another trip, w00t!

Dalam hati skarang ni halamak, halamak, besok da start pigi meeting kat sekolah sobs sobs berat hati nak melangkah (drive) masuk ke perkarangan sekolah itu Tuhan saje yang tau. Iye, bukan students aje yang bosan bila nak masuk sekolah balik (although...I'm pretty sure there are quite a number who are ecstatic to get back to school because wehoo it would be time to see their friends and talk talk talk about their holidays. and rebel yeay. ergh) cecikgu pun ada yang sayu bila pikir nak berperang balik dalam kelas. tsk. tsk. *berdoa semoga budak tahun 2012 adalah manageable for me..itu pun kalo stay kat skolah la kan...hehehe sebab..jeng jeng - wait for another post. let's not cross the bridge until we come to it*

jadinya kita mesti meng-eksaitedkan diri untuk meng-welcome tahun baru yang bakal menjelang dengan percutian akan datang yang boleh kita look forward to yayey~

We won't be going far this 2012. 2013 inshaAllah nanti boleh jenjalan jauh skit macam pigi korea haritu. Kalo setiap tahun nak spend lavishly dengan holiday sakan nanti habesla duit nak beli handbag best best. Eh? Ter-materialistik di situ.

Sebelum itu, come see this pics and you would probably get to guess where we will be goin this year.

Okay, this pic was taken in 2008 so pardon the differences in urm physical appearance ahahaha nyampah tau. This is my favourite ride. The simpson ride. Ride 4D yang boleh rasa spit Maggie Simpson. Haha. Ce teka kat mana?

Heee dah nampak sket da tu nama tempat tu. Nih time nak masuk dia.


Universal Studios! Hehe. During this trip to the States I had to make up my mind between Disneyland and Universal Studios and I chose the latter. Reason being : nak tengok mock up studio tempat Desperate Housewives. Hmmnf.

Jadi 2012 ni inshaAllah nak pegi tempat sedara kat atas nih ha. Nak ke LA lagi tak mampu so kita pegi sepupu dia, kat Singapore. Panas panas la baru kaw. Nanti boleh pakai spaghetti sambil pakai sunnies berangan tourist dari Korea. *muntah hijau*

We will spend a few days in S'pore. Hubbeh has never been there before and my last time was in 2007. I have a rather poor ability to memorise things jadi bolehla di-consider yang this would be my first time too. But I could clearly recall how fond I was of this country. Tapi time tu tak tau yang USS akan ada, kalo tau, I would have chosen Disneyland (sila rujuk perenggan bawah gambar last tu).

Tiket AA dah beli yay (I heart you Air Asia) and it is quite a steal. Tak nak la bagitau berapa in case nanti ada orang kata eh eh mahal laaa naik toot tooot lagi murah. Nanti susah hati tak boleh tidor malam tau kalo teringat da kena rip off.

Jadi, mari look forward untuk tahun 2012 walopun ada banyak bulan lagi nak kena harung sebelum pegi berjalan. Urmph. Dan mari berdoa semoga dalam masa 2 minggu ni dapat berita yang indah indah saja. Hehe. *ketawa ada makna*

membeli belah secara visual.

Iye secara visual. Abesla betambah gumuk la. Dah tu nak berjalan utk survey barang pun dah malas, kan. kalo tak buleh gak burn calories lepas tu tambah balik dengan makan tutti frutti. eh?

Tapi truth be told i used to despise online shopping with all my guts. kire nyampah gegile tahap gaban lah tu. Sebab apa nyampah?

1) tak boleh feel material menatang yang nak beli tu dengan tangan.
2) tak dapat la paper bag yang boleh guna pakai balik. (-random gila reason)
3) tak dapat acu kat badan beli pakaian. sekali tak muat, tak sesuai. hah nanges.
4) warna kat screen laptop/pc dengan real life slalu gila off. kadang kadang off banyak. bukan sket. tak tau nak nyumpah laptop ke, menatang yang da beli tu ke, orang yang jual ke.
5) takut kena tipu. okehla walopun untuk barang yang rega rm 25 tapi impak dia sangat besar dalam hidup kalo kena tipu. sebelum tido boleh pikir lagi, kenapalah diriku ditindas oh tuhan.

Jadi macam fobia nak beli online.

Tapi sejak dua menjak dah pindah ni, jadi nyampah pulak nak drive pegi shopping. I get nervous behind the wheels and I am a really lousy driver. Sumpah. Kenkadang tu kalo ada orang kat sebelah, dia dok potpet berborak, aku buleh wat dek aje sebab nak fokus kat jalan raya. Haih driving is a serious businesssz. Mana nak ingat jalan (I suck at this), nak ingat bagi signal, nak tengok side mirror takut keta dalam blind spot, tengok cermin belakang lagik and kena alert sepanjang masa takut ada rerempits yang mencelah. Ah saket perut terus bila pikir pasal driving.

Lagi satu, bila dah sampai mall, orang pulak padat macam semut dalam balang biskut raya yang tak tutup ketat. Bosan. Bila dalam kedai pulak, selalu rasa kesian kalau tak beli barang lepas cuba pakai atau tanya tanya. Vongoks kan. Selalu nye lah cemtu tapi kalo kena mood bitchy datang ade aku kesah.

Lepas tu tengok orang beli online selamaaaat ja. Tak banyak dah kes tipu tipu. Lagipun buleh cek testimonial orang, betapa buleh harap seseorang penjual online tu ataupun dia jenis menabur harapan palsu je.

So I tried it.

The first thing that I bought online (on my own, bukan pesan pesan dengan orang lain sebab nak dapat delivery yang free) was a bottle of perfume. Untuk si suami (-gila la isteri mithali). Selamat sampai. Yay. Hati bunga bunga sebab terdetik, ohhh senang ghupenye shopping online. I know it made me sound like a real noob tapi takpa lah, memang noob pun.

Ituhla kali pertamaku. Rasa bahagia sangat.

Best sebenarnye shopping online kan. Facebook pun da jadik medium orang membeli belah dapat dapat kalau tengah cuti sekolah lepas jaga stpm rasa sangat malas nak buat apa apa maka hanya melangok depan laptop saja, ahhh ituhla masa yang bahagia untuk shopping online.

*muka bahagia*

Jadi dengan itu sebagai penghormatan terhadap dunia membeli belah secara visual I would like to share with you two websites that enable you to shop at ease. I've had a fair amount of shopping experience with them and I love each to bits.



Go here if you want to buy perfume, makeup, skincare items and so much more at a cheaper price. They sell authentic items and the delivery is pretty fast. Ada banyak sample items yang kecik comel molek tu jadi aku suke sebab buleh letak dalam handbag untuk touch up time pegi jenjalan hehehe.

Di bawah ni lagi satu, tapi untuk beli baju baju yang sumpah kiut dengan warna yang menggamit jiwa nurani.



Click here kalo nak beli belah baju/skirt/dress etc. Tak buleh komen pasal delivery sebab baru beli tadi je hahahaha. Tapi proses pembayaran dia sangat mudah sebab website dah established. Tak payah email dia bagai.

Sekiranya tulisan di atas telah membangkitkan nafsu membeli belah sesiapa, maaf dipinta sebab memang niat begitu pun supaya dapat kita habis duit sesama dan menyumbang pada ekonomi negara. Eh?

Have a great weekend!

* Click gegambar kat atas untuk view yang lebih menyenangkan mata. Please ignore the first pic yang agak serabai dalam usaha untuk mengaburkan folder folder yang ada kat mozilla firefox ni heheh mane buleh reveal malu ai :-P Gambar yang bawah tu senonoh skit sebab da pandai gelapkan. Haha.

year end hols 2011

I was beyond ecstatic when the school hols arrived although I'd have to invigilate for stpm. Yes, it would be more awesome and heavenly if I do not have to waste my time becoming a zombie for the day, looking at kids trying to ace their exam papers with nothing else on my mind except for the constant thoughts on what would I do next once I reach home, what's the menu for the day, and many more that is mostly domestic related.

But to think that at least I get a pahala for helping out a heavily pregnant colleague who's waiting for the due date that is just around the corner by replacing her to invigilate and also the allowance that I'll be getting (trust me, it's not much. at all. tapi jadikla dari jage free aje), I'm comforted.

We are not really going anywhere this time except for attending a few weddings that will occupy / already occupied our most weekends ;p This weekend and the following will insyaAllah let us to jalan jalan malaysia and there will be some serious makan series as well as shopping to be done and not forgotten, moments to be captured using the spanking new camera that we have grown to love.

I got to meet my besties, Izza and Zabby during the hols and those two separate rendezvous were truly a blessing in disguise. I actually hit my lower than low (career satisfaction -wise) since I got my transfer and these two girls actually made me see things in a different light, got me back to my old self just by talking to them. I'm pretty sure they had no idea of what those meetings contributed to me apart from a really jolly good time. They inspired me :)

I wish there would be more people that I could meet but time seems to be very jealous of us all. There are always clashing plans and commitments and so those meet ups would have to be postponed. But one thing for sure, regardless of how long we haven't met, we would all be able to talk and laugh like it was just yesterday we bid our farewell, the very next time we all have our get-together. I'm certain of that :)

tuju lagu boleh?

Lagi seminggu adalah hari merdeka saya sebab dah nak cuti sekolah. Cuti sekolah = cuti dari mengadap mereka yang menjengkelkan. Hehe. Maka saya rasa nak tuju lagu kepada suami saya sempena hari khamis yang romantis ini.

A, aku cinta kau macam lagu cinta,
A, aku cinta kau macam lagu cinta,
A, aku cinta kau macam lagu cinta,
dan aku asyik tekan ulang, lang,lang,lang,lang,lang.

Ini adalah lagu yang telah dialihbahasa. Saya rasa anda tahu lagu siapa. Gelpren Justin Bieber.

d-d-d-d-dance central

About a year ago I wrote an entry about how I've always wanted to buy a set of rock band ever since I've laid hands on them.

Well now we have a set. We opted for Guitar Hero set instead of rock band but they are almost the same so no biggie there. We've been practicing like mad although I have to admit that I am not quite confident to go anywhere beyond that 'easy' level. I don't want to risk throwing the drum set down from the 18th level. I have a temper that is sometimes beyond madness. So I'm gonna play it safe.

But what really got me excited was that we bought xbox 360 kinect in order to play guitar hero. Kinect 360 is awesome because there are games that don't require you to have a controller. You just have to use your body and the camera will detect your movement. Although truth be told, there were times where I cursed, especially during those trying times when it's difficult to choose 'start' 'next' etc. You need time to get used to it.

The game that I am enjoying at the moment is called 'dance central' where you get to groove to the music, copying the choreograph performed by the dancers on the telly. I love to dance and I love performing but I don't think there will ever be a chance for me to perform on stage again after my graduation. To top it off, I am *cough* currently not in my best shape. Kau nak kena pelempang kalo ngengada joget dengan badan cemni? So this game is my savior. Thank you very much to the creator. I can now be the star of my living room.

Okeh nak gi jejoget. Kthanxbye.

Forgetful dD

I encountered a number of articles that being forgetful is one of the signs of aging.

I am getting so forgetful these days it is annoying. I forgot some crucial ingredients when I'm cooking, sometimes I skipped a step or two. I am, however, lucky that my husband is a walking evidence of a really patient guy who can tolerate rubbish-meal-prepared-by-the-wife. I hope he doesn't go around telling his colleagues of the stories on how his wife ruined the meal(s) though. Gulp.

I forget where I put my stuff.
I forget the name of my students.
At times, I even forget the names of my colleagues and it isn't a joy to speak to a person whose name you are unable to recall as you are talking.
This condition worsen as I also often find myself to forget what I intended to say and would mumbled utter rubbish so that's why I now speak slowly because I need to string my sentences in my head before they come out of my mouth. However, that would only happen if I remember to do so. Sigh.

I wonder what are the contributing factors. I could only think of one. Aging. My biological age is 27 but probably my mental age (is there such thing?) is 40ish.

I would like to end this post by saying that I would religiously chew on food that could help boosting one's memory.

Urm but I forgot to buy them.

RAMADHAN TERAKHIR

No, I'm not preaching.

We are not a couple of TV junkie but at times, we do get hooked with the local tv shows. We have yet to subscribe to ASTRO so our options are pretty limited when it comes to tv shows. You'll marvel at our ability to tolerate the local soap operas. Both the good and crappy ones.

One of our current must-watch drama is RAMADHAN TERAKHIR which you can catch on TV3 from Tuesday - Thursday at 10.30pm. It is a must-watch for us because this is one of the shows where we get to enjoy and curse at the same.

My husband loves the soundtrack of this drama and I do too. There are times (most of the times, actually) where my husband would suddenly burst out singing the tunes of this song when the show is on. By saying burst out singing, I really do meant it literally. Sometimes it gives me the fright of my life.

Moving on.

I've never heard the name of the singer of this song and the name POMPA BENSIN really sounds Indonesians to me. Indonesians always produce good songs that are pleasing to the ears so it was a little wonder to me that the soundtrack of this show sounds nice.

Thanks to Google, I was proven wrong. POMPA BENSIN is actually a band. You can find out more about them here. The song can be downloaded for free at the link there.

I love free (good) stuff hence, I love Pompa Bensin. For now though.

And here's the lyric (so that you won't go bursting out singing with questionable lyrics. Heh.)

Walau aku tidak bersamamu

Jangan engkau lupakan diriku

Walau aku tiada di sisimu

Jangan engkau lupakan namaku

Kerana...

Aku mengingati mu

Kerana...

Aku men’cintaimu...

Andai aku bisa bertemumu

Dengan seyum ku tadah syukurku

Andai aku bisa menyentuhmu

Air mata pasti deras gugur

Kerana...

Aku merindui mu

Kerana aku sentiasa

Menyintaimu oh sepenuh hati

Walau kamu jauh di mataku

Jangan aku hilang dalam kalbu

Saat kamu samar mengingati

Jangan aku terus kau lupakan

Kerana aku

Sentiasa mengingatimu

Kerana aku

Sentiasa menyayangimu oh sepenuh hati...

Andai aku bisa memelukmu

Pasrah aku tabah diujimu

Andai aku bisa dicintai

Dengan rela menyerahkan hati

Kerana...

Aku merindui mu

Hmmm...Kerana aku sentiasa menyintaimuuu......

To complicate the uncomplicated

HIJAB. A short word that is controversial. Everybody has their own opinion on it.

If my memory serves me well, I was told that the purpose of hijab is to actually avoid you from unwanted attention. From unnecessary stares. From the sights of people (guys especially) that could invite slander, gossips and such.

However, I suppose it is the nature of ladies to look pretty. To stand out. Which, if you had read the previous paragraph, is quite contradicting.

Fashion evolves and this does not exclude hijab. There are many ways of styling your hijab and at times I do wonder on the real intention of the person who don the hijab. There are styles which could make the piece of cloth covering your head looks like flowy, long hair. Contradicting, yes?

I do however marvel at the tenacity of these fashionistas who could spend a lot of time complicating the uncomplicated. There are times that I stared on those girls who I couldn't quite figure out how do they style their hijab and all those knots and ties that are involved. Not to mention the ability to hold the look although the weather is scorching hot. If I were to have a piece of clothing wrap around my head, my neck, in those complicated ways, I'm afraid I would turn into a beast sooner than you can say "fashion" because of the heat as well as the sweat. I sweat a lot.

My husband would definitely give me the death stare if I were to style my hijab like the latest trends. Given my un-artsy hands and the inability to look and imitate, I would take hours to get ready. I really have to thank the sarung and go tudung made famous by Ariani. They are one of the wonders of the world. They make lives easier; no hassle, no ironing, and no styling. And most importantly, they serve their purpose. To cover the muslimah's aurat.

I guess simplicity is my kind of game. I am plain Jane and I am OK with it.

The end has no end.

......So, this is how it looks like on the website if you get a positive result. And with it, comes an avalanche of emotions :- happiness, sadness and anxiety. Upon looking at the result, I was ecstatic beyond words, I felt like jumping, hopping around, like a rabbit going mental. I went to school and the first person that I broke the news to was Kak Wawa, a colleague of mine who started teaching in Semerah at the same time as I did. We shared many things together. How inexperienced we were, how frustrated we got sometimes with some of the things at school and of course, some other good news too along our journey. She got teared up as she heard the news.

And the news later spread like wild fire. I got congratulated from my left, right and center. As my days were numbered, I worked like a hamster on wheels, trying to complete what I must. I didn't had time to pack my stuff (which magically seemed to have multiply itself after 3 years and a half in Batu Pahat) and my mind was divided into many many little compartments, each dealing with different issues.

My students' jaw nearly dropped as I told them the news, one even had the nerve to tell me, "Alaa...suruhla suami teacher transfer ke Batu Pahat". I could only smile. If only it is that easy.

The teachers had a pot luck on Friday, celebrating my transfer. It was initiated by my colleagues who are close to me and although they tried to keep this celebration from me, it was to no avail. Something big like that and which involved all the other teachers is really hard to keep as a secret. My class (2 Seroja) held a small party for me, and the day before it, they INSISTED on me entering the class earlier than I should. Haha. I was so touched when I saw the two cakes on the table in the middle of the class, complete with candles being lit. Alamak. And all the boys were so cooperative, trying to help the girls, I was choking for words.

As I walked out from the class, the girls cried bucket but I managed to maintain my composure. I really enjoy teaching all of my students this year, both high achievers and the weaker ones. I will surely miss them heaps.

And then the makan continued in the staff room. I cut a cake given by all the Chinese teachers, and I will miss them sorely. They had been very friendly to me, always giving advises and helped me countless times. We always converse in English and they always made me feel like I am their little sister. They even gave me ang pow when I got married!

Before the school ends on Friday, I salam-ed all the teachers, seeking forgiveness for anything that I might have done wrongly, and my tears went streaming down my face when I salam-ed Kak Anis, another English teacher who sat opposite me. I always feel at ease talking and confiding in her. There are many things about her that I admire and yes, I do look up at her as my elder sister. I also cried when I salam-ed Kak Ila, the head of English department. I may never find another who I would be working comfortably with, like I did with her and the rest of the English teachers. Heck, I might not even be able to teach English being transferred in the mid year as the timetables are usually fixed by this time of the year :-(

And I will definitely miss my closest colleagues who called themselves "Geng Bas Sekolah". Haha. Some people might take them as being loud but I do think that they are very nice and helpful. And I am so thankful that I got to know them, who made my days in Semerah much nicer :-)

I was indifferent when I packed my things up. My husband would be coming on Saturday in a rented van to bring all my stuff back to Melaka and I was working full on, like a robot. I surprised myself with the ability to pack EVERY single thing, unscrew some furniture and actually had the heart to throw away bundles of stuff.

Nevertheless, suffice to say, that I am glad we managed to reach Melaka, looking at how the van was almost bursting with things.

And right now, as I am having my sweet time enjoying the 2 weeks off from school, I have been religiously checking out mudah.com as well as iproperty.com for our next official crib :-) I am looking forward for it, to finally be able to call a place as our home. A haven for the just the two of us. Although it would cost us a lot and we might have to survive on bread and water for every single day (God forbid I sure hope we won't!), it's okay because we would be doing it together.

So that's about it. Please do pray that we would be able to go through this house hunting smoothly and I would have a pleasant experience working at the new school. It was scary when I first took a look at it. My stomach twisted in the most uncomfortable way as I saw the environment surrounding the school, having the idea of the kind of students who enrolled in that school. But things happen for a reason and as an adult that I am, I say, bring it ON.

the second GSC in Melaka, whee!

Both my husband and I are seasonal movie lovers. Heheh. We try to catch the latest hit movies although there had been a couple of times where we missed some good ones and had to resort to buying the dvd. But nothing beats the huge screen and awesome sound system, no?

3D, 2D, you name it, we watched it.

However, I kinda loathe the idea of going to Dataran Pahlawan in Melaka to catch a movie when we are in our hometown. The traffic there is mad especially on the weekends!

There are also BIG cinema in Mahkota as well as MBO in Melaka Mall but nothing beats GSC.

So that's why I was pretty psyched when I found out that another GSC is opening soon in AEON Melaka, which is my most favourite shopping mall in Melaka, given that it has almost all that I need. Hehe.

After much waiting and anticipation, I found out that it will be opening (officially) come May 19th, 2011. Just in time for the latest Pirates of the Carribean movie :-)

I also found out that they are having free screening of these movies from 14th to 18th May:

"Gulliver's Travel" (PG 13), "RIO" (3D), "I Am Number Four" (PG13), "The Tourist" (PG13), "Green Hornet" (PG13), "World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles" (PG13), "Beastly" (PG13), "Cun" (Malay), "Hantu Kak Limah" (Malay), "Khurafat" (Malay)(PG13), "Enthiran" (Tamil) (PG13), "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Chi), "I love Hong Kong" (Chi) and "Great Day" (Chi).

But in order to catch these free screenings, we would need to cut out or print out the coupons and it is on first-come-first-served basis so hurry if you want to be a part of this. I'm thinking of going. Maybe. :-)

You can check this out : here

vanilla

Last long weekend, our school held a trip to Langkawi which was joined by many teachers and a few students (hehe). I didn't join as there were a couple of weddings both husband and I wanted to attend. On Friday right before the long weekend begins, as I was teaching right in front and explaining them about forming plural nouns, those who were going to Langkawi had a briefing and for a brief moment, it interrupted my lesson. A student was called out for the briefing.

I quickly blurted out

"Hah, nak pegi Langkawi ye. Jangan lupa beli saye ole ole!! Saya suke ceklet!" and the class roared with laughter probably because of my expression which I think would be akin to those kepoh makciks you would always see in Malay dramas. I am animated to begin with. Heh.

The long weekend went by.

On Wednesday, right before I started teaching and while I was waiting for these rascals (hah!) to settle down, that aforementioned students came to the teacher's desk in front of the class and place a small bag that you always get from wedding ceremonies, on the table. I asked him what it was and he just smiled a sheepish smile.

When I went inside the staff room and sat on my place, I had a look at what's inside the bag (which was wrapped with newspaper) and voilà, there's a big bar of vanilla marble chocolate there by Cadbury. The one where there's a soft filling in the centre of the chocolate. I was quickly reminded about the incident on last Friday.

Alamak. Did this boy bought it out of fear?

I went to see him the next day to ensure that he didn't buy if out of fear and that I was just playing by asking him to buy me souvenirs. And he replied with;

Ikhlas la teacher :-)

Phew.

I will definitely savour that chocolate.

Students - although some of them could really drive you against the wall, there are a few who definitely could put a smile on your face in a way sometimes you can't possibly imagine.

One year ago

It was 1st May in 2010 where we had our merisik. Merisik is an important ceremony in Malay families. It's sorta like asking permission from the girl's side whether it's ok to befriend their daughter and it's also asking for their blessings in the relationship that is about to bloom. Some couples might have been committed to one another for years while some might be for months before they had this merisik ceremony. Most importantly, it means that the guy is ready to tie the knot with the girl and that the budget for getting married is there (or maybe on it's way there). It is also to indicate how serious that dude is and that he's not in it just for the fun of it.

Personally, I thought it would be a waste of money, time and energy. Hehe. I used to think so.

I would rather have an intimate akad / solemnization ceremony attended by close family and friends, followed by a feast for all. That would have been very cost effective (provided the menu is something simple - beehun goreng, anyone?)

But it all changed when Ammar's grandmom said that it is important to have this merisik ceremony and as headstrong that I am, I fell prey. :-p I listened to her explanation and agreed with most of her views.

And so we had our merisik ceremony on May 1st, 2010. Not many people know of this and I intended it to be so because as bubbly as I am (at times :-D), I am rather secretive.

It was a nerve wrecking experience because I had to cook for my future in laws! My absolutely darling mom was being her usual darling self, insisted on me preparing chicken rice for the future in laws. I prayed hard that the food won't taste bad. If our dishes really do represent our feelings and emotions upon preparing them, I sure hope that whoever eat my Nasi Ayam won't be fidgety with intolerable anxiety.

Luckily they turned out nice.

I put on my baju kurung and was very quiet and reserved.

My mom had my makcik as well as my paklong and aunty Aneesa (Paklong's wife - who is not Malay and was persistent in attending this ceremony -she wanted to know about all these things so that when her daughters' time has come, she would know how to handle them. Hehe.) to accompany her. Being the first daughter, this means that this is the very first time for things like these to occur in our family. We were so inexperienced and didn't know what to expect of.

Ammar didn't come though, it wasn't customary for the guy to attend this merisik ceremony. We were texting away while the elders did the negotiation on the coming events. It was all but a blur to me until the moment where we read our prayers (led by Ammar's Granduncle ) and this was followed by a ring given to me. A merisik ring. A very simple gold ring that symbolizes 'this girl is almost engaged - almost booked.' :-D

I was so happy when it ended. We were one step closer to being united for good.

We had about 3 weeks after that before my booking day ceremony or better known as bertunang. I was in a frenzy buying things for the gifts -hantaran as well as booking things that needed to be booked. It was going to be a simple but neat ceremony and I had everything DIY except the cooking part. Nah, that has got to be handed to the caterer.

Merisik was fun and definitely something to be remembered with a smile pasted on my face. Not for long now, it will be our one year anniversary since we said I do. Gosh.

Why girls love Korea

One of them, may I say, would be because of COSMETICS!! Haha.

We can see many Korean beauty stores mushrooming in Malaysia for the past few years. It has been the latest craze in Malaysia and this is totally apt with Dr M "dasar pandang timur" years ago. Hehe. I foresee many will come soon (heard that one of my favourite brands - TONYMOLY is now available in M'sia but I have yet to go to one) and I can't wait for that to happen although it would never beat the products' prices in Korea because they are way waaay cheaper over there and the SA gives you heaps of samples you just won't be able to stop grinning from ear to ear once you walk out the store. The korean beauty stores in Malaysia are mostly, sad to say, quite stingy when it comes to giving away samples. Hmmphs.

If you're into LANEIGE (you can find them at parkson, jusco, etc - they are pretty much Korean's Estee Lauder and the likes), it would be a great decision to buy them over there because you could actually get a set of their products at the price of Skinfood items in Malaysia. I bought a set of their latest range, after seeing the commercial again and again on the telly in the hotel room. I'm an easy target. I know.

I love Korean beauty products because they are affordable and work well for me. They also come in cute packaging and as a sucker for anything cute, I'm totally sold. Here's some pictures of the beauty products that I bought on the first night we were at Seoul. Read : first night. There are more but I didn't take pictures of them because I don't want to be reminded of how crazy I went over there for all things vain. To mask my guilt for being out of control, I bought some for my husband too although God knows when will he use them for real (he likes to be pampered but only when I'm around. I love to play beautician by scrubbing his face, put on tissue mask on his face and dap dap dap lotion on it. Love!)

These are from Etude. I regretted not buying Perfect10 eye primer which is said to be as good as Urban Decay's.

These are from Skinfood. I spent about RM 150 and I walked out with heaps of stuff which would not be the case in Malaysia. tsk.

These are from TONYMOLY. Those tomato like thingy are brightening skin mask and they work like magic and totally live up to the name.

There are more from The Face Shop, Missha, Nature Republic, Aritaum, Bavi Phat, Holika Holika and also from Skinfood, Etude and Tonymoly (again!) but as I had mentioned earlier, I DON'T WANT TO BE REMINDED OF HOW CRAZY I WENT :-D

Cosmetics haul withdrawal symptom :- I still shudder from excitement every time I see Korean beauty shops in Malaysia and in a couple occasions, I had to force myself not to walk into them. It took a lot of courage and I am going to reward myself with some beauty products for being so adamant. Eh?

korean-ified.

We're back from south korea with heaps of memories for years to be reminisced as well as tonnes of cosmetics to last me for a very long time hee hee. Will probably blog more about it later just in case you are thinking of going there someday. I am however still affected by the post vacation blues and sometimes wish that I wake up in the hotel room in Itaewon, of course, with my husband by my side.

packing for dummies

I'm not good in packing as I always tend to over pack and more often than not, under pack which could totally be annoying as you would then be forced to go out and buy the things that you've forgotten to bring (which, of course, you wouldn't, had you prepared a checklist but I have never and I don't do checklist. Kinda allergic, may I say?)

Which was exactly what drove me to google up checklist for travelling as it has been donkey years since I went travelling overseas. It was about 2 years ago (I was being dramatic about that donkey years thingy but I have always wanted to put donkey years in one of my posts so yeah this is somekind of a personal achievement thank you).

We will be off to the land of honeymooners (or so they say but again, this is just me, exaggerating) really soon and I have been honoured to the packing so I would have to do it well. This is a very trying time. To see how competent I am at playing wife. Fiuhhh.

Here's a checklist that I managed to compile just in case you want something to refer to, in order to ensure that you got everything right.

Home Checklist

* Arrange for pet and plant care
* Stop routine deliveries
* Make your home seem lived-in while away by putting lights and a radio on
* Leave keys and itinerary with a friend
* Lock windows, garage, and doors

Before Leaving

* Guide books and maps
* Passport and visa(s)
* Foreign currency of your destination country
* Credit cards
* Travelers checks or ATM card
* Personal Identification
* Photocopies of documentation
* Marriage License (if necessary)

Basic Essentials

* Appropriate Luggage
* Luggage Locks & ID Tags
*Appropriate Clothing
* Comfortable Footwear
* Rain Protection
* Camera and Film (Place film in carry-on baggage)
* Small Flashlight
*Small Binoculars
*Reading Materials
*Playing Cards/Games
*Address Book

Maintenance Items

*Batteries for camera and flashlight
* Mini Sewing Kit (place in checked baggage)
* Travel Iron or Steamer
* Sink Stopper
* Folding Scissors (place in checked baggage)
* Laundry Soap Packets
* Laundry Bag
* Ziplock Plastic Bags

Medication

* First Aid Kit
* Aspirin/Pain Reliever
* Cold/Sinus Medication
* Diarrhea Medicine
* Laxative
* Insect Repellent
*Contact Lens Preparations
* Antibiotic Ointment
*Alcohol Wipes
*Sunscreen
* Motion Sickness Medicine
*Personal Hygiene Items
*Personal Prescriptions

Toiletries

* Comb/Brush
*Toothbrush/Paste
* Dental Floss
* Shampoo
* Blow Dryer
*Deodorant
*Lotions/Creams
*Cologne
*Lipbalm
* Towelettes
* Shaving Cream
* Towel/Washcloth

Naturally, there are some items that I deemed unnecessary and they are off the checklist. But it's a good idea to have this checklist prepared by other seasoned travellers, so that you could go refer to it every now and then, confirming that you have everything important. I forgot to buy some ziplock plastic bags to keep liquid items such as my lotions. I once spoiled one where the lid was accidentally opened (probably due to air pressure - or it could be the pressure from other things in the luggage) and had the unfortunate to discover it once I reached my destination and was about to pamper my jetlagged self. It was not a pretty scene. So yeah, WILL GET EM DARN ZIPLOCK PLASTIC BAGS!

Packing is a tedious chore and don't get me started on unpacking. The trick to pack happily? Picture those happy moments you are about to go through as your bones do all the hard work chucking- I mean arranging everything neatly in the luggage.

Here's to our honeymoon!

my sexeh hubbeh makes me hungreh

I typed the title above as the status of my facebook profile, out out of the blue, while waiting for my next class because honestly I'm feeling kinda off this week (whatever off supposed to mean :-p). I am so used to seeing my husband on every weekend since we got married so having not to for the first time is a really trying time. Didn't expect that post to get many likes and comments. So random. Hee hee.

But what really got me beaming from ear to ear was a poem created by Eesha. My former dorm mate who could always get people laughing till they are out of breath. She's witty like that, aside from being gorgeous and sexeh :-p

She wrote this:

Diyana Didi Zulkifli- this one is for you (suggestion je,don't kill me please)

merenung bulan merindui hubbeh,
jantungku berombak menantikan hubbeh
kerana daku amatlah hungreh
untuk bersama-sama makan honeh (*honey)
kerana tanpamu hidupku amatlah tak sunneh (*sunny)
oh sayang,kaulah bunneh (*bunny)
eh tapi bukan yang playboy bunneh


hahahaha :-D now this would make a really good song to entice someone to bed. eh terlucah pulak saya haha. I rarely say this but weekend please end quick I wanna get next week done and over with!

Latest condition

My husband has to go through medical check up every few months so here's the latest news about his health condition. I've made an entry before about his deteriorating health condition. After years of being diagnosed with diabetes (15 years to be exact), it has been foreseen that all these would occur. It's just a matter of time and how bad.

He would meet the doctors next week after they analyzed his urine and blood but he already got his urine analysis. I have yet to see it but he told me that the uric acid and urea in his urine is now higher than before. Too much uric acid and urea could lead to many problems and you could search the net if you are curious about them. His kidney is now affected due to diabetes and therefore unlike the rest of us who have normal functioning pair of kidneys, his can't filter as well as ours. In order to curb this problem or at least to stop making them worse, he would have to watch what he eats. For an example, he can't take too much milk because although it is good, it could lead to phosphorus in his urine to be high. He should also lay off meat too as it is high in protein and too much of it could strain his kidney. But he is finding it to be difficult to manage his own diet as he is away from me and he usually goes home late so preparing his own meals is almost next to impossible.

We are now hoping not to make his health condition worse and although it could get frustrating at times, we are trying to maintain our composure and be positive. Our chances of having our own kids are quite slim but we are trying not to think too much about it. We leave it in God's hands and we try not to think of the what ifs because it could lead to devastation and could certainly shake our beliefs.

I can't believe that I'm typing this very matter-of-fact-ly and I believe I have gotten a lot stronger than before. Age probably has got to do with this :-) So that's all about my husband's latest condition. I am not good with words and often finding it difficult to explain things that are happening in our lives so hopefully typing about what is up could somehow let you keep track of our lives. I know some close friends are reading this so yes, this entry is done for you :-)

Have a good week, guys.

extra miles

My husband is right now on a plane, off to Bangkok for work. Loneliness suddenly enveloped me and I was not sure why. When I gave myself a minute to think, I realised that it's because this means that he would be milesss away from me. Further than we usually are. He will be back this Friday and I would get to meet him inshaAllah on Saturday, right after school ends (to replace the Tuesday we had off during Chinese New Year) but still, I can't shake off this sudden longing of having him near me (Batu Pahat and KL is just three hours away, not that bad, really), preferably beside me. And I wonder how do people deal with long distance marriage, I mean reallllllly long distance marriage like Hani, a friend of mine whose husband is residing in the States whilst she is currently teaching in Johor. It takes great courage, tenacity and hard work. Hats off to them for staying strong and I foresee a bright future for them and their marriage.

I pray that my husband would have a safe journey and for the meeting to be smooth as planned. I pray that he would not have a tough time there and could take a great care of himself. I hope he would remember to watch what he consumes as he is diabetic with some complications to boot. Gosh I wish I could be his personal assistant who is with him 24/7 but wait, I am his wife cum personal assistant but without a pay of course because I'm doing all that I have to do out of love. Hehe.

A month from now, if God wills everything to be going as planned, we would be on our honeymoon and I can't wait for it :-) It is kinda late, almost 6 months after our do but I'm not complaining. We had to make do with what we had (honeymooning during December last year was impossible due to his work load and lack of holidays - he took too many for raya + our wedding :-p and the budget was really tight towards the end of last year too). So, Alhamdulillah that we managed to squeeze this in ^_^

I forgot to ask him how long would his flight be but I'm guessing it would take between 1-2 hrs. Be good fluffy hubby (fluffeh - referring to the minions in despicable me :-p), I'll see you soonish and though it would be nice to see you all smiley and handsome this Saturday, it would be extra nicer to see you have some souvenirs for me too. Thai silk, perhaps? :-p

and tomorrow marks the fifth month of our marriage! :-)

O.A.G

Post ini tiada kene mengena dengan kumpulan OAG if that is what you after. OAG here telah difemeskan oleh bebudak zaman aku skola menengah yang bermaksud Orang Alor Gajah. I am an Alor Gajahan, through and through and the same goes to my husband. Bukanlah semangat kedaerah-an kami kental tapi itu lah yang kite kate jodoh ye tuan tuan dan puan puan.

Kalo tanye orang yang bukan asal dari melaka, they would say that ooooo orang melake ye ulau melingkau atas pagau. Setiap kali dengar orang cakap cemtuh aku memang rase nak buat muke annoyed (ala muke yang mate pandang kat atas tuh dengan care yang keji sambil melempiaskan nafas yang orang puteh panggil sighing tuh.), sebabnye, ituh adelah sweeping statement yang takde kene mengena dengan orang alor gajah. Kami guna loghat negeri sembilan tapi tak lah serupa sebijik sebijan macam orang negeri sembilan.

Oleh sebab besok start keje lepas cuti seminggu dan sekarang nih dah kembali jauh dari laki, meh sini aku perkenalkan gaye percakapan orang alor gajah mane lah tau it would come in handy. You never know.

OAG suka replace huruf vokal dalam perkataan dengan huruf O.
eg :

benda = bondo.
suka = suko.
pelik = polik.

tapi bukanlah semua. janganlah cakap,

risau = riso.

kengkadang OAG tak sebut huruf konsonan dekat hujung ayat tuh,

eg:

benar = bona
mahal = maha


ade jugak perkataan perkataan yang tersendiri yang mungkin orang luar dari alor gajah tak paham.

eg:

tido = membuto.
makan = melantak.
cepat = dogheh.

dan tak lengkaplah belajar sesuatu bahasa tuh kalo tak belajar perkataan mencarut. Maka di sini aku nak bitau, ade satu perkataan menyumpah yang best yang digunakan secara meluas oleh OAG iaitu; BANDANG. Aku tak tau makna dia exactly apa, tanya orang lain pun derang taktau tapi yang aku tau, perkataan bandang nih sama taraf la menyumpah macam ko sebut cilake (cilako), sial (siya). Kita boleh dengar perkataan carutan bandang nih terutamanya bila di jalan raya.
contoh :

Apo bandang bona keto dopan nih kojap lane kanan kojap lane kiri.
(ape la cilake sangat kete depan nih kejap lane kanan kejap lane kiri).

Okeh skarang nih survival kit ko untuk cakap macam orang Alor Gajah rase dah OK dah. Basic tuh da ade dah la kirenye. Ape kate kite tengok application nye pule yeh. Rujuk dialog di bawah.

(Conversation ini berlaku apabila seorang makcik menelepon kawannya tapi kawan dia pulak tak angkat.)

makcik A : helo, si Ana ado?

budak : helo, omak takdo.

makcik A : eh mano poie omak kau?

budak : ontah. Tadi dio membuto dopan tibi lopeh melantak. Skang nih mano poie eh tak tau la.

makcik A : eh macam biskut pulak omak kau. Kojap ado, kojap takdo.

budak : ontahla makcik. Ado papo posanan ko, nak poie main lelayang kek lua nih ha.

makcik A : ko bitau omak kau, nanti suh tepon makcik balik dogheh.

budak : aaa yo lah *dalam hati : bandang boto la, aku nak main layang layang pun potong stim*

With the above survival kit to speaking like an Alor Gajahan, I think you would have a little or probably no difficulty in comprehending the above dialogue.

Meh la datang Alor Gajah. Kito leh makan kueh udang yang sodap tuh lopeh tuh buleh blaja cagho intonasi yang boto siap dongan eksperesi muko yang topek.

steak sodap, murah @ Me'nate KL.

A good place that serves succulent steak at an affordable price is really hard to find. So when my husband's colleague recommended this place, we decided to try it out just for the sake of finding out whether it is really as good as it is said to be.

This restaurant is located in Ampang, about 7kms away from Ampang Puteri Hospital. If the Petronas nearby Ampang Puteri is on your right, the restaurant would be about 5-7kms away, on your left, located right smack in the midst of rumah kedai and medan selera opposite it.

Nothing fancy with the ambiance but don't let it fool you.



The waiter was really helpful and this would come in handy for steak noobs (like us). He gave us an ample time to decide, elaborated on wagyu beef (which is THE beef to pick if you want to have steak) and didn't mind catering to us who were dazed and confused (eating out iz a seriouz biznessz).




We finally settled on the wagyu beef and voila, the beef was on promotional price so yeah we saved some moolah there :-)

They took a reasonable time to prepare the dishes. A medium rare steak for me and a sandwich for mr husband. We shared our meals so that we would be able to have a good taste of both.

The wagyu beef steak was really mind blowing. It is succulent, tender and even the fat tasted good, not to mention edible too. It is actually stated in the menu that the fat in wagyu beef actually does you good so there's another reason for you to indulge in the steak until the plate is clean :-p








The beverage is free flow so you could drink to your heart's content!

The bill came up to RM 60++. So cheap, it's rare for a steak and a plate of sandwich.

Awesomeness.

the arrival of hero kecik :-)

My ex roomie in college just gave birth to a baby boy today at 945 pm. It can't be explained in words but my heart right now is bursting with love and affection towards this little hero that I haven't even met yet.

Teringat zaman dulu dulu waktu study, waktu mude mude hehe. Makan nasik bungkus ramai ramai, gi jenjalan mid valley nak beli air mineral haha. Kadang kadang jalan jejauh ramai ramai pegi makan kat luar. Skarang ade yang dah jadik mommy dah :-)

I can't wait to meet this cutie but I would wait until the confinement period of the mommy ends before I pay them a visit. She would need a lot of rest, I reckon :-)

When I got to know about her pregnancy, I was thrilled beyond words. She broke the news to me through Yahoo Messenger and I was smiling from ear to ear. I know that they have been looking forward for a baby (pasangan mane lah yang tamau baby kan. Susah nak jumpa) and it took some time to have one considering they were miles apart due to work commitment. After she got her transfer to Selangor , tup tup, dapat conceive pun. Alhamdulillah. Rezeki dari Allah. Semoga lepas nih rezeki lebih murah lagik ye untuk Lin & Fairul and also baby Alif Irfan.

Baby Alif Irfan, aunty dD doa yang baik baik untuk awak. Mak awak baik sangat orangnye, mesti awak dah besar nanti baik macam mak awak jugak :-) Semoga sihat, cergas dan dirahmati dunia akhirat. InsyaAllah.

The world feels even more beautiful knowing that this little hero has arrived safe and sound. Praised be to Allah.

what the hell

If you snoop around a little bit harder you might have noticed that two years back, I posted two entries about Avril Lavigne and her concert in Malaysia. Yes, I went to watch her because I was, still am actually, her fan. Not her biggest fan. Just a fan. Honest.

If you know me a bit better you would know that I adore 2 girls in this pop industry although I am embarrassed to admit so. Nampak macam loser. Haha. Ntahla. Tapi aku suka Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne. Lelain suke gak tapi yang dua nih macam suka gegila tak buleh blah eventho dah cube cakap kat diri sendiri "eh eh tak kewl langsung kot minat derang nih macam budak tadika aje T_T"

Kalo Britney datang mau aku pegi nengok show dia. Tapi dia tak datang.

Back to Avril.

Lagu Complicated time tuh kuar baru lepas SPM rasenye. Woooh teen angst. Rase kewl habes hahah. Time tuh pulak memang suka pakai baju warna gelap gelap. Pakai gelang getah warna hitam tu bebanyak (huduh gila bila tgk gamba dedulu hahahahha). Selain gelang bederet, suka pulak tuh pakai cincin ntah pape. Kengkadang sampai due, tige, pakai cincin besi bentuk memacam. My husband who was my friend back then selalu lah nampak aku pakai cemgitu. Skarang dah jadik bini dia, dia kate mendelah pakai cemtuh. Pelik. Hahaha. Kasut sneakers memang feberet. Tak pernah nak berjinak jinak dengan heels kalo pegi shopping. Rase macam nak bunuh kaki.

Tapi time tuh rase macam Avril tiru aku.

Kat mulut macam cakap "mendelah avril nih poser giler".
Tapi dalam hati "ah comel gak pempuan nih".

Akhirnye, sampai la nih lagu feberet karoke adelah Sk8er boi. Hahaha.

Years after years, we grew up. Cewah. Umo kami sebaya. Haha. Her songs changed a bit from album to album. She got married. She gotten more feminine. Dah lama dia senyap. Last year buat soundtrack movie Alive in Wonderland, okehla. Nothing spectacular.

Taun ni, muncul with a new album that would be out this March. Her first single is What The Hell. New year's eve harituh buat show rancangan apetah, dia nyanyi lagu nih, pempuan nih da kurang lompat lompat dah. Umo da bertambah kan. Stamina tak mantap cam dedulu. Kang sore hancur lebur berdebu. This song is pretty much similar to the song Girlfriend. It has the same vibe and energy although I heard that this would be the only pop-pish song in her new album as the rest would be dark and emotional. Menarik.

And earlier tonight, I watched her official music video to this song. Alolololo comel.

Tak buleh blah dah, saye secare memalu akui lagik sekali :-

ye, saye minat Avril Lavigne.

*larik*


nih behind the scenes dia. btw mak dia ada cameo dalam vid what the hell tuh.



nih la the official music vid. sexy dah. hehe. will it work, dunno. but it works for me. hahaha.

pil khayal

I just got back from BP Mall. There's school tomorrow, to replace the one that would be off in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration so that we could have a total one week hols *whee~* As I was saying, there is school tomorrow and I decided to hang around a bit at a mall with a colleague, so as to help me feels that the time flies fast because I can't wait to go back to Melaka tomorrow, to meet my husband who would be going back tonight.

I went inside a shop that sells hijab and this conversation took place.

dD : dik, tudung pearl haya ade tak?

adik 1 : *blur*

adik 2 : hmm tak ade la kak..

adik 1 : *masih blur*

adik 2 : rasenye kat satu BP Mall nih tak ade kak..

dD : oh ye ek..tak ape la..

adik 1 : *jeling adik 2 sambil mumbling*

adik 2 : *to adik 1*PEARL HAYA lah!

adik 1 : aku ingatkan PIL KHAYAL..

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.
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.

jadahnye? T_T

the vampire diaries

I have been vampire-fied. Never really been a fan of twilight although I've tried to like them but I failed miserably and lost my interest in them, in the midst of trying to finish reading the third book of the series. I returned the books to my bestie without completing reading all of them although I borrowed them for more than a year :-D There's just something off with them that didn't quite level to my liking. And it didn't help either when Bella seemed so indecisive and pushy while Edward just have this intense look all the time, it drove me insane. I do however find the werewolf guy as a drool factor :-D

not really a fan. sorry!

However, I really like the series Vampire Diaries. The story develops well on each episode and the main female character got spunk while the guys are delicious. Namely the two brothers who are the main characters. Damon and Stefan Salvatore. Hmmmmmmmm.

witty lines, cool plot. I'm a fan!

I am waiting for season 2 to end this February before I could pester my brother to download the whole season for me. From what I read on wikipedia (yes, I don't mind spoiler and yes, I am impatient), the second season is worthy of watching too. I finished watching the first season in two days. A very intense two days. Now that I am done with it, I shall retreat to bed and focus on work. Right after google-ing images of Damon Salvatore. Ehem.

he's Damon Salvatore. He's my pet vampire. *________*

my body is a battlefield.

or rather, my perut.

Segala kekuatan, aku seru kamu untuk bersatu denganku supaya dapat kita menyahkan lelemak ini secara perlahan tapi jitu. Dulu mengambil masa yang cepat sekiranya puasa nasik tapi sekarang nampak gayenye memakan masa yang lama sedikit. Mungkin sebab kita sedang menghadapi musuh yang lebih gemilang, iaitu lemak tepu tahap biadap.

Maafkan aku perut, terpakse aku meng-deprivekan kamu akan nasik dalam kuantiti yang banyak. Biarlah pandangan mata menjeling akan ketidak hadiran nasik di pingganku, biarlah nafsuku meronta ronta meminta agar nasik ditambah, biarlah kau merayu rayu agar aku meng-feed mu dengan makanan yang hebat jumlahnya, tapi aku harus mengecewakan mu. Ini penting demi masa depan kita.

Masa depan wallet aku. Dan suamiku.

Badan yang bertambah gemuk bermakna wardrobe yang baru. Serba baru. Sebab yang lama tak muat. Tsk. Ini boleh menyebakan kegawatan ekonomi yang tidak diingini. Buruk padahnya.

Metabolisme badan (yang lembap), jangan risau, aku tidak menyalahkanmu. You had your time, you shone. And now I have to embrace the fact that nothing works perfectly forever. Lepas nih aku akan lebih membantu kamu. Izinkan aku membantumu. Mungkin menaip blog menggunakan jari telah membantu kamu untuk membakar kalori aku. Biar lah sedikit, lama lama jadi bukit.

Ape yang penting,

KERJASAMA!


- keluhan insan gemuk, 1208 am, monday 170111. Selamat berjaya.

0015

Dah pukul 1215 pagi yet I am still not in bed. Baru saje meng-rekod suare sendiri untuk bagi students dengar supaye mereka dapat information needed to write the essay that I will assign them tomorrow. Rase macam artis pulak siap rekod rekod suare. Hihi. Lepas ni kene pikir suare orang lain untuk direkod. Rasenye potential victim number one would be my husband :-p

Cemane agaknye rase jadik penyanyi ke pelakon. Dapat bayangkan, kalo aku jadik penyanyi for sure setiap kali suare aku kuar kat radio, cepat cepat aku tutup. Malu. Kalo muke kuar kat tibi, cepat cepat tukar cenel. Rase macam cacat aje kalo tengok diri sendiri berlakon.

Cakap pasal berlakon, waktu skolah rendah dulu pernah lah dengan gila glemernye (anak mas cikgu kottt time tuh :-p) berlakon sketsa BI. cehwah. Konsep citer tuh macam cinderella. Siap nanges nanges lagik. Lepas tuh mak tiri tolak kat meja, cepat cepat calit water colour warna merah kat dahi, konon konon berdarah. Bebudak yang tengok sumer macam uuuu cemane ko buat tuh? Naseb baik waktu tuh tak ade talent agency tengah scouting for talents kalo tak mak tak jadik cikgu nok, jadik retis gamaknye. Hari hari kene kutuk kat laman gosip artis tempatan. Jadik best friend dengan Fasha Sandha. Nama glemer dah ade, dD zulkifli.

Hmmm tapi on second thought, naseb baik lah tak jadik retis. Kalau tak, makin bertimbun timbun lah dosa T_T

.firework.

Baru aje beli speaker yay! There is only one room where the teachers could use ICT stuff in teaching the students (albeit an inadequate one - you have to use your own laptop and mine could not get in sync with the projector T_T) and it's almost impossible to book the room due to high demand, especially from the form six teachers.

Therefore, terpakselah menggunakan resource sendiri ape ade kalo nak buat lesson best sket untuk bebudak. In my case, I'm going to use my own laptop and the speaker that I just bought.

Tomorrow I am planning to teach the kids through the song Firework by Katy Perry. It will test their listening skill (they would have to complete the lyric given to them) and after that, I will give them a set of antonyms of several words taken from the lyric so that they would understand the difficult words in the lyric (I know there would be some - for an example, the word 'ignite' in this song).

Why did I plan to apply this method as early as the first week?

It's because I could sense that they are very tense. These students (the top class among the form two) need to have a time out and I hope that this lesson would enable them to enjoy English lessons better. I have a feeling that they fear the very thought of having to learn English with me because I have been speaking totally in English to them. I know that some of them are having difficulties in understanding me but they need to challenge themselves as they have the potential.

Let's see if this would work :-)

The reason for choosing this song is because the lyric is very meaningful. It's about not being afraid to express who you really are on the inside and not letting your flaws stop you from having a great life. It's about how each individual is special in their very own way. A very relevant song for the teenagers as this is the time where you feel like the world is against you. I still remember that feeling :-D

we could all be beautiful and awesome if we let ourselves be :-)

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?

Do you ever feel already buried deep?
Six feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
'Cause there's a spark in you?

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh
As you shoot across the sky

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, oh
You're gonna leave 'em falling down

You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh
As you shoot across the sky

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, oh
You're gonna leave 'em falling down

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through

'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh
As you shoot across the sky

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, oh
You're gonna leave 'em falling down

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

(I would have to edit the lyric for them a bit so that it would be in proper English)

Here's hoping that the lesson would go well as planned and I would walked out the classroom feeling good, knowing that I have taught them something useful and motivational :-)

that IS my cat. this IS my book.

Rase macam senang aje kan ayat ayat bawah ni:-

That is my cat.


This is my book.

Average Malaysians would understand the above sentences with no difficulties and could produce own sentences like the above with very little effort or perhaps none at all. However, there are some who can't fathom the above sentences let alone writing them on their own, using own words. And they are my students. I teach both first and the last class for Form 2 (and another form 2 class that is quite weak too) and you could see a vast difference between these two classes. Kadang kadang rase sebak jugak..sebab sebelum jadik cikgu nih memang tak pernah terlintas yang ade murid yang sungguh sungguh lemah.

Kalo ade yang cakap, semua orang nih dilahirkan sama saje, tapi usaha yang memainkan peranan. Sorry, but I beg to differ. Students kelas yang depan depan nih senang skit nak tangkap dan fahamkan ape yang dicakap walaupun ade tuh yang malas tahap gaban T_T. Hati terang. Tapi yang kelas belakang belakang ni kene betul betul cakap the simplest way possible, ayat kene pendek dan tepat. Ade jugak yang rajin dan dapatlah result yang okay tapi masih jauh ketinggalan lah kalau nak dibandingkan dengan students kelas lain. Kesian kan. Tapi usaha tuh memang patut dipuji :-)

Hari nih saje I spent a period teaching them when to use 'IS'. Baru 'IS' saje, belum masuk 'ARE' lagik sebab sadly, hanya a few saje yang cepat catch up dalam kelas tuh and I have to cater to the majority.

Paling best, bila akhir waktu, suruh buat ayat sendiri, most of them could do it. Phew. Terase lah berbaloi mulut nih bergulung sebut bende yang same aje. I don't set a high expectation for this class because I have to get real. Therefore, I am planning to equip them with the basic stuff so that maybe they could use it later on in their life. Janganlah sampai nanti nak perkenalkan diri sendiri dalam Bahasa Inggeris pun tak buleh huu.

Hari nih jugak form one students abes orientation. Memang la ramai yang cecomel tahap candy tapi ituh baru baru awal tahun kan, semua masih ade halo atas kepala :-D Towards the end of their orientation, they had to seek for the teachers' signature and the teacher's room was crowded with these little eager mini people. However, only a few came to me. There were probably around 25 students. Sebabnye ? Lepas derang bukak aje mulut tanye mintak signature bagai, aku cakap :- "you would have to speak to me in English if you want my signature". Hah, menggagau bebudak tuh nak carik cemane nak cakap "tolong tulis nama dan tandatangan di sini" dalam BI.

Yang dapat signature aku tuh, thumbs up for trying. Two thumbs up for not being scared at the thought of speaking in English. You shouldn't be scared of something that would do you good :-)

the secret for an extra boost of happiness ;-)

The secret for an extra boost of happiness and probably an eternal youth look too is plain and simple. It is, not to whine. Jangan merungut. Ataupun bila dah ter-merungut tu, cepat cepat sedar dan stop.

Perasan tak, bila dah merungut tuh selalunya kite rase self pity. Bila da rase kesian kat diri sendiri tuh menebal, kite rase sedih. Bila dah sedih, kita rase tak semangat. Bila tak semangat, nak buat kerja pun malas. Bila kerja tak dapat siap, kita susah hati. Susah hati pulak boleh menyebabkan kita nampak tua. It's a chain reaction.

Lagipun dera orang lain untuk dengar rungutan kita pun tak elok. Kesian orang tu, terpakse buat buat muka simpati sedangkan dalam hati "alaa bila la dia nih nak stop bosan betul aku dengar". Paling teruk kalo nanti orang tu jadik menyampah. Lepas tuh elak elak nak bercakap dengan kita sebab takut jadik mangsa pendengaran rungutan lagik. Oh no T_T

Tapi orang kate it's better to let your problems be heard than keeping it in because it could eat you up inside. In my opinion, there's a fine line between sharing your problems and whining therefore you have to be smart so as not to come across as a whiner.

Selalu jugak orang tua tua cakap, jangan banyak merungut nanti Allah tarik nikmat sesuatu tuh dari kita barulah kita rase menyesal. Huu.

Why am I posting this post? Haa...sebab nak self motivate. Hmmm I want to avoid whining sebab dulu selalu jugak suka merungut, last last diri sendiri rase tak semangat. Bila dah dapat kerja untuk tahun nih kalo buleh tak nak la merungut tak tentu hala. Fuuuuh, semangat!