lazy bum-bum...

Good morning....another day of fibre optics, temperature logging and backscattered light...blearghh, why can't I do something I really like for a living instead?

p/s: I slept like a log last night...more than 8 hours...what an achievement! 

on my bedside...

Currently reading this. Am in the mood of self reflection right now, so Paulo Coelho's is the best.

"How can we be so arrogant? The planet is, was, and always will be stronger than us. We can't destroy it; if we overstep the mark, the planet will simply erase us from its surface and carry on existing. Why don't they start talking about not letting the planet destroy us? " 


"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, and there is nothing new under the sun, as Solomon said more than three thousand years ago.”


"At the first sign of indifference or lack of enthusiasm, take note! The only preventative against this disease is the realization that the soul suffers, suffers greatly, when we force it to live superficially. The soul loves all things beautiful and deep.”


“A very great difference indeed. Experience has taught me that people only give value to a thing if they have, at some point, been uncertain as to whether or not they’ll get it.”


"The celebrity syndrome. When people forget who they are and start to believe what other people say about them. The superclass, everyone’s dream, a world without shadows or darkness, where yes is the only possible answer to any request.”


“The fear of the unknown becomes a dread that she might never have the chance to discover what it really means to be here… how can she make sure that the miracle of today continues tomorrow?"


the reviews that I read is not really promising, but this is one of the few Paulo Coelho's books that I think I will finish reading (I only read about 70 pages of 'The Zahir' because it feels like listening to a biology lecture....)


bed is calling me. gonna read a few pages before I zzzz....tomorrow is a brand new day. good nite.

for the sake of posting

I don't really think whatever I said make sense until....

Ujie quoted me in her blog post.

hinss hinss (*hidung kembang*)....I can be the next Dr Fazley la nampaknya. (nak jadi macam Ustazah Bahiyah memang out la kan)


P/S: saya agak iritasi kalau orang mintak saya buat sesuatu dan cakap a.s.a.p....just give me a date please and I'll do my best to meet the dateline...ada paham?!

saya rindu (I'm missing something)

The thing that I really, really miss the most since I started going out of Miri during the weekends is....

ROAD TRIPPING WITH FRIENDS!!!

This picture is taken from Rush's blog, Tepak Sireh.....we went for a road trip/camping to Loagan Bunut (but we stayed in the National Park's hostel).....ala-ala Camel Trophy...to those who want to go down the memory lane with me, click this link to Rush's entry.

P/S: there's a lot more things that I miss actually, like lepak-lepak at the beach doing nothing...

cleaning out the closet, down memory lane

IT department asked me to clear all photos and media files from my office computer...look what I've found after 5 years....

Gambar passport masa umur 16, diambil untuk buat entry pass for SUKOM 1998 (was in the brass band). Lesen memandu still guna gambar ni sebab still in denial about my real age.

kacau Kay ngan Christine dekat lab masa final year.....muka diorang penat, so aku je yang senyum sebab research project aku senang macam makan kacang...hohoho

celebrate birthday Lisa kat Nando's...aku memang suka mengendeng kat Kay macam tu

soalan bonus

Soalan bonus kali ni lain sikit dengan soalan bonus yang biasa orang tanya:

"Kenapa gadis secantik kamu belum berkahwin lagi?"

dilontarkan dalam Bahasa Melayu yang kedengaran agak rasmi.

To which I don't have an answer.

Lagipun, I never really thought of myself as cantik pun. Kalau cantik pun macam bulan, tapi gerhana. Or lawa tiada, manis ada.

Tapi, kenapa ek?

Sebab saya dalam hal-hal macam ni memang agak malang?

ke....sebab saya macam Yuna tapi kembang?

hahahaha

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sebab belum jodoh deh....

I believe if the timing and the person is right,

all the pieces will fit together.

**lil' sis nak kawen in less than 10 days' time! I'm so excited and happy for her......pergi KL ni harus mengangkut semua baju, kasut dan mekap sebab flying to Kuching direct from KL (another MYY-KCH ticket burned)...tapi, rasa sayu at the same time coz this will be the last time kitorang tido sama-sama kalau I balik rumah...biasanya kalau nak mengada-ngada dia akan peluk saya and saya peluk dia (kalau rimas, tendang guna kaki sampai jauh-jauh to the other side of the bed)....sekarang ni, saya peluk bantal jelah....

what happen if you google your name?

I haven't googled myself for quite sometime. Back then, there were nothing much that pops up everytime I typed my name. However, I googled my name again a few minutes ago and guess what? Banyakla pulak search results that direct to this blog.

Hence, I'm disabling my blog from the search engines. I read in some forum that it will take a few days until it disappeared completely from search results. The blog content can still be viewed by public but it will not appear in any of the search engines. It made me feel less vulnerable this way.

Pak Jamil & Makeup

So, Pak Jamil decided to drag me along to the meeting, even though I have not finished the work that he asked me to do (I still have to prepare a couple of slides though)....

Just after I sent an email to book my flight and accommodation for the one day meeting, the lead for the other project I'm working on asked me to go to KL for a one-week workshop. I can only go for 3 days only though, since I'm taking Thursday & Friday off coz my sis' wedding will be on that weekend! He said OK.

I will still keep my end of the promise though to finish my report. Which means I only have until Saturday to do what I need to do since I'll be flying back to Kuching from KL....Aghhh! Need to fast forward my facial session la nampaknye, I have some big zits popping due to lack of sleep and hormones..

After work, I went to Bintang with Zuma to buy this:

The colours that I chose are similar to those in the picture except for the green one... they're a good addition to the eye and cheek colours that I already have. And at RM18 each (and if you buy 3 free 1 pulak tu) it's really a good deal. The pallete box is also on promotion, 40% off with any purchase. Zuma bought a lipstick for RM18 as well and I added a liquid concealer to my loot coz it's also RM18. Please take note that some of the colours might already be out of stock now (yelah, jualan murah mestila orang berebut nak beli).

Anyway, I didn't get the free canvas makeup bag like my friends got, coz the offer is only until last weekend. Bukan rezeki. The slanted blusher brush in Stage costs RM90, so I just bought a similar brush from Elianto. RM13 je, murah kan? But of course, the feel and the look of it really looks like the difference between RM90 and RM13. Takpela...I really have to watch my budget until next year anyway dan bukannya pakai selalu pun.

Oklah...have to wash this make up off my face. Macam-macam sales girl tu test kat muka aku tadi. Hajat di hati nak spend 10 minit, jadi sejam kat situ. Good nite.

Pak Jamil & Me

Tadi, my project lead datang ke cubicle aku nak bagitau that the morning meeting is canceled. Ini adalah drama sebabak kitorang yang selanjutnya…


Me: So, what’s the update on the meeting that we’re supposed to have in KL?


Pak Jamil: It’s postponed to next Tuesday.


Me: Oh…who’s going?


Pak Jamil: Since you were not that keen on going to KL, it will be me, X and Y. (sebenarnya pakcik ni memang nak aku pegi, tapi aku jual mahal sebab masa tu aku tengah penat asyik naik plane saja….siap menggoda dan menghasut dengan ajakan shopping lagi, pun aku masih tak berminat)


Me: Errr….that was if the meeting is this week. I’m OK if the meeting is next week. (sebenarnya, dalam hati aku pun tak sure aku nak pergi ke tak, tapi rasa macam dah lama tak naik airplane….10 bintang untuk mengada-ngada!)


Pak Jamil: Why the sudden change of heart? What agenda you have in mind? Shopping? (sambil tersengih-sengih sinis)


Me: (*light bulb moment* - boleh shopping tudung!! Wedding adik and raya dah dekat!) errrrk….NOOO…it’s not like that, it’s just that I’m not that busy next week, and I’ll be on leave on Thursday onwards anyway….


Pak Jamil: Hmmmm, let’s see how it will affect the travel budget….in the other hand, I don’t think having all of us 3 e****s is such a good idea for this meeting…and I’m sure you know better if they start asking about yada, yada, yada….


Me: **fluttering my eyelashes** See….you need me to be in the meeting. If my innocent face worked with the immigration officers (this is another story), it will work with them too.


Pak Jamil: **I’m-not-totally-convinced-face** Let’s make a deal…if you finish the write-up on permeability multipliers before Tuesday, you’ll get to go.


Me: OK. *tetiba rasa macam budak sekolah bila pendekatan carrot-and-stick itu digunakan ke atas saya*


So, there you go. My motivation to work for this week - nak pegi KL beli tudung cantik to match the dress that I’m going to wear on my sister’s wedding! Hehehehehe…..sayang Pak Jamil!!






P/S: Sebab kat department aku banyak mat saleh…so kalau kitorang nak cakap pasal diorang dalam bahasa melayu, nama diorang pun dimelayukan sekali, so kat ofis tu ada Pak Jamil, Che’ Mat, Ridhwan, Karim, Kamaruddin and last but not least, Pakcik Panjang! ...okla tu kan, bukannya nama yang tak elok pun, Jamil tu makna dia cantik apa dalam bahasa arab…

Cantik. Macam Bulan. Tapi Gerhana.

Hehehehe....itu ayat dari filem Ahmad Albab, my favorite P.Ramlee's comedy. Sampai aku hafal lagu Kg Pening Lalat tu....memalukan sungguh bila ada tetamu di rumah lepas tu anak dara tua yang dah besar gedabak tengah happy² sing-along kat lagu tu dalam TV. Dush dush....

Anyway, ni nak ceritala....malam tadik I chat ngan my Sarawakian friend....lamak dah sik beloyar (sorry, tukar channel jap)....almaklumlah masing-masing busy (him with fatherhood, me with hal-hal duniawi)....he told me that he reads my blog....awww...aku ingatkan my girlfriends je yang baca (blogging is a nice way to keep in touch with u all)....

Me: bagusla ko rajin baca apa nak dikerepak aku, aku rasa macam nak nukar blog ku jadi blog gedik (ala-ala girlish sikit)

My friend: ada ku nangga gambar gedik kau (previous entry)....kedak Yuna lah

Me: **bangga diri**

My friend: tapi kembang.

Me: sik hal, kembang pun kembangla.....asalkan kach.....(kachak = cantek dlm bahasa S'wak)

My friend: Kach....ne ada ku madah sik kachak...

Me: =P (sengaja mintak puji sebenarnya)

P/S: so apa kaitan dialog ni dengan tajuk di atas?

Profile Kecantikan (tiru blog Anis)

My friend Anis did this in her blog, so I pun nak tiru dia la....hehehehehe <3 <3

Face: oily/combination/sensitive/acne-prone skin (aku letak close up lubang hidung ku di sini sekali)

Main problems: zits, zits, zits and dry cheeks

Skincare:

Cleanser: Skin Food Black Sugar Foaming Cleanser, Skin Food Aloe Vera Face Wash (I’ve been using Skin Food products for more than a year now and I love it!)

Eye makeup remover: Simple Eye Make-Up Remover, Loreal Gentle Make Up Remover

Scrub: I have been advised not to use scrub but to use other methods of exfoliation (i.e mask).

Toner: Skin Food Parsley & Mandarin Toner

Serum / Essence: Skin Food Parsley & Mandarin Essence, Skin Food Peach Sake Pore Minimising Essence

Moisturizer: Skin Food Peach Sake Moisturizer, Skin Food Parsley & Mandarin Moisturizer (I used to skip this before, since I hate the feel of moisturizer with my oily skin....but Skin Food moisturizers agree well with me!)

Eyes: Skin Food Snow Tea Eye Serum (just started using this few months ago sebab terasa diri dah tua, but this Snow Tea range is more for youth skin, sepatutnya kalau umur dah lebih 25 kena guna the Salmon range for eyecare).

Masks: Skin Food Sheet Masks pelbagai perisa (my favorite is Herb Salad, Sea Vegetable, Potiron Au Lait and White Chocolate), Skin Food Papaya Yogurt wash-off Mask, Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Mask (this is also a quick remedy for tired eyes and chapped lips), Dermalogica Anti-Bac Mask.

Treatment: Facial sebulan sekali kat Dermalogica untuk membuang noda degil di wajah. (with muka kertas pasir macam aku ni, I need some professional help).

*The Skin Food Tea Tree Range & Parsley and Mandarin Range are great for problem/acne-prone skin. Another best-selling product from Skin Food is also their tinted BB cream (sunblock, tapi I tak pakai this one, coz tak main panas sangat, sekali sekala gelap apa salahnya).

For more information: www.skinfood.sg

Makeup:

Face: Miyami Compact Powder from Cosway in Light shade (murah je dan aku pakai hari-hari pergi office sebab sangat best! Thanks Farina sebab cakap pasal bedak ni in her blog), Averine Smooth Silk Liquid Foundation in Natural, Averine Loose Powder in Natural, Stage Loose Powder in Natural

Blusher : Pipi saya memang dah agak pink (thanks to years of dealing with teenage pimples), so memang tak pakai blusher. But I have a light pink one I bought from Stage.

Eye-colours: neutral earthy base with dark colours on the outer corner. (I have those from Stage and Maybelline).

Eye-Liner : Stage eye-liner in black. Easy to apply and remove.

Mascara: For biasa-biasa use, the telescopic mascara from L'oreal.....for volume, Hypnose from Lancome (dapat free, adik saya kasi).... kalau rajin, kepitla dulu bulu mata sebelum apply mascara.

Lip colours: Stage – Red hue; Catherine (Zeta-Jones), Pinkish hue; Cameron (Diaz), Maybelline Lip Smooth in 04Raspberry (been using it since 2003), Bioglo Cherry Pink Lip Cream from Cosway (sangat bagus)

For more products overview: www.stage-cosmetics.com

Currently hunting for: A good bronzer (sebab nak cuba try test buat shading²... diorang cakap Body Shop punya ok...)

Can’t live without: The three essentials – cleanser, toner, moisturizer. (Kalau tak mandi takpe, asal muka aku mandi). So, to those who wants to share their beauty regime, sila kan lah ye....

P/S: I'm currently trying to learn some make-up tips & tricks coz my sister asked me to beautify her during her 'majlis bertandang'....adoiyaiiii.....


Stage at Bintang Miri is having some offer that is so hard to miss!!

of getting old and cynical

There will be a new graduate hire in my discipline. My senior (who has to be in charge while boss is on leave) was looking for a "buddy" for the new guy. He asked me to be the guy's buddy...after 5 years in the company, and a few buddies later, I don't think this is for me....so I 'taichi'-ed the honor and told him to try and ask somebody else.

So he went around telling my boss (jokingly, I hope) that I gave him a HORRIFIED look when he asked me to be the new guy's buddy....my boss went to my desk to look at my HORRIFIED face. This happened on Thursday. Come Monday, and they're still talking about how HORRIFIED I am.....boleh gelak-gelak lagi tu....aishhh....

source: postsecret.com

Aiyyooo.....I'm not as enthusiastic as I was before la.....the same way I hate it when being around depressed/negative people drains my energy and positive aura out of me, so do I don't like to be around enthusiastic, hopeful graduates...I want them to experience the ups and downs the way I did....I don't want my cynism to make them lose the momentum they need to do their job excellently. And being around energetic young people for too long makes me feel tired. Yes, dears...I'm OLD.

pakcik kayooo

Al-kisah, tadi aku gi keluarkan duit dekat ATM kat lobi ofis. Kebetulan aku punya colleague tengah keluarkan duit jugak. Aku sengihla dengan dia sambil cakap " Hello Boss"...

Senior aku tu sengih-sengih sambil cakap ada 300 ribu lagi kat dalam bank ni.....

Dia ni memang suka buat lawak macam ni (walaupun aku tau dia memang banyak duit sebab pandai invest dan hidup berpada-pada....tapi aku ingat org simpan duit banyak kat ASB je)....

Pastu aku pun cakap, "Mana? Tengok jap..."

Memang sah ada 300 ribu lebih kat dalam tu.....aiyoooo....patutla bila aku mintak belanja, instead of aku yang asyik tanya, dia yang asyik tanya aku bila aku nak makan free....huhu....pakcik, pakcik....aku nih kalau by the time hujung bulan kalau ada lagi 3 angka kat dalam bank tu pun dah kira cukup bagus dah tu... :P

coming full cycle

Another way to tell that it's about that time of the month is......

When I look at myself and see a giant pumpkin with a bobbing head.

:-(

Hari-hari lain aku perasan cantik.

entry gedik

Ini gambar gedik saya. Kalau saya letak kat facebook, nanti confirm kena kutuk dengan sahabat-sahabat karib la kan...

Masa hari tu, saya first time pakai tudung ni, so sajalah nak meng-camwhore sebelum pegi kerja.... sebenarnya saya nak share about how my skin has improved dalam masa setahun ni....those who knows me, will know that I'm forever in love-hate relationship relationship with my skin....ada satu peringkat tu, teruk gila my skin condition sampai ada sorang makcik-tak-sayang-mulut suruh saya gosok muka dengan kertas pasir (nasib baik saya sabar). Sekarang ni pun, still tumbuh jerawat tapi kalau saya tgh stress, tak cukup tido, malas mandi and if it's the time of the month la....which I usually biarkan sahaja jerawat tu keluar.

So, nak tahu what have I been using as part of my skincare and beauty regime? (wahsehhh)...nanti-nantila ek, saya story. TUNGGU....

P/S: Siti Yuhanis and Farina, rindula nak baca korang punya beauty product nye reviews...

Resepi Best Ciptaan Saya

Bahan-bahannya:

1. Seorang adik yang akan berkahwin
2. Majlis bertandang yang baru ditentukan tarikhnya
3. Perancangan perjalanan yang separa lengkap
4. Syarikat penerbangan A yang sesuka hati mengubah tarikh
5. Syarikat penerbangan B yang sesuka hati menaikkan harga
6. 4 hours worth of road trip untuk ke kampung bakal adik ipar
7. Kakak pengantin yang merupakan pelanggan setia syarikat penerbangan A dan B
8. Satu 'open ticket' ke Bakelalan yang hampir tamat tempoh
9. Distraction secukup rasa
10.Emak yang blur sebagai hiasan
11.Sifat mengada-ngada secukup rasa

Langkah-Langkah Menyediakannya:

1. Pilih tarikh kahwin. (Sebelah pengantin perempuan).
2. Kakak pengantin beli tiket untuk majlis 1 dengan syarikat penerbangan A.
3. Syarikat penerbangan A menukar masa penerbangan menjadi sangat sesuai dan tidak berbaloi.
4. Kakak pengantin bengang dan berhasrat untuk menukar bahan 8 untuk hadir majlis 1 menggunakan syarikat penerbangan B.
5. Semasa di airport, kakak menelefon emak yang blur tentang niatnya untuk mendapatkan tiket baru. Emak memberitahu tentang tarikh majlis bertandang. Kakak menukar bahan 8 untuk majlis bertandang (one way) sahaja dan dikenakan caj tambahan sebanyak RM70.
6. Kakak pergi ke syarikat penerbangan A untuk menukar flight secara percuma (first time tukar je percuma). Satu bahagian untuk ke majlis 1 dan satu bahagian untuk balik dari majlis 2 (sebelah lelaki).
7. Kakak juga turut membeli tiket baru untuk balik dari majlis 1 dengan syarikat penerbangan B.
8. Adik tiba-tiba menyuruh kakak untuk menukar laluan perjalanannya bagi majlis 2 supaya bahan 3 dan bahan 6 dapat dijalankan secara optimum.
9. Adunan dibiarkan untuk beberapa ketika dan dicampur dengan 'distraction'.
10. Setelah adunan betul-betul kembang, kakak pergi ke airport semula untuk menukar laluan bagi majlis 2 menggunakan bahan 8 yang telah ditukar dalam langkah 5.
11. Kakak terlupa yang dia telah melakukan langkah 7, jadi kakak telah meminta return ticket untuk ke destinasi majlis 2, instead of one way. Harganya adalah lebih mahal berbanding jika dibeli secara online.
12. Jadi, kakak mengada-ngada tukar bahan 8 untuk perjalanan balik bulan puasa (alasan: rindu masakan emak yang blur). Kena bayar denda RM50.Tiket ini untuk one-way sahaja.
13. Kakak beli tiket pergi balik untuk ke majlis 2.
14. Kakak beli tiket balik dari trip bulan puasa (langkah 12).
15. Kakak update travel plan dan baru perasan kesilapannya.
16. Biarkan kakak masak dengan perasaan bengang buat seketika. (Dahla kakak itu tengah tight budget sampai hujung tahun ni).
17. Gaul hingga sebati. Tutup periuk dan biarkan mendidih. Tuangkan dalam mangkuk jenama blogspot.

Hasilnya:

3 tiket balik ke MYY pada 8 Ogos (satu tu memang confirm tak nak naik sebab awal sangat, so on that day boleh pilih yang mana satu nak pakai).

Wang yang sepatutnya dibelanjakan: RM50 - iaitu wang denda untuk menukar destinasi bahan 8.

Wang yang telah dibelanjakan: RM50 + RM233 (return ticket majlis 2) + RM119 (balik dari trip bulan puasa) + RM28 (tiket asal majlis 1) + RM89 (tiket yang telah dibeli di langkah 7)= RM519

Wang yang dibazirkan (sebab tiada dalam plan asal) dan kerana terlebih distraction: RM233 + RM119 + RM28 + RM89 = RM469

Tiket balik bulan puasa (sepatutnya, kalau return dan takde drama-drama macam  ni): RM253

Tapi, sebab balik time bulan puasa tu menyenangkan hati orang tua, anggap la akak tu rugi dalam RM216 je.....mari kita sama-sama salahkan distraction tu....so, kalau tengah masak jangan tinggalkan masakan anda dan pergi buat kerja lain atau melamun....dan janganlah malas bekerja.



P/S: Actually tahun ni, nak isi sampul duit raya tu dengan banyak sikit saguhatinya...but looking at the current situation, macam less budget for duit raya tahun ni...so aku nak sedia XX paket jelah...siapa cepat dia dapat!

Korang mesti ingat aku el-cheapo gilerr kan....but looking at how many balik kampung trips I have to make and other trips, I have to be aware of my budget.

Who the hell knows?!

I just got back from spending less than 24 hours with my family. Albeit short, I really did a lot of things. My brother, sister, dad, future brother in law and I went to watch Eclipse at midnight. At the graduation scene, I was thinking that the valedictorian speech is beautiful, when dad exclaimed quite loudly that it is so wrongg!!! Adoi, nasib baik cinema tu gelap....and I'm so used to him buat commentary sendiri while watching movies....anyway... am posting the speech here. I like it, do you?

"When we were five, they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Our answers were thing like astronaut, president, or in my case… princess.

When we were ten, they asked again and we answered - rock star, cowboy, or in my case, gold medalist. But now that we've grown up, they want a serious answer. Well, how 'bout this: who the hell knows?!

This isn't the time to make hard and fast decisions, its time to make mistakes. Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere chill. Fall in love - a lot. Major in philosophy 'cause there's no way to make a career out of that. Change your mind. Then change it again, because nothing is permanent.

So make as many mistakes as you can. That way, someday, when they ask again what we want to be… we won't have to guess. We'll know."  

u think jetsetting is fun? think again...

I was flipping through my old blog posts the other day and I came across an entry that I wrote sometime in early January. I was complaining about how I rarely spend the weekend in Miri since November. I also promised to myself that I'm going to slow down, give my body and soul a break they need, and to cut down all this traveling by 30-50%. Now, it's July already, the first half of the year has already been packed up in memories and let's see how good I have been in keeping my promise:

50% reduction? My ass. This is the list of AirAsia flights from March - November 2010. In January I flew back to Kuching 3 out of the 4 weekends (the other weekend that I didn't fly was spent for a camping trip in Similajau National Park), and 3 out of 4 weekends in February were spent outside of Miri as well, one of it for my sis' engagement day and another one for visiting Mila in Ipoh. This list also does not include all the Malaysia Airlines flights, recent purchases and business trips (which is roughly once a month, but with the new project that I've been assigned to, might be more frequent).

Just to give you a closer look, this is what a typical month looks like for me:

Notice the red scribbles at the right side of the calendar? Those are the weekends, I jotted down the flight that I have to take in case I forgot. Red scribble in the middle is for a business trip. I used to fill my weekends in Miri with activities like going to the beach, road trips, fooling around, etc with my friends, but nowadays, I spend the precious time at home, in front of the TV,and only come out when I'm very close to dying of starvation. I have suitcases and backpacks lying all around the house....I don't really bother to unpack anymore, coz I will end up packing again less than a week later....I just have different sizes of suitcase/backpack depending on the type and the length of the trip. I'm getting so good at packing I can pack in a matter of minutes for a few weeks' trip. Tapi unpack barang-barang tu boleh mengambil masa berbulan-bulan lah....standard orang malas.

Half of my trips, like the monthly balik kampung ones, are pre-planned...so I buy them whenever AirAsia has their promotional sale...but there's really no point of buying it now, as the flight timing has changed and unfavourable....I'm buying Malaysia Airlines' Get-the-Deal instead....okla jugak....as for the overseas trips, I had to plan it upfront and start saving/allocating budget for it...sebab inila jugak saya dah lama tak beli baju cantik.huhu. Actually in 2009, I was dreaming/planning to go to New Zealand or USA. Since the flight tickets to US is so damn expensive, and it's cheaper to fly to NZ, it was almost sure that we're going to backpack in NZ.....however, later in the year, my sister announced that she's planning to get married this year....so, I pulled out of the NZ plan (my friend decided to go ahead with the NZ plan alone though) so that I can use the money to help out with some aspects of the wedding preparation.

So, come 2010, guess what happened? In February, I learned that AirAsia suspended their operations to Abu Dhabi. It was 4 weeks before my long awaited trip (bought it 6 months before) to the UAE to visit my best friend. I was quite upset but decided not to dwell on it and wait for AA to contact us. When they did, we were given a choice to re-route to other AirAsiaX destinations (except London). Kitorang pun apa lagi, terus memilih Gold Coast as the alternative destination...coz it's soooooooooo hard to get cheap tickets to Gold Coast even during the promotion time, and we get it at no extra charge! So, even though I didn't get to go to NZ, I still get to travel down under (kira dekatla tu).

Then, my boss told me that my training request is approved, and the training is in Houston, USA. I get to travel to San Antonio, New York City and Niagara Falls in this trip. But it also kind of creepy to (almost) get both of the things that I wished for but had to let go earlier. Even though I'm happy to get the chance to go to these places, but it's also a threat to my purse strings, especially since the trips are within a month of each other. Somehow, I managed to figure out the finances....and though there's a lot more things that I wish I can do during the travel, it is good enough. At the moment, I'm still recovering from the trips and working hard to pay my credit card bills....huhuhu....so far, whenever I'm really broke, money will appear out of nowhere and help me to survive....not going to elaborate it here, but Alhamdulillah.

Itu baru cerita pasal duit....kalau travel sorang-sorang pun ada jugak yang tak bestnya...of course, you're free to chart your own activities, but there will be days when you feel depressed because there's no one familiar to talk to, you don't feel like talking to strangers, you got tired of taking your own self-portraits (lagi-lagi aku yang kalau ambik gambar camwhore je akan dikutuk oleh rakan-rakan) and you feel jealous looking at happy loving couples.....not to mention, with no traveling partner to share the accomodation costs with, your choice are limited to crampy hostels at a price of a 4-star hotel back home. You really have to be aware of your health, finances, time and safety. And to have to say 'no' to people yang nak kirim barang is equally hard too, especially for me who classify shopping as a "good to have, but not necessary" activity. Orang lain gi Gold Coast mesti gi factory outlet kat Harbour Town, I just knew about it a week after coming back to Malaysia. Boleh?

Even though it can be tiring and not to mention I don't know what is the effect of all those airport scans will have on my body, I don't know of any other ways to live my life. I guess I'll just have to let nature takes it course. Lagipun aku bukannya ada anak dan laki yang perlu dijaga makan minumnya. My parents have already come to terms with me and my passion for travel. I know deep down they're worried, hence I call them more often when I'm abroad just to let them know I'm doing fine.

For the second half of 2010, I still have trips to Singapore, Thailand and India, plus a family road trip to Sabah to look forward to. Also my balik kampung trips and business trips. And whatever it will be in between. I will still put the target to reduce travel by 30-50% for 2011. I think I have a good start since I haven't buy any flight tickets for next year (except for a family trip to Langkawi in April, hehe). We will see. Mana tau kot-kot I kahwin ke next year...kan, kan, kan?

what am I going to make of myself!

Aku rasa aku punya tahap calmness dah dekat nak mencapai tahap nirwana....when I was in New York, I was stuck inside the bathroom for almost 2 hours....but I didn't really feel the panic...instead i just laid a towel on the floor and made myself comfortable in case nobody hear me and my roommate balik lambat...I WAS READY TO SPEND THE NIGHT SLEEPING IN THE COLD BATHROOM FLOOR....and the bathroom is really tiny tau...as I was staying in a cheap NY hostel, but I chose a room for only 2 people with ensuite bathroom...likelihood for people to hear me is low, so I decided that instead of wasting my energy I rather just keep calm while thinking of what I have to do....so I was already sitting in the dark bathroom (I switched of the lights coz the wiring is connected to the ventilation fan which creates so much noise I won't be able to hear sounds from outside) for an hour when finally I heard some noise from downstairs. So, I just shouted from a small air opening and mentioned my room number. This guy (whoever he was) informed the front desk. It took 2 guys another 40 minutes to open the door (it's the KNOB that is spoilt, you see)....Thank God I brought a t-shirt into the bathroom so at least I was decent when they rescued me....My room mate came back around that time, and she's really amazed that I didn't freak out at all. Actually, it kind of scared me that I didn't feel scared at all....

You see, I've practised a lot of calming techniques, I really worked hard to pick up the bits and pieces of my life and be a happier person....I cleared my mind of negative thoughts, filling it with positive ones...reading the words of wise men like Paulo Coelho and whoever that writes self help books...while it might not be a perfect situation, it really made me feel a lot happier and positive and having this couldn't care less (or more) attitude....hehehehe....paham tak apa yg aku cuba nak cakap ni? Well, lepas apa yang aku lalui dan dalam mengutip cebisan-cebisan hati untuk kembali tersenyum, aku dah jadi orang yang tenang dan selamba gila....mementingkan diri sendiri pun ada, yelah sebab sebelum ni ko utamakan your other half, tapi untuk recover, kena tukar mindset sekejap yang diri sendiri lebih penting...anyway, sebab benda2 macam nilah aku dah tak kisah tau, kalau apa-apa benda jadik sekalipun, sebab aku rasa kalau fikir banyak-banyak pun serabut jugak, dan belum tentu benda tu baik atau buruk bagi kita....the best thing is, just go with it.

Lagipun, when you clear yourself of all the negativities, dah takde dah rasa nak dengki mendengki kat orang, rasa tak bersyukur, tak puas hati....hidup pun lebih tenang....yelah, cuba tengok sekeliling kita, orang yang tak bersyukur ni mesti asyik merungut je kerja dia dan tak puas dengan apa yang dah ada. Sedangkan, they should appreciate life for what they have, not what they don't. Lagi satu, orang yang suka dengki-mendengki ni memang tak tenang jiwanya. yelah...asyik nak fikir macam mana nak kenakan orang, macam mana nak dapat lebih dari orang....manala tak sakit kepala, sakit dada, sakit jiwa kan....cuba rileks tahap nirwana macam aku ni....muka senyum ke....orang kasik ko soalan menyakitkan hati, buat muka innoccent, comel dan senyum....tapi kalau mood aku tengah nak mengzass, atau orang tu dah melebihi quota 3 kali menyakitkan hati, sila ready untuk saya punya zass ok.....silap2, kisah laki ko kahwin lain kat sempadan pun aku cakap nanti....pembaca blog ni jangan risau ok...takde kaitan ngan korang or orang yg korang kenal....I've known about it for a few years and tak pernah bocor pun rahsia ni...what I did is I just avoid makcik ni, so that she doesn't have a chance to make me upset...or after she made her first remark, I will just keep quiet and make sure I don't bump into her again....and continue to remind myself that nothing good will come out if I don't think rationally....

hahahhahaha.....moral of the story? up to you guys what to make of it....I have a big family and a wide circle of friends....and not to forget, saya ni banyak berjalan and suka observe orang.....memangla banyak cerita merapu ni yang saya dapat kan....so, tenang-tenangkan jiwa anda dan penuhkan dengan positive thoughts... semoga berjaya mencapai tahap nirwana....hehehe

Bohemian Rhapsody

Is this the real life? 
Is this just fantasy? 
Caught in a landslide 
No escape from reality 
Open your eyes 
Look up to the skies and see 
I'm just a poor boy (Poor boy) 
I need no sympathy 
Because I'm easy come, easy go 
Little high, little low 
Any way the wind blows 
Doesn't really matter to me, to me 

Mama just killed a man 
Put a gun against his head 
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead 
Mama, life has just begun 
But now I've gone and thrown it all away 
Mama, ooh 
Didn't mean to make you cry 
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow 
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters 

Too late, my time has come 
Sends shivers down my spine 
Body's aching all the time 
Goodbye, everybody 
I've got to go 
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth 
Mama, oooooooh (Anyway the wind blows) 
I don't want to die 
Sometimes wish I'd never been born at all 

[Guitar Solo] 

I see a little silhouetto of a man 
Scaramouch, Scaramouch, will you do the Fandango 
Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very frightening me 
(Galileo) Galileo (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo Figaro 
Magnifico-o-o-o-o 
I'm just a poor boy nobody loves me 
He's just a poor boy from a poor family 
Spare him his life from this monstrosity 

Easy come, easy go, will you let me go? 
Bismillah! No, we will not let you go 
Let him go 
Bismillah! We will not let you go 
Let him go 
Bismillah! We will not let you go 
Let me go (Will not let you go) 
Let me go (Will not let you go) (Never, never, never, never) 
Let me go, o, o, o, o 
No, no, no, no, no, no, no 
(Oh mama mia, mama mia) Mama Mia, let me go 
Beelzebub has the devil put aside for me, for me, for me! 

So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye 
So you think you can love me and leave me to die 
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby 
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here 

[Guitar Solo] 
(Oooh yeah, Oooh yeah) 

Nothing really matters 
Anyone can see 
Nothing really matters 
Nothing really matters to me 

Any way the wind blows..



*watching the Vocal Adrenalines singing this on Glee...macam "Rangkaian Joget-joget Melayu" je aku rasa tetiba....