Mataku yang Sepet

Been a very busy but exciting weekend. Well of course, my weekend only consist of a day and a half, and that was how long I went to KL. Reached Serdang at about 9 and had a very sumptuous dinner at F1 restaurant - was so darn hungry that I actually finished everything that I ordered. Got to my sister's house and promptly fell asleep. Felt like a boa constrictor who had just consumed a whole goat... mengular.

In the morning, woke up and watched Buli on the player, Jeff called and then went out for breakfast... make that a very late breakfast with my sister's boyfriend. We were supposed to get ready at 11, but since her boyfriend took upon himself to show up and make a surprise, we just went out with him. Finally reached Kak Mai's house at 1. The groom's delegation hasn't arrived yet for the bersanding ceremony and I didn't stay long. I only managed to take a snap of Kak Mai and I have to admit, the make-up artist did a very fine job and she looks like a living doll. That figures though because the make-up artist was a male. Besides, everyone knows that they're the best.

Went to Mak Jun's house in Bangsar and afterwards my sister dropped me off at the train station. I actually have planned to meet up my friends in KLCC other than do my book shopping at Kinokuniya. Found Intan and Yan in the midst of the bustling crowd browsing the books at the fiction area while keeping up with the gossips. Intan bought me a ticket to watch 'Sepet' (it means small eyes in Malay) and so we went. It was a good movie and I have to admit, its the 2nd Malaysian movie that I enjoyed watching (P. Ramlee's is excluded because all his movies are good and they're all at another era) though at some scenes it drags especially when the characters are having one on one conversation with their friends. But nevertheless, the conversations are something that I could relate to. Everyone in the moviehouse were having a good time from the neverending laughs that could be heard throughout the show. But the feeling was kind of spoilt at the last part when the camera was focusing on the character Orkid and her mother. Apparently the viewers were too busy laughing on the crying face of Ida Nerina that I missed some part of Jason/Ah Loong's letter to Orkid. Spoil, but heck I cried anyway.

Books I bought and Dayah gave - in exchange with Dean Koontz's The Watcher

The movie ends and again we went to Kinokuniya because there's not much shop that interest us anyway... gosh, that makes me sound like a bookworm. Trust me, the bookstore is exciting when you have friends that could talk and give out comments non stop abt anything - from self help book to fictions. Waited for Sue and Nini while met up with Anas and his fiance. Then we went to Nando's, and I must admit even if age and clothing style is way different from 6 years back, one thing will never change - Our speech style, we're still very loud like we were in the hostel years.

Started my journey back home at 11.30pm and boy I was so tired that I slept the whole trip. Next time, I'd do it again for sure.

Test Drive

I'm now on my new pc. Its black, its silver but the casing logo is too huge for my taste but what the heck, its the inside that's important. So far, so good and now I'm downloading heavyduty on it. Its fast and I love it, hehehe.

To Buy Or Not To Buy

Again, I have been away from the blogpage - mine and everyone else's. Between the neverending revised quotations and designs for the client, I found myself stuck in a whirlpool. The feeling is more or less like being stuck in a front load washing machine that keeps going on and on and on and you'll never know when the machine will stop. Despite what I wrote in my last entry about having to live on a tight budget this week I have to come up with a decision about money again. To buy or not to buy a new CPU. Well yeah I still have my saving and my last year bonus so it could cover up the expense. My CPU is already 3 years old, loyal servant of mine for the whole university years despite the fact that too many times I blew the RAM up - thank god for the 3 years hardware warranty or I'd be toast. here's the list of whts going on with my CPU:-

1. Can't access to registry editor - this could be bad news if I have worms in my system and couldn't delete it due to the registry.
2. Can't detect CD drive. Its hard because I need the drive to reformat my pc and I haven't even have Adobe Photoshop and my digital camera driver installed in it yet.
3. No Microsoft Office. I was about to install it and then again, no CD drive, no talk.
4. Sometimes after a few minutes working with my pen drive, it can't detect it too. Nearly had heart attack too many times as I was working with my designs.
5. All the floppy disk that comes after a process from the pc could be considered as toast. Can't be read on other pc.
6. Can't access into someone else's webcam or will have error. Major frustrating.
7. Can't close any IM windows. If I do, the whole yahoo messenger will have error.

I have talked to a few pc technicians about my pc and told them about the diagnosis. Mostly said that there's something wrong with my motherboard - darn, I had just bought that 4 months ago. And some said about my hard disk drive. So again I have to make a decision, based on this list:-

Pro:

1. I don't have to stay back at the office to do my work - enough complaining about getting home late from my mak as already is. I could only do my AutoCAD work at home but not Excel.
2. Could continue with my Sims fever - I played that a lot and since I had to reformat the pc last time, the saved data was all gone
3. Could continue my story writing - ooops erm, nevermind. I write for my own self satisfaction and no one ever read it. Save for my friend in school when I wrote at that time - Sue, ingat lagi hope & chances? oh and your 'Monster' hehehehe. Again this is interrupted by the non existence of Words.
4. The most important of all - Internet access. Details not needed.
5. New pc, new cost, new stuff, a year warranty.

Con:

1. Ka-ching!!!!
2. Old pc, repair, cost a lot but the inside is still old and still prone to more damages.

Last decision, I bought the CPU - take note, only the CPU with my hand pick specifications on the motherboard, RAM, hard disk, graphic card, combo drive (was opting for a DVD-RW but being the cost effective person I am, I skip that) yadda yadda yadda and its done. They thought I am a student - being near to UTM and since I still have the student face I didn't say anything when they gave me the special price. Gonna collect it today after work. Just can't wait.

Before I forgot, SPM result was announced yesterday and my brother got a good result. Like sister like brother - he followed my footsteps and made my parents unhappy. Not the bad kind of unhappy but the weird joking unhappy. What did he do? Well he aced in both his english subjects - english and english for science & technology and for Malay language, he got 4. I must admit he's better in that than me - I got 5, and got 1 for my english, hahahaha. All my mak could say (the same thing that she said to me 6 years ago)- "anak jawa ni... kat rumah cakap bahasa apa?"

Oh and I read Dayah's blog. Apparently Shalli proposed last night and the 'merisik' delegation will be coming tomorrow. Hmm..... sound very hasty to me. All the best Dayah, love you bunch cousin.

...... Baby i miss you TONS..........

Reality Check

Here I am, 2 in the morning and writing off my entry in my blog. Actually I have been staring off into space for hours in the darkness of my room when something hits me. Paycheck day is only next week and unlike any past salary, starting off from this month my budget is going to be really tight. And I mean really tight.

So I finally get out of my bed, taking the agreement letter that I signed 4 years ago and took my calculator. Well okay the calculator is always my best friend everytime the cheque comes. Add this add that, minus this minus that, done counting - Walloaeh!!!! Just enough for petrol and food. Just my luck though that now the paper is abuzz about graduates who haven't paid up the PTPTN loan. Anyway, I still count myself lucky because at least I have a job and I could pay up for the student loan.

Moral of the story & an advice from my big brother - Start a college fund for my kids so they won't face what I face now. Aiyo my head is spinning already, hehehe

Liar Liar

I turned up the radio today and a very interesting topic was brought up by Daniel Ong on Perfect 10 98.7fm Morning Madness - The Lies We Tell. What started all this? Apparently Dan read it somewhere that Tyra Banks of the ANTM fame told models to lie about their age to get more jobs. Liar liar pants on fire, thats how we heard the kids chant. Here I know I grew up hearing that if we lie, our tongue will be cut off in hell. Lies are bad, that one we know but sometimes we just go on to autopilot to lie just to save ourself. Anyway, the respond that Dan got this morning through SMS was overwhelming. Some lies were interesting and funny and some were just downright bad.

Interesting one - a single woman lied to everyone that she is attached because she was getting sick of the disbelief faces that she got when she tells people that she's single but in the end she face problem because she fell for a collegue that is so sure that she's single. That remind me of the story of the boy who cried wolf.

Funny ones - someone was giving a girl the direction to the gents room instead of the ladies because of the lack of sign on the door. Sound like and everyday prank to me.Sadly though Dan received lots of lies told from husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends who cheats. One cheating girlfriend actually survived the two timing for a year until her boyfriend dumped her for another girl which she said her karma - what goes around comes around. Well I do believe that when you do something, it always gets back to you.

People in general always categorise lies in 3 different categories.

1) White lies - Also known as the lies that is necessary for the other person's good. The example could be seen in the movie Liar Liar where Jim Carrey's character admits to his son that he lied to his wife when she was pregnant, telling her that she was beautiful instead of the huge elephant that he thought she was at that time.

2) Half truth - Okay, so it is basically not lying but with-holding some information from the other side. Thats how we see it but to some half truths are also a lie. Imagine withholding information from your boss that you have called a client - last week. In truth, you have called the client, only the when part is in question.

3) Downright bad lie - Bad lie either means, a really bad lie to get what someone want no matter the consequences that in the end will hurt a lot of people around including the liar himself or a really bad lie told by a beginner liar, hahaha. Kidding. Of course its the first one. That was mainly how a good company, a family or a relationship falls down.

I'm sure everyone had been lied at and have their share of lying too throughout their lives. Well, no need to say more that lying is bad, everyone knows about it but sometimes some people just can't help it. Being lied at hurts, everyone knows that too. A word from Daniel Ong to wrap it all up - Lying is bad, but if you do don't get caught, hahahaha. The show is called Morning Madness for a reason - Its crazy, its mad and its funny. An online friend told me - Everyone lies, only at what degree they are lying is not determined. That would wraps up the entry for today.

What a Busy Day

March is in and I have been neglecting my blogpage for so long. For one, work is always busy and sometimes I was on the verge of burning out - doesn't anyone? The difference now is that I have my school friends' yahoo id so I don't feel quite alone and they are also multitasking - of course. Jeff too in this case since he works night time (daytime for us) for this time being and get home the time I do. His trip here is delayed until April because of an unavoidable cause or I won't be writing my entry right now. Too many places to go, too little time.

Actually I don't have much idea for today's entry so I would like to introduce you to my newly made confused smiley with a bouncing red ball, hahahaha.

To my ever multitasking busy friend whom I've grown up with for 5 years - this entry is for you guys. HIDUP KTAM & SMKAJB!!!! hahahaha
esp: Eena, Mail (aku still rasa nama Sue lagi ayu, hahaha), Intan, Anas

Baby I love you!!!!

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.

Dos and Don'ts

One thing that I have to admit, asians are rich in cultures and tradition. Being a Malay, living in Malaysia I was brought up knowing the 'pantang' i.e: taboo that we should do and not do. Chinese have this sorts of pantang too and its not that much of different from Malays as I talked to my studio pals during our neverending field trip all over the country. Logically some of it makes sense and some doesn't. Its more of a mix up between being superstitious and just telling the kids not to do because its impolite. Though these are those pantang that I will always remember and of course the reason behind it - through my observation and making it more believable why people in the old time say it:-

1. Don't sit on a pillow or you're going to get a huge bisul/pimple on your butt cheek : I actually believed this pantang when I was a kid that when one day my brother had this bisul on his butt cheek and was having a heck of a time doing simple everyday work, all I said was, "See, told you not to sit on the pillow". In the Malay culture, we were brought up being very sensitive about anything that has to do with our head. Its where everything is, our brain, our thoughts, our mind. Don't you ever dare to push the head of a Malay or you're in for a fight. Pillow is used for sleeping and of course, for our head. It is improper to put the butt i.e: sit on the pillow which is used for the head. Thats my logic, and of course my mak's when I asked about it as I grew older - make that grew to be 12 year old.
2. Don't sing when you're cooking or you'll be getting a very old man for your husband (applies for single women of course): This one is kind of illogical that it never fail to make me smile. One of the reason probably because girls back then tend to get really distracted if they sing while they cook that would lead to the result of burnt rice, overcooked dishes and definitely not so tasty food. Anyway I have a radio in the kitchen and I found it really hard not to sing along to the songs. When my mom starts singing to old songs I would always kid her about ths pantang and all she said, "I don't care, I already got myself a husband," and we would laugh about it. My abah is 10 years older than her. Age is not a factor, hehehehe. My baby's 2 years older than me, not bad *wink.
3. Don't get out of the house during dusk or the 'Hantu Kopet' will snatch you away: Hantu kopet is actually one of the malay ghosts - the tit ghost that is believed to kidnap the kids away and hide it in its... erm... breast. I have been hearing ghost stories throughout my life, though I don't believe in ghost but I do believe in invisible beings and the fact that we're sharing the world with them. As my boss said, Buddhist believe this too and as long as we don't interfere their world, they won't interfere us. Its going to be lenghty if we discuss more about this beings. My brother and I would always try to get back home from our daily games before dusk, afraid that we would be abducted by the so called hantu. Logical side, dusk is when everyone is coming home and its time for family dinners and activities. Of course fathers and mothers would want to be home and see their kids at about that time. That sums it up.
4. Don't peep or you will get a bisul/pimple on your eyelid: Don't have to think that hard for this one. Peeping is highly improper and illegal - you can be sued for that. That line causes me trouble quite a number of time as I kept on having huge pimple on my eyelid in primary school and it was torturing. Kids start kidding on me having peeping someone bathing and doing private stuff. I don't peep mind you. Then again, when I was in my second year degree course I took aspirin before a 3 hours public speaking class because of the bad toothache I got due to the growing wisdom tooth. I didn't know that I'm actually allergic to aspirin as I always took paracetamol instead of that. At the end of the class, my eye was swelling so bad that my friends was totally surprised. It was normal few hours ago and then I look like a have a tennis ball imbedded to my eyelid. Again they start making jokes that maybe I peeped at someone in the bathroom before class started. Beautiful.
5. Don't change your seat while you're eating or you will get more than 1 spouse: Hurrah for males who wants to be a polygamist and nightmare for all female - joking. Its improper to keep on bringing your plate here and there while you're eating and not forgetting - messy. Hmm... that reminds me of buffet tables and social functions where people mingle with their plate, hehehe.

There are more I know but these are the main pantang that I would always remember. Old people have this saying - they ate salt much more earlier than younger kids. Its a way of saying that they have faced a lot before and more experienced. As I say before we are rich with traditions which maybe the future generations are not aware of. Maybe some say its backdated and so 'ulu' to hang on to it and that is one of the cause that makes these tradition to go to extinction. Some may not be applicable but with the ones that are, hang on to it. We don't know what we got until its gone. I'm just an ordinary village girl and I am proud of where I come from. Our legendary hero Hang Tuah once said - Tak Melayu Hilang Dunia - Malay won't be lost from the face of the earth. Amin.

Sunday Morning With a Cat

Sunday morning is the coolest of all day - just because its the only day off for me. Washed my car in the morning as my baby would be online a little bit later because he gets off work at 12.00am (Ohio time). So there I went washing my car inside out with my brother's pesky cat named B-bo (as my brother summed it up once that it meant B for 'bodoh' because of some of the basic necessity that the cat doesn't know to do. Thats my bro) pleasingly went into my back seat and sat there looking oh-so-comfortable on the newly brushed off seat. I was dusting off the front side, didn't realized that B-bo was licking his paws and looks like he's settling there forever until I was done. The cat is cute but there's a fine line between letting a cat into my car and letting its fur went all over the place. So I start my yelling and scared him away. Not long after he returned, began to climb on the hood of my car and start licking his paws again when I was wiping the back side of the car - and I had just done wiping my front side of the car dry! Had to start yelling again and he went to the other place looking a bit bewildered. Sometimes I feel like killing that cat, but then he's the one who usually accompany me when I went put and went stargazing - maybe he was pestering for food again but wht the heck, he's okay and adapting really well to the village cat life.

B-bo the cat


Left turn


Right turn

So anyway I woke up this early morning at about 12 midnight to get quite a hefty sms from my friends. It was weird because its not a special occasion day until I read every single one of it. Apparently my sister was being interviewed by the local documentary show - Majalah 3 last night about her visit along with the UKM delegation to aid the tsunami hit state of Kedah. Knowing my family the phone was ringing consistently and we got calls from my aunts and uncles all over the place and even some neighbours. My sister is always laying a low profile about what she do be we do know that she went to Kedah to help the tsunami victims. Thats my sister, doing us proud. And where was I when Majalah 3 was aired? in my bed, snoozing. And I missed the whole episode, AAAAAARRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

3 Down, Hundreds More To Go

Finally, submitted the much awaited 3 showhouses design for the client which is (*gulp) 17 days overdue. Yeah I know its unprofessional to keep the client waiting but the delay was because of the crashed down pc at the office and the delay of getting the softcopy plan from the architect. Now I could actually get rid of my temporary phobia on any pastel orange Toyota Camry with KL license plate - sorry Mr Yan, I know I'm late (and know that u don't read this). The trip to the client office this time was kind of harrowing. My boss is still busy at the other site so I have to act as representative. The project manager asked about the delayed maintenance and the dead trees, the clerk of work ask about the dead trees too so I have to try my best to cover up for my boss. Gladly Mr Yan was not anywhere when I submitted the plan although his car was there. I actually groaned when I saw his car and prepared for the worse.

Last time I had this feeling was whenever I feel burnt out on assignment. I would not look forward to meet up with my project paper supervisor because of lack of ideas and sometimes skip the discussion altogether. All changed when I get myself a well reputed laser-tongued lecturer who had just returned from Scotland for his masters degree as my supervisor because my former supervisor went for a very long maternity leave. Well he's not as vicious as I remembered him in my first year so it got me going, but sometimes still give a very sharp comment. It kept me going. Sometimes I just need a negative force to obtain positive results, hehehe. Conclusion - I was a lazy bum who needs a lot of pushing - back then.

As for now, unavoidable reason makes it all late. Small company, very small staff at the office- and I mean really small staff consist of me - alone with a part time accountant, while the rest is at the site, the labourers - very hardworking and friendly workers from Indonesia who made my supervision works at the site pleasant. I wonder how my boss gets so lucky as before this, I heard stories about other workers elsewhere. Boss went out, I'm all alone to face up the clients. Right now I believe that I am developing a phobia for another site in Kangkar, Pulai. YIKES!!!!

Ring of Power

Four rings for the foolish women under the sky,
One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them,
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them,
In the Land of Johor where the Shadows lie.

Yeah yeah, well the ring is not actually the fabled ring of Sauron. Its the friendship ring that 4 of us bought one day when we met up during the semester break. Its not always that we get the chance to meet up - Eena in JB, Nor/Along (pronunced as ah-long to signify the first child in the family) in Kedah, Harlin in Bangi while I was in Serdang, so when we do we were thinking of buying something as a momento. As a result we bought rings. I haven't wore it for ages due to my faulty memory of where I put it and out of luck, I found it back few days ago. Though, I can't wear it anymore. It only fits my thumb now when back then when I bought it, it fit perfectly on my ring finger. Eena still has it with her, Along lost it and I haven't heard anything from Harlin for years now. My ring now is in the safekeeping of my closet.

A Day After Eid

Happenings after eid:-

1. The worst sleeping session I've ever had - my cousin apparently was having a nightmare and her legs couldn't stop kicking and boy, does that hurt. Got bruises on my back and I had to leave my bed and look for another spot, leaving dayah to face the kicks, literally.
2. Just realized that my 8 year old cousin had shaved half of his right eyebrow during an experimentation of his dad's razor. Erm... might look cool if he does that in strips or a line but definitely not half off. Wonder how he would get through school with brows like that.
3. Do not update your windows if you have pirated programs installed. Well I did and the technician didn't even bother to notify me when I picked up the pc. What do I get? I was locked away from the windows. Might as well do the formatting myself.
4. Bloated tummy for the whole day. Maybe because of the variety of food during eid. Have to feed on ginger tea the whole day and now, still too bloaty to even go to sleep.
5. The only day available for me to spend time with Jeff until he starts his night shift. I was late for our meetings because I was helping my boss sorting through the invoices and D.O. Going to be tough but we'll make it through. I love you sayang, take care.
6. The marathon for the Japanese drama with my fav actor Takuya Kimura - Good Luck started.

Wrong Turns Part 2

Its been 2 days since the pc at the office went out of order. I don't know wht did Ms O, our part time accountant did last time she logged into my pc as she was searching for a client's phone number in one of the CAD files as I was out on an appointment with my old collegues at the JB City Hall (more of fun than business as I did my internship there) but when I tried to turn it on the next morning, the configuration file was missing and the PC was toast. Sent it off to the shop and I have been on the road ever since.
I was instructed by my boss to go to the site to do some supervision works since I am practically crippled in the office without my pc. Going to the site was easy, going back wasn't. At 3pm I volunteered myself to my boss to pick up a payment recommendation from the client's management office. I was bored because both bosses are around and we do have our supervisor at the site so everything is under control. I thought going to their office was easy - I was wrong. I took the wrong turn to Johor Jaya, my old school area but hey, I was in boarding school and I know nothing about the road all around there save for The Store supermarket and the golf range that acts as the benchmark whenever I took a bus. Took me 3 phonecalls in an hour and a half to get to the office.
The first call was to Eena's boyfriend as I could not reach her at that time. His direction took me to Permas Jaya... after I did a slight detour that ended me up in Plentong. Called up the clients office and ask for direction - they told me to look for Jusco (as if I know where that is). After the joyride and 30 minutes, I swore I could not find Eena's home after 6 years of not visiting but I did and I know I would have trouble finding her house again because wrong turns made me found it. Called up Eena and asked her direction to Jusco, and thank god I did. Reached there at 5 and went to the clients office to hand it out. Good thing no wrong turn this time.
As for today, same thing happen when I was going to another client's office. I know with that amount of being lost in JB, I could be the master of shortcuts. I doubt that. I would be more lost. Everytime I go to the site that we work on - JP Perdana, I never use the same road to get back just because I missed a junction and a turn and I know I was caught on camera while I was running over a red light in Larkin today (I can feel the traffic summon coming). Don't ask me how I got there, you don't need to go through Larkin from JP Perdana to Skudai - I missed a turn and was lost. I only realized the camera when I was caught in a jam after the traffic light. Went back to the site, sat on the stump at the shelter just to realize, the white paint was still wet. It was white and my jeans was dark blue. Bummer.

My baby starts on his work today and I hope that he is in a much much better condition than I was. I love you sayang.