Women who made me rawk

I love to sing, but i aint doing it for commercial benefit.

I have listed 11 videoclips of the female "rock" singers, and each song I almost knew by heart.

Each song has evoked a certain memory, from my primary school all the way to my college and university years. Some are rather sad songs with poignant messages/lyrics/melodies, and some are uplifting. But above all, all the songs here are evergreen to me and maybe to some people too.



Song # 1: What's Up by 4 Non Blondes. I used to love to listen to this song after i did my SPM. It wasnt a song that I can sing with anybody for as long as i can remember but it still made me wanna rock on. The singer's voice is one of a kind and she really sang it with all her might, or like what she would say it:
"scream from the top of my lungs, whats going on?!"

The radios used to play this song quite frequently during 1993-1995.






Song # 2: Kiss the Rain by Billie Myers. I dont know what really happened to this lady but she does have a voicepipe to kill. Deep, husky, melodious yet melancholic. It reminded me so much of my Bradford times in the late 90s. It reminded me of fish and chips during our autumn-winter term. I can close my eyes and see myself walking down Great Horton Road. The wind was so strong, yet we braved through to our class. And once the classes were over, i would go straight to that fish n chips shop next to Barclays and grabbed them fish and chips hot and fresh from the frying place. Have it with ketchup or mix them with salt, peppers and chilly sauce....it didnt matter , i was famished. And I would wash it down with that lovely American Soda.




song # 3: I hate myself for loving you, by Joan Jett. This must have been one of my rock anthems of all time by a female rock star. I think i began to listen to it on my last years of primary school all the way throughout my secondary school and headbanged on it.





song # 4: Ray of Light, by Madonna. Another hit number during my Bradford final years and a great song for clubbing/partying. I dont really care what she's yodelling and screaming about, all i hear is :

And I feel....and i feel...like i've just got home....and i feel.....and i feel....like i've just got home and i feel.....oooohhh.....

This had to be one of the songs that awaken me up and got me going on in the early winter morning or summer morning (and by this i meant at 8.00am broad daylight). I would put it on my PC as loud as possible but not sampai pecah telinga or would wake up my hall mates.




Song # 5: Believe, by Cher. It was the dance anthem and it reminded me so much of graduating my first degree in Bradford. This song was also the song i sang loudly to meself during those days in early 2000 just to vent off my anger towards SH. And I normally continue with the song, Stronger by Cher too. There was one time, I was not sure which channel it was on, but there was this Cher's final concert and man, she is a natural entertainer. I'd love to go to her concert if she'll ever perform again. Sure, she has this kooky, almost out of the world sense of dressing and makeups, and not to mention her numerous plastic surgeries to look youthful but she is one rocking grandma!





Song # 6: Simply the best, by Tina Turner. I never knew that she had had a really rough time with her former husband, Ike Turner until I watched her bibliographic movie: What's Love Gotta Do With It, and she was played by Angela Bassett. I hope she will keep on "rolling down the river" and age gracefully.





Song # 7: Ironic, by Alanis Morissette. I heard it for the first time during my Alevel years and I love it. Full of anger, frustration and the way she screamed just felt like right from her heart, like her very own sad experience.





Song # 8: Bitch, by Meredith Brooks. One hit wonder they call it. But it just reminded me so much of my episodes with this fella who was doing his Islamic studies in the middle east. We never met, only got hooked up on mIRC during my second year undergraduate and we began exchanging photos by mail. The moment he began throwing me with advices on what not to wear and so on, I said bye bye to him and dedicated this song to him too. Sorry mate, I aint your wife material if you are imposing so many bloody laws and regulations on this and that. Take me as I am, this would mean that u gotta be a stronger man. Not that i'd be one stubborn lady when it comes to portraying meself as a muslimah, but I would dress the way I like and I know what to wear for any function. I may have one angelic, cherubic, innocent face, but I am more to that than meets the eye!






Song # 9: Torn, by Natalie Imbruglia. Another big hit in 1998. This Aussie lass made it really big that year but unfortunately her song career spiralled down since then. She then became one of the L'Oreal faces especially on the anti-wrinkle cream commercial. But i love that Dragon sleeveless top that she's wearing in the videoclip. I have wanted to get one,but I dunno why I always ended up cancelling it everytime i see one. What the heck, I myself am a dragon.





Song # 10: Nothing Compares 2U, by Sinead O'Connor. This song was one of the songs of the year 1990. I remembered we kept playing the compilation cassette on the bus on our way to east coast in 1991. That was my 1st school trip ever to Terengganu and Kelantan. Good thing Sinead does have a pretty face doing that close up shots with that almost bald head (commando crew cut).





Song # 11: Listen to your Heart, by Roxette. The introduction to the duo band, Roxette, from Sweden, this song, IMHO. It was like the second best thing since ABBA. I think I heard it first when i was in form 1, and not long after that, they released another smash hit number: It must have been love, that was also the main soundtrack for the highly grossed romantic movie, Pretty Woman in 1990. They continued to grace the global music chart with hit after hit till they disappeared from the big scene in the late 90s.




There you go. I hope you will enjoy my music selection featuring female rock stars (or almost one). There are many more, but I only chose those that had some significance in my life.

Mother's love

The first few months after i came back from my PhD studies early 2006, things were pretty good between me and my mum. Come a few months later, our relationship were somehow on the rock. It's like an on-off bickering and shouting drama scenes. But the worse one began last February. It was then that I stopped talking that much with my mother. Anger for so many things , frustrations and so on. I knew that I shouldnt be doing the "anak kurang ajar" type but i can be such a temperamental woman.

One time, i went ballistic over something between me and her that I decided to pack some clothes and drove straight to one of my friends house in Puncak Alam. Cruising on my own in the night time down the highway gave some calming feelings, sort of soothing the wounded heart. The faster i drove, the more i get pacified. She probably got worried when she realized that i was still not home yet that she rang my mobile at 5.00am to check on me. I monotonously told her that I was at a friend's house. I reckon no matter what, I am still her daughter and she still concerns about me.

Somehow, all those disagreements and grudges probably aren't meant to be forever especially when it comes to mother-children bonding. Though I am on a better term with my mother, I still don't talk as much as i was during those good old days. One of the highlights during the last ramadhan was when she made the effort of trying to make up with me, her strongwilled, hotheaded, sometimes crazy daughter. I began to slowly rejoicing our relation sensing how she was trying as hard as she can that no matter how kurang ajar i can be, i am more than that. The moment when I was leaving to Melbourne on the second week of Ramadhan (3rd week of september), she just mellowed down remarkably and even packed me iftar dinner as I was going to the airport on my own by KLIA Limo service.


Then, there was the eid fitri. It went on fine between the family members until the third day of Shawal (monday evening). I let go off my steams when i voiced out my yet another major disappointment at how things were poorly managed between us that involved one of my brother in laws. Till today, i don't feel like talking to him at all. I flipped like nobody's business to the point of denying my mother to sit in the front seat of my car and somehow commanding her to join my father in the backseat because i was still totally livid.


Recently, I introduced MJ to her and my father. And since that day, she was more cheerful with me. Sure, I know one of the reasons of all those fucked up times was the fact that I am still unmarried. It's like she's demonstrating her utter worries knowing the fact that 3 of my younger siblings were already married besides my eldest sister.


OK, fuck that. I am getting better and better at being such a melodramatic freak that I think I had to put a stop on that.


Here are some pictures depicting mother's love:

source of the photos: AP Yahoo!

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England won't be making it in the Euro2008! What a shame! Losing to Croatia 2-3 on the qualifying match recently was also the predicament both for the England coach and his assistant, Steve McLaren and Terry Venables as they were sacked almost immediately. Goran Ivanisevic, the former no.2 tennis ace and Wimbledon 2001 champion has predicted it right on the Croatia winning (click here)

Love is perhaps in the air

There were times that i dont think I'd ever have a requited love. Those were the times that I was feeling inferior for some weird reasons.

And then I found my true potentials, and things just keep going on and on.

My times in Bradford were those of:

• Knowing that I am an international person with international (middle-east, indian subcontinent and mediterranean) built physique
• That I knew that I was not actually different, I was just not cut as a typical , far-east small-built people. It wasnt my fault that I was bigger than many of them, its just that i was not exactly appreciating what I am.
• having friends who patiently trying to open up my eyes of how wonderful it is to be a real woman in our own way
• finding myself fitting in a more global society easier that I thought and blending well with the locals
  
• going around the european countries for a month on the euro-interrail backpacking with my closest friend, and she still is one of my closest friends. One of the most unforgettable challenges was to learn a new language as quickly as possible before reaching a new country with the help of that Thomas Cook phrasebook
  
• Met a cute Hungarian man who then became long distance good friend and we still keep in touch
• made friends over the net with a French lad from Pirey, who then found his love while visiting me there (in bradford) and we are also still friends
• When i thought I had my first ever proper boyfriend (SH), who then left me just after 3 months we hooked up due to geographical separations and incompatibility
• Met with another guy while still dating that ex-boyfriend, SH and he fancied me so much. But I left him on the account of loyalty to the ex and on different grounds (that he deserved a girl who truly loves him)
• Going to the cinema was one of the social activities amongst us undergraduate students. Titanic was the first ever movie i watched in the cinema during winter 1997. I've never been to a cinema even in malaysia before that.
• Just like that Wannabe-spice girls song and so does my friendship that never ends with most of the chem-engers bradford as well as some of those in the MISG society.
• It's where I obtained my first degree and my graduation was on the 8th July 1999, one bright, beautiful summer day.
• Got to know and fell in love with London
• Had my first kiss in London with SH.
  

My times in London were that of:

• Progressing myself in my chemical engineering knowledge
• Learning about people, about men more and more
• My first encounter with politics in the department
• Went out on a date with men of different races, creed and background
• Moving around the city almost effortlessly doesn't matter by the public transport as well as driving around
• living on my own
• had some fallouts with friends
• Still in touch with many ex-college friends, where some of them are already confidants
• people perceived me as a local girl
• living on a more posh lifestyle
• rubbing shoulder with the movers and shakers and those Hollywood celebrities
• emancipation and liberation and my own prerogative
• Growing up and embracing the true me
• had my taste of the first proper commitment with the bengal dude for almost three years (first half in the UK and remaining time in malaysia)
• having a sensible gay-radar
• Found a reluctant soul mate in H
• Had mugging experience twice, first managed to retrieve my wallet and the second, I had to lodge a police report for a total loss of the wallet (together with my old IC before that mykad, ,driving license, bankcards etc and a 10pounds note).
• Summer was not a long holiday for me, as I still continued on working on my PhD braving through the sweltering heat and long days.
• French friend came visiting me from time to time all the way from France till he decided to do his Masters degree in UCL and we got to meet more often. And on his graduation day, he invited me to join in the ceremony.
• Hungarian friend came all the way from Budapest with his then boyfriend during his gay-switching year. He now switched back to being heterosexual and finally made it to dentistry school in Romania. I love him dearly and I hope he can come visit me here in malaysia one day.
• Fun years in general. I miss London and it will always be my second home.
  

I've always prayed that whomsoever will be my future boyfriend, will be better than the previous one otherwise it will not live up to my higher standards. I dunno if i actually found one but deep inside i think i do. And especially on the fateful Tuesday night, 20 November 2007, I think now i have understood what Abang Idham and Kak Ruby have been telling me in my previous entry's comment.

When I watched one of my favourite movies: When Harry Met Sally, there was this moment when Sally cried silly having found out that her ex, Joe got married to a girl whom he knew for a short while. All those promises Joe made to her like flying to Rome the next day, and so on never really took place and this reminded me of my other ex, Bengal dude(BD). Except that I don't feel like crying over the ending of the relationship even though he has declared that he is now going steady with another girl. I used to cry for all the uncertainties I had over the years I spent with him (BD) and trying to deny by convincing myself that things will get better somehow. Deep down, i know that BD does not deserve me and the little pride inside me that I can get any single man I want if I want it. Not a big deal. Because I know I am worth it.

May God ease our efforts to learn to love each other more and more.....And one day I would like to hear him (MJ) telling me he loves me from the bottom of his heart on a really special occasion. I've been in and out of relationships, mostly flings, yet I am still able to fall in love once again. Somehow, i dont think I have someone to call my first love yet I remembered my first date back in 1994 and that i shed a few tears for him. I remembered who was the first man ever to give me a bouquet of roses in 1993. I remembered my first kiss in London. I remembered my first time being totally in love in the end of 1999. I remembered my last crush back in 2003. And man have I kept my memories on so many things ups and downs in my life including this Italian man who gave me Aqua di Gio (one of my favourite perfumes) as a present and a token of friendship in summer 2001. On the other hand, MJ can never forget his first love to a woman from within his immediate families (first cousin or something like that) and she has already married with kids. He told me that he can learn to love a new person in his life even though it will take some time.

These three songs are like describing what I feel, somehow, someway:


Song #1: Dealova by Once (on-che):





Song#2 : One of my all time favourite love songs: All my life , by K-Ci and Jojo:






Song#3 :Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack: When I fall in love, by Celine Dion and Clive Griffin:

Good thing my works, research and so on kept me away from being angau (hopelessly thinking) of him except in a good way, like a muse to me. And strange enough, I have found some strength not to utter those "i love you" words to him too. Perhaps i was being careful not to hurt myself with melodramatic, hopefulness moments. What is it to expect anymore? Hope can be tiring but i rather put it into a more positive perspective. Somehow I tend to compare MJ/his situation with those men I would call my old flames and it only made me taking some precautions not to repeat any silly mistakes i have done. I was just being analytical. After all, I am a natural researcher.

Let our hearts sing!

Lighten up our Friday! I am too lazy to write and so i let those graphics do the job.
























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What is commitment???

(Articles copied by googling commitment)


Case 1: A pig and a chicken were walking by a church where a gala charity event was taking place. Getting caught up in the spirit, the pig suggested to the chicken that they each make a contribution.

"Great idea!" the chicken cried. "Let's offer them ham and eggs?"

"Not so fast," said the pig. "For you, that's a contribution. For me, it's a total commitment."

Case 2: A woman's husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day. One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer.

As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, "You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you stayed right here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side... You know what?"

"What dear?" she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth.

"I think you're bad luck, get the hell away from me."

Case 3: A guy named Roger is attracted to a woman named Elaine. He asks her out to a movie; she accepts; they have a pretty good time. A few nights later he asks her out to dinner, and again they enjoy themselves. They continue to see each other regularly, and after a while neither one of them is seeing anybody else.

And then, one evening when they're driving home, a thought occurs to Elaine, and, without really thinking, she says it aloud: "Do you realize that, as of tonight, we've been seeing each other for exactly six months?"

And then there is silence in the car. To Elaine, it seems like a very loud silence. She thinks to herself: Geez, I wonder if it bothers him that I said that. Maybe he's been feeling confined by our relationship; maybe he thinks I'm trying to push him into some kind of obligation that he doesn't want, or isn't sure of.

And Roger is thinking: Gosh. Six months.

And Elaine is thinking: But, hey, I'm not so sure I want this kind of relationship, either. Sometimes I wish I had a little more space, so I'd have time to think about whether I really want us to keep going the way we are, moving steadily toward ... I mean, where are we going? Are we just going to keep seeing each other at this level of intimacy? Are we heading toward marriage? Toward children? Toward a lifetime together? Am I ready for that level of commitment? Do I really even know this person?

And Roger is thinking: ... so that means it was... let's see.... February when we started going out, which was right after I had the car at the dealer's, which means ... lemme check the odometer ... Whoa! I am way overdue for an oil change here.

And Elaine is thinking: He's upset. I can see it on his face. Maybe I'm reading this completely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship, more intimacy, more commitment; maybe he has sensed -- even before I sensed it -- that I was feeling some reservations. Yes, I bet that's it. That's why he's so reluctant to say anything about his own feelings. He's afraid of being rejected.

And Roger is thinking: And I'm gonna have them look at the transmission again. I don't care what those morons say, it's still not shifting right. And they better not try to blame it on the cold weather this time. What cold weather? It's 87 degrees out, and this thing is shifting like a darn garbage truck, and I paid those incompetent thieves $600.

And Elaine is thinking: He's angry. And I don't blame him. I'd be angry, too. I feel so guilty, putting him through this, but I can't help the way I feel. I'm just not sure.

And Roger is thinking: They'll probably say it's only a 90-day warranty. That's exactly what they're gonna say, the scumballs.

And Elaine is thinking: Maybe I'm just too idealistic, waiting for a knight to come riding up on his white horse, when I'm sitting right next to a perfectly good person, a person I enjoy being with, a person I truly do care about, a person who seems to truly care about me. A person who is in pain because of my self-centered, schoolgirl romantic fantasy.

And Roger is thinking: Warranty? They want a warranty? I'll give them a darn warranty. I'll take their warranty and stick it right up their ....

"Roger," Elaine says aloud.

"What?" replies Roger, startled.

"Don't torture yourself like this," she says, her eyes brimming with tears. "Maybe I should never have ... Oh my, I feel so ..." (She breaks down, sobbing.)

"What?" asks Roger.

"I'm such a fool," Elaine sobs. "I mean, I know there's no knight. I really know that. It's silly. There's no knight, and there's no horse."

"There's no horse?" asks Roger.

"You think I'm a fool, don't you?" Elaine continues

"No!" says Roger, glad to finally know the correct answer.

"It's just that ... It's that I ... I need some time," Elaine says.

(There is a 15-second pause while Roger, thinking as fast as he can, tries to come up with a safe response. Finally he comes up with one that he thinks might work.) "Yes," he says.

Elaine, deeply moved, touches his hand. "Oh, Roger, do you really feel that way?" she says.

"What way?" says Roger.

"That way about time," says Elaine.

"Oh," says Roger. "Yes."

Elaine turns to face him and gazes deeply into his eyes, causing him to become very nervous about what she might say next, especially if it involves a horse. At last she speaks. "Thank you, Roger."

"Thank you," says Roger.

Then he takes her home, and she lies on her bed, a conflicted, tortured soul, and weeps until dawn, whereas when Roger gets back to his place, he opens a bag of Doritos, turns on the TV, and immediately becomes deeply involved in a rerun of a tennis match between two Czechoslovakians he never heard of. A tiny voice in the far recesses of his mind tells him that something major was going on back there in the car, but he is pretty sure there is no way he would ever understand what, and so he figures it's better if he doesn't think about it. (This is also Roger's policy regarding world hunger.)

The next day Elaine will call her closest friend, or perhaps two of them, and they will talk about this situation for six straight hours. In painstaking detail, they will analyze everything she said and everything he said, going over it time and time again, exploring every word, expression, and gesture for nuances of meaning, considering every possible ramification. They will continue to discuss this subject, off and on, for weeks, maybe months, never reaching any definite conclusions, but never getting bored with it, either.

Meanwhile, Roger, while playing racquetball one day with a mutual friend of his and Elaine's, will pause just before serving, frown, and say:

"Norm, did Elaine ever own a horse?"


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I am trying not to be melodramatic when it comes to commitment!

Words of advice from Abang Idham:

"it is better to have a man who treats the word 'LOVE' as sacred and says it only for special occasion than a man who says love to every girl he wants to kiss"

" the present is often missed because we anticipate too much on the future based on our past"

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