Yippee Day

Nothing much of idea for today. Just gearing up for the coming weekend. Make it my long weekend, hehehe. Looking forward for tomorrow to actually. My ever-so-flexible cousin will be on NTV7 for the Malaysian version of fear factor. Time to get my booing voice ready, hahaha.

Kidding :p

So, the show's tomorrow at 8.30pm.

'Songlap'ed from the fear factor page. Ganas gile muka

My Bracelet!!!

I'm a beginner E-bay user. Actually I was just browsing the shopping list over in e-bay, looking for funny illogical stuff that was downright crazy. Like the stone that speaks (yeah right), the mineral water bottle drank by some celebrity (who knows who else drank on it if there were no finger print test?) and lots more. One of my friends, Gladys an old timer with e-bay told me that bidding anything locally is much more better than bidding on things that are overseas. And so I browsed over Malaysia e-bay page.

Good thing, not so much of bizarre yucky stuff. But then again, being a girl (thee hee hee) I just had the urge to look over the jewellery section, just browsing for anything with star shape (I'm totally crazy about star shape trinkets) until I saw the love charm bracelet. Wallao, I fell in love with it that I bid on it straight away. Granted it wasn't star shaped, it was heart shaped but it just look too good to resist. Honestly this was the first time I bought a bracelet. The 2 that I got was given by my mother, though I rarely wear it anyway. Being in a job that involves a lot of physical activities prevents me from wearing anything beautiful at work. All that aside, I just have to have that bracelet. Good thing that I was the only bidder and I got it. And the mail got through today, yippee!!!!

Lovely isn't it? (mak aih, golapnyo tangan eden)

Weekend

My cousin Irra was discharged from the hospital due to the operation done on the tumour that grew next to her knee so I took the opportunity of the weekend to crash over her home. Things were looking good for her and being a hyperactive 17 year old, sitting around without doing anything would sure get to her nerves. By the time I arrived at her house, she was already hobbling back and forth and trying hard not to scratch anyplace near to her bandage. Good thing she and her parents decided to postpone the operation until after she finished her SPM papers.

Night time, my uncle, my aunt and I went over to the PC Fair over at City Square. Knowing of all the good deals happening around, I tried hard not to withdraw any money from the nearby ATM machine. But then again, I have to - I think. Just for a 256mb RAM that cost me RM 78. Not that much actually. As for my uncle, he bought a new Lexmark 2300 all in one printer, scanner, copier that only cost RM199, an MP3 player for Irra, a card reader, speakers and I don't know what else. The sale was crazy that I was just as glad that I managed to restrain myself from buying unnecessary items.

Catastrophe fell on the next day. I planned to go over to a wedding of my ex-collegue during internship by the MBJB bus that they already arranged. I was so excited and prepared all the clothes and the things that I should wear with it but I wasn't prepared for the big bad hot iron. I haven't even worn the clothes yet, and it was the third baju kurung that I sent to be made for hari raya but I managed to iron a hole on my kain. I was frantic afterwards since the bus was supposed to leave at 9am. Tried to wear the clothes, hoping that the hole could be covered but then again, my luck, the hole was strategically located at the middle of my shin. Went through Irra's closet but her kain was a bit small. Went through my aunt's closet, found the right baju kurung but as remarked by Irra, I looked like I was wearing a 100% borrowed clothes. In the end, I didn't go to the wedding, sat home and removed the tail of one whole bag of bean sprouts (taugeh) with Irra the whole morning. *Sighs

The laughing kain. Die yuppie scum!

Amazing Fact

I was browsing on my birth certificate where, interestingly on top right of the document was a writing which I managed not to notice untul just now.

Sabtu legi
13 Zulkaedah 1401

It was of course, written in jawi, with my dad's handwriting. I know I was born on Saturday. Now I know one more interesting fact of myself. According to Hijrah calendar, I will turn 25 years old next thursday - 15th December 2005 / 13 Zulkaedah 1426. On the Gregorian calendar (which of course the normal calendar that we use nowadays) I am only 24. Now, how cool could that be?

Behold. My Prologue

Last time, I manage to write this part of the story and left it unattended for months long. As for today, my ideas are kicking in and I found back my rhythm. Before you start hunting me for leaving the story too long in my blog without continuing, just know that I don't let anyone read my story until it's fully done. That's just how I do my writing. I bet most of you know where story is going by just reading the intro. Anyway, feedbacks are more than just welcome. I'm on my first chapter and I think I'm falling more in love with my characters, hehehe.

Well, here goes nothing. There's no title yet though - that always come in the end.

Prologue

Ayuni was sitting on the old swing under the rambutan tree eating chocolate and reading a Harry Potter book. The place was her favourite spot every time she managed to get home in Kota Tinggi from her busy life in the bustling town of Kuala Lumpur. It was a hot afternoon but the tree was shady enough to protect her from the sun. The wind was breezy. Ayuni closed her eyes and raised her face to feel it blowing softly against her face. This was definitely her favourite time of the day.

Suddenly she felt something fell onto the open book on her lap. Her heart beat increased automatically knowing what she could feel slithering at the sides of her hands. It was heavy and it was scaly.

"Don't move, don't move, don't move," silently she chanted in her mind. Ayuni refused to open her eyes knowing very well what she would see. "This must be the 'luckiest' day of my life," she thought horribly. Where was her father when she needed him most? She forgot. Her parents were out visiting relatives. Anuar, her younger brother was out with friends, Aniza the youngest in the family was out for tuition class. She was all alone.

Gathering her courage, she slowly opened her eyes and nearly fainted when it was a big black python looking back at her as if it was expecting her to look at it eye to eye. If it was up to her, she would run away like crazy, providing that she was far away from the snake in the first place which in this case she wasn't. She watched too many documentaries to know that snakes would not bite unless it felt provoked but this snake in particular was weird. It was as if it was looking at her with a very thoughtful look.

Thoughtful snake? She ought to have her brain operated, she said to herself. In this case if she manage to get out of the ordeal alive she promised to be a really good person. Not just good, she'd be great. She would stop picking on her younger siblings, to recycle, be good to wildlife. It was not as if she use animal products anyway but the list kept on going. Heck, she would even be nice to this particular wildlife and would name it Blacky.

While Ayuni was busy preparing her mental list on what to do if she survived she realized the snake raised it's head. Much to her horror the snake was moving its head to her arm in a gesture of affection. What was she supposed to do? Pet it back? No chance in hell that she would do it. She would be the next patient in the emergency room if she does.

To her surprise, the snake reared its head up and bit her!

To be continued, hehehe - probably next year when I finish the whole thing off :D

Career Crack

Sometimes I love my job. Sometimes I get so fed up with it that I start browsing for job vacancies on the net, in the newspaper or anywhere available. I bet that I'm not the only person who faces this. It's just that not everyone manage to get comfortable in their career niche that they feel content doing it. I have to admit that it's like a love-hate relationship that you can't simply brush it aside. To live, we need a lot of things and of course, I don't want to sound shallow but let's face the fact. The ka-ching factor is considered as a necessity. Even instant noodles cost RM0.45 per packet. But first, to get it we need to work - unless of course you manage to snag a wealthy widow/widower/rich guy/rich woman, etc but that's beside the point.

One thing that I remembered most about career is of course, the line that I heard from Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act 2 where she was persuading Lauryn Hill's character to get back singing. The line was (not that accurate though) - If when you wake up from your sleep, all you can think about is singing, that means you are meant to sing. Motivational sentence, correct? As for me... let me give that a thought. On Monday mornings my thought was - Monday already? And most of the time when work is piling on my always cluttery desk all I could think was - what else could I put in my design? So does that mean that this is my calling? Since secondary school all I did was thinking up some cool ideas I could put in my English essays (that's my other word for constant daydreaming). For now, my itch to write another fiction is there but I lack the motivation to start typing my brains out.

My brother asked me once when I was about to go to work - "Don't you get bored going to work everyday?" The thought certainly cross my mind more than once. I was wondering how anyone could hold a job for more than 30 years. That's the average years for those who work in the government sector. As an example, my mak. She started working when she was 18 and retired few months ago with the same job. Same goes for my abah. That's roughly 38 years straight. I am amazed at that feat and here I am having an up and down feelings on my job. The journey is merely just begun for me.

I was having a long talk with one of my previous supervisors while I was doing internship in MBJB few days back. We were talking about the attitude of some of the officers that was stuck in their comfort zone too long that they become less pro-active. His words were actually branded in my mind - "Don't get too comfortable with what you have. Try to get as much, even if it's not in your field of work. Just remember that there are thousand of people out there waiting to get your job." Creepy but true. There are lots and lots of unemployed graduates out there waiting for their chance. But that doesn't mean that you have to stay put and not moving at all for the fear that you don't have talent in other area. That was actually a nudge to look for a better future and career. You won't know your true capability until you take the next step, right?

Some might feel that they are stuck to their job because that is the only thing that they know how to do, some might have no where to go due to family business, some might have too many options that they don't know which path to choose and some may not have any choice at all. The world is big and I'm very sure there are more conflicts than what I have stated. Not everyone could be Bill Gates, and not everyone even with the guidance book from the real-estate mogul Donald Trump or Robert T. Kiyosaki of the Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame could apply the whole book and get what they want.

My mak asked me once after I graduated on what I want to work as. Jokingly I told her, a full-time housewife. Straight away she told me - in her teasing tone of course - that if she knew that was my ambition she would marry me straight off after I finish secondary school. Knowing my mak, in her opinion, women should have her own career path and dream, earn for herself and able to help her husband when the financial cost becomes more than he could take. Being fully dependent on someone else for every aspect of life is not what she picture life would be. And of course like any parents she would love her children to have more than she has.

There, my 2 cents worth about career. When mood strikes, I feel like signing up for KPLI, be a teacher and have loads of holiday, and again when it strikes, I can't picture myself anywhere but my current job. We'll just see in the future now won't we?

I Need Burger!!!

Yes, I do.

I am in desperate need of burger.

Not just any burger. I'm not talking about those expensive and not so tasty burgers at any of the fast food restaurant. I want the burger daging and cheese at Burger Street in Serdang!!!! The stall which the father and son sells at. And the song I heard by Don & Drew on 98.7FM since I can't remember when is not helping at all.

What song?

Ramly (daging lembu)

Darn! Darn! Darn! Darn! Darn!

To think that no one would sing about Ramly burgers, the song just makes me drool. Just imagine the greasy beef patty greased with margarine, the buns that is greased in the inside with of course, margarine, the cabbage, tomato, cucumber topped with generous amount of mayonnaise and chilli sauce. That alone only cost RM1.40. Burger special - RM2.00 which is basically the beef patty is wrapped in fried eggs (as if you don't know lah). Burger daging with cheese (my favourite) - RM2.30. Health freaks would cringe at those but what the heck, it taste good and of courselah kan, don't eat that ALL the time even though as a student the thought is so darn tempting since it's cheap.


Picture taken from Don and Drew web page... burger special... drools

Ramly (Burger Lembu)

Yo Ramly, you're with the family
Your meat is manly
Get fatter than fat

Yo Ramly, you're with the family
Your meat is manly
Get fatter than fat

Yo Ramly us the burger that I love to eat,
Eventhough I don't know what's in the meat,
A lil bit of egg and a lot of sauce,
No matter what they say I don't believe its horse
If you're feeling like a Ramly in Singapore
You gotta get up off your a**
You gotta leave this shore
You gotta barge us in you gotta get 3 or 4
But no matter how much
You gonna want some more

Bun, patty, egg, cheese, rubber duck please
I hold my Ramly between my knees
Yo even though the chef is infested with fleas
Squeeze the buns together to release the grease

Yo Ramly, you're with the family
Your meat is manly
Get fatter than fat

Ramly is good, good Malaysian food
Ramly is good, eat it like you should

Well that does show that our 'ramly burger tepi jalan' is quite famous even across shore. Can't manage to type the lyric much more I'm drooling. So far none of the burgers I found here are as good as the ones at Burger Street. Aaaargh!

Apekemendelah

Everywhere, all the papers, nearly the same headlines - about the badigol of an officer suruh the prisoner ketuk ketampi without clothes caught on camera. Its degrading. Ketuk ketampi tu kira not that hard lah tapi by right mana ada dalam undang-undang, naked part tu lagi one hal and they don't have the bloody darn right to make the detainee do that. One comment ajelah from yours truly - Bengong punya pegawai!

Adik Saya

Dari kiri ke kanan - sepupu saya, adik saya

Saya ada seorang adik. Nama dia Nabhanuddin tetapi kami sekeluarga memanggil dia A'an kerana nama dia panjang. Adik saya kata tak ramai orang selain dari ahli keluarga kami tahu menyebut nama dia. Kebanyakan orang yang baru kenal dia memanggil dia Nabanuddian, bukan Nab-hanuddin dan secara kebetulannya, orang yang tahu menyebut nama dia pada kali pertama adalah kawan karibnya.
Adik saya suka komputer. Dia suka bermain dengan alat permainan komputer dan alat permainan lain yang melibatkan skrin monitor seperti permainan PS2. Oleh sebab itu dia melanjutkan pelajarannya di Universiti Multimedia dalam bidang multimedia kreatif. Selain daripada itu, hobinya ialah mengacau sepupu kami yang kami panggil dengan panggilan mesranya Baby yang berumur 4 tahun kerana Baby sangat takut pada A'an.
Hari ini adalah 26 November 2005. Adik saya telah dilahirkan pada 26 November 1987 jadi hari ini adalah hari lahirnya yang ke 18. Happy belesday, hihihi

P.S: Feel free nak beri markah, hahaha

Harry Potter dan Gelas Api

Gelas api?

Sounds funny but that's wht the malay translation was for 'Goblet of Fire'. At the cover of the malay version book, it was 'Piala Api'. Though anyway, caught the movie straight after work was done and I was just in time for the next show. One thing about watching this movie, I felt that I'm one of the lil kids since most of the occupants inside the movie theatre were kids and their parents.

Nothing much to comment about the movie. For those who already read the book, don't expect t0o much from the movie. Obviously its hard to cram 600 pages of the book in a 2 and 37 minutes movie. If I didn't read the book I wouldn't know how the quidditch world cup would end - with Irish team at the winning but Viktor Krum from Bulgaria caught the snitch, wouldn't know what a veela was, won't know who Winky was, won't laugh at the older wizard who tried to blend in with the muggles during the world cup wearing woman's clothing, won't know who Ludo Bagman was, won't know who 'Snuffles' was, won't know that Fleur Delacour was half veela. Enough with what 'won't knows'. If I list all of it over here, it would not end.

Dobby was supposed to be in this movie, and he's the one who should give Harry the gillyweed, not Neville. People won't know why Neville reacted very strongly when Mad-Eye Moody performed 'Cruciatus' curse on the spider and that the imperius curse doesn't work so well with Harry.

As I say the list might go very long. I just hope that in the Order of Phoenix the forming of 'Dumbledore's Army' would make up for the future of the 'won't knows'.

Roy Is Now Puan Rohaya!!!!

Another buddy got married. Guess our anonymous prophecy that the all the 'ganas' girls get married earliest is close to true. I just got back from the wedding and it was great. For this weekend, I'm home alone as my parents went to send my brother and his computer appliances back to MMU. Started making my way to Zai's house in Sri Skudai around noon and hang out a little for Zohor prayers and short session of beraya. Ipah was already out from her place picking Intan, while Qis was waiting for Nani's phonecall before picking her up at the bus terminal. Armed with the map on the wedding invitation card, both Zai and I made our journey hoping that it's accurate.

The 'bersanding' session, according to the card starts at 2.30pm and we hoped that we would be able to grab a bite during or before the groom comes and join the crowd after our tummies got full. Our timing was great which of course due to some trial and error instinct following road guide. We circled the area twice forgetting which road is which and of course I wouldn't forget the amusing road name - Jalan Kacung. Sounds cute actually, that makes me wonder if there's any Jalan Cipan, Tapir or Tenuk somewhere in the country. That sounds cute too. The road behind it was Jalan Chengkerek but cengkerik sounds common. We arrived few minutes after Ipah and Intan did and boy, the parking was such a killer that it was a good thing there was an empty spot just by the junction cute enough for a Kancil.

Roy was all decked in green and she was lovely. Good thing I asked the week before on the colours that the family would be wearing or I would end up wearing the last pair of this year's baju raya. Its also green. The food was great and much to our delight, they serve sirap bandung with ice cream soda - yum. It was that good that the 4 of us went back for refills.

Roy, last week's picture and today's picture


Minah berlima - before bersanding


Hantaran from the groom.

The kompang group came not long after with the groom as we were having our meal. Good thing that we were already eating or being inside the house at that time would be really crazy. As always, the groom have to go through few barriers depend on the setting actually - front porch, the main gate, the door, the pelamin. Since we were busy eating, the good ol' DJ kept us updated on the barriers and the happenings inside the house. Apau and Md Nor reached there at that time.

Kulihat hijau....

After eating, we went into the house and Edda decked in pink (I have a field day making fun of her in pink since she always make an amusing comment about another 'ganas' friend of ours who loves pink) with her sister came afterward. The 'tabur duit' session came not long after with kids preparing to dive in for the token thrown by the bride and the groom. I was in the line of fire of the token throwing - Roy's husband (OMG, Roy's husband? Wow!) threw it a bit far away from the group that it hit smack on my face as I was busy snapping pictures of the merry children picking up the coins and money. Long time after, it was Zai who pointed it out that I got something at the folds of my tudung. I got 2 tokens sitting nicely there (Ah.. there's where those coins that hit my face were).

Mari menabur :)


The thing that got stuck at the folds of my tudung.


Cake cutting.


Group pics - Edda was too shy to be in the pic.

The rest of the gang finally made their way in - Qis, Nanie, Zah, Zue, Isem with her bf and brother, Zul, Nofie and her family, Fad and his family. Today was the first day that his daughter met her namesake. Fad named his daughter Arifah Nur Iman, after our classmate, the ever genius Arifah Nur (without Iman at the end of her name) a.k.a Ipah. Total count - Ipah told us that including Fad's daughter, she have 3 babies named after her. Honestly, her name is great and I like her name.

Ipah Jr & Ipah Sr


Moody Farah (Nofie's daughter) after having to wake up upon arrival at Roy's place.

Most of us went back at 4.30 ish since I got work waiting at home. Got a presentation this Tuesday. Maybe I'll start it after a short nap, hehehe.

Reunion Raya

Even if it was a last minute (not quite last minute la) plan, even if the budget was kind of tight, at last we managed to pull of a small reunion for our batch at Nofie's house on the 3rd day of raya. Coincidentially, its her birthday. The 'budak ganas' and the person that was thought by everyone to be among the last person to get married is now a proud mother of one. That was one of the topic that all of us talked about. Roy's getting married next weekend and Anas would be on the 24th December along with his sister, our KTAM senior kak Sab. Its a double wedding for him and his sister. Another friend of ours, Fad had just become a proud father of which his daughter was named after a genius classmate of ours. Ina-Mazlina (the case too many ina's at school as always) is getting engaged on the 4th day of raya which was why she couldn't make it for the gathering.
Food was in abundance - Soto, satay, fried bihun, muffins (courtesy of my sister's bf), rojak buah, sambal goreng, sweet sour chicken, all the normal raya food that makes my tummy so darn full. Good thing that many turned up even the attendance from the guys' side was a bit slow but they came with a full gusto. We got reacquainted again, haven't seen some since school ends. Just hope that we manage to do this again in the future.

The girls

Yan & Qis at the back with the symbolic salam-salam raya pose for the sake of the picture taking, hehehe


Celebrated November birthday girls - Isem, Lynt, Nofie and her cute darling Farah and Nanie
the birthday guys are just to shy to join in the pic.


The guys - the picture was snagged from Zul's friendster page.

Raya Pertama

Ramadhan comes and goes, Syawal making its mark after a month of fasting. One thing that is essential on the first day of raya - either Eno or pil chi kit teck aun, the best remedies for any case of over-eating. I used to have that kind of problem when I was in secondary school. My stomach couldn't handle the surprise of "eating like there's no tomorrow" habit after a month of tummy cleansing. Too many food from all over the places, neighbours, relatives and all. This year's Bangbil's turn to celebrate the first of eid at kak linda's place in Perlis with us three bachelors remaining. The best part of the day - picture taking session, I like. The second year of raya after the passing of my grandma, of course it is way different from before. Now its our turn to move around and visit the remaining of the elders. Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir dan Batin

Days Before Raya

Quote for the day (picked up from Jamie Yeo's show on my way to Stulang Laut)

Do not explain - your friends won't listen and your enemy won't believe it anyway
The point - Don't waste your breath

Nostalgic

The thing was like this. It was before Ramadhan and then of course, friends who have been communicating through the mailinglist was asking if anyone wants to have a gathering for this year's eid. Everyone - at least those who are actively going through warisan agreed. The 'bidan terjun' organizer - yours truly and appointed assistant, Qis. The venue that we thought of was teh school hall or someone else's house that is strategically located in JB.

I went over to school today, just to look around and meet up with the people at the administration office. I saw Cikgu Fawziah Simon exiting the office - though I recalled her name few minutes after she went to her class. Too many new faces around and so one of the teachers ushered me to the GPK's room and met up with Ustaz Fauzi. He is one of the new teachers and I didn't know what came over me that I was speechless clutching the proposal letter in my hand.

Maybe its just the school. The office was still there along with everything else and I am impressed with the small pocket park adorned with Royal Palm. Ustaz Abdullah is still the Principal and the office is now air conditioned. Had a chat with Kak Kam, our clerk since KTAM years. Boy, I really miss the good old days. Guys, look at our school now.


Beautiful isn't it? Last time we only have tarmac at this area and that was the girls toilet - usually very congested after PE

Look, they put a stage on the foyer

The Umar Abd. Aziz Hall. The building next to it is the girl's hostel - where we lived for... 2 years and a half after the old KTAM building behind Convent School JB

Months After

It was 6.30pm when I reached home. Abah was no where in sight - yikes! which means he would return with food he bought at the always crowded pasar ramadhan. I bought sayur lemak pisang (banana cooked in coconut milk) which surprisingly caused up more addition to the food on the table. You can't eat that without the whole gang of fried salted fish and sambal belacan. It was near to 7.oopm and the Maghrib prayer call for JB could already be heard. We waited a bit because Pontian is a few minute later than JB. Then my mak said, "Kenapa tak ada bunyi siren?" (why is there no siren?) because usually during fasting month the siren was turned on just to mark the maghrib time before the 'muazin' (person who performs the prayer call) doing the azan. Convenient way for him to drink and eat right on time. I agreed with mak.

My abah casually replied, "Siren kan dah terbakar" which means the siren was burnt.

We both forgot, the mosque was already burnt *smack forehead.

Memoir of a Buruk Lantak

1st year in KTAM - all my friends who known me since then knew that I was the one with the worst case of homesickness, hehehe. Surprisingly enough I stayed and those who didn't show excessiveness case of homesickness changed school. Funny.

First year - the school cook was Abang Din. He was there until my second year when everyone of us did a boycott on him because of cleanliness. Then again, I was such a 'buruk lantak' that when I got home for the school holiday that strategically fell on the month of Ramadhan I gave a list to my mak. List of food that I want to eat for the whole fasting month. Though I know that most of the food in the list was made of mee goreng, mee kari, all sorts of mee. Mak complied and was I so happy, hehehe.

The school cook changed again in my final year as a KTAMian (I think) and that time it was for good. Hostel food is hostel food, soggy vegetables, ikan jaket (trademark for all hostel) but it still taste good. We called our cook Mak and in a way she was like our mom, feeding us at school and all that. My favourite day would be Friday when they serve special menu like nasi minyak, chicken rice, etc. My favourite breakfast day, easily sunday. Its nasi lemak day. We seniors always went down for breakfast really late and we get to add up as much as we want up to 3 servings of nasi lemak. For supper during fasting month, we were served mee goreng, mee bandung, oh what a joy. I even 'tapau' it back to the dorm along with my dorm-mate, also my food storage mate - Deej, Ziha and Cepot. We had a closet full of instant noodles of various flavour, bread, heater, our mom's preserved food, cookies and lot more. When either parents came we would carry the whole basket off to the dorm or the common room and share the food with everyone. I remember hounding Ina (Mazlina) for her mom's mee goreng and sambal tumbuk. My mak was always so happy to bring all the leftovers from 'kenduri' at our home the day before visiting day.

Such a very good topic on the first day of Ramadhan, hehehe. Happy fasting. Next month we raya :D

The Day When My Primary School Seat-mate Got Married

Shikin Mansor (too many Shikin around the school back then) got married. I just knew that I was going to be so late for the reception since Saturday is my working day and we are now concentrating on planting the palms at the entrance side of the site. Good thing that Yan was home during the weekend or it would be awkward showing up late and alone. Fila was there too - been so long since I saw both her and Shikin, make that years already. I like the pelamin though, its green and its nature themed. Congratulations Shikin & husband.

When I Miss My Friends....

I watch this simple well wishes impromptu video a friend of mine made when we were out stranded at the studio staircase waiting for the studio supervisor to come and open the door. All of us in the video and more that was not in it sent Azhar (the guy in red and black stripe jersey) to KLIA an hour after the video was recorded. He was bound home in Sabah and coincidentially we managed to bump into Anita Sarawak at the airport, the diva and her husband along with her mother - of course we took pictures with her. It was poignant actually. It was one of the last moment we were there as students.

The leng chai in black is Jimmy, next Imah, followed by Mee Lan, Arul, Mahathir, yours truly, Ije, Azhar, Odiey, Allan. The one who keeps on saying "Say something" is Nazri a.k.a Carlos (because during matriculation the movie 'Lenjan' went out and the villain's name is Carlos - the sex crazed maniac. Started out as a joke but the name eventually stuck). Wow was I that fair back then? LOL nevermind.

Welcome To My World

The site The Workers

The Iron-Clawed Landscape Architect

We are chasing off with a dateline, everyone wants everything urgent. So anyway, where's my birthday wishes? Been 2 days already maa...

Hiatus

There's a very distinct gap between reality and dream. Everyone knows that, but those who don't might end up in a mental state of frenzy. Well maybe in one of the mental institution. Okay talking gibberish here. Halt. Work has been consuming me. Gobble me up whole that even ended dreaming about doing my work while I sleep. Now that is so darn creepy. But still, 5.30pm becomes the most valued moment of the day, or merely becomes a guideline that work time is over but the piling files are still there, staring at me from my desk as if it was taunting at me, saying "I'm not moving anywhere until you work on me." That was where the nightmare about work would come in, haunting me.

A new account exec joined us on the first September. It was a blessing. Ms L asked me to join over when the interview was conducted on numerous candidates who showed up and it was a new experience. At the end of the day, they start calling me 'Puan'. Now thats a new one - I'm not married - yet. Do I look old already? Oh gosh. Good thing that Ms L and I have the same opinion about a candidate that we both feel comfortable with. Bad thing was giving out bad news to those who didn't make it and most of the time, I was the one who have to do it.

The season for tender submission has ended, with numerous contracts that we have to work upon and now is the season of project implementation. I am going to cry over the petrol usage for my car especially since the price is going up, up and up which from the rumour I heard would not stop until it went to RM2.oo per litre. That is freaking me out.

Hey! Its Sunday and on Sunday I don't talk about work. But I already did. Okay make up time. Time to relax and think about nothing other than what is on the TV, what is on the internet and my cozy bed. Jeff is going to a friend of our's wedding party in Pennsylvania for the weekend. Congratulations John and Xiaying!

Ciao! My bed is calling.

Famous For The Day

Somene just approached me for my autograph

Can you believe it?

An autograph?

From me?

I even got a copy of my autograph too because it was on a carbon copy piece of paper. Here's the copy that I got.

Well of course, that 'nice person' asked for my driving licence before he asked me very politely to sign on that piece of paper. Since I sucked on acting and lying, I can't come up with a reasonable excuse for making that illegal turn. Well for one its good that the police wasn't the "mintak duit kopi" type of officer. Aarrgghhh now I have to turn up to the court. Darn.

Song Of The Day

Save Me

Corrinne May

I drift, I burn, I fly. When you sing lullabies. I'm helpless, I'm yearning. I'm like the putty in your hands. I laugh, I dream, I cry. When you take me on a roller coaster ride. You see me through and through. You see just who i am. Just take my hand and.

Save me from this place. Heaven knows I'm falling. For you, my sweet embrace. Heaven Knows. Heaven knows I've been waiting for you.

I had a dream that i was falling from the sky. At 90 miles an hour. I was bound to crash and die. But out of nowhere you came and rescued me. There must be some grace in the touch of your face. I'm so happy that I've found you. I'm no longer afraid.

Oh ' cause you Save me from this place. Heaven knows i'm falling. For you my sweet embrace. Heaven knows. Heaven knows I've been waiting.

Before i met you. Life was slow-mo. So slow-mo. I thought i had it figured out. But you came and turned my whole world upside down.

Save me from this place Heaven knows I'm falling For you, my sweet embrace Heaven knows. Heaven knows you've come to. Save me from this place Heaven knows. I'm falling For you, my sweet embrace .Heaven Knows. Heaven knows I've been waiting for you. Waiting for you

Home Alone

I'm all alone...

Well for at least several days.

My mak and abah gone to Mekah last Friday for umrah and so I have the 6 cats to accompany me when I get back home from work. The weekend was not so bad. On Saturday my next-door neighbour held her wedding reception but since I have no Saturday off, I got there a tad bit late. Make that at 4.30pm when the crowd has already dispersed save for their relatives. Then again with their relative being my neighbours too, it wasn't that awkward. Though I was glad for the company of Mak Intan and her kids... make that adult kids. Since the whole road knows that my parents are away, I ended up with lots of food. Thats our way of taking care of each other at my place. The phone started ringing numerous times after I got back from the reception. Its the check up from my dear aunts and uncles asking how did everything goes. It was Saturday night. Good thing I'm not the wild party kind of person or the house would be upside down by the time my parents got back so I spent it the way I love to spend Saturday night most - sleeping.

Sunday wasn't that bad either. Mak Pah, my aunt called me up to accompany her to another wedding. Good thing or I would have to cook lunch, hehehe. Again, I ended up with lots of food, "Senang, malam tak payah masak," said the hostess for the reception. She's one of my mak's friends so there you go. Though the nasi minyak for her house was so good that I have to actually refrain myself from adding up for 2nd round. Watched TV, surf the net, played with my cats, snooze. As boring as it might sound, that is my perfect routine for a Sunday, hehehe. Gosh, honestly as I read that again... it just sound like a perfect life of an old maid - with cats and all. AACCKKK!!!

p.s: apologies to M.J fan for the pic. Though I think its hilarious :D

I'm Beautiful (Sangkanya!!!)

The current song that keeps playing over and over in my head - James Blunt's You're Beautiful. Just love the song, the lyric's innocent... well apart that another version the word 'flying' was actually sang as 'f**king' though I bet no radio in Malaysia & Singapore is playing that one. Most memorably 'ouchy and sympathetic' feeling hits when a girl was ranting at Daniel Ong on the radio about an unwanted attention she got from a guy when he knows so well that she already has a boyfriend and coincidentially the song was played right after.

You're Beautiful

My life is brilliant

My love is pure

I saw an angel

Of that I'm sure

She smiled at me on the subway

She was with another man

But I won't lose no sleep on that

'Cause I've got a plan

You're beautiful

You're beautiful

You're beautiful, it's true

I saw your face in a crowded place

And I don't know what to do

'Cause I'll never be with you

Yeah, she caught my eye

As we walked on by

She could see from my face that I was

Flying (f**king) high

And I don't think that I'll see her again

But we shared a moment that will last till the end

You're beautiful

You're beautiful

You're beautiful, it's true

I saw your face in a crowded place

And I don't know what to do

'Cause I'll never be with you

You're beautiful

You're beautiful

You're beautiful, it's true

There must be an angel with a smile on her face

When she thought up that I should be with you

But it's time to face the truth

I will never be with you

The lyric is beautiful and sweet, but kind of freaky when look from another angle. It could join The Police's stalker song, I'll Be Watching You. Another good reason to wear a ring during worktime.

I Dunno What I Did This Weekend (I Know lah)

1. Attended a small reunion of the 2004 batch of B.L.A - All in a spur of a moment, Odiey messaged everyone and there I went to F1 and met up with everyone who was around in Serdang Friday night. In attendance - Wak, Miza, Odiey, Arul, Wuan Chin, Ah Hing, Chin Yeong, Imah. Shau Yean, her bf and Allan came a bit later. Heard Ah Ching will be making his way to Atlanta in October and curently submitting his works through the net. Gosh! Rindunya F1!!!!! Chicken Maryland yum.... aiyo, lapar. I mean I miss my friends, hehehe
2. Waited outside the Dewan Besar UPM for my graduating friends - I got there way too early at 11am, so there I went, looking for flowers to give out to my friends. Good thing there were only 5 of them, hehehe. Tapa sms me to get flowers for him too since he's speeding from his office, so there I looked like a flower girl. Odiey and Carlos reached a little bit later. Found Jimmy, Ah Hing, Chin Yeong, Terence, Amy and Siang by the favourite 'White Jeep' outside the hall. Chin Yeong managed to snag some wild Zingiber to give out to our friends.
3. Drama marathon (Engine & Good Luck) - Well what could I say? I'm a sucker for Takuya Kimura's Drama. Engine is brand new, courtesy of Bangbil and for Good Luck, make that 2nd time marathon. Hmm, sound like a typical couch potato to me.
4. PC Fair - The yearly PC fair at CS. I was aiming for the RAM but too many people around and I sure hate the parking there. Wish I took the bus instead.

Curious

To everyone reading this blog - I hope you would respond.

You see, its like this.

I was on my way home just now and as I stopped for a red light in Pekan Nenas, I was playing around pointing everything with my fingers - 45 seconds is way too long for 'orang dah takde kerja' (nothing-to-do-and-darn-bored person) like me. I pointed with my thumb, with my jari telunjuk (I dunno whats that in english but its next to the thumb), my middle finger also known as the f**k finger (but that's kind of obscene) and then I reached to the root of my question. Can anyone lift their ring finger? (ie: jari manis). I could lift all of the fingers but not that one. I remembered asking my friends once in kindergarten because there was this song where we start knowing which finger is which and yes I can't lift it then but I don't remember if my friends answered it or not. Or did I even asked it out loud.

Okay so here's some visual

Jari Telunjuk - Straight

(Okayla not that straight but normal)

My Ring Finger - Can only be raised to that level

Okay so my question:-

How many people could point with their ring finger straight like the other fingers?
Which is normal and which is not?
I know my Mak can't get it straight either so that's 2 out of 2, but then again we're blood related.

Hmmmmmmm..........

Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince

Neutral Review

Harry Potter is back and the plot gets thicker and darker. The story started with the meeting between the muggle's Prime Minister and Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. It showed that the situation has gone for the worst since Voldemort began to rise and the Death-Eaters were more bolder than before. The sixth book as expected, became more mysterious and filled with suspicions from start to the end. Gone were the fun and the newfound fascinations of the world of wizardry.

There was, as expected the new substitute teacher for Defence Against Dark Arts - but he's not a new teacher. But then again, he did substitute for Remus Lupin for a period of time. The quidditch matches were getting lesser - though its fun to see how Harry managed to put up a good team since he was the new Gryffindor's quidditch captain.

As for the question of who is the half-blood prince, he is not Voldemort. Though when Harry found the scribbled and worn textbook of the Advanced Potion Making with notes of dangerous non-verbal spells, all I could think was "Oh please, not another Voldemort's enchanted book". Not forgetting relationships and the game of jealousy between Ron and Hermione which in my opinion they took too long to admit to each other that they do have feelings for each other. As for Harry, all I could say is good riddance on Harry's infatuation towards Cho Chang. The new relationship that he had was much more satisfying. With who? Read it yourself.

Through this book the transformation of Tom Riddle to Voldemort was described, on how the genius Riddle become so obsessed in finding greater power and turn for the worst. And of course on why no teacher has managed to teach the Defence Against Dark Arts for more than a year. The position was cursed.

Death. There were death involving someone very close to Harry and I'm not going to spoil the story for those who want but haven't read the book. It ends with Harry telling Ron and Hermione that he won't be coming back for the next year in Hogwarts. He's continuing his final mission to hunt the Dark Lord himself, by destroying Voldemort's horcruxes before the final confrontation. Harry Potter fans would know that its either Voldemort or Harry that is going to be dead.

Emotional Review

I CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S DEAD!!!!!!

First its Sirius, then its him. Who else is going to be next? Harry? Please NO!!!!! (though it is rumoured that there is the possibility of Harry getting killed in the end). Seems everyone near Harry was getting killed in the process of hunting the evil sucker Voldemort. When I read the word 'Avada Kedavra' seems like instead of Harry, it was myself who was being casted the body binding spell on and could only look, again, someone so very dear to him getting killed.

So I cried, so I became emotional, so what? So I did the next thing that came to my mind, I called Edda. And yes, like me she is one of the fans. Her reading style, she skips the pages and head straight for the end. She told me that she looked at the page of the death in the train on her way back home and couldn't help but say "Alaaaa kenape mati!!!" out loud. And she was traveling alone. Knowing her for so long throughout secondary and matriculation, I know she did just that. We spent on the phone for near half an hour until duty calls (Yes, I have to work today for an exhibition and Edda works on Sunday). Though I don't know how wrong I could be but I do believe that the one who cast the Avada Kedavra was acting out his part in the mission even though it seems so darn cruel and unsuspected.

Harry have to give up everything for the final mission, and it is clear that his childhood has ended. Truth is he became much more serious on the pursuit of the Dark Lord since Sirius died. He's carrying much heavier burden than before with no one to trust. Ron and Hermione were too precious for Harry to involve them into, and so does his new girlfriend. I will wait with bated breath til the final book is out. Just hope that J.K. Rowling won't take too long to get it done like the interval between the Goblet of Fire and the Order of Phoenix. Its too torturing and mind killing.

And Today Is....

HARRY POTTER DAY!!!!

Well actually the release of the 6th book of the Harry Potter series - Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince, which is also believed to be the second last of the Harry Potter Saga. I collected the book from MPH - well actually drive like a maniac during lunchtime from Taman Sutera to Taman Universiti so that my absence at the display booth won't be noticed. Okay I sound like a geek already. Just who is the half-blood prince? Voldemort? Hush, I'm going back to my reading.

Mellow

Okay, I'm feeling mellow and lonely. No idea for the blog entry - too many things going on for the weekend work work and work and not forgetting the launch of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince this weekend, yeay! So here, I'm plugging my ears with the headset making myself deaf with the songs in the media library.

15 must have songs in no particular order (for me lah) in my library (both office and home):-

1. Diamond Dust - Kyosuke Himuro
2. Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx
3. First Love - Utada Hikaru
4. Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
5. With Or Without You - U2
6. Maaf - Jikustik
7. Every Heart - BoA
8. Everything - Lifehouse
9. Take Me Away - Lifehouse
10. Name - Goo Goo Dolls
11. M - Ayumi Hamasaki
12. Another Day - Lemar
13. When Love and Hate Collide - Def Leppard
14. Sore Ga, Ai Deshou - Full Metal Panic OST (dunno who sings, thee hee hee)
15. Down - Blink 182

Hmm.... now that I look from the list... Gosh! (not for me to disclose what I conclude of myself :p)

Rev Up Your Engine

Just got back home from watching Initial D and it rocks!!! Certainly worth the RM8 parking ticket (darn!) since GSC at Leisure Mall wasn't showing it (and the parking there is freee, darn!). Read and heard too many good reviews about the movie so there I went to CS right after work ends driven by a strong urge to find out just how good is the movie. I've never read the comic before but knowing Japanese manga, it has to be good.

The scene starts with an aerial vision of the road at Mount Akina which is of course the main setting of the whole movie. Don't compare it with Fast and Furious because certainly, different movies have their own strength. Its all about downhill race - no drugs, no undercover cops no good guy, bad guy etc etc, just racers showing off their best on the road though the guys from the Emperor team are way too cocky. After watching Fast and Furious and Too Fast Too furious I would like nothing more to have fancy, cool and fast car though after watching Initial D, I would certainly like to drive a Toyota Trueno Apex (AE86). How would your ego survive if a tofu delivery car, an AE86 to boot overtake your car and you're driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III? Makes me wonder if I could do modifications on my Kancil. Hmmmmm...

One thing for sure, when the VCD hits the shop, I will be buying it. Edison Chen is so cool!!!!

My Name Is....

Things that we are getting used to - and can't live without - name. Everyone have a name, and names I might add. Everything has a name. Even rocks have name ie: granite, calcite etc. As everybody know, my name is Nadiah. Thats just it. Short. Though if you look into my identity card you would see that my name is so long.Too long. My inital in the IC - NDHAZ. Long enough? N is for my name and the rest is for my Abah's name. I still don't know how my big brother and sister managed to cut the D part but they did. Then anyway that's the name that I was born into and the name that I would go to grave with.

So what does nadiah means? All my life I know that nadiah means 'generous'. Hmm... generous to the shopping complex and shops? Yikes! In a bookstore where they sell all this keychains with name meaning it was written that nadiah means and assembly. Now that's confusing. So I did some digging. I know my name is of arabic origin and the search through internet shows that the name nadia/nadya/nadiah is of arabic, russian and hebrew origin.

In arabic there's 2 meaning. One is for generous, and the other is the beginning. In Russian it means hope while in hebrew it means an assembly. In arabic, if you spelled it wrongly it may mean differently. As an example for my younger bro's name. My abah intended it to mean "the smile of the religion" (if i'm not mistaken) and then one day my bro's teacher spelled the name wrongly in arabic lettering on his exercise book by exchanging one letter to make it mean "the barking of the religion" - my abah knows arabic very well so he starts to point the mistake. My bro doesn't care so til today he spells his name in arabic to the barking one. Same thing goes for those with chinese name, different way of saying a name makes it mean differently. A late friend of mine told me to correct my pronunciation of his name because I was calling him "shameless flower".

Whatever my name means, I know my parents meant for it to have a good meaning. A name is a prayer for those who have it. Imagine a person name that means stupid. That person, even though is not stupid may be banished to stupidity because everyone is calling him stupid. I asked my mak, which meaning did they intend for me when I was born. And so she said - "generous". So here I am, Nadiah, the generous... I hope I won't be generous to un-necessary place *gulp.

Amusing Information for the Day

These info were obtained through today's Morning Madness show on Perfect 10 98.7fm during my ride to the office:-

1. A woman cancelled her wedding with her fiancee less than 24 hours from their supposed to be wedding. The groom in return called up his past girlfriends and proposed to every one of them until 1 of them said yes. They were married in the ceremony and no guest was notified about the change of the bride. This happened in Romania.
2. This one might be gross - told Jeff first and he said, to quote "I'm going to have nightmares". A teenage boy was found to start mentsruating. No kidding. Make no mistake, this boy is not a hermaphrodite (khunsa) but he has started having it for few months already and been showing symptoms of a normal menstruation - stomach cramps, bouts of nausea, mood swings and of course the bleeding. In a way, feels like finally a man could feel what us women feel every month but then again now I think about it, that boy - and the people around him of course - are going to have a huge trouble every month if he has PMS. Okay I can't stop thinking this part away from my head. If, and I repeat IF he's gay... would he be pregnant? Aack!!! lari!!! nauzubillah. This happen in India.

Continued - 3rd Day in Bangkok

Managed to wake up 'bapak punya' early which was actually at 5.30am Bangkok time which actually in Malaysia its 6.30am. Took a bath, brushed my teeth and then fell back asleep until the familiar sound of the boys knocking on our door to wake us up for breakfast. We were all set. The day's itinerary was going to Chatuchak weekend market. It took about 15 minutes from the hotel and believe me, being stuck in a taxi with 7 person is never good. Another thing I found out in Bangkok that the taxi driver could accept driving for 6 person without any hesitation. At first we thought that taking 2 taxis would be good but judging from the traffic around there and the fact that we only know where we want to go but not knowing how or where it was, we chose to travel in the same vehicle.

By the time we reached there at 8.30am the shops were about to open. In a way, we were too early. One thing about Chatuchak market, the shops categories are well organized unlike other market that we had gone to. There's the section for clothes, plants, books, pets, food etc. The plants that were out on display was so beautiful that we were itching to buy them. The bonsai planted in small pots were so beautiful and cheap - at 150 Baht!!! the thing was, how could we make the plant go pass the Malaysian custom? before a plant could be admitted into Malaysia they have to be quarantined that most of the time lots of them couldn't survive it. We could only watch those plants, snapped some pictures and walked through the alley.

Colourful rows of Portulaca grandiflora and the comel lote bonsai

Next stop was the section that got Ms Lee and I hooked for nearly an hour - the book section. Most of the books there are second hand, some are new and so darn cheap!!! Imagine buying a hardcover book for only 275 baht (thats roughly RM 27.50) where got over here?hehehe. Thailand landscape books are very good for idea reference and they even have the new issue produced every year. Believe me, neither myself or Ms Lee could read Thai but all the landscape books that we bought were in Thai. But who cares, its the pictures that matters most. Then I bought 2 paperback novels at 80 baht - John Grisham's A Painted House and Sidney Sheldon's If Tomorrow Comes. The Sidney Sheldon book was bought solely to refresh my memory on why I didn't enjoy it that much and to refer back to the racket over my cousin Dayah blog on which of his book is the best. We spent our time there til its near to 1 when we decided to stop for lunch before going back to the hotel to drop off our things.

We went straight away to Dream World - the famous theme park near to Bangkok. It was about an hour ride there that on the way to Dream World, most of us went to our own 'dream world'. We had great fun over there and yes, I was transformed back to be a kid. Spending too much time with kids under 14 made me act like that, but again, who cares no one asked my age anyway, hehehe. The peak of it all was when the boys and I was riding on the Splash ride. The ride is actually the one that is similar like the roller coaster but it went straight on the surface of the small pond. Thought the water splash was going to be small, we were wrong. By the time the ride ends, we were drenched wet. Ms Lee, Mr Lok and Mei Mei was laughing so hard looking at us that straight away they ushered us to the nearest clothes shop and told us to buy anything that fits. Now I know why they have lots of them inside the park itself. We went back to the hotel near to 9. Had dinner at the hotel's restaurant and fell off unconcious.

The parade at Dream World and Mei Mei and yours truly

Today marks up our first year all right. Can't believe it, woohoooooo!!!

I love you so much, sayang!!!

Second Day In Bangkok

Woke up at 6.30am, thinking that it was just about the right time for the Subuh prayers. Boy, was I so wrong. In Bangkok 6am is just like Malaysian 7.30am and it was already so bright. In other word - dah sah subuh gajah. Mei Mei wasn't sleeping well because of her constant coughing, and so does Ms Lee in that case. As for me... I didn't even woke up because of the coughing which Ms Lee pointed out, I slept like a log. Took a quick shower and prayed and laid down for a while as the day's activities were set to start at 9.00am because we hired a tourist guide for the Grand Palace Tour. Breakfast was a feast. At least there were something for me to eat so I found myself walloping salad, cereal, buns and fruits. Jeff told me once that one of his favourite breakfast is french toast (roti goreng telur) with maple syrup which to me would definitely taste odd, so I tried. Not bad at all - only that he told me after I got back that I was supposed to put melted butter and sprinkle some sugar on it too which I definitely didn't. Its a breakfast buffet so we could eat to our heart's content which in my case, so darn content.

Our tourist guide came and we started exploring. The journey from the hotel to the Grand Palace took about 15 minutes and on the way we were so full of inquiry on every building that we saw. Mr Ariya was great though honestly Ms Lee and I both don't like the feeling of people waiting on us and keeping time when we are going on a holiday which is why we were travelling on free & easy basis. There's a lot of things that covered up the Grand Palace visit which is the Royal Museum, Wat Phra Kaew and the Banquet Hall. The residential palace was off limit because the palace are still used by the first princess. The first stop was the Wat Phra Kaew which is the buddhist temple inside the palace area. The whole structure looks like it was made of gold though Mr Ariya said it wasn't. The architecture and the landscape was so beautiful which what Ms Lee pointed out, the Thais are very well established with their ornamental landscape of any kind. We were surprised to find out that the image on one of the coronation building was handpainted, not wall papered. We made a close inspection and saw that each object were a little bit different and too fine that no wall paper could be that.

Yours truly (Intan commented so much that she wanted to see my pic, not anyone else)

The white flowers are Wrightia thai while the yellow ones are Wedelia trilobata (if I'm not wrong)

Image of the Miniature Angkor Wat handcarved to stone and one shot of Wat Phra Kaew roof.



Image towards the Banquet Hall at the Grand Palace

Because of the transport that we were using was sponsored by the Gem's Gallery, it became one of our unplanned stop. An unplanned stop which cost a lot because I bought something over there, hehehe. Something small and flashy and beautiful but still too big for my fingers. The sales person said my finger's too small which is something that I would never dreamt of hearing if I came there 2 years ago. We haven't had enough time for a refitting which they said would cost our 15 minutes so I just bought it and wore it on my middle finger. It wasn't until the next morning that I realized that I could wear it over my left thumb.

We had lunch at the hotel which consist of rice, fried sea bass with mango salad, seaweed soup, fried squids, tofu soup and mixed vegetable. It was a feast though basically that was what we normally ate for our lunch over in Bangkok. True to what the driver who sent us to Changi Airport said, the rice in Thailand is heavenly and very fulfilling. After lunch Mr Lok decided that he would stay at the hotel with Mei Mei and San Ho since both of them are not feeling well. San Ho had food poisoning which we suspected because of last night's dinner at the stall in the Suan Lum Bazaar.

Ms Lee took San Yi and I to the roadside as soon as we were ready and hailed a cab to go to Pratunam. Interestingly enough, our taxi driver on that trip doesn't know much of english that to our amusement we were actually talking back in different languages without knowing what the others are saying. Ms Lee spoke English, the driver spoke thai though we managed to learn thai numbers along the way. Pratunam is very well known around the area for clothes and it was also kind of disconcerting to see that some of them sells eye-popping lingerie. I wonder if anyone would have the nerve to buy it. If its in an enclosed shop, people would but an open air market that sells clothing that actually only covers up the essential part... I don't know.

We were getting hungry and tired and so we chose to go to MBK Centre, one of the most well known shopping complex in Bangkok. Being curious on how the ride on the tuk-tuk feels, we hailed one at the junction bargaining with the drivers for the best price. We settled for one at 100 baht a ride since its already night time and it does remind us a lot on the James Bond riding off the tuk-tuk for the Visa card advertisement. The traffic in Bangkok as always was jammed and much to our delight (fright actually) the driver knows his way around town. The more we screamed, the more he sped and smiled and he actually made a crazy U- turn on the freeway that was filled with fast vehicles on both side which I swore if he's not good enough, the tuk-tuk would tip over. We were all very excited with the daredevil way he brought us to our destination. We gone through every alley and every houses' backyard that by the time we reached MBK we were kind of disappointed. Now we know why the visa advertisement featured the tuk-tuk.

View from inside the tuk-tuk to the bustling alley of Pratunam

Our first intended target was the food court at the 6th floor but on the way there Ms Lee and I was caught up on the 4th floor where they sell all the furnitures. San Yi and I managed to cause a racket when we were playing and testing on a megaphone as Ms Lee was busy looking at the furnitures. We thought that the battery was not in it until we accidentally turned the siren on. It was so loud that we got a surprise of our own. By the time the siren was off we can't stop laughing. All Ms Lee said, "Kids".

Gratefully at the food court there are 2 muslim stalls, one selling thai food which look a lil bit weird for me and the other was the one selling indian food. So I chose nasi briyani - even if I don't like nasi briyani that much. We did a little more window shopping before finally taking a taxi back to our hotel. Our itinerary for the next day would be more full.