My Sacred Space

byebye

2011-09-26T21:38:00.001+08:00

Im outta blogger. Im on wordpress now.

My wordpress.

irony

2011-09-25T12:30:00.002+08:00

My parents got me an iPad 2, just after I ranted half an entry in the previous post about how I have had enough of tablets. How ironic!

I have been interning at Bnama for almost a month now.

I am still trying to find that one area in writing that I'm especially good at. So far, business writing is not it, but I can learn. The reason why I can't write in business properly is because I dont understand it.

I wish they would just send me to a class or something. That would be ridiculous, considering I am not a permanent staff. Or should I hunt for a "Business Writing for Dummies" book?

The best part of this job is going for product launching. Considering I am only an intern, my supervisor sends me to a lot of these. No "serious" assignments yet, like company AGMs.

One step at a time. Inhale, exhale.

Greetings

2011-09-19T15:28:00.001+08:00

It is now my third week of internship. And boy, it has been very interesting. I never would have dreamed of becoming part of the business journalist fraternity. Because back in Uni, Business writing and Economic classes are two of the subjects I don’t find particularly compelling.

So when the Bnama people told me that I am under economic news service, I was a bit disappointed. This field is not my expertise and my biggest fear is failing. Also, I worry that my flair for writing won’t shine through.

But I realise I need the job experience. And if I don’t try it out, not only will it be impossible to fail, it will also reduce my chances of success to 0%.

I like my current job. The people I work with are making it tolerable for me and for that, danke schoen. This job allows me to go to new places and meet interesting people every day...however, I only get to write the “business” side of it. Macam rugi pulak... So that is when I decide, maybe I can write the non-business side of it here. E.g my opinions. I’ll start tomorrow.

On the other unrelated matter, I am 90% convinced that I have had enough of tablets. The other 10% is peer pressure telling me how “cool” it would be to own a Blackberry playbook. I have been using a mini laptop for almost two years now and I thought I was satisfied...until my brother brought his desktop computer back home.

It was love at first sight, I tell ya! The screen resolution is unbelievable, it’s like I’m watching a freaking flat screen. I can install video games using CDs and God, how much I miss computers with CD drives!

I realise it’s impossible to bring a desktop everywhere. So my next portable computer will be one with high screen resolution, a big ass memory and most importantly, a CD drive.

Hey there

2011-08-21T00:42:00.003+08:00

It’s been a while since I last blogged. I have been away from my blog for a month!

Now I am having a hard time figuring out how to start writing.

…well, I am now a year older. I turned 22 years old last July 24^th. During the eve of my birthday, my mind was very actively searching for the theories and life lessons I have collected so far. But they were hidden deep within my brain, fragmented and unorganized, because I haven’t been using them. Yepp, that’s the result of 4 months of holiday and oh, not to forget the extra kilos of fat I have joyfully taken up.

This was what happened on my birthday.

We are now in the midst of Ramadhan and soon we will be celebrating Aidilditri. I usually anticipate this holiday because it is that one time of the year where all my family would gather. But this year it feels different.

It’s the first Aidilfitri without my arwah nenek Armah.

I will be missing out on a lot of family gatherings because I will fly to KL on the 3^rd of September to start my internship. I got accepted to do my internship at Bernama Wires. I am thankful, I am excited, I am nervous… and I feel intimidated because it's a massive news agency. I promised myself I shall rock this, so rock it, I shall.

I just have to remember that every day, I am one step closer.

How time flies

2011-07-20T19:11:00.002+08:00

I am obsessed with my niece and nephews. They are all painfully good looking. I want them to grow up with lots of cute pictures to look at as memories.

2009

2011

P/S: Mia took this picture of me and I like it.

What happened in July so far

2011-07-12T11:14:00.009+08:00

July 2nd 2011: Diving at Sipadan with Uncle Chang

Uncle Chang is the dive company that we choose to hire. I went diving with my sister and aunty. Going to Sipadan Island is such a challenge because you need to apply for a permit to enter the island. There are only 100 permits daily.

...but once you're there, it's so worth it.

Anyways,the dive sites that we went were South Point, Drop Off and Barracuda Point.

L-R: my aunty, my sis and me; me with our dive masters from Uncle Chang

Clockwise: Nudibranch; midnight snapper; camera-ready diver; black tip shark.

July 7th 2011: Diving at Mabul with Scuba Junkie

For this Mabul diving trip, we choose to dive with Scuba Junkie, a very proper and organized dive company. I went with my sister and brother in law. My brother in law was taking his Advance Open Water Diver license, while my sis and I just went for a fun dive.

I think Mabul is my favorite island so far and my favorite dive site is the artificial dive site. I love artificial reef. The dive sites we went to were Artificial, Eel Garden and Lobster Wall.

L-R: Gerard, my brother in law and old friend from Perhentian Island, Syed Hafiz; Me.

L-R: my sister and brother in law; some local Mabul kids fishing.

All these amazing islands are at Semporna. Semporna is about one and a half hour drive from Tawau, my hometown.

July 8th to 10th 2011: KK trip

It was supposed to be a friends trip. I was supposed to bunk in with my girls, go out until late at night with them and what not. But it turned out to be more of a family thing, which is just as awesome. Didnt get the chance to meet up with my girls at all- Sorry about that.

July 8th 2011: The matrimonial union of Kee Salmiah and Christobal Falconi Hoyos. The bride is technically my grandmother. Her husband is Mexican and they met on facebook. I was told they were fighting about animal rights. Ahh love has a funny way of sneaking into one's life eh?

So as a conclusion, my grandmother married my Mexican grandfather that she met on facebook. That's something not everyone cay say, right? :)

L-R: my aunty Wahida, Vie Shantie and her hubby Eizlan; me with my hottie aunty Famila.

The gorgeous cake and the gorgeous couple. Selamat pengantin baru nenek and atuk :)

July 9th 2011: kenduri at aunty Salwah's.

July 10th 2011: lunch at Hyatt and afternoon bike ride around aunty salwah's neighborhood

P/S: I love Tawau and its awesome people :)

28 days challenge

2011-07-01T14:41:00.001+08:00

*gulp*

X-Men First Class

2011-06-27T08:04:00.003+08:00

I watched X-Men First Class at the movies twice already. I love it and I am crazy about it.

I think the people who created the Marvel superheroes are trying to keep the fan's passion for the franchise alive, nurture them as well as sparking new ones. The first X-Men movie was released around what? 11 years ago right? That's exactly half of my entire life.

Maybe that's why this movie has a special place in my heart; because it's familiar. I did not grow up reading the comic books, so I do not know the what-was-what and the who-was-who, and this explained it all. After watching this movie, it felt like a void is now filled.

Now, about the characters, the one that really appeals to me is Erik Lehnsherr also known as the sexy Magneto, played by Michael Fassbender. I went nuts every time I hear him speak in German. *melts*

Now, the only question left unanswered is: Who is ready for Captain America and Transformers Dark of the Moon? I'm stoked.

I want all these dresses

2011-06-21T12:23:00.003+08:00

Ideal life

2011-06-07T18:03:00.003+08:00

from here

I need me one of this

2011-06-07T00:53:00.003+08:00

Maybe with this hanging on my bedroom wall, my room wont be such a mess anymore. Maybe. Just maybe.

Our awesome day outside

2011-05-31T22:29:00.000+08:00

Aariz and Cik Ana

2011-05-26T13:20:00.001+08:00

My name is Aariz and I'm adorable.

Here's what's what, in chronological order.

2011-05-24T13:52:00.001+08:00

April 29th, 2011. Mist Club Bangsar.

I didnt plan on going and I was not even a follower of the Cleo bachelors. But a friend over at FlyFm got an extra pass and decided to tag me along. I couldn't thank her enough! It was a good night and by the wayyyy, which part of KL did they find those fine gentlemen?

May 4th, 2011. Sunway Resort Hotel.

My sister got an invitation to this fashion show but considering she is in Tawau and currently very busy juggling her work and kids, I got the pleasure of going to the Mango Spring/Summer fashion show. I think Mango managed to be fashionably up to date whilst keeping their concept constant over the years. And i guess, it works very well in their favour. I love how they play with the design; using vibrant colors on simple designs and toning up dull colors with edgy designs.

May 12th, 2011. Nenek's.

I am now in the midst of my 4 months semester break. On the 12th of May, my mom, aunties, uncles and grandma got back from their Umrah. The next day, my dad, brother in law and brother went for their Umrah. So my family threw a little kenduri in honor of those who have just return from their Umrah and to those who will be going for their Umrah.

May 15th, 2011. Appy's house.

The girls had a get together and they also threw my mom and aunty a surprise birthday party.

So cute! Best friends forever :)

May 21st, 2011. Nenek's.

Princess Nuyui's 2nd birthday party. How can you not melt seeing this little sunshine? :)

Thats all for now. I do hope there will be more gatherings in the near future :)

P/S: I'll be turning 22 years old, this day in two months. Just saying.

Hello

2011-05-01T08:24:00.005+08:00

About three weeks ago, my senior from EH! called me up to arrange an interview. She was doing an article about three girls who have three different body types for the EH! website: Skinny, Curvy and Chubby. I was the curvy girl.

To read full article, click here.

P/S: Im not 24 hehe

Random reminiscing

2011-04-28T15:23:00.003+08:00

I went to dinner with Wendy last night at Barra. Barra used to be our favorite place to hangout. I used to live around there, but then the area became too congested and parking was becoming a major problem for me. So I started parking in the middle of the road, like everyone else.

...and then I started collecting parking tickets from the traffic police. I would get up to five tickets per week and that drove my mother off the roof. So I moved to a quieter neighborhood.

Barra is on facebook now. No surprise there because everything and everyone has facebook. Semua benda, semua tempat, semua orang.

After Wendy and I finished dinner, we talked and it is only appropriate to reminisce about what we went through, Barra seems to trigger this conversation of the past. As we were talking, a guy with an SLR came to our table, gave us a flyer and say he wanted to take our picture for their FB page. "Nanti pegi FB page Barra, and then tag gambar korang eh"

So this is our picture.

taken from Barra's fb page

I have a new favorite place for lunch. It's called Ayam Dara. They are also on facebook.

yummeh ayam bakar @ Ayam Dara

You know what I think? I think this is a brilliant marketing plan. Utilizing social media tools to promote their business. It relates to my academic writing topic.

...and speaking of which, I should get to it.

Everyday I'm shuffle-ing

2011-04-28T12:06:00.004+08:00

I would do anything to be in this video because it defines what cool means.

Just like the first time

2011-04-24T23:32:00.002+08:00

I love you with all my heart.

Nature never disappoints: My weekend in Hulu Yam Selangor

2011-04-06T12:13:00.001+08:00

I spent my weekend (1st to 3rd April 2011) making love to nature in Nur Laman Bestari camp in Hulu Yam Selangor. I was there for the Leadership Enhancement and Development Programme organized by my faculty. The sound of the programme came across as a highly adventurous event to me, so I did not bring my SLR.

...boy, was that a mistake!

I mean, it was adventurous but photography opportunities were everywhere. The camp was amazing and the programme was a whole lot of fun. Thanks to our lecturers for organizing this programme. To the facilitators from Rebutia, thank you for making us closer. I am looking forward to our future alliances, inshaAllah.

These are the pictures taken by our head facilitator.

Introducing our groups: Burlesque, M.O.J (which stands for Mak Okay Jerr) and Titans.

Night orienteering

Water activity: The boys did rover crossing. The girls did river crossing too, but with a little twist.

The girls had to carry one team member at a time across the river. I had no problem being the one carrying, but I have a major problem being carried. One, they're all tiny! Two, I have trust issues. Nevertheless, these girls did great and they actually succeeded. Thank you for not dropping me!

My Titans hard at work.

1. Our task was to make a pair of footwear out of a box, newspapers, two eggs, scissors and a box cutter. The catch is to place the eggs at the middle part and prevent the eggs from breaking when one steps on the shoes.

2. We were told to design our group flag using paint. We werent given any brushes or any palette, so we have to use our hands.

3. My Titans yang segak, bergaya dan berbakat.

At the end of our hiking session, we were told to cook our own dinner. Using a buluh. But they were just kidding, they were trying to teach us survival skills. But we did actually went through with the cooking, we call it "nasi dan ayam dalam buluh golek" because the buluh actually rolled away from the fire many times.

1. Thats yours truly on fire duty.

2. My teammates and our facilitator mixing the ingredients (rice, water, chicken and salt) in the buluh.

3. Team Burlesque.

Our daily morning work out session.

On our last day, we played Paintball. I love it!

The people who made this trip possible: Encik Faisal, Encik Nasri and Puan Hariyati Ariffin.

I would do this over and over again. So here is what I just realized, if you want to make a group of people closer, take away their handphones or at least put them in a place with no reception for a weekend. That will always do the trick.

I just gotta post this

2011-04-03T20:47:00.000+08:00

So proud *tears*

Sucker Punch

2011-03-30T18:27:00.001+08:00

I went to watch Sucker Punch yesterday.

I have heard mixed reviews about the movie, so I decide to check it out myself. I don't like the movie per se, but there are parts of the movie that I love.

1. The characters

A combination of five hot girls with machine guns are always, always a definite hit. And is it a coincidence or are the characters purposely given names that made them sound like strippers? Baby Doll, Sweet Pea, Rocket, Blondie and Amber. Ha? Ha?

Blondie, Sweet Pea, Baby Doll, Amber and Rocket.

2. The graphics

Really amazing. I felt like i was playing a video game all the time.

3. The quotes

If you guys follow me on twitter, you might caught me tweeting some of the quotes by the "wiseman".

Baby Doll was institutionalized at a mental hospital by her son-of-a-gun stepfather. If you were to watch this movie, there will be confusing parts, e.g. when she was supposed to be dancing, she was battling instead. It was actually all in her head, she creates an alternate reality to help her get through actual reality.

When I heard Vanessa "highschool musical" Hudgens was going to be in this movie, I got a little skeptical. I dont like her in Highschool Musical and I dont like her as a singer. But I decide to give her the benefit of the doubt and I actually think she's evolving as an actress. She did good in the fighting scenes. Maybe it was a mistake to start her career with Highschool Musical, my opinion.

Anyhoo, I decide to take on Hunny Madu's challenge; puasa from twitter from 12pm to 7.30pm. It's harder than it sounds. Am I cheating for blogging instead?

My friend Fard came to Shaharem today and took me, Wendy and Shawal to lunch. It was fun! I miss my friends.

Fard's vest.

Hunny Madu's Private Listening Party

2011-03-28T17:28:00.001+08:00

Hunny Madu, the spunky FlyFM DJ will be releasing her album in May 2011. Last Saturday (March 26th), she invited a few privileged bloggers to a Private Listening Party at Rafikoncept Studio TTDI. Yours truly was one of them.

The album will be called Pulau Janji. I love all her Malay songs, one in particular, called Kisah Kita. Im sure everyone will go crazy over this one. Apart from its' mellifluous melody and crazy sweet lyrics, the song features Anuar Zain. ANUAR ZAIN!

Hunny also graced us with an impromptu performance of the song Kisah Kita.

Here are the track list of Pulau Janji

1. 3 Perkara

2. Shake

3. Hey R (featuring Najwa)

4. Dari Masa Hadapan

5. Kisah Kita

6. Ting Ting

7. Bayangkanlah

8. Miss Strong

9. Berlari (Tolstoy)

10. Luxe Life

11. Pulau

Here are the results of our camwhoring sessions.

Top-Bottom: playing (I mean that literally) on the drums when Hunny was in the other room; the food; yummy red velvet cupcake.

clockwise: during discussion; me with Maria Elena; me with blogger Syaza; during camwhoring session.

performing Kisah Kita.

Stolen from Aida Arisya.

Stolen from Rita.

p/s: Click here to follow Hunny Madu on Twitter and Facebook, if you haven't already.

p/s/s: Good news people! check this out.

Nature never disappoints

2011-03-22T16:10:00.002+08:00

I had a class trip to Taman Negara Pahang last weekend; it was for my Communication and Change subject. I made a lot of new friends and it was a fun trip overall. I mean come on, nature never disappoints.

We stayed at a place called Kampung Pagi in Jerantut, Pahang. The village was a little secluded and in order to go there, you must travel by boat or four-wheel vehicles. The only service provider available is maxis. Considering I am a celcom user, my phone was completely pointless there. Me and my blackberry are inseparable, and to have it as an accessory and not functioning, I get a little claustrophobic at first. I felt like my world is suddenly limited to only what’s in front of me.

I like knowing what’s going on with the world and the social media does just that. I was so used to living in a world with no boundaries thanks to the internet. Heck, I stayed up all night to listen to Hosni Mubarak’s speech online. I monitor Anderson Cooper’s tweets to know what’s up with Japan and Libya. I stalk my mom’s facebook to know what she’s up to everyday.

...and then all of the sudden, I got disconnected from everything and I was unreachable. I can’t help but feel suffocated. But it’s so ironic though; in the midst of my uneasiness living in the kampung with no internet, those two nights I spent there were the best sleep I ever had. I slept early and woke up early.

So it’s true then, internet causes insomnia.

When I say the kampung has no internet, don’t get me wrong. There’s wifi service and my friends told me the connection is really good. But I didn’t bring my laptop and my blackberry is Storm 1, so there’s no wifi. Sad. I think God is trying to tell me I’m a survivor because I got used to it by the second day.

The boys stayed at the chalet because there were not many of them. The girls stayed at a school in the village, in dorm rooms. The villagers are so warm and welcoming. I love that we were included in their activities. We played gasing, baling selipar, bola sepak and one of them taught us how to parut kelapa.

The main highlight of this trip is to visit the orang asli at Taman Negara Pahang. That was an experience to remember. Too bad we only visited them for a few hours. I would love to camp out in their kampung and observe them. How is it possible that there are still groups of people who reject change? Here I am, rambling half of this entry about how I cannot live without technology and then there are those who don’t want technology? Again, the irony tickles my fancy.

Here are the pictures of my weekend in Pahang.

P/S: I got an invitation to Hunny Madu’s private listening party for her upcoming album this Saturday. I would like to thank Hunny Madu for the invitation. I cannot wait! This, I would say, is another dream come true. *blessed*

Narcissist weekend out (video)

2011-03-15T03:48:00.002+08:00

I like doing this! I hope I'll get better at it one day.

Anyways, this is the story of my weekend.

The kids came to visit Cik Ana (video)

2011-03-09T18:59:00.002+08:00

I was so bored today. I did absolutely nothing. It was only a few hours ago, that I decide to do this. I have always wanted to experiment with video editing, so consider this my baby step. I wish I have a cool software to make movies, but unfortunately, I only have Windows Movie Maker. Good enough for a beginner with a small computer (with a not very high screen resolution).

Never too late (or too early) for a happy childhood

2011-03-07T16:28:00.010+08:00

Less than two weeks ago, my friends from Tawau came to visit, last week (March 3rd) my eldest sister and her family came to KL for a holiday. Each and every time any family members or friends came to visit, I automatically become a tourist. Not a tourist guide, but a tourist.

March 3rd 2011, we stayed at JW Marriott, considering it's opposite Pavilion and connected to Starhill, would definitely make their shopping trips easier. It's quite a challenge to go on a holiday with a child, a toddler and a 4 months old baby.

...but it was one of the most memorable trips ever.

We went to Aquaria KLCC, and it was my first time. So I was equally as sakai as the kids. We basically spent the whole day at KLCC, including the park and Suria.

After two nights at Bukit Bintang, we moved to The Gardens Hotel, Midvalley. The kids and I got our own room woohoooo.

Bowling in our room before bedtime

L-R: me with 4 months Aariz; My sis with her kids; Mia gedik

We went to Sunway Lagoon. Zubair was tall enough to go on the rides in the water park, so it was a blast for him. Princess Mia, on the other hand... She is pretty tall for her age, but not tall enough. Maybe next year kiddo. When she cant get what she wants, she'll cry until our ears bleed.

This kid really grows on you. So hard not to melt when he smiles, and he's very generous with his smiles :) You just gotta keep the milk coming. I love you Aariz!

P/S: our Sasaran magazine is out! Masscommers, get your copy at the masscomm office.

The contents are really good. I'm proud of my friends and it was a pleasure to have you people in my life :)

Awesomeness overload

2011-03-03T23:39:00.001+08:00

Word.

2011-03-03T18:23:00.000+08:00

awwwww aint that sweet

2011-03-03T13:39:00.002+08:00

Motivation(s)

2011-03-02T16:34:00.002+08:00

...I'm gonna head to the gym now.

To privatize my tweets or not?

2011-03-01T16:59:00.005+08:00

I dont think I have anything to hide from the world (except maybe my incessant cussing). I mean, I approve every each one request to follow me.

The pros: Chances of having celebs that I tagged read my tweets are high. When your tweets are PRIVATE, no matter how many times you tag the name of someone who is NOT FOLLOWING you, kau jangan harap lah dia reply because they cant even read your tweets.

To be honest, I want our PM and the painfully witty Bik Mama to say hi to me.

The cons: I have to be extremely careful with my tweets.

I have made my decision, my tweets are viewable for public, for now.

Caroline Costa

2011-02-27T16:01:00.004+08:00

Someone PLEASE explain to me why is it that I have only known about this amazing girl 15 minutes ago?

She's French, so...

...Caroline Costa, je t'aime!

You just gotta love her

2011-02-26T20:18:00.002+08:00

Yuna is awesome.

Hair Treatment,Terima Kasih Cinta, Shue's birthday and Hunny Madu.

2011-02-26T02:26:00.008+08:00

I went for hair treatment today. I usually just wash and condition and I prefer doing it myself. I dont trust other people with my hair. Believe you me, if I have eyes at the back of my head, I would be the one cutting my own hair.

But now that my hair is getting longer and I want them to be healthy, I guess I have to invest in more than just shampoo and conditioner. *sighs*

Anyhoo, the real reason why I wanted to go for a hair treatment is because of this entry by the talented Diana Rikasari.

The entry is called "Hair Advice: Things that can damage your hair"

1. Thinking that hairdrying using hairdryers is so relaxing.

I dont use hairdryers. In fact, this is the reason why i avoid frequent trips to the saloon. I REJECT those saloons that uses flat irons after they wash your hair and blowdry it.

2. Tying your hair too tight, for too long, too often.

Weird fact about me: if I put my hair up in a bun or a ponytail for a few hours, I get a major headache. So that is why, panas macam mana pun, I always let my hair down. I'll only tie it for plus/minus 30 minutes.

3. Brushing your hair using fingers, every single day.

Errrr is this really bad for your hair? It's kind of my habit.

4. Walking, eating, swimming under direct sunlight.

I try not to.

5. Spending more on phone bills rather than hair treatments.

What a slap in the face. This is why I went for that hair treatment. I dont spend more on phone bills because mummy takes care of that every month, but I spend more on other stuff. Like, food.

the gorgeous mummy Sofia Vergara. I want her boobs,... I mean, her hair.

By the way, I went to watch another Malay theater the other day, Terima Kasih Cinta. The theater was based on the movie Cinta. What I like about this one is they really sing instead of mime. My favorites were Tony Eusoff, Deja Moss and Latif Ibrahim.

Thanks to Ucup for scoring us the tickets. Grand Circle seats on a Gala Night.

L-R: believe it or not, this picture is candid; my ticket.

L-R: With the fly.fm DJ Hunny Madu that I love so much; the cast of Terima Kasih Cinta.

Last but not least, Happy Birthday to my classmate Shue :)

L-R: sebelum; semasa; selepas.

L-R: shue, shida, nana and rogue; me and my man; me and atarashy.

P/S: FINALLY I found the courage to overcome my shyness to go up to Hunny Madu and ask for a picture. I met her once last year at Borneo Rainforest, she was hosting the Fly.fm Campur Chart Goes Live. She's too cute for words and I love reading her blog, even though she rarely updates. I am stoked for the launching of Hunny Madu's full album in May. Aaakk!

Punjabi and Bodyguards

2011-02-25T01:19:00.005+08:00

Wendy went to a Punjabi wedding a week ago with her family, so her mom got her two Punjabi clothes and they're gorgeous. So today, while she was cooking lunch, I decide to try them on.

Result!

Never have I thought red and green would look great together.

I want to buy Punjabi clothes. However, would it be weird if I wear it on a daily basis? Because based on experience, people get weirded out if I wear Baju Kurung on normal days. Is it not okay for one to wear Baju Kurung in a shopping mall?

P/S: I am so sick and tired of having bodyguards following me around.

all I wanted was to do a little grocery shopping.

Fun fact: Although these guys arent really my bodyguards, they're real police officers. Thank you for your cooperation officers :)

That day my Tawau friends came to visit

2011-02-24T16:10:00.005+08:00

Day 1:

One of my best friends happen to be my cousin. So they stayed at my cousin's slash bestfriend's apartment in Sentul. Considering I dont know the way, I decide to force my man to come with me to show me the way, also to mingle with my friends.

My man is the coolest.

Day 2:

That night, I joined them at i-City.

Day 3:

We went to Genting Highland! Thanks to Uncle Hadi, Aunty Liza and Angoh for being our chaperons :) Around midnight, we went to Danau Kota to do a little shopping.

Day 4:

Last day. Sent them to the airport. That was a sad sad day. We've planned this trip since the May 2010 and I am grateful they actually went through with it. Love you girls :)

My Heart

2011-02-23T16:35:00.001+08:00

This heart, it beats, beats for only you. My heart is yours.

My gorgeous Mia

2011-02-17T16:29:00.002+08:00

P/S: Sorry, just had to show off how awesome my niece is.

on my mind-basically a summary of what I've been tweeting

2011-02-14T01:40:00.006+08:00

1. Egypt and its newly obtained democracy

I follow Egypt's journey from day 1 of the protest, January 25th 2011 and twitter made it so efficient. To my twitter followers, sorry for spamming your timeline with info about Egypt. I just thought I'd share about these Egyptian heroes; these people fought and died for democracy, their perseverance is inspiring. Imagine camping out in Tahrir Square for 18 freaking days! I am sure they will not waste their hard-earned democracy.

We should take this historical event as a lesson. Egyptians sacrificed their life for democracy, so we shouldn't take ours for granted.

Siapa yang bawak balik Malaysian students from Cairo? UMNO.

Opposition party buat apa? Protest dekat US Embassy di KL.

Did it helped? Dont think so.

Result? Some roads in KL were closed by the police.

2. Opinions on Valentine's Day, "the day that shall not be celebrated" by Muslims

I hate the fact that it is being politicized. I believe that JAKIM is doing their job, keeping us on the right Islamic track. I am 102% sure that the JAKIM people who released the fatwa (saying celebrating Valentine's Day is haram) know what they are talking about but I disagree with the term anti-Valentine's Day. Its harsh.

There's a video on Ustazah Norbayah circulating around the internet, that provoked a churh group because she stated that disco, maksiat, couple di tempat sunyi is not an Islamic culture, but a Christian culture (i might be paraphrasing). Salah di situ ya. Every religion prohibits premarital sex. She should've said budaya barat.

Here's what I think: I think Valentine's Day is a day to appreciate love. I know every time anyone come out with this statement, ada la mulut longkang reply "tapi hari-hari pun boleh sambut kasih sayang". But do you? If yes, then I demand flowers EVERYDAY. Feb 14 is the only day where we can be jiwang and people dont make fun of you.

How can you not love this?

It's like Father's Day, Mother's Day, Teacher's Day, Labor Day etc. I'm sure these dates pun mesti ada kebetulan sama hari dengan mana2 hari keagamaan of other religions. But it's the nawaitu (niat) that counts.

in case you're too stupid to know, he's being sarcastic, thus the "gasp"

...but considering JAKIM said Valentine's Day is haram, I celebrate pre-Valentine's Day lah!

3. People to follow on twitter

First and foremost, as a Malaysian, you should follow our Prime Minister. I noticed he is recently active in replying our tweets. I hope that it's really him, because his tweets are ccccool. Ramai jugak orang tanya if it's really him or his PR, the he replied "it's me, the man". Haha. The one guy tweeted "am i cool enough to get a reply from @NajibRazak ?" which he replied with a "Yes ,u are cool !"

Next, follow Bik Mama please. It's a parody account of our First Lady. You know what? I dah semakin suka our first lady even though I know this Bik Mama person is not our real first lady. She's funny!

Ahmad Izham Omar is such an amusing tweeter. I'm sure you'll love him.

mmmm who else? Oh there's this really interesting girl you people should follow on twitter, view her page here.

back in the gym

2011-02-08T22:08:00.004+08:00

I am back in the gym and I got myself a trainer. I have known him since he was a little boy and I cannot believe he's all grown up, with a beard some more. Kalau ikut pangkat keluarga, he is my cousin's cousin's son. To simplify things, I'm his macik.

He's studying in UiTM, taking sports science. So that is how he landed the job as my trainer. I must say, UiTM gym is so awesome. I love it when free things reach that level of satisfactory.

I used to be a gym buff before this but since Ramadhan 2010, I stopped.

Gained a little weight, lost a little, gain a whole lot of weight and now surprisingly, losing a lot. I was 67kg during the semester break and now I am 63.4kg. The reason why want to start working out again is because I want to keep on losing weight. Apparently, my way of working out was completely wrong.

Without a trainer, all I do when I hit the gym is go on the bicycle for 30 minutes and then that's it. So my trainer had me do this InBody test; to calculate how many percent of that 63.4kg is muscle and fat. Here's my result.

1: my goal weight 57kg

2: my weight 63.4kg

3: muscle mass 22.6kg. need to increase.

4: my body fat mass: 21.7kg. need to decrease.

5: my water, protein, mineral and fat free mass are okay.

6: my BMI is normal.

7: BUT my percent body fat states that I am obese.

8: Waist-hip ratio- I totally forgot what this means. But since its not within the range, Im guessing its bad.

9: Metabolic rate is low. Not a surprise.

10: this is the harsh part. My legs are normal from all those cycling. But my upperbody is overweight. My trainer said I have 11.1kg of fat in my tummy. I quote "It's like you're carrying a bag of rice everywhere everyday" unquote. Thanks buddy, but too much info.

11: This shows that I need to gain 1.3kg of muscle, lose 8.9kg of those freaking fat and my fitness score is 70 out of 100.

Thank you Paramore

2011-02-08T15:27:00.002+08:00

(from hayley william's tumblr)

Thank you for providing me and the rest of the world the musical escape when we need it the most. The sound of your music automatically cancels the unnecessary noise the world makes.

Thank you for making inspiring music. Thank you for making music that I can listen to when I am upset, thank you for making music that I can listen to when I am happy.

Thank you for the wisdom you instill in your lyrics.

Thank you for showing me that pure poetry can make me think.

Thank you for coming to Malaysia. I hope you will come again soon. Seeing you perform live was a dream come true.

Everyone wants a band that they can take with them throughout the journey of their lives. For me that band is Paramore, and for that, thank you Paramore.

Greetings

2011-01-31T22:10:00.002+08:00

I love everything about this picture.

My dress looks great and it fits perfectly, the hairstylist did an amazing job with my hair and looking at this picture, I am reminded of how great the night was. I had so much fun with my cousin Mieza.

So the general election is around the corner huh? In preparation of the upcoming election, I went to the post office and get myself registered as a voter. I am officially at that legitimate age to vote. It feels good when I know I'm doing something right.

Dear 4.2 million unregistered Malaysian voters, sudah2 lah complain sana sini cakap PM tak buat kerja, but are you doing your job? Sudah2 la update facebook status bodoh2 every freakin day. It's time to care.

Jan 31st 2011

Who ever came up with this is pure genius

2011-01-28T13:34:00.003+08:00

I love Jango! It's an online music player. You can edit your playlist by selecting the artists you want to listen to a lot and artists that you'd rather not listen to that much.

I love it I love it I love it!

melts

2011-01-27T09:49:00.002+08:00

...look at Lily (from Modern Family) sleeping on her daddy's arms. She looks like a cat!

Tun Mahathir The Musical 2

2011-01-26T11:07:00.004+08:00

Thanks to my man for scoring me and Wendy tickets to the musical last night. I love musicals. With music, the feeling just gets more and more intense. Words would sound even better when it is coupled with a mellifluous melody. Music is how feelings would sound like.

the talented performers.

Tun Mahathir, bapa pembangunan, bekas perdana menteri, ahli politik, a national hero. It was interesting to get a glimpse of his past, how he met his wife and to better understand his vision.

He dreamed of changing the way the Malays think. In the musical, they showed the time when Chedet bought a boat for his family and then he started singing about "mari berlayar". If you look at the literal meaning, yes its irrelevant.

But if you look at the underlying meaning, it made sense. He is saying see the world, how they live, how they achieve, how much they've achieved and how the people in those developed countries think. Look at what he's achieved. He is setting examples for us to follow.

Sarimah Ibrahim added a sense of humor to the theater, which I thought was funny. God, I can't get over how gorgeous she looked! History is not everyone's favorite subject, so of course they had to improvise a little bit kan?

....and oh, Misha Omar performed at the end of the show, that gave me goosebumps.

I think the production did a wonderful job in maintaining Esma Daniel as the older version of Chedet. He did an amazing job. You remember that one UMNO general assembly in 2002, when Chedet got all emotional and resigned? I remember that time. I was in my mom's room, watching the UMNO meeting on tv with her. When they acted that scene in the musical, I cant stop my tears from rolling down. That was an emotional day for Malaysia.

As a 22 years old, here's my point of view. You want the adolescents to respect the political figures even more, you make more productions like this. The reason why most of us do not care is because we don't know them, you know, personally.

Oh I would so love to watch a musical on Najib. That ought to be interesting. ;)

P/S: Chedet dedicated most of his life to make our lives better. What have we been doing with our lives?

Really cute!

2011-01-25T15:23:00.005+08:00

Remember that time when I met up with my cousin, at The Place Damansara?

I forgot to mention what I did exactly. I was trying her new product, a "twist & tie" skirt that can be turned into a dress, a top and also a hijab.

They have various designs now, it's exciting! The skirt is also reversible. So you'll be able to have different styles using the same Twist&Tie.

If you're interested, check them out here. They provide tutorials too on how to twist & tie your dress according to your preference.

something I read today

2011-01-24T13:26:00.004+08:00

Cold does not exist according to the laws of physics. Cold means the absence of heat.

Darkness does not exist. In reality, darkness means the absence of light.

So, does evil exist?

Evil does not exist unto itself. Evil is not like faith, or love, that exist just as does light and heat. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart.

Russell Brand

2011-01-21T21:47:00.002+08:00

One of the most awesome rock and roll voices I've ever heard. Great voice, witty, funny and good looking. Complete package. Katy Perry, I envy you.

yay!

2011-01-21T13:51:00.002+08:00

I can now smell like Yuna :P

(picture from Yuna's twitter)

Gotta love Pink

2011-01-21T11:54:00.002+08:00

It's nice to have someone who writes this kind of songs. I feel like she's trying her best to make people feel good about themselves. I got really emotional watching this video because I have been through that phase where I felt like I have no significance in the world and all I wanted to do was rebel. Thank God I never did anything crazy like hurt myself with a razor or get involved with drugs and alcohol.

Righteousness comes from Allah and good manners come from parents. (Bukhari)

haha

2011-01-20T19:33:00.002+08:00

I'M WATCHING YOU.

Everyone returns to their place

2011-01-20T10:20:00.006+08:00

I come from Tawau, Sabah and I am pretty proud of it.

Whenever I go to a new place, people are bound to ask me about my ethnicity. I always need a moment to answer. Do I make it easier for everyone and just say I'm a Malay?

or should I just tell them?

When I do decide to just tell them, I always start my sentence with my dad is jawa and chinese. My mom is suluk, chinese and arab. And then I just love to watch their reaction towards that.

Kahwin campur is a normal thing in Tawau. There are over 30 ethnics living in a small district. Of course they are bound to meet.

A Festival Kebudayaan was held in Tawau, for the first time ever on the 15th and 16 January 2011 and during which, all those ethnics portray their culture in the march. I can't believe I missed such event. I hope it's an annual thing.

Anyways, I don't know how many times I've posted this picture, but it's the only recent picture of us yang complete. Raya 2009.

standing: BIL Kahar, brother saiful, me, nephew Haris, BIL Ifwan.

sitting: sis Azlena, niece Mia, nephew Zubair, mom, nenek, dad, sis Lolyta and baby Aidan.

P/S: Anak-anak buah saya semua comel!

Left: Aidan and Haris (Lolyta's + Ifwan's)

Right: Mia, Zubair and Aariz (Azlena's + Kahar's)

sumpah rindu

2011-01-19T11:56:00.004+08:00

Now that I will have four months of semester break, instead of two months, I'll have plenty of time to dive when I am back in my hometown.

Between Sabah and Perhentian, I strongly feel Sabah has better underwater view and the visibility is better. I am not being ethnocentric.

Sometimes sea water will escape into your mask and into your eyes. While I was diving in Sabah, nothing happened. But during this Perhentian trip, my eyes burned and started to swell. And then everyone started calling me mashimaro. Ha!

Despite this little bump along the Perhentian trip, it was still an awesome experience. I met some pretty amazing people who cares about nature more than I do. When you meet someone who dedicate their lives into doing good, it really makes you think about your own. What have you been doing with your life?

When you leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received, only what you have given.

Love our nature and it will love us right back.

Yuna

2011-01-18T10:36:00.000+08:00

My girl Yuna being her awesome self. I got chills man!

Movie marathon weekend

2011-01-17T10:23:00.006+08:00

Over the weekend, I have watched five movies: Tron Legacy, Gulliver's Travels, Khurafat, Black Swan and the 1982 version of Tron.

Tron Legacy rocked my socks off. I would sooooo love to ride on one of those lightcycle. American films have the best sound effects and this movie is another great example. After watching the 1982 version of Tron, I like the old one better. I feel like more thought and effort were put into the script, probably because at that time, they lack of the technology.

The concept of the two versions are pretty similar though... and I am now obsessed with Tron. And don't you think the movie would be more awesome if Channing Tatum plays the role of Sam Flynn? I kept thinking about that throughout the movie. But Garrett Hedlund is hot, regardless.

Tron (1982) and Tron Legacy (2010)

...and if ever there is a need for me to attend a costume party, I will be going as Gem. The smoking hot Gem.

Gulliver's Travels is pretty funny, a typical Jack Black movie I guess. Emily Blunt plays a naive princess. I thought that was interesting because her roles are always strong and sophisticated, e.g. Devil Wears Prada and Young Victoria.

Khurafat is a good Malay horror movie attempt by Shamsul Yusof. A promising young director, he is. I LOVE Sabrina Ali in that movie. I think she did great. There's this scene where she goes masochistically psycho on herself, it's the scene where she was alone in her room with the knife. Blood fest!

Black Swan is another psychotic movie.It's one of those deep and depressing movie. It's about a ballerina who is obsessed with perfection and in the end, she died. Starring: Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. Want to see Natalie Portman masturbate? Want to see Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis make out? Watch the movie.

P/S: Next movies on my list: The Adjustment Bureau and The Green Hornet.

cute

2011-01-12T17:28:00.003+08:00

What's with all this locomotion about facebook shutting down? I did read the article. The dude said they are shutting down facebook because according to him, facebook is getting out of control and that when there is facebook no more, we can go outside and meet people, in real life.

How crappy is that?

Well the way I view it, those big companies are all about making profits and facebook generates a whole lot of those. Are there any CEOs out there bold enough to let that happen?

Plus, I notice a lot of upgrading going on in facebook. I mean, the new profile, the new fast-and-efficient method to upload pictures, the face-detection thingy and five minutes ago, I saw this on the top right part of my computer screen.

My old statuses. How cute!

I used to be a little melodramatic, don't you think?

Free publicity

2011-01-10T19:33:00.005+08:00

We dont have tv in our current house here in shaharem, not yet at least. So I did not watch the recent Anugerah Juara Lagu. But I did read your facebook updates and your tweets.

Sheesh, all full of hatred, it's suffocating me!

Ana Raffali won. I tried giving her a chance because we have the same name. My feelings for her are still neutral. Either you like it or not, either you like her or not, she won. You can go on and on about why you don't think she deserves to win, but in the end, you know where it gets you? Nowhere. And you know what you give her? Free publicity.

...one of these days, Ana Raffali will just come up with something great, and you can't help but love her.

I hear people compare her to Justin Bieber? I once say I hate him. I hated him even more when he came out with that "Baby" song. I made fun of that song too much and I ended up loving it.

I'm disappointed Yuna didnt win though.

Speaking of free publicity,

That was my friend Syaer's story in Melaka Hari Ini newspaper. By the way, Melaka Hari Ini the website is so cool. I am amazed by the digital newspaper. Check it out.

Reminder to self: Fine, go ahead eat whatever you want, as long as you stick to your work out.

My favorite girl

2011-01-08T15:41:00.003+08:00

Numbers

2011-01-07T16:27:00.006+08:00

I would like to apologize if I annoy you with my numbered facebook updates. It's just a little game everyone's been playing on facebook. The rule is like this:

"inbox me any number between 1 and 5000 and I'll make my status your number and what I think about you. Fun thing is, only you and me know what your number is"

At first I thought it was lame. But then, it got more interesting because it is getting more personal. That's when I decide to join. It 's fun reading people's description of myself.

Dear bwitzie, I miss you so much.

Dear Kay, thanks for the compliments and the thinly veiled satire. *sighs* I do miss you.

Dear apish, thank youh! Rapunzel dgn gigitan berbahaya, that cracked me up.

Yes, I decide to tiru Khloe Kardashian when too many people started saying I look like her. When you cant beat 'em, join 'em!

Dear Allah, surround me with more nice people like these please, and then I shall die of the happiest happiness in the history of my life.

P/S: I love this picture.

Thanks to Ashniza Saidun for the picture :)

P/S/S: It's time to get back in shape!

Hey

2011-01-04T17:28:00.006+08:00

I don't blog for the money. I don't blog for the fame. I don't blog to show off.

...well, maybe I want to show off a little bit.

I blog to challenge myself, in a creative way, in my writings and my photography. And I hope, some day, this blog can help me land a job.

If you have been reading my blog, then you must know that I have moved to a new place. Still in shah alam, but a new building. I have two suitcases filled with clothes and I am trying to get rid of them.

To keep them is stupid, to throw them away is even more stupid. So I am selling them.

If you're interested, email me annaorton89@gmail.com or message me on facebook okay? Oh you can also drop me a little tweet tweet ;) (i love your tweets FYI)

It breaks my heart to sell this one... It's one of my favorite beach wear. It's for RM10. Can fit M-L.

*sighs* It's for RM15. Can fit M-L. Bought this one in Doha, Qatar. Oh iziee tried this one and she looks cute. memories.

Never worn this one because I never was that skinny. It's for rm15. Can fit S-M. Stretchable material.

Same one, different colour. RM15. Can fit S-M. Stretchable.

My man's favorite. Can fit M-L. It's for RM20. booked.

Knee-length skirt. M size. So breezy wearing this one. RM15.

another beachwear favorite. *sighs* It's for rm10. Can fit S-M. booked.

Bought this one in Doha, Qatar also. or is it Singapore?? Forgot. It's for 20. M size.

P/S: Price not including postage.

It's Monday and I got the blues

2011-01-03T16:22:00.002+08:00

New year, new house. I miss my old housemates. Yes, Aeina and Syaer, both of you are included in this subset.

Wendy and I went to the TMpoint earlier to apply for streamyx. Facebooking via blackberry just won't do my severe addiction any justice.

I need to send my car for some servicing and polishing. Soon.

My twin and I are at starbucks, utilizing the internet. Caramel Macchiato without Syaer feels weird.

Good news though, I triumphantly registered my subjects online. Usually, there's always something wrong with the system and I always have to trouble the kakak at the masscomm office.

Ahh the curse of long holidays: I'm homesick.

How's it going?

2010-12-30T12:29:00.005+08:00

I just love it when I have an excuse to curl my hair. Here are picture from Fashion Rock, the night when fashion meets music.

L: with Beboy of Sevensoul from Indonesia.

R: with hunky Sabhi Saddi. Love his voice and his song Nadiku. Youtube please.

L: with my cousin Mieza. She got her face art at Elianto. I did my own make up.

R: with the gorgeous mummy Vie Shantie.

Middle: me and my aunty.

L: aunties and cousins.

R: some of the clothes being showcased that night

Congratulations to the Malaysian football team. Congratulations and thank you, you've given us hope and pride. I'm sure the boys now have their own Malaysian football idol to look up to and the girls have their own Malaysian football hunk to drool over.

Yes, Khairul Fahmi is the hunk to drool over. but seriously, is he 21?

We watched the first leg at aunty salwah's home. Cozy and it didnt feel weird to scream. Hehe.

We watched the second leg at Cafe Boleh, Pacific Sutera Harbour. Hosted by my uncle and aunty, Nizam Titingan and Wahida Nursalim. Thanks for the great food!

P/S: Things to do before I die. It would be awesome if I can...

...climb on top of a green lit hill and take pictures of what I see.

...park my car on a highway and take pictures of the zooming cars. At night.

... one day be employed at a publication anywhere so I can go to an ass-kicking rock concert with my SLR. God knows how wonderful that would be.

...be at an outdoor party with balloons and floral decorations, filled with people who are impeccably apparelled.

...go to a country that has a culture that is totally different from ours, and take pictures. Like Delhi *hint hint*

Sabhi Saddi's video clip Nadiku. Sabahan boy whut whut. He used to be in a group with Adam and I thank God its over. He looks better with this new image.

Things that annoy me

2010-12-28T00:25:00.005+08:00

1. When someone turns your yes or no question into an open ended question. E.g: Are you going to lepak with us tonight? Well, i don’t know. I need to do bla bla bla bloody bla bla. Like, oh my God, that was a yes or no question.

2. When someone calls you and you missed it just by a second. And then when you call back right away, the person didn’t answer. Like, what did you do when I didn’t pick up? Dropped the phone and run away?

3. I wake one morning with a promise the night before that I am going to watch what I eat the next day. And then suddenly the fridge is loaded with junk food.

4. Seeing dead animals on the road. It's also creepy and sad.

5. OMG RLY?!! ROFL LOL WTF??? LMFAO yah owel TTYL ILY. Too much of anything is never a good thing. Please.

Let me show you what does NOT annoy me.

PAINTBALL. It's a kick-ass healthy way to bond with my cousins, considering we don't see each other very much. What a great day today! We played indoor paintball at Suria Sabah, Kota Kinabalu.

getting ready.

Left: Showtime. Right: Game over.

It's just RM25 for 100 bullets. Go play lah.

Hello

2010-12-23T03:01:00.006+08:00

I want to start eating healthily again, that means adding more fruits and veggies in my diet, whilst cutting out junk food. I can't promise cutting them out completely though because that's just insane.

series of lepaking L-R: with Fenny at Old Town, Me&Eba and Dira&Kizzy at MB Hotel.

I hope my friends won't take it personally if, once in a while, I decline their invitation for minum petang at Indocafe. I'm not sure I'll be able to resist not having any mango sago or pisang cheese if they're right in front of me.

Mango Sago. One is never enough.

The best pisang cheese ever.

My recent KK trip was great. Didn't get to shop that much but I'm really grateful because I got a lot of family time. I will be going back to KK this Saturday, until the 31st of December. I hope I'll get to meet my KK friends this time :)

@ Mango, brief shopping trip in KK. I loved the skirt but didn't end up buying it. Sekarang aku menyesal.

Anyhoo, the reason for my upcoming KK trip is to attend the Fashion Rock event at Magellan Sutera Harbour. It's a fashion show and a bunch of my family members are going. I still haven't finalized what I'm going to wear to the event though, but I'll definitely wear something comfortable. Damn, I sound like Syaer. :P

I hope it'll be a fun night.

P/S: for my darling soul sisters NoraAshari and IzieeBwitzie. Pay attention during minute 2:13. Love you girls!

This is cute

2010-12-22T17:03:00.000+08:00

I love you Najwa!

My sudden obsession with clouds

2010-12-18T00:00:00.004+08:00

I am now in KK, I'm staying at my aunty's supercool house.

I took these during the flight.

These were taken at waterfront during dawn.

P/S: pre-flight bladder voiding is vital.

Is the glass half full or half empty

2010-12-16T00:07:00.005+08:00

I am now doing a lot of catching up with the series How I Met Your Mother. Have I mentioned I love Barney Stinson? Without Barney the show is boring. He mentioned in one episode that he likes to see the glass half full, showing that he is optimistic. So he got me thinking about my point of view. Is the glass half full or half empty?

Well technically, the glass is never empty. It's always full.

Half water, half air.

Clearly I am running out of things to do. I keep myself busy by being a lazy bumm. Before I started watching How I Met Your Mother, season by season (I started with season 2, now I am on season 5 and I have until season 6), I watched Modern Family.

Modern Family is still considered new because the show is only on their second season now. I recommend you people to watch it! It is hilarious. You know how I usually have a favorite character in every television show I watch right? E.g. Barney Stinson (HIMYM), Sheldon Cooper (Big Bang Theory), Samantha Jones (SATC), Walter Bishop (Fringe), Brittany (Glee)... you get my point. However, I am having a hard time choosing just one favorite character in Modern Family. They all have their significance.

Here are a few videos of Modern Family

P/S: Mia likes to bug people when they eat. If she wasn't that cute and adorable, this behavior would be considered annoying. Here's an example, we were having supper at Old Town.

Bored little vainpot

2010-12-14T22:40:00.005+08:00

I am going to Kota Kinabalu this Friday, so I was figuring out what to bring and then I found this dress. I've only worn it two times.

It looks really good on but it needs a belt. I left my belt in my Shaharem car. Another reason why I never wear this dress anymore is because I couldn't find a proper footwear to go with it, considering I am now a full time Crocs kinda gal. It needs killer heels or a descent pair of flats. You know what this means? Shopping!

Friends and family in KK, note that I will be dropping by on Friday to Monday. Take me out please :)

P/S: Looks familiar?

I love her. So much. But I'm keeping my black hair.

Showing appreciation

2010-12-13T12:12:00.004+08:00

I appreciate the bad times. Only when there's a bump along the road, will you slow down, enjoy the view and realize you're one of the lucky ones. Without little hurdles in life, a good day will be just another day.

So, rather than fretting upon the bad days, appreciate the good ones.

I try to constantly keep this in my mind because I realize that when I get asked about my day, I always say "it was alright". It was definitely more than alright. I get to kid around with my niece and nephew, be a couch potato, internet privileges, the weather is always nice here and I get to see my family every day.

This is a great song to listen to at any time of the day.

The awesome sky, yesterday evening.

my brother's 23rd birthday, 9th December 2010.

Movie marathon. 6th December 2010.

I cant get this out of my head

2010-12-07T17:20:00.006+08:00

Here we go again

I kinda wanna be more than friends

So take it easy on me

I'm afraid you're never satisfied

Here we go again

We're sick like animals

We play pretend

You're just a cannibal

And I'm afraid I won't get out alive

I won't sleep tonight

Oh oh, I want some more

Oh oh, what are you waiting for

Take a bite of my heart tonight

Oh oh, I want some more

Oh oh, what are you waiting for

What are you waiting for

Say goodbye to my heart tonight

Here we are again

I feel the chemicals kickin' in

It's getting heavy

And I wanna run and hide

I wanna run and hide

I do it every time

You're killin' me now

And I won't be denied by you

The animal inside of you

Oh oh, I want some more

Oh oh, what are you waiting for

Take a bite of my heart tonight

Oh oh, I want some more

Oh oh, what are you waiting for

What are you waiting for

Say goodbye to my heart tonight

Hush, hush The world is quiet

Hush, hush We both can't fight it

It's us that made this mess

Why can't you understand?

Whoa, I won't sleep tonight

Oh oh, I want some more

Oh oh, what are you waiting for

Take a bite of my heart tonight

Oh oh, I want some more

Oh oh, what are you waiting for

What are you waiting for

Say goodbye to my heart tonight

Addictive tune. I think the words of the song tells a story about love that has gone completely wrong.

Do I need to explain this?

2010-12-07T13:54:00.003+08:00

We're just a bunch of friends who miss each other and we love role playing :)

So, I bet you notice my new layout. It's more personalized because I actually made that My Sacred Space sign and the background is my arwah nenek's kain batik. Now that I am back to being unemployed, I have time on my hands.

On the other unrelated matter, Selamat Tahun Baru Hijrah to muslims everywhere.

And as for new year's resolution, I was never a believer and I know you secretly agree with me. I understand what it feels like. It's the new year's eve, your friends or maybe the radio DJ got you excited about the unknown possibilities of the future. Well honey, it's their job to do that. They're just being good friends and the DJ is, well, doing his job.

Who actually goes through with their new year's resolution? Read carefully, goes through. Bukan halfway ahhh.

New year's resolution is the once a year promise you make to yourself. And it's pathetic. Why not make yourself a little promise everyday?

Instead of: My new year's resolution is to be skinny. My new year's resolution is to quit smoking. My new year's resolution is to be married. My new year's resolution is get a 5 figure income.

Why not: I promise I will not eat that delicious chocolate bar today. I promise to only smoke three cigarettes today. I promise to eat healthily today. I promise to be nice to everyone today. I promise to work out today.

I despise new year's resolution. I cringe every time people discuss about it. Just because the year is ending, it doesn't mean your present problems end with it. A brand new year does not mean a brand new start. A brand new ending, however, is possible.

#ImJustSaying

My weekend

2010-11-29T00:11:00.012+08:00

When I was 5 or 6, whenever anyone ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would say "be married to a prince". I get teased a lot because of this. At that time, I was serious about it and I don't understand why they thought it was funny. You see, I grew up with the Disney princesses and I grew up wanting to be like them. I want to be pretty, have my own fairygod mother, have my prince sweep me of my feet, get married and live happily ever after.

On my 5th birthday, my mom took me to the tailors to have my dressed designed. I still remember that day! I was holding my coloring book and I remember pointing how exactly I want my dress to look like. I ended up with a gorgeous purple dress.

And on that 5th birthday, my aunty gave me a complete set of Disney Princesses storybooks. Considering this was more than a decade ago and out of all the presents I got, this is the only one I remember, I'm sure you know how intense my feelings are towards them.

If only my hair was long! My dad wouldn't let me keep my hair long because I was always running around and I sweat a lot. Believe it or not, my dad always checks on my hair. He makes sure my hair is always healthy. Thank you for that bapak. Next time anyone ask me why my hair always look nice, I'm going to say "ask my dad!"

I took Mia to the office with me on Saturday, she brought along Garfield. She was pretending to be my assistant. I gave her a piece of paper, a pen and a green highlighter to keep her occupied while I was working. She would pretend to write something one minute and then she was typing something on the computer the next. So cute!

As soon as I was finished at the office, I went to pick up my parents at the airport.

By the way, my sister and I went shopping for birthday presents for my cousin's daughter, Khyrah. And I saw this.

I took a peek inside and I am so impressed! Beautifully illustrated and no nonsense. It's good to train your kids to listen to both sides of the story. Mommies out there, buy it for your princesses.

So apparently it wasnt the Queen's intention to poison Snow White. The reason why she gave Snow White that apple is because the Queen is worried she is not getting enough nutrition! Please enlarge the picture and read what I marked. Its hilarious!

...and it turns out, Cinderella is not the innocent girl we all thought. Mentang-mentang dia cantik, her stepsisters tak cantik, she toys around with their self-esteem. And that significant scene where they tore her dress right before ball, well... you baca sendiri lah!

I find this very refreshing.

I was tempted to buy this for Khyrah, but lets face it, she still can't read and if I were going to buy this, it would be for myself.

This is what we did on Saturday :)

Took the kids for ice cream. Considering my sister needs to be with her newborn baby 24/7 and while she is still on her berpantang mode, Cik Ana is stepping in.

Played with their new toys from atuk and nenek.

Khyrah's birthday. L-R: My cousin Mieza; Khyrah with her parents; us with our gorgeous cupcakes.

Cheeky girl!

...and of course, there are more pictures on facebook.

The awesome

2010-11-26T15:26:00.002+08:00

Tonight, thy shall serenade me to sleep.

Practice Wellness

2010-11-24T15:38:00.004+08:00

I really do not like the song Secrets by One Republic. Because keeping a secret is kind of a one package deal with telling a lie. In order to keep a secret, you have to lie. Or maybe filter the truth, but then again, that is no aberration from lying.

When it comes to gossips, I believe that there are two sides in every story. When I ask a lot of questions, that is my effort in being objective. When I do not ask any questions, that usually means...you cannot imagine the immensity of the fuck I do not give.

It hurts when you hear untrue rumours about yourself. Or your friends.

When I hear anyone talking bad about my friends, I would tell that friend of mine because I expect them to do the same for me. For example that one time I heard a rumour about a friend of mine, kononnya ada double personality. What is up with that? I know her better and she is wonderful.

Alhamdulillah, I know who my friends are and so far, I know I made friends with the right people.

Life is about choices. The future is the outcome of the choices you made in the present. The past can always be used as a reference to help you decide.

So I believe in doing good. I try to be a good friend, so I hope my good friends would stick around. I try to be a good daughter to my parents, so that they know I can survive. I try to be a good person, so that it would not reflect badly on my family. I may not be the best example of a Muslim, but I’m getting there.

The real point of this entry was to say that I have just (finally) watched The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and because of this movie, I now love the song Secrets.

Here are some other songs that I cannot get out of my head:

King of Anything- Sara Barailles.
Double Vision- 30H!3
The Animal- Neon Trees
The Middle- Jimmy Eat World
Flightless Bird, American Mouth- Iron&Wine

Orgasmic

2010-11-23T00:54:00.002+08:00

My God they are talented. Alright, it is set, my two favorite Malaysian Singers.

Yuna and Najwa.

P/S: to those who are too ignorant to care, Najwa is our Timbalan Perdana Menteri's daughter.

Going back for a brand new start is impossible. Start now and make a brand new ending.

2010-11-22T09:18:00.006+08:00

Everything about Emma Stone screams out sexy.

Whether she plays a loser in the House Bunny, a con artist in Zombieland, a rock chick in The Rocker or the high school slut in Easy A. She is flaming hot. I found myself watching marathons of Easy A until I fell asleep two nights in a row just so that I can memorize the way she talks. I love her husky voice.

This is my favourite quote from the movie Easy A:

"Whatever happened to chivalry? Does it only exist in 80's movies?

I want John Cusack holding a boombox outside my window.

I wanna ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey.

I want Jake from Sixteen Candles waiting outside the church for me.

I want Judd Nelson thrusting his fist into the air because he knows he got me.

Just once I want my life to be like an 80's movie, preferably one with a really awesome musical number for no apparent reason. But no, no, John Hughes did not direct my life."

Anyhoo... I just sent my parents to the airport this morning at 7am. Now I am at the office, substituting my mom for a week, while she goes for a first class honeymoon (sponsored by MAS) to Tokyo.

Dear mommy and daddy,

Have a blast! But please don’t forget souvenirs. Hardrock Cafe sweater would suffice. And lots of t-shirts. Be safe, love youh!

In the meanwhile, let’s just hope everything in the office goes well.

P/S: my favorite Easy A scene. She reminds me of myself. I also tend to show this behavior and I know you do too *wink wink*

Airplane tickets, anyone?

Walk to the edge

2010-11-19T21:42:00.009+08:00

My cousin got engaged today. We grew up together, so it feels good to contribute to make her day even more special.

We went to the saloon to do her hair, we went to get our nails done and then we went to Body Shop to get her makeup done. It was just like one of those girls day out, the difference is, there is a time limit to follow. Her engagement ceremony started after the Friday prayers.

I guess the more mature I become, the more I want to be involved in these things. Because when I was younger, I just don’t care. Now that I have grown, I have a lot of questions.

One way that I always contribute is by being the photographer. I have my visions, but I feel that those visions are restricted because of my outdated SLR. I have been using this Nikon D60 for 2 and half years. I love it, but it would be great if I can get my lens upgraded. Hee!

Besides taking pictures, I also observe on how the ceremony is being carried out.

As everyone was seated, automatically, my eldest uncle was in charge. He was the one obligated to welcome the guests and then followed by my cousin’s future father in law. The first thing that popped into my head was,...how awesome, civilized and respectable our culture is. By ‘our’ I meant Melayu.

I have a new appreciation for the Malay culture. I finally get that the adat bertunang is to mark the man and woman as a couple, officially. Instead of just ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’ which is not even our culture.

But I bet every culture have its own uniqueness.

After my cousin is safely engaged, we talked in her room, reminiscing about the old days. I am pretty close with my cousins and our age difference is not a barrier. We are all one big fat group of 16, 17, 21, 22,23,24 even 30 year olds.

I think the reason why we are so close is because we sort of grew up in a similar era. The time where technology is still developing. We didn’t play video games for fun. We didn’t text our friends when we want to talk. We didn’t facebook when we wanted to socialize. We played outside. Hide and seek, Polis & Pencuri, Nenek Kebayan and the ever famous ‘cit kulapit anak cina mati sakit di kubur atas bukit menjadi hantu bangkit’.

Kids, be kids. Or at least stay off facebook until you’re in highschool. Myspace kan ada.

engaged!

If you like it then you should've put a ring on it. Well, he did.

with my cousin Azu. We are very pro-Crocs.

my cousin Mieza.

Mieza, Atun and me.

me, atun and fenny

Well well well. This shouldnt be called a tudung. Because it's not. It's a hoodie.

when we are together, madness is bound to be found.

Lepak at Old Town.

Live with intention

2010-11-18T20:30:00.005+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to everyone, from our family to you!

I feel loved. Loved and blessed. I want to keep reminding myself of this, just so that I will not take this feeling for granted.

oh love

2010-11-18T13:56:00.001+08:00

When was the last time you tell that special person you love them?

...well here's one from me.

Gwyneth Paltrow, I love you.

Playing god

2010-11-17T16:07:00.000+08:00

loves!

Terima kasih untuk ini

2010-11-16T18:35:00.004+08:00

Kata-kata penuh kasih-sayang daripada Cik Nora *Peluk&Cium*

Why am I writing in Bahasa all of the sudden? Well I was doing my Investigative Reporting assignment last night and apparently it should be in Bahasa. This scares me because my Malay essay is constantly boring and I will experience a severe case of the good ol' writer's block.

...unlike my senior, En Ayieq. Makan hati every time I read your blog sebab awesome.

Anyway, I hope everyone will have a good Hajj Mubarak this year. A lot of my family members are home for this holiday. I shall spoil you people with pictures in my next entry.

Catastrophe always lurks around the end of each year. So I hope everyone will take extra precaution and please be safe, wherever you are.

I am thankful because my family and I are blessed, I am thankful because I know who my friends are and mostly I am thankful because, well... just because. :)

Me and her

2010-11-15T19:47:00.006+08:00

The pictures were taken a week ago. As you can see, both of us were still in our jammies because we just got up. It's fun when you have a niece or a sister who is just as vain as you are.

Mia totally copied my every pose. Oh well, she is my apprentice after all :)

Anywhoo, I would like to introduce you people with the current addition to our blessed family, Aariz.

As of today, he is 8 days old! I can just stare at him while he is sleeping, I think it is entertainment enough. By the way, he is Zubair's and Mia's baby brother.

Aariz

...another nephew, another project for me. I'll lure him to our side, vain people. Don't you worry about that.

yoo-hoo

2010-11-14T20:56:00.005+08:00

Im home for the semester break.

Mom needs me to be at the office to learn whatever it is that she does (she owns a travelling agency by the way). I have no objections but the thought of walking in her shoes intimidates me.

My parents will be going on a trip to Tokyo some time in December. Er, or is it some time next week? The perks of being a travelling agent: MAS can be really generous. This Tokyo trip is free by the way.

Considering my sister is on maternity leave, she cant be at the office.

Damn.

Here's a thought though, since I'll be the boss, can I hire an assistant to do my job? Kidding!

What I’ve been doing

2010-11-11T03:41:00.013+08:00

...apart from my exam, of course.

1. I was browsing through my facebook home page and I stumbled upon this one by my girl Eba.

It’s always interesting to know what my friends think about me and yet, a bit risky. You may never know what they might say. Then again, that is half of the thrill. I decide to go for it.

My friends posted these on my wall. Thank you for behaving well ;)

2. I LOVE 8tracks and I love its users. What I like is that they sort the music according to the genre or your mood. Whatever freaking playlist you want, it's there. I googled for a studying mix and the result overwhelms me.

...now I am listening to this.

3. Me, Iziee and Syaer spent some time with my cousin today, doing this.

me, syaer, iziee, haizum and farah.

*Thanks to Danial Anis Marzuki for the pictures! I did a little editing though.

P/S: this might just be my favorite picture of all time. Minus the editing.

Will you still love me tomorrow?

2010-11-09T03:49:00.005+08:00

That beautiful face, that mellifluous voice and that rare talent of hers is overshadowed by series of horrible habits. Too bad. I'm rooting for you, Amy.

She's my second favorite female singer and song writer. The number one, of course, Miss Hayley Williams.

I guess I have a thing for girls with wacky hair.

Lyrics | Amy Winehouse - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? lyrics

The truth is just a rule that you can bend

2010-11-07T21:47:00.002+08:00

Have you watched Scott Pilgrim Vs The World movie? I have.

To be honest, I fell asleep halfway. But that is probably because that was the third movie I watched that day, back to back.

And I continued watching it today, on my Tawau-KL flight.

What appeals to me about this movie, besides the obvious *Micheal Cera* is that the cast is an amalgamation of the not so famous actors I adore. For example, Anna Kendrick from Twilight, Alison Pill from Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Aubrey Plaza from Funny People and Mary Elizabeth Winstead from Final Destination 3.

Other than that, the effects are so cool. Watching this movie in 3D would have been better! I watched it on my lappy.

The movie is funny, but in an unorthodox way. Like the overly exaggerated script, storyline and stunts. I mean, the story itself is about Scott Pilgrim on a quest to destroy Ramona Flowers' seven evil exboyfriends.

Imagine if that were the real protocol of dating. Get the hot girl. Defeat her evil exes. Hit love where it hurts. Isnt that funny?

Plus, the music is so good. Totally my kind of thing. The title of this entry is a line from the song Black Sheep, which is featured in this movie. Click here to listen.

Who would’ve thought the geeky Micheal Cera can do action movies? Loves.

Just Saying

2010-11-06T21:56:00.002+08:00

I am keeping those less fortunate people and those who volunteered to help them in my thoughts and prayers.

Lets love more and hate less. Lets grow up and make amends. Lets be matured and pragmatic.

Together we can achieve greatness.

Dear

2010-10-29T12:22:00.003+08:00

My dad uploaded a whole album of my arwah nenek this morning. I lost my grandma, he lost his mother. I bet its more painful on his side. I know my dad is a good son and the perfect example of a man. Be strong daddy because I am not strong enough.

This is my favorite picture of my arwah nenek. She was born chinese, raised as a muslim. I decide not to edit this picture because it's utterly beautiful as it is.

P/S: I am flying off to Tawau, Sabah today. Give me strength Ya Allah.

Mia

2010-10-28T21:32:00.003+08:00

Well this certainly made my day :)

I miss you already

2010-10-28T19:50:00.004+08:00

You were there my whole life and I never thought you would leave. You are one of the blessings Allah overwhelmed me with but I took you for granted and I forgot to appreciate you.

I will keep the memories I have of you close to my heart and as soon as it doesn't hurt as much anymore, I'll tell everyone my favorite memories of you. I hope you know that you are loved.

You'll always be in my prayers.

I love you nenek. I miss you already.

Fun

2010-10-25T18:50:00.001+08:00

My nails look so much fun.

loves

2010-10-24T14:07:00.007+08:00

My parents were here for the UMNO general assembly. Spent my weekend with them. I just sent them off to the airport at 12pm earlier.

Thanks for the stuff, mummyo and daddyo!

*hugs and kisses*

your little princess

another episode of just for fun

2010-10-21T13:03:00.005+08:00

I need more... Paramore.

2010-10-20T12:57:00.004+08:00

The show kicked off with Ignorance and ended with Misery Business. To those who are familiar with the poetry of Paramore, you know they're good. Watching them live creates an even more intense adoration from me towards Hayley Williams, the girl with the wacky hair.

...and oh, the girl with the wacky hair also said this:

"We have been on tour for 6 years and I can't believe this is our first time here. If I knew this much people were waiting on us, we would've come a long time ago"

"...and it shouldn't take another 6 years for us to come here again"

How do I say this delicately? PARAMORE ROCKS!

I dont know if you remember, sometime last year, I mentioned that one of my birthday wish was to see Paramore perform live. Now that it has been granted, I feel blessed. Family and friends, it's going to take a while for me to get over this concert because it totally ruled.

....it was worth every ringgit I spent. By the way, the pictures and videos are taken from my blackberry.

...and here are the videos.

p/s: more on my facebook

Whut Whut

2010-10-17T14:56:00.002+08:00

I just checked Hayley William's tumblr :)

Malaysian Paramore fans, dont get distracted by the pretty stewardess. Look closely to what Hayley said.

OZ to Malaysia. Whut whut.

Who are they?

2010-10-17T11:27:00.003+08:00

After much tweeted drama on who will be the opening act for Paramore Kl concert, the national mystery is solved. Y2K or "Yes 2 Kapitalism" is the chosen band.

...well I wouldn't say the mystery is solved, per se.

I mean, most of us are still curious on how they get to be the opening act. Not many people have heard of them. Either they are really talented or they have a supreme management staff.

I am checking out their myspace page as I'm writing this. They remind me of the old Sum 41.

p/s: To the masked boys, I'd like to say rock on, good luck and make Malaysia proud.

So gorgeous

2010-10-17T01:42:00.004+08:00

Paramore "The Only Exception Locket".

Need.

Just for fun

2010-10-16T20:56:00.007+08:00

be mine.

digging the ambiance

I wonder if there is a place somewhere in the world, the excalibur is replaced with a light saber. So cool, that would be.

Too tired to walk? Rent a bicycle.

The ice cream is not real. If it's real, I wouldn't share.

Place de la Concorde

I travel light, so that there would be more room for new stuff.

my mom rocks

Immense beauty. I meant the view, but I like the way you think.

Me and my hero, daddyo.

Green Park. Like literally.

I edited a few pictures and I love them. Sure, most of them are my pictures and they just scream out narcissist. But hey...

I am.

So cute

2010-10-16T12:20:00.000+08:00

More of Stopper Island

2010-10-14T10:04:00.015+08:00

...and I still can't get enough.

These pictures are the amalgamation of other people's cameras. Thank you for the memories.

P/S: We did went crazy... a little bit.

Crazy fun!

P/S/S: My sister just posted this on facebook.

Ladies and gents, my goofy niece Mia Afiqah. I miss you, silly girl.