Crappy Friday, Nice Weekend

So what happened to that presentation that I was talking about before? I presented it, they like it but we pulled out because my company... I mean the company that I work for doesn't do consultation work. We specialized in design and built which means, we design and build it too. I had a mixed emotion about my boss pulling out from the work. For one, I don't have to spend so much time on unnecessary job and I get a rest from designing. For another, feel like I'm wasting my time on that design. Heck, always look at the bright side, my brain is working and generating designs and that is good. I could always recycle that particular design on other unknown sites.

Went there with my boss - not as I expected. I thought I would be going alone because of the indications that she gave weeks earlier. After presenting, went to buy some stuff for the site operation people and had lunch. I should have expected that she would went to the JP site, but I did not expect that she would leave me to do the supervision work til its very late. I already promised Eena and Am that I would be watching Constantine with them after work. Told my boss too about it and guess what? they were stuck in the traffic on the way back. I was stewing and boiling when they finally went back at the site at 6.00pm. Both Eena and Am kept on calling me asking if I could make it or not. Heck yeah I could - or at least hope so.

So my boss was feeling guilty about the jam and offered to send me straight to City Square. My car is still at the office, but I don't worry that much about the security of the area. There are always 2 security guards guarding over the Mah Sing building so, my car is safe. My mind was focusing on getting to CS and reached there just in time. Eena and Am went in first as I went out buying and smuggling rotiboy in my bag. It was kind of flat when I got it out of the bag but still hot and tasty and I got Am hooked on it too. Eena was hooked on it 2 days before as I bought her the bread when she stayed back late at her office.

Constantine was nice and okay - hardly what you might describe for a horror action movie. There are lots of surprise scene and the ghost fight scene looks cool. Good thing I was done eating when the gore insect part comes in. But I still say leave the horror movies to the Japanese and Korean even when sometimes the story board gets too complicated and makes you say 'Huh?' in the end.

The movie ends at about 9.15pm and went around CS, bought some stuff before going back. Hitch a ride with Eena to the Bus Terminal to get a taxi from there to my office. I was so darn sleepy and the taxi driver was so darn chatty. It was good anyway because he knows a lot about landscape and nursery and while we were talking, I happen to heard that he calls his girlfriend 'Kajol' (She's one of the top Bollywood actress, hee hee hee).

Saturday was fine only that I was having a bad case of diarrhea. I was not the only one - my boss too. That was when I know, it must be the lunch that we ate at the mamak restaurant in aman Molek. Got home, chat with Jeff and he gave me a really good news. He'll be coming here in March YEAY!!!!!!

Love Letter

It has been an okay day so far... minus the fact that I only manage to chat up with Jeff for a few minutes before I went off to work today and that's about it *sighs. The electricity went out - again - at about 2.30pm as I was going up to the office with freshly bought curry puffs and popiah. I could hear someone from the lawyer's office was screaming. No doubt over the unsaved file. Ms Ooi was definitely busy typing the figures in the computer when the lights went off. As a consolation, I shared my snack with her. Since there's no electricity we drank plain water. It was a really hot day and I could barely open my eyes when I checked up on our site in the afternoon. The only source of wind was the door at Mr. Lok's office.

Power kicks in at about 4.30pm - about time. Did my work and met up for dinner with Eena and her friend Am. As always the hot and tasty chicken rice at Arked Meranti was my choice while Eena was sampling the hot plate yee mee at the newly opened stall. The chicken rice was great and I was done before their food reached our table (sangat buruk lantak). Its a self service food court - first come first serve and nothing could veer my attention from the chicken rice... erm... well someone could, *wink.

Got home at about 8.30pm and there it was - the 'love letter' that I dreaded so much. Well I am being sarcastic here. The love letter is actually the account statement of my student loan. It doesn't say anything about when to pay it but the hidden message is there. Always fun to spend but not fun to pay back *sighs. I already set up my payment account at my bank through the net a few minutes ago. The activation date is not determined yet... maybe I would in the next couple of month, hehehe. I remember reading the contract before signing it. They stated a sum for a duration of time. According to that I would have to pay that amount (if i follow it accordingly - more is encouraged, less is not) for the whole 15 years. Wow. My kids would be teenager by that time, hahaha. It inevitable anyway. PAY UP TIME!!!!

Anyway Eena asked me if I would like to go up and catch up Constantine at CS, along with Am. Yes I would, for sure. 11.15pm now. wonder if there would still be fireworks like yesterday. But who knows, I would already be in my bed, sleeping. See ya!

Colourful Awakening

Look at the time now - Its 12.31am and I am fully awake. 12.30am, big deal but where do I live right now, 12.30 equals to very very late and everyone would be in bed already as early as 9pm or 10pm. Thats village life where the residence are mainly made of old citizens.

Its the 10th night of the Chinese Lunar New Year calendar. If I could remember clearly, if I am at Serdang right now, I would wait on the faculty building side wing along with my friends who stayed back at the studio to see the vast expanse of firework from MINES for 5 days straight into Chap Goh Meh (If i'm not mistakenlah).

As for just now, it reminds me a whole lot when I was in campus during new year and chinese new year. At 11.50pm I was awake due to the noisy sound of firecrackers and fireworks around Parit Semerah. If I'm not living at the village side, I would have gone out myself to see the beautiful fireworks. Hope nobody got hurt or dead as some case happens elsewhere around Malaysia. For one thing the huge firecracker are being banned in Malaysia. That sure got me thinking how did they get supply.

Set aside the logic. By 11.55pm, I was not the only one awake. My mak was awake too and went to the nearest window with the fireworks display. I know if I went outside, she would went too, so I dashed out with my trusty camera. Sure reminds me a lot when I celebrated new year at KLCC because there were 3 main points where the fireworks come from. Seems like all of them are competing - from Taman Rakyat, Taman Saujana and Taman Damai.

Pictures that were taken from the Taman Saujana direction

The smell of burnt firecrackers invited me as I went outside and its already smoking - that figures on why the road was fogging so bad yesterday that I had to turn on the headlight in the bright daylight.

Happy Chinese New Year! Selamat Tahun Baru Hijrah! Happy Valentine's Day!

Before I start, ahem *clears throat and screams,

Happy Chinese New Year and Hijriyah New Year
(belated, hehehe)

and

Happy Belated Valentine's day *flirty throaty voice

Its been a while since I blogged or even bloghopping. Its been a few weeks and now as I went bloghopping, just realized that Dayah posted her last entry forever - though I don't know forever or not because I have my own speculation (darn! I am her blogstalker, and no more free messages on to her on her tagboard)

Been pretty much moodless and lazy since after the Chinese New Year & Hijriyah New Year (the new year in the Islamic calendar) holiday. Well of course the holiday bug bite. Dozen of things to do yet here I am, blogging.

Valentine Day? Well... pretty much lonely and missing Jeff so much (UWAAAA!!!) Jeff sent me a card, made my day brighter and cooler (been a very hot and dry month). All I did the whole day was work and did a movie marathon with my trusty Snuggles - 50 First Date, Love Actually and Runaway Bride. Didn't help and was definitely a wrong move. Think the word 'Emotional Baggage' and you get what I mean.

My boss told me to go up and meet a client and do a presentation on a project that she was not keen about. Thing is last time when we proposed a design, they ended up cutting the budget and we didn't get the contract. She have a strong feeling that it will happen again and since I'm doing the design... yes I am in lack of mood. Wow, look at the time, I gotta start doing my work again. Til the next time, chow baby ;)

Complicated Life : Bus Trip

5 February

1830hrs: Boarded Transnasional bus from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur. The bus was a brand new 3 seater coach - not the 4 seater as I thought before. The guy who sat beside me looks quiet. I was wrong. He was so chatty that in the end it was hard to sleep. The seat was hard and jammed up. S.W.A.T. was being played. Slept anyway and woke up just in time before Serdang.

2230hrs: Reached Serdang. Called up my bro to pick me up. Stomach rumbling. Called up my mak. Called up Odiey - just in case he starts pulling the 'merajuk' ploy on me for not calling up when I'm in Serdang. Snapped a picture of engineering faculty - missed campus so much. Got into bro's car and head to Padang. Ordered 'nasi goreng ladna' (can't find that anywhere in Johor)

Alien spaceship? No. Just the Lamp post in front of the Engineering faculty by the road.

2345hrs: Reached my bro's house. Changed clothes, feed myself the still hot fried rice. Stomach full. Apetite fulfilled. Turn on the PC. Went for the weekly ae_exile meeting - my baby was late. Called up Jeff. Chat.

6 February

03250hrs: Feels sleepy and tired. Log off. Went downstairs and turn the TV on. Mystery case was on. Lie on the love seat. Doze off.

0400hrs: Woke up with a sore leg that hangs off the love seat. Switched off the tv. Went upstairs to the spare room. Sleep.

0700hrs: Woke up. Wash face and do the essentials. Pray. Went downstairs. Switch on the tv. Stare. Yawn. Went upstairs. Iron clothes for the wedding. Bathe. Went downstairs to watch tv.

0915hrs: Bro returned from jog with breakfast - nasi lemak, mee siam & mee goreng. Eat. Watched TV.

1015hrs: Went upstairs. Get ready to move.

1033hrs: Out

1100hrs: Reached Minlon. Waited for Abang Ayin. Wait. Wait. Saw his car. Went inside his car. Get to know his sister Linda. Went to a shop. Saw Po'tet and his new Kia Sephia. Bought refreshments.

The well missed road towards my rented house during college, by the Minlon building. The pink building on the left is the Engineering Faculty - so big that it made the design faculty (my former faculty) tiny

1110hrs: Start the journey to Bahau. Po'tet tailing behind Abang Ayin's car. Roller coaster ride starts as we exit the highway into Senawang. Was being thrown left to right. Gets dizzy. The drive seems endless, Kak Musy's house seems forever to reach.

1300hrs: Reached Kuala Klawang. Thought was getting near. Was wrong. Waited for my other housemates - Kak Zana, Kak Mai and some of new faces that's new, hehe. Seems too long. Stopped by at a restaurant. Had refreshment. Po'tet was hungry, ate roti canai. Wait and wait.

1345hrs: Kak Zana and the rest finally arrives. Changed car. Kak Mai went to Abang Ayin's car while Kak Zana went to Po'tet. I went to Po'tet's car too, wanting to get the feeling of getting into a new car. The journey continues. Kak Zana told me she and Po'tet will be getting married on March 5th, while Kak Mai and Abang Ayin a week after.

The neverending road. Kak Zana on the left Po'tet on right. I was strapped down at the backseat for safety, hehe.

1430hrs: Finally reached to Kak Musy's house. Was welcomed by the beautiful view of the paddy field. Missed the 'bersanding' ceremony. Sat down and ate. Took some pictures. Lingered at the dining table.

Lovely view of the green paddy field


The Bride & The Groom - Musyrifah & Afindy


Guess which one is me, hahaha.

Time to dig in. So darn hungry

1530hrs: Start making our way back home. Kak Mai, Abang Ayin and the rest of the girls went to Jeram Tui a river on the way back to Serdang while I followed Kak Zana and Po'tet to Bahau and took a bus to Seremban. Called Man f*cker(pronunced as mah-n, don't ask me how he ended up with that at the end of his name - we got too many Man in the class) and told him I was on my way. Logged into yahoo from my cellphone. Jeff's offline. Slept.

Token from The Bride & The Groom.

1700hrs: Reached Seremban but the traffic was so bad due to the 'Sure Heboh' Carnival. Checked my cell phone. Got messages from Jeff. Replied. Changed clothing. Went to the carnival. Greeted by friends from the studio. Man rounded them up. Great surprise.

The quintet. L to R: Man f*cker,Tapa,Carlos, Mahathir & Odiey.
Eligible bachelors. Any takers?

1830hrs: Went to Seremban Parade for food. Eat. Talked. Joked. Gossip.

Hungry People


The Food Court ABC (Air Batu Campur)
Odiey's

1930hrs: They sent me off at Terminal One. Waved goodbye and hope to meet up again and spend time. Cozy seat. Nice air conditioning. Doze off.

2345hrs: Woke up. Reached Skudai already. Reached Larkin few minutes after. Walked to uncle's house. Ate the freshly bought Rotiboy. Changed.

7 February

0015hrs: Couldn't sleep. Turned the tv on. The Frighteners were on again. Stared at spaces. Couldn't sleep. Misses Jeff.

0125hrs: Couldn't take it. Called Jeff up. Brenda/Mom picked up the phone. Jeff sounded sleepy. Talked for a while. Disconnected the line. Watched TV. Tried to sleep after movie ends.

0830hrs: Work

2100hrs: Got home. Feels good. Greeted by the familiar landscape in the bedroom.

Home Sweet Home *sighs

Parking and Hot Rotiboy

I spent my night last night at my uncle's house before going up to KL and then to Seremban for my friend's wedding. I haven't bought any gifts yet so there I went after maghrib prayers with my cousin to City Square. Honestly I miss being at that house. Been a long time since I set foot there since my internship ends and things keeps piling up. The neverending noisy sound from the noighbours, the sound of kompang practise by the resident, the common squabbles in the family and of course the smell of someone cooking maggie mee at night that makes me hungry again.

Lingered around at CS for about and hour and found my gift. Actually its a trademark for me to get one type of wedding gift so that when they saw it, they know its me. My cousin gave me a look and said "Kak Diah, not that again." I smiled. Saw an engraving booth that looks so darn interesting and of course, anytime I went to CS, I always have this thoughts of getting more piercing to my ears and as always, I didn't go on with it. There's always other time, hehehe. Last stop was to a bakery. I forgot the name and never had the temptation to try it out because it has coffee at the bakery name and I don't like coffee. So when my uncle told my cousin to buy 6 of rotiboy there I was puzzled. What's a rotiboy? Boy punya roti (boy's bun.... sounds like something else, hahaha)? Bun with boy's head? Or is it that the baker is called Boy? I don't know why it is called that but the bun was WOW. It was piping hot and fresh from the oven thatI couldn't resist myself from eating it up while going towards the car.

My uncle lives at Flat Larkin so the parking was crazy. One of the unique thing is that due to the lack of parking space for the residents, they tend to park in front of other cars, just as long as they leave the handbrake down. I didn't own a car back then so I don't mind that much about parking space. Its a normal scene every morning to see someone moving and pushing the car to clear up the other car's way. When I parked my car in front of someone else's, I kind of got excited. Just to see where my car ends up when I am leaving for work this morning. It was short lived as my uncle told me in the morning that he parked my car at an empty spot when he got off from work, much longer than the time I got home.

Now I'm at the office, my bus ticket to KL is at 6.30pm. Going to drop off at Hentian Serdang and be making my way to Jelebu N9 on Sunday.

I'm seeing RED

Everywhere I go, I see red. Red boxes, red card, red light (that is given), red everything. Chinese New Year is coming, yeay!!!! and of course *ahem, my bonus. The phone at the office had been ringing incessantly from our fellow supplier asking whether my boss had issue out cheques for the previous payment and of course we do our own ringing to our client on our payment.

My boss calls that a normal occurence whenever Chinese New Year or Hari Raya is getting near. Since she had finally issued out a thick wad of cheques for me to sort through and call up the supplier yesterday, all of them came by in a matter of minutes - with boxes of lokam or mandarin orange. At one point she told me to hold all the cheque until they turn up with oranges at our doorstep.

I'm getting 1 box back home after work today (and I would probably the only one who gobble it all up before anyone could, hehehehe). What else is red and really tempting at this time of the year? It will be none other than the thick wad of ang pow (red packet) from my boss of course *batting eyelashes.

Crazy Minah Behind the Wheel

I went out on a driving trip again. First to the Immigration office to settle up the business about our foreign workers. It was a surprise as the counter was packed up with people and I had to wait more than an hour for my turn. Maybe everyone was rushing before the Chinese New Year holiday and of course, many from what I heard was settling the problem about the current frozen VDR application for foreign worker until 26th April. Even the express counter doesn't seem so express anymore so I ended up watching the current tamil drama aired on TV3. The kid in that drama that I watched about 2 months ago while I was waiting at the Immigration had apparently grew up to be a successful inventor - or so i think.

Next stop was to the urban forest that held the landscape department for MBJB (Johor Bahru City Council) my internship place. Met up with a friend of mine and asked him about all the necessary things for a submission as I am going to submit in 8 sets (1 set = 1 linen blueprint + 3 blueprint + writing report + plant profile) of project drawing. I would have a heck of a day if the drawing gets rejected and have do some amendment. My fellow close buddies at the Graphic Unit were out doing site measurement so I didn't linger there that long.

Then I went to the Larkin terminal to buy ticket to go off to on Saturday after work to Serdang where on Sunday a friend will pick me up and head to my former housemate house in Jelebu Negri Sembilan for her wedding. I told her last time that if she wants me to come, do it on Sunday as its the only day off for me. She did, so I would feel really bad if I don't go.

I was sighing real bad when my boss pass me a tag from the POSLAJU to pick up a parcel at the main depot. I have never been there before and although its in Larkin where I actually lived in for 6 months of the internship. Knowing my sense of direction is kind of in a mess since my wrong turn event part 1 and part 2 I just know that this time I am going to be lost again. I did, but not for long. The map at the tag wasn't that helpful, it doesn't show any prominent landmark and of course no north point (even if they have the northpoint I don't know at which end of the compas I was at, hahaha). Found the depot, and on my way back there was a small accident at the junction involving 2 cars. Not just any car. To be specific, a silver Datsun crashed into a white Proton Perdana with the police logo on it. Yeah, you got that right, the guy actually crashed into a cop's car. Talk about being unlucky. Poor guy.

I went to the printing shop to drop off the cd for them to print everything off and went to Taman U for my lunch. There were a lot of unauthorized advertisement pasted on the tree along the way there and a few ad caught up my eyes.

BABYSISTER FOR HIRE

(never thought that I could hire a sister, hehehe though I know it meant babysitter for hire)

UBAT LELAKI KUAT, TAHAN & KERAS

translation - Men's medicine, strong, last & hard

(I just have to laugh on that one)

Well of course, many of us could find the 'Ubat lelaki kuat' ad anywhere - I know I found lots of those in Serdang and Kajang but for this one, the description went kind of graphic and I was like, huh? Had my favourite fried kueyteow at Jusco Arena Foodcourt after getting a phonecall from Jeff. I got the call while lining up and wait for my kueyteow to be cooked. Been a long time since I went out and eat alone at a diner. Last time it was in August after paycheck at Secret Recipe and the waiter was giving me an odd look when he ask me if I'm dining alone. Is there any wrong with that?

Jeff called again before both of us went to bed. A good end for a hectic day... until B-bo went in a fight with another cat outside. I just love and adore that cat.