Thursday, March 27, 2008

It just gets more interesting than ever

What a month it has been so far! Admittedly not yet fully recovered and still following the malaysian political drama that is so much better than 70% malaysian TV drama (of which the remaining 30% are what i could still stomach without fidgetting or happily choosing to switch channels or go read a novel or surf the net or just go out). Speaking of the Malaysian TV drama, the latest one that I could actually watch is Sindarella, starring Sharifah Amani (of Sepet, Gubra fame), Bront Palarae, Norkhiriah (just found out how brilliant she can be, and 1st seen her in Gubra) and some few other newcomers including that ex-dangdut gedik woman, Iffa Raziah.



This month also saw meself registering (albeit a 3-month base) at a local gym centre. What an achievement eh, considering that I have left myself with no excuse any more but I just had to do something in order to rectify my uric acid level in the blood and that I NEED a place (close and safe and motivating) to destress myself. Jobloads ever increasing, responsibilities and what nots even though i am yet a married woman with husband and kids to add to the number of burdens.



My house project is now practically on the move and I shall soon be visiting some local banks to survey and subsequently apply a personal loan to proceed with renovations, refurbishment and all that matter for the new house (my own first casa). I need to learn more on the win-win investment, and then thinking on maybe investing a bit into the public mutual trust fund. Bit by bit, i need to understand and learn SOOOO many things apart from the working environment. I kinda feel old yet somehow there is some sense of fulfilment even if it's only the beginning. I went asking a few friends to get some tips and ideas on how to manage the bank loans without drying up my own savings (which is so much easier to do and me ending up a skint but with a posh desire like always, yeah whatever).



I also found out that a fren of a fren has installed security system at her new house but at the expense of higher electricity bill. Hmmm...juggling between safety and money....Safety is numero uno come what may. Therefore, I may also consider asking her some info on that alarm system.



Never knew that I had to pay a cagaran (deposit) of RM 1000 for electricity usage in a Semi-D house? Mahal nak mampossss.....Doesnt matter if the semi-d house is small, they still charge the same for that house type. I am beginning to contemplate on becoming more and more frugal on saving the energy and cutting the electricity bill in the future. I have been paying my own electricity and gas bills in London before and it was based on peak-off peak rate. IN malaysia, not sure whether that kinda rate applies or not. I seem to see my family bills all the same regardless of night and day. Damn!

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2 weeks ago, my old colleague, OKM, a young professor from Imperial College London came over for an official visit under british sterling group to our university and delivered a talk at my faculty. We knew each other before he got married. I still remember at one time, a fren of mine tried to match us up but of course it did not work that way as we didnt have any chemistry between each other apart from as mates. There was also one time , a year after he got married that he came to join us in a club down Shaftersbury Avenue in london. With quite a few fond memories we shared, it was of little wonder that the moment we were face to face, he happily acknowledged my presence in front of my superiors during our first meeting at the Chancellory building.


He and his colleague, Dr. RS were then ushered to the banquet hall and he naturally chose a seat next to me. We started with a quick chat catching up on each other before he partook in a more serious discussion concerning university collaboration, research and so on. The next agenda, my head of dept (HoD) asked me to be the unofficial tour guide for OKM and RS to see our campus and that was the moment he became more of himself and started to get a bit cheeky in their chauffeured MPV. I felt like it was only days since I left the college? And of course, from the beginning till the end, we only addressed each other on the first name basis.


GOD i missed london, and UK, and a pint of fresh milk, and Greek yoghurt with dollop of honey and pizza in Bradford, and that familiar surroundings, be it smelly or enchanting that is London.

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Our department is organizing an international Chemical Engineering conference: RSCE-SOMChE 2008 (regional south-east chemical engineering - symposium of malaysia chemical engineering) and I am the Secretary 1. Those who are interested to participate, please click here for the conference website. It is still in progress, so please apologize for some lack of material there.

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This morning, I spent like 20 minutes glued on the sofa watching the original version of "Sabrina", starring the lovely Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey "Bogey" Bogart on Astro channel cinemax 412. I have never seen it before though i have watched the newer version of the movie starring Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond and Greg Kinnear. Why ooo why must the oldies be shown during the ungodly hour (8.30am on a weekday???? fucking out). That reminded me of that one Friday morning earlier this month that I took a day off and continued watching "Roman Holiday" starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. I didnt feel like going to work that day and since I didnt have much to do in the office after like Four very hectic Monday-Thursday, I thought I deserve my own break and decided to watch that movie for the first time ever. Alas, I only spent 20 minutes in the morning to watch "Sabrina" but I hope i can still get to watch it if Astro would kindly play it again on a weekend morning instead!

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BACK to WORK!


16 comments:

rad said...

Wah, so happening la as usual.
Congrats upon buying your 1st casa impian! Bila nak masuk meminang putera idaman? ahaks! Go ahead with the alarm thing - better piece of mind esp if you gonna stay alone/berdua/berfamily. hehe

Hm, byk betul duit yg berlebih ye...ada savings, ada trust fund - xterbayang rasanya berbanding zaman student yg sentiasa pokai!

A senior fren told me - now that she's teaching (FT uitm), she got less time but at the same less pressure in doing research - everything go smoothly. Aside from participating in this&that committee, conference etc. Betoi ka? Jelesnya...

Mel Ija said...

Happy loan shopping..!! Pick the best housing loans. Some people resort to Islamic loans, konon tak nak the conventional loans. BUT Islamic loans' interest is so expensive (it's not called interest, it's called something else, but the mechanism are more or less the same.. STRICLY my opinion here)that sometimes I think conventional loans are better, as they're low and more competitive. BUT look around lah. There are many offers out there. It's kinda interesting.

And about Sabrina.. I KNOW..!! Why must they show it in the morning. I was late this morning, so I watched it for about 10 minutes. Tension betul lah. I love the Julia Ormond version, so I really would love to see the Audrey Hepburn version. I hope ASTRO shows it again on the weekend.

Hazyr said...

Yes, I miss the fresh milk too!

Best makan sejuk2 with cereals before rushing off to lectures/work..

the ones here tak sama la.. so I have stopped eating cereals!

The Pisces Man said...

Eh, don't say ur future hubby and kids as burdens, better to say they are ur responsibilites, instead of the former.. just a thought.. hehe.

So, ur house is completed olredi? Where is it if u dont mind me asking..

I think the newer Sabrina is so very the boring.. how's the original one, i mean if u too think the newer one is boring as well lah..

Kak Teh said...

manal, you dont want to be in London or any part of the UK now. It is so so cold! You must have heard that it snowed, even in London, for two days. Strange weather.

ManaL said...

Rad,

Happening? more like haiii-pening!

By the way, it was great seeing u in the flesh this afternoon. Hope to see u again next time!

ManaL said...

Ija,

Yeah, I am not that particular whether it is of islamic or conventional loan, to be frank.

On Sabrina, i just checked out the AstroView program and they are gonna show it again on Monday afternoon? Harossss kah aku balik rumah ketika itewwww????

ManaL said...

Hazyr,

The white thing is definitely not the same. Even if it is, like GoodDay fresh milk, it's still a tad bit too expensive to pay RM8.00++ for a 2 litre milk when u only pay less than a pound for a 2 pint milk ( 1 pint = 568 ml)

ManaL said...

Pisces man,

Responsibilities can equal to burden too....of course, it's all about tests from god on the responsibility to look after the family, feed them and all that, yet mathematically speaking, it is part of one person's burdens whether he/she accepts it wisely and unconditionally or not.

That house in Bandar Bukit Mahkota, dah laaaaamaa siap since 2006 lagi , dgn CF and all, but I was inundated with poor financial status especially last year that it took me quite a while to get it done with refurbishment work and what nots. All these while i have been paying the loan RM1000++. Inshallah the house project will go on as I have secured one personal loan to cover the necessary expenses.

On Sabrina, what is boring to u doesnt mean it is boring to others. Well, i cant say that the 1995 "Sabrina" is that great, but the older one has kept me unmoved and undeterred not even a muscle so to speak for 20mins, and so, i am kinda intrigued to just go watch the whole movie. Later on, I will give u the review, which one is more classic. For eg, i prefer the original 1976 "The Omen" to the 2006 one. However, I kinda enjoy the quirky sense of "Charlie and the Choc Factory" more than the original "Willy Wonka" one.

ManaL said...

Kak Teh,

Yes, indeedy, in fact i follow BBC online news almost everyday without fail except if i am on the move and cudnt get to the internet access.

White Easter...no fun la searching easter eggs macam tu kan? And poor daffodils....

Lee said...

Hello Manal, x'cuse, but what is a 'casa'? House, bungalow, apartment, bedsitter, condo?
Can see you had fun with your London friend.
Re your movies, I have seen Sabrina I think 10 times all these years. There's a new version, Harrison Ford in it, but Bogey's one better.
Roman holiday? I love that movie.
Have you seen Casablanca?
Never get tired seeing it after 15 times, ha ha. Love his one liners, will end here with Bogey's favourite, 'here's looking at you, kid'. Lee.

Siti Khadijah said...

Congratultions and Good luck with the new house renovations.

Makji Esah said...

come back lah for visit cik akak oii...

ManaL said...

Uncle Lee,

Casa is spanish for house.

I have yet to see the whole of Casablanca. So far i've seen only bits of the scene. But I kinda like the last word given by Bogey: "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. "

For those newer generation, I have just started to accept and watch the oldies more n more 3-4 years back. That was also the time when i could really sit n enjoy old bond movies too when before that, I could only accept Brosnan version pre-daniel craig time.

So, which one u can compare yourself to: Linus or David?

ManaL said...

Madam curi,

Thanks kak nina. It seems like a tough thing to do, but i also have to continue doing my job and research (research applications, students and what nots). I hope to be able to cope with it with a more positive mind. By the way, I visited Equinox fitness centre and it looks kinda cool. Probably I will consider joining it once i feel more comfortable following my present gym membership routine (Wellness Centre, next to Azzahrah) , especially that they also give swimming lesson. But then, Danau has that sort of facility too or so i heard. Buat satu-satu dulu laa..once dah more fit, baru boleh go belajar swimming me reckon so.

ManaL said...

Makji,

Sure, and I will try to apply for the accomodation at Makji Esah BnB, ok ka? hehe...