Me Under The Radar

My Last Entry

2011-08-23T19:34:00.001-07:00

Hi all, this is my last entry in meundertheradar. Shifting to http://www.anajoe.com Keep on following me. Thanks!!

Apabila Mata Gedik Tak Nak Lelap

2011-08-23T09:52:00.001-07:00

Sekarang sudah pukul 12:35 pagi, buah hati dua orang sudah diulit mimpi tapi mata gedik ni masih belum mengantuk. Pukul 430 nanti dah nak bangun bersahur.. kalau tak nak tersenggut depan MacBook (ada unsur riak di situ), saya kena paksa mata ni lelap. Maybe lepas merapu sikit dalam blog ni, mata jadi kuyu sikit.

Mungkin saya ni ada rasa teruja sikit sebab baru je register domain baru yang akan diguna pakai very soon. www.anajoe.com. Gembira tak terkata sebab dapat guna nama timangan (manja tak?) untuk blog sendiri. Ingat nak import contents blog ni ke sana tapi fikir2 balik, okay juga kalau start fresh. Tengoklah macamana. Macam-macam dah fikir nak buat untuk blog baru ni. Kalau ada suggestion, silalah beritahu ye.

Sekarang ni sedang mencari tiga perkataan untuk describe myself. Apa kata kita buat contest? Siapa dapat bagi description tepat akan dapat tudung ekslusif dari iamjetfuel by Yuna. Cepat, hantarkan penyertaan anda.

Nak tulis blog ni kena rajin dan tulus. Kalau nak jadi pretentious atau berpura-pura, pembaca pun mesti dapat rasa. Dalam kepala tengah list down stories yang akan dimuatkan dalam blog baru saya tapi dengan kesibukan kerja dan sebagai, tak tahulah bila boleh siap project ni. Maybe saya pun boleh jual barang dalam blog, pieces yang akan saya beli dari London, Paris nanti atau apa-apa aksesori gorjes yang saya jumpa sewaktu membeli-belah. Apa kata? :)

Jam sudah pukul 12:51, saya harus paksa mata untuk lena. Selamat bersahur semua.. 6 more days to go! Good night

Jalan-Jalan Pergi Kuala Terengganu

2011-08-23T01:27:00.000-07:00

Bulan Ramadhan kali ni kami sekeluarga busy betul. Tiap-tiap minggu ada je aktiviti yang dibuatnya. Minggu sebelumnya berjimba di Melaka untuk pekena ikan bakar, minggu lepas kami terbang ke Kuala Terengganu. Apa pasal pergi Terengganu? Alkisahnya, cik Abang pergi tempah tiket bulan November tahun lepas.. tetapi cik abang tak perasan bulan Ogos ialah bulan puasa. Dah alang-alang tempah, mestilah kami pergi! Kami terbang hari Jumaat malam dan sampai ke Kuala Terengganu dalam masa 50 min sahaja. Penempatan yang kami tempah boleh tahan menariknya. Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resorts & Spa di Pulau Duyong ni tempat mat saleh duduk kata pakcik teksi. Kalau tengok published rates memang terbeliak mata, tapi banyak internet deals yang boleh memberikan kita diskaun hebat, pandai-pandai cari ye. Sesampainya kami di airport, kami ambil teksi dengan tambang berharga RM25 dan pemandunya ada impian untuk membawa kereta di litar F1, Sepang. Kenapalah laju benar pokcik, ngeri saya!

Bilik kami di tingkat atas, Tia suka benar melepak di luar sambil bermain iPad. Relaxing kata dia.

Interesting juga nak tahu macamana pihak hotel menyediakan makanan sahur. Rupanya, tiffin dihantar ke bilik tepat pada pukul 430 pagi. Dengan alunan lagu-lagu retro dari Sinar FM, kami pun bersahur tanpa perlu membuka mata. Lauk-lauknya simple je tapi cukuplah..

Sedap le rendang daging tu.. daging lembut betul!

Hari esoknya, kami pun mulalah merancang nak membeli-belah. Nota tambahan: Kalau setakat bawa RM500.. takde dapat apa di sini. Destinasi utama: Pasar Payang. Teksi: RM20. Macam rusa masuk kampung kami bertiga sebab tak tahu peta Pasar Payang. Tingkat bawah jual bermacam barangan dapur, kuih muih dan keropok kerepek. Tingkat atas jual baju. Tentu sekali saya bergerak ke tingkat atas dengan laju sekali.

Ikan tamban paling sedap kata orang kedai tu. Belum goreng lagi so tak boleh nak confirm

Setibanya di tingkat atas, maka mata saya menjadi kabur kerana terlalu banyak pilihan kain. Nama macam-macam, sutera crape yang pelbagai, mahal murah, ada batu takde batu, lukis tangan lukis digital, lengkap semua ada. Yang penting.. duit kena banyak sebab harga tak murah. Memanglah boleh dapat murah berbanding di Kuala Lumpur tapi masih lagi berada di paras mahal. Batik sutera crape digital dijual dengan harga paling murah RM190. Harga yang ditampal di atas kain itu ialah RM450. Kalau tak pandai tawar menawar, minta maaf le. Kalau batik lukis paling murah RM250. Kalau nak yang lebih mahal tentulah ada. Cik abang membeli kain sampin satu. Di Kuala Lumpur saya tanya harganya mencecah RM1000, di Terengganu ni dapat potongan yang cukup baik. Kain batik basahan, kain pelikat, baju kaftan.. banyak benar pilihan. Banyak juga lah kira kami berbelanja di Pasar Payang ni tetapi kualitinya berbaloi.

Hanya Jauhari yang mengenal Manikam, saya hanya kenal sutera crape. Grade dan Jenis saya tak faham.

Masalahnya timbul apabila selesai bershopping. Nak cari teksi punyalah payah. Jalan pusing-pusing pun tak nampak kelibat teksi. Last-last tanya pakcik jaga parking Pasar Payang tu. Rupanya kena jalan sikit, baru boleh dapat. Kami lalu di depan Bazar Warisan yang dibina untuk membawa crowd dari Pasar Payang ke bangunan yang lebih baik. Nampaknya belum berjaya objektif tu ye. Saya perhatikan Bazar Warisan ni macam bangunan tak siap je. Banyak lagi perincian yang perlu diperhalusi, dan kelihatan material yang digunakan tidak begitu baik. Belum siap sepenuhnya dah nampak usang, dan sampah-sarap yang dibuang merata-rata tidak membantu menaikkan imej tempat ini. Waterfront pun begitu, kawasan disediakan tetapi sampah-sarap merata-rata. Di mana kesedaran rakyat tentang kebersihan, saya pun tidak tahu. Apalah yang susahnya nak buang sampah di tong sampah? Sampai ke hotel, kami berehat dan berbuka di hotel itu sahaja dengan harapan ada nasi kerabu dan nasi dagang. Abang tension sebab pergi Terengganu tak jumpa nasi dagang!

Bangunan Pasar Warisan

Keesokkan harinya kami menyewa kereta Alza dengan harga RM150. Ambil pukul 1100 - Pulang dalam pukul 830 malam. Dengan menggunakan Maps dalam iPad, dengan mudahnya kami cari jalan. Destinasi: Masjid Kristal dan Taman Tamadun. Masjid Kristal ni bagi saya nampak unik sekali tetapi sekali lagi bahan buatannya macam ada yang tak kena. Dari jauh nampak gah betul, dari dekat perasaan saya tidak begitu. Mungkin kerana saya cranky sebab panas terik. Lepas snap, snap, snap.. kami pun bertolak ke Taman Tamadun dan banner yang memberitahu Taman itu tutup sepanjang bulan puasa menanti kami. What a bummer!

Untuk bunuh masa, kami pun jalan-jalan sekitar bandar. Jumpa kedai keropok losong, berhenti beli 10 batang, sebatang RM1 je. Pergi Pasar Payang sekali lagi untuk membeli keropok and such. Saya cuba juga Google tapi takde tempat yang menarik sangat untuk dikunjungi. Setelah pusing-pusing di Pantai Batu Buruk dan takde tempat nak pergi, kami ambil bilik di tepi pantai sambil menunggu masa untuk berbuka. Berhampiran ada pasar malam, so apa lagi.. misi mencari nasi dagang dan nasi kerabu diteruskan. Abang jumpa Nasi Dagang sedap yang dijual orang seorang pakcik veteran, saya pun syok dengan Nasi Kerabu banyak lauk. Tia makan Nasi Goreng Pattaya tak pedas. Tapi yang paling saya suka ialah jeruk bawang putih sebagai ulam nasi kerabu. Delish!
Lepas makan, kami bergegas ke airport untuk berlepas ke Kuala Lumpur. What an experience! Untuk kembali ke Terengganu, mungkin lama lagi kot. :)

Nostalgia Bulan Ramadhan

2011-08-08T01:32:00.001-07:00

Diam tak diam (hehe.. cliche je pembuka cerita) dah seminggu kita berpuasa. Ting tong sikit kepala sebab hari-hari bangun pukul 430 pagi masak sahur, lepas tu tidur balik pukul 530, lepas tu bangun balik pukul 630 anak nak pergi sekolah, pastu tidur balik sekejap, then bangun lagi pukul 820 pergi kerja sampai pukul 5..... ting tong sampai petang. Tapi semuanya aku redha. Hari-hari masak sahur okay!!! Jangan ingat nak hidang semula makanan berbuka, tak mainlah macam tu...semua masak panas untuk sahur. Kau ade? Tia pun bersemangat bulan-bulan puasa ni, tak susah kejut untuk bersahur tapi setakat ni hanya lepas satu hari puasa penuh. Yang lain tu separuh hari atau sampai pukul 3 atau 4, yang mana dia berkenan le. Kecil lagi tak mau paksa2. Asalkan kita dapat buat dia teruja dengan puasa, kira kami dahlah capai objektif Ramadhan kali ini.

Wa takde le pemalas sampai goreng telur je bersahur.. hehehe...

Time-time bulan puasa ni terkenang cerita masa kecil-kecil dulu. Teruja tu memang le sebab bulan puasa, risau pun risau juga sebab banyak dugaan kalau berpuasa di kampung. Pergi sekolah jalan kaki hari-hari. Kalau balik sekolah tu matahari tegak atas kepala... then kena siap2 pergi sekolah agama pulak yang jaraknya lebih kurang 750 meter dari rumah, Puasa bang... penat. Dah tu, setiap kali bulan puasa, mestilah lepas tu raya kan? Arwah mak memang suka nak tukar cat rumah sempena menjelang Aidilfitri jadi kami le tukang mengecat rumah. Umur dalam 9-10 tahun.... dah lah berpuasa, lagi nak kena cat rumah, haru betul. Kadang2 bila dah tak tahan tu ada juga teguk air paip dari dalam bilik air. Mengelat? Penat lah!!! Mana tahan.. tahu tak rumah Melayu limas berapa besar... pengsan nak cat semua! Arwah bukan guna positif reinforcement ke apa ke.... kalau kata.. lepas cat rumah dapat RM5 sehari best juga. Haha! Rindu arwah mak... masa-masa macam dia yang excited nak siapkan barang-barang untuk raya.

Bila dah nak raya tu.. kakak-kakak aku mula la buat kuih mcm ada pertandingan Kuih Terbanyak di Kampung Paya Rumput. 10 jenis kira mcm takde effort laaaa, kira mcm keluarga jenis malas la senang cakap. kurang-kurang 15 jenis yo! Dari subuh ke petang bawa ke malam, asyiklah buat kuih, lepas tu susun kuih atas para. Kira mcm paling awesome tengok kuih beraneka jenis dalam balang jernih. Kuih yang sering tersenarai dan tidak dianaktirikan termasuklah Kuih Tat Nenas, Kuih Siput, Kuih Dahlia, Kuih Goyang atau juga dikenali dengan Kuih Ros, Kuih Semprit, Kuih Makmur, Kuih Gunting, Kuih Kapet dan sebagainya. Buat kuih ni bukan sikit2.. kira dalam skala sekilo dua juga la. Dan yang bestnya.. semua kuih itu akan habis dimakan. Siapa le tukang makan eh? :)

Kuih paling senang nak buat jadi sedap

Puasa di kampung lain dengan puasa di bandar. Mana ada pasar ramadhan nak pergi cari makanan, kalau ada pun takkan nak belanja hari2. Formula arwah mak, kalau buat sendiri lagi muai dan sedap. A very good formula untuk orang berkeluarga besar. Jadi bila tiba nak berbuka tu penuhlah atas meja dengan mcm2 juadah. Yang best, air mesti ada dua jenis.. yang sejuk dan yang panas. Kuih pun boleh tahan juga, semua buat sendiri. Orang bandar banyak mengelat. Semua beli. Puasa pun banyak mengelat, duduk atas kerusi empuk sepanjang hari di tiup angin aircond sepoi2 bahasa. Haha... termasuklah yang empunya diri.

Sekarang ni teruja tengok Tia dah cuba-cuba nak puasa dan dah mula excited bila nak raya. Now, it's all about her. Lagi 3 minggu nak Aidilfitri... nak buat kuih apa eh? Sajes la sikit!

Who Needs A Diaper Cake??

2011-08-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

Well.... apparently people who organize baby showers! I've never heard of a diaper cake until yesterday when my niece informed me so. In my mind, I was like, do people eat diaper cake? Didn't want to sound ignorant, I refused to ask her what the hell is a diaper cake. And then I consulted Mr Google who told me that there's no eating involved in diaper cake. Phew! I had imagined sinking my teeth in a piece a cake that looks like a diaper with lemon filling. Don't panic.. this cake has nothing to do with flour, icing, etc. If it has, for God's sake, I don't mind being forgotten.

But this cake is special and unique. It is to give expecting mothers on their baby shower parteeey!!! Don't expect any Candy Shop song by 50 cent in this gig, no lollipops...more of lullabies perhaps.

Okay....to make this cake, all you need are diapers and baby stuff, sprinkle it with imagination... and voila! Haha!! As if I have ever made one. For my other niece who is expecting a baby daughter, I want to make one for her. Something like the one in this photo! If it didn't turn out to be this one... DO NOT JUDGE ME FOR I'M JUST A HUMAN YANG TIDAK SEMPURNA!

Gorgeous yo!

2 days in Singapore!

2011-07-25T00:20:00.000-07:00

The five great things about Singapore:

1. Great shopping place.... seriously dangerous for shopaholics

2. Great cinematic experience - IMAX yo!

3. Great transportation system or walkways for pedestrians

4. Great building architecture.. have you seen The Sands and The Esplanade?

5. Great Singapore Sale!! Hehe.. up to 80% discounts on branded items!

Awesome view from the plane

Kids need chocolate

A simple space could leave an impact with a bit of attention to details

Kid and dad on the other side

Kid and dad at the Fountain of Wealth

The Fountain of Wealth

A great design for a shopping mall

Attractive!

The Wheel lock place! All you need to do is to look up!

Photo op!

My kiddo posing!

And this is so not appropriate, is it? Could cause a riot if it's in Iran or Pakistan :P

My B'day Gift: LV Neverfull MM Monogram

2011-07-24T23:44:00.000-07:00

My birthday is two weeks away but my husband decided to surprise me in Singapore with a treat from Mr Louis Vuitton's shop. We were looking for an iPad 2 casing, as we have seen plenty of LV cases around but unfortunately the casing hasn't been launched yet. So for those who have bought the LV iPad 2 casing.. rest assure that it's a fake. Sorry to break the news to you but the LV specialist told us so.

Coming back to my birthday gift, he asked me to look around and I pointed the Neverfull MM because I have been eyeing that for quite sometimes. The PM is too small for my liking and the GM is too huge. MM is my perfect fit. And lucky me, my love said yes! :)

Not only that the Neverfull has a lot of space, where you can fit a few kittens inside, you can also wear it two different styles. Wear it loose like the picture below and you'd look super cool or you can fold the sides and tighten the laces to make it looks like a chic bag. Tie a scarf, hang keychains.. etc.. personalize your baby.

The lining fabric design is simple yet beautiful but be careful not to spray perfume or leak any liquid inside. It could be moldy, warned the specialist.

The trimming is made of cowhide leather, it'd turn tan after sometimes. If yours doesn't turn tan after you used it for 12 months or so.. maybe it's a fake. :P Just saying!

Neverfull design doesn't have any zipper to conceal the contents of your handbag from the prying eyes but at least it has a cute hook to secure the two sides together

For those of you who are curious about the price, in Singapore is SGD1070, RM2700 in Malaysia and 480 Pounds in the UK. And people say you can get it cheaper in Paris. Duuuhhh!

All in all, I'm sooo over the moon with the gift. Not only because it's LV, but most importantly I received it from the love of my life who knows his wife so very well. Thanks my love! Happy Birthday to me!

My Kid is a City Kid

2011-07-19T02:41:00.000-07:00

I helped Tia with her homework yesterday and by help I mean, accompanied her til her work was done. She needed to write one paragraph three times in her workbook. The sentences went like this "Haji Musa mempunyai sawah padi yang luas di Kedah. Dia mengupah pekerja dan menyewa jentera untuk membajak sawah padinya." Apparently, she didn't know anything about sawah padi, jentera, Haji Musa, Kedah, etc etc. Thank God for Google but I couldn't show her Haji Musa though. :P After we're done with the homework, we went upstairs to get ready to sleep and I read to her about fireflies. I told her that I caught a few when I was small. She looked perplexed. In her eyes I could see that she was wondering how was it possible for me to catch fireflies. She had never seen one in her life.

Basically, her childhood and mine are totally different. My kid is a city girl who never walks barefoot on a ground. She never plays outdoor at 3pm without adult supervision. She doesn't know how to climb trees. She never experience riding a bicycle downhill without having any protective gears. She was amazed to know that I had a lot of interesting experiences in my life. On my defense, I didn't have anything to do, that's why! But for her, if given the opportunity, she would love to experience my childhood, I reckon. Looking at her life now, many people would agree with me when I say, it's a blessed life. She could get almost anything that she wants, and she never has to worry about anything. But at the same time, she's losing out on the excitement of discovering things out there.

I climbed trees as early as 6 years old. I chased and caught chickens just to find out that i'd only get a small piece after all the hard work. Tia could eat chicken whenever she mutters the word 'chicken'. I walked to school, stopped halfway to play in the rubber plantation about half an hour or so before headed home. I plucked multicolor chicken shit flowers (bunga tahi ayam) and made potpourri, along the way to my religious school. I helped my mom picked ciku fruits from the tree, cleaned them and sold them, only to receive 5% of the revenue for myself. When the water supply was cut, I had to walk downhill to the well to bath, wash clothes and carry some water home, uphill!! I didn't have any fancy toys but I spent my days on top of the ciku tree, wasting my time. Haha!

Life is different for many kids nowadays. Tia is well-protected by us. From home, to school, to babysitter's house, to home again. Never once I let her out of my sight when we're together. But as a kid, she has also experienced many of us could only imagine, like traveling the world. She's six and she's been to many countries, meeting kangaroos and koalas, experienced extreme cold in Shanghai and autumn in Korea. She is gaining knowledge from books, a lot of books. She learns what she loves to do like dancing and drawing.

Our childhoods might be different but as long as she's happy and she's got to experience life at its best, I don't think it matters. I'd like to introduce her to kampung life but I don't know where to start and I think she's not cut for it. Haha! :)

A Sexy Emma

2011-07-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

Her name is Emma. She came as a big surprise one day, a very pleasant gesture from a very nice man. Met her once, took a photo with her and left. Never thought that we’d meet again. Came across many others, none as appealing as she was. On the day she arrived, the heart skipped a beat, the eyes simply refused to look away. Oh how beautiful she is, the body is gorgeous, the skin glows; everything is perfect. She looks classy yet one can sense an air of toughness around her. A soft caress on her skin, you immediately get the feeling that she comes from a good place. Admiration surfaces, the heart surrenders. This is it; Emma is the one.

Well, I’m talking about my latest handbag by the name of Coach Madison Leather Large Emma Satchel. I just want to try writing a paragraph about something without using I, my, mine. Can or not? This bag is exceptionally comfortable. You can wear it with a sling or without. What I love the most is the inner red lining of the bag. It just gives you the feeling of luxury, and the red is simply sexy. The bag has just enough compartments at the sides for you to store your smart phone and other women essentials, and there’s this large space in the middle where I put my handbag organizer in. The calfskin leather is soft and slightly shiny, exudes sophistication and style.

Emma is just a perfect bag for any occasion, well.. probably not for dinner parties. And the Coach logo is tastefully placed in the middle front, subtle and just enough to my liking. This bag is offered in black and beige and I’m so glad that my husband chose the black one. It looks stylish and classy for any occasions. Emma is my first Coach handbag. Honestly, I am not into Coach bags, as I don’t like large flashy logos and the many Cs, but its leather collections are not bad at all. Thank you my love for the lovely gift. Much love. XOXO.

Grin..grin!

The size is just perfect for an everyday bag

A nice subtle logo

Sturdy handles

Sexy red lining

Listen

2011-07-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

I have always been interested in politics; not to be involved directly in politics but to keep myself updated about politics. The recent development in my beloved country however had been greatly politicized even though the issue is not totally about politics; it is about the voice of the people; unless the authority does not consider us, who support the cause for a clean and fair election, as people.

When you take care of a country, you should take care of the people – those who like your administration and those who don’t. That should be the responsibility of the government. Period. Politics is one thing, government is another.

What disturbed me the most about this rally that shouldn’t be named, was the overreaction of the government. Your people wanted to walk peacefully for 2 hours for a great cause. Not only that you said “no” and closed all doors for discussion, you also took out all your armies and weapons to intimidate your people, and even worse, after the event you tried to justify your move by saying that you have done a good job??? Don't even start talking about the stadium, you lied. It's as simple as that.

How could you not know your own people? Malaysians by nature are moderate people, we are not confrontational, and I couldn’t comprehend why did you go to great lengths trying to prove your people otherwise? Did you really want to see bloodshed? Did you really hope that the event would turn out to be like the Jasmine revolution? Are you now frustrated? The irresponsible main media and the authority displayed molotov cocktails, parangs, and bundles of rally that shouldn’t be named’s t-shirts weeks prior to give the impression that this rally was going to be violent. You banned the freaking t-shirts, you considered the piece of clothing to be extremely dangerous?? Why??? I am perplexed that you take us your people for fools.

Despite all your demonizing efforts, people still went to the rally. People wanted to be heard. These people are educated people, these people are my friends, these people are the ones I look up to, these people are your future generation. And I am a good citizen who never fails to pay the country tax, do not commit crime and work to better our country. Don’t mind the opposition parties, majority of the participants of this rally are your people. I read the updates from both sides, the government media and the alternative media. This rally produces a lot of heartfelt stories about how people from all races united for a common cause. And unfortunately, despite the 1Malaysia slogan that you called for, all I heard about from the government are lies after lies after lies after lies.

Do you really think we are blind? 5000 to 6000 turned up? Who were you kidding? Minimal force? Really? All videos in YouTube were edited? Seriously??? People were paid to be there? How much? You made fun of people who were injured. You justified your hideous acts. Who do you reckon we are? Criminals? Some low-lives? A group of people who you shouldn’t care about and should be condemned?

For a government who claims to champion Islam, this move alone is so unIslamic in so many levels.

All these people wanted is to be heard and the government has time and time again, adamantly shown the people who are loud, the closed doors. I am one of the silent majorities you’re talking about Mr Prime Minister, and I know there are many more out there. Perhaps you should take a moment to reflect on your doings and listen to your people. It’s time.

Singapore Stands for Shopping!

2011-07-05T00:29:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah I know Malaysia is also good for shopping but when Singapore calls, I have to answer. :) We are planning on a short shopping trip to Singapore just before Ramadhan to get some clothes and items for Raya. Just so happen, we will be there during the Singapore sale and THAT my friend, deserves a woo hoo!

What's so great about shopping in Singapore is the variety of choices; it's a retail therapy city, where shopaholics could get their fix all day long. In terms of price, I think it's not much difference from Malaysia but in terms of choices, Singapore offers a lot more. Many brands come to Singapore first then only consider Malaysia. Latest I heard, H&M is opening its store in Singapore in Fall 2011. It's my OMG moment! I love H&M clothes but I reckon the price would be more expensive than if we were to buy in Europe. But knowing that the brand is just next door, it's kinda comforting. Pity that it'd only be available by Sept/Oct.

I haven't had the chance to visit Sephora in KL but I think Sephora is brought down to Singapore some times ago. I'll be checking out Sephora in KL soon and compare with the one in Singapore. Interesting?

So what will I be looking for in Singapore this month end? I like tops made from chiffon or crepe silk.. you have that soft touch, nice to pair it with a jacket. I also want to find nice jackets and perhaps a long skirt and a pair of cool jeans. Plus.... a pair of shoes. Cukup? See how lah... And of course the diva of all is Tia lah!! Mestilah nak cari baju dia yang coolness! And as for my hubby.. he's also excited to shop til he drops. I'll post pics of my catch(es) when I'm back from the city. Well... lama lagi kan... but I'm excited!! hehe.

Negative Correlation Between Age and Birthday Gifts

2011-07-04T00:42:00.000-07:00

When I was young, nobody remembered my birthday. Birthdays were kind of exclusive, ONLY YOU remembered your own birthdate. Haha! There were a dozen of us, so to remember all dates was not our major concern. On my 7th birthday, I kind of told my mum about it and she made a special fried rice just for me while the rest of my siblings ate plain rice. Share? Didn't think so! :) Though it was not a grand gift, the gesture was really nice! It touched my heart and it'd forever remain in my memory.

Time passed by and during adolescent years I envied my friends who got a lot of exciting birthday presents from their families and friends. I always imagined that I would receive a teddy bear one day though I realized it was a far-fetched dream for me. Sob..sob...But dreams do come true and I received my first teddy bear when I was 17. Yeah, it was too late for a teddy bear at that age but I was ecstatic on that day. My heart swelled with pride because now I have my own teddy bear. Don't judge! Teddy bear was something grand in my olden days.

Then adulthood said hi and expectations grew. I wanted flowers, handbags, watches, shoes, jewellery on my birthday and thanks to Allah, I received them all. Alhamdulillah. I have no complains and I believe that my life is a good life.

My next birthday is around the corner and my husband hinted to me yesterday that it has becoming harder to choose a gift for your spouse.

I could relate to him. There are several points to look at. One is the value factor - should this year's gift be more expensive than the previous year's? Another is the repetition factor - could you repeat the same gift you have given two years ago? For example, a watch in 2009 and another watch in 2011. Third is the surprise factor - is it okay to surprise her or you'd be at risk of surprising yourself because your surprise has becoming predictable? Fourth is the excitement factor - how would the reaction be, would I be seeing that fake smile or is the smile really genuine? I don't know about other people but I am really excited when it comes to buying my spouse's gifts. Perhaps a bit more excited than him. haha! For those who care about our partners, I suppose the feelings are similar.

So for my coming birthday, I plan not to give any hints so that he could 'suffer' in the process. Can? :) One thing for sure, I love my husband with all my heart because he has given me the best gift ever, Tia Sofia... si kichik sikit and the gift of happiness.

Ke Pulau Rottnest, Indahnya Dunia Ciptaan Tuhan - Bab 4

2011-06-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

Kami pergi Rottnest Island, pulau yang terletak 30 minit daripada bandar Perth dengan menaiki bot laju. MasyaAllah cantiknya. Tengoklah sendiri gambar-gambar yang kami ambil menggunakan Powershot S95. Nak pergi ke sini tambangnya AUD300 untuk tiga orang so kira kira nak dekat RM1000 la juga tapi berbaloi-baloi.

Last sekali kita pergi main miniature golf yang menyaksikan betapa berbakatnya Tia Sofia.

Ke Perth, Bandar Paling Terpencil di Dunia - Bab 3

2011-06-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

Ini percutian keluarga dan kami ke Perth ye.. jadi janganlah mengharapkan apa-apa di luar dugaan. Harini kami bercadang ke Perth Zoo. Tia teruja benar nak ke zoo tengok kawan-kawan dia. Jadi dah tengok map....tak susah nak pergi Zoo, tak jauh pun. Sebelum itu kami bergambar dulu dengan bandar Perth di belakang.

Posing ala mak datins

Bersama Ford Falcon

Kangarooooooo

Bunga liar

Unique Tortoise

Nama ini buah sosej

Meerkats

Nak masuk Zoo ni bukan murah ye. Rasa saya AUD22 untuk 3 orang, kira-kira RM75. Seronok juga tengok binatang-binatang yang sihat-sihat dijaga baik oleh kakitangan Zoo.

Lepas Zoo, kami nak makan satey di restoran orang Malaysia. Somebody recommended this restaurant and my husband memang supportive so kita cari la.. Tak jauh pun rupanya dan sedap masakan mereka. Masalah cuma harga. RM5 untuk secucuk satey dan RM60.8 untuk semangkuk masak lemak cili padi. Motif beli????????? Tapi saya fahamlah sebab satu biji limau nipis berharga RM15. Cekik darah!

Ke Perth, Bandar Paling Terpencil di Dunia - Bab 2

2011-06-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

Di Perth ni, saya paling suka pergi Kings Park. Masa saya pergi dua tahun dulu ketika musim bunga, tapi kali ni musim sejuk.. bunga semua tiada... hilang lenyap, tetapi cuaca seindah ini memang mengujakan untuk menjalankan aktiviti bersama keluarga. Tapi sebelum pergi Kings Park, kami singgah dulu bershopping di Harbour Town di Wellington Street. Suami beli baju bersenam, Tia beli jaket Adidas tapi masalahnya harga lebih tinggi berbanding Malaysia so takde beli barang sangat, tak ekonomi.

Tia kata kalau nak pergi picnic kita kena ada picnic basket, picnic blanket, food, etc. Haha! Tak mungkin nak cari picnic basket kan? Beli beberapa jajan di convenient store bersebelahan dengan hotel cukuplah. Saya paling suka Dare iced coffee... it's like OMG delish! Pilihan saya mesti Double Espresso. Sebelum meninggalkan Harbour Town, kami beli kebab di situ. Janganlah dok tanya halal ke tak... saya pun nak masuk sorga jugak.

Nak order ambil nombor dulu..

Apasal Malaysia tak jual coffee ni?

Kings Park ini besar, pergi wiki kalau nak tahu ye. Yaya seronok sungguh main dengan papa dia. Main sorok2 belakang pokok (pokok besar-besar) main sorok2 pun tak jumpa. Di ketika ini lah tak nak lepaskan peluang berfotografi.

My sweethearts

Awesome scenery

Lama juga kita spend time di Kings Park ni tapi lama-lama kena beredar juga sebab langit mula mendung. Kalau bunga boleh tumbuh di musim sejuk, Kings Park is definitely THE perfect place for me. Lepas Kings Park balik hotel lepaks dulu dan malam kami pergi jalan-jalan ke Burswood. Rupa-rupanya semua orang Perth datang ke Burswood ni... patutlah takde orang di bandar. Tak jauh lah tempat ni.. dalam 7-10 minit memandu. Burswood ni tempat orang mencari entertainment di waktu malam..ada macam-macam, kira agak seperti Vegas la. Architecture bangunannya pun sama mcm Luxor di Las Vegas. Tapi kami pergi sana minum kopi dan jalan-jalan tengok kedai apa yang buka lagi, Nasib baik kami sampai awal sikit sebab kami adalah pembeli terakhir di kedai kopi di belakang tu.

Esok kami nak pergi Zoooooooooooo...........

Ke Perth, Bandar Paling Terpencil di Dunia - Bab 1

2011-06-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

Ini kali kedua saya sampai ke bandar Perth, kali pertama ialah pada tahun 2009. Dulu saya datang masa musim bunga. Kali ini cuaca lebih sejuk sebab kami sampai pada awal bulan Jun, musim sejuk baru bermula. Boleh tahan juga sejuknya sehingga mencecah 8-6 degree celsius. Seronok berjalan dalam sejuk sbb tak payah berpeluh-peluh. Sampai Perth International Airport dalam pukul 5 pagi dan kami terus menyewa kereta. Sebab pagi sangat, banyak kaunter belum buka jadi bila Hertz buka, terus kami sewa tanpa membandingkan harga. Hello... pepagi buta ni apa nak banding-banding harga.. ambil je apa yang ada. Amboi.. elitist gitu.

Suamiku dengan kereta pinjam kami

Kami diberi Ford Falcon dan peta setebal Yellow Pages. Ambik kau! GPS takde kata dia.. okaylah.. Suami pun kira yakin dengan kebolehan kami berdua lantas berjalan ke kereta dan memulakan perjalanan. Tak pasal-pasal saya kena jadi bidan terjun baca peta..kalau tak tentu sekali kebolehan membaca peta yang ada pada diri ini tidak tercungkil. Tak susah untuk ke bandar dari airport dan hotel kami terletak di Barrack Street, lokasi yang cukup strategik untuk pelancong. Dari hotel kami boleh berjalan kaki sahaja ke Murray Street dan Hay Street yang penuh dengan pusat membeli-belah, walking distance ke Swan Bell dan Swan Lake. Hari pertama tu lepas pusing-pusing bandar, dapat masuk hotel awal sikit. Lepas berehat, kami jalan-jalan di sekitar bandar, beli barang sikit.. makan sikit..

Quite pricey kalau nak shopping. Rate @3.25

Hari Kedua kami bertolak ke Scaborough Beach. Destinasi ini tak jauh dari bandar Perth tetapi suasana pantainya sangat indah dengan rumput yang menghijau, pasir pantai yang memutih dan langit yang membiru. Berkelah di sini memang best ... tapi di kala musim sejuk ni janganlah nak cuba skinny dipping.. beku organ badan. Kalau pergi Australia bawa kamera cikai memang tak berbaloi. So.. sebelum invest dalam tiket kapal terbang, invest dalam kamera dulu.

Selepas Scaborough kami bertolak ke Fremantle, sebuah bandar pelabuhan berdekatan dengan bandar Perth, dalam lebih kurang 20 minit masa memandu. Bila dah sampai sini tentulah nak cuba makanan laut kan? Pekena ketam dan udang. Seronok betul makan dalam kesejukan sambil memerhatikan gelagat burung camar dan orang yang lalu-lalang. Lepas makan, makan gelato pulak, lazat betul makan icecream bila tengah sejuk dan bila malam tahan je lah batuknya..Bandar Fremantle ini tak besar ye.. tetapi saya rasa permandangannya cukup menarik.. ada pasar tani, ada kapal selam, ada taman, ada shopping, ada cappucino street... Saya suka.

Jangan jealous ye...

Setelah seharian di Fremantle, kami balik ke hotel. Masalahnya dengan Australia ni.. kedai tutup seawal 5 petang tapi ada lah restoran halal lebanon yang buka di sekitar hotel. Kalau rajin boleh drive merata-rata sebelum balik hotel dan berehat tengok tv. Kami sewa Medina Executive Barrack Plaza Hotel, memang best sebab boleh masak, ada washing machine, dryer, berbagai. Worth the money la bak kata. Breakfast memang hari-hari masak sendiri sebab mudah.

Lepas balik dari Fremantle... apa lagi... tidur dengan nyenyaknya sehingga tiba masa nak jalan lagi esok...

Kerja... kerja... kerja...

2011-05-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

Orang selalu mengeluh pasal kerja tapi happy kalau dapat gaji. Betul tak? Ceritanya begini.... pernah dengar "cause and effect". Cause=kerja, effect=gaji. Semua yang bekerja mahukan kenaikan gaji tinggi tetapi ramai yang kurang menilai dari segi sumbangan anda kepada syarikat. Cause=malas kerja, effect= kenaikan kurang. Tetapi kalau cause=kerja kuat, idea banyak, bawa bisnes banyak, effect= kenaikan mendatar, ini adalah masalah di luar tabii yang memerlukan pertemuan muka-ke-muka dengan pengurus sumber manusia atau big boss. Tetapi secara pukul ratanya, apa yang dinilai oleh syarikat akan dizahirkan pada kenaikan dan lain-lain perks tambahan.

Masalah dengan ramai orang yang bekerja ialah, bila disuruh dia kerja atau cara bekerjanya ditegur, dia akan bengang benar, seolah-olah kita suruh dia kerja suka-suka, tak perlu membayar gaji. Kalau begitu, namanya ialah perhambaan yang sekarang ni mungkin tak wujud lagi di dunia ni. Sebagai contoh, seorang driver disuruh membawa sekumpulan pekerja pergi ke suatu tempat pada ketika trafik tengah sesak. Kalau driver itu mendengus... apa nilai dia sebagai seorang driver jika tidak mahu memandu? Satu contoh lagi, seorang designer diarahkan untuk membuat satu rekaan.... dan designer ini di kala lunch break berleter yang boss suruh dia buat rekaan ini. Motif? Kalau boss suruh designer bawa kereta, tak ke haru? Jika pekerja ditegur, ini bermakna pengurusan mahukan improvement atau pengurusan melihat diri anda mempunyai potensi yang belum diterokai. Ini tidak, kalau ditegur melentingnya kalah lastik buatan tangan. Tarik nafas, relaks... kalau pengurusan tidak hirau tentang anda... teguran tidak akan datang. Bak kata orang lama, sayangkan anak tangan-tangankan, sayangkan pekerja tegur-tegurkan.

Ramai pekerja yang hanya bekerja -- membuat apa disuruh, tidak berani untuk menjangkau apa yang boss suruh, sebabnya takut kena marah. Saya merasakan jika hendak pergi jauh dalam kareer, keberanian itu penting. Keberanian untuk membuktikan yang kita mampu melakukan lebih daripada apa yang dijangka. Berani untuk beri pendapat, berani untuk membuat sesuatu yang bermanfaat kepada syarikat, berani untuk mencadangkan sesuatu, berani untuk berfikir di luar kotak. Bosses selalunya suka dengan idea-idea baru yang boleh memajukan syarikat atau memperbaiki cara operasi syarikat. Tidak perlulah memikirkan idea yang gah-gah... kecil-kecil pun okay asalkan tujuannya untuk membangunkan syarikat. Boss saya cetak secekak borang warna pink untuk mencetuskan budaya memberi pendapat ini. Kata dia, siapa beri pendapat, dia beri RM50 satu pendapat. Dah 3 bulan tunggu, satu pendapat pun tak dapat. Kenapa? Bukan kita suruh cadangkan projek jutaan ringgit. Saya rasa kalau saya diberi peluang itu, satu bulan saya bawa balik lebih RM300 mudah-mudah. Masalahnya tawaran ini diberikan kepada jabatan Inventory & Logistics sahaja, takkan COO pun nak join...kan?

Lagi satu perkara yang saya perhatikan ialah, kurang hormat kepada pekerjaan anda. Have some respect for the job. Sebagai contoh, anda terlibat dengan sales dan orang telefon bertanya tentang produk anda. Adakah anda akan memberi maklumat secukupnya atau melayan suam-suam kuku sahaja? Jika anda berkhidmat dengan marketing, apabila produk baru mahu dilancarkan, bagaimanakah perasaan anda? Adakah anda teruja atau anda merasakan ini satu beban. Jika anda seorang pekerja teknikal.. selagi anda tidak berusaha sedaya upaya untuk menyelesaikan masalah yang dihadapi client anda, anda tidak menghormati kerjaya yang anda pegang.

Prinsip saya, buat kerja dengan bijak dan ikhlas, ganjaran akan menyusul sooner or later. Jika hati sudah tawar, cari kerja lain sahaja.. tak gitu?

To My Love, My Hero, My Sweetheart

2011-05-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

My love,
The first time you called me,
I fell in love head over heels with you,
I hadn't seen your face,
I didn't know who you were,
But I felt like I've known you my whole life,

The first time we met,
I fell deeply in love with you,
I didn't care about anything else about you,
It was not like I knew what I got myself into,
But I knew you were meant to be mine,

Remember how happy we were,
When we promised each other to love and to hold,
In sickness and in health, till death do us part?
It's been nine years and my love for your keeps growing stronger,
Come rain, come sunshine...

When Tia came into our lives.
We were overjoyed,
For God has given us the most beautiful baby in the world
To love and to care for with everything that we have

Everytime I think of losing you,
Tears rush into my eyes,
Everytime I thought of not having your love,
I can't stand the pain it causes to my heart.

I believe since the day I first heard your voice,
that you are the one for me til the day I leave this place.

I love you. Happy Anniversary, sayang.

Kenapa Tiba-Tiba Dah Nak Sampai 37?

2011-05-30T02:15:00.000-07:00

Macamana boleh sampai sini cepat benar? Badan tak rasa 37, minda tak rasa 37, hati tak rasa 37… tapi dalam pada masa yang sama aku tahu bahawa masa tidak pernah menipu. Aku takdelah rasa takut untuk menghampiri angka 40 tetapi aku betul-betul rasa yang masa bergerak seperti keretapi EuroStar. Baru rasanya aku lahirkan Tia, sekarang dia dah darjah satu, dah pergi sekolah sendiri, dah pandai macam-macam. Sepanjang aku hidup ini, ada lah beberapa penyesalan yang aku rekodkan, tapi rasanya tak guna nak bercakap mengenainya. Apa yang tidak baik kita jadikan pengajaran hidup. Yang baik disimpan sebagai memori indah bekalan hari tua. Period. Namun begitu, pasti ada beberapa pengalaman hidup yang mengajar aku untuk mengenal diri sendiri dan persekitaran.

Pada tahun 2009, hati ini beriya sangat nak satu lagi baby walaupun pada principalnya kami dah bersetuju untuk cukup dengan satu. Dengan kuasa Tuhan, aku mengandung. Ketika melihat home pregnancy test stick menunjukkan dua garisan, aku terduduk dan menangis, perasaan bercampur aduk. Suami tergamam lantas tidak tahu bagaimana untuk bereaksi. Dan sepanjang mengandung, macam ada sesuatu yang tak kena. Tiba bulan ketiga, kami pergi buat pemeriksaan, dan ketika doctor imbas perut, kami diberitahu hanya uterus sahaja membesar, baby tidak membesar. Ketika itu airmata jatuh di pipi tetapi dalam pada masa yang sama terdapat sedikit kelegaan di hati. Mungkin insiden ini bertujuan untuk mengajar aku tentang diri aku sendiri. Tuhan Maha Kaya, dia tahu apa yang kita tidak tahu dan aku ambil kisah ini sebagai pengajaran.

Beberapa bulan selepas mak meninggal dunia, aku diserang penyakit asma. Sesuatu yang aku tak pernah ada dan aku tak pernah rasa. Mula-mula batuk sikit-sikit, kemudian berkahak dengan teruk, kemudian leher berbunyi, kemudian diikuti dengan tidak boleh tidur kerana setiap kali nak tidur, leher akan mengeluarkan lendir. Aku berjumpa doctor dan doctor memberi 3 cara untuk mengawal asma. Pertama, jangan ambil coklat dan apa-apa yang berkaitan dengan coklat sebagai contohnya air Milo. Kedua, jangan ambil buah-buahan citrus. Ketiga, panaskan air, letak setitik dua minyak cap kapak dan hidu sampai kahak tanggal dari leher. Di ketika diberitahu doctor tentang ini, aku belajar. Ketika mak dihidapi penyakit asma, kami tidak faham apa yang dirasainya lantas tidak mengambil perhatian atau cuba untuk mencari penyelesaian. Pada pendapat aku di ketika itu, mak dah ada ubat dan ubat akan menyelesaikan masalah. Apa yg aku gagal untuk beri ialah perhatian. Kalau aku buat study lebih sedikit, pasti aku dapat kurangkan sengsara mak. Tapi nasi sudah menjadi bubur dan aku mengambil insiden ini sebagai satu babak pendek dalam kehidupan arwah mak yang Tuhan beri aku rasa. Mak selalu cakap “Kau tak rasa, kau tak tahu.” Dan aku rasa aku dibayar tunai di sini.

Suami selalu berpesan, buat apa-apa biar ikhlas dan insyaallah satu hari ini jika kita layak mendapat ganjarannya, hari itu akan datang juga. Mula-mula dulu suka juga complain bila balik kerja…. Kerja banyaklah, gaji tak cukuplah, tak adil lah… aku rasa aku bagus lah.. apalah. Tetapi kita selalu tidak nampak apa yang orang lain nampak dan perhatikan. Bila tiba masanya, rezeki itu jika hak kita, kita ada dapat juga. The right thing to do is to do the right things.

Macamana aku boleh sampai 37 cepat sangat? Teringat lagi zaman kanak-kanak aku habiskan di atas pokok ciku yang tinggi itu. Masih ternampak rumah lama yang penuh dengan memori suka duka. Kemudian bila diri semakin dewasa, aku mula hidup berjauhan dari keluarga. Aku melayari kehidupan yang penuh dengan gelora. Tahun demi tahun berlalu dan rasanya sekejap sahaja aku sudah mencecah 37 dan 3 tahun lagi nak memasuki era baru yang lebih mencabar.

Aku bersyukur kepada Allah swt kerana dikurniakan sebuah keluarga yang bahagia, suami yang penyayang dan bertimbangrasa, anak yang bijak dan patuh kepada ibu bapa. Apa lagi yang aku nak capai dalam hidup ini? Kalau orang lain ada target untuk earn more money, aku takde target begitu. Apa yang aku impikan ialah kehidupan yang aman dan dipenuhi dengan kasih sayang daripada insan-insan yang dekat di hati ini. Buat masa ini fokus hidup aku ialah untuk membina kehidupan Tia agar menjadi kehidupan yang penuh bermakna dan agar dia menjadi seorang yang boleh berbakti kepada dunia. She’s my world and my life now. While age is a just a number, it’s a number filled with a lot of memories.

P/S: Sekarang aku masih 36 tahun, 10 bulan

Perihal Halal dan Hasad Dengki

2011-05-26T23:03:00.000-07:00

Boleh dikatakan hampir setiap hari di dalam Facebook ada cerita tentang makanan halal yang diragui status halalnya. Memanglah sebagai seorang muslim, kita kena ambil tahu tentang makanan yang kita dan keluarga makan. Namun begitu, sebagai seorang muslim juga kita tidak boleh menghukum membabi-buta sesuatu perniagaan hanya kerana ada beberapa orang yang kurang bertanggungjawab menyebarkan tentang ketidakhalalan sesuatu makanan berdasarkan sesuatu fakta yang belum jelas kesahihannya.

Bukan senang nak bina perniagaan dan semestinya di Malaysia ini untuk menjual barangan makanan kepada muslim harus ada tanda halal yang disahkan JAKIM. Setelah bertahun-tahun membina perniagaan, tak mungkin hanya kerana satu khabar angin, semuanya lingkup.

Saya beri contoh baru-baru ini di mana rakan saya posted cerita tentang ketidakhalalan Milo dan Sardin Cap Ayam. Cerita itu ditulis di dalam Note dan akhirnya ada satu link yang dipaut. Malangnya, ramai yang membaca dari mula sampai habis cerita itu tetapi tidak membuka pautan yang dilampirkan lantas tidak tahu bahawa pautan itu menidakkan semua tuduhan yang dibuat. Kata tuduhan itu, dalam MILO ada cacing, dalam Sardin ada katak.

Betul-betul tak guna siapa yang mengeluarkan tuduhan yang tidak bermanfaat itu. Saya memang tidak akan mempercayai apa-apa sehingga pihak berwajib mengeluarkan kenyataan rasmi tentang tuduhan itu. Malangnya ramai di luar sana yang terus-terus mempercayai kerana takut dapat dosa. Gila ke Nestle nak letak cacing dalam Milo yang diminum oleh berjuta pembeli? Gila ke? Sardin kan ikan.. kenapa nak campur katak? Ada akal, fikir sikit. Jangan buta-buta percaya dan menyampaikan berita tidak betul ini kepada ramai orang. Ini berdosa.

Terbaru, Secret Recipe dikatakan telah mengeluarkan kek tidak halal kerana ada bahan yang mengandungi enzim khinzir. Aduh.... tuduhan berat sekali. Secret Recipe menidakkan tuduhan ini. Sila baca sini lah.. senang cerita.
Persoalannya... siapa punya kerja yang ingin merosakkan nama perniagaan orang. Janganlah berhasad dengki, berdosa. Kita cerita tentang halal haram makanan... bagaimana dengan halal haram perbuatan.

Kongsi sikit pengalaman saya di Amerika dulu. Saya suka makan coklat... jadi saya beli coklat yang saya suka selepas memastikan bahawa tiada bahan yang tidak halal di dalamnya. Senarai saya rasanya ada dalam 20 jenis bahan yang perlu diambil perhatian. Kemudian, datang seorang hamba Allah ini dengan senarai lebih 100 jenis bahan yang perlu diambil perhatian dan coklat saya telah diperiksa seperti nak dapat sijil Halal Jakim. Verdict: Tak boleh makan sbb ada pewarna jenis XHLL. Moral of the story... kalau nak cari sampai begitu detail sekali... apa kata kita pergi tanya nyonya jual sayur, baja dia datang dari punggung binatang mana? Apa kata kita pergi jumpa penternak lembu dan tanya dia rumput dia dapat dari mana. Berpada-padalah kalau ye pun.

Bukankah Islam itu sendiri ialah satu cara hidup yang sering menerapkan nilai-nilai kesederhanaan. Sebelum menyebarkan apa-apa jua perkara atau berita, periksa kesahihannya dulu.

Nur Kasih The Movie: The Review

2011-05-24T00:56:00.000-07:00

Dengan kuasa hebat yang ada pada saya, saya telah berjaya mengajak tiga rakan tidak sebangsa untuk menonton filem Nur Kasih the Movie di panggung bersama-sama. Ini kira macam kerja kemasyarakatanlah dan bertunjangkan semangat Satu Malaysia. Clap! Clap! Clap! Tiada seorang pun daripada kami pernah menonton siri TV Nur Kasih jadi kesemua kami berada dalam kegelapan tentang apa yang akan terjadi dalam movie ini nanti. Suami saya ada prep sikit tentang cerita Nur Kasih ni dan sebanyak itu lah yang dikongsikan bersama kawan-kawan satu pejabat ni.

Tepat pukul tujuh, keempat-empat kami masuk ke dalam panggung tanpa berbekalkan bertih jagung atau air soda coca cola sebab dah kekenyangan makan nasi di Restoran Assam House. Ada sedikit menyesal juga sebab bertih jagung GSC sedap. Masuk-masuk sahaja kami disajikan dengan promo-promo akan datang cerita Melayu di pawagam. Lantas keluarlah Karak, Toyol Nakal dan 321 Cinta. Ketika promo Karak ditayangkan, kawan-kawan bukan sebangsa ketawa berdekah-dekah sebab menyangka ianya cerita komedi. Aduh! Kemudian Toyol Nakal pula muncul dan terus memalukan saya dengan membawa zaman 80an bersama-sama dengan Mr Os kembali ke pawagam. Dalam benak ada terfikir bahawa orang Melayu memang berani sebab buang duit tak tentu pasal. Ok.. cukuplah tentang itu.

Berbalik kepada Nur Kasih The Movie. Saya tak nak buat ulasan macam orang lain buat sebab tentu sahaja lebih kurang sama. Jadi saya nak buat dalam format Soalan dan Jawapan.

1. Apa yang saya harapkan tetapi tidak terjadi?
Menangis selepas movie start lima minit.

2. Apa yang menarik sangat tentang Nur Kasih the Movie?
Jalan cerita yang mantap dan cinematografi yang indah.

3. Apa yang membuat saya ketawa?
Dalam babak kereta api meletup, ada orang Jordan yang berlari dengan serban terbakar.

4. Apa yang boleh dibuat dengan lebih baik?
Sepatutnya ada sedikit tension di antara Nur dengan Aidil... mcm ada sedikit lagi chemistry terhalang, barulah parah... at least on Aidil's part sebab dia dah duda.

5. Scene mana yang buat saya menangis?
Ketika ibu Adam bercakap dengan Adam di hospital tentang tanggungjawab ibu terhadap anak.

6. Apa yang buat saya sakit hati atau irri (kata orang muda)?
Ketika Adam nak pergi cari a pin in a stack of hay. Motif?

7. Apa scene yang ada sedikit tak logik?
Kenapa Nur boleh lukis gambar budak kecik pakai serban tu dengan begitu detail sekali. Ke saya ada terlepas mana-mana related scene?

8. Apa scene yang sedikit menakutkan dan menimbulkan tanda tanya?
Tangan orang tua yang keluar dalam scene-scene tertentu

9. Apa scene yang membuat saya suka?
Ketika mereka dapat berita gembira dan si suami buat kerja-kerja dapur.

10. Apa elemen negatif yang ada dalam filem ini?
Sadis sikit. kemalangan demi kemalangan demi kemalangan.

11. Apa elemen positif yang ada dalam Nur Kasih the movie?
Hidup mati di tangan Tuhan. Kesungguhan akan membuahkan hasil. Pengorbanan itu perlu tetapi mungkin bukan dengan kerelaan hati. Dan mati itu pasti.

12. Dialog yang buat saya rasa nak jumpa pengarah
"Nur takut abang terbabas kalau Nur beritahu abang yang Nur mengandung"... laaaa, itu namanya cari pasal. Kalau takut.. tunggulah sampai berhenti kereta dulu ye.

13. Dialog yang buat saya sebak
"Ibu akan sentiasa memaafkan kesilapan anaknya... itu tanggungjawab"... something like that lah.

14. Watak sampingan yang menghiburkan.
Budak Jordan pakai aviator dan anak perempuan Aidil yang keletah.

15. Watak sampingan yang begitu berlakon sekali.
Mamat-mamat Jordan yang kena tembak dalam adegan slow motion.

16. Apa yang memelikkan?
Kenapa anak Aidil lebih handsome daripada anak Adam dan Nur?

17. Ada satu lagi yang buat saya pelik.
Kenapa Nur kelihatan lebih tua daripada Aidil dan Aidil tua kelihatan lebih tinggi dan kacak daripada Aidil muda?

18. Filem ini mengingatkan saya cerita apa?
The Notebook

19. Adakah cerita Nur Kasih The Movie perlu ditonton?
Sudah tentu kerana penceritaannya bagus, pengajarannya banyak dan boleh membersihkan mata.

20. Berapa bintang daripada saya? **** 4 bintang.
Sekian, terima kasih.

My Love

2011-05-09T23:47:00.000-07:00

Being a mother is challenging yet it's fulfilling. I still remember how I struggled with Tia in the first few years and now it's getting easier but I think the challenges will continue in her teenage years. Honestly, I've never imagined myself with many kids and it turns out, I have only one but my one and only fulfills me in so many ways. Tia is truly a blessing. She's the daughter everyone hopes they get.

I might be biased but I don't think I'm wrong. She has so many great qualities that a person should possess. One day her school organized Japanesey event where students could buy food and things, and the proceed would go to Japanese earthquake victims. I gave her RM10 to spend. She told me that her friend Jade and Shuen Li didn't bring any money. She bought for both of them candies that they choose using the money. "All I want to do is to make them happy, ma," she told me and she also contributed some to charity. She's just six! I'm happy to see her progress in life. :)

And of course the school reminded all the kids that Mother's Day was coming. So Tia was so excited to make me a greeting card. A lovely card with a pink flower in front. Inside she told me that she loves me so much and that I always cook for her good food and she always sneezes at school. Haha! On the day itself, we went to Sunway Pyramid for a little surprise orchestrated by my husband.

He took us to watch "Rod Stewart" live! Well, not really Rod Stewart but he's a tribute artist who looks and sounds like Rod. We had lots of fun!! Then as usual, we made a little detour to MPH and she wanted to buy a magazine. After I paid, she hold another one and insisted that I bought it. I wasn't happy because I don't want to spoil her so I gave the look like I was disappointed. At last the father gave in. We went home straight after and I took a nap.

When I woke up, I found another Mother's Day card from her besides me. She wanted to buy the other magazine because there was a card for me inside. I felt bad for scolding her, as she had the best intention at heart. And before she went to sleep, she took the trouble to make me another card just to let me know that she REALLY loves me. I'm so touched by her gestures.

My little girl is getting bigger and prettier everyday. She always remembers to say and do the right things, and that for me it's a blessing. I believe it in my heart that she'll turn out to be a great person one day. As for us, we'll provide her with love and care to the best of our abilities. She's our sweetheart, our angel, our everything. MAMA and PAPA love you so much TIA SOFIA.

Will My Daughter Look Up to Me For Life's Lessons?

2011-05-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

I'm amazed to see women who always know what to do when it comes to taking care of their beauty, and believe me it's not easy, particularly when you don't have the skills to do it. Were they taught by their mothers, they learned from their peers or they just knew how to do it? How do they keep good skin? How do they do nice make up? How do they keep their legs nice and shaved all the time?

When I was in college, I had a friend who always took an orange daily and her skin was flawless. There were also some friends who applied bedak sejuk every night, making you believe that you had seen ghosts in your lifetime. Some like to use strictly tissue to wipe their faces, no wet towel allowed. I don't have any tips, go with the flow but the results also have been very discouraging.

I have no advice/tips on how to keep good skin or any other beauty advice to transfer the knowledge to my daughter; this worries me-lah. Should I combine all the tips that I know people do and tell her? Or I should let her figure it out herself? My daughter is so vain, I don't think she could take it if a zit pops up on her sweet little face. Haha! And she keeps asking me to drink a lot of plain water..to keep the dots (zits) away.

As a mother, I think my daughter will look up to me for life's advice. And I think mothers nowadays are lacking in domestic skills. If you disagree, you can do this simple test.

List down the name of dishes that you cook really well. By really well I mean, at least 2 people have tasted it and gave great reviews.
Do you know how to wash silk, linen, crepe, etc?
What are the secrets to keep your white shirts white?
How to deal with ripped dress?
Do you know how to make rendang by your self without any help?
How to keep your skin soft?
Do you know how to iron a work shirt?
How to shave your legs and not having those after-shave itch?

If you know all the answers, you can tell me also because I don't think I'm skilled enough as a mother. I could imagine one day my daughter would call me to ask about something and I would be lost for words. Where could I learn all the tips and tricks? Read? Any titles that offer tips about life, recommend it to me okay.

I want my daughter to lean on me for answers on life's questions. Ma, how to do that? how to do this? But I figured as I'm approaching 4-0, there are many things that I still don't know myself. My late mother used to hand wash our gebor (blanket) white and crisp, I have my respect for her so much in that area. When she scrapped the pots and pans, everything turned out shiny like new. When I felt down a bike and hurt my knee, she made her own medicine using tumeric and cooking oil to ease the pain. She never brought me to hospitals/clinics when I felt sick, home remedies were always her choice.

Maybe I don't try my best yet or maybe my life right now doesn't need me to be domestically intelligent. Got to find more information, I've got to.

"Nur Kasih The Movie": The Anticipation

2011-04-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

My husband came back from the office one day and told me that he had seen probably the best Malay movie ever! You HAVE to watch it! I've never seen Nur Kasih the series, why should I get excited about the movie? He promised me that it doesn't matter because what matter is, you are going to cry after 5 mins into the movie and you'll get all your answers in the movie. Some scenes of the movie were shot in Jordan and the director is Kabir Bhatia. Okay.. Kabir's name got me excited because he knows how to play with emotions but if my husband is excited, I should too because he has good taste in film. No way he's gonna say that a movie is nice when it sucks.

So, the plan is to bring the whole Malay staff in the company for a movie on 19th May 2011 and if some Chinese staff want to join also, is gonna be more fun. And the plan is, to NOT wear any mascara or eye make up for the occasion. And the plan is to bring sufficient supply of tissues in case we decided to cry our eyes out.

We have marked our calendar to watch the best Malay movie ever 19 days from today!

We We We So Excited For Winter Holidays!

2011-04-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

I wanna have a photo with this awesome giant watch in Cottesloe beach.

It sounds weird to talk about winter holidays in spring but because I'm a Malaysian, I'm entitled to. I see and feel sun everyday, so give me a break! Come June, we will be in Perth once again for a mild winter holiday. This year we have to wait for school break to plan for any holidays because Tia is already in REAL school and the first break is nearing. The last time we went to Perth, it was a very short trip, where we ended up in Perth city and Fremantle; this time around we plan to go a bit further. The weather is going to between 18-21C during the day and 9-12 at night, definitely no snow.. maybe we need jackets and shawls at night.

Shopping is my main itinerary in this trip. I know that Perth is not exactly the place suitable for retail therapy but I am adamant to make Perth Shopping amazing! Can't help it... I'm only a woman. Murray and Hay Streets are definitely in my plan but there's this little town called Subiaco that I'm interested to check out. City of Subiaco is a pleasant little town between Perth and Fremantle, opened by Italians in 1851, resembling a European village. We have to go. Another place is Mount Lawley, which holds fine examples of 1900 to 1950s architecture, great for photos. Btw, I have bought 2 large size photobooks for the trip. It's gonna be awesome...!

And we don't think beach is good in winter but again the temperature is not going to be THAT cold, right? Cottesloe Beach is a must see destination. 15 mins away from Perth city by car, I will take a lot of great photos over there. Australian skies are amazingly beautiful! Cottesloe is one of the best places to watch the sun set into the Indian Ocean. Another not to be missed destination is the Penguin Island, just off the coast of Perth but it's open until June.. not sure early or late June. Reviews say that you can see a lot of wild animals roam free and that kinda scare me. See how leh....
And last but not least is food!!!!!!! I wanna eat seafood in Fremantle! Crawfishs, crabs, fish, prawns, lobsters.. oh em jeeee.....cepatlah june!

Then in December, we are planning to go to London to celebrate my husband's 40th and my kiddo's 7th birthday. So elitists! Haha! Both of them have never experienced snow and this trip will definitely accomplish that. We haven't decided on the itinerary yet but Christmas is around the corner... so London is gonna be gorgeous kan!