31.5.09

25.5.09

kat USA hari ni sambut...

Memorial Day...which falls annually on the last Monday in May.


anak buah aku, Abira Jasmina pulak sambut birthday dia yang ke-2.

24.5.09

22, 23 dan 24...

Faviq - 26 on May 22nd


Rahim - 29 on May 23rd


Dayana - 26 on May 23rd


my 2nd nephew, Durrani Azman - 8 on May 24th

21.5.09

sorang 26...sorang 22

Aina - sarat mengandung


Beni - tak mengandung tapi perut macam mengandung

20.5.09

soklan-soklan cepu aluminium foil...

· God won’t ask which car you drive, but will ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation.

· God won’t ask how big is your house, but will ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

· God won’t ask about the fancy clothes in your wardrobe, but will ask how many of those clothes helped the needy.

· God won’t ask about your social status, but will ask what kind of class you displayed with others.

· God won’t ask how many material possessions you had, but will ask if they dictated your life.

· God won’t ask what your highest salary was, but will ask if you compromised your character to obtain that salary.

· God won’t ask how much overtime you worked, but will ask if you worked overtime for your family and loved ones.

· God won’t ask how many promotions you received, but will ask how you promoted others.

· God won’t ask what your job title was, but will ask if you reformed your job to the best of your ability.

· God won’t ask what you did to help yourself, but will ask what you did to help others.

· God won’t ask how many friends you had, but will ask how many people to whom you were a true friend.

· God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights, but will ask what you did to protect the rights of others.

· God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, but will ask how you treated your neighbors.

· God won’t ask about the color of your skin, but will ask about the content of your character.

· God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but will ask how many times they didn’t.

Rabu...Rabu...Rabu...

19.5.09

bila adik-beradik dah SELESA jadi tetamu...



DISCLAIMER : Aku takde niat nak randomly tembak siapa-siapa...baik family members atau orang luar. Siapa yang makan cili, dialah yang rasa pedas. Benda ni aku dah observe since aku 10 tahun lagi. Wallahualam.



mungkin aku punya sifat observant yang overdose. entahlah. tapi truthfully, memang mata aku sakit. hati? go figure!

mungkin juga aku terlebih mengenang budi, particularly budi adik-beradik aku. entahlah.

budi bukan perkara main-main. walaupun kadang-kadang orang yang berbudi memang insists supaya budinya tak payah dibalas. ikhlas katanya. tapi, budi tetap budi. tak pun dibalas dengan material dan tenaga, doa juga memadai.

rasa ingin mencoret nota ini tercetus bila my eldest sister bercadang nak buat makan-makan sempena besday anak-anaknya Sabtu ni. when it comes to my family, makan-makan tu sebenarnya majlis besar. senang-senang 100 tetamu. walaupun jemputan sebenarnya 50...it'd easily doubled.

atau lebih.

as i grew up, aku didedahkan dengan keakraban adik-beradik my mom and late dad when it came to the preparation untuk menjadikan makan-makan tu successful. aku juga belajar benda yang sama di rumah orang lain - regardless of race and cultural background.

jadi, dengan intro yang meleret-leret ni aku nak suarakan tentang perangai sesetengah orang yang meng"asing"kan diri mereka bila berada di rumah adik-beradik. men"tetamu"kan diri mereka semaksimum mungkin.

antara simptom-simptom (lagi senang nak cerita, kan?) yang aku pernah tengok...


1) walaupun plan dah dinyata awal-awal, masih juga berkehendakkan confirmation via phone call. itu boleh terima lagi (bagi mereka yang bukan sahaja BESAR pangkatnya di mata masyarakat tapi juga BESAR lagaknya di mata adik-beradik). ada jugak yang mintak kad jemputan, walaupun makan-makannya diadakan hanya bertujuan untuk menyambut hari jadi mak sendiri. tak ada kad jemputan? mampus tak nak datang!

2) betul...kadang-kadang adik-beradik kita suka sangat buat plan last minute. sampai bercanggah pulak dengan plans lain yang kita dah buat in advance. oftentimes, plans yang dibuat in advance ni lah yang payah nak cancel. memang serba-salah jugak dibuatnya. kang tak pergi - merajuk. tapi itu tak beerti kita tak punya masa untuk singgah barang sekejap, kan? by saying singgah...i mean singgah hours before the event. tolong apa-apa yang patut. masak ke...mengemas rumah ke...angkat kain ke...the possibilities are endless. tak pun sedekah juadah (kuih-muih biasanya), tolonglah dia sediakan pinggan-pinggan dan gelas-gelas kat atas meja. kalau duit berkepuk-kepuk...hulurlah barang 50 ringgit ke...setakat mampu.

WALAUPUN dia punya pembantu rumah...time-consuming sangat ke nak tolong? spend time dengan anak-anak buah (especially if they're below, say, 10) while their parents tengah sibuk kat dapur or beli kelengkapan.

kang bila orang buat macam tu kat kita...MENGUNGKIT!

3) aku pantang kalau adik-beradik tak datang awal. awal by definition tu at least 1/2 jam prior. ni tidak...datang sama time dengan guests. suka agaknya bersesak-sesak, kot! ada pulak yang sengaja suka-suki datang LAMBAT. bila buffet spread dah nak habis, muncung pulak sebab tak tinggalkan sikit juadah.

4) dahlah datang lambat, menyemak pulak duduk sekali dengan guests. lainlah kalau majlis tu buat kat stadium...kau nak mengangkang sekalipun - dipersilakan! jimat sikit duit daripada panggil magicians or clowns. ni tidak, sah-sah rumah adik-beradik kau tu sitting space memang limited. TAKDE OTAK KE?

muka pulak buat muka tak bersalah. kalau aku lah...kalau dah datang lambat tu, apalah salahnya pergi straight ke dapur. tolong apa yang patut, tolong refill makanan ke...buat air ke...jadi runner beli paper plates/cups yang tak cukup ke...even tolong jaga anak-anak buah yang "terlebih" aktif from constantly clinging to their mom and dad.

5) ada tu pulak sebab dah pemalas sangat...pinggan dengan gelas lepas diguna pulak letak aje kat tepi atau bawah meja. tak kisahlah...birthday party ke...rumah terbuka Raya ke...confirmlah banyak orang lalu-lalang. possibility untuk hadirin lain terpijak/ terguna/tersepak pinggan, gelas dan cutleries amatlah tinggi. have some logic lah! takkan kau tak boleh navigate diri-sendiri kat rumah adik-beradik kot! walaupun ada helpers (in forms of your other siblings yang lagi muda; or your in-law's siblings yang lagi muda; or pembantu rumah; or even boy/girl scouts yang dipaksa untuk berkhidmat) kat rumah tu. usung la ke dapur. kalau malas nak basuh. letak je dalam sinki. MAKE SURE sisa-sisa makanan dibuang dalam plastik sampah. air yang tak habis dibuang dalam sinki. cutleries yang kotor asingkan. kalau kau jenis main lambak aje...sah-sah kau tak reti basuh jubur/butuh/puki kau bersih-bersih, kan?

6) walaupun aku kata kat atas tadi - kalau malas nak basuh benda-benda yang kau guna, letak accordingly kat dalam sinki...sebenarnya WAJIB dibasuh. lagi baik kalau kau volunteer to wash all the dirty dishes. kalau nak dipuji selama beberapa kurun, get down and dirty by helping your sibling to wash all the pots and pans. kalau kau sanggup get down and dirty membuat anak...apalah sangat kerja membasuh!

7) paling pantang...bila semua tetamu yang bertaraf ORANG LUAR balik je...kat tangan dah tersedia tupperwares nak tapau mana-mana makanan yang lebih. kau duduk kat Afreka ke apa???


aku harap hari Sabtu ni, mintak dijauhkanlah adik-beradik aku yang keluar daripada rahim ibu aku hasil semaian benih arwah bapak aku berperangai macam tu. so far - record adik-beradik aku BERSIH. yang banyak record kotor...sendiri mau ingat lah!

semalam di Sri Aman...

Su Gemok, with the cute waiter at the back


went to Sri Aman on Saturday morning. apart from being my sis-in-law's hometown...there's nothing much going on, maybe off-season for pesta keraian, kot. traffic light kat situ pun satu set aje...situated at a busy simpang empat in the middle of the town centre.

Ima and Zai picked me up at around 10 a.m. and we had to give Eton and Timot (two of the players from Zai's womens' futsal team) a lift as well. met Sue KK, Su Gemok, Diana and Shikin at Petronas petrol kiosk in Batu 10(?) as well as Pak Tam's entourage. we then drove to Serian to meet with the rest, and have lunch.

reached Serian at around noon. i had to be "transferred" to Dell's car as Zai had to give space to 2 other womens' players as Pak Tam's Kancil was too packed even for a decent can of sardines.

i didn't mind at all being "transferred" to Dell's MyVI. there were Rafie, Shamshul and another guy (i keep on forgetting his name until now). we kept busy with random jokes and sing-along sessions before reaching Sri Aman at around 2 p.m.

everyone arrived at Regent Inn before 2.30 p.m. and were free to do whatever they want since the warm up session prior to the friendly futsal match would start at 6 p.m.

Ima, Shikin, Maymei and i had loads of fun exploring the charms the town had offered. bought mini Monopoly and Saidina for hiburan di malam hari. we're quite fortunate for there's a convenience store conveniently situated just below our inn. senang sikit nak beli benda-benda yang tak sempat bawak dari Kuching.

Ima, Shikin and i played mini Monopoly to kill time before getting ready for the warm up session. i won the game. woohoo! my mantra was "orang tamak selalu rugi!". we set foot into the indoor stadium after 6 p.m. and the warm up session took place right after.

Zai instructed me to record the session as well as the friendly matches. matilah! though i scored an A- for Audio Video and Production...i had never held a videocam before. ask Junaidi Asmara if you don't believe me. i tried my best to shoot the games on Rafie's videocam using 2 tapes. luckily it was only 2 tapes wasted (sorry, dude) for Rafie later said that the footages taken weren't as good. at least i admitted that i was hopeless at operating a videocam, despite having read Mass Communication.

we left the indoor stadium before 11 p.m. and had supper at Nizam's cafe named Zaim. he claimed that he co-owned it with his cousin. there's a cute waiter who i couldn't get my eyes off at. kihkihkih...

sampai inn dah almost midnight. chatted with Shamshul at the lobby after i had freshen up whilst waiting for the others to come back. rupa-rupanya the hottie whom i shared the room with was a schoolmate! time high school dulu dia cute...9 years later - HOTTIE!

anyways, since i didn't feel comfy sleeping in my own room (which i shared with my hottie schoolmate and his 2 other friends) - i decided to lepak at Su Gemok and Shikin's. Ima, Maymei and Dinoe later joined us for a game of Saidina. it was hilarious. the victor? moi! kihkihkih...

Shikin, Su and i could barely sleep despite the having air-con switched on and comfy spring mattresses. sudahnya...we rose at about 7 a.m. to get ready for breakfast. ah, Sunday morning! the three of us left the inn half an hour later on foot in search for a decent cafe which served roti canai. Azreen Cafe was the place, itu pun after 20 minutes of searching...pretty affordable in terms of price but so-so in terms of taste. janji ada breakfast!

we're back at the inn before 9 to shower and pack our stuff. i went out again, but now with Ima and Zai. we drove around town before picking up Dinoe at his friend's abode. ada jugaklah buildings yang sarat history (Fort Alice, contohnya). 1000 Dinar Cafe was the spot for brunch. Rafie, Dell, Shamshul and the other guy joined us as well (since i have to join them later for the ride home). some of us had laksa and i guess what we had was the Sri Aman version, for it had anchovies!

we left for Kuching before 12.30 p.m. and stopped over at Serian before 2 p.m. Dell and the other guy had lunch whilst Rafie was occupied with his book - James Clavell's Shogun - which he had begun reading since Saturday morning. Shamshul and i decided to drink only.

we headed to Kuching at almost 3.00 p.m and Dell sent me right at my doorstep at 4 p.m. yup, skipped aikido again. dah 2 weeks straight! siaplah time kettlebell nanti.

Sri Aman might be just another sleepy town but as long as you know how to have fun, it'd be memorable. i had fun. really. thanks to the fun crowd whom i was with throughout the trip.

17.5.09

Hafiz - Masih Jelas @ Konsert AF7 Final

yeah, the AF7 victor's a Josephian. :-D

Cradle Of Filth - Nymphetamine (HD-Widescreen)

lama dah tak dengar lagu ni. so unlike me, kan!

16.5.09

screw AF finale!


will be in Sri Aman today. i hope the trip would be worth turning down the invitation to Nek Jen's death anniversary feast. it better be.

someone's 23 today!


many many happy returns, Syafique.

hari ini 16 Mei...


to all teachers in SJS who had made my primary and secondary education a real learning experience, thank you.

the best Friday night so far...

Azreen, Ashdee, Fariah, Ivan, Mac and Georgette - thank you.

15.5.09

O God...


...please give me strength for i need it real bad.

Lalola!



entrada lalola

yeah, i still watch telenovelas from the Americas. Lalola rocks!~

instruction for life...according to the Dalai Lama




§ Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

§ Memorize your favorite poem.

§ Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

§ When you say, “I love you”, mean it.

§ When you say, “I’m sorry”, look the person in the eye.

§ Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

§ Believe in love at first sight.

§ Never laugh at anyone’s dreams.

§ Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely.

§ In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

§ Don’t judge people by their relatives.

§ Talk slowly but think quickly.

§ When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, “Why do you want to know?”

§ Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

§ Call your mom.

§ Say “bless you” when you hear someone sneeze.

§ When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

§ Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.

§ Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

§ When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

§ Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

§ Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

§ Spend some time alone.

§ Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

§ Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

§ Read more books and watch less TV.

§ Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll get to enjoy it a second time.

§ Trust in God but lock your car.

§ A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to create a tranquil harmonious home.

§ In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

§ Read between the lines.

§ Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

§ Be gentle with the earth.

§ Pray. There’s immeasurable power in it.

§ Never interrupt when you are being flattered.

§ Mind your own business.

§ Don’t trust a man/woman who doesn’t close his/her eyes when you kiss.

§ At least once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

§ If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth’s greatest satisfaction.

§ Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.

§ Learn the rules then break some.

§ Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.

§ Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

§ Remember that your character is your destiny.

§ Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

12.5.09

hari ini hari Selasa...

kerja! kerja! kerja!

yoga?


Monday was like any other day.

lunch was with Zai & Ima at Kuchei's. the mee kari special was bad-ass sinful. not recommended for gym-rats!

someone tried to commit suicide at MJC when we sent Ima to her work place. the idiot's attempt was not successful. however, the crowd was unbelievable. most had recorded the "historical occurrance" via their digital and cell phone cameras. kalau nak mampus...terjun dari bumbung bangunan - bukan dari tingkap tingkat satu! bahlul!

followed Azreen yesterday to yoga class at about 5 p.m.

great space. those who attended were a friendly lot. some poses were somewhat similar to what i've done during my weekly kettlebell (stretching) and aikido (warm up) classes.

as usual, the gossip session we had on the way to yoga continued for another hour. topics? everything under the sun!

yeah, i had fun.

Sarah McLachlan - Fallen

9.5.09

selamat berhujung minggu!

it's THAT weekend again!

My Mother taught me LOGIC...
"If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can't go to the store with me."

My Mother taught me MEDICINE...
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they're going to freeze that way."

My Mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD...
"If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job!"

My Mother taught me ESP...
"Put your sweater on; don't you think that I know when you're cold?"

My Mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE...
"What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you...Don't talk back to me!"

My Mother taught me HUMOUR...
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT...
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

My Mother taught me about GENETICS...
"You are just like your father!"

My Mother taught me about my ROOTS...
"Do you think you were born in a barn?"

My Mother taught me about the WISDOM of AGE...
"When you get to be my age, you will understand."

My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. ..
"Just wait until your father gets home."

My Mother taught me about RECEIVING...
"You are going to get it when we get home."

And my all time favorite thing--JUSTICE
"One day you will have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU.. then you'll see what it's like."

In between all this, my Mother taught me how to Live!
Thank you Mom for all I have learned these years.

Happy Vesak Day...


...to all Buddhists in Malaysia and around the world!

6.5.09

Amna oh Amna...


happy 22nd birthday...which had fallen yesterday.

renung-renung di tengah minggu...

5.5.09

May 4th birthdays...

Faizul - 27


Aziza (with her son, Aidid) - 26


Hanaffi @ Epy - erm...kau 24 kan tahun ni?


Marini - 26

happy 22nd birthday!


...aku tau aku dah wish dia personally via SMS (during the early hours of Apr 24th), tapi tak aci lah sebab yang lain-lain dapat blog entry (walaupun lambat). maka dengan ini, Fareezan...this is your 22nd birthday entry.

best kan? tak share dengan orang lain tu! hehehe...

jumpa kau time convo nanti.

goodbyes

hello, folks! so sorry for being "absent" for two weeks. life has been hectic as usual. challenges were aplenty. hhmm...


1. the week before last had seen 4 deaths of my relatives which had occurred one after another. two of late Dad's male cousins (which themselves were brothers) died on Monday and Thursday respectively. on Tuesday and Wednesday - two relatives of mom.

2. on Monday afternoon last week...Bang Lan's (my maternal 1st cousin) mom-in-law had lost her battle with cancer. Aunt Jawahir's old flame - Tan Sri Abd. Taib Mahmud (yup, the current Sarawak CM) paid his last respect on the day of her funeral the following day.

3. Lejla Abu Bekir passed away on Wednesday. who was she? Tan Sri Abd. Taib Mahmud's 68 year-old wife...also succumbed to cancer. must had been a huge blow for him though - a lady whom he once had the hots for and his wife...both had gone to be with their Creator on the same week! she was laid to rest at her hubby's burial ground.

4. i was freed on Wednesday too, for my 11-month relationship had ended. i was expecting it, and it's a clean break up. i wish my ex all the best in his future undertakings.

it was meaningful - dear MM. you will forever be my friend and rest assured, you will not be forgotten even for a second. go realize your dreams...my prayers are with you.

5. i got my convo letter last week from YUAITIEM. YAY!!! i will get to sport the dark blue gown and mortar board on Gawai Day. i will finally get to call myself an alumnus once the ceremony is over.


indeed...what had happened did signify goodbyes. life has its own ways to materialize them.