Tuesday, October 18, 2005

About Mamula Moon......

If you've been catching up with the latest news, you'll know about Mamula Moon!. For those who don't, Mamula Moon is a song. The hot news around town is that our very own Negaraku is melodically "ciplak"ed from Mamula Moon. We all know that Negaraku was taken from Perak's state anthem named Terang Bulan....no wonder. The song is of western origin, i dont remember which island (but it does sound a bit "islandic"). You can take a listen at this link. ttp://www.malaysiantime.com/ (sorry, belum pandai link the mp3 directly, so you have to go to the site and click PLAY at the top right hand corner)

Ramli MS a.k.a Cikgu Ramli for the AF fans is proposing that we come up with a new song, to make it ours, truly Malaysian. I don't know. Mamula Moon or not that's the Negaraku we learnt by heart, that we sang at all those school assemblies. Can we overnite just announce...look people, here's your new national anthem. While I can appreciate the rationale, i think i'll stick to the familiar; tho i kind of like the "pakar IT, pakar ekonomi" song.....wakkakaka. imagine if that is our national anthem.

What do you think?

Monday, October 17, 2005

Campaign: Say No to Ramadhan Buffet

With the exception of last year, me and my girlfrens used to have this "tradition" of a buka puasa get-together. We will go to some hotel's buffet ramadhan and buka puasa together while catching up on old times. Last year, me & dora voted against it (shalimar was not amused, where was holly??), and settled for a minimal buka puasa at dora's place.

It's just my personal opinion that forking up about RM50 to have a feast is against the spirit of ramadhan. I guess there are exceptions, like kenduri for orphans and the needy, but just to satisfy your "nafsu", .............doesnt seem right when there are people who dont even have enough to eat. Anyways, I'm not the best company for a buffet spread coz my "tank" reaches max. capacity pretty fast, then you have at the back of your mind I paid that much money, i have to eat my $$$$'s worth....i'll end up feeling sick after.

Nothing against people who enjoy the buffets, i'm sure they all have their own reasons...but for now, me & dora shall stick to our campaign...altho i heard wind that she's having a feast of her own at home!!! ahaks.....

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Pack heavy.......we're going on a trip!!

I was reading the papers today.........there's a page in NST highlighting how many natural disaster the world has faced of late. From the tsunami waves in South East Asia to hurricanes Katrina & Stan in US, massive floods in India and China to the recent earthquake in Pakistan & India. Is the world coming to an end? The inevitable will happen, its just that we don't know when. To me seeing the effect of these disasters is like God showing us a prelude of how armegeddon would be. A reminder that this world is not going to be here forever, all of us mere mortals will be going on a trip to the afterlife. We'll be taking different flights there, but we're all going.

I ask myself........am i packed for the trip of a lifetime? Nope! Are you??

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

About The Girl Next Door


My bulan puasa routine about 8.10 - 8.15p.m., I will leave my place and walk to the surau for terawih . You see i'm blessed coz my apartment has a surau building within its own compound (super convenient, alhamdullillah). I always go alone - for obvious reasons (kan dora). The night before (kelmarin lah), while walking back, 2 ladies were walking in front of me-also back from surau. Lady no.1 is the indon maid of the young couple who live at the corner unit, and lady no.2 is the girl who lives with her family opposite to my unit. I don't know them by name, but we have over the years exchanged polite nods and smiles. I noticed that they are terawih buddies this year.

Lady no.2..i.e. the girl, to my judgment is a bit "special"...As in anak-anak istimewa. Not physically, but by demeanour, not too obvious, but may be a little. My guess is she's in her 20s. She appears to me very withdrawn and shy, she stays at home most of the time. (of course this is all my presumption and judgment- if i'm wrong, GOD, forgive me). Well that night, she waited for me at the corridor as i was walking to my door. She asked, in a childlike manner "Esok, pergi tak?". I said yes. She then asked "Kol berape?, boleh pergi same?" I said yes.

So last nite, as i was locking my door i was looking out for her. No sign of her , i waited for a few minutes...until azan no sign of her. Camne ni? No choice i have to go. You see my habit is to leave my specs at home if i go to terawih, i am short sighted. So rabun-rabun also ok coz just a couple of minutes walk. While i was rushing down the stairs, i noticed a pink "lembaga" at the girl's kitchen window - of course i can't make out if its her or someone else -(note: makcik & kakak she lives with tak friendly sangat). So i stopped in case she calls out (even if she gave hand signal, i couldn't have seen it). No sound, so I hurried to the surau. I figured since azan is loudly calling, and if she saw me rushing down, she would either run after me or we meet in the suraulah.

Isyak prayers about to begin, no sign of her; before terawih, no sign of her nor the indon maid. I was more convinced then that the pink shadow was her. Throughout prayers, tak sedap hati betul. I can hear the imam, but my brain was racing with thots of the girl next door. I figured the indon maid cant make it tonite that's why she wanted to follow me. Maybe coz she's "special", she's scared or shy to go/ walk alone, maybe she's not allowed to go without chaperone. She might be thinking i'm horrible, running past her like that, i didnt wait for her..........i have to find her today, i have to tell her i waited for her, i have to tell her i wasnt wearing my glasses. I should have rang her doorbell (silly me!). I want to say i'm sorry.

I still feel bad for her, i have to make it up tonite, even if i have to ring the door bell of the not-so-friendly neighbour to ask if the "adik" want to go to terawih with me tonite....

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

About Pajeri Nenas & Tempe Goreng Kak Gayah

just for a twist, today i feel like posting in Malay, since all my blog friends understand perfect malay, even holly di dubai, shouldn't be a problem........

Pagi tadi lepas sahur teringat pulak bulan puasa 2 tahun lepas....masa tu anne kerja di sebuah syarikat pengangkutan nun jauh di Pelabuhan Klang. Memanglah tak seglamour mana tempat tu, takde bangunan pencakar langit pun. Staf pun takde yang "glamour" sangat macam kat KL, biasa-biasa je....majority adalah pekerja kolar biru. 4 tahun anne di sana adalah tahun-tahun yang paling bahagia dalam working life anne - setakat ni lah. Mula-mula tak biasa, tapi dah lama-lama baru sedar di sana boleh belajar menghargai manusia dengan sejujur-jujurnya......stop, stop - topik ni anne cite hari lain lah. terkeluar topik plak....

Setelah dekat 2 tahun kerja di sana, anne dikenalkan dengan Warung Kak Gayah. Sebelum ni bukan tak nampak warung ni, seberang jalan ofis je. Memang ramai pekerja2 kolar biru berhenti kat situ. Warung ni buat dengan papan je, kat tepi jalan. Tak ada tingkap pulak tu, ada pintu je....mungkin Kak Gayah tak nak habuk masuk. Memang anne tak pernah tefikir nak ambik tau pasal warung tu. Disebabkan kawan ajak anne ikut je. Itulah detik pengenalan anne dengan Kak Gayah. Kak Gayah memang "bubbly" and "friendly", suka "speaking" pulak tu.

Suasana dalam warung memang tak seburuk luarnya. Ada beberapa meja kayu dilapik tikar getah warna-warni untuk orang makan. Nampaknya macam ada silent rule di mana orang lelaki je "eat-in", ladies semua take away. Lauk-pauk dihidang dalam periuk atau besen tin yang warna-warni (ala macam kat kampung dulu sebelum besen plastik tercipta). Walaupun berlantaikan tanah je, bersih. Menu tengahari Kak Gayah memang best, untuk orang yang suka home cooked type of food.

Typical menu (almost tiap-tiap hari) Pajeri Nenas, sambal tumis sotong, Ikan kembung/ Ayam/Hati goreng "kak gayah style", Tempe goreng (best gilerr), ulam2 segar dan beberapa lauk lagi yang variable. Tapi yang anne sebut tu mesti ada. Tak tau apa rahsia Kak Gayah makanan dia sentiasa panas-panas walaupun Kak Gayah takde pakai food warmer atau microwave. Lauk kak gayah in general memang sedap-sedap, rasa macam makan kat rumah. Entah apa yang Kak Gayah campur dalam garam kunyit untuk goreng ikan dan tempe. Sedap giler...crunchy pulak tu, walaupun bila dah sejuk.

Kak Gayah punya personaliti memang mencantikkan warung usang tu. Dia kenal customer dia by name. Lepas beberapa kali anne tapau kat sana, satu hari tu Kak Gayah tegur...oh ni lah anne, Abang Wan ada sebut. Rupanya Kak Gayah isteri Abg Wan, salah seorang wakil pekerja kolar biru satu tempat kerja dengan saya. Saya kenal sangat Abg Wan sebab kerja saya memang selalu berurusan dengan wakil-wakil pekerja.

Satu bulan puasa tu saya kenen-kenen dengan Kak Gayah untuk masak petang, boleh beli untuk berbuka. Mimpi jadi kenyataan rupanya. Sehari sebelum puasa, abang wan dah telefon suruh bawak tupperware, kebetulan Abg Wan kerja syif petang, so di bawakkan lauk, siap hantar sampai kat meja. Memang bahagia anne masa tu.

Tahun lepas tu, anne bawak geng, ramai yang beli dari Kak Gayah untuk berbuka. Dia tak buka warung, tapi masak dari rumah...dengan syarat korang datang ambik. Anne susah sikitlah nak kluar ambik lauk, tapi ada maksanggup yang drive ke rumah Kak Gayah untuk ambikkan lauk semua orang. (jiha, jasamu ku kenang - dengar gossip jiha sanggup ambik cuti untuk berguru dengan K.Gayah). Dalam pukul 11 pagi macam tu, kita orang akan telepon Kak Gayah kat rumah, boleh request tau nak makan lauk apa. Kalau ada barang, Kak Gayah layan je....

Ntah bile nak dapat makan lauk Kak Gayah lagi.....sebelum jumpa Kak Gayah, tak pernah anne suka tempe, kalau makan pun yang dah hiris halus2 kat dalam sambal ikan bilis tu; tapi tempe Kak Gayah memang JAWORLD!!!!! abis. Dan rindu kat orang sana, yang baik2 macam Kak Gayah, Abg Wan dan semua kawan2 masa tu.

Untuk yang tengah baca puasa2 ni dan salivating over lauk Kak Gayah, ampun......

Anne doakan Kak Gayah & Abg Wan murah rezeki dan dirahmati Allah.

Friday, October 07, 2005

Censorship @#$*?????

I came across this paragragh in an original transcript of a case in a Law Report I was reading...check out how the f-word appear. I've seen it around, but never thought this is how it is to be done in an official document.

Perhaps my editor fren, n****t will find this amusing as well...........

"In Tanner v. DT Kean [1978] IRIR 110, the facts are as follows:
Tanner had been instructed by his employer not to use the company's van outside working hours and had been lent £275 by the company to enable him to buy himself a car. On discovering that Tanner was still using the company's van for his part-time job as a doorman at a country club, his employer had lost his temper and said "What's my f***ing van doing outside, you're a tight bastard. I'have just lent you £275 to buy a car and you are too tight to put juice in it. That's it, you're finished with me." (four letter word omitted). "

[paragraph copied as-is]

....my fren shalimar of late has this fascination about "putting juice" in her new car ;-)

I LOVE FRIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is Friday.............oh how sweet the sound. The best news i had all week!!!

I have been out of sorts the whole week at work. Every minute seem to crawl by, i ache in my tiny cubicle, but could hardly focus on work. Maybe there's not much to do in the first place, maybe the new "interest" -only Dora knows- is distracting me, maybe its the "added role" they dumped on me at work is freaking me out......I was at a meeting the whole day yesterday, body only...my soul was elsewhere...

But today, i'm hard at work like a busy bee. I am entertaining client calls and emails with zest and vigour, i've even started on some of 'the things' the powers that be dumped on me. I dont mind.....because its friday.

And i'm also wearing pants. I work so much better when i'm wearing pants (no kidding). You see the powers that be at my office decided that it is not professional for ladies to work in pants. Skirts or baju kurung only. Duhhhh!!! But on Friday, i get to wear pants! Some time back, it crossed mind to start a liberation movement; maybe my good friend down at 5th floor will support me - but i decided against it coz i need to keep this job (for now at least).

How can you not love fridays...............

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

1st day of Ramadhan

Menu for Buka Puasa

1.White rice

2.Chicken soup

3.Sambal tumis

4.Ikan bilis goreng

5.Carrots & Cauliflower

When i reach home from work, i'll work on 1,4 & 5. 2 & 3 only need reheating courtesy of no.5,usj 5/2.

Selamat Berpuasa & Berbuka.

My prelude.........an introduction

This is my second attempt at blogging, the first one "tak menjadi" - no one's fault but my own. I have been an avid blog reader since early 2004. I read mostly malaysian blogs, initially to survive the Akademi Fantasia fever, then i got hooked. Thanks to blogs like yati@home (http://ydotcom.blogdrive.com/), sultanmuzaffar(http://sultanmuzaffar.blogspot.com/), javardkent ( http://javardkent.blog-city.com/), badrul-after-six (http://badrulaftersix.blogspot.com/) which have enlightened me to the "beauty" of blogging)

Now, i want to start my own blog. I havent really decided on the theme or concept or even what to call it, which is why for now its called my prelude - prior to my "real" blog going live!. You can call this my experimental blog for now.