Usher the New Year

Dear friends and followers,

Sembang@Kay's wishes everyone a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

May 2011 be a year we unfold new horizons, realize new dreams, rediscover the strength and faith within us.

Let's rejoice in simple pleasures & gear up for new challenges.

Wishing you a truly fulfilling 2011.....

Holiday Music

My iPod is shoved into my drawer and buried under the piles of work. It's not like I have forgotten about it, just that I have not been listening to music from it much. You know those of Ms Knowles, Mr Pitbull, Mr Usher - songs my children have religiously downloaded for Mommy. As they too share Mommy's iPod like all the time, it is no surprise you don't find Jamal Abdillah, Man at Work or Chicago and the rest of the 80s gang in any of the playlists.

Trust me, their songs can put you to so much embarrassment. There's just so much to read between the lines, there's just too much tuttt...tuttt....tuttt!!!

Oh yes, I do have my concerns when the nine year old innocent sista goes round the house humming a line of JustinB's - You Smile which sounds like this "you smile I smile.....whoaah....cause whenever..... you smile I smile.... hey, hey hey.... your lips....my biggest weakness..."

Ohhh...tak dak nak terpengsan ke Mommy??

Anyway, this Mommy has had her equal share of stress that came in different tunes of various octaves. And this Mommy wants to go take a break (like really bad...).

It's Christmas eve and tomorrow our Christian friends will be celebrating Christmas. Like always Christmas brings back fond memories of those crispy cold days when the daily highs lingered around 20 - 25degF. On midday, scattered flurries would make the surroundings glistering white, giving that magical feeling of festive joy. And when night came more snow would fall, enough to cause anxiety over travel advisory and road closures.

Those were the days; the good old days in the cold, cold Mid West. Unfortunately, we are not heading to any cold country this holidays (would love to go golek-golek in the snow for a change....sigh).

Closer to home, looks like it's going to be a wet, wet Christmas. I see dark clouds looming out my window now and just like yesterday and the day before, the sky is going to cry. Little rain is fine with me, just nice to make it less hot and humid for our travel.

Yes, I'll be off from work for a few days. Kenapa? Tak percaya? Will be traveling south again this Christmas. The plan is to drive down to JB and spend a night there before we cross into Singapore on Boxing Day. We'll see lah how things go, playing it by the ear this time.

Maybe we'll do some shopping, maybe we'll set out bird watching (huhhh...biar betul??) Eat , rest, sleep - that we must do and being with the family definitely makes the holiday special :)

This is what Mommy calls music to the ears!! Can it be in my Xmas list (err...playlist) please??

Merry Christmas and enjoy your holidays!!

Sweetie's Story - Part 5

Just after completing her studies at college, Sweetie flew off to Dubai. Some friends of hers were already based there and they have been asking her to join them. Sweetie just could not wait to leave the country; in her mind she wanted to move on, close the chapter on sadness enveloping her life here and begin fresh in the desert country.

Sweetie shared none of her plans with her family. No one knew she was leaving. She only told Sue and left a short note for her father. No explanations – just a simple good bye message. No matter how painful or troublesome, her journey would continue.

Sue was all alone after Sweetie left. She gave her blessings anyway, though she knew that didn’t mean much to Sweetie. Not a day passed without Sue’s prayers for Sweetie’s wellbeing. Sweetie was the only someone who was close to her in this world. Never mind if Sweetie never realized it.

Sue moved on too. She found a job in a retail outlet in town. Starting as a store hand, she slowly moved up in the company. In two years she was made assistant manager and often became exemplary employee for her thrust wordiness and commitment at work.

Worlds apart now, both girls kept in touch via emails and occasional phone calls. They shared their ups and downs, updates on local gossips but never a single mention about family.

Sue also learnt that Sweetie had started work at a hotel in Dubai. Work was challenging and that kept her occupied. From their chats, Sue gathered that Sweetie was very happy with her new life in the foreign country.

Each time when Sue asked Sweetie about her family back home, Sweetie would change topic and talk about something else. Every time when Sue reminded her to call her parents, Sweetie would get upset and keep her distance. Sue tried to reach beyond the emptiness of Sweetie’s heart but she had put a tight lock on the door.

"She is still your mother, Sweetie," advised Sue as she spoke softly to Sweetie from her end of the line.

"She's still your mother....no matter what. Dunia akhirat dia mak you Sweetie...."

Then there was silence. Sue knew that Sweetie was holding back her emotions. Sue could sense behind that happy front Sweetie was putting, her soul was empty. The warmth in her heart could no longer be felt. The past had hardened her; and her nasty and ugly relationship with her mother was turning her into a cold creature.

If only she could help bring back mother and daughter together again, she would be the most happy person alive. But she knew that, no matter how noble was the effort, a reunion of Sweetie and her mommy would never happen.

“There was still one last hope,” Sue said to herself.


Pray……and pray she did.

Sweetie's Story - Part 4

That day at school, students were buzzing about the surprise checks done on them. Amongst those sent to the Principal's office was Sweetie – a misfortune many had anticipated. In fact that wasn't the first time she was caught. Teachers found a pack of cigarettes in her school bag this time. She had been lucky all these while, but that day, there was no escape.

And as a result of that offence, Sweetie was sent for counseling sessions. She spent some hours with counselors, listening to words which were all too familiar to her.

"Great...just like at home when Mummy goes bla bla bla...." she thought to herself.

"What's the big deal about cigarettes anyway? Others smoke, even my father smokes!"

Sweetie was bored during these dragging sessions but she still sat religiously till they ended. She didn't want to pick a fight with her teachers. There were already enough problems at home and she just wanted to get over with school and then proceed with her own plans.

And it was at counseling session Sweetie met Sue.

Sweetie wasn't too sure why Sue was there, and she never bothered asking. But she liked Sue. There was something about this timid round faced girl that made her want to be friends.

That was the start of a beautiful friendship of this obverse pair. One was lost in life's bright lights and the other was groping in its darkness.

Academically, Sweetie and Sue performed average – sometimes they’d fail miserably and at times if they strived hard, they’d stay afloat. Sweetie never bothered much about her studies. She knew how to sweet talk her father on sending her to college once she finished her secondary education. Sue however had to work really, really hard if she wanted to pursue her college education. The orphanage couldn't possibly fork up money for her, not when they themselves were struggling to keep operating.

Sweetie once told Sue that she wanted to run away from her family. After her SPM exams, she got a part-time job in a boutique and was paid pretty handsomely.

“Aku nak lari lah Sue,” said Sweetie when they met after work that evening.

“Ishhh…jangan, nanti kau jugak yang susah. Mana kau nak tinggal Sweetie?”

“Ahhh…aku tau lah mana aku nak gi….”

Sue prayed hard before she went to sleep that night. She prayed that Sweetie would change her mind and would have some compassion for her parents.

“Ya Allah Ya Tuhan….tunjukkan lah jalan yang benar bagi rakan ku ini. Bukakan lah hatinya. Berikan lah ia hidayah dan petunjuk Mu Ya Rahman…..”

Those were Sue’s plea to God. In between sobs, during her sujud , she asked God’s guidance for her good friend. All she wanted was for her friend to be shown the right path by God Almighty. She could give nothing to Sweetie – money and wealth was beyond her means. It was only to God she could turn begging for mercy and compassion.

Maybe it was her prayers; maybe it was something else that happened, Sue wasn’t too sure. But Sweetie changed her mind many weeks later.

“Mummy aku tak sihat lah Sue. Kesian pulak….” explained Sweetie.

“Bagus lah tu. Kau berbaiklah dengan Mummy kau. Syurga dibawah tapak kaki ibu tau,” advised Sue.

“Hah…nak jadi ustazah lah pulak kau ni. Tell me about it, but if you have a rotten Mummy, where is the Heaven going to appear from?”

Sue kept silent. She could only pray for Sweetie to change. InshaAllah…one day God would lead her the way.

When they finally received their SPM results, as predicted, they both did average. Sue fared slightly better than Sweetie. Both applied to the same college and they finally managed to get in and then completed their diploma in three years.

Sue studied retail management while Sweetie did culinary arts. Sue was very surprised when Sweetie opted to venture the food industry. Never in her wildest dream that she would see Sweetie slogging in the kitchen, and much to her surprise, Sweetie did pretty well in college.

During the three years in college, Sweetie hardly spent time with her family. She seldom went back to that big house. Even during breaks she would work on campus and save money for room rental and food. Sweetie’s father would send her money, but obviously with her lifestyle, the money disappeared in blink. Sweetie had then become a chain smoker and had started frequenting clubs in the city.

There were times when they met Sue would ask Sweetie about her family. But Sweetie never had anything nice to say about them. Obviously her heart was still like an erupting volcano and she said she could never forgive her Mummy.

Later Sue learnt from Sweetie’s aunt that Sweetie’s dad had a stroke and was paralyzed waist down. Sue could tell that Sweetie wanted to be with her father, but she was still not at peace with herself and her hatred towards her mother, kept her from heading to the big house.

to be continued…..

~Sent from my iPad~

Sweetie's Story - Part 3

It was the day after that Sweetie always dreaded. Her body felt weak, her movements were sluggish and her head pounding.

But this wasn't the first time her body being abused so violently. She'd been punched before, kicked from side to side and even strangled by the woman whom she has no place in her heart. Sweetie had thought that age would have slowed the woman down. But no...she was still as forceful as ever.

And that woman was her own mother.

The bruises from their violent brawl had started to show. Her arms were blue black from the stick her mother had used on her. Had it not been for Sue, there would have been blood shed.

"She's in pain too, I know. Should have punched her a few more times. That would have given her a real good lesson," Sweetie explained to Sue.

"She's your mother Sweetie. How could you pick a fight with someone who's weaker." Sue spoke in so much disbelieve.

But she knew Sweetie - hard headed and always charging, one who would retaliate on the word "go". All these years she had seen enough. She could have just strayed away from Sweetie, but something in her heart said that she must try and save this poor lost girl.

"Kenapa kau gaduh dengan dia?" asked Sue.

"Kalau dengan perempuan tu, pasal apa lagi?"

"Pasal duit ke?"

"Tak...aku tak puas hati pasal rumah. Pasal apartment yang sepatutnya aku yang dapat. Tiba-tiba I got to know from my aunt that she dropped my name from her will!" yelled Sweetie.

Sue knew that Sweetie could never be at ease with her old woman, her own flesh and blood, but one whom she despise with all her might. Sweetie claimed that their feud had started a long time ago. She just couldn't see eye to eye with her mother. And to her mother, Sweetie was just another disappointment and embarrassment to the family.


Unlike her, Sweetie was born to a wealthy family. Her father was a top ranked government officer. The place they have outside the city was beautiful and huge. Sue had been to Sweetie's place a few times. When she was younger, she always felt that what Sweetie had was heaven. But now, she knew that behind all that glitter, there was no pot of gold.


Sweetie once said that her father, though he had loads of money, never enjoyed sharing it with the family. Sweetie could talk for days about her stingy father. They laughed at times on the jokes Sweetie made about her father and her plans on stealing her father's money.

"Banyaknya duit bapak kau Sweetie!" claimed Sue during one of their "happy hours".

"Alah...mana tah dia dapat duit tu. Aku rasa duit tu tak halal. Selalu je aku peratikan ada orang datang jumpa dia. Pas tu cakap bisik-bisik. Pas tu ada envelope they all bagi kat father aku."

"Dia ingat aku ni bodoh, dia tak tau yang aku ni buat-buat bodoh je...." replied Sweetie.

"Mak kau tak tau ke?"

"Alah...dia tau. But she's not bothered about my father lah. They all tu dah lama go separate ways."

"Hah? Parents kau dah bercerai? Elok je aku tengok bapak dengan Mak kau tu."

"Entah lah Sue....aku pun tak tau. Cerai ke....tak ke, tu they all punya pasal lah. Malas aku nak masuk campur dah. "

"But they are your family, don't you care?

"NO!!" shouted Sweetie to Sue again.

It was then Sue knew that Sweetie's safe heaven was only a glass menagerie. There was no warmth in the house. There was no love. Everyone was too busy with themselves - going their own separate ways.

Sweetie was as cold as her house and that explained the episodes of her traumatic life.

Unlike Sweetie, Sue's life growing up in an orphanage was no match. She was with pittance but she was never without love. She had no blood relations but everyone in the home was family.

Sue never knew who her father was. She once asked her Ibu at the orphanage of the family's whereabouts. Ibu said that they didn't know who her parents were. Sue was found on the steps of the surau near the home on a Friday morning when folks were about to perform their Subuh solat.

"Life can be such a mystery," Sue thought to herself.

"Sweetie has everything she could ever wanted in this world, but she's so alone. And I don't have anyone either in this world. Literally, I am all alone too...."

to be continued....

Related stories:

Sue's Sufferings

Sweetie's Story - Part 1

Sweetie's Story - Part 2

~Sent from my iPad~

Letting Go.....

It's hard letting go
But I must
Change doesn't happen

Hope is hopeless
Hurt is unbearable
Misery grows deep
Loneliness wraps the soul

Purple arms
Pathetic scars
Heart without husk

This small heart can't take no more
This small mind can't forget no more
Accept I must
Move on I will....

Que Sera, Sera....
Whatever Will Be, Will Be....

She's gone....
Whatever Will Be, Will Be....

Rock Request

Pat Benatar, Joan Jett or Ella? Who do I go as? And how would my attire look like?

That's the big question playing on our minds now ;)

Alahhh...bukan apa nya. It's our annual dinner coming up soon. Theme this time around is R.O.C.K with STARS. Who's gonna be rockin' - we shall wait and see. The STARS?? Ohh...we all are; some 800 plus employees of the company, such bright stars shinning..he he perasan nya lah kan!

We spent our last hour at work today, joking about how we are going to dress on the dinner night. Ada yang kata nak pakai old pair of jeans - yang dah faded, with a big tear on the knee. Ada yang wanting to come with leather jackets and boots. Wah...what an effort. Tak boleh jadi ni....I got to put some thoughts on what I shall have on me too. Maybe I'll get Farah to Google something suitable for Mommy's ensemble.

Specific requirements would be "cari yang depict rock suci" boleh? Wah....ni dah boleh buat ala-ala project runway ni! We shall see what the outcome is going to look like. Tunggguuuuu.........

~Sent from my iPad~

Sakit Lagi.....

"Ini touch screen kena tukar. Sudah teruk."

That was what my BB repair guy told me today. Just an hour before that my BB died on me. Whole screen went blank! My first respond was "I'm gonna be as dead as my phone!" It's the weekend and no phone?? Woo....that's gonna be tough!

"Kenapa jadi itu macam eh?" I asked the young fella. I pretty much can expect what his answer was going to be. Just checking...mana lah tau kot he'd give a different answer than what I suspect it was.

"Haiya...banyak guna, memang ini macam larr... FB, BBM summa guna. Jadi ini macam....biasa larr!"

Ishhh...kena lecture pulak dah.

"So bila bole ready?" I asked him.

"Selalu ah mau angkat SATU MINGGU bole siap. Tapi u punya pasal ah...Monday siap lah... U jumpa saya."

Well...what else can I say?? Pasrah je lah and wait patiently till Monday (urgghhhhhhhh......sufferrrrr!!!) It's almost 12 hours with no BB in hand.

Tau dah macamana rasa mamat / minah gian........ Adeiiiii.....:((

FiF - Finally It's FRIDAY

It's been a tough week. But I’m glad it’s almost over and I’m looking forward to feeling more positive next week!

So looking forward to the weekend. No plans nothing yet. Just gonna be chillin' and relaxin' with the kids. Perhaps we'll go for a spin in our lil' red....he he never mind *wink*

Have a good weekend people :)

Payback Time

The house is so quiet now. Everyone is deep in their slumber. Even the cats are wisely snoring away. Time now is 3.50am; unfortunately yours truly here is still wide awake. I have not managed to close my eyes - not even for a single second, albeit the screaming signs from this old body telling me to unwind and join the rest in slumber. There's just so, so much going on in my mind. Guess it's true when they say only when your mind is at ease; your body is ready to shut down. My mind however is still spinning so fast as if it could fall of its own axis.

So how on earth could I possibly close my eyes?

Yesterday wasn't a virtuous day at work. It started well but ended as if the world had crumbled on me. What a mess it is now and it was never meant to be so. A good intent had gone misinterpreted. I hate it when things are all jumbled up. I loath doing fire fighting and now the brain is working extra hard to find solutions to resolve the so much confusion.

And I for one does not like being in that state of mind. Unfortunately, free my mind I can't :((

My last two hours was spent BBMing a fellow colleague, trying to make sense of what is happening. Questions in our mind were similar - could trust the people around us or could they just be pure opportunist, putting up a multiple faced front and leading us to the pits? This is so, so difficult - trying to sort the right from the wrong, trying to establish friend from foe.

Well, as if being put in this terrible limbo isn't enough, another blow came later in the day. Another set back was brought to my attention; a project manager's worst nightmare. The disturbing news was conveyed to me - apparently "some people" are still not pleased with the service we provide them. Despite the coaching we've been giving, despite the patience and tolerance we've been showing to their not so smart team, despite the longggggg hours of laborious efforts to ensure our deliverables are satisfactory, they say that we have not met their expectations, contradicting the endorsement on the SLA. Awww....come on, stop being pretentious!! It’s a personal thing for it is a fact that they can't gobble my guts and my wits. And that's why they are now the sorriest two legged souls walking around. I may not be confrontational but I am certainly not blind.

Well, it's just too bad then if "some people" do not know how to behave professionally. It's just so pathetic if they do not know when and where to draw the line that separates personal from professionalism. They may be enjoying their triumph for now, but little did they know that the joke is on them. We shall wait and see who has the last laugh at the end of this long episode of nonsense.

Perhaps I should start turning a deaf ear from now on and stop entertaining ridiculous requests starting this very moment. So...we'll see what happens after this when no responses towards the text messages sent at those ungodly hours. Hence from now business will strictly adhere to my official office hours - too bad if they had to wait hours for the reply. No way I’m gonna get up from my slumber and entertain your 3.45am request anymore. Wait…just like the rest have to!!

So that’s it folks, Kay is cutting off the life line from now on. If you can’t get her, it means she is deep in her slumber.

It’s payback time, so you wait lah….

¤Sent from my iPad¤

Fry Day

It's Friday today. Everyone loves Friday, yes? The weekend upcoming celebrative feeling is obvious in each corner of the office. Everyone is elated, nak-nak kalau awal bulan masa bank account masih cantik. Semuanya hati berbunga-bunga planning activities for the Saturday and Sunday.

For some of us, on Fridays we enjoy that bit of little luxury at work – a longer lunch break. Longer break means the opportunity to go grab quick lunch, followed by some stress reliever activities at fave malls or outlets afterwards. And this quickie RT works like magic; trust me, coz' some two hours later one would see all smiling faces jay walking back to their work stations. Someone once told me that on Fridays you could even see kakak-kakak from Putrajaya thronging Nilai 3. Macam-macamlah yang boleh membantu jiwa kacau jadi reda agaknya ada di sana.

I guess for ladies who work in the city, Friday lunch break RT is fun. In that 2 hour 45 mins there are many outlets to go check out – dari KLCC to GE Mall to the everyone's shoppers paradise – Jalan TAR.

Tapi itu cerita kakak-kakak and adik-adik yang work in the city lah kan. Bagi yang work in the city outskirt (like me…like me!!!) tak de lah hebat gitu. Oh yes there are malls within a few minutes drive to go check out. But the thought of having to drive out, then fussing for a parking space and bad luck may just strike – a traffic crawl back to the office!! Urgghhh…stress yang tak pasal-pasal. And then masuk office terpaksa buat muka sedih lalu depan boss.

Kalau tunjuk muka dua puluh sen tu menjadi tak pe lah. Buat nya tak menjadi harus Friday bertukar menjadi Fry Day (as Pi Bani puts it my FB comments)

Sufferin' succotash!!! Ohhh….tidakkkkkk!!!

Sent from my iPad

The Star Online: Long queue to buy Apple’s wonder tablet

KUALA LUMPUR:

Hundreds of buyers queued up for hours for the launch of the Apple iPad at the Mid Valley Megamall yesterday.

They arrived as early as 8am before the official launch at 10am, so as to be among the first to buy the tablet in Malaysia.

Many employees were deployed to maintain order as long queues formed outside Apple's authorised reseller, Machines, at the mall here.

The iPad is designed to browse the web, read email, listen to music, browse photo albums, watch videos and read eBooks.
Eager beavers: There was a huge crowd at the launching of the Apple iPad at the Mid Valley Megamall in KL yesterday.

It features a large 24.6cm LED-backlit multi-touch screen and allows users to navigate through the Internet easily with specially programmed applications.

First in line was Kelvin Goh, 30, who took half a day off and rushed from his office after reading of the launch in The Star yesterday.

"I do not mind waiting as long as I get the iPad today. It is a Christmas present for a friend," said Kelvin who was initially supposed to go to Singapore to get the product.

Lecturer Mayudia Mohtar, 30, laughed hysterically after unwrapping the box containing her new iPad.

She said she had "run away" from work for fear that the stock of iPad would run out if she waited until after office hours.

Retired worker Lee Kian Toon, 55, however said the price of the iPad was a little too high.

"I have to admit it is a very good product but mass production should be able to bring the price down in the future," said Lee.

Communications officer Nataskia van Dam, 26, from the Netherlands. found the iPad very intuitive.

"Even my mum can use it. This is a Christmas present for my mum from my dad. She is going to love this one as she can read books on it," said Nataskia, who is visiting her family in Malaysia.

Mark Mcqueen, 46, said he could now use the iPad during flights.

"A 17-inch screen is just too big for me, especially in the airplane,"

"However, my wife is a bigger Apple fan and she is waiting at home to confiscate the iPad," said Mcqueen.

This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)

Copyright © 1995-2010 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited.

My comment:

Queue? There was none when I got mine yesterday!

People must have not known that there is an Apple outlet - Machine in Sunway Pyramid.

But of course, I was there much, much earlier...he he he :)

New Toy :)

Am trying this new toy. It has been around for quite sometime in other parts of the world. Have seen the underground sets. But today it was officially launched here.

Am still getting myself acquainted with the toy. Current vocab for now are iTunes and apps store :) Well let's see how long will this flame last ;)

Sent from my iPad

Camp Day 5

Today's the final day of ASEAN Camp. Kids are busy getting ready for their performance tonite. I could see it from their faces that they've had a wonderful week here in Cyberjaya. Making new friends, learning together and most of all having loads of fun together.

As a parting gift to them, the online chat was made available on the portal. They may be oceans away, but the Portal will keep them together (Awww....this makes me all teary. My team worked day and night to ensure all content is ready for the camp - thank you TEAM!!)

Happy days are here to stay :)

Thumbs up on the program!!

It's going to be a whole new world for these kids from now on. Sharing and pursuing new horizons in future.......

A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming

A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way up here
It's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you
Now I'm in a whole new world with you.....

Sent via Kay's Berry

Day 4 - Vip Visit

Another great day for the kids@ASEAN camp today when the Chairman dropped by to visit them. Kids, a braver lot now, so much different from the time they first arrived.

Sent via Kay's Berry

Camp Day 3

Camp is really building momentum. Lots of laughter, sharing and learning taking place here in Cyberjaya.

Sri Lanka, though not in ASEAN, was invited as participant in the camp.

Sent via Kay's Berry

Day Two@Cyberjaya

Day two today here in Cyberjaya. Another long day for us the program developers. Minor glitches here and there but otherwise everything is running as planned :)

The afternoon session has just started. And more excitement awaits the participants !!

Sent via Kay's Berry

Hello Cyberjaya!

It's ASEAN camp again. This time it's held in Cyberview Lodge in Cyberjaya. Really nice here.... Unfortunately work takes priority. The pool looks so inviting but don't think I'll have time to enjoy fun in the sun. And so is the spa which is hidden somewhere in the resort.

Guess that's life....

Sent via Kay's Berry

Nissa's Y.E.B

Nope it's not YES (year end SALE, that is) but it's a YEB - year end break. "School's out!!" shout the kids. But Moms and Dads are at wits end trying to figure out how best to keep them happy for the next 6 weeks or so.

I for one have no plans whats so ever yet. Nissa has whispered to me how she would like to spend this year end school hols. Some activities are pretty trivial, doable by everyone in the family. However, some may have to wait a little longer till Farah finishes her SPM exam in December. And yours truly will be preoccupied with ASEAN camp kicking off tomorrow. So the question is how do I keep this nine year old entertained when there is practically no one available to entertain her.

On her last day of school she told me that her friends are criss-crossing the globe holidaying. Amongst the names of places mentioned were Gold Coast, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Bali and others. When she asked me where are we heading to, I just smiled. And Nissa being Nissa, she could tell the difference between "a berisi smile" and "an empty smile". Tough huh? Having a nine year old in this Internet age. Ohhh yes.....she knows how to check ticket price and flight schedules on AA now. Soon I can no longer give her that "no flights avail" excuse coz I bet she'd double check on my info.

I'm hoping her trip to Kuantan with Abe next week will keep her travel bugs at bay for a while. Stressful isn't it? It's like living under the same roof with your boss (OMG...that would be really, really scary!!!)

So Nissa...chill okay :)

Tech@Hajj

If my grandmother was still alive, she would have been impressed, I think. Why would she not be? There's just much excitement about doing Hajj now compared to the time she did hers. To begin with, travel to the Holy Land is much faster than the time she went on her pilgrimage back in the 60s. In her stories she elaborated how long and tedious was the boundless voyage to Mecca.

Back then they all sailed in one big ship, embarking at Port Swettenham and would only see land like about a month later. All in all the Hajj journey took about three months, two of which was spent on sea. I was still a little girl but I recall vividly Mom helping awrah Uwan prepare for that one journey of a lifetime. In fact the trip was paid from the little by little savings Mom made from the time she started work as a teacher.

Had been me, gosh how ya? Can't imagine what would happen; I'd be bored in no time and perhaps at the next port of call, I would abandon ship. So unlike mereka-mereka yang sungguh kental iman ini.

I wonder when arwah Uwan was performing Hajj did she get to send news on her well being to families back home. She was illiterate, so she couldn't have written a brief message on her own. Perhaps she did with the help of others. Again, had it been me, how would I have reacted? No keeping in touch with the loved ones back home? Itu lah bezanya orang sekarang from orang dolu-dolu; sungguhlah kental semangat mereka para tetamu-tetamu Allah ini.

GPS for the ole buddy here perhaps??

The story of present Hajj is way, way different. One of our friends who left on the second last flight for Jeddah slipped his iPad in the bagpack alongside his ihram, head-wear and other whatnots. His Blackberry was his closest companion. Minutes before this departure, he was BBMing away with his daughter who is based in Bangkok. Sungguh tech savvy, bakal pak aji ni!! Nasib baik tak update FB status too *wink*

When asked, "iPad tu nak buat apa bawak Cik Din?" His simple reply was, "Baca Quran la babe..." Caya lah Cik Din, thumbs up!! And perhaps I should realign my methods of reading the holy book too...

Available in Farah's bag during our Umrah last year - her camera & mobile

Indeed this calls me too revise at my Hajj/Umrah checklist now. Perhaps in my next Hajj trip (IshaAllah....bermohon sangat-sangat pada Nya moga-moga dipercepatkan giliran & sihat tubuh badan untuk kesempurnaan beribadat), along side the telekung, tudungs, clothes peg and hangers that could rotate, portable chargers and other tech gadgets will cram my luggage as well.

Despite all the gadgets and live media feeds, the feeling is just not the same like being there amongst the crowd. Missing this place so very much......

Out of all the countless bounties and the blessings that Allah has given us to enable living our lives in this world, the greatest and the most important is that He has guided us to the true meaning and purpose in our lives.
Islam is not just one gift among many; it is the choicest gift of God.
(Al-Maidah 5:3)

Warm wishes on this Eidul-Adha to all. May Allah grant all wishes and answer to all prayers. Amin.

Finders Keepers

When the MPV pulled into our driveway this afternoon, little did I expect to discover a motorbike tucked neatly in its trunk. Motorbike siapa and how on earth did it get in there?

I checked with Abe and there was a long silence. Hahhh...tau dah, ni mesti "collection" from his visit to one of our rented out properties. But a full bloom motorbike, apa cerita nih??

Our tenant in the PJ house had given notice to move out last month. His reason was he had finally bought a house and will be moving to the new place. Fine with us, and the next cause of action was to put up a House To Let notice.

We got a new tenant pretty fast. And early in the month, the new folks moved in. Abe did some repair works on the house and in no time it looked good for its new occupants. Now comes the best part and this happens almost every time we prepare our property to let. Without fail, whenever we check the condition of the house, punya lah banyak barang-barang previous tenants yang left behind. Macam-macam yang we found; dari cans of ikan bilis goreng kacang to old clothes to stoves to magazines to workout weights. The list gets longer each time a tenant leaves and the time spent for cleaning up gets longer and more tedious too.

Cuba kalau overseas, cari pasal lah if nak buat perangai like this. Silap-silap security deposit tu hangus!! It makes me sick in the stomach every time I make my visits. Just because it's a rented property, to them tak perlu lah nak keep it clean and in good condition.

"Pecah and kopak sana sini tak pe....bukan rumah aku, " that could probably be their attitude. Of course we have to repair the kopak-kopak here there when they leave. And a lot of times we never deduct anything from their deposit.

Anyway, back to the motorbike (ohh jauh nya digress...)

Beats the daylights out of me if the previous tenant was running away from something ke atau just plain not bothered. Several calls made to him remained unanswered and text messages pun tak response. Abe could have just left the bike at the house, but it was getting in the way for the new family who is beginning to settle in. And tak kan nak biar kat luar rumah kan. What if it goes missing? Jadi terpaksalah help to store the darn machine at our home pulak.

I checked the bike and it looked pretty new. No keys of course, but Abe said the locks can be changed (ohhh boleh eh??) The tenant owes us some rental money still, but tidak lah sebanyak harga sebuah motorbike.

Jadi nak buat apa dengan bike ni now? Simpan? Ishhh....menambah sesak in my driveway je. I have asked Abe to keep contacting our old tenant. Tell him to collect his harta and let me have my driveway back. Should I give him a time frame or nak biar je it sitting there (dengan ihsan....)?? Really inconsiderate kan....grrr


So if you guys tetiba je nampak ada couple ni naik motor...jangan la gelakkan ya....dapat motor free bebeh!!

Head Banging Away

With my home Internet speed getting slower and slower by the day, this blog is embarrassingly neglected. Plus, I have been like always - busy. Plus, I somehow am not able to put my thoughts together and write...sigh. I hate to think that it's got to do with the number (read : age) adding up. But perhaps it's true.....

Yesterday was Deepavali. The holiday break was something I had looked forward to. Had planned to do stuffs with the family. However, this over worked mind and body had planned a different agenda for its master.

That morning when I woke up, my head felt like there was a flock of unskilled musicians banging and knocking on my skull auditioning for some heavy metal rock reality show. Duhh....it was one of the worst bout of headache I've ever experienced.

So what do you do to yourself when the head throbbed like hell?? Drink loads of water?? Err yes...but headache still there. Sleep?? Err did that but the horrible pain didn't barge.

How else if not with the help of pain killers (errr...not exactly for long term though) . The normal asprin doesn't work for me anymore now. Neither does its stronger mate Mr Ponstan. I tried hanging on half of the day without any medication but the pain was too strong. At last I gave in to Cafergot - an abortive headache treatment, one that I've been carrying with me in my cosmetic pouch but never got the guts to consume. It was prescribed by my doctor during one of my head ting tong visits.

Washed down two of those yellow coloured pills and went to sleep again. It was around noon that I took them and was knocked out almost instantly. Next thing I knew, Nissa woke me up for my afternoon solat and when I woke up, it was like magic the nasty rock people had vanished!!

I am not at all proud with what I have done, but the pain was so unbearable that it gave me no choice. When I researched Cafegot in medical websites, this is what I found out about the drug; main contents are ergotamine tartrate and caffeine. Ergotamine belongs to a group of medicines known as ergot alkaloids (must make a mental note to do more research on this). But this miracle drug (for me now, at least) comes with a long list of side effects.....duhhh must they??

I've put away the remaining Cafegots. Hoping not to have the need to use it again. In the mean time, I must find out better ways of reducing the my headache attacks.

Help....does anyone know what could be the magic potion???

Anyway, I'm glad my headache cleared coz I got to deliver this beautiful creation by Yani the Kitchen Guardian (err more like Diva..I must say) to Kak Ezza's house for her daughter's wedding today.

October Gone

October has come to an end. It went flying so unnoticed. With only two months to year end, it doesn't look like my wish for a slow and easy wrap up is going to happen.

There's so much to complete at work. Am feeling so burnt out but I have to push myself still...sigh.

Nissa's Halloween pumpkin - went all around looking for weary looking creature but no avail. So had to make do with this.

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Rhythm Of No Rain

Don't really like the looks out of my window. The sky is grey. The air smelt burnt, and I can almost see dust particles floating in mid air. The HAZE is backkkkk!!! And so is my wheezing.... :(

It looked like it was going to pour just now at lunch time. But it didn't....owwwhhhh...cik katak sila lah panggil hujan!!!

Wish I could sing to this tune.

Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain......
Telling me just what a fool I've been........

But where's the rain???

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Number Game

Nak comment tentang the recent budget ker?? No need lah, let's just leave that to the experts. But at the same time, tak larat juga looking at the obscene figures.....sigh...sigh...sigh.....

The following (selected) rundown of the 2010 budget was taken from Bernama.

It was mentioned in the budget that:

* The Government allocates RM111 million for PERMATA programme including the construction of the second phase of Sekolah PERMATA Pintar school complex, 32 PERMATA Children Centres (PAPN) and financing operations of 52 completed PAPNs.

* To provide competent and quality teachers and instructors to better guide and educate students, the Government allocates RM576 million in the form of scholarships for those wishing to further their studies.

* RM213 million is allocated to enhance proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia, strengthen the English language as well as streamline the standard curriculum for primary schools.

* The Government will recruit 375 native-speaking teachers including from the United Kingdom and Australia to further enhance teaching of English.

* Allowing flexibility to self-determine fully-paid maternity leave not exceeding 90 days from the current 60 days subject to a total of 300 days of maternity leave throughout the tenure of service.

* The toll rates in four highways owned by PLUS Expressway Berhad will not be raised for the next five years effective immediately.

* RM50 million to construct several shaded walkways in the KLCC-Bukit Bintang vicinity.

* Development of world's first integrated eco-nature resort at a cost of RM3 billion by Nexus Karambunai in Sabah to commence next year.

Are these babes amongst the 300 which import duty is to be abolished?? Aisyeh...why didn't abolish masa zaman-zaman I pakai size 2 dulu??

* Abolishing of import duty on 300 goods preferred by tourists and locals, at 5 to 30 percent, to promote Malaysia as a shopping heaven in Asia.

* Another landmark project "Warisan Merdeka" which includes a 100-storey tower, the tallest in Malaysia, at a cost of RM5 billion to be completed by 2015.

* Exemption of sales tax on all types of mobile phone

And the list goes on and on and on.....

My response?? Nadaaa....but I just want to quote Jerry Maguire - "Show me daaaa MONEYYYYYY"

Add It On

Urgghhhhh.....this is so, so not good; work my bu** like crazy keeping up with my DEADlines. Guess they don't call it DEADline for nothing huh? It's already October and I thought things in the office would slow down by now. But nooooo.....looks like that is so not going to happen :(

I don't have a life no more.

Plus I overdid it at office aerobics two days back. And now my bu** really, really hurts. It hurts so much that I had to rest myself from my daily 3.5km walk this morning. Urgghhh....so, so not good.

Found this picture somewhere on the Internet. And I'd say this to her....
"Know pretty much how you're feeling, darling. I'm so with you in spirit. But you go girl! You tell everyone at work to just “add it to the pile!”

Sweetie's Story - Part 2

Sweetie must have gathered all her might to come see me. Some hesitation at first but when I reached out to her and led her to the seat next to mine, she obliged.

“You okay, Sweetie?”

She cleared her throat and replied, “I can’t sleep, Puan. Every time I close my eyes, I see Sue. The image of her wrecked car haunts me every night.”

Her eyes welled with tears; then there was silence between us.

“Sedekah Al-Fatehah to her Sweetie. She’s in a safe place now,” I tried to assure Sweetie.

“Saya tahu Tuhan sayang dia, but saya kesal…I didn’t get to help her…after all her sacrifice for me.”

“I’m sure Sue buat semua tu ikhlas, tanpa meminta balasan. So let’s not be too sad atas pemergian dia. Hey…Sue wouldn’t have wanted you to be like this you know!” I soothed her arm gently, signaling that everything would be just fine.

Sweetie did not reciprocate; instead she fixed her gaze on a picture hung on my wall – picture of our company’s annual party. I knew then pretty much what was on her mind.

to be continued.....

Ten.Ten.Ten

Whenever these two numbers - "1" and "0" come together in close proximity, I am so, so reminded of the topic on matrix in row echelon form in linear algebra. The scary looking matrix looks something like this:

Uhhh....don't ask me how I survived this subject. Did it in two attempts - my first saw me chickening out when I dropped it halfway in the semester. I just couldn't make out what head or tail the old math professor was mumbling about during that ungodly 6.45pm class. Unfortunately there was no escaping that subject. I took it again the following semester. My luck was better as the instructor this young Jew chap was able to conduct the class in a more comprehensible manner.

101010 - looks like some binary codes too eh? In computing and telecommunication, binary codes are used for a variety of methods of encoding data. Interestingly enough, if you convert it to decimal; 101010 = 42.

So did anyone turn 42 on 101010?? Errr.... not anyone I know la pulak.

But who tied the know on this day kita semua tau lah dah kan....*wink*

Proud Moments

I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. With my hectic schedule, obviously, I had to shuffle work commitments to liberate myself to attend this important event. In fact when Faris informed me of the date – 6th October 2010, I was somewhat relieved that it clashed with only one of my deadlines. (But had to miss two important events held on the same day – one was a talk on content development and the other was an event at National Planetarium. Tak pe lah…FAMILY comes FIRST. No two things about that.)

It was manageable. Like I said, I wouldn’t want to miss it for the world; be my son’s graduation ceremony, I MUST!!

Unfortunately, that morning I woke up with a lingering headache. The previous day’s irresponsible act of skipping meals has come to claim its brunt on me. Yikesss….yikesss…

I washed down two aspirins at breakfast. My head felt slightly lighter when the medication took effect. But I knew if I wasn’t careful, the headache may just develop into something much, much worst. And I definitely didn’t want that to happen, not today. I wished I could rest for a while before the drive to PICC, but there was still quiet a bit to be done.

Faris left early for PICC that morning. He said there were still some final preparations on the graduation ceremony that he needed to attend to. I did one last check on his baju melayu and samping (must thank Datin Mamasita for her referral on this helpful samping guy in KT. Chose Faris’ samping via MMS, paid online and the package arrived the next day; all in a day’s transaction!! Fast and convenient) and off he went after that. We couldn’t take the girls with us either coz Farah still had her SPM trials at school and Nissa was on for “ASTRO’s Waktu Rehat” audition later that afternoon. Ohhh….it was just the two of us lah nampak nya…..

Roses for the graduate

We left for PICC (Putrajaya International Convention Centre) slightly past noon. In the invite it was written that we were to be seated 10 mins before the ceremony starts which was at 2pm. Abe asked if I wanted to drive, I said, “No, you take the wheels.” I usually didn’t mind being the supir but that day, I just wanted to sit back and relax (hah…the real truth is…I was so anxious and such a nervous wreck and so not wanting Abe to notice the emotional build up).

Parking at PICC was somewhat a horror. The whole place was already packed with cars. The security personnel directed us to park along the road leading up to the convention centre. Ohhh…menapak la pulak under the blazing sun!!! What a test and minutes later I felt my head spin. Yikes….yikes….the headache was back…grr.

For those who have not been to PICC, well, let me warn you that the place is huge!!! And be prepared to walk and ride the escalators all the way up to the top. Our first stop was the surau for Zuhor prayers (ambil wuduk siap-siap from home tu….coz takut tak sempat nak re-apply make up…vain, vain, vain…caya tak??) Abe then managed to locate Faris and informed him of our whereabouts. He came to meet us up after that, all dressed in his black baju melayu and graduation robe. I couldn't believe what I was seeing – watching this handsome young man stride towards us, all so grown up and looking very smart in his graduation attire. I tried to hold back my tears, but I just couldn’t (and heck with my make up….)

As he walked passed us, it brought lump to the throat as I recall memories of his first baby steps, first words, first triple somersaults into the pool, first camping trip....and many other first moments.

Standing in front of me, was my baby whose little hands I held not so many years ago, walking to kindergarten on his first day of school. I recall us walking into the classroom and he just stood there, shy at first but then the teacher came over and introduced him to the others kids and he went off to play. I remember his first school concert where he danced joget with another girl at school. I remember his first piano recital where I helped him compose a short tune and him playing it in front of other parents and students in the class. I was a nervous wreck too then and dared not breathe till he finished playing.

There was like a deck of You Tube recollection on Faris’ accomplishments, his ups and downs in school and college and his challenges growing up during his teenage days under the watchful eyes of Mama and Daddy, playing in my mind in that split second.

No 31 in the list of recipients - Diploma in Chemical Engineering Technology (Process) - that's Faris!!

I tried to hold back my stream of tears, but I just couldn’t (and make up almost gone….) and to make matters worst, I HAD NO KLENEX stuffed in my handbag (tu lah…tukar handbag lima kali lagi before settling with the final one…kena sumpah dgn bags yg tak dipilih untuk di pakai tu kot..)

Anyway, my emotions was more settled when we were finally seated in the ceremonial Plenary Hall. To kill time (coz it was quite a wait till the parade of the graduates), I was fb-casting via BB. Yeah…the whole world was able to follow Faris’ convocation ceremony via FB. My sincerest appreciation to all who have kept me company the entire afternoon be it on FB and BBM. Your kind words and encouragement have helped calm this Mommy’s dup dap dup dap heart.

During intermission, UniKL choir entertained us with their rendition of Faisal Tahir's Sampai Syurga.

Faris and friends

Senior and Junior

The 7th Convocation Ceremony of University Kuala Lumpur was graced by YB Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh, Chairman of MARA, who is also UniKL’s Pro-Chancellor II. The two day ceremony saw 3,193 graduates receiving their respective Degrees, Diplomas and Professional Certificates. I must say it’s an applaudable accomplishment for a relatively new university.

Indeed, the ceremony was each parent’s proud moments witnessing fruits of labor, paid off from the sweat and tears of the children as they walked up the stage to collect their scrolls. Each move by the young men & ladies prompted a medley of emotions - pride, relief, elation and ambivalence. Our greatest syukur to Allah swt for his grace on us, allowing us to be part of these prestigious moments.

To Faris....

We know that you will go far in this life, you deserve the best this world can give you and we know that you will get it. This day marked the start of your discovery of the world on your own, please know that we'll be with you no matter where you go and that we'll be there anytime and anywhere you may need us.

Loves,

Mama & Daddy

Sweetie's Story - Part 1

Sweetie was extra cheerful that morning. She walked pass me beaming one cherry sweet smile that could melt any tough heart.

"She's in baju kurung again," I thought to myself.

Ahhh...she must have gone to visit Sue - a routine she is so faithful of after Sue's passing (read Sue's Sufferings here) a few months ago. She found her ultimate peace by Sue's side , at her final resting place, Sweetie told me one day.

Our conversation on Sue never continued, not since that day of Sue’s tragic death. I remember seeing how distraught Sweetie was. She grieved the loss of her friend as if a part of her left when Sue left.

"She's not ready to share yet. Give her time," I mentioned to my boss when she expressed her concerns over Sweetie's frail health. A few weeks after Sue's passing, Sweetie fell ill and a couple of times she passed out in the office. She frightened us all one day when we found bleeding profusely in the toilet. I guessed it as much that she was having a miscarriage; another misfortune for Sweetie who has been trying to have a baby for years.

Sweetie was falling to pieces. She knew she had to go get help. And that was when she came knocking lifelessly on my door.

“Puan , I need to talk.”


to be continued.....

It's Showtime!!

The 19th Commonwealth Games are on in New Delhi.

The opening ceremony held a few hours ago was a spectacular and awesome show. Simply overwhelming to see different cultures within India come together to give a jaw-dropping cultural extravaganza.

"India's big moment is finally here. Join in." ~Suresh Kalmadi, the chairman of the organising committee.
(and me so wanting to go backkk....)

Beautiful Day

Pictures were taken during my walk this morning. I'm back in action after a three day break.

It's a beautiful day.....

Don't let it get away.......It's a beautiful day!!

Sent via Kay's Berry

Rain More Rain

The sun shied itself today. All I am seeing is gloomy skies and I can almost bet that the sky is going to cry later, just like it did this morning. The pre-dawn downpour kept me indoors and caused me to miss my walk. And if it rains again at rush home later, I can almost anticipate the long queue and the tortoise speed crawl that awaits :(

The downpour this morning

Anyway, I kinda enjoy the cool weather. It makes walking to the lunch place next door more pleasant; such a contrast from those sweat drenched scorching hot days a couple weeks back. But yesterday, a few of us were left stranded after our hefty meal. It was pouring so, so hard and neither of us had cared to carry with us the brolly. So...lunch extended to coffee and cakes....as we prayed hard that none of the bosses noticed our temporary absence. But then, there is BBM & YM, avenues that they could reach us if they really, really need to.

And this gloomy outlook makes staying focused at work slightly more challenging.

Ahhh...time for a fresh cuppa now....before I slip into near slumber........

Sent via Kay's Berry

Online With Santa

Whoever is my Santa, I want him/her to notice this posting. I have found what I want for Xmas. This slick shinny toy is still very, very fresh from its makers. And I am already head over heels falling in love with it!!

Perhaps Santa has not received news about this latest entrant in the already widening tablet race. If you haven't yet Santa, here it is.....

Introducing the new PlayBook - unveiled by the makers of BlackBerry this week.

So why do I need this tablet?? What can it do??

According to BlackBerry maker RIM - Research in Motion Ltd. the PlayBook a sleek tablet computer, is both an amplified BlackBerry and first professional tablet. It syncs to a Blackberry phone allowing users to stream data from the phone to the tablet.

Reviews have raved that the PlayBook sounds like it packs a punch. RIM says the machine will run the new BlackBerry Tablet operating system on a 1 GHz dual-core processor; in addition, the machine gets front- and rear-facing cameras (both HD), Flash support, a 7-inch screen, and a HDMI-out port for linking up content with external displays.

Hu hu...I loikeee!!! But exercise patience I must still as the PlayBook will only be in the scene early 2011 in the US and mid year to rest of the BB crazee people in other parts of the world.

BBM-ing Santa
Ping-Santa.....
Ping-Santa.....
Help!!!!

BO Trails

I must say I am struggling with patience. It was almost at the tip of the tongue to go tell this someone that as he moves around our work stations, he leaves his "trails" of such unpleasant BO. I know this is a very delicate matter of contention and must be addressed in the most artful manner.

My overly sensitive nostrils is able to detect his loathsome odor the very moment he steps into the office. Initially I thought it was just me. Later when the other girls hinted to me their discomfort, I knew it wasn't just my hallucination.

So now the bigggg question is how best to get the message across - loud and clear. Someone advised me to go get a deodorant, wrap it nicely and get someone else to pass it to him. Another suggested that I start spraying the work stations within reach of the smell with lemony air freshener whenever he emits his fetid stench.

Oh....what a chore and I so hate having to do so. Such a dilemma I'm in at this present moment....


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