What The?

Toyota is planning to sue the Australian cheap airline giant, Jetstar for intellectual property theft of the JUMP.. Yes, both parties had/is having a campaign where all the satisfied customers demonstrate a JUMP out of happiness and satisfaction.. Toyota claims that they came up with their "What A Great Feeling" campaign first, thus JetStar has no right what so ever to feature people doing the JUMP too.

Silly me to think that JUMPing is just basic human right... I know for a fact that elephants can't JUMP but I wasn't aware that now it's an intellectual property.. Kangaroos and frogs must be pretty smart then, right?



image taken from http://www.contactimprov.com/news/images/kangaroo%20JumpingKick.jpg

Longing for..

Last night, I couldn't bring myself to sleep. I missed home so much. Suddenly, my cosy bed just isn't cosy enough. I looked at the half moon from the window and wished my friends and family are looking at it too, remembering each other.

I missed waking up in the morning and need not think about what to eat. Breakie is almost always ready; tosai or french toast, nasi lemak or mihun goreng. The kids are almost always entertaining; the ditzy (yes, ditzy) Fifi, the polite Aidid, the brash Icha, the cutie Mikhail, the blurry Asha.. Mummy was always there, full on. One who says "I hardly think that you're sexy in anything because you're my daughter and I obviously don't see you in that light".. blaaaah!! One who says "Balik hari ni ke esok ye?" when I step out of the house.

I missed all those all day/early morning/late night sessions with Nina. I think I haven't said enough about her and how much I love her. Have I ever felt bored with her? No. Have I ever resorted to staying away? No. Because I think she's probably the closest thing I have for a soulmate. And to think that she used to hate me... hehe.

I missed going to La Zeez and eating tauhu goreng while watching football. It's sometimes puzzling to discover that we actually go to La Zeez almost every night regardless of where we have been the whole day. These trips wouldn't be perfect without Nabil and/or Acap. Sometimes I think I'll be partially depressed if it weren't for these two people. We follow each other around as if we're obliged to. Together, we go to breakfasts, dinners, lunches, suppers, watch movies, shopping, sports, annoy each other as hell, pretending to be cool..

And on this Sunday morning with me locked in my room eating sandwiches and drinking a mug of coffee, everything seemed so far away. Geez, how come all those small things that always seem to matter don't appear so while it's happenning?

Presidential Error

Some private photo of the prezzy.. If this ain't superfly, then I don't know what is

In A Flash

I was in bad luck today. I only heard stories about how it happenned to other people before but despite having read so many experiences and swore that I'd be prepared, I was equally traumatised when it happened to me.

Was walking back with Syada during the one hour afternoon break (1pm). As we approached the postbox area, I saw a 50ish year old Caucasian man wearing sunnies (in the rain) and a blue windbreaker smiling at us. I smiled back as would be expected and as I was averting my eyes from him, I saw something that I shouldn't have. We acted cool because both of us knew that if we expressed any signs of shock or fear, he would only be happier.

I tried calling the security and the administration office to alert them but unfortunately, they weren't picked up. Girls, I don't mean to cause any panic but just be careful the next time you're walking around the village. Demented people are all around...

Sweet To The Eyes

a) Apple Crumble is easy and fast.. Give it a try : )

Ingredients: 4 Granny Smith Apples, 3 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 cup of plain flour, 4 tablespoon of caster sugar, 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (almonds/pecans/hazelnut- blender pun boleh kalau nak), 60g of butter chopped

How To:
1) Peel the apples and chop each of them into eights. Then chop each of the eights into two. (kirenya adalah 16 pieces from each apple in cube shapes)

2) Cook the apples in a saucepan with the 3 tablespoon of sugar and a little bit (around two table spoon)of water. Use medium/ low-medium heat so that the mixture simmers. Let it simmer until the apples are soft (would normally take around 15 minutes). When the apples are soft, place them in a pie dish.

*While that mixture simmers, preheat the oven to about 190 degrees for 10 minutes (it might vary according to the keganasan of your oven- mine would probably require just 170 degrees)

3) Now for the topping, mix the flour, caster sugar and nuts in a bowl. Then, add the butter in three different intervals. Mix them thoroughly

4) Top the apples in the pie dish with the flour mixture. Then, pop it into the oven for 25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown

Jeng Jeng Jeng.. there you have a dessert ready for 6 people. Kalau nak sedap lagi, serve with ice cream vanilla lalala

b) Caramel Apple Pudding is another favourite. It takes considerably more time but it's worth it

Ingredients: 4 pink lady apples, 185g butter, 3/4 cup honey, 1 cup thickened cream, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 cups plain flour, 2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 egg

How to:

1) Cut the apples into quarters. Cook half of the apples with 10g of butter (2 teaspoons) until light golden over a medium-high heat. Remove the cooked apples and repeat the step with the remaining apples and another 10g of butter.

2) Now, add 40g of butter, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup of cream and two table sppons of brown sugar to a pan. Cook until it boils and thickened (be sure to stir occasionally untuk ngelakkan melekat). In the meanwhile, pre heat the oven into 180 degrees

3) When the sauce has already thickened, add the apples into the sauce and stir. make sure that all the apples are coated with the caramel sauce. When it's done, spoon the caramel coated apples into a suitable dish

4) Chop the remaining 125g of butter to be added into the flour, baking powder and two tablespoons of brown sugar mixture in the food processor. Process until it's like a kasar breadcrumbs.

5)Combine egg, 1/2 cup of cream and remaining honey in a different bowl. Beat until it's well mixed. Then add and stir them into the coarse floor mixture. You would get a sticky dough by then.

6) Just spoon the sticky dough over the apple mixture until it's well covered and bake for about 40 minutes.
*or cucuk dengan lidi over the crumble topping and when it comes out clean, dah masaklah tu*

Jeng Jeng Jeng.. siap dah dessert for 6 people gak.. hehe. Feel free to serve with ice cream of you could also dust the topping with icing sugar.

(actually you can do up to step 3 about 4 hours earlier or so then just cover and refrigerate if you think it's too much to do all at once)

When It's Stretched Over The Limit...

As a blogger, you will accidently know other bloggers too. Although we rarely tell each other that but that’s the truth. Everyday, you read what others have to say to feed your own mind and decide if the world is on your side. So, it devastated the hell out of me when I found out that a fellow blogger, who I don’t personally know but have always admired for his boldness and the straight-forward manner in his writing, was expelled from his institution just because he has something to say in his blog.

I feel for this blogger. What on earth does the institution have to defend themselves anyway? I’ve read all 6 articles that is said to have cost him the place there and could hardly see what the institution is getting all heated about. What I saw was earnest suggestions and room for improvement. Yes, some of the lecturers are not good in their command of the English Language and yes, you should always think of a good set of objectives and outcomes if you want to take up the students’ time and money to organise an event. The “membuta tuli” culture should be out of our system and whenever possible, institutions especially educational ones should uphold the notion of accepting new idea and progress into new frontiers.

Which of course brings us back to these questions. Are we always supposed to follow what the others have done and are not entitled to our thoughts just because we “owe” a certain institution something? (although I hardly count giving a seat or position when you utmostly deserved it as a debt in the first place). If we pride so much on being a free nation, why are we so afraid of opinions and new thoughts? Freedom of speech as long as it does not interfere with the nation security should be practiced and pondered upon. If we are to move forward, why are we still stuck in the old mindset? We should be able to accept criticism and reality when someone puts it in our face. What bites me is the fact that the institution actually read the 6 articles and expelled this student instead of giving a serious thought on the issues he outlined in them. Talking about being childish…

For me, I feel that it doesn’t mean that if you are working for the government, you need to be on their ruling party side. I don’t recall the Malaysian Constitution ever saying that and I bet my guts that it doesn’t. Having heard some really good academics being targeted for their boldness in giving opinions makes my heart leap a beat. It’s our 50th Independence Celebration so I would say this whole fiasco is not what we would mark our development with. Make up your mind and stand by it. To YOU, all my heartfelt support goes out sincerely..

What More There Is To Do?

What more there is to do?
When life is a single note of blue,
And the tunes never seemed true,
I didn't have a tick of clue,
And it was never a crystal you...

What more there is to do?
I wake up and think of you,
To dwell in the memory of few,
Stuck in my views as youth glued,
The thought of a heart being slew...

*Chitra Banerjee once wrote in one of her books that sometimes in order to overcome sorrow, we need to attain it through the corridor of pain... For all the pain, I hope I find happiness again. You ultimately deserve what you have now and if you're happy with what you have, I silently know that Allah has made a person fit for their partner.*

Soundtrack of the Week

I'm addicted to

Plain White Ts- Hey There Delilah


Razorlight- America


Impacto- Daddy Yankee feat Fergie


Lollipop- Mika

You Know It When...

You know you're friends when she ask you to hold her stuff while she plays netball and you don't mind doing so as long as you are not in rush for something

You know you're good friends when she says she hopes to be sent to the same jail with you when the two of you get caught shoplifting the next time

You know you're close friends when she holds the towel for you while you change your clothes and you don't feel uncomfortable

You know you're best friends when she tells you that your nose hair is hanging out and you feel relieved (instead of ashamed) that she told you

You know you're the bestest of friends when she gives up her quilt for you when it's 2 degrees at night and she has nothing else to rug up to

Finally

I feel completely rejuvenated after returning from wellington and seeing nina, nisya and aimi. Suddenly, all the burden and hardships becomes a little more lighter. Alhamdulillah, we all still have each other. For all the love and sacrifices, we look at one another and realise our strengths. Thank you for being the beautiful people that you are... Mari terus menjadi jadi Ahli Pelompat bila kembali ke Malaysia :P

And I'm also lucky to have survived a crush... a delightful sense of crush I haven't felt in quite a while. Insya Allah, life is turning in ways that I never thought possible. Ana is a slightly changed person and hopefully, for the betterment...

Saya akan menyusul ke wellington lagi.. bila?? lalalala

Cuti-Cuti Winter

I'll be leaving for NZ tomorrow.. might not update my blog as often. Hurrrmmm... not that i think people would notice but you know, just in case you're wondering.. ngeh ngeh

Hopefully NZ can offer more insights for the benefit of this blog.. Insya Allah

The Documentation of Life

The famous revolutionary Chinese architect, Ai Wei Wei (who I admire for his take on China and art) said we're not supposed to leave anything in our life undocumented... Well, who knows what might arise from it?


my bathroom


my so-called shrine (notice all those sugar)


the centre of distraction in the room


bed+entertainment lounge+workspace

I'll dearly miss this little space I've haunted while my stay here... Where else would I find a better place other than this little shack of love to laugh and cry alone in?

Of Coffee, Blur and Taugeh

1) Known as Ana, (Kak) Yen, Auntie, Kakak, Cikngah, Sharon
2) drinks 9 glasses of water and a cup of coffee a day
3) loves to collect postcards and earrings
4) among her over used words are ‘meletops’, ‘amende ntah?’, ‘boleh?’ and ‘okeh hape?’
5) a self-proclaimed enthusiast of music
6) loves to criticise people in her head
7) actually fears wearing anything other than black
8) thinks Suzie’s Corner is too dirty to dine in
9) takes a 45 minutes shower in the morning and evening (BAD!)
10) thinks Blur is cooler than Oasis
11) has a knack for history, facts, trivias and lists
12) doesn’t believe in the credit card concept
13) goes to the library for peace of mind
14) watches at least 20 videos a day on youtube
15) stays up late at night to chat with two of her best friends
16) finds it very hard to work in groups
17) would love to see places but live in KL
18) usually trapped in awkward situations
19) prefers taller partner who eats tosai and would not want to have a cat as a pet
20) ever had only two boyfriends
21) thinks Grey’s Anatomy is overrated
22) still hasn’t started a saving plan for the future
23) is genetically inclined to like Jamal Abdillah
24) easily annoyed with disorganised people
25) can initiate and hold conversation with older people
26) personally finds it hard to be friendly to unknown people
27) has a morbid fear for dogs
28) never got over the fact that she didn’t properly apologise to her late father
29) thinks Muthu’s in Bangsar serves the best Maggi Goreng (true until early 2007)
30) prefers the cold weather than hot
31) finds Rihanna’s voice annoying to the ears
32) does her laundry regularly
33) has a 20-20 vision
34) dreams of learning to play the violin at Vienna
35) cries herself to sleep every night since two months ago
36) thinks platforms are frumpy
37) has crazy fantasies
38) prefers rivers and waterfalls over beaches
39) a not so independent person
40) usually hard to accept compliments about herself
41) is a sucker for cartoons, watches them 6 hours a day on a regular basis
42) is bad at knitting and sewing
43) always wished could put on a few kilos
44) talks in English Language when in serious mode
45) finds it hard to eat taugeh
46) finds writing therapeutic for the state of lost-minds
47) not too much of a scenic-loving person
48) is good with secrets (except with nina.. hehe)
49) can’t understand why certain people are so up in the air sometimes
50) can’t believe she actually typed this list

Spicy Reunion

Should I be afraid or thrilled that the Spice Girls is planning for a reunion?? In a world where the news of paris' release from the jail where she lived without seeing the sun and blue sky for 23 days seems to overshadow that of Tony Blair leaving his office after 10 years of administration, it is all possible that the Spice Girls is here to stay despite the lack of quality in their material.. Believe the hype?? I suggest you wait and see before they decide that they're far too old for girl power already (unless girl power is re-defined as having children "independently" as Mel B, Emma and Geri already have.. muahaha)

owh well, time to bring out your Spice polaroid camera and pose in outrageous animal prints with crazee hair accompanied with a burst of the Spice Up cologne spray (don't lie, we all had one :P)

What on Earth is Wrong with Me Today?

I don't usually write about my daily grinds but let me assure you that it has been a bizzare day for me today (28 June 2007). I woke up at 5.45am feeling totally cranky, went to take the wudhu' but I only turned the hot water on. Dear skin of mine was slightly burnt but it is still not too bad.. As I was reading the quran, my legs suddenly went really numb and I couldn't move from where I sat. So, I slept on the sejadah je.

After waking up at around 8.30am, I went to take my bath and realised that I've ran out of scrub. Wanted to brush my teeth and realised that I've ran out of Listerine. Went to take my breakfast and realised that my bread is fungal-infested. Wanted to take my iron supplement and noticed that I've only got some to last three days. Owh well, that's not that bad. Ate some cereal and drank my last cup of juice.

Went through all the usual sites and bashed some people at the forum. Kasihan, she didn't do anything to me but I can't help but to be mean. Checked my e-mail and remembered that I haven't checked my library account. Went to check it and realised that I have an outstanding item that needs to be returned. The only catch is that I have NO CLUE what so ever about the book. Baik, I'll just go to the library and clarify things.

While walking to the library, the clouds decided to drench itself down and I didn't bring an umbrella. My newly bought hat had to cater to the downpour. Reached the library and explained the situation to the librarian. They say there's nothing they can do as the book is under my account and it's my responsibility. I'll have to replace the book plus the overdue fine until the day I actually pay for the lost book's price. Okay, so I went to Macquarie Centre to buy some groceries and aided the things that have finished. Suprisingly, no shops have Listerine and my iron tablets are currently out of stock.

While walking back home, it was raining heavily. On the way in the midst of the heavy rain, an assumedly-Indian guy stopped me and asked my where X5B is in Hindi. I made a blurry face and told him I don't speak his language. He repeated the question in English and I annoyedly replied in a heavily Indian accented English. As it was raining cats and dogs,I hung out at the library and read some things. I walked back home after I've finished all I wanted to read. It was still raining. After reaching home, realised that I didn't bring my keys. Waited for Nisa to come back for another hour. Ate a regular Bondi burger, Nina called and ensured me of my accomodation in NZ. Realised that I haven't done any preparation for the travel

Been cranky, cranky, cranky today.. tried to be happy, happy, happy today. Then it hit me. Exactly one year ago on this day, I declared myself as the happiest person on planet earth. He was with me and this year, no longer by my side. One year, you're a stranger.. another, you're my sun.. the other, you're a stranger again. What on earth is wrong with me again? I've lost, I've found, I've recovered, I've discovered

Para Pelompat

I feel obliged to promote and share good things.. muahaha... feel free to click at the links for "The Hoppers & Ahli Muzik" and learn more about these people. Sile.. Sile :)



(and no, Nina.. this has got nothing to do with Gambit being cute)

The Dark Side of Love

The Dark Side of Love
The silent depression,
The numb sensation,
The silly provocation,
The relative innovation,
The soul salvation,
The notion of relations,
Some vague revelations...

I'm Feeling Ayo Today

I've been addicted to Ayo's music these few days.. Who is Ayo?? Ayo is a German-born whose father is a Nigerian and mother is a Gypsy. She lives in between France and New York, as her career is based at these places. Ayo means Joy in the Nigerian dialect of Yuroba. Ayo's music is a rich mixture of folk, soul & reggae with a very deep influence of the french chic suave waves. Her lyrics are possessed with elements of raw emotions, not sappy and corny yet suprisingly true and free of boundaries. I simply love her voice and songs.. Troubadour is not dead yet after all, people.. have a listen and judge for yourself :)

Usik- Usik Che' Wan

This week, I devoted an hour and half talking to Che Wan aka Mummy.. You cannot predict my mother, yes... you CANNOT.. so, stop wondering why i am opinionated and not afraid to be so.. hehe

Topic~ 50th merdeka celebration
Mummy: I heard they're having it in Putrajaya lagi walaupun it's the 50th celebration. I don't like the fact yang Putrajaya is now centre of attention macam kita lupa our heritage. Bukannya Dataran Merdeka dah tenggelam or anything.. at least, for the 50th celebration, we must use the Stadium Merdeka or Dataran Merdeka where it all started. Funny how Melayu mudah lupa...
Me: hello, not only Melayu lives in Malaysia
Mummy: hello, let's not forget Melayu mudah lupa...
Me: what's that supposed to mean?
Mummy: we think we are the only ones living in the country, Melayu mudah lupa, see?
Me: I see (??!!)

Topic~Nabil's Sister wedding
Mummy: I terkejut he came... actually I tahu dia nak hantar kad jemputan but I pura-pura suprised.. lagipun belum 9 bulan lagi kan?? hehehe
Me: owwhh... you pergi tak??
Mummy: Nolah, it was raining heavily... Nanti basah pulak karpet merah yang menyambut I.. haha..

Topic~The Price of Things in Malaysia
Me: I heard things are getting very expensive in Malaysia... there are even some things being rationed right??
Mummy: yes, and i'm using different options now... I use honey instead of sugar, I use non-stick pan instead of using oil.. see, there's a hikmah behind things. at least now, we're eating healthier...

Topic~ IKON Malaysia
Mummy: It's very hard to decide and pilih between dayang and jac.. who do i vote for?
Me: Owh, dayang is having another SNL next month
Mummy: No point telling me that... only tambahkan susah i nak pilih
Me: seriously?? hurrrmmm... okay
Mummy: I was just joking... I pilih Reshmonu.. haha
Me: ok (??!!!)
Mummy: No, no.. seriously, it's Dayang.. I yakin..
Me: ok (???!!)

Topic~Weather
Mummy: Memang hujan sangat lebat sekarang, I pun dah malas nak basuh baju sebab macam tak guna I basuh and semua tak kering... If I was a millionaire, I pakai buang je all my baju.
Me: Yeah, think of all the people who barely have clothes
Mummy: Think of all the people who aren't millionaires and cume cakap je kan?

Topic~Osteoporosis
Mummy: I'm drinking skim milk now... We should take care of our health, not only our looks. You see, most of my friends semua sibuk nak suntik collagen, botox and all kat beauticians but rarely do their yearly check ups or a pap smear or anything else kat hospital. Susu is only RM4 sekotak, botox tu sape nak jawab??
Me: true.. true
Mummy: Speaking of which, I anggap you don't need a pap test yet right??
Me: Of course not!
Mummy: Glad to hear that.. hehehe

Saya geleng-geleng kepala, how about you?

Good Deeds Indeed

When you see someone is being harassed or worst, shot in front of your eyes, what would you do? Would you run to their rescue or would you rather turn a blind eye and run the other way?

These questions ran through my mind after the news of the death of a Good Samaritan in Melbourne CBD last weekend. The fellow was trying to save two people who were the target of a shooter and in the end, he was the one who got shot and died at the crime scene while the targeted victims are now being treated in the hospital for serious injuries. If you ask me, yes, I think that is very noble of him but if you further probe me with the dilemma of whether or not I'd do the same thing, the first answer that popped into my mind was "Giler.. I don't even know these people"

Huh, a proof of how selfish and ignorant I am and as I watched the news, I came to realise that it was also the opinion of half the people interviewed with the same question. Of course, we all do not want to be known as nasty and tragic people but reality bites you at the tip of your soul when you realise that you are not who you preached to be. We all want to be noble but to tell you the truth, we don't have the courage to.

Which reminds me of the story of 6 soldiers killed in Iraq on the same morning of the Virginia Massacre. The story was told in TIMES and caught my attention because it showed how romanticised some views of the world can be and to be specified, that of nobility is largely the case. Half of the poor souls drafted off to fight a war that is not theirs weren't even aware of what awaits them. The harsh reality of death being at your doorstep finally bang them right at the back of their mind when they came to discover that everyday, at least one of their fellow comrades is dying or has died at some part of Iraq. One of the most chilling comment made by a 25-year old soldier in an e-mail to his father a few days before he died was that "Hell had an address after all"

How noble do you have to be to be called a noble person? To stand in front of a person being shot? To be drafted to Iraq for an aimless war? Or just to do what you can to change the world in your way? After all, who would turn twice and look at your nobility when it is not on the tv and paper.. Question: Does it matter who sees what you do?

Of 0 (and smaller)

Whenever I hear people complaining about their weight and going on about how they should start dieting, I look at them with envy and a tinge of disbelief.. Whatever for do you need to shed those kilos? I think you look fine as it is *sigh*

To let you in on a secret, I have been reduced to buying some things from the kids department which of course do not accomodate to what I'm looking for... Being a size 0 (or for my case, a 00 at times) is not a privilege when haute couture is not your policy. Of course, Tom Ford and John Galliano think of us but most other designers start their collections at an 4 and absent-mindedly discriminate people who are smaller (yes, i consciously used the word "discriminate")

Seriously, it is hard to describe the disappointment when the shop assistant tells you, "Sorry, that's the smallest size we have right now and will ever have for that matter.' Snap, Snap..even that is humongous for my standard. Ok, to your defence, I do admit that I need some things to be as tight as it can but still that is most of the time not achievable.

And not to forget the sly looks from people when you try on clothes with the statement scribbled all over their face going "uuhhh.. I bet she throws up each time she eats".. Well, far from truth, I eat like a Godzilla and would never think of throwing up for whatever reason except if the food sucks, of course. Other than that, nope.. I do eat like a Godzilla. So, why the stereotype?

So, all I can say is love the body that you're in... It's a canvas of your soul, a cage for your life. You are lucky if you have a complete one,if otherwise consider yourself gifted in ways you couldn't imagine... Stop listening to people saying that size 0 is the way to go because they are not you and will never be you.

Why owh Why?

1) Why owh Why is Lindsay Lohan the hottest femme in the FHM's 100 Sexiest Females? It couldn't be more degrading than that...

2) Why owh Why is a papaya called a pawpaw in aussie? PawPaw?? PawPaw?? you gotta be kidding me..

3) Why owh Why did Perez say that Lil Mama is hotter than Jay Z? that's totally absurd and must be the crappiest statement ever typed by those malicious fingers. One, he could be outta his mind for labelling a girl who raps about lip gloss better than the H.O.V.A himself.. Second, Lil Mama-what-ever might be doing some free stinky shows for Perez and the gang...

4) Why owh Why is there still racial tension in Malaysia? I fear for my kids and the future... Let's hold hands and unite. Malaysians Against Racism

5) Why owh Why am I so fascinated by other people's life? I don't know them but I read their blogs on a daily basis and mock them. Does it prove that I'm any better than them?

6) Why owh Why did I need a reason to be happy? I should be thankful for all the things I have in life kan? :p

Where Do I Stand In The Line?

I was at Auburn the other day, politely lining up in the kebab shop trying to buy nasi briyani for Syada. Waited for almost 5 minutes, the waiters brushed me aside as though I was transparent. They entertained other customers who came way after me, one even said "yes?" to me and quickly averted his look to the guy who came just two seconds ago next to me.. I was dumbfounded and looked at Tasha, Fariza and Hana.. Tasha said in a matter-of-factly manner, "Owh yeah, it took us forever to get our orders taken too but there weren't many people when we came so I guess they HAD to take our orders".. the suspected reason for such rudeness was that I was a female and I had to come next and least after all. I left after 7 minutes because I have some pride to save too.

Hey Kebab-Walla, I have a better suggestion for you. Why don't you put a sign in front of your shop saying "We Don't Do Chicks"?? That would've saved me a whole lot of time and gave you more opportunity to serve your people. Plus, Tasha wouldn't have to "seek revenge" for me too.. haha

Women For Women

Do What You Are Best In

caution: this is the complaining side of ana, you might want to skip if you hate listening to complains.


I'm not a grammar-orientated person, I'm not a traditionalist when it comes to language approach, I'm not a self-proclaimed English Language expert, I'm just a reader who loves to read things and understand them... So, if you are not really familiar with or proficient in the English Language, I suggest you write in your own vernacular because it's too mind numbing sometimes when I have to spend three minutes trying to figure out what "jose has giving all the cats a shot" means... If you have a point, make it completely yours by saying it right.

note to self: always remember to check for mistakes in your up-coming posts now that you have complained about others :p

The Indianisation of Life

there is a theory that by the end of this 21st century, everybody will speak a patois of the hindi language. fyi, i am an enthusiast of hindi movies and indian writers. i find the indian culture utterly fascinating because it is sooooo confusing and is at the crossroad of modernity. I was inspired to post this entry simply because I have been seeing a lot of cute North Indian bois hanging around in uni, so I begun to wonder how some movies would be called if they're to be indianised...

1) The Silence of The Lamb Curry
2) Dude, Where's My Pappadum?
3) Forrest Khan
4) The Hitch Hiker's Guide to New Delhi
5) I Know What You Did Last Deepavali
6) When Rahul Meets Rani
7) Harish Potter and the Order of Peacock
8) Silambam Kid
9) Chapatti Run
10) The Fist of Curry

i know, totally random right?? i can't help it, though.. haha

Apa Sudah Terjadi Kepada Kami?

When we were kids, we were the best of friends.. Now, whatever happened to us? Yes, I guess I did take him for granted at times. When I thought I found the love of my life, I decided that I would do anything to make sure that it will stay including making this best friend of mine secondary... Kini, tak bermakna apa lagi. It's proven that it wasn't worth it. I lost my best friend to something I never had. When I return, it will all be too awkward... Camno den nak survive ni?? cube ekau citer sikit.. :p

Layar Tanchap Kembali Lagi

Sile.. Sile.. bawak bunga :)

All Is Fair In War and Love

We're back in the game. Infinatez is once more inducted into the GangStarz (GS) competition (as expected) and is up against 6 other previously elliminated groups for this week's GS concert [3 June 2007]. This is their last chance to proceed to the final event that will be held at Stadium Melawati, Shah Alam on the 17th of June 2007 and would then still be in the running for the prize money which amounts to USD100 000 (ceeeeh.. i feel like i'm giving a course called GS101 plak)

The voting line will only be open for an hour and half (starting at 9pm till right after the last performer performs).. So, set your messages to GS INFIN and send to 39003 without mercy this weekend.. Forget everything else, it's the music that counts :)

Emotions In Consonant and Vowels II

Ever wondered how another person can write and sing whatever you feel inside? It's a sign of how we are all the same beneath it all. Hardships come and go but the heartache and longing will always seem to stay. I still dwell in the same dreams, dreams that are not mine anymore, dreams that have never been mine in fact. I've cried myself a river but it leads nowhere, not even to myself...

I Still Cry... Every Night...

Emotions- Destiny's Child
It's over and done
But the heartache lives on inside......
And who's the one you're clinging to
Instead of me tonight..............

And where are you now, now that I need you?
Tears on my pillow wherever you go,go
I'll cry me a river that leads to your ocean
You'll never see me fall apart

In the words of a broken heart
It’s just emotions
Taking me over
I'm Caught up in sorrow
Lost in the song
But if you don't come back
Come home to me, darling
Don’t you know there's nobody left in this world to hold me tight?
And don't you know there's nobody left in this world to kiss goodnight
Goodnight, goodnight

I'm there at your side,
I'm part of all the things you are
But you've got a part of someone else
You've got to find your shining star

And where are you now, now that I need you?
Tears on my pillow wherever you go
I'll cry me a river that leads to your ocean
You'll never see me fall apart

In the words of a broken heart
It’s just emotions taking me over
I'm Caught up in sorrow
Lost in the song
But if you don't come back
Come home to me, darling
Don’t you know there's nobody left in this world to hold me tight?
Don't you know there's nobody left in this world to kiss goodnight
Goodnight, goodnight

And where are you now,
now that I need you?
Tears on my pillow wherever you go
I'll cry me a river that leads to your ocean
You'll never see me fall apart

In the words of a broken heart
It’s just emotions taking me over
I'm Caught up in sorrow
Lost in the song
But if you don't come back
Come home to me, darling
Don’t you know there's nobody left in this world to hold me tight?
And don't you know there's nobody left in this world to kiss goodnight
Goodnight, goodnight

Reality At Its Best

Put everything aside, it's the music that counts : )




For Love and More...

credits: Syai, Eizani dan Phizy (the men behind this)

Old School Style..

Remember the gooooooood old schooling days? The friends, the teachers, the pranks, the love, the drama, the classes, the bell that signposts the beginning and the end.. All of those things happening when you thought that life is so problematic and that you needed to break free from the existing world of yours? I bet that looking back now, you just can't help but to smile at all of the history you've been through and how you have changed a lot in just a few years.. Yup, we all change beyond our reproach, whether we like it or not, whether we realise it or not, whether we want it or not... yeah, life is not stagnant but hey, life can also be beautiful to reminisce upon.

Just on that note, I know some of us have been active member of the school team... What I meant is that you've represented your school in competitions, sports events etc. As a memorabilia, let's go through them eyh?? Come on, it won't cause you that much of a harm anyway... It's just some people rummaging through your closet and discovering that you were a possible nerd in those days (and might still be one today) :p

Primary school:
Story Telling competition (junior primary & upper primary)-state representative
Choral Speaking in Primary 5 (zone representative) and Primary 6
Sports Day's Marching Commandant (Primary 5)
Science and Kajian Tempatan Quiz (Primary 5 & 6)
Spelling Bee Primary 5 and 6 (we sucked big time in this.. haha)

Secondary School:
English Debate Team (Form 4 and 5)- 3rd place Hulu Langat District
Forum Bahasa Melayu (Form 5)- knew about the competition a day before it was held- 4th place in Hulu Langat District with Shah, Sumitha and Yasmin
Syarahan Perdana Program IWK (Form 4)- crapped the whole time but got 3rd Place
Choral Speaking (Form 2 & 3)-the best times of my life *sigh*
Drama Competition (Form 4)- i was a good narrator, ok?
History Quiz (Form 3 and 5)-yeah, yeah.. i was a nerd
Nasyid (Form 4 and 5)- i see you giggling

With this, I'm now tagging Tasha, Alin, Nisa, Syada (aktiviti tadika pun boleh include juge kalau sekolah rendah tak berapa aktif), Fariza and Nina to compile their record.. Selamat....

Most Wanted List

I find solace in shopping... I'm not surprised why Syada, Nisa and Durra all looked at me when Grant mentioned about the current generation being too concious about appearance at last Friday's lecture (and the correct term is brand savvy yeeee).. hahahahaha

1) A Guess hand held bag that suspiciously looks a lot like the Gwen Stefani's LeSportSac L.A.M.B collection.. Only available in QVB and Bondi Junction, though.
2) Marc Jacobs Stam Bag~saya mahu, saya mahu, saya mahu~
3) Spoylt's super skinny jeans at JeansWest.. cool stuff to go with the recently bought shoes : )
4) Versace Glam 50ml EDP
5) Nike Air Force One in gold and pink at GeneralPants Co.

I'm waiting for June patiently : )

Speak Talk

Malaysia has about 27 million citizens in the country with the Malays making up 50.4% of the population. Being the main race and often acknowledged as the privileged ones in Malaysia, Malays are mainly the policy maker as they lead almost half of the Parliament seats ever since the emergence of independence. Thus, we have the position of the Malay language as the de facto and de jure language of the country. However, being a multilingual community, the citizens are actually mostly bilinguals or multilinguals with a **polyglossic practice of language with English Language gaining prominence in many fields. For example, let’s see the current scenario under the light of the Language Policy of Malaysia against the current Language Practice of the Malay-English bilingual speakers in the Malay community.

The Malaysian Language policy under the National Language Act 1967 indicates that Malay language is the Official and Legal language with English Language and the other ethnic languages coming in as second languages of the country. Malay language should be important as a language that facilitates ethnic integration and a multiethnic nation building tool. It also acts as a safeguard of the Malay people’s cultural practices and is said to capture the essence of being a Malay. A language policy is actually a conscious step taken to have language planning to fulfil demand of unification through language as the use of one common language playing the role of a unifying tool is common for any country that has just achieved independence and want to be known as a new unit. The Malaysian Language Policy is one of monolingual attitude where only one language is considered as official and others appear to be marginalised. Such policies would usually result in foreign language acquisition and diffusion among the speakers besides detailed corpus planning at the government level such as the development of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka as an instrument of standardising the language to achieve the sense of uniformity (as uniformity reflects unity).

Whereas the Language Practice of the Malay-English bilingual speakers would be something like this. We would use the Formal Malay Language in some official and legal domains, followed by the use of Formal English Language in knowledge acquisition, sciences and technology area and economy fields. Following in is the use of Colloquial Malaysian English (widely known as Manglish) and in the last place would be some Bazaar Malay Language (Bahasa Melayu Pasar), which are both used for communication and interaction purposes in the community. Please note that this is ranked on the scale of linear polyglossic distribution and is true for many bilingual speakers as until today. Yet, the boundaries of this distribution is not to be always compartmentalised as such because of the emergence of the English Language as the future universal utilitarian language. A few years ago, Manglish and, to a certain extent, even the Formal English Language would be used less than the Bazaar Malay Language. The realisation of modernity has definitely impacted on the importance of English Language as the Globalisation language and extended the use of English into more domains than imaginable about twenty years ago. The worrying thing is that these changes are undergone without much awareness and recognition among the Malay community despite the many alarming transformations.

It is crucial for us to observe the further change of the Malaysian community and ask a few fundamental questions in relation to the issue. Is the essential part of the Malaysian Constitution which defines a Malay as someone speaks the Malay Language still be relevant in the current scenario where we evidently have some who could not function in a basic situation with it? Would Krauss’ (1992) prediction that in 100 years from now, almost 50-90% of the world languages will be dead is becoming a reality??? Is it possible then for a majority language to disappear despite the quite evidently strong language policy??? What happens when representatives of the government themselves seem to contradict the Malaysian Language Policy and defies what it says? In the context of the defined community of Malay-English bilingual speakers, would they be encouraged to maintain their mother tongue to stay united or would they be more inclined towards further obtaining a new language as a reaction towards modernity??

These are questions that should be addressed by the responsible government administrative bodies as well as the Malay community as a whole. English is now being used in schools, financial sector and in things that seem to matter the most if we are to become a more developed nation. In many ways, it is also replacing the Malay language as a lingua franca for the multiethnic community which might reflect the failure of the Malay language in doing its main job. If the use of English Language continues to thrive in many domains after this (realised in the proposal of some politicians who have requested in 2002 to have the English Language used in Parliament- *note that it was declined after an ongoing feud between a few concerned parties*), it would not be impossible that one day, even the Malaysian Language Policy will have to be “unofficially” amended to meet the pre-requisite of being a modern nation. Loosely captured, that pre-requisite would be to blend with Globalisation and lose part of our identity to it. Please ask yourself now; is it worthwhile to become insignificant again after 50 years of independence? I doubt you would say YES with high enthusiasm :p


(if the topic interests you, I would recommend Language Policy and Modernity in Southeast Asia [2006] by Antonio L Rappa and Lionel Wee for further readings)

**polyglossic:having more than two language varities existing side by side in a geographical area (Fishman, 1972). They are used for different specific purposes although they can sometime overlap.

Lost In Millions

Have you been in a crowded place and realise that you've never felt more lonelier in your life? Been with the one person and realise that you've found all you need? Funny how life turn out to be not how it appears on the surface. Connection and relationships mean a greater deal than having a million acquaintances made in your life. Losing your inner self to any cause is somehow a default measure when you immerse in the life you live with the people around you. Everybody wants to be normal, yet no one wants to become average.. What's normal? And who is average? You might find yourself caught up in the web despite trying very hard not to... Funny how life is actually...

Emotions In Consonants and Vowels

It's a sad revelation to achieve the reality that your heart has been shattered beyond repair by the person you trust the most...

I promised myself not to sound pathetic but I think that is something that can't be helped when you're still hopelessly in love with a person who had crushed your feelings like it's the least worthy thing in this world...

It was very hard to fall in love but I finally did with him after a long duration of being a non-believer. Was I living a love of lies?? I wouldn't know... And I wouldn't want to know because I've given all I possibly can give, been all I possibly can be.

It might take me years to fall out of this love... Years of possible lividity for being unable to replace his ornaments of love that once decorated my heart... Years of lucidly being hopeful for another chance of happiness when it seems so far away...

Allah s.w.t knows what you can handle... amin.

Weekly Dosage of Love

It is sort of like a silent agreement that I should call mummy every Sunday morning, around 11.30am OZ time because at that time, SpongeBob is on kat Malaysia and my little sister confirm dah terpacak in front of the tv. If you call anytime before that, my mum either probably hasn't reached home from her morning jog or that you'll have to deal with her occasional "eh, Yen, you hold on ye... *sore high pitch dari luar bilik* Adek, wake uplaaaaa... You ni very malaslaaa... Anak dara ape yang bangun at matahari tinggi like this??.. okay, apa you tengah cakap tadi???"

haha.. just 30 minutes talking with my mum weekly could last me with instances to, first, laugh about and later smiled upon until the next session... let me just give you a few random examples


Mummy: Eh, what song you're playing kat background tu???
Me : Entah.. Lagu Papa Jahat
Mummy: Aiyooo.. why you dengar that lagu?? Even I don't listen to that song tau..
Me : I dunnolah.. I just clicked on their MySpace and this song cam keluar
Mummy: Eh, ada tak lagu lama-lama?? Like Bee Gees or something??? Cepat-cepat cari.. Like lagu Words ke?? Or lagu Carpenter yang Solitaire tu ke??
Me : You think I'm DJ ye??
Mummy: jangan lawan cakap mak...anak durhaka masuk neraka tau.. hehehehehe


Mummy: I kena sedekah pisang some where around this weeklaaa.. But tak tahulah when because I couldn't find the tinme to buy the pisang..
Me : Why kena sedekah pisang pulak tetiba nie??
Mummy: Because E**** ***R dah keluar GangStarz... I memang dah berniat macam tu.
Me : Eh, boleh ke nak berniat sedekah atas kejatuhan orang like that??
Mummy: Ni sape mak ni??
Me : Haaaa.. i rasa boleh kot.. boleh, boleh...

Me : Hurrmmm.. I'm currently not attached kot... I'm not really surelah tapi..
Mummy: Hoooo.. why?? he's too artislah now ye?? hahahahahahahahaha.. hehehehehehe *clears throat after realising that I didn't really appreciate the comment* Takpelaaa.. You jalan-jalan, cuci mata first.. Banyak lagi kat sana sini.. New Zealand mesti banyak lelaki handsome rasanya... Pilih je yang mana nak
Me : Mummy ingat boleh cari kat pasar ye??
Mummy: eh, tauke ayam kaya tau...

Mummy: You rasa kan sape yang akan menang pilihanraya France ni ye??
Me : Tengah baca surat khabar ye sebenarnya???
Mummy: Takpe, I can do two things at the same time... Kire i bolehlah nak masuk circus pun
Me : Haaaaa???
Mummy: Kitaorang ingat nak pi Royal London Circus kot tahun nie.. itulaaa...

As you can already see, my mum is quite childlike.. She's 42 this year but she really loves doing things that I think other mums would not.. Yet, she has the capacity to love people with such deep attachment without wanting anything in return. Thus explains why charity work is her passion. My mum is my rock. It's wonderful to know that she provides me with the most positive insights into life and would constantly remind me, We only live once, dear.. And as true as it goes, she is indeed my ratu hati...

*akhirnya pasti kan ketemu lagi.. i'm glad that my syurga is with you*

Ruang Saya

The major reason I've actually set up a MySpace account is to indulge in listening to brilliant singers who pave their way through this web. Leading on with the success stories of Sandie Thom and Lily Allen who both have been discovered through similar channels, MySpace has become the hub of wonderfully crafted music that otherwise would not be easily available for the masses to reach.

Fellow Malaysian singers seem to use this platform too. Probably because this is where you CAN sound how you want to. Judging from these people, you would find a certain relief in yourself because at last, the music scene is saved from crap... haha. I personally have a few favourites which I "diligently" visit every now and then. Care to visit and enjoy them : )

Najwa Mahiaddin di http://www.myspace.com/najwamahiaddin
Atilia di http://www.myspace.com/rajaatilia
Faviq & Ridwan di http://www.myspace.com/faviqridwan
RadioStar di http://www.myspace.com/layartanchap
RuffNeck Clique di http://www.myspace.com/ruffneckclick1
Shayna Zaid di http://www.myspace.com/shaynazaid
Phlowtron di http://www.myspace.com/phlowtron
Stylustiks di http://www.myspace.com/stylustiks
Quadrose di http://www.myspace.com/quadrose
Sad Angry Babies di http://www.myspace.com/sadangrybabies

Malaysia Has Got Talent...

What is Ana Watching on the TV?

If ever you've wondered why the hell don't we see Ana around that often, this is probably what she's watching on the TV in her room:

1) Rove- the refurbished talkshow by Rove McManus has a new timeslot on Channel Ten. It now airs every Sunday, at 8.30pm and is back after a 5 month break due to the passing of his ever sweet wifey, Belinda Emmet-McManus. The first week show was a delight to watch although I could sense that the audience were too polite to laugh even to ridiculously funny Hamish & Andy. Probably the audience felt that Rove still needs to be in the grieving mode... like NOT! Many remarked that Rove looked slightly older, probably it's the lost twinkle in the eye hence the load of what looks like smudged make up on Rove's elf-ish face during the second show... But all the same, he's back to rule the box.

2) ABC Kids (Children Programmes)- I wonder why they haven't imported these cartoon shows to Malaysia. Minus Lights, Camera, Action, The Wiggles (although I have to "shyly" admit that my favourite Wiggles is The Blue Wiggle), ABC has a deposit of cartoons that are educational and entertaining at the same time. My favourite has got to be Pocoyo , Bernard , Little Princess and Arthur.

3) Chappelle's Show- shown very late on saturday nights should make this show unwatchable. surprisingly, i tune in no matter how tired i am. dave chappelle is HILLARIOUS... political correctness and sensitivity are not the vocabularies in his repertoire. serious, dia sangat lawaaaak... plus the frequent famous names *cough-mos def-cough* doing guest appearance on his show does help my loyalty.

4) Jamie At Home- shown on Channel Ten every Thursday at 7.30pm, he makes me love the idea of you can cook anything into a beautiful dish.

5) Short On Screen (S.O.S)- a compilation of short movies from around the world shown on SBS at around 11pm every Saturday. Grosteque, Beauty, Rythm, Silence, Watch, Blind

6) Dateline- amazing interviews, although it clashes with House at 8.30pm every wednesday

7) The Simpsons- d-oh!

*notice how the review gets shorter... that's the petanda that there's something on TV now*

The Soundtrack of My Life

Keshia Cole is singing what is in my heart and how I feel now...


"Love"

[Verse 1]

I used to think that I wasn't fine enough
And I used to think that I wasn't wild enough
But I won't waste my time tryin' to figure out
Why you playing games, what's this all about
And I can't believe,
You're hurting me,
I met your girl, what a difference
What you see in her
You ain't seen in me
But i guess it was all just make-believe

[Chorus]

Oh, Love
Never knew what I was missing
But I knew once we start kissin'
I found..... I found you......
Love
Never knew what I was missin'
But I knew once we start kissin'
I found..... I found you.....

[Verse 2]

Now you're gone, what am I gonna do
So empty
My heart, my soul can't go on
Go on without you....
My rainy days fade away when you,
Come around please tell me baby
Why you go so far away
Why you go...

[Chorus]

Love......
Never knew what I was missing
But I knew once we start kissin'
I found..... I found you......
Love
Never knew what I was missin'
But I knew once we start kissin'
I found..... I found you.....

Who would have known.
I'd find you.

Now you're gone, what am I gonna do
So empty
My heart, my soul can't go on
Go on baby without you....
Rainy days fade away
When you come around
Say you're here to stay
With me boy
I don't want you to leave me
I need you.........

Cik Iffah Sabrina Razi Rabi

*Sangat-sangat merindui amoi kecil ini* Missing having able to hug her* Missing fussing over her hair* Missing her nagging voice (yes, she nags)* Missing her high maintenance rants* Missing scolding her* Missing curik her breakfast* Missing singing along with her* Missing her untidyness/laziness* Missing her biscuit-sweet smell* Missing her "perasan cantik" attitude* Missing her collection of shoes and clothes* Missing her admiring my stuff* Misisng her trying on my make up* Plainly missing her on her birthday that has to be missed yet again.

I just realised... She's like a living doll for me to dote on... hehehehehehe Rindu sama kamu, adek. Happy 8th Birthday, the ever chic and cute Che Iffah Sabrina. May Allah bless you with happiness and joy/laughter... Amin. Kata kita, Chalooooooooo....

We're Officially "Lebanese"

After the very, very enlightening talk on Rasullulah s.a.w organised by MUMSA in conjunction with the Maulud Rasul, we were served with some "pelik" but "sedap" Lebanese cuisine. Since there were only Jid, Durra, Syada, Iffah and me, kami pun buat-buatlah malu-malu dgn saudara Anton yang mengoffer the delightful looking food. We bedal over 3 pizzas together and ate the scrumptious black pepper pie. Huissshh.. durra, I menyesal tak amik lebihlah that pie. In order to avoid going back too late as well as to be able to heat the food so that it would be far more enjoyable, kami decided to tapau balik these things on a piece of paper plate:

1) 3 lebanese pizzas, with minced meat and vege on it.
2) 3 cheese nans
3) 1 whole tray of baklava (on the left)
4) A 1.5 litre of orange juice (Obviously not on the paper plate)

And yes, people.. All that in the middle of the drizzling rain and only on a piece of paper plate. As soon as we got back, Durra and me continued with "layan" hyperactive theme of today and gave each other 5 minutes max to get ready to makan again. Quickly grilling everything back (except the baklava and orange juice :p ), we congregate in front of the television and ate again. This time with BBQ sauce... ahahahaha.

If you've been wondering what is the purpose of this post, it's sufficient to only say this: The simplest things become interesting when you got good mates...

The Things I Do When I Get Angry

I was tagged... again. This time by Che Tasha. So, here's what I've been metacognating about for a few hours.

1) Take a silent position- it always works because actually it is "wrong" to get angry in the first place. so, take some space to take deep breaths, say some zikrullah and push that thought away.

2) Take a shower- if i happen to be at home during the incident, a nice hot shower could help to ease down the nerves. accompanied with some aromatheraphy bath, of course...

3) Listen to some music- some soothing, groovy tune can help lift the emotions

4) Talk to nina or mummy- these are the people i bother when i have any problem that is beyond self-management. they are also there to listen and give some advice

5) Clean up things- anything that appears "cleanable" will be cleaned with utmost concentration. things get polished, floors get mopped, vacuum gets overhauled... it's been a while since it happened. let's hope it happens much, much later...

lately...

lately, i've been having the strangest feelings... it's hard to be left out in the shadiness of things. i'm fussing over small things, i keep having the worst impressions. sometimes, i wonder why i even bother trying... then i looked at the only tree in the middle of the field... it was alone, solely alone but it was strong.. i need to be like that tree... i gotta be like that tree.. i ought to be like that tree. strong and lonely...

Go Put Your Records On

Music is a form of self expression. What you choose to pleasant your ears with is a choice that probably could define who you are or help people to understand you in a light that might not be easily achievable in other means. But what happens when music becomes a “business expression” instead. Evidently, we are in the midst of an era where we switch on the radio and all that could be heard is necessarily the “same” pieces of obnoxiously copyright not-controlled craps? Ouuh, it’s the PussyCatDolls, then there’s the PussyCatDolls and there’s…. the PussyCatDolls… again… All the DJ needs to do is record her voice and replay it over and over for you.

Okay, maybe not that bad. But if you have carefully scrutinized the music industry in recent years (both, locally and internationally) like I did when I’m supposed to be focusing more on my studies, then you’d probably detect the pattern of similar sounds ruling the airwaves. Everybody wants the sure hit and subscribe to a sure-hit music writer. Let me take an example from the R&B and Hip Hop genre. First there was the Dr. Dre fever, then we moved on to N.E.R.D or else known as the Neptunes or what is essentially largely known ONLY as Pharrell Williams before briefly locking our eyes on Will.I.Am of BEP and continuing the trend is the Kanye West phenomenon with the shrilly high pitched modified backing vocals. Now, everyone wants their first single to be penned by Timbaland, thanks to the massive and presumably then-innovative hits collaborated with Abang Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado. Predictability has garnered in the industry for the years when we thought technology will enable us to explore more things and go further than we used to.

Lately, there has been little reason to tune in to MTV because every video clip looks more or less the same, directed by the same directors (ie HYPE Williams and Hype Williams and.. er Hype Williams), with the same video chicks with a slight change as time progresses. What changes, you ask? Well, the women seem to have less and less clothes on everyday but count yourself lucky because Missy Elliot decides to continue having relatively fabric more on herself (phew!). Even the collaboration is very close-knitted. You’ll find John Legend in every recent album doing some background vocals and deserving a credit for singing a four line chorus as a featured artist, Kanye West spurts some tacky rap lines in what seems like an array of schlocky new hits and Chris Brown contributes his “I’m a man but I’m proud of my uncracked boy’s voice too” to some other.

Thus, don’t be surprised by the recent statistics showing that most of the highest grossing albums dating from 2000 are albums of artist from the 60s to 80s. People of these eras relatively showed more of themselves in their songs and it was a time where it was quintessential for them to come out with a genuine musical identity or signature that could be identified by all. When Marvin Gaye asked “What’s Goin’ On?”, the world stopped with him and asked themselves what ever happened to humanity. When Janis Joplin sang about herself and her Bobby McGee, every girl remembered their own “Bobbies” too. Stevie Wonder had his own Conversation Peace in the early 90s after talking about Superstitions. All of them talked about different things that haunt our mind but never dared to question ourselves.

Let me quote the ever so youthful frontman of Silverchair, Daniel Johns who said “We are a band, not a brand”. Although I personally think that is not entirely possible once you are a part of one of the most renowned Australian band, wahai Abang Daniel-ku yang kacak, I do see his point that music should be able to send a message that comes from the heart while going beyond the normality and boundary of the mind too. Hip Hop started out as an expression against oppression and yet now it oppresses its ownself. Folk used to be THE food for the folks, now it has changed into a blanket for dreamers all day long. Of course there are many choices as to what you can hear but do we really want to be known as the generation of “shake that A, crooked letter, crooked letter all night long” by the future Googlers?? Reality TV is demeaning enough, I reckon.

The Facts Of Life II

The second installment to the "long awaited" lists of facts I've gathered all this while.. These facts could come in handy for the trivia nights, people... Enjoy!

* The average person spends two years on the phone in his/her lifetime.

* August has the highest percentage of birth.

* Google is a number (1 followed by 100 zeros.

* The average person's left had does 56% of the typing.

* There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

* Rubber bands last longer when they are refrigerated.

* Toothbrush was invented in 1498.

* Mageiricophobia is the intense fear of having to cook.

* People don't get sick form the cold weather, it's from staying indoors a lot more than usual.

* Strawberries contain more Vitamin C than oranges.

* A one-day weather forecast requires 10 billion math calculation.

* The bird that lays the largest egg in realtion to its own size is the Kiwi.

* Guinness Book of Records holds the record as the most stolen books from public libraries.

* Every year, the Moon moves a further 3.82cm from the Earth.

* The Eiffel Tower has 1792 steps.

* If we count the stars in a galaxy at a rate of one every second, it would take us 3000 years to count them all.

* Just 20 seconds worth of fuel remained when Apollo's 13 lunar module landed on the moon.

* The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows.

* Elephants are the only animals who can't jump.

* On average, a four year child asks 437 questions a day.

* Swedish people drink more coffee than any other race in the world.

* Almonds are a member of the peach family.

* All the clocks in Pulp Fiction are stuck at 4.20.

* There are more plastic flamingos than real ones in America.

* A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

* There's more than 25000 km of neon tubing in the signs on the strip and downtown Las Vegas.

* Animals that lay eggs don't have belly button.

* 1000 tonnes of meteor dust falls to Earth each day.

The Top Five Series: I

If you have read Nick Hornby's High Fidelity or have watched the movie at least, you would see the rationality of listing down things so that when something unexpected happens at the spur of a moment, you have some comfort into looking at them... The comfort of a familiarity that will never leave you.. that this is, indeed the most profoundly grounding things that ever happened to you or the world... Is it true?? Let's test it out, shall we??

The Top Five Embarassing Moments

1) When I stupidiously said to an obnixously arrogant member of the so-called ground breaking Malayisan hip hop group, Rebel Scum that I haven't heard much of them since their last single, Damn Dirty Apes... Just so you know, Damn Dirty Apes is actually a 4 piece Malaysian indie rock group who once produced a single called "Rebel Scum" and they have nothing to do with Rebel Scum, the group.. Talk about coincidence and embarassment...

2) When a friend of mine casually said this about me in front of a guy while i was there too. "Eleh, ana.. kenapa malu-malu pulak sekarang??? kalau belakang cik abang kita ni(who will remain nameless for many, many reasons), you are the screaming number one fan.. nak control ayu ke???".. kenapalah she had to say that in front of the guy with one of the best voice in Malaysia and make me appear like a dumb blonde with brunette hair? The rest is really HISTORY between me and her...

3) When I was "caught" by daddy while I was trying on mummy's lingerie when I was around 6... He laughed and laughed and called up my mum. Mummy scolded me pretty hard. I could still feel me blushing. Why did I tried it on in the first place again??

4) When I was scolded in Primary 6 by Cikgu Yahizan Che Yap who taught us Science. I don't quite remember how it all started but I remember replying to his comment about something that sounded racist. He went ballistic after that and called me a snob and said that I was stuck up because i was in the first class... don't think that you're smart enough... you are nothing.. how dare you reply me??? you think you're that great just because you speak english better than the rest of us here in the classroom?? The insults went on for about 15 minutes and nobody comforted me even after he left. I was shaken, embarassed and decided not to come the day after. His comment? "Tahu pun dia takut.. Ingat bagus".. I still remember his face.

5) When I tripped over a wire in Low Yat Plaza where I once worked in, fell down in front of a myriad of people watching a Samsung showcase and tore my jeans on the knees. Something more miraculous happened then.. Somehow I just had to trip over the wire that was the main cable to the humungous LCD TV which is the central focus of the showcase. Everything just went "plup", the MC stopped talking, the VIP guests who just launched the product was astounded and there was I standing near the unconnected cable.

Looks like The Top Five Series will have to go on because this is so much fun besides the distressing effcets it has on the memory storage of the human brain... till then, chalo.

6 Weird Things

Okay... here are the dire confessions... hehehehehehe

1) I can't sleep before i make sure that every single bottle of toiletries and things on the dressing table are exactly on the correct position where it's meant to be as well as making sure that all of the labels are on the right side so that I'm read them before I finally sleep

2) If i'm eating with my fingers, my index finger sticks out whenever it reaches the mouth. After eating, I will take a while before I wash my hands as to let the food sort of dry on my fingers.. Dunno why but I didn't realise it until a friend (i think it was Nina) pointed it out.

3) I have a weird ritual before I head to the shower. I will fold all the clothes I'v e used neatly and place it on the bed after taking them off even though I might use some of it afterwards. Even the clothes I intend to put in the laundry basket will be folded and placed there before I unfold it and toss it in the basket.

4) I have a recurring dream ever since I was a kid where a huge dog will chase me down a hill somewhere... Thus, explains why I think dogs are scary...

5) I can't see plates in the sink.. it drives me nuts. Need to compulsively wash them, sometimes no matter how late I am.

6) I have a poor sense of balance... When I was a kid, I used to bump into so many places and hurt the area around my eyebrows. If you look closely, some parts of my eyebrow have evident scars, sort of like patches where the hair don't grow on. Falling down the bed, biase dah! Now, my nephew seem to inherit that trait from me too.. hehehehehe


it was hard to confess but hey, we are weird in our own ways...

6 Weird Things???!!!

6 weird things about me ek??

Coming soon.. It's hard to analyse one's weirdness...

Slick Click

The world is no longer a secure place. Nowadays, the notion of privacy is being invaded everyday not only by your sister who would jump over the fence out of happiness whenever you forgot to lock that diary up but also by almost everyone and anyone. Ok, a simple test… How many of us have been Googling up their ex and updating ourself on their daily life by sneaking around their Friendster or MySpace?? Reading up their new found love’s lovey dovey testimonials and comments while pretending to be disgusted??

If you’re possibly one of the 50 million users of MySpace or Friendster (number might have grown), you might know what I’m talking about. We have people on our friend’s list whom we barely know or remember but look at how many has viewed our page and do care to see how many you don’t have a clue where they came to know about your webpage. Scary notion, huh? But the sad thing is that we have advertised and advocated these invasions of privacy without even realising it half of the time.

In addition, we are also known as the generation of (fake) Reality TV and to tell you the absolute truth, I’ve never been proud of that. Yet I do find me telling myself, hurrm… it would be okay to see what the Big Brother contestants are doing at the middle of a Wednesday afternoon when they have absolutely no medium of entertainment at all… I make them my entertainment instead; as if I need to know what I can possibly do if I was stuck with 12 non-significant others with very low mental capacity in a house without my PC.

So, have we become the ignorant and crude bunch that the older and definitely not cooler generation saying we are? Have we lost the sense of respecting other people and is our nosiness getting over the limit? I knew it was true when I start wishing that Britney Spears would next be caught weaning her baby boy while getting a tattoo or probably decide to actually become a singer. We all crave for something bad or extravagant to happen in order to satisfy our curiosity. We decided that we have seen it all and we postulate that only the bad and the ugly can help us to renew that notion. Ever since everything is only a click away, we should have known we are to be altered forever and let’s hope this will not be the nadir of human civilisation. Fingers off that mouse and keep them crossed!

The Pursuit of Happyness

Yes, it is spelt with a “Y” instead of an “I” in case you are wondering. The movie revolves around the life of Chris Gardner (Will Smith), a salesperson who tries to make ends meet each month and ultimately, the job he currently has is the biggest blunder of his life. Having to sell one machine a month proves hard enough and his wife (Thandie Newton) refuses to live a life full of financial pressure anymore, leaving the father to care for the five year old Christopher (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith). Struggle after struggle came with the sales job until Gardner finally got his break when he was accepted into an internship programme at a successful stock brokerage firm.

The internship is his only hope for a better life for him and Christopher which is why he accepts the offer even though there is no salary to help them get by in the next 6 months. Having being evicted from home, stranded on the street, left with only two suits to wear at workplace, reduced to seeking shelter at a subway toilet did not cause Gardner to falter with his mission to finally afford to send Christopher to a day care centre that can spell happiness correctly.

Did he make it? Was the internship the answer to a pursuit of happiness? Well, if he didn’t become one of the most successful share broker in the States today, this movie wouldn’t be made in the first place. That’s common sense but it was really the question that haunted me all along the movie: If he had a better job, would it equal to happiness?

Well, one thing proved right. The person who said “Money is the root to all evil” has definitely had two sides of the argument analysed and pondered over. Poverty makes people push the limits and in a world where materialism can make you transgress, people on the streets kill each other for $5. Yet it is impossible to progress in life if you do not have the right notes.

For Gardner in this movie, money equals to food, shelter, and an education for Christopher that he himself was deprived from as a kid because his family couldn’t afford it. Although Gardner was a smart and talented, he did not have the right credentials for a good job thus causing him to live in detriments. Desperate to not let that happen to his son, he defies the world and took charge by taking a necessary risk.

It is interesting to learn how human quality was given such a strong attribute in this movie. Gardner made it by genuinely being himself and this creates a sense of triumph in every viewer when he overcomes a hurdle. We gasp for breath when the X-Ray machine was stolen by a hippie girl, cheers him on when he grabs it back from her a few weeks later and cry with him when he plays a make-believe game with Christopher in the subway’s toilet.

No wonder the movie only has one nomination in the Academy Awards, which was for Will Smith’s probably-not-as-good-as-Ali performance but still the man deserved the nomination. Jaden was also cute and endearing as his character should be but you can see the pain of struggle and courage in his eyes. Now, that’s pure characterisation as it comes from a kid who might have been driving in a mini Benz since he was 2. This movie deserves a watch for those reasons as well as a captivating screenplay that captures what Los Angeles essentially is from the point of view of a man who walks its street everyday.

Gaining Trust On Yourself

Doesn’t it just piss the wit out of you when you thought you just saw one of the most brilliant movies and at the very same weekend, some critic in the newspaper gives that same particular genius’ artwork a meagre 2 star? I was shattered and felt betrayed by my own choice. What you think is not what the world think, thus it is not good enough. I had to pretend to like things I despise, cajole myself to believe that chic lit is my cup of tea. But I got tired of pretending chiefly because I came to realise that when you’re lying about something you can’t stand, it shows in your every vein. Eventually, I found the strength and stopped reading the critics section and believing them when one of them actually said that Catherine Lim is one of the most overrated writers he has ever read.

Ask yourself these questions. What qualifies another person to unrightfully make you question your sense of intelligence and simultaneously deform your confidence in choosing a fairly decent food for the mind? Why do we seem to care so much about what others think and refuse to sometimes look at things from our point of view? Plainly put, it all has to do with the different strokes we actually take while we paint the canvas of our life. Yet everybody would love it more if you choose the same brush as theirs and paint the same Sunflower that Van Gogh did because it is a sure-hit. You succumb to the masses to be accepted and to fit in. I strived so much to be in synch and ultimately had to lose myself into the mainstream.

Luckily, I saved myself (have I?) but then, I wondered how many others have been captured in this intellectual entrapment and politely accepts whatever others say you must dig. A friend saying that Celine Dion is "The Bomb" (the bomb??), a lecturer saying Crime and Punishment is the book you must read and understand (which is very hard to do), a mentor saying that you have got to love that painting series by Latiff Mohiddin if you want to make it big yourself, a sibling saying grafitti is a waste of time and will never attract any achievement into your door step.

To be able to believe in yourself, you have to acknowledge the fact that Allah s.w.t made every human equally special and different. Thus, be proud to embrace those differences and treat yourself as the creature that God has granted upon many opportunities of vital self-expression. Whatever path you choose is a reflection of who you are and never give that away to ever-ready hands who would just love to have you twirled around their fingers.

The Pale Dark World

Scientifically, it is proven that the dark skinned people are way more fortunate the fair ones in terms of being in the risk of getting skin infection, acnes or even skin cancer… Thank Allah (s.w.t) for the abundance of melanine in my forefather’s skin now stringing up knots of genes in me. But as far as science proves something, my mind constantly strives to find the answer to this question: Why is it so difficult to be dark skinned?

I was five and startled when I first discovered why one of our Indian family friends decided to marry a Chinese girl despite the many choices his family bestowed upon him all these years. “They just weren’t good enough… too dark for my liking,” and that came from Uncle Charlie who can cause eclipse every night just by standing near the moon. Then there were the aunties’ chat in the kitchen of our Cameron Highlands’ “agam” house during one of those wedding seasons where one of the many far away second cousin’s daughter in law’s brother’s son is getting married and everybody in this extended family is obliged to attend because one of the groom’s aunt once gave RM1001 for one of our own weddings. It went something like “Atchoo.. This bride is not even half as pale as the pavaam sister of hers, Kumari who died last year in that accident. So, she must be wretched with much worst luck and would drag them into their house. Why do we need this kind of problems in our lineage?”

Too much for a five year old who just loves to eavesdrop into older people conversation while pretending to coo over the poor baby brother of mine who could be chewing the hair off my head for all I cared, I looked at my skin and saw the ripe darkness of it. If compared to the cousins from my mother’s side, they were almost always the favourite of my “atuk” whereas we were undeniably the favourite of my “patti” who has much more darker grandchildren than us. I wondered then, does love has radar for colour? Do we need to discriminate the colours before we are able to love? Do we identify more with colour than emotions? That was my sense of logic then at five.

As I grew up, everything on the TV showed that the darker skin is only secondary…All the backup dancers in the long and endless Hindi songs were far darker than the heroine, the villain in the Chinese movies needs to be at least three shades darker than the hero.. Hell, even the weakest Power Rangers is an African American. Which further reiterates the pounding voice in my head that says “poor thing, you gotta live with this skin for the rest of your life…” hence what has made part of my self confidence only a pretension to cover up the fact that I am actually not very happy when the kids in my Primary One class teases me over my dark skin which contradicts my race.

Then, during my teen years, I became unconsciously obsessed with trying to become fairer. Name the product, I’ve tried it. I’ve been caught up in the vehement race of a “clearer” image myself. When I recently went back for the holidays, everybody complimented me saying that I look different, better, if I must say but they never really said what it was. I asked my mum’s opinion (who is the most dependable person to answer this, of course), what does the compliment essentially mean? She replied, simply “Well, you’re fairer.” So what? All this while, I was invisible because I was 2 shades darker? Apparently becoming fairer did not made me feel better about the world around me.

Why is it so hard for people to look beyond skin colour? Apartheid lost in South Africa or didn’t it? The pariahs are no longer detected and despised for their dark complexion or are they? The segregation in the world has never changed the sight of human being although Allah s.w.t clearly firmans in Surah Fathir (35:28) which goes “And so amongst men and crawling creatures and cattle, are they of various colours. Those truly fear God, among His servants who have knowledge: for God is Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving”. We strive to become better, richer, stronger but we have successfully failed to acknowledge that we are all the same underneath it all.

Malaysia's Got Talent

Infinatez is definitely one of the nation's best vocal groups and thanks to Gangstarz, Malaysia is able to watch them showcase what they do best... simply singing their hearts out as well as maintaining who they really are to their friends..

Infinatez has been around and seeing from the raving feedback (judging from the fact that my mum is their number one fan, hence the special top up card to vote for her now-favourite R&B group), they are here to stay..

too bad, I came back too early to miss out on watching them perform live on stage... That would have been better considering i haven't seen much of them during my holidays in Malaysia. Though, i'm loving Alvin as part of the group, a needed revamp, a guided change (so, alvin.... ape cite project solo?? need that anticipated record.. hehehehe)

Changes are good (andy's hair is straighter than mine now) and I look forward to being in the Fan Club.. besides, where would a group be without their so-called "groupie"

here is a clip from their first performance in gangstarz, enjoy and for those in Malaysia, VOTE!

Malaysia Best!!

Malaysia best.. takde tandingan...


Loving each and every second of my stay here...

Tak nak balik sydney