Plus l'histoire avance...

Palie's 22nd Birthday

2008-07-24T01:29:00.000+12:00

July 18th must have been a special day for Fadzli Rosli, Liz Adinan and Nadiah Fackeer. All three celebrated their birthdays last Friday so here's an overdue post wishing them Happy Belated Birthday =) I reckon meriah Wellington last Friday.

Anyway we celebrated Palie's birthday at Harem Cafe on Manners. The entrance is mysterious enough you'd wonder if you're going into some cave. The Turkish restaurant serves good food (which I unfortch didn't really have a say on due to fever) and the atmosphere accommodates loud groups like ours. Teehee.

It should've been a surprise but I guess Palie was already in the know. Especially when I got all dressed up only to bump into him earlier than I should. Well, can't quite blame the need to pick up dinner, right? Hehe anyway the hosts decided to go gothic so most of us were in black that evening. I couldn't be anymore creative on choosing what to wear since my head was still spinning but I knew I couldn't escape from donning the black tudung. Thank God for extra black tudungs. Hehe.

The birthday boy with Nadiah, Nonie and Deli who left New Zealand for good the next morning =(

Too much flash.

So we tried and tried.

And failed miserably.

In the meantime...Okay. Join this side pulak.

Us with Palie. Notice the coconut trees?

And we had yummy tiramisu! The writing on the cake read 'SUPPLIES PALIE...Happy Birthday'. Somehow it looked like 'Happy Palie Birthday'. I guess 'palie' is now an adjective maybe? ;p

Went home early that evening as it was drizzling and I needed the sleep. Anyway we hope Palie enjoyed his 22nd birthday celebration particularly after the long break he had from us. =p

The rain did not bring me down =)

2008-07-24T01:16:00.001+12:00

It's been a long day. Although I only had one lecture to attend, the journey home seemed long as it was raining very heavily. Managed to do some reading in the library while waiting for Farah. After picking up a thicker jacket, I then went on to Maurice Terrace and spent the afternoon watching cartoons. Out of a few that Farah and I watched, I think I liked Curious George the best! The others were too fancy or weird for my liking. The last thing I remembered showing was Spongebob and then I dozed off.

I woke up by the time Nonie came back and hours after, there I was still menyibuk-ing. Had dinner and after kacau-ing the housemates, further menyibuk-ing, I then walked home just in time before the wind gushes insanely. At the moment the sound is scaring me and I'm sure a lot of people too.

I indeed returned to an empty room but the scene then became all cheery and funny. My dad called and apparently my parents were visiting my sister. So after taking a shower, I went online and had a webcam conference with them. Enjoyed watching the (huge) cats and seeing the family having tea. As I was showing my mother some latest photos of myself, I couldn't help but hearing my father in the background, talking about the Malaysian news and current issues. Wished I could join their conversation. Which I did actually. I boasted reading a few things and it's just a thing I'd do at home. I blame being the youngest in the family for this. Hehe.

After the family affair which took about an hour, I told them that I was about to sleep but here I am typing this and thinking of what I should do tomorrow before classes. I must say my encounters with friends and family today have flipped my mood to its gleeful side. I'm happy.

Sunny Ending

2008-07-21T17:40:00.000+12:00

The day after our interview, I woke up to yet another gloomy day in Auckland. Nevertheless the plan had to go on.

Following Vivy's recommendation, we went to Sylvia Park by train. Staying in Wellington has made us miss huge malls like this one. Nice place, with a variety of retail outlets but since our energy has more or less waned, after lunch we just browsed and went in and out of shops.

Did I also mention my weight gain throughout my stay there? Of course. With the irresistible food we all didn't want to miss trying, my appetite was definitely well taken care of.

That night, after napping for about an hour or so, Vivy, Nana and I headed down Symonds Street and went to Hulu Cat Tea-House.

Had a hard time choosing which milk tea to order as there were so many options! I finally got the grape milk tea to go with our takoyaki, butter toast and fishballs.

I really like the cat concept. If only they could accommodate say, 2-3 cats it would liven up the place and people like me will have a good time drinking bubble tea while patting adorable cats and kittens.

It was very sunny the next day so we went out and decided to go all the way to the harbor. Had gelato after lunch =)

We girls were enjoying our gelato under the sun. Not sure what Faiz was enjoying though, perhaps it was the surrounding and the people. Hehe.

Our return flight was later that night and I must say I was already exhausted the last day. The thought of going to class on Monday did not help. Still, thank God for the done laundry and comfy bed I went back to.

The wrap-up after a string of programs

2008-07-19T23:42:00.002+12:00

We flew to Auckland merely three days into the new semester. The day before was obviously utilized to get my laundry and everything else done. Thinking that I'd refuse to see my room messy when I come back, I took some time to put everything back to its place. As always, I had too many clothes in my luggage, making it bulge and rather unstable. How oh how do I travel light?

The itinerary: Four nights in Auckland. On the day of arrival, we were free to roam around town. Got introduced to 'friendly combos' and Vivy's favorite shop on Queen St among others.

Throughout our stay, dinner was provided so by 5 or so we'd be lazing around at the apartment and in our case, 2 or 3 of the evenings were spent watching Girls Out Loud on youtube.

We had to sit for an ability test on the second day. There were three sections altogether: written, numerical and verbal tests. Having done my last mathematical problem solving test more than 2 years ago, I felt that my progress was slow but it was a good challenge since we weren't allowed to use calculators.

One for the album. The seven of us before heading out to Auckland Uni's Business School for the ability test.

It was a bit cloudy in Auckland but the weather eventually got better. After the tests, we went around a bit and snapped quite a few photos. Have I mentioned that we were taken to the newly built Business School? An elegantly big glass building.

In front of Fale Pasifika. Nana forgive me for putting this one up. Just a bad-hair moment ni.

One of the guesses I made was that students won't face the chance of embarrassment sebab mistakenly masuk kelas salah since they have this at each lecture theatre:

With Fida who was my kakak during the homestay programme last December.

The Marae at Auckland University.

After that we attended an engagement session with the panel interviewers at the Fale Pasifika. An inspirational video was played and we were awed. More so when the general managers spoke of their experiences.

One more.

The interview went on for the next three days, but since I was among the first to go, we managed to have a bit of a vacation immediately after. To be honest, I wasn't sure if being put as first on the list would do more good than harm. Sure, I was a bit nervous yet since it was an interview, I thought I'd put a fair share of spontaneity.

Gelap but since this was candid, I like. The first photo taken after my interview.

When asked how it went, I implied that I was satisfied just because I said whatever I felt necessary, at the same time not hiding my true colors. The rest, all up to them.

Walking back before going out again.

Come Friday after Thursday

2008-07-17T22:31:00.000+12:00

I spent my Thursday in this room I consider cozy. The perfect time to just to curl up and watch a movie. I chose Funny Face, that old film starring Audrey Hepburn. But really, she's so beautiful it was and still is difficult to see what's so funny.

My parents were on their way back from Alor Setar when I called. Not that I wanted them to hear my sengau voice, instead I just needed to listen to my all-time favorite comforting voices. Felt bad too for not calling them as often as I used to and in spite of knowing what she'd tell me to do, I just wanted to hear my mother's advices again and again. Minum air suam banyak-banyak. I hardly listen! I guess there is little wonder as to why her skin has always looked a lot better than ours.

Suddenly I kind of miss those times when mak would ask me to sit still, close my eyes and apply some color onto my face before each of my kindergarten concert or performance. She'd put my hair up in a bun or braid it patiently.

Alert alert. Nostalgic nostalgic.

Been meaning to post up these photos for a while now. Taken during the Bersatu closing dinner at the Westpac Stadium. Spectacular view but unfortunately I wasn't really in, what you can call a festive mood thus the very few photos (few by my standards at least).

If we had to give her a nickname, it must've been Supergirl.

Such an energetic and friendly leader!

Also one I'd say an all-rounder.

Of course, 3 cheers for the media team!

One last one before we left.

Notice my rounder face? It's been very round since forever but now it's rounder. Hehe you probably have better things to care about but I say, yikes!

Bersatu Snippets

2008-07-15T04:41:00.003+12:00

The Bersatu 2008 media team did well and of course, credits must go to the reporters, photographers, editor, video editors and webmaster. Granted a limited period of getting things done throughout those five days, the team carried on, hoping to keep everyone entertained and well-informed.

As for the UMNO Wellington debate competition, I must say I was impressed by the huge turnout on both evenings. I personally thank all crew members and supporters for rendering their efforts, making the first ever inter-UMNO Club debate very much worth to be proud of. Of course, I need to thank my fellow debate team members, Shaq and Nazira for putting up with the significant amount of nervousness. I must admit, I wasn't prepared and my lack of practice using proper and formal Bahasa Melayu did not help. So much for proposing that the Malay language could one day be a bahasa dunia. =p

Nonetheless, my mood was well uplifted as I gained acquaintance with many new faces from Wellington and other places. I consider that an achievement which most people could probably say the same about.

I obviously am in no position to imply anything, but since it is over and done with, I'd love to extend my congratulations to all the committee members of Bersatu 2008. No, not because they happen to be friends of mine. If you know me well you'd also know that I try to be as honest as I can, that includes defining things as they are. It sure is human nature to judge, sometimes even on situations we aren't quite sure of.

I admit, I judge but I do hope that I haven't made my unconfirmed claims public. Particularly up to the extend that it inducts a negative propaganda. Right, where was I again? Oh yes the running of Bersatu. Absolutely, we all should be open to criticism and I'm confident the management committee is aware of things they could have done better. In almost everything, it helps to have bystanders observe, compare and tell if anything is amiss, but of course, it gets way better when it involves participation and then come comparisons and analysis. Besides constructive criticism, I believe ticks on checklists should also be acknowledge. We human need encouragement, no?

I bet almost everyone believed that the weather wasn't on our side last Bersatu. Yet we all sticked together and went on till the end of it. I reckon that's how teams work, unless another way is proven better. I was especially impressed when first-time Bersatu participants (crew members, volunteers, supporters) sacrificed time and effort just to be part of the 5-day event. Compared to that, our support and cheer down in Dunedin last two years and Christchurch last year probably equal to nothing.

To end this entry, here are photos, mostly courtesy of Ain.

At the sports venue,

With the mascot, Mushu. Sewn top to bottom in detail - a recognized effort.

A quick quiz during the interval. Free lunch, anyone?

With Angeline, my former classmate in Taylor's College.

During the debate opening dinner,

Nazira, Haz.

Haz, Shaq.

The preliminary round,
It all went by in a blink of an eye.

All Blacks vs. Springboks

2008-07-15T04:10:00.000+12:00

The weekend right after Bersatu wasn't really a time for us to shake leg (haha this term, I think I've been watching too much Girls Out Loud ler). The All Blacks and South Africa's Springboks were in town and we too, didn't want to be left behind. So despite the shivery rain and (nasty...oh wait no, uniquely Wellington) wind, we braced it all to get to the stadium.

As narrated by Farah, it was tremendously cold as we watched the first half of the game in the rain. Thank God for hand dryers in the washrooms.
All Blacks won the game and because I was super duper lazy (due to the extra weight I've put on) to walk back, dinner and a rest at Farah's place then became an overnight stay.

Destress Jumping

2008-07-13T10:03:00.001+12:00

"If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends,
Make it last forever friendship never ends,
If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give,
Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is.

I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really
really really wanna zigazig ha."

"Longer than thereve been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than thereve been stars up in the heavens
Ive been in love with you."

"Mengapa kau pergi
Mengapa kau kecewakan
Mengapa kau hancuri
Mengapa kau menghinakan
Mengapa kau sakiti
Mengapa kau melukakan
Mengapa kau memberi
Mengapa kau melupakan
Mengapa kau akhiri
Mengapa Kau Melupakan
Dengan getaran jiwa

Kukemukakan pertanyaan"

"I'm giving you everything all that joy can bring this I swear
I give you everything
And all that I want from you is a promise you will be there
Say you will be there"

"Fill my heart with song
Let me sing for ever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore"

"轻轻的一个吻　已经打动我的心
深深的一段情　教我思念到如今

你问我爱你有多深　我爱你有几分
你去想一想　你去看一看
月亮代表我的心"

"She's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that special place
And if I'd stare too long
I'd probably break down and cry"

" Oops!...I did it again
I played with your heart, got lost in the game
Oh baby, baby
Oops!...You think I'm in love
That I'm sent from above
I'm not that innocent"

"Why do you build me up
Buttercup baby just to
let me down
And mess me around
And then worst of all
You never call baby
When you say you will
But I love you still "

"I don't want a lot for Christmas
There's just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true...
All i want for christmas
is you..."

"Lucky you were born that far away so
We could both make fun of distance
Lucky that I love a foreign land for
The lucky fact of your existence"

"Close your eyes and give me your hand
Do you feel my heart beating, do you understand?
Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming
Or is this burning an eternal flame?"

"And when she knows what
She wants from her time
And when she wakes up
And makes up her mind"

" Why should I care
'cause you weren't there when I was scared
I was so alone
You, you need to listen
I'm starting to trip, I'm losing my grip
And I'm in this thing alone"

After some jumping, jingling, headbanging and 'soulful' singing, the best and the most remembered must've been:

"Demi kamu aku pamit
Sebentar aku ke langit
Akan kukendong rembulan
Kukantongi bintang-bintang
Segeraku bawa pulang
Ya untukmu"

Lol. Sure, this post is long overdue. We went a day after Bersatu ended, straight after 'Izzati's birthday dinner at Arashi. Just five of us girls. In the photo above if you look carefully you'd see me. Just a bit of me. Hehe. And to complete this entry, I'm posting the photo below as requested by Nonie:

Caption: We rock..? Eh no, I rock!

No longer sharp

2008-07-02T00:52:00.000+12:00

I think I lost my touch. If not a lot, a wee bit of what I used to have.

Just a post to say...

2008-07-01T02:21:00.000+12:00

For some (still unclear) reasons, I'm happy.
I know this is the week when everyone's busy, tired, hungry, cold (insert whatever people might feel here). I'm sleepy at the moment. But I'm happy.

Pretty happy to say the least.

=)

A year old

2008-06-25T03:44:00.001+12:00

Somewhat devastated. That's what I'm feeling right now. On June 24th 2008 this blog I call Myeuphorie turned a year old. I actually marked the date in my organizer and I did remember when the clock struck midnight on Tuesday. I wanted to create a special post so badly (well, at least a more interesting one, perhaps?) yet I didn't. I sleep wrong hours these days and it's sadly becoming a routine. So in the meantime if you ever need to, don't find me before noon, friends!

I find that time is moving faster than ever! It's a wee bit unfortunate, but really, there's no one to blame. Puan Yap, my chemistry teacher in DJ used to say, 'If you don't have space, make space.' So I'm honestly applying the concept to time as well. If I don't have time I shall make time.

So let's see, I've been juggling work and play for the past few days. On Monday Nana and Vivy came over and we spent almost the whole night watching movies. Good fun. Munching and talking, doing the things we've always wanted to do. Aside from that, I spent most of my time typing and going online. It feels like forever since I last practiced playing chess, salsa and cha cha. Can't say I've managed my time in the best possible manner, but it seems like everything is still on track so I shan't complain.

The thing is, I can't help feeling overwhelmed with the many things coming up. In the blink of an eye, we'd be getting our exam results. So the Bersatu Games, debate competition, second leadership course/meeting and our job interview will all be distractions, but distractions that are not very easy to pull through.

It seems like I'm deviating far from what the title suggests. Right. I should just shut up and wish my blog a very happy birthday. I'm happy I have you. No pinch or bit of regret although you always take a great deal of my time.

A journey that is far from over, I am in. Therefore I'm keeping the name

Plus l'histoire avance.

My after-exam story

2008-06-23T03:48:00.000+12:00

Great. When I was studying for my finance paper a couple of days ago, I had so much to blog about. I even started thinking about the courses I should take next semester etcetera. Now that the time to not think of finance has come, the urge just left me. Hey you! Playing dirty mind tricks lah now?

Before Friday, I happily chatted away and I frequented Facebook applications but now I can't even bring myself to log on and feed Qarleen, my bimbo! Her happiness level has dropped tremendously and she's gained weight since her breakup with David. Really, I don't mind her putting on weight but obviously the admin has problems with plus-size bimbos. Bleh. My advice is, deal with your issues, would you please?

Anyway I spoke to my parents earlier. Apparently last night Hana logged on to Friendster and showed mak my photos. I told her, my friendster dah lama berhabuk. But of course, pictures there are still sort of recent. Again Hana thought I was copying Mickey's look by wearing a black long-sleeved top with most of my sleeveless dresses and tops. Whatever lah. Hence the inspiration to put up a photo of Mickey. Thanks lah kakak tersayang. What I can say is, I don't own any white gloves and if my buncitness is showing, I obviously won't be standing like how he is in the picture above. Eheh.

Aaaaaa. I am in need of ideas!

****************************
I was about to publish this post when I realized that the title is 'My after-exam story'. Where the after exam part is, in the post above, I don't know.

So yeah, after my paper on Friday I came back to Edu rather dispirited. It was a good thing that I had to attend a meeting for the Bersatu media team members. I left my disappointment, that was my finance question paper in my room and went on with what I now call my post-exam life.

After the meeting Nonie and I went for a get-together at a friend's place. Having met Nonie's housemates there, we decided to go for coffee straight after. Speaking of coffee, saying that I'm experiencing a caffeine overdose would be an understatement. Since about a month ago, I've been taking mug after mug of nescafe, no less than 6 cups a day. So one day on the phone my mother was asking me to imagine what the keratan rentas of my throat would look like. Say, when you wash your coffee cup, sure you'd see sometimes how berkeladak it is. That's where she got the idea from.

Anyway, after coffee I didn't feel like spending the night in my own room so I went up to their place instead. We did not intend to stay up or anything but nonetheless, we ended up sleeping at 6 in the morning. Not like we didn't respect Nana and Farah who still had another paper the day after, but we accidentally got into an exciting conversation. Hehe.

On Saturday, I walked back home just in time to shower and get ready before my brunch date with Nadiah. We went to Lido and stuffed ourselves crazy. After hours of catching up, I happily went home and figured that I could use a few hours of sleep. Later that day, Vivy and Ali came by and we spent a couple of hours catching up. Then we walked to Cha, but I guess I don't have to say much since Nana's blogged about what happened there already.

Got started on typing and organizing that night, my routine of staying up has yet to change. Oh Tuhan. I think I'm experiencing otak tersumbat now. Woke up on Sunday near noon and then went around doing some lobbying. Eheh. Some friends came by but they left when I was on the phone with my father, boleh ke? Haha. Man, I know I have a lot to do yet I'm simply overwhelmed. Boleh ni, boleh. Quoting a friend, 'If it must be done, it can be done!

Knowing I wouldn't be able to start work in a messy room, I began cleaning. It looks a bit better, yet ideas aren't popping up. Shucks.

Baca sebelum marah.

2008-06-23T03:12:00.001+12:00

Is it fair to bash Petronas? As with other news, my father sent a text message asking me to browse through Bizweek of the Star on June 21st. Thought it would be one of the hard-to-understand revelations of how the oil and gas business is run but nope, just a very clear and concise set of information on why we should not just whack, then ask questions later.

I HAVE always tried to be frank on business issues. I have no problem highlighting business missteps and poor business decisions and strategy.

Over the last two weeks, following the hike in fuel prices in Malaysia, there has been a lot of public anger and frustration looking for the right punching-bag. Petronas is now a prime target for the general public and political opposition to focus their venom at.

Is it fair? Has Petronas been badly managed? If they had been poorly run, then yes, bash away. Let’s be clear. Don’t whack first and then ask questions later.

Petronas has always published solid annual reports in accordance to international accounting standards and reporting requirements. It’s all there on their website. The information provided is deemed sufficient to raise billions of dollars from international banks. Or else, banks will not be lining up to provide credit to the corporation.

So far, it appears that what most of the criticisms have been focused on are the “additional information” – do they have planes?; how much do they spend on the philharmonic orchestra?; and what’s the senior executives pay? – to name a few.

We have to remember that how much they pay to the government is not determined by Petronas. It’s decided by the government. Hence if you want to attack Petronas, it ought to be on how well they manage the operations, and did they fritter away funds at unnecessary expenses.

Whether the funds had been deployed properly by the government is a separate issue and that does not involve Petronas.

Let’s get the nitty-gritty out of the way.

Executive planes – even if they have it, it’s a necessary business investment for a company like Petronas. Petronas is not a Malaysian oilfield business entity but has operations in over 30 countries. Its not like the executives are flying to LA to buy art or visit their second home.

Philharmonic orchestra – If Petronas had not invested, we would not have a world class concert hall and an orchestra that is of international standards. Should we even have a world class concert hall? That’s like asking if we need to have good museums.

If we had a few great concert halls and a half decent orchestra that is of international standards, then yes, Petronas would have been throwing funds at superfluous needs.

Some critics scoffed when they heard that members of the orchestra are paid between RM20,000 to RM30,000 a month, and the majority of them are foreigners. When building something of international stature, then international benchmarks (which includes salaries) will have to be used to draw them in.

Then you ask, “Why so many foreigners?” One would be naive to think that we can start an international standard orchestra dominated by Malaysians. This is not another Malaysia Boleh project.

It takes my mommy to make me look cuckoo =)

2008-06-19T22:53:00.004+12:00

Fine, takdelah cuckoo mana, but since I rarely smile with my mouth open (come to think of it was I laughing?) these photos have a few things in common. Obviously one of them being the subject. Saya dan emak. And the second, my 'uncontrolled' expression.

Haha, it's minor. So I'm a bit vain.

But it sure takes somebody significant like my mother to bring out the 'unrefined' smileys in me =)

Me wuuuuv you mommy!

Very Enriching (?), This Love Thing.

2008-06-16T12:50:00.000+12:00

I'm no good at writing anything lovey dovey. Okay. Not like I'm good at writing anything. But here's something I had a liking for since I read it last year. Truly happy for a friend, I decide to post it here on my page. Taken from Nazmi's blog entitled 'What makes the world go round?'.

Love. The multi-million dollar word. The one thing that can either drive you up the wall or mellow you down to your knees. The one thing that single-handedly casted Clinton out of the White House and also the one thing that bestowed Malaysians with another First Lady on June 2007.

Very perplexed and uncanny, this love thing. From my first infatuation during my pre-puberty years to the most unfalteringly 'steady' relationship, I couldn't and I still can't get the grip on this funny little theory. It broke my heart to pieces and made me swore not to fall in love again, yet it made me fall head over heels for a girl I came across by the road.Very complicated, this love thing. It causes people not to say what they mean and mean what they say. When a woman says 'No', it is always the opposite. Love, it transforms women into walking contradictions and men, into half-witted dorks who'd spend the rest of their lives understanding women.

Love, it spins the world. Tiffany & Co. wouldn't be occupying 2 very expensive shop lots in KLCC if it wasn't for this funny little thing called love.Very grievous and severe, this love thing. Loss of emotions, loss of temper, loss of hope and loss of lives. People go crazy over this funny little thing called love, literally. People end their lives over this intangible theory called love. People pour their tears out by buckets because of love. All these over something so uncertain. Over something so flimsy. Over something so irregular. Over something so insubstantial. Over something so... lovely?Very addictive, this love thing. It's just like Pringles, except it never sells out and only comes in two flavours - Devastating Heartache or Everlasting Joy.

Blinded by this four-letter word, people just don't seem bothered to learn from the past, learn from their mistakes. Very fulfilling, this love thing. It pushes your chin up when you're down. It fills your heart and emotion with felicitousness when it gets dreary. It perks up your life. It makes you want to just sit by the phone for hours just for the ONE phone call to come in. It makes you feel wanted. It infuses a sense of belonging to your soul. It finishes your day with a hug and a kiss. It holds your hand just when you're about to fall. It reminds you that things are going to be alright even if it won't be. It injects the familiar warm and fuzzy feeling into your defeated spirit. It finds you when you're lost in the wilderness of confusion.

Love, it just makes you feel... loved.Very inciting, this love thing. It makes u a better person. It makes you do things you have never imagined yourself doing. It makes you walk the extra mile even when your feet is dead sore. It motivates you to just flood the whole night with candles and rose petals. It propels you to kneel before her even when your ego is larger than life. It makes the most chauvinistic male break down to tears. It teaches you how to bake her favourite cheesecake for her birthday. It could be your most efficient nicotine patch. It helps you differentiate the wrong from right. It makes you learn how to say "Sorry". It makes you sing for her although you're tone deaf. And just when you thought you couldn't... it makes you love someone, just someone out there, all over again.

Very beautiful, this love thing. You only share it with that 'someone' who mattered. The someone you'd be insane enough to spend five digit on a diamond ring for. The someone whom you'd give her a portion of yourself to. The someone who doesn't feel embarrassed with your bad habits. The someone who yearns to give you a great big hug even though you stunk. The someone you'd put on a ring for. The someone you'd walk down the fateful aisle with. The someone you'd be willing to spend the rest of your life with. The someone you'd stay loyal to regardless of sickness or everything else that doesn't even matter. The someone you'd build your family with. The someone where death is not even a factor of doing you apart from. The someone you would, for the rest of your life... love.

-taken from Nazmo's bertuadenganku.blogspot.com

My say? Am I even allowed any? Given my personal history I admit some faults were mine. But I have always believed in getting when you're least expecting. Of course, I don't make it a point to 'not expect'. Haha. Just that my priority isn't there right now, I'd rather be working hard to ace my exams. Woohoo! Oh my, bunyi nerdy sungguh. Kalau Idzham baca he'd start saying 'Wanii...you ni apa study study crap ni...blablablablabla'. Lol.

Despite that, I do believe what happened in the past helped shape the me today. Some may say I was (and still) ungrateful, I sometimes confess owning such a hati batu/kayu but really, at this point I don't quite mind. All I know is I try to be as sensitive as possible to those who matter, ie family, friends. Apparently I feel for others more than for myself.

Hence why the title says 'Very Enriching, This Love Thing'. To me it somewhat is, though other things can be too.

Old Shots II

2008-06-15T12:21:00.000+12:00

Nothing ancient, just old. Old enough.

Bangsar Actors Studio. Literature class kot.

Hari Pendidikan Islam. Alhamdulillah...

Opening of Citrawarna Malaysia 2003. Or 2004.

PJ District Library

Wey Yiing's birthday. OU.

Tak ingat sekolah mana. But ada nasi lemak.

Dah basi.

Nostalgia Editorial Board. SMKDJ.

Cerita basi but sumber motivasi.
Untuk pengetahuan semua the other three lebih berjaya
(dengan kata lain mereka sangat mantap)

Eheh, mebeks lah.

He who longs to hear my voice. Eheh.

2008-06-15T00:15:00.001+12:00

When he was still in service, abah would drive to work early in the morning and on his way, he would drop my sister and I at school. I never really gave this memory a thought it deserves until hmm, this moment?

Despite getting stuck in the chaotic traffic on the main road, abah would make it a point to park his car and take me across the road. For some that is probably no big deal but to me, it meant so much. His sharp eye for details used to at times irked us. But now it all seems to make perfect sense.

Waking up and getting ready for school in the morning, I remember the whiff of his aftershave. During breakfast mak would make coffee for us and then off we went. A day or two before prize-giving ceremonies at school, abah would proudly call my name out loud and he would act as the award presenter, so that I could practice receiving them. We loved to accompany him look at cars, watch soccer and until now we still enjoy our morning roti chanais and teh tariks together at his favourite mamak place.

Now that I'm here, abah would call if I don't in 2-3 consecutive days. His updates would remind me on how he wishes I know every single thing happening at home. Abah looks rather garang, yet with his girls, he is everything but garang. During his retirement dinner, his staff presented a list of his favourite quotes and one of them read: 'Jangan anggap/don't assume'.

Thus I'm not assuming that you know I love you. I have to tell you each time especially on Father's Day.

It's one today so I hope you're convinced when I say

I LOVE YOU, my hero.

A business of a business is a business

2008-06-14T03:11:00.000+12:00

Extracted from Mike W. Peng's Global Strategy. Perhaps more examples like these should exist so we could remember better.

Chapter 10 - Structuring, Learning and Innovating Multinationally (pg 407)
'Large package boxes containing Nestle baby formula with a beautiful baby face printed on the box surface were once boycotted by some angry African consumers who erroneously thought the boxes contained babies (!)'

Chapter 9 - Diversifying, Acquiring and Restructuring (pg 384)
'When Four Seasons acquired a hotel in Paris, the simple "American" request that employees smile at customers was resisted by French employees and laughed at by the local media as "la culture Mickey Mouse".'

Athough these are fun to read, I stopped believing them 100% when I saw in this very same book:

Chapter 12 - Strategizing with Corporate Social Responsibility (pg 507)
'In Malaysia, ethnic Chinese are discriminated against by law.'

I refuse to go for or against this statement but all I understand is,

why rock the boat carrying others?

Old Shots I

2008-06-13T03:44:00.002+12:00

Just some old shots. Some really old ones.

Her biggest annoyance

Su Anne's party

Two sisters and si pendek

Keluarga bersama si pendek

No longer too short

It's just us laughing

2008-06-12T16:08:00.000+12:00

I figured one day, if I ever ask you to write. You'll respond by asking, 'With pen or pencil?'

Hehe. Some things are worth attesting for. But for others, there's room for a simple 'Whatever'.

Need I say much?

2008-06-12T02:48:00.000+12:00

Relationships.

I haven't said much about romance on my blog so far, have I? Shucks. I don't know why I even bother. Not like I have concrete beneficial experiences to begin with. But then again, this doesn't have to be personal, does it?

I just think it's interesting to share what I came across recently. My schoolmate, Kevin started this string of blog posts entitled 'What Women Want'. (Note: As much as I avoid referring to myself and my girlfriends as 'women', I just have to begin accepting it I guess. Quoting Britney, 'Not yet a woman' is exactly what I think is right for now. Haha)

So one of his answers to what girls, err women want captured my attention in an instant. *Drumroll*

A man who doesn't need her!

Right, here's the thing. I have never been able to put into words what I feel is crucial in relationships. Hence when I read the post, I agreed immediately. Well I wouldn't say it's the only thing to me that matters, but hmm you know what I mean. So far no one I know has ever been able to clearly state what's the deal with giving your partner space etcetera. Finally, here's one!

Guys you might want to keep this in mind if you have been wondering. Here's the gist of why a girl, err woman would be more interested in a guy who doesn't need her:

1. A guy who makes his woman his world is predictable. Which in other words means BORING!
So don't overdo the "I'll love you to the end of the world thing" too much. From time to time, yes. But NOT ALL THE TIME!

2. Making her your all and being around her all the time is not 'nice', it's smothering (unless shes one of those super clingy, needy types).
One very important thing to remember is that the girl that you're dating had a life BEFORE you came along!
Besides, spending every second of every day with her is also going to make it impossible for her to miss you, and yearn for you. And every girl secretly wants to miss her boyfriend, at least a little.

3. Not having a life of your own makes you so much less interesting.
Girls need a strong guy with a backbone, who acts congruently on his values, not someone who readily gives up his life for someone else, because such a person is so much more respectable.
(Otherwise,) It shows that you didn't have an interesting life to begin with, further making you look like a hopeless loser.

What's also important to consider is also that if you ditch your life for your girl, it's going to be really difficult to get back on your feet should the unthinkable happen.

-Kevin Chan

So if you're keen on reading the whole thing just go on to his blog. I very much agree that I don't wish to add anything.

La la la la ;-)