The archive posts

As i looked back to my old entries in the archive, I have just realized something:

1. I wrote something on the fact that i've never been down under (australia), and last september, I've made it. I didnt realize that it was some sort of a subconscious wish what with all those Australian Open in Melbourne, and it actually came true.
2. I was up to the point of expressing my dismay of unable to attend my graduation day last May 2006, but alhamdulillah I finally got my chance last May 2007.

It's autumn in the northern hemisphere part of the world and it has been 2 years since I passed my PhD viva. And not too long after that I was diagnosed with hypertension. How ironic this PhD as a supposedly short form of Permanent health Damage! It was not just my third and final tertiary education degree from the world 5th ranking university as published by Times Higher Education for the 2007 list (which saw no Malaysian universities made it in the top 200 list), but it also left an almost permanent scar.

31st October = Halloween day. Not a significant day in malaysia yet it was one of those days that my college mates and I did something crazy together. Not totally crazy but oh well, we'd dress up as some freaky monster. That was in 2001 and 2002 though. In 2003, I went to the Black Widow pub down Gloucester Road with 2 of my research group mates and we were given some free santa claus hats? OK sorry, that was our Christmas thingie before the holiday kicked in. Dont worry, I am a staunch teetotal...no need to worry about whether i downed some alcohol or anything close to some few drops of it in my drink. Yea, now i remember, I stopped doing this Halloween stuff from 2003 and onwards to pay my respect to Ramadan fasting month.

Early weeks of November, apart from missing those Lord Mayor Parade in South bank side, I'd opt to go to those bonfire night instead. And i managed to go to one of its fireworks sites in Ravenscourt Park. That was the nearest I stood next to a huge bonfire with some ear-deafening yet totally awesome firework pyrotechnics. The rest were mostly just watching from afar including from my old flat's bedroom window. As cliche and cheesy at times this fireworks maybe, i still would get excited watching those colourful flares lighting up the sky, doesnt matter where on earth I'd be. A bit similar to watching those snowflakes even though i've seen them for like the umpteenth time.


What I'm getting in Malaysia??? A face to face with Sean Ghazi, no fireworks between us of course but it was definitely an uplifting experience to meet a local artiste with international flair who can naturally speaks good English. No bonfire night in Malaysia, but inshallah, there'll be more "fire" relight inside of me soon.

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I knew those words i said may have hurt my mother so many times but i dunno, ever since i am back in Malaysia, I've thrown my tantrums quite so often that I prefer to stay quiet when I am at home. Contrary to the popular believe where office and work can add more stress to one's life, i am an opposite case. I seek my solace in my office. I laugh more when i am with some of my work colleagues than i do so at home. Yes, i have bought a new house but i am yet to be able to move there due to limited savings. I hope i can apply another loan especially for new house renovation and refurbishment so it'll be ready to be habitable, hence another of my personal haven.

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On a lighter note, I have bought a new desktop for home use. My old pc is already nearly 6 years old and being Dell, not just any RAM can be bought and fit in without consulting Dell PC. One little yet rather sickening problem: new pc supported MS Vista as XP is slowly phasing out of the market except by personal request on ordering a new pc. Both my HP printer and digicam photo uploading software do not support Vista. Consequently I still am relying on my old PC (good old PC, bought it in london yet received the whole set "made in malaysia". The new one has Made In China stamped all over the place) for printing and photo uploading purpose. Not that big hassle la, but it is also an early indication that whatever new electronic gadget i'll be buying in the future, it must support Vista as its ultimate OS (and its basic requirement has to be of XP-compliance). My new office PC is pre-installed with XP, which is a good thing as it is compatible to many softwares available.


And i bought this new Dell pc on a 12-month interest free credit card scheme. That would keep my options open on how i'll be paying it later within the 12 months period of course.

I am yet to own a laptop. I think i am one of those few people in the developed world who has never own a laptop but to date has bought a desktop for the third time. My virgin experience with owning a pc using my own pocket money was way back in Bradford, autumn 1998 during my undergraduate studies. The second was in early spring 2002. I love electronic gadgets tawwwww, but i am patient on when i can afford to lavish myself with equipping myself with woteva state-of-the-art latest technology gadgets. I hope to be able to get a new set of laptop once i get my own research grant.


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We had to incorporate Kemahiran Insaniah (human capital) evaluation in our final year grading. Hmmm...that is equal to more works to do.

Some malaysian celebrities

Picture#1: Taken last April, on the day Kak Teh, the lady on the right leaving home to london from her brother's place in bandar baru bangi. I'm in the middle, looking wee bit worn out coz i went there straight after office. And that petite pretty little lady next to me on the left is Kak Teh's beloved mother. She must have been quite dishy in her heydays as she still looked adorable in her golden age (90 years old, isnt it kakteh?)

Kak Teh or Zaharah Othman is one of the prolific malaysian journalists who is based in London, and that was where i first met her during my PhD years. Recently, her husband, Wan Ahmad Hulaimi published a book entitled: Growing Up in Trengganu under a nom de plume: Awang Goneng. I hope she and her husband will be back in Malaysia again for an official book launching so I can get a signed copy of it.




Picture#2: After like berhempas-pulas looking for the house, I finally made it to teratak AdieJin somewhere deep in Hulu Langat (it's his parents weekend abode by the way). I drove all the way from Port Dickson (PD), right after our faculty retreat at a boring hotel called Corus Paradise (pbbhhtsssss, how uncanny and unbecoming its name relative to what it has to offer!). Being a "minah kerempitan" as what Makji Esah suggestively called me, I didn't spend that long reaching hulu langat from PD although the distance travelled surpassed 150km. I am not implying in any way that I am a reckless, fast and furious on the road, but when i am cruising down the highway, I took my opportunity to test how far can my car go as far as efficient-on-the-road is concerned.

Dek kerana dah berniat nak jugak jumpa Nurfarahin Jamsari (AdieJin's darling wife and an ex-Tv3 talk show hostess and newsreader turned image management unit chief in Media Prima,) and to get a signed copy of her new book entitled "44 hari bersama Nurfarahin", I managed to reach his place after like 1 and a half hour going round and round sesat-barat but learned a few new places between the journey. Dah la tu, it was raining cats and dogs the time i reached my final destination. Had to thank this malay dude in his 40s for offering to direct me towards the nearest spot before the (parents) house by asking me to follow behind his motorcycle. I met him along with a bunch of other malay dudes sitting around in a mamak shop when i stopped by asking for some directions. They were all very friendly and sensing that it wasnt easy for me to really find the place, one of them , the 40s dude in his motorbike, came and offered to assist me. Alhamdulillah, ramai orang malaysia kita yang baik-baik kan? I still remembered that chinese bloke who also gave me directions to Subang Bestari while he was about to fill his car with petrol at Petronas Bukit Subang.


Anyways, here's a picture of us. Nurfarahin (kak farah) sitting on the left looking delectable and composed as usual, her youngest daughter siti sarah hugging her from behind and kak farah's youngest sister inlaw (AdieJin's sister la), Cher, who happened to be my old A-level College friend and that I have not seen her for almost 10 years. And there was I in my all black top to skirt (and shoes too), gave my cheerful best even though i was kinda tired! Sempat met with this popular Kelantanese sitcom actress, Mek ( i dunno her real name) who looked better in flesh than on the telly, kinda cute actually (comey lotey as kelate would normally call it) and she lost more weight too.






Picture#3: And uhhummmmm.....i got to be upclose and personal with Sean Ghazi! Wohooo....!! I met him right after our University of Bradford Reunion Dinner at Shangri-La Hotel in KL. You wanna know what i said to him the first time we greeted and shook our hands:

"I saw you in that PRamlee the Musical.....Hey ,you are a small guy".... while looking rather ecstatically at him.

My three other ex-bradford mates quickly responded loudly telling me, "Ape la cakap macam tu!" (What did u say like that to him?) for which i told him straight away as a matter-of-factly, "But he sure is a BIG TALENT!".

He laughed nonchalantly, taking it as an honest remark from some unknown person like me. While we were taking photos in group, Sean casually put his arm around my waist and i ehhemmm lovingly ehehhe...put my arm around his shoulder. My mates saw that and began to ask me to keep my hand off him . I reckoned Sean probably heard what they said. As a result, it only made Sean holding me closer! When it was my camera turn to take our picture together in group, my batteries gone flat! Bloody hell! i quickly korek-korek (rummaged through) my bag looking for spare batteries, immediately changing it and gave my camera back to the lady who took our picture. My mates , tired of my little antics with Sean, left me posing alone with him.

He was so sporting and cheerful and when we finally had our picture snapped, he jokingly said,
" Third time lucky!".

Before he left us, he told me there would be a rerun for the musical next year but did not hint when exactly. I told him that I knew Kak Ruby, and he fondly mentioned her as his friend. To Kak Ruby, we sure have to get hooked up after this!




Somehow, I am already blase having met quite a few hollywood and british celebrities in London that I get to act more casual when it comes to the malaysian scene.


Cant help adding one of his most popular songs: Semalam. It kept me afloat listening to his melodious, creamy smooth, frank-sinatra like voice. I would personally love to hear his "my way" rendition live! Dont worry, i aint falling in love with that dude himself, but I adore his singing talents. Not many male singers (those that are still alive) in malaysia that could send me some goosebumps and besides Sean, we have Anuar Zain, Zainal Abidin, some old rockers like Amy Search, Awie, Hattan, MNasir, Nash,Saleem and few others like Tam Spider, and Reshmonu.




I saw Tuanku Mizan coming out from some Accountant society dinner function at Shangri-La hotel too, just after my encounter with Sean. The Agong, too, is a small malay built guy but somehow he looked a bit serious, judging from the moment he stepped out of the banquet hall and walking in between his guards and some important people. He probably was tired anyway, as the function ended around 10.30pm (or tired of being surrounded by bunch of accountants, young and old, mustve reminded him of something to do with money matter and whatnots. Another two despised yet popular job are lawyers and real estate agents, the latter especially despised in the UK!). I was just about to take his picture but he walked away swiftly. Oh well,next time, in a more proper occassion, I shall get my chance to know that sultan better. He exudes the regular bloke type but with an air of authority of course. I just dunno why but from the moment i saw his profile in the Sandhurst Military College graduate book back in August 2005, I began to think that I wanna meet him coz he looks like a friendly dude. And when he was coronated as the Agong in the end of last year, i somehow felt proud? One is because he doesnt look that snobbish and two because i see a regular bloke in him. Betul ke tidak my firasat, wait n see la.

Two photographers outside that accountant night banquet hall came talking to me. Ntah pasai apa they got friendly and all and even told me how friendly Sean was with me! Sib baik I am no celebrity or someone in a provocatively sexy dress. But even if I was, walking up to meet Sean was nothing short of a waste of energy with him being accommodating and professional!!!!


What a day to remember this Wednesday, 7 November 2007!

Astronaut and Erra-Emran news-streaming

Source: The Star

Some news on Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor AlMasrie, Malaysia's first astronaut:


His arrival and the funeral service for his third brother, sheikh mustapha (another cute dude) demise.

http://videos.thestar.com.my/default.aspx?vid=549

http://videos.thestar.com.my/default.aspx?vid=576

Astronauts meet the Agong, Tuanku Mizan and a welcome speech by Datuk Jamaludin Jarjis:

http://videos.thestar.com.my/default.aspx?vid=596


Meeting with Prime Minister, Pak Lah:

http://videos.thestar.com.my/default.aspx?vid=593





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Selamat pengantin baru, Erra Fazira (Fazira Wan Chik) and Engku Emran Engku Zainal Abidin:

Nikah ceremony:

http://videos.thestar.com.my/default.aspx?vid=568

Wedding reception:

http://videos.thestar.com.my/default.aspx?vid=597

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.

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?)

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.

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.

************************************************************************


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.

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

g'day from down under!

hehe....short blog from melbourne. Been here for 4 days and it's been marvellous....i'm glad i'm actually having my fast here in the midst of lovely spring time.

Today is the Chemeca2007 conference final day. And later in the midnite (thats thursday early morning) i'll be flying back to KL.

What A PLUSH hotel, and what lovely atmosphere here....definitely will think of coming back to melbourne. Friendly people too. And plenty of chinese....doesnt matter where is their country of origin (includes malaysia) but the chinatown is definitely one of the significant landmark in the heart of the city.

First time down under and it sure is far from disappointing. Yupp, i am like down under the planet earth....funny huh?

Let us observe Ramadhan

Salam Ramadhan kareem to all, may we observe the fasting of Ramadhan steadfastly, full of humility aiming to ask for blessings (barakah), forgivings (maghfirah) and Allah's good pleasure and satisfaction (mardhatillah).

From Al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2:265

"And the likeness of those who spend their substance, seeking to please Allah and to strengthen their souls, is as a garden, high and fertile: heavy rain falls on it but makes it yield a double increase of harvest, and if it receives not Heavy rain, light moisture sufficeth it. Allah seeth well whatever ye do"


************************************************************************************


An interesting article from Islamicity.

"Fasting in Ramadan develops in a person the real spirit of social belonging, of unity and brotherhood, and of equality before God. This spirit is the natural product of the fact that when people fast they feel that they are joining the whole Muslim society (which makes up more than one fifth of world's population) in observing the same duty, in the same manner, at the same time, for the same motives, and for the same end. No sociologist or historian can say that there has been at any period of history anything comparable to this powerful institution of Islam: Fasting in the month of Ramadan. People have been crying throughout the ages for acceptable 'belonging', for unity, for brotherhood, for equality, but how echoless their voices have been, and how very little success they have met..." says Hammudah Abdalati, in Islam in Focus.


"What is fasting?" "How does the fasting of Muslims in Ramadan differ from the fasting of other faiths?" "Why should one 'torture' one's body in the first place?" "What do you really gain from fasting in the end?"...These are a few questions that a number of non-Muslim friends and colleagues often ask us, usually out of fascination with this spiritually-uplifting practice of Islamic faith, and at times out of pity and sympathy for us, thinking, why should anyone suffer from hunger and thirst like Muslims? I wouldn't be surprised if many of us shared the same negative perception of Fasting.

It is important to note that Fasting in Arabic is called, "Sawm", which literally means 'to be at rest'. Fasting in the month of Ramadan (the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar) is one of the Five Pillars upon which the "house" of Islam is built. During this month, every able-bodied Muslim, is required to fast, everyday from dawn until dusk .

12 Reasons To Fast!

1. Fasting is an institution for the improvement of moral and spiritual character of human being. The purpose of the fast is to help develop self-restraint, self-purification, God-consciousness, compassion, the spirit of caring and sharing, the love of humanity and the love of God. Fasting is a universal custom and is advocated by all the religions of the world, with more restrictions in some than in others. The Islamic Fast, as opposed to mere starvation or self-denial, is an act of worship and obedience to God, thanksgiving, forgiveness, spiritual training, and self-examination.

2. Ramadan gives us a break and provides us with a rare opportunity to think about our own selves, our future, and our families. It is a time to give our selves a mental break and to temporarily forget about the hundreds of worries and stresses we are constantly bombarded with. In hectic times, such as ours, and in places like the West, this valuable time to think about our lives, on individual basis, is a luxury and is desperately needed! It is a unique month of self-analysis, and of taking stock of one's moral and spiritual 'assets and liabilities'.

3. Fasting indoctrinates us in patience, unselfishness, and gratitude. When we fast we feel the pains of deprivation and hunger, and learn how to endure it patiently. The meaning of this powerful experience in a social and humanitarian context is that we are much quicker than anybody else in sympathizing with the oppressed and needy around the world, and responding to their needs. "

4. Fasting in Ramadan enables us to master the art of mature adaptability and Time-Management. We can easily understand this point when we realize that fasting makes people change the entire course of their daily life. When they make the change, they naturally adapt themselves to a new system and schedule, and move along to satisfy the rules. This, in the long run, develops in them a wise sense of adaptability and self-created power to overcome the unpredictable hardships of life! A person who values constructive adaptability, time-management, and courage will appreciate the effects of Fasting in this respect as well.

5. It cultivates in us the principle of sincere Love, because when we observe Fasting, we do it out of deep love for God. And a person, who loves God, truly is a person who knows what love is and why everyone on this Earth should be loved and treated justly, for the sake of God.


6. Fasting elevates the human spirit and increases our awareness of God. It strengthens our will-power as we learn to rise above our lower desires. The institution of fasting is both unique and a shared experience in human history. From the very beginning of time, humans have struggled to master their physical and psychological selves: their bodies and their emotions. Hunger is one the most powerful urges that we experience. Many, through over- or under-eating or consumption of unhealthy foods, abuse this urge. Thus, when a person purposefully denies something to their own self that it craves, they are elevating their mind above their body, and their reason and will above their carnal passions. "A fasting person empties his stomach of all the material things: to fill his soul with peace and blessings, to fill his heart with love and sympathy, to fill his spirit with piety and Faith, to fill his mind with wisdom and resolution," says H. Abdalati in Islam in Focus. The person who can rule their desires and make them work, as they like, has attained true moral excellence.


7. With the clarity of mind and absence of distractions, also comes a greater focus. As students, the period of fasting, especially early during the day, serves as a tool to focus our minds on our academics. In the month of Ramadan, many Muslims try to avoid watching TV, listening to music, and some other leisure activities, which spares them more time and energy to be spent on more productive activities such as academics, intense study of Islam, voluntary prayers, social and humanitarian causes, and a quality time with the family, to name a few. It is a reminder of our duty to God, our purpose and higher values in life, as God Himself describes the purpose of fasting as follows, "O you who Believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may develop consciousness of God" (Quran 2:183).



8. Fasting has numerous, scientifically proven, benefits for our physical health and mental well-being. The time, length and nature of the Islamic Fast all contribute to its overall positive effect. One of the medical benefits is a much-needed rest to the digestive system. The reduced food intake during the day allows the body to concentrate on getting rid of harmful dietary toxins accumulated as natural by-products of food digestion throughout the year. The length of the Islamic Fast itself (around 12-14 hours) is in sync with the 'transit time' of food from the mouth to the colon of the large intestine, ensuring that no stimulus reaches the stomach or digestive system while it remains in homeostasis. Therefore, for the vast majority of healthy individuals fasting poses no medical risks but in fact provides many health benefits, such as: an increase in serum Magnesium, essential for cardio-vascular health and prevention of heart complications; improvement in the quality and depth of sleep; improvement in memory and slower skin aging over time; increased production of growth hormone, etc. Also, as a general note, it has been observed that underfed animals live longer than their heavily fed counterparts and suffer fewer illnesses during their lives.



9. The month of Ramadan provides us with a sort of "Boot camp." It is a month of intense moral training. Since we know that Fasting is a special duty prescribed by God, we learn that any sins may spoil our record of fasting with God, so we go through great lengths making sure we are on our best behavior. Many people who experience fasting in this month, feel the impact that this intense training has on their habits, and realize the power of this transformative tool designed to make us better human beings- the ultimate goal of any spiritual exercise. The entire Ramadan atmosphere provides the driving force for this positive change.



10. It makes us realize the reality of life and death. Fasting makes us realize how dependant our lives are on things that we often take for granted, such as food and water. It makes us think about our dependence on God and God's mercy and justice. Moreover, it reminds us of the life after death, which itself has a great impact on our character and our world-view.



11. Ramadan is a blessed month for a special reason: It is actually the month in which God first revealed His final message and guidance for mankind to our beloved Prophet Muhammad. This message has been perfectly preserved both orally and textually in the form of a Book, called the Qur'an (The Reading/Recital). Therefore, Muslims try to do an intense study of the Quran in this month especially, and evaluate their lives according to the standards and guidance contained in it.



12. After the month of Ramadan is over, Muslims celebrate one of the two most important holidays in the Islamic year: EID-UL-FITR, or the Festival of the Fast Breaking. It is a day to thank God for the blessing and training that He provides us with throughout the month of Ramadan. EID-UL-FITR is marked by praying in a huge congregation at an Islamic center or mosque, and by giving a small donation to the poor in the community. The adults give the donation on behalf of their children as well. Dinner parties, family outings, fairs, carnivals, and great joyous celebrations follow the prayer and charity.


In a nutshell, even though the real purpose of the dynamic institution of Fasting is to discipline our soul and moral behavior, and to develop sympathy for the less fortunate, it is a multi-functional and a comprehensive tool of change in various spheres of our lives, including: social and economic, intellectual and humanitarian, spiritual and physical, private and public, personal and common, inner and outer ---all in one!

31/08/2007: 50 years Merdeka!

Malaysia 50 years Independency (Merdeka) official logo:

Malaysiaku Gemilang or My Malaysia Glorious is created and chosen as our 50 years merdeka slogan as depicted from the current national slogan made famous by our Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi : Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang (excellence, glory, distinction).


An advert from RTM displaying Almarhum Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the Father of Independence (bapa kemerdekaan):




This year's merdeka theme song:






I was rather poorly from 29th august and only felt better on the 31st august afternoon. I missed those detik 12 malam (12 midnight moment) when the clock stroke 12 marking the merdeka night. I tried to stay awake, but my ailing body gave up like 30mins before midnight only to wake up again at around 2.00am feeling rather feeble. But i was never short of feeling patriotic and proud of my nation having survived 50 years of independency. Our country may still be young yet we have achieved so many things that made us very proud to call ourselves malaysian.

After 446 years of under colonisation from the portuguese (1511-1641), dutch (1641-1825), british (1825-1957) and japanese (1941-1945), we received our independency from the british on the 31st of August 1957. Almarhum Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra performed the declaration of independency with 7 shouts of Merdeka on that day at Stadium Merdeka, KL.


OK enough with all the history facts, I am ever so glad to be born a Malaysian.

Unknown status of Manal Ismail

What is it that is so bothering people about my status: single????


I am quite happy the way life is and I am quite grateful of what I have had so far and I am aspiring to achieve more and more in the near future for the betterment of my life.


I am not quite as what people perceive me as. I may look demure sometimes in my full office customs: tudung, baju kurung/ baju kebaya/ blouse and skirt/ blouse and slacks/ 3 inches heels/ 1 inch heels/ and I arrange them with some matching colour coordination whichever suits my taste and mood. But do not prejudge me just by what dress u see me in. I tried as much as possible to not expose a lot of flesh to the public but I also don some certain trendy tops and jeans that show off my curves. Heck I am voluptious and I am proud of my curves. The thing is a lot of men and women out there who are so not-very-sharp in looking at my physique. Just because i wear loose baju kurung, they think: "hey u put on weight". But then when i am in my casual (sometimes hawt) attire, i received some unusualy positive remarks like: "wow u look good", or "u lost a lot weight" or they just thought that i am an undergraduate, taken for an undergraduate, a fresh face at a company and so on.



I do not wreck any married people's marriage and I am certainly do not intend to do so even if a married man is bagging at my feet to accept him (ptuiihhh pi mampossss, pi balik to ur wife la, kalau tak suka dia sgt, divorce her or marry somebody else, and stop buggering me OK, comprende? capisci? katalavez? fahimta? faham? understand? samjay? and padan moka hang kawen that kinda lady)


I am thinking of getting married once i have sorted out some of the more IMPORTANT things first and foremost like trying to clear some overdraft and credit card debts and rebuilding my savings. And a few more other things like losing weight, revitalise myself, enjoying my freedom, and some few more things. I am not your normal 31 years old woman who is wallowing in self-pity for being unmarried and all. I have only started to really, really get to be in the man-woman affair and all things pertaining to it when i was 23. Although my first date was way back when i was 17, I have not totally blossomed into a full woman of integrity and one hawt woman not until 23 and above. I struggled to appreciate the best things about being a woman having grown up as a tomboyish tomboy (not exactly a tomboy but I dont like a lot of girly things and i was kinda rough). And once i knew how wonderful it was to be a woman in my own way, i see a bright future ahead and i see a LOT of new exciting things. After all, God created women equipped with their own very special strengths, intelligence and capabilities that (almost) do not exist in men.



I am a normal woman albeit one of a kind. I used to have some dark fantasies (well, not necessarily dark, but to conservatives and social conformists, they may take it as one) but I am making my own efforts to be a good muslimah in my OWN way. So dont u go blast me with woteva hell of holy scriptures u may wanna think of coz i am pretty much EDUCATED. You wanna go blabla about it, be a smart or equal to me and do it with hikmah and mau'izatul hasanah. Otherwise, shut ur gob and piss off.




You think that I have been missing a lot? Nope, certainly not, in fact, I am most certainly advanced and full of knowledge of anything to do with desire and sex education. I love to share the knowledge rather than listening to some people bragging about it. But i rather keep them to myself except to the man i love and very few openminded close friends who are not gonna be that judgmental and they are actually wanted to discuss on a certain issue relating to it in the name of knowledge.



I am enjoying learning so many things, God knows. And I know a lot of things about married life, kids, the upbringing process and so on. I may have to experience the labour pains, giving birth, and all that but i am a fast learner and a curious one too. I am not ashamed in asking anybody who i think knows better to be able to learn new things, and that include just about anything that i find interesting or am curious at, like learning more on web design, pc, car, chemical engineering stuff, new gadgets, and many2 more. I have been independent since I am 3 years old and getting better ever since.



I was sceptical about marriage in my early 20s and I was only beginning to accept the idea of it in my late 20s. I do not feel old (although sometimes i do get backpains, kneepains and stuff) and i act according to my age (sometimes i feel like i am older and sometimes i am like younger than my peers). I am ever so grateful that I did not get married in my early 20s.



Waiting for the right man???? N-O: NO. Preparing to settle down with the right man for me more likely. I saw couples at my friend's daughter's birthday party today, most came with 1, 2, 3 kids or more. And most couples are average looking people, or their wives looked better or both the husbands and wives deserved each other, none the better looking. Some are bloody smug married couple , like i give a fuck innit? I am not implying that I deserve a very good-looking man or anything like that, but of course, he would match my looks and my wisdom (yo bengal tiger, r u reading this? must rebuff ur physique a bit, love). He may or may not earn a PhD degree but his life experience and his passion towards his career building equal or higher than what i am.



When am I getting married??? There is this already-written-by-God thing and there is also when-do-i-feel-like-i-want-it-to.



Inlaws? I dont give much a toss on this. I am sometimes elusive, repulsive, impulsive, compulsive and an enigma to my family and u r expecting me to be goody2 very caring daughter/sister inlaw? U good to me, I good to u. U mess with me, u be very sorry (simple principle innit?). Call me self absorbed, but who the hell would u please other than urself first of all. And to love urself more too. I am so non-conformist, many typical malay guys would get scared of this. No laaa....not like i am gonna make ur parents's life a living hell. I am like Jennifer Lopez in Monster-Inlaw. Loving but with cautious and conscience. I had enuf with guilt-ridden for nothing. U cant please everyone so why dont u please urself first? As Mark Twain once quoted: "All you need is ignorance and confidence and the success is sure". If u keep worrying wot everyone wants u to be or to do or woteva things they bitch/think about u, u aint going no where but definitely heading down the misery lane.



Am I beautiful? Yes (though overweight). Am I a good person? Yes. Then why am I not married yet? Because I lead/design my life the way I want it and not for you to dictate what u feel about me and this include my mother who has always been worried sick of this second daughter of hers. I always pray to Allah for her longevity and good life and she will be able to see each and every one of us settling down, having babies and all. Ameen. So far, four are already married out of her nine children and 3 of the married ones bore her grandchildren.


OK, lega....just venting out my disappointment.

*Dont care if u disagree or anything. Look after ur own life and family first before yap-yapping somebody else like some holier-than-thou.

Introducing Dr.Brian May of Queen

Many congratulations to Brian May on his PhD degree conferment!





More on this, click here.

It goes to show that not all rockers are not techie or not so much of an intellectual. In other words, there are a few brilliant ones and Brian May is definitely one of them who managed to join the celebrity intelligent echelon. He , together with Farrokh Bulsara (or more widely known to the world as Freddy Mercury) and drummer Roger Taylor formed the rock band Queen while he was still in his undergraduate at Imperial College in 1970 . After nearly 4 decades, he made the college proud again for displaying such a perseverance on completing his PhD studies.

Here's saluting you, Brian for this sweet victory even if you are already 60 years old.

that videoclips by namewee and kenny sia

Negaraku version :





And another one, kawanku:




To Wee Meng Chee: your singing not bad...and when u sing the negaraku, it sounds ok to me, and u look pretty much "malay"-blended to me.

I ni pon kadang2 dunno how to distinguish between which is which, a lot of melayu look like mamak, like chinese, to me they are all east asian communities mixing together and living together and eat the same dishes (nasi lemak, roti canai, etc). They marry each other, chinese become muslims, indian become muslims, there are muslim chinese by birth, muslim indians by birth and so on....


And have u not heard 'God Save the Queen' sex pistol version?

Did she the queen herself put all of them johnny rotten n the gang in prison and force them to apologize before the world? she was mocked and that song became like the 2nd national anthem of the late 70s and did she go "kuku" over that? surely she knew they're taking the piss but she was and still is the HRH Queen of Britannia....

My point here is: take it with a pinch of salt. All that he said aint new but what is new is how he managed to youtube his talent and made negaraku-ku a global vista.


Plus, he's in taiwan, and taiwaneses are bold in their political speeches. Talking about being patriotic the taiwan way.

I'm openminded enuf to listen to those youtube, but are u?


*****************************************************

Amidst all that namewee most talked about videoclips, kenny sia responded with his own version, go watch it:




But Kenny, why more chinese schools???? sure, more and more malay kids go to SJKC and SMJKC but doncha think we should go for sekolah kebangsaan with chinese classes instead??? how much longer do we need all these silly segregations if we continue all these social dividing at primary and secondary school levels? I know it's tough but prolly another 10 years or so, I anticipate a better harmonious merge. Lets do more integrasi schools then as option. As in sekolah agama rendah, which managed to get integrated into government schools and so should the chinese schools (as well as tamil schools) integrated into government schools as well.


I teach all chinese, tamil and malay mongrel kids at my university and i treat all fair and square. Some of my chinese ex-students even during my tutor time are still in touch. Heck, i am bloody globalised innit? the proclaimed citizen of the world, innit babe* (the bengal tiger dude).

kisah baskin-robbins

Yeayyy....i managed to replace those missing ramadhan days recently and how did i celebrate after iftar?? Two large scoops of baskin-robbins ice creams: 1 scoop of Pralines and Cream and another 1 scoop of Chocolate mousse royale.

If i was in london or UK in general, i would definitely buy me some haagen-dazs pralines and cream and ben & jerry's chocolate fudge brownie, 1 pint tub each, and scoop meself some bits of each ice creams while putting on some feelgood movies or chick flicks DVDs. And if I could spare some few extra quids, i would also add in the ice cream bowl those delish strawberry haagen-dazs ice cream to perfect things up. Or I could top those pralines and choc fudge brownie with strawberry coulis.


Thank goodness we still have some good quality ice creams sold here. I was kinda disappointed that Haagen-Dazs did not continue importing most of its european ice creams here and instead leaving it to their indonesian branch to sell some strangely concocted and not so very authentic ones....And we dont have Ben & Jerry's too????? WTF.....I am not a big ice cream eater or anything but I prefer the quality ones if I really wanna gorge on them. OK la exceptional case goes for the RM 1.00 ice creams cones at either Carrefour or Jaya Jusco. And of course, Walls solero.


Mid-september to mid-october gonna be ramadhan month again.

Puasa Ganti

Kenapa la agaknya puasa ganti terasa macam perlahan sahaja berbanding dengan puasa di bulan ramadhan? Nak puasa sunnat pun tidaklah banyak cabarannya macam puasa ganti. Dah la nak kena bangun sahur sorang2....sebab kalau tak bangun sahur nanti terasa penat sepanjang hari.

Itu sahaja, sekian terima kasih.

Jana Gana Mana: National Indian Anthem 50 years independency

When I watch this videoclip, it brings tears to my eyes. The effect will be heightened if you listen to it with eyes closed and let your ears and feelings do their magics. You probably need to understand some of the lyrics but trust me, the way some of the Indian biggest veteran artists carry the tune are heartfelt :





I hope we Malaysian can produce something poignant like this clip for our beloved Negaraku national anthem in conjunction with our very own 50 years independency this coming 31 August 2007.

Caning sentence for drug dealers

We know that it is already gruesome the blackmaria punishment at the gallows for those who committed drug trafficking offences in malaysia (i think this punishment is for trafficking a certain amount of class A illegal drugs). In other words, it is a mandatory death sentence for those who is found guilty of drug trafficking charges in Malaysia.

Just today, I found this in Daily Mail: Corporal punishment: caning . It includes a LiveLeak videoclip (an online videoclip sharing site similar to a youtube concept) that shows a Malay drug dealer getting 20 rotan lashes on his buttock for the drug crime. The six-minute clip entitled Malaysian Caning Judicial Corporal Punishment was intended as a public educational message clip or rather, a strong reminder that flogging will be carried out to anyone who dares to commit such a crime.

Be warned that it is a rather graphic clip.

Jump-start the car: please!

Last monday, 30 July 2007, I came to work in the midst of slightly heavy rainy morning. Struggling to get my handbag and my document case out of the car while still holding an umbrella (ella ella eh eh eh....rihanna that is), i closed my car door without realising that i have left those pair of smaller headlights on. I clicked the alarm button and left in a haste into the faculty block. Not an alarm sound made by my Toyota Vios 1.5G car but the usual locked indicator sound. Like any other occassion, i thought, for a short glance, that the car was left on a safe mode.


It was a long day at work that monday and I left the building at around 6.30pm. As I walked towards my car, clicked the security alarm to unlock it, but no "open" sound came from it at all. I walked right next to the car, clicked again and still to no avail. I decided then to check all the side windows and anything else including the tyres just to see if anything might have contributed to it. But still nothing. My car looked like in a mint condition (physically speaking).


Right....just unlocked the door manually i said, and so i inserted my car key and turned it anti-clockwise. As the car door opened in a complete silent, not even breaking the alarm at all, i suspected at once that my car battery must have konked out. Yeahh....now i remember....i must have left those lights on resulting in the battery gone dead. Even the immobiliser was dead. A battery-dead car.


What should i do...??? At 6.40pm, nearing maghrib time, the dusk was so near and I must think fast. It's already past office hour and i doubt the car workshops nearby were still open. Yuppp, call the auto-assist. It's free innit as it came together with the comprehensive car insurance package. Just as i hung up my mobile after making an arrangement for the insurance company to contact the nearest workshop panel to my location, i saw one of our faculty technicians walking towards his Avanza MPV. Not knowing what his name was, I called to him anyway,

"assalamualaikum, excuse me encik, ade jumpstart cable kit tak?".


He turned to look at me, smiling and told me that he might know somebody who has it.

"Tolong pi carik dia encik",

as I pleaded him to go find the other guy to bring the cables there. Off he went without any hesitation.


While waiting for the technician and possibly the mechanic from the panel workshop, I sat down next to my car hoping that everything will be fine soon. I tried not to call my parents as I believed that i can sort it out meself. Then I saw one of my lecturer colleagues, Dr.SrA, who was about to leave and waved at him to stop his car. He came out and asked me what was wrong, and so i asked him the same question i asked that technician previously. Like maybe so many people, he didnt carry the cables in his honda stream MPV and called his RA (research assistant) who kept the key to the engine lab at mechanical engineering department. Unfortunately, at that wee hour, the RA has left the building leaving me to place my hopes on the first technician and perhaps, the panel workshop mechanic.


Dr.SrA was waiting with me at the car park. He rang a few other people that he thought would possess those jump-start cables. Just a few minutes after that, the technician returned with our office maintenance fella and told me that they managed to get someone with those cables. Apparently those two fellas were in the middle of playing badminton when i first saw him near his Avanza.


A few other faculty staffs stopped at the scene and immediately it looked like some kind of an accident scene as the onlookers began chatting with those three fellas who stood not far from my car. At that moment I was actually rather relieved and pleased that help was on its way.


At last, the one with the cables came driving his car towards the front of my car and asked me to lift the bonnet up. Without further ado, he quickly took those cables out of his car and began connecting those cables skillfully at each negative and postive points on my dead battery to his fully functioning battery. While doing that, he asked me whether my car has passed the 1 year old age or not. I told him that by the end of this week, it will reach its first 12 months and then asked whats the relevance of it. He then suggested that it was about time that i replace the battery with a new one.


Actually, I've known about this battery replacement 7 weeks earlier when i send my car for its 3rd servicing. The toyota executive has already reminded me on that especially after the first dead-battery incident end of May. It was due to the car being left at the porch for over 2 weeks without any engine warm ups. Silly me as i did not unplug the battery first before leaving to the UK in early May.


As I turned on the ignition, my car was alive once again. I had to leave it on for a few minutes to warm the engine up and to ensure that everything was back to normal. Shortly after that, the panel workshop mechanic came over and saw to it that the work has been done. I still had to fill in and sign the auto-assist form as a proof to my car insurance company that the car has been sorted out.


It was really amazing the sense of camaraderie that were displayed by my faculty tehcnicians and colleague even though i did not know those technicians' names. I recognized their faces though. As i thanked them for their kindness, I went asking their names too....ala2 sessi ta'aruf giteww....They all laughed and said that they all knew me all along even during my tutor time back in 2000-2001 before i left for my PhD studies. Dear oh dear...tak sangka fofuler gak aku nih, hehe...


I made my way home with smiles all over me face. Thank God that I managed to get an immediate help and thank God that there are so many good, reliable people around me.
If somebody actually caught me doing that in the car, they wouldve thought that I was like over the moon in love or something the way i smiled. Such was a blissful feelings.



Here's a video clip of what u need to know about how to jump-start a car:


VideoJug: How To Jump Start A Car


Senja pon berlalu nan indah.....