Monday, October 29, 2007

Boudoir inspiration, Sunday matinee and Subang Bestari

Nothing beats a more relaxing and money worth spending hotel room than to have: A spacious bathroom, a luxurious and comfortable bed and a great view from across the window (and possibly a balcony). Yet, what is more convenient than to have a comfortable space around the room, lightings/illuminations u can control at the touch of a button next to your bed, calmness and serenity it brings us with good sound absorber (and excellent window double-glazing, helps to keep the room temperature steady during cold nights besides muffling the outside noise), warm shade of colours all around us to arouse the romantic mood and the right ambience, good room temperature settings and of course, smart internal security lock just so that we will get better sleeps at night especially if one is practically a single occupier or we just need a full privacy.




Some photos taken at some angles inside my room in melbourne:




Sengaja mess the bed so it'll give some homey feelings to it, and to remind me how comfortable the bed was



Not gonna design my bedroom this way, but some of it yea, especially the tv position and the study desk next to the window.





Dengan ini saya telah merasmikan katil ini. Sekian terima kasih. Only thing missing is a gorgeous lover.....



Vanity mirror...Must take note on having that in my bedroom.





Hmmm.....remind me to get a bigger, more spacious, bali-like/hawaii-like/bora-bora like hotel suites for my honeymoon. With bigger bathtub equipped with jacuzzi waters-streams, fresh seabreezes right through the windows, some nice, easy-listening musics with good surround system and speakers, divan across the room, sweet aromatherapy (candles, potpourris and whatnots).....did i just imagine a softporn scene here.....i think NOT!




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Sunday, 28 October 2007, 3.00pm, Istana Budaya


Yeay....alone yet happy and satisfied! I managed to catch the show PRamlee the Musical yesterday and I must say that I was perpetually lifted (by my own courage to go and watch it on my own first of all) by the whole ensemble.

This was also my first ever show at Istana Budaya and i was glad I went for it. Moreover, I managed to dress up the way i had wanted it from my own wardrobe that was suitable for both the show and the open house function, which i attended right after i left Istana Budaya at Subang Bestari. Deciding on what to wear and where to buy the clothes i want is never really an easy task all the while in Malaysia. I know my whereabouts and which shops i would target in London but here, I probably have to resort to those London high street shops like Dorothy Perkins or something like that around KL. The nearest megamall would be the Midvalley Megamall in bangsar, but it's not really around my neighbourhood unlike Alamanda Putrajaya, The Mines Wonderland, Jusco Taman Equine and IOI Mall Puchong. At least I can still buy shoes and some office clothes at some of the shops/boutiques there but not casual, trendy ones that I like and fit me well. Whatever hell the reason that most shops in those malls sell clothes of chinese-far east asian cuttings i do not know. Yeah, sure, that would definitely gain them more chinese, and typical malay customers with those petit 5ft 3 frames but not me unfortunately. They dont even make a regular size for people of 5ft 5 and above like me! Their XL pun either too londeh on the shoulder or only befitting those chubby 5 ft 3 ladies.

I need more shops, please!!!! like Principles, Sisley, Uniqlo, Oasis, Walis, GAP, River Islands, and many2 more shops that does size 12, 14 and 16 for regular sized people like me. So far malaysia has arrays of nice local boutique shops that does all that indie-manik2, sequence, bohemia-gypsy-malay-ish clothes, and skirts and tudungs but I need more than just that! Not many clothes in Reject Shop that i like pon, and those yang i would consider lak, are not cut for me!



OK, back to PRamlee the Musical.



One thing for sure, none of the main casts are the repeat ensemble of PGL (puteri gunung ledang the musical, of which i missed watching it due to my previously poor financial conditions).
Sean Ghazi, who played PRamlee has lived up to his name as a calibre west end-cum-singer extraordinaire. The main female protagonist, Saloma, played by liza hanim has almost brought the legendary "sally" back to life with those trademark manja-ness yet no-fuss persona. The story was told in 4 different eras of PRamlee: the first being his prepubescent years adoring the aristocrat's daughter azizah, his personal muse, the second one is the early making of a legend in Penang while still wooing azizah (played by Siti Nurhaliza, not her best acting performance but her live vocal talent is undoubtedly a pure bliss), the third part revolving around the golden malay movie era at Studio Jalan Ampas, Singapore in the 1950s and early 1960s and the fourth part was the last few moments of PRamlee before his demise in Kuala Lumpur in 1973, also made into the opening scene showing PRamlee composing one of his last songs, Air Mata di Kuala Lumpur, on the grand piano while accompanied by his darling wife, Saloma during a rainstorm.


It's definitely money worth spending on this show, although i am not sure why should i be spending more than RM100. They have good props, good lightings, variety of clothes/costumes that suits the era and mood, and most of them speak in a clear intonation.


It was not the greatest show on earth but I left the theatre feeling rather entertained and adoring PRamlee and his sheer love for film arts without stressing on the profit making more and more. Some scenes can be a bit dragging but hey, like Adlin Aman Ramlie the co-director (and i saw him standing at the entrance foyer smoking after the show) said in the New Straits Time: "It’s not easy to please everybody, but I hope I have done justice to the story". His aim was to be able to squeeze in the 4 different love stories of PRamlee with 4 women who have inspired him towards his acting and singing career as well as his movie-making talents.


Congratulations are in order for the producer herself, Tiara Jacquelina as the mastermind behind this successful sold-out musical theatre show and the whole production team. Even though she did not appear on the stage at all this time, her casts have made the audience reeling from the wonderful emotions having patiently endured a 3-hour show. To be honest, I would love to have shaken hands with Tiara and many of the cast members especially Sean Ghazi and Liza Hanim but I could not spare more time there as I was rushing to go to Subang Bestari, a new residential area in Kampung Subang and that I have never been there before. It was eventually a long drive away but i managed to arrive safe and sound thank god for my progressively reliable navigation skills around klang valley.

I jumpa AC Mizal and his pregnant wife, Emilia Rosnaida on my way to the car park. As she looked kinda preoccupied, I didnt go n talk to her but instead said hello to AC, who was manouvering his "posh" black 4WD slowly towards the public entrance staircase and asked about his wife. And that parking lot officer who kept coming near me and trying to be rather helpful and friendly from the moment i drove into the free parking area all the way to the time when i was leaving. I supposed he thought he was doing his best chivalry of helping me around seeing that i was alone and all. Anyways, he found a good parking spot for me so i should be thankful, innit? I reckon there are always good people around especially during Visit Malaysia 2007....

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It was indeed a long way to Subang Bestari, home to my old kisas classmate, Siti Zured and hubby Ramzi. She had invited me a few days earlier to her open house function yesterday and yet she would not mind me arriving at her place after maghrib as the show ended at 6.15pm. We were close mates during our form 4 to form 5 but we havent seen each other for almost 13 years. She also made another arrangement with another close buddy of us, Warda, who came with her daughter all the way from Seri Kembangan. We were once a trio but as we slowy edging up towards SPM, we became engrossed with our own world and i got closer to another mate, mira. Somehow, i managed to keep in touch now and then with Zured yet i lost contact all together with Warda. Last year we were trying to plan for our first ever reunion, the three of us, but it didnt materialize due to a certain circumstances and time clash. However, Warda saw me at Jusco Taman Equine on the day that we supposed to meet for the 1st time. And then, it took us almost another 10 months before Zured finally managed to get us all back together. Despite knowing the long distance and having to brave through new roads and all, Warda and I persevered in the name of friendship, each driving on her own from different locations.

I guess when the niat is good, God will help ease our way, and that was the case with our first ever "grand" meeting. Believe me, as we have missed so many things on each other's life, to be able to tell all the (momentous and more relevant) happy and sad stories we had in 2 hours was far from enough, perhaps it was the tip of the iceberg. Yet, we managed to get some gists of what we needed to know as far as first meeting after 13 years is concerned. Both are married and with kids except me. But we all were very happy for each other's successes in life. None of them went to each other's wedding reception and they would hope that i would make way for that to happen.

Funny how we met when we were not yet 16 but all three of us do not change much in the physical appearance except being prettier, womanly and more diva(thats me laaa hehe...). May there be more meetings to come, inshallah.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Views from the top

Melbourne, 23 September 2007, Sunny Sunday morning.


Manal's eyeview of the panoramic sceneries across a few angles of Melbourne captured by her 2 years old fuji 6 megapixels digicam from 43rd floor, room 19, Sofitel Melbourne hotel:



Photo #1: The building down below houses a few commonwealth and city administration offices next to the Treasury Park on the right. All the way down the park, you may catch a glimpse of river Yarra.

Photo#2: That dark cathedral smack in the middle of the byway is supposedly one of the oldest of its kind in Melbourne.


Photo#3: The lower building in the middle of the brown and grey buildings is the Parliament House. Melbourne used to be one of the country's main admin domain until everything is shifted to Canberra.


Photo#4: The heart of the city where commercial areas and banks and some colleges situated near each other.



Photo#5: Another view of the Treasury Park in Spring time. To the right middle of the park is the Conservatory area where they grow some exotic plants, herbs and flowers. A bit like a plant nursery.

Pretty sombre yet tranquil city on a Sunday morning was what I could describe. Not so much of a traffic seen, and this reminded me of a certain part of London especially on the East End, Mayfair, and Chelsea on a normal Sunday.

The hotel is situated in what looks like one of the posh and quiet vicinities of the city. Even though it is not really london or paris vis-a-vis (relatively speaking), but the city's close proximity to the places around it made this hotel a convenient spot to begin your little journey to roam across the city sans unnecessary hassles. Nevertheless, people can still enjoy some sense of je ne sais quoi the more you travel across the city (and perhaps all the way to the coast line down south) (kan makji esah?)

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Aidilfitri 1428H


Today is 5 Shawal 1428H. I hope it is never too late to wish every muslim reader a happy and blessed aidil fitri, maaf zahir batin. Although eid falls on the 1st shawal of the islamic lunar calendar, we malaysians celebrate eid for the whole shawal month be it 29 or 30 days.

This year's raya:

  • I managed to puasa the whole month so I dont need to do any ganti.
  • I didn't buy any baju raya, or kasut raya, but i bought meself new tudungs and new set of brooches.
  • I lost 5-8 kg. Therefore, I managed to fit into an old pair of Sisley pinstriped pants that I havent wore for the past 2 years or more.
  • I went to visit my dearest Cikgu Maimunah Yunus in Sg.Merab Luar, who taught me in standard 3 and that I havent seen her for AGES.
  • I also went convoying with another 2 ex-kisas classmates to beraya at our cikgu and ex-mentor, Cikgu Rosnaini Adnan in Kg.Kemensah, Ulu Klang, just next to the Zoo Negara.
  • I drove with my parents on a convoy with another car driven by my 4th bro-inlaw to Johor Bahru on the Eid's night, saturday night 13 October 2007 that was. I haven't been to Johor for almost 7 years, and I have always regarded that city as my own personal romantic city in Malaysia. So many beautiful memories emblazoned forever in my heart during my 5-months working stints in Pasir Gudang. A supposedly 4 hours plus , can be 5 hours journey was somehow cut into 3 hours (or less as I had a half an hour or more break at one of the R&Rs) as I was constantly driving at 120 to 170 km/h speed. The midnight driving thrill effect was heightened by the thick fog blanketting the highways all the way from Pagoh to Kulai.
  • I am most probably gonna be embarking on another relationship "adventure" . Wish me luck, occay. It aint gonna be a secret i tell ya, but this new relationship is still very fresh and i was afraid to jinx it. It all began in my last trip to Cameron Highlands, and I hope it'll continue to bloom and bloom inshallah. I am no longer with the bengal dude, but he's still my good buddy (so as a few of my old flames, and i like to remain friends with them especially that we have shared a very close, intimate and spiritual relationships together and we empower each other. Me bitter? In the beginning memang la kan bengang, sedeyyy and macam2 but i also treat all these as part of my life experiments. They weren't experiment rejects or anything like that but more on my personal progressing part. As we know, a research is always in the continual, dynamic mode and I as a researcher would naturally continually improving on the methodologies and looking for better ways to achieve better products and so on. Ala2 CQI , continual quality improvement laaaa....)
I am thinking of going to see PRamlee The Musical, which will commence its show tomorrow, 18 October 2007. More on this, please click here. The ticket ranges from RM50 to RM200. To Kak Ruby, Sean Ghazi gonna be the lead actor, playing the legend P.Ramlee.







My faculty is still almost empty. I came back to work today after raya and the parking lots and the whole area seems like a deserted place.

I better call anyone around,see if I could go beraya at their house this week or so....offer diri gitewwww....

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I finally managed to secure a ticket to watch the theatre. Berhempas-pulas aku dok tunggu, line busy memanjang, the ticket website pun slow semacam due to heavy traffic and then akhirnya , after like 150minutes of perseverance, I got the RM50 ticket on a Sunday matinee show, 28th Oct, Sunday. Apparently, Dr.Bubbles also gonna be there but on the following week and he'll be catching the last show from a better seating position.

This is gonna be my personal "debutante" into the Istana Budaya scene. I missed watching Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical due to sengkek-ness, and so this time, I tried not to miss another of Tiara Jacquelina's masterpiece (i wonder whether she would make a cameo on the stage or not as she wasn't listed among the cast). Oh well, there'll always gonna be a first time for everything. Although i had to go there on my own, I'll make sure that my mood matches the theatre ambience. I need to think of what to wear for such an occassion now. Something that exudes bold and confidence yet sophisticated and warm. Hmmm....come to think of it, going on a baju raya should be ok too considering that it's an afternoon show and it's still Shawal, kan kan? but would that makes me look like so an outsider...? naaahhhh i'll drop that idea laaa....nanti tak cool....mana tau kot2 ade saper2 nak interview/terjah for any comment on the show, i'll be mistaken for someone going for an open house function plak.

Right. Must. not. get. too. excited.

Sunday, October 07, 2007

cameron highlands 07-09 Sept 2007 and on ramadhan food

The first weekend of September, we had our department Colloquium and Family day in Cameron Highlands, Pahang. I was the treasurer for this program. All the committee members led by Prof.Dr. Abdul Amir and Assoc.Prof.Dr. Zahira have been working really hard in realizing this program, which we didnt manage to do last year due to budget constraints. Although it was meant for our department academic and supporting staffs, it would not take place if it wasnt for the commitment of the committee members and the full support of all the department staffs in general.



This Cameron Highlands trip was the second trip ever for me there. The first one was way back in 1990, thats 17 years ago, when i was in form 2. I joined our secondary school excursion but unfortunately, that particular cameron highlands trip wasnt the joyous trip for me. I went because i've never been there before and I know I will have to wait for a long time before i could go there with my family. We were already a big family of 10 and obviously we could not fit into our old small proton saga car that time at one go. Therefore, i decided to ask my parents for some extra pocket money to join this school trip and many other school trips organized by the school.


Anyways, this second trip, I had a really wonderful time. Even though we didnt really get much time to spend touring around this popular tourist temperate-climate destination due to our packed program and short weekend, we managed to enjoy whatever moment we had together be it the colloquium program, family day sports carnival or those short trips around some of the places around town. I tried to remember what I did and where i went 17 years ago, but most of the memories seemed irrelevant to me. All i could recall were this passion fruit discovery, some english roses, staying at some cheap hotel along the shophouses and met with two very friendly Pahang policemen who went on chatting with me nearby the cheap hotel lobby for whatever reason i couldnt really remember much except some funny and not so funny stories on their experience working with the pahang sultan.



This recent trip, we stayed at Century Pines Resort, Tanah Rata. It was not the plushest hotel (rated 4 star) but one of the (uncanny) things i could remember the most was my little encounters with this cute Burmese hotel caretaker/room service fella. He was just about my height ( 5 ft 5 inches) but he sure has this cute, innocent, kuning langsat flawless skin face. IN the first few times he came to my room sending some items i asked for, i couldnt tell whether he was local or not. He has this pahang-terengganu sweet look, couldve been some bit of japanese takuya kimura looks, too (or saper2 la cute japanese actor with lovely big, slanting eyes, and nice thick lock of jetblack hair) . Wa takde la crush or jatoh centa, beb, saje suka2 cuci mata gitewww. Then on the final night (saturday night), I called the room service again to check the shower head in my room and they sent him (again). He took a look and check the faulty (loose) head and told me he had to get a new set of washer to tighten the grip. He came back after like 10 minutes and began working on the shower head. As he was not that tall, i asked him to just step into the bath tub instead of struggling to stretch his feet up. He didnt speak much but i thought (dengan gatalnya sikit) whats wrong with having some short conversation (on the technical aspect of the shower and maintenance of course) with him and somehow he replied in some mixed malay-funny accent. I took it as my cue as I straightforwardly asked him where is he from. And he said in a casual yet monotonous answer: Myanmar. Those short communication i had with him kinda ease up any usual awkwardness especially that I am a single (goodlooking) woman occupying the room on my own and he is a dude. It's like showing him my own prerogative and my own prowess (?) that sort of sending him the message that hey i am ok, u just do your work and be gone.


I dunno some myanmar/burmese dude would look cute like that. Thai guys i know, but burmese, besides those monks struggling against those Junta on the rally for democratic myanmar and campaigning to free Aung San Su Kyi, i havent a clue much on the "cuteness" level there. But now that i found one who is far from the typical burmese dark sawo matang looks, i rest my case on burmese men (on the not so goodlooking indochinese looks part). No offence to any burmese around, but it's good to know that cute guys do exist there, i jer yang tak perasan.





Special nursery area for flowers at MARDI cameron highlands






Saujana mata memandang at Bharat Tea plantation






I am doing my best "belilah Cameronian Tea" promotion attempt






I've got my MOJO (and grooves) back!


I knew that I need to get away from Malaysia (or away from klang valley) and go somewhere fun or exotic to reinstore my mojo and grooves back. Why is it mattered so much to me? Hell yeah it does. It's to do a lot with refreshing one's mind esp in those places I visited , i get a good relaxing moments, enjoying breathtaking views and some bit of a good old chitchat with some goodlooking fellas....no, i am not gatal or anything....but some little flirt and attention from the opposite sex does something to my self-esteem hence my mojo and grooves! It doesnt do much around here but when it comes to holidaying, it kinda give me some spiced up effect? Light-headed, laughing, no work stress....no wonder i feel so much healthier (and lighter due to lotsa walking around) everytime i come back from a delightful trip.



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I must confess that I still owe a few tags to do but since this is a call for ramadhan food (and only during ramadhan), I reckon i'll have a go at it. So, Ija, here are the list of foods that I would drool over definitely eat during Ramadhan. Mind u that i no longer am that big eater or having lotsa food cravings...My taste bud gets more and more exclusive and my tummy gets less and less expanding power and with somewhat low level of kepedasan threshold/endurance.



Name 5 food that you feel like having for iftar la, but not on the same day:


1. McDonald’s beef foldover (sama la kita. Somehow, I have become a beef lover this year, I'd go for beef anytime over chicken and I do not know why)

2. Good old ikan bakar (siakap (seabass), or tenggiri (kingfish) or even the humble ikan kembung (mackarel) cicah sambal asam

3. Beef lasagna

4. Meehoon bandung muar (must be with beef)

5. KuayTeow Kerang (i just had it during our iftar today, my mum cooked it)



Name 5 food you would like to have for breakfast if you could (as in sahur, ok):


1. A 1/4 plate of Nasi putih with sambal sotong and sayur kailan/sawi goreng kicap

2. Hot Baguette sandwich with tuna, mature cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and butter

3. Rich-fibre bread sandwich with cheese and tomato

4. Good old creamy Greek yoghurt with dollop of honey and a cuppa hot choc

5. A 1/4 plate of nasi putih and tomyam campur.



Name 5 food you would most likely buy for berbuka today:

1. Tau foo fa

2. Tepung pelita

3. Air tebu or soya

4. Chicken/beef murtabak

5. Air kelapa muda straight from the coconut, together with its soft white flesh.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

I feel blessed

I Am Blessed
(by Eternal)


Ooh, hmm
Here in the silence I say a prayer
Though I've never seen you somehow I know you're there
You're in the faces of the people that I meet
You're as silent as the Earth beneath my feet
So if I should complain that all I have is not enough

Forgive me, I've been given so much



And I am blessed, every time I look into my baby's eyes
I think of all the friends who've touched my life
I realise in a world where some have more and some have less
I have love and I am blessed

So many changes this world can put you through
Sometimes it's hard to find a way if a heart can get confused
But then I hold you and it all falls into place
You've given me what time cannot erase
So when I'm feeling down or feel sorry for myself
I look around and it's easy to tell



That I am blessed, every time I look into my baby's eyes
I think of all the friends who touched my life
I realise in a world where some have more and some have less
I have love and I am blessed




Every time I look into my baby's eyes

I realise I think of all the friends who touched my life

And I am blessed (I am blessed)
Every time I look into my baby's eyes (I look into your eyes)
I think of all the friends who have touched my life
I realise (I realise) you've given me such peace and happiness
In this world where some have more and some have less
I am loved
And I am blessed