What A Week.........

What a week this has been.........

There's the upset stomach which lasted over 4 days (re Assam Laksa & Chinese Tea below)

There's the final rush to file in the Tax Forms.
Community Service Reminder: Deadline is 30 April for hard copy forms, and extended for e-filing (i dont remember the due date, sorry!)

There's the frantic search for tickets - bus, train, plane...anything. Of course i left it to the last minute. Thought of driving but mum is so against it coz my car is getting old, and not in the best condition. I wanted to just surprise her and drive back anyway, but she was so insistent...to the point it scared me to defy her in case i regret if something happen. So i guess i'll be in town this long weekend.

There's the late nights at Starbucks, helping Dory with some of her work stuff.

There's the sudden piling up of work at the office. Hmmm...i might even have to take home some work over the weekend :-(

I'm tired and saturated, but i feel alive.

Have a terrific weekend everyone, and happy labour day to all!

Asam Laksa and Chinese Tea

You know how certain food go well together, like nasi lemak with sambal; Like sambal tumis with sayur lemak; like burger and fries; like goreng pisang with teh o panas; like cream crackers dipped in hot milo.

....while some combination are a no-no and even can make you sick. Mum says dont eat watermelon, and drink milk after. I dont get it how some people eat goreng pisang with sambal kicap...eat durian with plain white rice.

Over the weekend Sally cooked for mum both asam rebus and asam pedas tumis for lunch...wakakakaka how about that..

Anyway, lunchtime today, me and some office mates went to a restaurant. I ordered asam laksa and chinese tea (cold). I dont mind eating laksa, but the fishy aftertaste i wouldnt like, so i thot the bitterness of chinese tea will wash it down well. At the end of the meal, i was getting chills, then i was sweating, then my stomach was churning, then my face felt like it was swelling up (tho it wasnt)...i guess asam laksa and chinese tea is a no-no (at least for me!!).

A Picture's Worth

What do I see from the picture?

1. The cat on top...me! The big orange cat...the bosses!

2. The cat on top...me, pekerja makan gaji! The big orange cat...my freelancer friend Dory!

3. The cat on top...the current me, struggling to be the big orange cat...

4. Ridiculous looking cats....:-) but too adorable...

What do you see?..

Reflecting.......

Picture by Hazeem(11)

State of Mind : Lousy
State of Health: Mild temparature, weak

17.4

I politely rejected the offer. I would have killed for the opportunity if it had come a few years back....but times are different, maybe i want different things, i have different obligations. The bucks are good though, but big bucks does not necessarily make me happy - i've learnt that from June to December of 2004.

I didnt give an outright no (so chicken of me...), i kind of mumbled something along the line the timing is just not right to embark on something new. I am not ready to put in the long hours.

"They" said that is totally ok, whenever i am ready. How nice of them.....

18.4

A normal encounter with the power that be in the office turn into what could be a career changing moment. For the worse i mean. They are thinking of moving me to do something else which i totally am not keen on. TPTB (short for the power that be)did not like my blunt NO. I was accused of being negative. 3 months tops, give it a try said TPTB. I wanted assurance that this is something i can get out of. TPTB settled for 1 month, you start 1 May. I left the room. Start of a REALLY BAD day.....

Drove home with the speakers blaring BAD DAY by Daniel Powter.

19.4

No mood for anything. Relecting...reflecting....reflecting

20.4

Looking forward to the weekend already.

All the hype over GUBRA!!!

Maybe its my latest hobby without me realising it......checking out "Hypes". Like yesterday's morning breakfast at Kluang Station Kopitiam, like keeping up with who's in and out on American Idol, like watching both the opening & closing ceremony of Fiesta Media Idola (yes, i watched that!) and watching Gubra.

I watched Sepet and liked it. So it was only natural to go see Gubra as well. All the raving reviews in blogs and newspapers, how can i not go checkout the hype ;-)

SEPET gave a feel good feeling after watching it. Refreshing to see a movie that transforms racial boundaries, almost teasing. Of course i didnt want Jason to die, but there was more to Sepet than Orked and Jason.

I was ready for the feel good feeling again, but GUBRA cuts deeper than that., I felt uneasy watching the movie, not in a bad way....my eyes were watching, but my brain was trying to figure what to make out of what i was watching. The scene where the bilal pat the dog on the head on his way to recite the Azan Suboh..., how a Malay (muslim) couple was showing affection so openly on a movie screen (i know they are married in the movie, but i wasnt sure i was ready to watch so much kissing and fondling by "my own kind")My brain was still trying to form an opinion about a scene; then something else hit you brains.

This is not a movie review, so i'm not going too deep. You have to watch it for yourself. Suffice to say it was thought provoking, conjuring up all sorts of feelings and thoughts in your head, trying to form or question your opinion about issues, asking you to look at yourself and your perceptions of people, of issues, of yourself. If you havent watched Gubra, be prepared...it aint no popcorn movie.

Review: Wakenabeb Marsha

Last nite i was flipping channels on tv and watched "Wakenabeb" on ntv7. I'm not a regular but i've seen one or 2 episodes. A Malaysian version of Ashton Kutcher's MTV Punk'd - in my opinion.

Anyways, last nite's prank was on Marsha AF3. She appeared on the set of Seekers with "Uncle", and another of his paranormal show volunteer. It was supposed to be a recording for an episode. To summarise, suddenly this volunteer kind of "masuk hantu" in the form of Marsha's grandad (who is dead and she's never met). Started to speak in a Sabahan accent....getting upset with Marsha coz she's now a big star, forgotten her roots, being a bad girl and so on. Then there was something about her dead dog, and her dad.

This poor Marsha freaked out real bad. She was shivering and crying her eyes out. She was pleading for her Manager, she wanted to go home. Uncle was persuading her to answer her grandfather, which she did while crying. I think the prank should have stopped about here. So she's been had. But nope it went on and on....she was crying saying "saya tidak pernah lupa, saya jarang balik Sabah tapi saya di sini untuk kerja saja"...something along those lines...she was crying pleading what did she do wrong to make the grandfather so angry. She was forced to apologise to the grandfather for nothing....... She was pratically begging for the ghost to go away, and dont disturb her family.

To make it worse, the grandad was going on about her forgetting tradition and asked her to dance some sabah dance. Ridiculous....and Marsha should've suspected something, but she was too upset to think, i suppose. She didnt want to...all the time she was holding on the Uncle and had buried her face in his jacket sleeve. Uncle forced her to dance with the grandad some semazau dance, like that's the only way to get the ghost out of the volunteer's body. She did crying.....only after a few minutes, the host, Adlin Aman Ramlie came out to reveal she's been had.

I dont know if its me....or i had my sense of humor switched off last night....but i think they let it drag too long. It just went too far. Poor Marsha......

When Mummy Met Sally

On the passport, she is Ana. But her real name is Sally. Somebody screw up her passport application (on purpose, i think)...but let's not even go there.

THE ARRIVAL
She arrived in Port Klang looking like she's auditioning for Rockstar INXS. I whispered to Abang Az..."macam rocker lah..". Short scruffy hair, 5ft or slightly less, dark skin, sulky expression. She was wearing a flare bottom very faded grey jeans, black t-shirt and check this...a knee length denim trenchcoat..She definitely arrived "in style". Far from the harmless looking girl in pink outfit and matching tudung in her resume photo. Oh boy, lucky mum is not there.

THE TRIP HOME
We took the express bus the same night, just me & Sally. She bathed and changed into the pink "resume-suit". Good choice! We didnt speak. She slept mostly. I asked if she wanted to follow me to the bathroom during the stopover. She mumbled something and slept. End of polite conversation.

MUM, MEET SALLY
My sis fetched us at the station about 6a.m. Mum was waiting at the door, i salam and hugged my mum. Sally did the same. Mum got a shock and politely hugged her back. Then we see the true Sally; the Sally who is blur, the Sally who totally has little comprehension of electricity and plumbing; the Sally who either refuse or doesn have the capacity to learn; the Sally whose cleaning standards are suspect.

Day one...Sally, if you dont understand, ask. If you dont understand much bahasa, Ibu (Mum) can speak Aceh so ask her. She nodded.

We started training...getting her into routines. Sally's waking hours are mine too. I was with her all the way. So is mum. We teach her in Bahasa, and some reinforcements in Aceh. Boy is she slow. She doesnt react to your questions/ instructions. Either she's blur or she's testing my nerves.

Day three..or was it four. Mum speaking to her in Aceh. After so many days, she startled...Ibu can speak Aceh. Duuuuhhhhh!!!!!!!

Mum is not happy with Sally (not yet, i hope she gets better)...

Finally.......

Taking time out..........


Finally, in a few hours i will be picking up Nory's replacement. Her name is Ana. A girl of achenese descent. I dont know is she's a tsunami victim or not. Maybe she is...then the experience would have humbled her to be a good person, good worker and she'll treat my parents well. I'll be off to Port Klang with Abang Az to get her.

If she arrives (fingers crossed), i will take her home to mum and dad. It's been so long since i've been in an express bus. But my car is not in a condition to travel long distance.

So i wont be blogging for the next few days. I'll be on leave and will back to work on Tuesday.

The IKEA tour, Karipap Ayam & RM7 babytee

I was at the curve yesterday after work, to pay the ikea credit card balance, and buy the plastic bag dispenser mum wanted. I actually forgot that they only have it in the kitchen cabinet section. I was convinced they have it in market hall, so I took the shortcut straight down to market hall – then I realized that the ikeafriends counter I wanted to deposit my cheque is around the “office section”. So I had to walk against “traffic” through the children, shoeracks, bath, bed and office section to get to the counter. Then I went back to market hall convinced to get the dispenser thing, I thot sure among the pinggan mangkuk….none, then I was convinced kat depan-depan counter tu ada, none. So I walked through the check out, re-enter ikea, walk through the entire living room, sofa, shelves & cabinets, dining table area to get to the dispenser…then walked all the way to check out.

Man was I tired….i sat down to have water and the ikea curry puff…, my favourite karipap in the whole world – I love that element of surprise when you find the half boiled egg in the inti…

Then I went to the Brands outlet to get a baby tee for RM7. What a bargain – pink pinstripes with brownish collar. I was told by a semi fashion conscious friend that that’s the "in" color combination for the year.

Community Service Message: Good news for Coffee Drinkers

I am posting 2 emails here which are self explanatory. I am just sharing information, not making any guarantees here, ok. This is not an advert people, i dont receive any inducement to post this, not even a free cuppa :-)

The mail from ME of 21 February 2006:

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I really enjoy starbucks coffee and am a regular customer. However, I am dissapointed to note that there has been an email circulating that Starbucks coffee and other beverages contain animal fats that are not halal. I have searched the JAKIM website which confirmed that only Coffee Bean has been certified halal while Starbucks has not applied for certification.


I wish to seek clarification on the matter. I also hope that Starbucks will obtain the halal certification as it is important to all your muslim customers. I am unable to consume your products confidently until then.


I look forward to your kind reply.

The reply from THEM of 9 March 2006:

Greetings from Starbucks Coffee!

Thank you for highlighting your concerns to us.

We apologize to have taken so long to reply your inquiry.

At Starbucks, we have taken many steps to provide our customers anywhere and everywhere the satisfaction of every single cup.

As highlighted in your email, please be rest assured that all beverages and food offered at Starbucks Coffee stores in Malaysia are safe and appropriate for Muslim consumption.

All Starbucks Coffee outlets in Malaysia are also now ‘Halal’ certified.

Our halal certification is from the South East Asian representative of IFANCA (Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America) based in Malaysia, and we have been certified since December 2004. IFANCA is a recognised certification body by JAKIM. There is also a halal certificate and window decal logo which is displayed at each of our respective stores. However, our latest stores have to go though a routine inspection process during the initial days of operation before certification.

Once again, thank you for writing to us and we welcome any comments for us to further enhance your Starbucks Experience at our stores.

We look forward to serving you your favorite cup of coffee for many years to come.

Have a “Grande” Day!

Thank You,

Marketing and Communications Department
BERJAYA STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY

Dinner or Breakfast?

Looks like yummy breakfast? nope - that was my last night's dinner, in fact the second time i had the same this week. The night before that was an apple and some potato chips. Its a seosanal thing for me, there's the cook every night season, eat out season and eat any grub season.

What does it say about me?

a- Lazy bum
b- Pathetic lonely soul
c- Diet freak

Paying respects to Lollies

My deepest condolences to my blog-buddy Lollies & family. Ibu Lollies passed away early this morning.

I remember knowing Lollies from my other blog buddy Nekbat a.k.a Dora's blog, then Lollies started dropping comments in mine. Its just a coincidence that soon after my trip to Qatar, Lollies and family was moving there due to her "lover"'s posting there. We exchanged some experience on life in Qatar.

I also remembered how much i felt for Lollies when she had red-tapes problem to return here when her Ibu was hospitalised. When I was on assignment in Bahrain, I had to write some policies on middle east expatriate immigration procedures, so i kind of understood the issues. I was also estatic to hear Lollies finally got on the Qatar Air flight...i sms nekbat saying "lollies should arrive KLIA by now".

It was nice to see how lollies blog buddies was lending support to her. Some of her postings made us cry with her, and some made us laugh out loud. Isnt it strange this connection among a bunch of strangers......

Be strong lollies. Al Fatihah.

I prayed for help.......and help came. I was grateful, but then i got worried. If i accept too much help, than am i expected to give back in return. Would being grateful deprive me of honesty and sincerity? Should we always question other people's motives?

May be i think to much.........may be a thank you will do.

The waiting game......& the back pain

Nory's replacement never came........now the search continues. I worry about mom & dad. whether they are ok, whether they have food, if they are taking their medicines and vitamins. I worry when dad have to cross the road to get roti canai for breakfast, worry when he drives to buy some lunch. At his age & condition, he shouldnt be driving. I worry about mom overdoing the house chores and hurting herself.

Isnt it ironic that our parents used to do all the worrying and for the most part of it you really dont get it. Now the tables have turned....

In the wee hours of monday morning ,like 3 a.m. i woke up and found myself in front of the tv. I fall asleep in front of the tv very often...but this time with this chronic back pain, and i still feel it. I have had hot baths, put on minyak angin...any other tips you guys may have, please leave a comment.

Now, i have to go spend the next three days in a training room (conducted by Dr. Jeez - if you read my Bahrain post, you'll be sorry for me).

Thank God It's Friday

Thank God tomorrow is the weekend.

Thank God we found a replacement for Nory. New maid will report for duty on Monday (got 30 day free trial some more!!!!)

Thank God Mr. A & B has paid me for my damages. (Has received RM50 from Mr. B, and Mr. A promised to bank in RM100 tomorrow morning)

Thank God Mum and Dad arrived home safely at noon today.

Thank God the car i hit last night did not suffer any scratch.

Thank God my new car thingy is almost sorted out.


There are many other things to worry about, but i thot i would feel better if i count my blessings.

Bumper to Bumper Fender Bender

Car A had trouble with brakes, hit car B, car B hit car C. Car C got hit at the back, but hit no one.

I am car C.

There I was leaving the office early to meet up my Sis who just arrived KL for her medical. I promised Mum to visit her at Abang Az's house in Subang, while Mum & Dad is visiting Abang An in Melawati.

Technically, Car A is responsible for Car B, and car B is liable for my damages. But car B had bigger plans. Car A started all this mess, so car A should pay for B & C's damages. A is a bit of a blur, so B and me had to stand there in the drizzling rain explaining the disadvantages of filing an insurance claim - RM300 fine, loss NCB. Car A & B had it pretty bad, but my boot was slightly dented, and the bumper closed in slightly more than it should. Nothing was decided, so we exchanged cards and numbers.

This morning I learned that the police report need to be logdged within 24 hours of the accident. So lunchtime i rushed to get a quote - RM150 to fix the fender bender. B called to say A figured he cant afford the RM500 each to pay for A & B's damages and wants to file an insurance claim. B wants me to talk to A on whose going to pay my RM150. What the hey, i told B if I go lodge a police report he will be fined for my case, not A.

I finally had to call A and A was still a blur asking what do I recommend he does to settle this. I said that should be sorted with B. A was telling his sad story that B wants him to be responsible for my losses. A then agreed to pay for RM100, and ask me to get the RM50 from B.

B was on standby for my call. B is the "smart-one" who figure it all out. He will lodge police report on A, but not mention he hit C. That way he wont be fined, and he got A to pay the bulk of damages to C as well.

I am about to let go of my car (C) soon - trade in with another, so i dont really have to fix this. I told B to get the money from A, add on his share and send it to me. B had the chic to ask what if he runs away with the money (he didnt have his card on him yesterday, so i only had his phone number). But before i could conjure up some snazzy reply, he gave me his office address, which is almost next to mine. We'll see what happens...if the money comes, i'll fix it. If it doesnt, i'll let it be.

I have already so many things in my head as it is.....

Hopelessly Hoping

My instinct has kept me hopelessly hoping.....sometimes i feel embarassed by my own foolishness.

The Instinct of Hope

Is there another world for this frail dust
To warm with life and be itself again?
Something about me daily speaks there must,
And why should instinct nourish hopes in vain?
'Tis nature's prophesy that such will be,
And everything seems struggling to explain
The close sealed volume of its mystery.
Time wandering onward keeps its usual pace
As seeming anxious of eternity,
To meet that calm and find a resting place.
E'en the small violet feels a future power
And waits each year renewing blooms to bring,
And surely man is no inferior flower
To die unworthy of a second spring?

by
John Clare

Waiting for Nory

Mum said...."Mak dah doa kat tuhan, kalau niat dia nak buat yang tak elok, biarlah dia tak balik sini dah, tapi kalau niat dia nak kerja elok2, biarlah dia balik."

Yesterday, 5th of March was supposed to be Nory's return date. We waited for a phone call to fetch her, nothing. Well, no one was really expecting her to come back. On the last day, Sis caught Nory red handed when she found her skirt in Nory's luggage. Then mum thought she saw her kain batik folded in Nory's luggage. Mum also was wary that Nory had too much cash on her during her last minute shopping trips.

Mum was hurt and angry. She has been too nice to Nory. I even paid for her excess baggage.

Maybe mum's prayers were answered after all.

Now i have a new project in hand...seeking a new maid for mum.

Wishful thinking...........

i wish i'm at a coffee place, on a comfy chair surfing the net

i wish i'm having conversations with dory about making our first million over teh tarik

i wish i'm home alone watching re-runs of akademi fantasia concerts

i wish i'm watching a movie munching salted popcorn

i wish i'm sitting on a rock, with my feet in water, looking at the waterfall flowing down the stream

i wish i'm somewhere else today

Melancholic

".......apelah guna ke bendang,
padi seberang takkan menjadi;

........apelah diharap sayang,
kasihnya orang..
orang tak sudi."


(Sudirman, Gerimis Di Lautan)