There Was A Time ...

There was a time when I was a young, snot-nosed girl, when things were much simpler and most importantly, cheaper.

I remember when air sirap (rose drink) cost you only 20 cents for a glass (no ice) at school. It was considered the cheapest drink, and it was the most heavily consumed in comparison to other drinks. Milo was too expensive for us kids to drink at school on a daily basis. Now, a frickin’ air sirap (with ice) costs RM1.20!! That’s an additional RM1 compared to 15 years ago. How inflation is robbing us blind.

Nasi lemak, Malaysians favourite meal to consume in the morning, noon and night; used to cost 50 cents. There was also some that cost RM1 but those were in a larger portion, however just the 50 cents were sufficient to fill your tummy for hours to come. Now, that 50 cents nasi lemak costs RM1.20. 70 cents more than 15 years ago.

I'm not saying everything is better back in the days, I'm just saying that, well, it's just plain cheaper. Inflation and the once, twice, thrice economic downturn did all this. DAMN THOSE WALLSTREET MANIACS!!!!! 

15 years ago. God, I feel so old! 15 years ago I was only 9 years old.

15 years ago.

15 years ago, there was less controversial things on TV than there are now. Movies didn’t always have explicit sex scenes because there was no need for that. The storyline had all the juice and spiciness without the necessity for graphic sexual encounters. Nowadays, everywhere you turn, even on the small screen, they just have to have it.

I read an article about a group of PTA or some sorts that launched an attack on TV directors and shows such as Gossip Girls, Glee etc. because of the racy and suggestive contents of the shows. A comment by a delusional individual (I suppose who is ‘of age’) stated that these shows aren’t meant for children or teens because of the ‘adult’ nature. I would just like to say that this is Glee we’re talking about. (remember the Brittany/Britney episode)

In my opinion, if the movie/show is about kids and teens, even though the actors are young adults, it should showcase suitability for kids and teens alike. Just because Blake was 21 years old when she did the romping scene in GG, she was portraying a 15/16 year old schoolgirl hence she should be acting appropriately. She’s supposed to portray a troubled child … there are other ways. There is no need to appear on TV in frilly underwear, and a man having the time of his life licking and kissing her skin.

Blackadder. That was a hilarious series, and still is which is why I’m downloading the series as we speak. It was a hit. It was funny. It was epic. It didn’t have sex scenes. But then we had F.R.I.E.N.D.S and Sex & The City and the likes. I think Americans tend to think with their ****s rather than anything else. The constant need for sexual activities astound me. Like they have nothing else to do with their lives. Maybe they don’t.

Just goes to show, when you don’t have a religion, faith, belief to hold on to, this is what happens.

END

There Was A Time ...

Solat Sunat Istikharah

Seseorang yang menghadapi sesuatu soal yang bersifat mudah, sedang ia sendiri masih ragu-ragu mana sebaiknya dilakukan, maka di sunatkan mengerjakan solat yang bukan termasuk wajib.
Solat itu boleh saja di waktu mengerjakan sunat Rawatib atau Tahiyatul-masjid dan boleh pula di waktu malam atau pun siang, sedang bacaan sehabis Al-Fatihah dapat dipilih sekehendaknya.

Niat Solat Istikharah

Sengaja aku mengerjakan sembahyang istikharah dua rakaat kerana Allah Ta'ala

Doa Solat Istikharah

"Ya Allah, saya memohonkan pilihan menurut pengetahuanMu dan memohonkan penetapan dengan kesuasaanMu juga saya memohonkan kurniaMu yang besar, sebab sesungguhnya Engkaulah yang Maha Mengetahui dan saya tidak mengetahui apa-apa. Engkau Maha Mengetahui segala yang ghaib. Ya Allah, jikalau di dalam ilmuMu bahawa urusan saya ini........baik untukku dalam agamaku, kehidupanku serta akibat urusanku, maka takdirkanlah untukku dan mudahkanlah serta berikanlah berkah kepadaku di dalamnya. Sebaliknya jikala di dalam ilmumu bahawa urusan ini buruk untukku, dalam agamaku, kehidupan serta akibat urusanku, maka jauhkanlah hal itu daripadaku dan jauhkanlah aku daripadanya serta takdirkanlah untukku yang baik-baik saja dimana saja adanya, kemudian puaskanlah hatiku dengan takdirMu itu."

Solat Sunat Istikharah

How to Win Friends & Influence People

I’m starting to love this book. Out of pure boredom at work, I brought this book over and read at my desk at any possible interval.

It really did shed light on a lot of things that made me wonder why …

Why don’t I have friends?

Why can’t I find a boy ..? hehehe

It taught me simple things like .. show respect for other ppl’s opinions – never tell them they’re wrong. Even tho they are.

Make ppl feel they are important, coz everyone feels they are.

It’s those kind of things .. I think this book is my New Year’s resolution.

To become a better version of myself.

I make enemies so easily .. and I know where I went wrong now.

Hopefully, I commit to this ;D

Knowing myself, it ain’t easy.

Semangat je awal2, and then .. nothing. Hehehe

But let's just try anyway

END

How to Win Friends & Influence People

Mr Caterpillar Man

You stole someone else’s eyebrows
Now it’s thick and bushy and dark
It looks so good on you that
You have now stolen my heart

It sounds horrible doesn’t it?Saying someone’s eyebrows are like some creepy crawly .. but let me tell you, there’s nothing remotely creepy about it, that I can say for sure *heart flutters*

Darn it I can’t think straight because my tummy is growling and threatening to run amok if I don’t fill it up. I don’t know why it’s like this. I already had Nestum + Milo this morning. It should be fine up until noon, where I will then proceed to have lunch. It’s an absolute disgrace that I have to succumb to all this and have B’fast, lunch and  dinner. How the heck am I supposed to lose weight with all this preposterousness.

Anyhoo, back from lunch now (it’s been a few hours since I last wrote this as I had some work to take care of first) and it was truly a satisfying one. Curry mee mmm … delicious. I couldn’t have asked for a better lunch. Well, actually I could. It would have been more ah-mazing if I had dessert to go with it (maybe some cheesecake, just the plain one is more than enough to complete my meal) and the caterpillar eyebrows for eye-candy. Now that would be a lunch of an out-of-this-world proportions.

Damn that guy is hot! I could stare into his eyes all day. That is … if I even get to see him for even more than 5 minutes.

Ooh, I like my fragrance today. [Hehe .. I get distracted way too easily.] I am wearing Bvlgari EDT today. I rarely wear this particular fragrance. It’s not my favourite. I have a new favourite, Givenchy’s Ange ou demon Le Secret. I never intended to purchase a new fragrance for myself as my mum ‘gave’ me quite recently (Jlo’s Live Deluxe) and I was actually looking for one for her instead. I have no idea how I bought the fragrance. I blame the promoter. Damn her!!! Making me take a whiff of the fragrance, and ended up buying it.

And the very next day, what do you know. I bought another fragrance. But this one is for my mum, I promise. (although it’s simply incredible and I am tempted …) Bvlgari (my new fave designer brand for perfumes) Jasmin Noir Jewelry Edition. Yes, you read it right.Jewelry Edition. It’s significantly limited (think only about 100 bottles worldwide) and I was fidgeting as to whether to buy or not to buy. I think I would have regretted not buying it. It was too good an opportunity to miss. Even though I had to practically beg, borrow and steal afterwards out of shortage of cash, it was totally worth it.

I can’t wait to see my mum’s face when she gets it.

The bottle design is already picture perfect. The typical Jasmin Noir you would see on the perfume shelves (or for those of you with exquisite taste, on your dressing table) but with a ‘slight’ addition to the design – an 18 carat gold necklace encompasses the neck of the bottle. That’s right. Now you know why I just had to buy it, by hook or by crook. Which was true to the case as my credit card almost maxed out (by just a few tens of ringgit). For my dearest mum, I would sacrifice it all. Well, it was slightly selfish of me because, well, I don’t really know how to put it into words but there was something inside of me that, just buying the fragrance (even if not for myself) was pure therapeutic.

Heck! I’m supposed to be writing about the Caterpillar Man, not Bvlgari!

Let’s list down what it is about him that attracted me so.

1)      Height – he’s tall … enough anyway. I would like him taller, but, I suppose you can’t have it all.
2)      Nice bod – not skinny, not bulky, no tummy. That’s fine by me.
3)      Smart – he dresses nicely. Love the pressed shirt, perfectly knotted tie, a little spike in the hair … not too much. Just right.
4)      Fair – he’s fair-skinned, which is what I like (not being so fair myself, well, just a slight) but just a nice coloured skin tone.
5)      Features – strong, captivating, the eyebrows … *sigh*

There you go. It doesn’t take much apparently, to make me fall head over heels.

The problem is (heck there’s a gazillion problems to it actually) I have no idea where he works. Well, I know he works in my building, that I’m sure of (I think) but which floor? Which dept?

So many questions left unanswered. I can’t even dig up info because I don’t even know how to describe him in the first place. What do I ask people? Do you know a good looking guy with thick eyebrows? Hello … people will think I’m nuts. Which isn’t far off anyway.

I just don’t get the sudden obsession about men’s eyebrows. It never occurred to me that that is the basis for attraction, to me anyhow. How did that come about?

Let’s recall … ok. Back in college, yes, I see it now. The guy I used to like, used to be a close friend, the first (and probably last) guy I told that I liked him. He had thick eyebrows as well. But what about Dublin guy? Did he have thick eyebrows? For the life of me I can’t remember. How long did I have a crush on him? Let’s see … starting March ’07? Or was it Feb? probably more likely it being Feb than March I suppose. Then he went back to Malaysia for hols in June, I then proceeded to return to Malaysia for good in September, to which he returned to Dublin in the same month. Last known contact was via Yahoo Messenger back in 2008 (early 2008 or end of 2007). Either way, he has probably forgotten all about me as he never replied any of my messages (in Yahoo Messenger nor Facebook).

Nonetheless, this guy is my new ultimate goal here. Him, or the nearest look alike. Take your pick.

To quote Mr. T, “Quit yo jibba jabba.”

END

Mr Caterpillar Man

Emptiness?

Blankly staring into the single screen monitor that now occupies my cubicle (finally have one!) at my new office. It is now the 3^rd week I’m working here, and it reminds me of the first few months back at the old workplace … the honeymoon period. Nothing to do but chit-chatting away. Well, at least over there I was ‘socializing’. Here, I’m all alone with no one to talk to but my dutiful Torres and Bob who has since joined me here to keep me company as they did for the past 2 years.

Even then I don’t talk to Torres nor Bob, I mean, hello … we’re talking about a bunch of toys here.

Anyhow, I’ve been slowly adding knick-knacks to my new desk to fill up the emptiness and warmify the whole place. Not sure if it’s working because it still seems so cold and isolated. Maybe because it is isolated in a way. I mean, my surroundings … I have no neighbours dammit. It’s just me and empty cubicles surrounding me.

Things aren’t getting any better as I don’t even have much work to do as I don’t have the proper training to do much anyway. Plus the fact that I don’t have internet access is not making my life any better. So, most of my days is spent doodling, playing around, and only today have I started to do something productive … writing this blog post.

It’s been 4 months since I came back from Manila from a 10 week vacay sponsored by my former employers. I miss it there. I know going there was actually for work purposes … as a Process (and Product) Specialist. But it was a bit like a holiday for me, or for anyone else who went there, as we had some extra cash on top of our own salary, we stayed in a 4 star (I presume) service apartment and got 5 star treatment (the staff there was fabulous) and we got to go places and shop like crazy (for me anyway).

And it has been probably one of the best vacays I ever had due to the fact that I lost weight going there, and no it wasn’t because I went on a diet.

Manila was unable to provide me with the full set of food choices due to religious limitations – I can’t eat pork and I can’t eat meat/chicken as they’re not slaughtered as according to Islam. Due to the limitations, (I was only able to eat vegetables, fish and seafood) I lost some amount of weight to which I believe I may have re-gained now.

I’m not complaining much being back here because food here is thousand times awesome! I can’t live without my nasi lemak and biryani there sucks. Food in general isn’t satisfying. I’m too used to spiciness in my food that it just won’t taste as good if it ain’t spicy. But then again, I love seafood and it’s hard to find good seafood here in Malaysia, whereas in Manila, it was super easy. And cheaper.

*Sigh* I do really miss Manila.

I wish I could go back there .. sponsored by of course. I mean, if I’m gonna be going on a trip with my own pocket money, it’s gonna be somewhere exquisite? Hmm … the ‘cheapest’ place I can think of is Hong Kong. I want to go to Disneyland :D

Anywhere else is in Europe or Dubai. The US of A is kind of bottom of my list because … well, just because. Not really fond of the Yanks.

Australia? Probably. Never really crossed my mind before.

It’s just that I simply adore Europe. My dream vacay would be in Rome or Venice (used to be Paris but I went there already, but I’m not objecting to another trip there). I guess it’s the romantic in me. Just last night I was watching Letters to Juliet for the umpteenth time. It’s cliché in a way (the storyline), but beautiful nonetheless. Most importantly, it’s super romantic without being cheesy.

I just love the part where Charlie climbs up the vines to the balcony to reach Sophie, and uttered the words that melted my heart.

Charlie : I live in London, a gorgeous, vibrant, historic city that I happen to love living in. You live in New York, which is highly overrated.


Sophie : Pardon me?

Charlie : But since the Atlantic Ocean is a bit wide to cross everyday, swimming, boating, or flying, I suggest we flip for it.

Sophie: What are you saying?

Charlie: And if those terms are unacceptable, leaving London will be a pleasure, as long as you’re waiting for me on the other side. Cause the truth is, Sophie, I am madly, deeply, truly, passionately in love with you.

Which comes to another part of my life which is best told in another blog post – looking for my own Prince Charming. No Romeo, as what Charlie has enlightened me that he is no Romeo. Because if it were him, he wouldn't stand there like an idiot, whispering in the garden. He would climb the blasted balcony and be done with it.

Emptiness?

Rumour Has It

A world without gossip is a world without emotions. People need gossip to feel alive. The need to know, whether true or otherwise, are totally irrelevant. Because at the end of the day, as long as you are not the subject of the matter, nothing else actually matters. It is just a tale spun to spice things up in an else, mundane life.


My office is never without gossip. Every single day, there is a story afloat. Somebody someone knows heard it from someone they know and the story goes on. 


If you were to hear it from the horses mouth, it wouldn't be called gossip, now would it?


So, basically, you rarely get first-hand information. But then again, you don't really care. It's juicy, it's succulent, it deviates you from the monotonous of work that you wish to be free off.


Now, a nice piece of drama unfolded recently. And when I say drama, I mean drama with a capital D.R.A.M.A. It's amazing that you would even get to hear  something like this.


One decidedly normal evening, whilst robotically doing my everyday tasks, my next door neighbour (in the office) whispered something perturbedly and disturbing. A girl just attempted to commit suicide!


Apparently she (who isn't even an employee) climbed up a balcony, which was just one storey high, and threatened to jump to whoever who was there who cared.


One thing led to another but nobody knows the whole truth apparently but because of that, and because we needed to keep the juiciness going, we made up our own version of the 'attempted suicide'.


It was fun making stuff up. 


I know, I know. It's bad to laugh at other people's misery, but this girl was funny as s***. I mean, hello .... the height? The most you can get is a broken arm, but you certainly won't die from it. Unless if you're the kind of person who falls funny, and you jump head first, then yes. There is that possibility of death.


I tried to empathise and came up with the rationality that she could have been too stressed out that she didn't even realise that she wasn't up high enough to kill herself. 


At the end of the day, the girl's pain was our pleasure. We sure had a jolly good time at work that evening and we had her to thank for. Our stress level was certainly reduced and we actually enjoyed ourselves.


So it is true what they say ... behind every cloud there's a silver lining. Well, the silver lining wasn't for the girl, but that's besides the point. She did something good that day which was putting tonnes of frowns upside down. We salute you.

Rumour Has It

Jeff Healey Band - Angel Eyes

Jeff Healey Band - Angel Eyes

When Love And Hate Collide

Def Leppard are the BEST ROCK/METAL band EVER!!!!!!!

One of their slower songs, but nonetheless tugs at your heartstrings with such emotion and depth in the lyrics and also the musical arrangements of the song itself.

The original and BEST version from these guys from the UK (which was later ruined by the inclusion of "country darling" Taylor Swift)

When Love And Hate Collide

Bruno Mars - Who Is ?

Bruno Mars - Who Is ?

Bruno Mars - Who Is ?