp with Pineapple, Calamari and Okra

This is practically three-dishes dish. Let's start with the easy one.

1) Calamari
Dip the squid into one of those ready-made frying flour, and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Hehe. easy maa...

2) Okra
To remove those gooey stuff from the okra, heat up the okra in a non-stick pan, without oil. It will dry up those gooey stuff. Put aside.

Heat up a little bit of oil. Toss in the chopped onion and garlic and some dried shrimp. Then, put in the okra. Seasoned with some tauchu.

3) Butter Shrimp with Pineapple
Prep the shrimp by removing the shell and season with some chilli powder and salt.

Heat up some butter (okay, lots of butter! But I leave it to you to decide what's appropriate :p). Toss in some garlic, curry leaves, onion and cubed pineapple. Let it simmer for a while for all the juices and seasoning to mix, then add in the shrimp.

Note: If I were to cook this again, I would add up some acid - lime juice - and more hotness - cili padi - to the shrimp dish. That will make the whole dish even more awesome!

Thoughts of A Bored Person

2010-11-21T22:13:00.004+08:00

1. The principal compressive stress in a reverse fault is ... zzzzzzzz.

Seriously, I hate studying. I couldn't remember how I got through those exams at school and at Brown. I had always envied my friends who are so brilliant, like Mocque, Liyana and Nora, to name a few, who effortlessly aced additional math and physics back in school. I probably made my teachers cried in despair with my hopelessness in those subjects. Then again, that's why they got to become doctors and engineers, those brilliant ones :)

2. Can't wait for 5pm, Wednesday, to be done with my assessment. Celebrate! Harry Potter, Top Chef and Sungkyunkwan Scandal marathon, 76 books I have yet to read (baru habis satu, hahaha), and finally finalizing my solo backpacking plan for next month. Looking forward to go somewhere far and rejuvenate.

3. I want a Maru....!!! (dalam sibuk2 study, sempat lagi tu! But isn't Maru the adorable-est cat in the world, like ever? Penat gelak! Release tension tengok dia)

4. The most fun I had this weekend (since I spent every waking hour of the past few days studying) occurred this morning - cooking breakfast for my backpacking friends, who just returned, straight from the airport, fresh from India, yalle yalle. That was actually a motivation for me to wake up early, because if not, I won't be up till noon (probably) then my plan to go to the office to study today will just go down the drain. Woke up at 6.30 am, and cooked chicken+beef porridge, hash brown, sausage, scrambled egg and baked beans (mula-mula nak masak roti pratha, but I bet they had have enough of roti there. Nanti ada yang terjun balkoni pulak sebab tensen, hahaha). Had a wonderful time catching up with them (tapi tak puas dengar cerita, kena sambung nanti, okay!), then off to the office.

Wednesday, please come soon...!

Buku-holic

2010-11-18T19:04:00.006+08:00

"An ordinary man can... surround himself with two thousand books... and thenceforward have at least one place in the world in which it is possible to be happy" - Augustine Birrell

Last Sunday I went to heaven and back.

The crowd at the book sale.

Book heaven, that is... in the form of Big Bad Book Sale, organized by Big Bad Wolf Books at the South City Plaza, Seri Kembangan. The books were sold at 70-90% discounts, which meant that novels were sold at RM 8 each, and the most expensive book that I bought was only RM 15. These are books that would have original tags from RM 40 to more the RM 100, okay. The books include recent titles and bestsellers - and I was pleasantly surprised that I found a lot of books that I had already my eye on at Kinokuniya, so to get them at the book sale with such an incredible price were priceless instead (and vice versa, when I found a book that I recently bought and yet to read there, it just killed me to think that if only I waited a few more weeks, I could have bought them much, much cheaper instead.. ughhhh).

I came prepared with my own super-huge bags.

Anyway, I came with a mission: to spend RM 1000 in one day. It turned out to be much harder than I thought. There were just too many random books and so little time to browse them properly, so I ended up only buying 57 books for RM 475.

(I heard of a lady who spent RM 14,000 at the same sale. Salute! I would love to break that record one day, haha)

I got a good mix of chick-lits, autobiographies (my favorite catch is Bill Clinton's and Warren Buffet's), children's books, classics and non-fictions (varying from history to language).

And then I came back home, almost breaking my back walking shortly from the guard house to the lift, carrying three full bags of books (nasib baik tak jadi naik komuter, kalau tak, mesti tak dapat borong sebanyak nih), fully realizing that I don't have any more space in my bookshelves.

So I probably have to sacrifice my shoe shelf, or bought a new one. For now, the new books will have to sit against the wall in the living room :)

I went through the old books already on the shelves, and discovered that I have about twenty books that I have yet to read, including two still in their plastic wrapper, hahaha...

So in total: 77 books.

If I were to read everyday, and finished one book each week, it will take me 77 weeks, i.e close to one and a half year of non-stop reading and not buying new books.

Awesome!

Ghost

2010-11-16T21:49:00.006+08:00

The ghost of you keeps haunting me,
I just want to be happy,
Can you please let me be?

- F.K-

-------------------

Prince William, Kate Middleton announce engagement

OMG! News from a ghost of my distant past. He moves on, finally. Good for you, dear. Thank you for the memories.

(SSPians, mourn with me, please... hahaha)

Book Review: Heroes of Olympus - The Lost Hero

2010-11-13T23:56:00.005+08:00

"It isn't time yet, little hero. Some day, you'll have your quest. You'll find your destiny, and your hard journey will finally make sense. But first you may face many sorrows. I regret that, but heroes can't be shaped any other way" - Tia Callida / Hera.

Percy Jackson is back, wuhoo…!!!

Okay, sort of.

Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero is the follow up to the Percy Jackson’s series. However, our old hero and his friends are now the back-story and supporting characters for a whole new set of heroes. In this first book, Percy Jackson disappeared, and three new demi-gods – Jason, Leo, and Piper – were brought into Camp Half-Blood. They were soon claimed by their parent-god and as all other preceding books that came before this, they set out for a dangerous quest.

You won’t get anything different that what Rick Riordan had ever written before. This is pretty much just another Percy Jackson book – a group of heroes fulfilling a prophecy while their powerful god parents pretty much ignored them and they have to complete a quest in such a short time or if not, the whole world will collapse. Along the way they fight monsters, giants and other crazy mythical things.

Same old, same old.

However, this new series do show promise, as this time around, the historical aspect is not only from the Greek myth, but is coming from the Roman as well. Apparently, not only the Greek gods have their demi-gods children, but Roman demi-gods kids exist too. The history between the Greek and Roman demi-gods were rather ugly, and for the ultimate quest, Jason (the new series main hero) has to lead a group of heroes consisting of these two conflicting factions to save the world.

As a history buff and fervent Percy Jackson fan, I find this book still enjoyable to read, but nothing is breathtakingly amazing. At least I had fun in guessing the characters that appeared before their names were revealed. Those looking for an extraordinary twist or departure from the previous books will be disappointed. Read this if you are a hardcore Percy Jackson fan or looking for a quick, light read.

(… and the last two pages of the book – okay, I didn’t see it coming. I am so looking forward to know what will transpire next. But need to wait till September 2011 for the next book, "The Son of Neptune" to be published, isk isk)

Wordless Wednesday (Almost): 10.11.2010

2010-11-10T18:49:00.004+08:00

What is Wordless Wednesday?

On Wednesdays all over the internet, bloggers post a photograph with no words to explain it on their blog. Hence the ‘wordless’ title. The idea is that the photo itself says so much that it doesn’t need any description - WikiAnswer.

My first Wordless Wednesday entry :)

Washington DC, 2004?

___________________________________________________________

Well, this is (almost) wordless, but I just need to put this beautiful poem by Ferizal Ramli up. I first read this at Farina's blog:

Jika kau memintaku untuk merasakan perihmu, aku tak akan mampu.
Jika kau memintaku untuk mengurangi sedikit saja bebanmu, aku tidak kuat.
Jika kau memintaku menjadi saksi atas dukamu, aku tidak akan tahan.

Seluruh kata yang kupahami terlalu sederhana untuk melukiskan lukamu.
Seluruh air mata yang kumiliki tidak dapat mewakili kehilanganmu.
Ah aku begitu malu padamu; yang bisa aku lakukan cuma sebuah doa…

Tepian Lembah Sungai Isar
26.10.2010

Ferizal Ramli

(To a dear friend, I could not do more than be a listener, and pray for you. I won't be able to fully understand what you have to go through, but I will always be there anytime you need me. Prefer et obdura: dolor hic tibi proderit olim. Love you, a lot.)

Terry Fox Run 2010: Here Come The Foxes!

2010-11-09T18:23:00.006+08:00

"I am not a dreamer, and I am not saying that this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer. But I believe in miracles. I have to" - Terry Fox

Let me demonstrate to you the graceful way of falling down while roller skating in the midst of a few thousands people. It does not matter HOW you fall – it is how the fall ends. As example, you can fall like this:

... on your butt while navigating your way down the stairs (and who comes up with a brilliant idea to get the skaters to use a route with stairs? Aiyoooo, I have yet to learn how to jump while skating, okay. Macam x-treme sport la pulak kan. And it does not matter if only one particular skater - who shall remained nameless - falls down at the stairs and the other skaters got over it easily. No, it was not that one skater’s fault, humpphh)

Or you can fall face down, on your tummy, while trying to go uphill…

Posing shy-shy (malu-malu) setelah menyedari aksi kejatuhan telah dirakam. Teknik ini sama seperti teknik 'mengelak dari paparazi'. Kedua-dua tangan diangkat menutup muka. Berguna juga saya keluar dating dengan abang Nuar kerana kami sentiasa diserbu oleh media. Ilmu itu dapat dipraktikkan disini.

The most important thing is, after you fall, smile and laugh it off! That is how a graceful fall should end with… with a laughter, as if falling down is the most fun thing that could happen, people.

The End.

(And thank you to those who helped me, eh, who help that skater who shall remained nameless, to get back up again, hehe)

____________________________

Last Sunday was the 30th Terry Fox Run, and a few KOMA members joined in under the Petronas team. Terry Fox Run is an annual charity event to raise fund for cancer. Here is a background of the event (taken from Wikipedia):

Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox CC OD, (July 28, 1958 – June 28, 1981) was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi), and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over C$500 million has been raised in his name.

Some decided to run and walk, but a few of us decided to skate. We arrived just nicely before the event about to start, so there was really no time to practice. Hoh, it was quite nerve wrecking at first, since I haven’t skate for a while, and while testing the skate at the parking lot of Tasik Titiwangsa, we found that it was really hard to move because the asphalt surface was so rough. Wobble, wobble. I looked dejectedly at Huda and said, “How are we supposed to finish 2 km on this skate when we can barely move an inch?”. Awal-awal dah rasa nak give up – malu okay konon terer sangat nak skate tapi nanti terkial-kial lak. And the other skaters were so macho and experienced-looking. Psiko, beb!

Well, thank god, that the actual route, which was the main road that circled the lake, was smoother, and I breathed easily knowing that I won’t embarrassed myself in front of the crowd.

The ‘wheelers’ were released first, i.e the skaters, cyclists and strollers, and afterwards the runners and walkers. After a while, the first wave of runners caught up with us. It was so much fun that we decided to go for a second round, for a total of 4.4 km of skating. This was definitely one of the enjoyable event I’ve been to, since there was no pressure, it was for fun and charity, and everyone was just relaxing with their friends and families.

Looking forward for next year’s Terry Fox Run!

For more info, do visit the official Terry Fox Foundation website.

Picture credit to Assan, Harun & CK. Thank you also to Mr. Robin for sending the pictures to me.