Monday, December 13, 2004

HONEYMOON



My cousins called The Don and me asking where we were going for our honeymoon. When we said we were going to SENTOSA, they were audibly upset. One cousin even offered to sponsor half the cost of our honeymoon to Australia, if we want. hehehe So sweeeeett of them.

Ok ok .... I'll fess up. We are going to the ULTIMATE honeymoon destination. The most romantic city in the world (or so they say)

(Click the title to see where)


Wednesday, December 08, 2004

On Hiatus

OOppss.... its been awhile hasn't it???

The PC has been teleported to the *new* home but still unplugged. The Don's PC(s) are of course available but I've been too busy I've hardly had the chance to even switch it on. And in the office, I've been busy clearing up my work after all come 15th Dec, I'll be taking my leave aaaaaallllll the way till next year. So I've got loads to do!!

Let do a lil' update shall we?

Umi and I have moved into the *new* house proper since last weekend. Most of our new furniture has arrived. Our King-sized bridal bed is HUMONGOUS!!!!!!! And I absolutely luurrveee it!!!! But we are keeping it intact(uncovered and still plastic-covered) till the ppl from the decor company comes to put their bedsheets. (I'm itching to lay out my ivory satin & organza sheets but I'll have to wait till after the wedding) The only thing left to come is our dresser and side tables. They will only arrive on the 15th Dec.

The kitchen's all ready. We finally bought our fridge and washing machine. Since we are on a tight budget, we initially wanted to only buy a small washing machine & fridge but somehow the complete opposite happened. We even had a "slight" problem trying to make it sit nicely on the fridge base. But that's been resolved. And my washing machine can fit a small baby elephant at 8.5kg hehehe. I've even started cooking at the *new* house thanks to my mom who bought for us all the necessary kitchen utensils - from saucepans to ladles to basins etc etc.

The only we need now are carpets. My siblings will be letting me use theirs for the event but we'll still need our own carpets after everything is over. So anybody with any lobangs for cheap cheap carpets do drop me a tag yah?

The Don and I feel that we are truly blessed, Alhamdulillah. Firstly, everything that we have planned has been executed perfectly, some even better than what we expected. Everyone is happy for us and are equally excited to hold this wedding. We feel that at no time at all, even at our lowest point, were we ever really alone. At every corner there would be someone offering a helping hand, either financially, physically or even emotionally. Sometime we both feel so touched that we wonder if everyone else has it this easy. And the relationship between us have been better than before that if I could, I'd like to preserve it just the way it is now, for the rest of our lives. We were especially touched when all my family in Malaysia, made it a point to come down to our wedding. Even my granduncles who are old and sickly will be coming. We are truly truly happy and honestly feel so blessed that soo many people are finding joy in our union. It costs a bomb to come down to Singapore as getting a Malaysian passport costs RM300.00 and the cost of entering Singapore by car per weekday is SG$30.00. And most of my relatives in Malaysia have at least 4 kids so you do the maths!! Not to mention the hassle of the traffic jam and the long car journey down to Singapore. To top it off some of them will have to pay for their own accomodation as my house and my sister's can't fit everyone. But somehow even the cut-throat Singapore Govt has suddenly discovered they actually have a heart and is reducing the entry payment to SGD$20 perday and is lowering the time for free entry down to 12noon instead of the usual 7pm. What a wonderful coincidence!!

So basically everything is all set. Just a few minor knick knacks and everything is complete. Do pray for me that the actual wedding ceremony will go on just as smoothly.








Thursday, December 02, 2004

Yes, I'll Marry You


Yes, I'll marry you, my dear,
And here's the reason why;
So I can push you out of bed
When the baby starts to cry,
And if we hear a knocking
And it's creepy and it's late,
I hand you the torch you see,
And you investigate.

Yes, I'll marry you, my dear,
You may not apprehend it,
But when the tumble-drier goes
It's you that has to mend it,
You have to face the neighbour
Should our labrador attack him,
And if a drunkard fondles me
It's you that has to whack him.

Yes, I'll marry you,
You're virile and you're lean,
My house is like a pigsty
You can help to keep it clean.
That sexy little dinner
Which you served by candlelight,
As I do chipolatas,
You can cook it every night!

It's you who has to work the drill
and put up curtain track,
And when I've got PMT it's you who gets the flak,
I do see great advantages,
But none of them for you,
And so before you see the light,
I do, I do, I do!

- Pam Ayres

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Oh what a night!!!!

Thru the wonders of blogging and a new fren, I was re-acquainted with my old fren Maya. We were classmates back when we were in primary school. After numerous tags and emails back and forth we decided we just had to meet and catch up and update each other on 12 years worth of stories.

It was great seeing her again after sooo long. And as I hoped, we clicked immediately, almost like back in those days in school when the two of us would wait for bus service 901 from the old interchange and yakked all the way home. We laughed like two hyenas escaped from the zoo last night. And the best thing was, it must have been the day for primary school reunions coz one gal came up to me and asked the oft-asked-but-I-dun-have-a-clue-answer - "Do you remember me ??" It turned out we were in the same Malay class back in school and I took the opportunity to invite her to my wedding as well. Her name is Fatimah and she's this sweet, chatty gal who's trademark was her looong (and I mean Super-Long) plait hair.

I had to leave quite early as The Don and I had promised my mom to bring her hunting for furniture for her room. We agreed to meet again as soon as I get back from my honeymoon and hopefully, this time with Naz, our "matchmaker".

Monday, November 29, 2004

Hari Raya Gathering 2004


Standing: Naniz, yours truly & Lisa
Sitting: Luqman, The Don and Hafiz (Fifi)

I can barely open my eyes now. Even with 15 mins of sleep during lunch time just now, my eyelids feel like they're made of lead. We finally ended this year's jalan raya at 12 midnight. Just like last year, the only ppl who went were the 6 of us (actually 7 as Mahanom joined us later) but no one's complaining coz the group is more intimate and we can spend more time at each person's house.

Punctuality went out of the window again (as usual)as the original plan to meet at 12noon became 2pm. We started with Lisa's place then Naniz for a sumptious lunch. We had great fun lookin at our old school photos and previous hari raya outings with the same bunch. Looking back now, we all really grew up together. We've seen each other thru our first crushes to the first puppy love, the first "real" relationship, thru break ups and now the impending wedding of myself and The Don. Insyallah we'll lead the way to more weddings in the near future.

The Don as usual had the time of his life at Luqman's house. Man's mother treat The Don like her own so every year she is sure to cook sup tulang for The Don whenever
we come to their house for raya. She was excited about our impending marriage and shared her experiences as a new bride living with her in-law's of a totally different culture altogether. It was truly an eye-opener and I thank god my mother-in-law 2b is a Gem by comparison.

This year onwards, the last stop is The Don's and mine lovenest (this word sounds so scandalous!!) As promised to Hafiz, I served Mee HongKong & Fried chicken in Oyster Sauce over at our place. I had prepared the ingredients earlier so my cooking time was halved. And with a lil' help from my galfriends, it was served in less than an hour.

Yours truly with my best fren M. Ps: We're not posing ok!! We're really cooking !!!!!

My digi batts went flat and The Don didn't bring along his SLR so I guess no pics of us pigging out. Suffice to say Hafiz & Man ate like they've never had Mee HongKong before. hehehee But thanks guys for coming over. The Don and I would be happy to play host to more such gatherings in future. Just tell me what u wanna eat and I'll dig up a recipe book or two.

And as usual at the end of every Hari Raya gathering, we had our annual maaf-maaf sessions. But of course not before taking last minute jibes and trading insults at each other first. Truly, our annual hari raya gatherings are fantabulous-tic !!!!!

PS: I'll post up more pics here (via stolen links) when the others have uploaded up theirs.



Friday, November 26, 2004

Shoped Till We Dropped, Literally!!!!



It started with an sms I received from Metro on Tuesday
"Only u and 1 gf are invited 20% STOREWIDE@Metro Paragon Ladies Nite!!! 25th November 2004
followed by a flyer in the mail complete with freebies redeemption. Just the thing I have been waiting for!!!!!! I have been having withdrawal symptoms for a long while now and this occassion provided just the release I needed. hehehe After all The Don and I also needed to get our hantaran stuffs.

So after work I met my partner in crime, M (who by the way sacrificed her sacrosanct off day just to accompany me) and despite being seasoned shoppers (haha) nothing quite prepared us for the snaky queue of people trying to board the escalator to Metro. Inside Metro the scene was much worse. There were queues everywhere and there was hardly any space to manouvere. And this was a closed door event for members only!!!! Imagine if they had opened the doors to the public too !!!!! I think there'd b a stampede!!!

It was exhilarating seeing blue price tags everywhere (blue tags mean 20% off for Members) and knowing that the price you see is not the price you'll b paying for. I bought a whole lot of stuff - from perfumes, shoes, lingerie, handbag, wallets, apparels, etc etc. The Don, in typical fashion, left all the buying to me, even for his stuffs. It hasn't always been this way. Besides my late father, he is the most fastidious man I know. With time, I have learnt what makes him tick and now, he even asks me to countercheck his purchases first before buying. (I'll keep this story for another day)

It was indeed a great sale. (Bruno Magli shoes were going at 70% off!!!!!) The event was only for 4.5 hours from 6.30pm to 11pm and yes, again we didn't leave till we absolutely had to...hehehe (its a bad, bad habit!!!!) You know what was the best thing about last night's shopping? Apart from the security guys standing guard at the door preventing the public from entering and the deejay hosting the on-going fashion show, there was not a man in sight. It was ladies, ladies everywhere. (We just hate it when a man lingers in the shopping aisle aimlessly while waiting for their wifes/girlfriends and blocking our way and not to mention the uncomfort we feel when a man lingers at the lingerie section under the pretext of choosing a lingerie for the wife/girlfren UUrrgh!!!)



We were such a sight, the two of us, with arms full of shopping bags. No hands free to even hail a cab home. In the end we hijacked a cab waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

HOLY COW !!!!



I just received word just now. 2 of my uncles (actually my 2 fav uncles) are holding a second wedding feast for The Don and me in Temerloh, Pahang on this coming Chinese New Year. And my other uncle has volunteered to sponsor one whole cow for the event. ONE WHOLE COW??? OH MY GAWD!!!!!

My uncles have always said they want to hold a kenduri for us in Pahang after our wedding but we have always assumed it will be a smallish family affair. Now with news of the impending death of a cow in Temerloh, I think the term "smallish" will be translated into a full fledged wedding kenduri. To say The Don and I were speechless would be a gross understatement. It seems my uncles have already started sending out the invitations. Firstly we are soooooo honoured to be given such royalty treatment. And secondly, ain't it funny to be having another wedding reception 3 mths after the first one. I mean we'll be "Pengantin Basi" already by then.

And more importantly, I'm a bit worried. No one has ever had such an honour bestowed on them before. Not even any of my male cousins (u noe how much the male of the family is revered!!!) much less me, a niece who has crossed the family line and married a Non-Arab. (although this non-Arab is much loved by my uncles and aunts) I feel uneasy facing my cousins who will definitely (I think) feel that it is unfair that I am given such preferential treatment. I talked it over to my best friends and they say I am being paranoid. Their argument is why worry what people think. This is my rezeki and enjoy it while I can. Alisa went on to say perhaps we are now reaping the rewards of the effort we have put in the last 7 years. Perhaps.....

Whatever it is, I draw the line there. I told my aunt let's make it a simple kenduri, a no-frills one. I'd scream if they ask us to "naik pelamin" one more time!!!!!






Saturday, November 20, 2004

The Card

I have officially ran out of invitation cards!!!!! So for the benefit of those ppl who wun b getting any cards (u noe who u r and I'm ssooooo sorry!!) here's a preview.

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Long Lost Friends


The official school book photo


The last photo taken as a class on Teachers' Day 1996.
(photos courtesy of Jieting's website)

I contemplated inviting my secondary school friends simply because its been sooo long since we all last met and I was not sure if they would be bothered to attend. I sat on it for a few months until I met my friend Farazila at her sister's wedding. She asked if I was inviting all our sec school friends I told her I wasn't sure. She persuaded me to do so saying it'd be a wunderful occassion to meet old friends again. So thats exactly what I did.

Little did I imagine I would have so much fun doing so. All the good friends I had in school were vey happy to hear from me. We xchanged email addresses, phone numbers and made use of this renewed contact to stay in touch. We chatted as if we had never went out of touch, joking and reminiscing about past times. The people whom I barely spoke two words to when I was back in school also welcomed my invitation. Funnily, even though we never spoke back then, we spoke like old friends now. The same thing happened when i invited my college & uni frens. In fact I just spent the entire morning talking to two ex-schoolmates, people whose last names I barely remember and never though I'd speak to again. hehe

I still keep in close touch with one teacher from my sec school ---> Mr Jamil. Though he never exactly taught me, he was and still is a mentor to me. Through him, I managed to contact my other teachers (certain selected teachers only) and surprise surprise most of my teachers still remember me.
Osgodby wrote this is his email to me...here's an extract
"I'm very flattered that you still remember your old Literature teacher.I too
remember you as one of the very best students I have had the pleasure to teach.I
will be honoured to attend your wedding" - Paul Osgodby


I have read and re-read that email countless of times. It still gives me a tingling feel-good feeling everytime I open up the email. My teachers in sec school are easily the people who have had the most impact in my life apart from my family so they mean a lot to me. And to have my favourite teachers attend my wedding, I'm sooo happy I can't even begin to describe it.

I'm really looking forward to meeting all my long lost friends again. Although i doubt I would be able to say much more than a few words to them. Still, its great to know that we are in touch again.....

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

A Visit To The Vistarians

It all started from a click. I landed on her blog, saw the familiar err "unique" colour of my block of flats and immediately left her a tag.

Since then, she and I have been exchanging emails and IMs all day, everyday but our hubbas had only been briefed about our fast blooming friendship. So last night we finally met. The Don and I went over to their place for Hari Raya visiting as well as to personally invite them to attend our wedding. Looking at their fully furnished REAL home, The Don and I had our hopes ressurected and renewed our aspirations to turn our house into a home the way they have so spendidly done to theirs. And in true neighbourly fashion, they "returned" the visit within the hour. And the four of us continued our yakking till nearly midnight.

The Don and her hubby have soo much in common it seems. Both men in blue, golf enthusiasts, fascinated with sheeshas and both entreprenuers in their own right. They get along really well alhamdulillah. And of course she and I have a whole other list of things we love doing. In fact, after learning more about each others' family history, there could be a probability that our families may have already been intertwined.

It feels wonderful to have such great neighbours + friends especially since we are so new to the estate and know no-one else except our next door neighbour. They have been thru the stage of life we are now in and the insight and tips they give us is priceless, to say the least. And right now they are on the brink of the natural next stage --> They are having a BABY!!!!!! Being with them is like seeing our whole lives in front of us fast forwarded and yes, we like what we are seeing. hehehe.

It was wonderful finally meeting you n hubby in person and we truly enjoyed our tete-a-tete. We look forward to more such sessions in future.


MENDING WALL - ROBERT FROST

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there.
I let my neighbour know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go.
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
"Stay where you are until our backs are turned!"
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, "Good fences make good neighbours."
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
"Why do they make good neighbours? Isn't it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That wants it down." I could say "Elves" to him,
But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather
He said it for himself. I see him there
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father's saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, "Good fences make good neighbours."


Celebrating Hari Raya

This raya I had a preview of how all my rayas for the rest of my life is going to be like. For the first time in my life I got the chance to leave the house on the first day. My grandmother stays with us so usually on the first day, my house will be "attacked" non-stop from morning till midnight so no one usually leaves. That is till my sister got married. Every raya I watch her leave in the afternoons to visit her in-laws and I wonder when my turn will come. Its no fun wearing ur bestest, newest clothes & not getting the chance to leave the house. So finally I had my chance this Raya.

After Zuhr, The Don whisked me away to his parents' and after eating lunch we left for his maternal grandma's. As always, the reception I get there is extremely warm. His grandmother was very happy to see me and even chided The Don for not bringing me over more often. The Don's young oousin who calls me "Kakak Bollywood" (presumably because the first time he saw me I was in a Punjabi suit and my Indian features)was so cute. Whereever I sat he will pass by back and forth to glance at me. Yet when I look at him, he will look away and pretend not to have seen me. Next stop, his paternal grandmother's. I havnt had the chance to meet most of his paternal uncles and aunts so that day was actually my first time meeting them. Luckily his cousins whom I have gotten real close to over the years were there so that kinda helped alleviate my nervousness a bit.

By the time The Don sent me home, it was almost nine and I had missed my chance to meet most of the uncles and aunts who had come by. Ooops. Next year, we're gonna have to adjust the timing a lil bit so that I can meet both sides of the family.

2nd day of raya is the usual jalan raya outing for my siblings. We will congregate at my eldest bro's house for brunch then proceed to my grandmother's in Eunos crescent (I hve 2 paternal g-mamas) and my uncles and aunts. Most of my uncles & aunts stay in the Eastern part of SG so we try to cover as many houses as we can in one day. The best part of our annual hari raya visitation is that we go in a convoy of about 6 cars. The children will have the best of time, switching cars from one place to another. And challenging whose father's car will reach first. Since The Don joined the family (this is his 2nd year joining the annual family raya visitings) usually he wins hands down but this year, my eldest nephew got himelf his own car (a Lancer as well) so Uncle Don has a contender.

This raya visiting has also been quite exhaustive for me and The Don. Every house we enter, they will proclaim "Eh the Pengantin is here!!!" and they will proceed with 1001 questions and advice and tips and the absolute worst comment was "This year datang dua orang, next year datang bawak perut eh?" at the same time gesturing a heavily pregnant woman. UUrrghh!!!!

Its interesting to see how colourful our raya is going to be henceforth. I will have so many more family members and a whole lot more houses to visit and people to meet. Not to mention a whole lot more money to give out too.
But its ok.... The Don will be the one getting the shorter end of the stick coz he only has a few cousins while I have 18 nieces and nephews heheheehe.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Saturday, November 13, 2004

SELAMAT HARI RAYA



In case u havn't noticed, I havnt blogged much about my raya preparations. Well It aint much of a raya for me this year. Been too busy preparing for the wedding and the moving to the new house. Still, lemme take this chance to wish one and all

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Maaf Zahir & Batin



Ps: I wish I had lemang this year. (a rarity in Singapore) Raya doesn't feel like Raya without lemang.

Al-Fatihah.

The demise of the symbol of the Palestinian struggle is indeed a great loss to all Muslims worldwide. Even though he did not achieve what he aspired to do, hopefully what he has started will be continued by the new leaders of Palestine and the goal will be achieved one day, Insyallah.



Look at the turnout. To pass away in the holy month of Ramadhan, on a Friday and to be escorted by such a crowd. Which other leader can have such a honour??

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

The Wheels Of Life Turns Round

Yesterday afternoon, an elderly couple walked into my office looking for my boss. As my boss was not in, my colleague referred them to me. When I glanced up to look, I immediately knew who she was. The teacher I hate most. I can't stand the sight of her but in my proffessional capacity, I had no choice but to entertain them. Apparently they had been duped by a time share agency you know those pay-through-your-nose-to-travel-for-free thingy. teacher also so stoopid kena duped oops bulan ramadhan ZIPPED!!!! So anyway I spoke to her as nicely as I could and gave her the appropriate legal advice. At the end of the hour long consultation (free some more!!), I gently asked her where she used to work. Immediately she suspected that I was a student and proceeded to ask me which school I was from and which year. She was happy to know that I knew her and I think secretly hope I'd give her a discount on my legal fees. NO WAY JOSE!!!!!

Why do I hate her so? you ask.....

Back in primary school, I was quite a teacher's pet. I was close to almost all the teachers both those who taught me and did not. The teachers also knew my mom and dad, coz they were quite actively involved in the school and never failed to show up for whatever event parents were invited to. All teachers except one --- Mdm Normah. She taught Malay although I am glad she never taught me. Somehow she disliked me (for reasons I simply dun noe) I always knew she disliked me coz she always looked at me with squinting eyes (I call them evil eyes) and whenever I greeted her she will not even acknowledge it. (That time teacher's pet every teacher also I greet)

One day she sent one of her students to my Malay class to say she wanted to see me. I was puzzled but went anyway. When I entered her class (malay class) she said "Ah murid murid semua, ni lah contoh "Kaduk naik junjung"" As she said that she pointed to me and the whole class giggled. I honestly had no idea what the peribahasa (proverb) meant so at that moment I wasn't embarassed or felt hurt but by her sneer I knew it can't be good. That day itself I went to the library to look it up

Kaduk Naik Junjung - yang bererti orang yang tidak berdarjat lupa asal usulnya apabila naik di status yang tinggi

Imagine my shock when I saw the meaning. As far as I remember I have hardly said two words to her so I really dunno what was it I did that ticked her off so. And there wasn't any issue of "naik status" unless she was referring to the fact that I was the vice-head prefect in school. But I hadn't done anything to rub her the wrong way. And what a way to treat a primary school kid? She must be a sick individual who tried to traumatise kids by shaming them in public. Too bad this particular kid is a bit thick skinned so the effect was somewhat diluted. (coz I didnt understand the words if not I'd be trumatised as well)

Well what goes around comes around.... now she's been duped and is seeking my assistance. And if she thinks I'm gonna make it easy for her ..hell no!! Ok ok I noe I'm being cruel and it being the holy month and all but what she did to me is something I will never forget for the rest of my life. Besides, what are the chances that of all law firms in Singapore she was to come to mine and seek help. It must be God's way of giving me some form of vengeance. hehehe. Let's call it Divine intervention!!! My mom says its a test of the strength of my character whether I will execute "revenge" or be pure hearted to let it go when I have this chance. I took all of 15 seconds to consider before I made up my mind. (rubs hands in glee and puts on my "evil eyes")

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

The Invites

These past 3 weeks, my mother, sis and bro-in-law have been making the rounds around Singapore inviting our relatives for my wedding. Almost every day that my sister is on morning shift or having her day off from work, they'd drive to all corners of the island be it Jurong West or Pasir Ris one area at a time, armed with a boxful of cards. On the days my sister is working afternoons, my mom would drag my aunt along and they will go cab-hopping from one house to the next.

There are quite a number of elderly in my family, and thus the need for the personal invite. My family is full of decorum so when it comes to official functions like this, traditions would have to be observed. Well, anyway the bulk of the personal invites are almost done so what's left are all those cards to be posted.

I managed to email most of my sec school frenz for their addresses & RSVP and alhamdulillah most are happy to come. Those overseas are even booking extra earlier flights than originally planned so that they can make it. It was an exhilarating experience getting in touch with my ol' frens again. When we exchanged smses and emails, its like we catch on real quick with each other, as if there was never a time we lost touch. Despite it being eons since we last met. So I guess it'll be a nice reunion of sorts.

Our wedding will be held over two days, the nikah (solemnization ceremony) followed by a dinner reception for close relatives and close friends and of course the whole day wedding feast on Sunday itself for the rest of the family and frenz. My many many cousins and nieces and nephews & aunts and uncles are all super excited coz there hasn't been a wedding in the family for a while. They have all been conspiring planning with each other what to wear and what to bring and what to do on that Sunday. Its funny how everyone is more interested in what is happening on Sunday when its the event on Saturday which is the one that will change our whole lives !!! Hehehehe

Its not too many days away now (I dread to look at the number of days left everytime I log in here) and I'm starting to feel the chills. Its a stomach churning feeling, deep in my gut. I feel like my stomach lining is turning inside out especially when someone says "EH DA NAK DEKAT EH?" But somehow all the chills disappear when I'm with HIM, coz deep in my heart I know this is the day we have been waiting for...

Monday, November 08, 2004

Bz Bz Week'N

Saturday was spent baking my usual Cornflakes Honey cupcakes. Apart from Kuih Tat (pineapple tarts), this is the next most essential kuih for Hari Raya. For my Don and my nieces & nephews anyway. I fully intended NOT to bake any cookies for raya this year seeing how I'd be busy shifting to the new house but remembering how The Don and my nieces & nephews love them so much, I decided to make them anyway. I might even bake Pineapple tarts as well this Deepavali, Insya'allah.

After buka when we dropped by our new place to get the paint catalogue, our next door neighbours gave us a surprise visit. They are a friendly Chinese couple with two young girls and previously we just chatted outside our respective houses, exchanging greetings but yesterday we invited them in and we had a nice time chatting till nearly eleven. They gave us a brief run-through of all the neighbours on the floor and a quick summary of the shops around the area and which shop is the cheapest. It was wonderful, almost like having a tour-guide. They even informed us where the best child-care centres and kindergartens are in our area. HHmmmm....Their kids took to us pretty fast and soon the youngest one (who's only one and has cheeks the size of apples) was in The Don's arms and the elder one (who's 4) was telling me stories about what she did that day. Look like we're gonna have a great time having them as neighbours.

Sunday was spent painting the doors of our place & the main gate. Finally, the house looks like a home. The previous owners had a penchance for kindergarten like colours. (imagine living in a house with bright blue doors and pink walls!!!) We fully intended to finish before time for breaking fast but as things usually go, we did not. Stuck with no food at home, we thought we'd weather it out then later go down to Vista to get some food when at 6.30pm, 2 angelic souls (???) came in the form of Hafiz & Luqman. They sat for a while then volunteered to get some food for all of us at Vista. I think they must have bought evertyhing on the menu of the Mamak stall coz we ended up with enough food for an army. hehehe But thanks anyway guyz.

As with all gatherings, we had a fantabulous time, eating, performing jemaah prayers for both Maghrib and Is'ya then terawih oops X-boxing. It was really nice havin u guys over. Do come again anytime you are in the area.

By the time we reached home, it was eleven and as I sat down to read the day's newspapers I wondered, where did the weekend go???

Friday, November 05, 2004

Now I See You, Now I Don't




I have a huge dilemma. Ok not so huge by normal standards but huge nonetheless to me. (at this stage, I'm a freak!! Every single teeny weenie problem seems like a major disaster to me) So anyhow, my eyesight sucks big time. I can hardly see anything beyond 2 metres without squinting. Get spectacles you say? I've had countless and most do not last more than a month. I either
  • a) misplace it
  • b) break it
  • c) forget to carry it with me.

    So as of last year when my 16th specs broke, I decided against getting any more. Contacts? tried that too but my super sensitive eyes will water almost constantly and after a while I develop white spots on my underlid. Oh the horror of having bad eyesight + sensitve eyes!!!!

    So back to my dilemma, for my wedding, for vanity purposes, spectacles are out of the question and I dun wanna have red eyes in my photos so no contacts either. I'm gonna have a huge problem recognising people who wave at me from afar and worse I dun wanna trip over my train or something (in my nervousness that might just happen!!!)

    So what in the world am I gonna do??? I really have no idea!!! My best fren cum wedding directeur, M suggested gettin temp contacts just for that day. Perhaps that might just work. Perhaps .. perhaps .. perhaps...
  • Wednesday, November 03, 2004

    Paradox Of Our Times

    Got this off Azya's and wanted to share it with the rest of u ...

  • Today we have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time.

  • We have more degrees, but less common sense; more knowledge, but less judgement.

  • We have more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

  • We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get to angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too often, and pray too seldom.

  • We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too little and lie too often.

  • We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years.

  • We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.

  • We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.

  • We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.

  • We've conquered outer space, but not inner space. We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.

  • We write more, but learn less; plan more, but accomplish less.

  • We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but lower morals.

  • We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies, but have less communication. We are long on quantity, but short on quality.

  • These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men and short character; steep profits and shallow relationships.

  • More leisure and less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition; two incomes, but more divorce; fancier houses, but broken homes.

  • That's why I propose, that as of today, you do not keep anything for a special occasion, because every day that you live is a special occasion.

  • Search for knowledge, read more, sit on your front porch and admire the view without paying attention to your needs.

  • Spend more time with your family and friends, eat your favorite foods, and visit the places you love.

  • Life is a chain of moment of enjoyment, not only about survival.

  • Use your crystal goblets. Do not save your best perfume, and use it every time you feel you want it.

  • Remove from your vocabulary phrases like "one of these days" and "someday". Let's write that letter we thought of writing "one of these days".

  • Let's tell our families and friends how much we love them. Do not delay anything that adds laughter and joy to your life.

  • Every day, every hour, and every minute is special. And you don't know if it will be your last.
  • Tuesday, November 02, 2004

    Your Dream Wedding Quiz -- What's Your Bridal Style?




    Find out your dream wedding style here

    You scored 53.8% Elegant Earth
    Since you most likely favor cashmere sweaters, little black dresses and diamond stud earrings, it's not surprising that your dream wedding is a classy, timeless affair. Hollywood brides who get married in teeny bikinis leave you cold; elegant style icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy inspire you. Given your affinity for tradition, you probably have some Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn in your birth chart. Although you have a penchant for rich flavors, luxurious fabrics and designer labels, you splurge only on things of lasting value and high quality. Your guests appreciate your meticulous attention to detail -- little touches such as artfully arranged welcome baskets, organized pre- and post-wedding activities and thoughtful wedding favors ensure a seamless, well-executed celebration that everyone will remember for years to come. A bonus: When you and your husband look at your wedding photos twenty years down the line, you'll be glad you didn't succumb to trendy hairstyles and fashions!


    You scored 30.8% Warm-hearted Water

    You've been dreaming of your wedding day since you were a little girl, and you probably have notebooks full of sketches of your perfect wedding gown! Your wedding day is the most romantic day of your life, and you want it to be a magical, fairy-tale experience. Because you probably have some Water Signs in your birth chart (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces), you view your wedding in dreamy, emotional terms. Make sure to invest in a good waterproof mascara! Family is very important to you, so you'll probably go out of your way to include them in your wedding preparations. To create the intimate, loving ambiance that's so important to you, incorporate special family traditions into your ceremony, whether that means wearing your mother's veil, having both families light a unity candle or serving the same wine that your grandparents had at their wedding. Who says fairy tales can't come true?


    You scored 15.4% Fun-loving Fire

    In your mind, your wedding day is the one time that you can be truly self-indulgent without feeling guilty -- after all, the whole day is really about you! As someone who most likely has some Fire Signs in her chart (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius), you crave attention and excitement, so it's perfectly natural that you fantasize about the "oohs" and "ahhs" that your guests will utter as you glide down the aisle, looking the most gorgeous and happy that you've ever looked. However, you are just as focused on making sure that everyone has a great time, as well. Your generous nature inspires you to go the extra mile for your guests, whether it's making sure there's a vegan meal for your cousin or bringing some small trinkets to amuse and relax the nervous flower girl. So wear that revealing gown and make a long-winded toast to your groom -- the spotlight is all yours, and you've earned it!


    You scored 0% Refreshing Air
    As someone with Air Energy in your birth chart (Gemini, Libra and Aquarius), you eschew tradition and favor putting your own unique mark on your wedding. Your wedding day isn't about the details -- you couldn’t care less if the icing on your wedding cake matches the color of the napkins -- but about the love you are celebrating. You don't have a specific vision of how the day will look, but you know that you want the event to be relaxed and casual. Expressing your personality is important to you; whether it's having your brother and best male friends serve as your "bridesmaids," writing your own vows and choosing your favorite poems to be read or giving your bouquet to the longest-married couple in lieu of the traditional toss to the single women, you show that you aren't afraid to be yourself. Your innovative wedding is sure to be memorable, and may even start some new trends!

    Monday, November 01, 2004

    SHOPPING ON MY OWN


    The plan was to go to Ikea with Lisa immediately after Zuhr but due to unforseen (a last minute plan to go to Pusara that morning wif my family) and seen circumstances (haha...this one must ask Lisa personally!!), we finally reached IKEA at 3pm. Going there by public transport wasn't as hard as I thought it would be although it certainly took a much longer time. Going home, however was another story altogether. The taxi queue was soooo long it stretched all the way to the lift going to the carpark. Our Ikea finds were bulky and heavy so taking the MRT or the bus was not an option. Luckily the wait was not so excruciating. *hah the perils of shopping while The Don is overseas!!*

    Ikea was super crowded on Sunday, especialy at the Fabrics, Curtains & Carpet deprtments. Most were trendy makciks looking to overhaul their houses for the coming Hari Raya. Needless to say I stayed clear of such areas. hehehe The time will come I'm sure when I will join the ranks but till then.. I choose to disassociate myself. Thank you very much.

    Its no fun at all shoppping when you are on a tight budget. We have sooo many things to buy this month so no splurging whatsoever and lemme tell you its sooo damn hard not to allow myself to fall victim to the many sales and promotions going on around town. Well I guess I will have to be happy at least I get to be around shopping centres.

    Saturday, October 30, 2004

    Minor Change of Plans

    I was supposed to go buy the Braun blender The Don and I have been planning to get for our new place. You know,.. the one that can crush ice and is a blender cum juicer. Well anyway when I got to Robinson's this afternoon, I realised that the Braun blender do not come with a mill attached. (a mill is the small blender used for dry stuff that usually comes together with the blender) As I was contemplating if I should just get it anyway, the fumbling but friendly salesman suggested Phillips coz all their models come with a mill. I turned to look and THEN I SAW IT. The exact same (ok almost) blender that was stolen from Will Smith in the movie "Enemy of the State". (Damn those product placement!!!) I remember us both wanting that blender after seeing Will Smith put in strawberries, ice and milk in the blender and out came a smoothie.

    So I went and bought this

    The Phillips Essence Smart Blender

    It blends (obviously!), makes juice, smoothies, mayonaise (dun ask me how I'll have to read the manual) purees, chops amd of course crushes ice. Has a timer, quick clean function and even has a pulse button. (this is supposed to be a good thing to have on a blender but why? I'll tell you when I find out myself)

    Of course there was that tiny, little infinitesimal matter of it being 50% more costly than the Braun one. But seriously... could you blame me??? *gives the eye-lids flutter pose* I just hope & pray The Don will not access my blog in KL and reads this before I get a chance to think of a story about how that hundred dollar went missing from his account. (Internet banking scam?? errr...His best friend asked for a loan?...I used it to buy a present for him?)

    On a less guilty note, I found my wedding shoes - a super glitzy silver J West shoes on bargain at Taka. Nothing makes me feel more alive than retail theraphy!!!!!!!!!

    Friday, October 29, 2004

    Starry Starry Night

    It was quite a night I had last night and phew! it was very hot under the glare of the spotlights!!

    It started out with The Don and I finally finally making the time to break fast at his parents'. Ibu made (made from scratch not instant hor!) Roti Prata and cooked chicken curry while we brought back Mee Goreng, Mee Hoon Goreng & Otak Otak Udang. It was quite a spread!! After maghrib prayers, we went to Ba'alwie Mosque together with both his parents for Terawih prayers.

    Ibu was visibly thrilled at finally getting the chance to show her future daughter-in-law off. While it was a novelty at the beginning, I didn't expect the spotlights to be turned up full throttle. Habib Hasan's Umi apparently has been very curious to see the Arab girl The Don was gonna marry so immediately after Witr prayers, Ibu brought me to her. My! Ain't she a lovely lady. She looks very beautiful, even in her old ripe of age of 80. I think she must be a real beauty in her sunny days.

    Anyway when Ibu mentioned that I was The Don's fiance, she immediately touched my cheek after I salam-ed her. She asked "Sharifah?" - asking for confirmation that I was indeed from the same ethnic stock as she was. She asked for my name, family name and the ensuing conversation consisted of my outlining my heritage, both my mom's and dad's, and her singing praises of The Don. She reminds me a lot of my own late grandmother, always interested in genealogy and gets especially excited at seeing a fellow ethnically related person. It makes me wonder what went through her mind as she was talking to me. That I am lucky to have found such a nice man as The Don or that I am unlucky to have "fallen" into the hands of a man of generic race instead of preserving my ethnicity by marrying into the same racial group. Whatever!! I understand the implications of my decision but I know I am making the right choice. Funny why I still bother to wonder what people think. Can't help it I guess.

    In any case, she looked mighty pleased to have finally met me. And me, her. It seems she has been asking The Don to bring me down to the mosque but I dun fancy going with him coz usually he will stay long till after the whole event is over to help out and leave me waiting alone in the car, sometimes for hours. That really makes my blood boil so I steer clear unless I have company, like last night.

    Then as we made our way through the mosque on the way out Ibu stopped to chat with quite a few friends and I honestly felt like a prized chicken as she introduced me one after another as her daughter-in-law. And the people looked at me, smiled and went "Oh iye? Ni tunangnye THE DON ? Cantiiikk orangnye....." and 20 other variations of the same sentence. The thought of having to go through this over and over again right up to maybe after the first year of marriage is enough to make me shudder..It sure is hot being under the spotlight!!!

    Wednesday, October 27, 2004

    I NEED A BREAAAKK!!!!!

    I NEED A BREATHER!!!!!!!!!

    I really really do. I've been such good girl, going home everyday after work and staying indoors even on weekends. All because we're on a super tight budget. Why so extreme you ask ? Me being me, every trip out would surely cost me (actually The Don) at least $100 buckaroos what with dinner and the impulse shopping. So one surefire way to save the moolah is to stay home. (Oh and yes I have resorted to keeping my credit cards at home under lock and key too!!)

    But I'm suffocating. It has been hellish not being anywhere near a shopping centre for the past 3 weeks. It's almost like the shopping centres have all obtained a Personal Protection Order against me. It ain't easy going Cold Turkey!! I have almost forgotten the soft cool breeze of the aircon vent as I walk into a store, the musky sweet smell of leather as I trawl the handbags section, the click-clicking of heels as ladies sashay around in the stilettos on sale and the soft silky feel of a blouse brushing the tip of my fingers as I squeeze through aisles and aisle of garment. Oh It's all coming back to me now....(so drama mama)

    Tis' the problem when the word "average" just doesn't seem to exist in my dictionary. I tried, honestly I have. (M would attest to this) but I just can't make myself settle for something that has anything less than the word "Best" on it. So as a result I have to suffer and scrimp and save just so I can have things my way. Well at least I am using my own money (his money is my money too what!!!) so I dun have to answer to anyone.

    Well anyway.. I feel like I have my head dunked underwater (ala the commando on trial) and I dun even get a chance to come up for air. I think it's time I cut myself some slack. And with the Metro Warehouse Sale going on and extra moolah coming in this month, what better time than now? And with The Don away for a business trip to KL on Fri, I won't have to shy away from looking in his eyes the way I usually do when I ter-overspend. hehehe



    So I got it all planned out. Come Friday, M and I are gonna paint the town red on Friday. First stop the new chic Halal eatery for our breakfast then off to Expo for the Metro warehouse sale. Ooohh I can almost smell the barely dried glue of the SALE signs hanging all over the Expo. hehee

    Tuesday, October 26, 2004

    AAAHHH ....CHOOOO


    Both The Don and I are down with the flu. A bad bad case of flu... And headaches too. Between the both of us we have used up 3 boxes of tissue in two days. And in his case its even worse coz he has a sore throat too. Cian dier...

    We've both been pretty irritable and not much in the mood of talking to other people so we cancelled all our plans for breaking fast at his mom's and just had a quiet low key one at our new place. Just the two of us. I wish we were both in better health to put in more effort to make it more romantic but at a time like this its just each other's company that matters most.

    We dropped by West Coast after work to get me my much longed for Laksa. And to Marsiling to get The Don's Murtabak. Both were supposed to be tasty but in our condition everything tasted bland anyway.


    After that was couch potato-ing watching that mumble jumble guy (Sly Stallone) drive that delicious, mouth watering looking racing car. Oooh la la... The story wasnt that good. I could hardly figure out what in the world Sly was mumbling about. I watched it purely for the adrenalin filled races they featured. When oh when can I go down to Sepang to watch an actual one. Who know's I might b able to catch a glimpse of Schumacher. I missed my chance when my cousin's hubby got free grandstand tix. He didn't know I was interested and didn't inform me till the races was over. *sheesh!!* GRANDSTAND TIX!!!! Imagine.. and he didn't tell me!!!! Now every year I will ask him if he gets any more but sadly no more so far. To make up the next year he brought me to the Sepang circuit and the closest I got to the race was to stand at the carpark outiside the circuit and hear the deafening roaring of the car engines!!!! Itupun da shiok!!!!

    But halfway watching the movie the flu medicine took effect, my eyes blurred out and I fell into dreamland.... hahaha. So much for that romantic dinner....


    Monday, October 25, 2004

    Bunga Telur & Rossettes

    Despite The Don's unwillingness to be subjected to the traffic congestion at the causeway, he acceded to drive to JB on Sunday morning to get more wedding stuff.



    The last time my mom went to JB, she spotted a very nice Bunga Telur set in line with my wedding colour theme.(Bunga Telur is an elaborate arrangement of ornamental flowers with an egg attached first placed on the wedding dias and later given to the guests as a gesture of thanks. The egg is a symbol of good omen, eggs=fertility) So off we went to the place to get it. Well true enough, it was indeed very nice. Slightly different from the usual bunga telur, this one is in cream adorned with maroon heart-shaped cystals. Costs about double the usual but I guess you pay for what you get. The shop does arrangement as well but my mom has a family friend (Kak Lila) who does all things related to weddings for everyone in the family so that settles it. *It helps to have many contacts* *grins* While we were there we picked out the bunga rampai holder for the male guests.(bunga rampai=shredded pandan leaves given to guests after the solemnization ceremony. Purpose? Honestly I have no idea. I'll let you know when I find out hehe) A nice shiny maroon pouch to complement the white tissue holders my aunt has sewn for the ladies. And we got nice little rossettes for the family members to wear on that day.



    The shop had everything and anything needed for a wedding - wedding favours, wedding invites, hantarans (gifts), baskets etc etc. Everything you can think of. And at a much cheaper price than the overrated SSF at Plentong. Thanks to Kak Lila for recommending the place.

    Next stop--> Larkin. To collect The Don's baju nikah (outfit for the solemnization ceremony) My uncle has a shop there selling traditional medicine and next to his shop, is a Men's tailor shop. Apparently he sews for many bridal boutiqes in Singapore and he came very highly recommended. Alhamdulillah, the recommendation was not in vain. The baju melayu turned out just fine and now even my bro-in-laws frequents this shop. We even allowed the owner to recommend the right samping to match the baju.

    On the way back, it was quite a wait at the Customs. Thank goodness it was not as bad as the previous weeks when one of his friends supposedly had to wait in line for 5 hours due to the stringent 100% checks conducted by the Singapore customs. It also helps that The Don has many friends still working at the Checkpoint coz the car in front of us had to unload all of his things from his boot for them to check while the officer just gave a cursory glance at ours while exchanging salams with The Don and exchanging news about old squad mates. (He served the Singapore Police Force during his National Service and while he moved on up and out, many of his friends chose to stay in uniform)

    Alhamdulillah managed to settle most of the wedding stuff but I still need to find small round baskets for my lil' flower girls to carry. Any lobang's anyone??




    Saturday, October 23, 2004

    IFTAR

    Its 12.55am and The Don just dropped me off at home!!! I just came back from our new place where we held this year's Iftar for the usual gang. This year the gang shrank to 5 (not too bad actually now everyone can finally fit in our car)

    It was a potluck thingy considering the fact that my kitchen belum berasap and the result of it --> WAY TOO MUCH FOOD!!!! I prepared Mee Goreng Seafood, egg salad and honey-glazed chicken while Lisa brought Murtabak and Nani brought a "biskut Marie sumthing-sumthing". Hafiz came much later armed with epok2.


    We were supposed to have an iftar + terawih at our house but we ended up chit chatting the whole time away. hehehe Its been a long while since we met up so there was just soo much stories to catch up on. After makan we caught the rerun of Singapore Idol and then watched Starsky & Hutch and before we knew it it was already 12 midnight.

    I didn't take any pics on that day so I'm waiting for Lisa to load hers before I pilfer some.

    Thursday, October 21, 2004

    Mummy's Girl

    As we started preparations for the wedding early this year, I received a lot of cautionary tales about how tempers will fly and arguments will arise not just between The Don and I but also between Umi and I. It seems almost etched in history that at every daughter's wedding, the mother will have her own set of ideas and will want things to be done her way which are usually in direct juxtaposition with the daughter's. To be honest, I saw it happen first hand during the preparation of my sister's wedding some 3 years ago. Back then my sister refused to have a pelamin (dias) and wanted to do away with the Malay custom of berinai / tepung tawar (u noe the one where ppl anoint the bride's and groom's hands as a gesture of blessing) My mom of course went livid & insisted and after numerous "discussions", my sister finally conceeded. So you could say I was quite prepared for a battle.

    Surprisingly everything was smooth sailing. No skirmishes whatsoever, Alhamdulillah. I expected strong criticism about my choice of clothes, decor, color, music, timing etc etc etc but hey none at all. My mother and I have been very civil about things. Perhaps its due to efficient division of labour. Or perhaps we both learnt from past mistakes and vowed never to repeat it. Or most probably, its our close, friendship-like relationship that made planning the wedding a breeze.

    Long before we actually enquired and booked the services of the wedding supplies providers, my mom and I had regular talks about what we each want for the wedding. I recognise the fact that altho this is MY wedding, she has as much investment in it emotionally as I do. It is as much my event as it is hers. And especially given the fact that I am her only child, surely she has her own ideals on what would make the wedding wonderful. I found that sharing my aspirations and imaginations with her work coz despite it being only talk, she has a rough idea of what I have in mind and I too can see what she has in hers. We discuss extensively and while our ideas are similiar, the ones which are different we either compromised or give in. By the time we actually got down to book the stuff, we were both in tandem.

    Between my mother and I, we actually set out a division of labour. She takes care of the guests lists and everything there is to do with the guests. She does this with the help of my sisters of course, from preparing the guest list, inviting them, the layout of the reception and even the menu. I'm also leaving all the adat adat stuff to her. I'll gamely go along with whatever she wants to see us do whether its a tepung tawar thing or the dinner thing. Oohh I'm such a good daughter aye?? But she completely lets me make my own choice whether its the decor, photographer, room or clothes. But still, I usually seek her advice nonetheless and ask her to come along with me & my best friend when I make my final choice.

    Our long long discussions oten go on till 3 or 4 in the mornings. We will talk about everything under the sun even those usually taboo subjects that are avoided by most daughters like the plague. Especially recently, she has been very open with me about her own personal experiences of getting married and her period of adjustments. It has been truly eye-opening and my admiration for her has amplified greatly.

    Its wonderful having a mom you could almost count as a buddy.

    Wednesday, October 20, 2004

    POLITICKUS

    In case you dun already know, I work for my bro so I'm sorta a celeb in the office. I always get preferential treatment (altho I try my darndest not to take advantage of it) and I get along famously with everyone. Well they do have to get along with me now dun they?? hehehe (evil grin)

    So anyway when I came back to the office this morning after 2 days of MC (another perk: unlimited MCs) my bro's secretary filled me in on what happened the two days I was MIA. Apparently the recep at my office complained to the other lawyer saying how the rest of us in the office are insensitive to her plight. She says that all day long we all go on and on about the latest sales in town, scour the newspapers for the latest bargains and go on and on about getting ourselves new blings-blings and always go to the latest eatery in town. The secretary and I felt especially slighted coz usually its our mouths that go yakking non-stop about sales and diamonds all day. She says we are insensitive to her financial situation. She feels "left out" and "inferior" coz she cannot participate. WHAT THE F???

    Dun misunderstand me, I'm not the cold, heartless bitch I sound like today. I'm only this way coz I'm so infuriated at such petty, childish office politickus going on. I do sympathise, I understand that she makes a whole lot lesser than I do (in fact a whole lot lesser than everyone else in the office) and that she and her hubby does have two kids to feed. But hey, TO EACH HIS OWN!!! I mean its not as if we dun have our share of problems albeit not so much of a financial nature. And its not as if we are inciting her to buy or shop or go eat. Or shoving our wordly items in her face. In any case, the conversation is between me and my bro's secretary only with occassional interjections by our other colleagues. No reason for her to feel pressurised at all!!! After all the other people in the office dun feel it why should she? I can't help my inborn shopaholic nature and no one said she has to follow suit. No one's putting a gun to her head saying she has to keep up. No one ever said life is fair. You simply make the best of it, somehow.

    Let's not forget it was moi who started the idea of a "makan fund" in the office so that we can all go n eat sumwhere nice and non-food-court-like for lunch. Only problem is the money can only last us for one lunch outing a month and sometimes when there is a special buffet somewhere in the middle of the month I will highlight it and ask if they wanna go anyway. (on the basis of going Dutch) We always ask her along but she usually declines, citing some excuse of other. So we usually go sans her. The way we see it, its her perogative.

    And when we go to the mosque for Zuhr prayers, the other ladies there will usually make snide remarks like "Pergi makan besar lagi hari ni?" "Makan kena ajak ajak org tau" to my other two Muslim colleagus. They dun target me coz at the mosque I'm a "salam and go" person. No time to chit chat with the makciks2 about their mother-in-laws from hell stories or what their maid is doing at home while they're at work. **rolls eyes** Apparently she has been going round telling ppl we dun ask her along when we go lunching or sumthing to that effect.

    Its really difficult working with someone who would better fit handling a childcare centre. (or perhaps even enrol in one) The smallest things offends her and she expects people around her to suit her moods and temperaments rather than change herself to suit her surroundings. She expects to be pampered and showered with attention and be treated like the "baby" of the office. I wish I can tell it to her face to GROW UP but my position as the Boss's sister will make it an extremely fragile situation.

    I mean seriously, what the hell is she expecting? Are we not supposed to talk about our latest buys and plan-to-buys in reverence to her?? Do we not have a right to decide where to spend OUR OWN HARD-EARNED MONEY the way we deem fit??? I may sound harsh but I think where you are in life is where you have to adjust to being. And if you dun like the situation you're in then you'll have to do something to change it. You can't expect people to accommodate you every single time. Uurrghh !!!!!!!

    And in case you think I'm haughty & bimbo-ish coz I have a silver spoon in my mouth, think again!!! These past months has been sufferable for me. Its no mean feat trying to equip the house as well as hold a wedding at the same time. Its been crazy making ends meet so if you talk about "sucking it in" I damn well know what that means. *My friends can attest to how many sales I have missed this year *sob *sob* and how I have been scrimping & saving*

    At the end of the day I guess it takes simple common sense and the occasional reality check (mental checks would help too in her case) that will ensure you dun live a miserable life of constantly seeing life thru green eyes.

    Friday, October 15, 2004

    The Last Lunch

    On the last day of eat-during-daylight my colleagues and I on our usual weekly makan outing. This time to Magic Wok (Capitol) a short bus ride away. We had to wait almost 15mins for a seat but the food made the wait a worthwhile one. Dun drool while you look at the pics ok ? (devillish grin) Sesungguhnya kami sedang berpuasa.......
    Sweet Sour Fish Cereal Prawn Kang Kong

    Anyway inspite of the temptation I just presented to you ...... SELAMAT MENJALANKAN IBADAH PUASA hehhee

    Wednesday, October 13, 2004

    Girls' Day Out

    With my bro-in-law in KL for business and The Don busy at Ba'alwie Mosque, my sis, Umi and I had our regular shopping escapade at Plaza Singapura yesterday. My sis and mom were looking for new bedsheets to be worn on my wedding day. No not for my bed - for their beds!!!! It's a family craze - buying bedsheets. And we will find the smallest reason to justify buying new bedsheets!!!! My bedsheets + my mom's + my sis's bedsheets combined would fill up an Aussino store.

    So anyway we spent almost the entire time at Aussino's and my sis finally got this

    Since my mom already got me the 'Caroline' set from Aussino's the last time and I just got for myself new bedsheets from the last Metro sale, I resisted buying anymore. Till I saw that Aussino was selling their basic colours bedsheets ar SGD $9.90/-. I dun usually buy bedsheets at Aussino other than their Royal Symphony range coz I find that the quality of the lower priced ones are not so good. the colours tend to fade after multiple washings. But at $9.90 I guess its worth it, fade or not. And so I bought 3... hhehehehe

    Next stop --> Spotlight. Where Umi finally found her bedsheet. Nice ?

    We realised that Spotlight sells a bigger range of bedsheets and at better quality. And some are exactly the same as the ones at Aussino's, only cheaper.

    Muhd Idris found his bedsheet too at Spotlight

    and it costs a whopping $69.95. Hey how can the aunt's bedsheets cost $9.90 while the nephew's cost 7 times as much. HEY ! HEY! lawan tauke issit ??? Almost bought it but on 2d thots I'd wait till after the Don and I get him his car bed first at the end of the year.

    Its great fun going shopping with my mom and sis coz we all share the same taste (more or less) and we all like to go the same shops and see the same things. And best of all, my sister is quick with her wallet. Me being the youngest sister, she spoils me silly and often insists on paying. (like she did with my 3 Aussino bedsheets) (She makes double what I make so I guess its only fair, hehehe)

    Well I guess thus is the circle of life, I was the apple of her eye and now, her son Muhd Idris is the prince of both mine and the Don's hearts. Just like yesterday, we were supposed to go home on our own then The Don called saying he will fetch us from Plaza SG. He was worried that if we went home by cab we'd have to wait a long time for the cab as the queue for cabs are usually long. And Muhd Idris will be uncomfortable. Aaah.. the things The Don will do for his favourite nephew.

    Monday, October 11, 2004

    M and Me

    A poem I dedicate to my best friend, M.....


    A Friend Is One of the Best Things in Life

    Though we don't see each other very much
    nor do we write to each other very much
    nor do we phone each other very much
    I always know that, at any time I could call, write or see you and everything would be exactly the same You would understand everything I am saying and everything that I am thinking.

    Our friendship does not depend on being together It is deeper than that Our closeness is something inside of us
    that is always there ready to be shared with each other whenever the need arises

    It is such a comfortable and warm feeling
    to know that we have such a lifetime friendship

    ~Author Unknown~


    I noe not many people can honestly say they have a best friend who can put their life on the line for you but I am proud to say I do. M has been there for me every step of the way. I truly truly appreciate everything M has done for me. No matter what situation I find myself in, she is always there to lend a hand. And not just her, her whole family too. During my engagement, her aunt made for me a chessboard jelly as part of the hantaran gifts and in typical fashion, refused any payment whatsoever.


    And for my upcoming wedding, M's mom has loaned me her brand new dulangs for my hantran gifts. These things costs almost $40++ a piece and by virtue of her mom lending them to me I have managed to save a whole bundle of moolahs. Her bro is helping me compile songs for the big day.

    I dun trust ppl easly but I have complete trust in M such that when I need to choose the stuff for my wedding, I'd definitely ask her along. Whether its for my mak andam to choose the clothes, decor to choose the pelamin and bedroom decor or wedding favours to give the guests, she'd be first person I'd consult and she will be there.

    Sometimes I wonder what I have done to deserve such a beautiful friendship. I only pledge and doa that I will be there for her the way she has been there for me at any time she is in need. I hope and pray that I will be given the strength and the opportunity to display the same kind of tenacity of friendship that she has so generously shown to me.

    Sunday, October 10, 2004

    Better Than Ever!!!

    U noe how ppl say the time leading to your marriage is a precarious one. Its full of stress and cubaan and "darah manis" etc etc. This is the time that tempers start flying all over the place and u start getting cold feet. Well maybe its a bit too early for all that to happen to me but my r/ship with The Don has honestly never been better than it is right now.

    Actually ever since this year, our relationship has transformed into such a state that we can't seem to explain it ourselves. You see, both The Don and I are what you would call "Alpha" personalities. We're both head-strong, obstinate and always believe that we each know better. We regularly trade sarcasm and verbal brawls and always try to up the other. Our friends look at us in amazement and wonder how we can last so long but that's part of the challenge I guess. I'd die of boredom with a man who will accede to my every request and before you know it he'll be wrapped so tightly round my lil finger I'd feel the need to flung him away for good.

    Well ever since this year, we've found it almost impossible to stay mad at the other for long. We'd be 2 minutes into a bicker then either one of us will suddenly break into a smile (while trying desperately to maintain an angry face) and then the other person will catch on and that'll be the end of the squabble. We both end up laughing and start making faces. It's been this way the whole of this year. I even got as far as asking my mom why I can't seem to get upset at him nowadays. She laughed and called it "anticipation symptoms".

    Sure we've had more than our fair share of problems what with the stress and the financial strain of getting the house ready in time for the wedding. But we've taken it all in stride and our relationship has not been affected somehow. If anything, we have been more considerate, more loving and more affectionate to each other.

    If it's this good before marriage, I sure can't wait till just after we are officially married when it is said the relationship will reach a-once-and-never-again-peak-of-a lifetime. Hmmm........

    Friday, October 08, 2004

    Milo & Stitch

    My mom and I went to collect my baju Nikah from the tailor yesterday. As we waited for Sarah (the tailor) to take out the baju I held my breath praying n hoping that nothing went wrong. My collegue whom I had recommended this tailor to had her daughter's blouse ruined. It was nothing like what she instructed. So I was understandably cautious. Alhamdulillah the baju was PERFECT. No alteration necessary. I was half afraid she messed up my baju then even she if she paid me compensation, I'd have a hard time getting the same material again. Thank god my fears did not materialize.I must say she is a very good tailor. Her stitches are very fine and her sewing techniques are very professional. But perhaps she needs to take a course in customer service. My only complain is that instead of hanging my baju in plastic like any good tailor, she folded it and put it in a plastic bag. Good thing she volunteered to iron it before she handed it over. Hahhaa she must be thinking I'm such a difficult customer to please. Well I AM !!!!

    The Don fetched us from Geylang (my legs were too tired after all that shopping to take the long ardous journey home by MRT) and when we got home, he insisted I try out the baju for him to see. There was an unmistakable glint in his eye as he looked at me. "See darling, I told you the price you forked out for my baju was worth it!!"

    Thursday, October 07, 2004

    Click Click


    We are supposed to meet up with our cameraman n videoman soon to choose the backdrop for our studio shots and choose a concept for our video. I must say that I am very pleased with our choice of videographer and cameraman. We met and went through 5 different cameramans and their portfolios before we finally decided on this one. Their reputation preceeds them and they have been the photographer of choice for many celebrity weddings. Now they have moved on to commercial shoots (mainly for Mediacorp I think) but since we booked them like one year ago, they will still be covering our wedding. In fact they were the official photographers for the wedding of one hunky celebrity last year. Yes that one with his face plastered over all magazines for months n months on end and now acting in Malaysia!!!

    The Don and I were very particular about our camera and video man because we have seen too many horror episodes. We want to make sure the memory of our wedding will not be spoilt by some amateur wanna-be. More importantly we don't want a soft porn production. I've had it up to here seeing pics of couples hugging and clinging and I especially can't stand seeing photos of couples on the bed. Especially the ones where the couple say bye bye to the camera and then a shot of the door being closed. Oh my gawd!!!!! So gross!!! Ooops I better not talk too soon I dun know how my photo and video is gonna turn out like yet. But I'm sure gonna tell them that I dun want such shots.


    And the video guy suggested we give him our childhood photos so he can make a slideshow of it. We seriously have doubts about that, firstly coz we'd be sooo embarassed and secondly our pics are totally in antithesis. I was a super chubby baby while The DON was an ultra scrawny kid. It'll be like Laurel and Hardy personified!!! So NO WAY JOSE!!! (BTW we're both chubby now!!!!)

    Well anyway the camera guy is gonna email me his latest backdrops so perhaps when I get them I will post them up here. So till then.....

    Wednesday, October 06, 2004

    And The List Goes On & On & On..

    My mother just came back from her tour of Malaysia, no not from holiday but going state by state visiting my relatives and inviting them personally for my wedding. She started from Kajang to visit my uncle and aunt (my arwah abah's bro) to personally invite them and also discuss with my aunt the bunga rampai holder to give out after the nikah ceremony. It seems my aunt has it all planned out. In fact she had already completed 50 bunga rampai holders for the ladies. Its made of lace and doubles up as a tissue holder. Too bad this will be be given to The Don's side. (I noe my cousins will steal some anyway!!!)

    Her next stop was KL itself to invite my uncle (her brother) personally and to distribute the cards to my cousins and 2nd cousins. They congregated at my uncle's place in Tiara Duta, Ampang and started discussing what to wear and what to bring. I initially requested my siblings and nieces and nephews to wear a specific colour. Now it seems everyone will do the same as well. hehehe I can't imagine how its gonna look like on that day with everyone wearing the same shade. It gonna be one "boriah" affair.

    Next was Temerloh, Pahang where she went to meet all the old folks (oops)granduncles and grandaunts of the family and some of my other uncles and aunts. Since The Don does not exactly meet the old folk's requirement of a husband. (He's not of Arab heritage) my mother intended to invite the old folks only out of courtesy. Surprisingly however, they wanted to come down to Singapore as well for my wedding. Alhamdulillah. I guess the many visits we made to Pahang has convinced them that The Don is indeed a good man, his heritage notwihstanding. I'm sure glad they will come. After all, altho I dun need their approval to marry, their blessings will be very valuable to The Don and me as we enter the arch of marriage.


    While we have not started inviting family and friends in Singapore yet (too early I think) I have begun to draw up a list of my friends and colleagues that I will be inviting. And Boy!! What a list!! And I havn't even began to factor in my other school mates. Most of the people in my list are lawyers and motor workshop repairers that I work with while the rest are my friends from school. I honestly thought I didn't have that many people to invite but I guess I thought wrong.

    And on top of that I'll have to decide who of the people on my list I shall invite for the dinner on Sat night. headache after headache. I wish I can just delegate this part of the job to someone else coz I already have too many things on my hand what with the house reno and all. But still I'd have to draw up the list first. Everytime I think I am done with it, somebody mentions a name that i know I must invite. So here we go again... now where did I put my list of names......????

    Sunday, October 03, 2004

    The Home Office

    It has long been The Don's and mine intention to set up a home office in our spare bedroom. But we thought it was a project better handled after the wedding is over, when we have more cash to splurge on hi-tech and fancy looking office equipment. Still, whenever we are out shopping, we never fail to cast glances at the office tables on sale in the hope of finding one that is big enough to accomodate The Don's 2 PCs + 1 notebook and my PC, 'L-shaped' so it will fit nicely against the corner nearest the window and white and/or black to suit the minimalist theme we wanted for the study. And guess what?? Our rezeki (good fortune) simply rolled onto our lap last week when one of The Don's biggest client called up to tell him his company was being bought over and so he has no need for the current furniture in his office. He asked if The Don would be interested in some of the things coz otherwise, he was just gonna sell it off to the next tenant. Me being me, I was rather skeptical but my darling Don assured me the stuff there was in my taste. In another of those "put-your-faith-blindly-in-your-future-husband" moments I agreed for him to bring it back (altho with the condition that if I dun like it, he will throw it out)

    What can I say? My future husband truly knows me well. The table was brand new (all of 2 mths old) and very nice, and exactly what we have been searching the whole Singapore for to no avail. And together with the table, The Don's client gave him a Sharp copier. (F.O.C too) Now the room really looks like a home office. And we're sooo very fond of it.

    Our spanking new study. Thats just one PC u see, the rest won't be in till after we fully move in. All we need to do now is put in the soft furnishings such as a carpet, some study lamps and voila!! its gonna look smashing... Insyallah. (pic taken with my handphone cam so its a bit blurry n dark.


    AR-235
    The Sharp copier we never even thought of getting.

    Alhamdulillah it really is our rezeki the way things have been going our way and how thing tend to somehow materialise into our hands before we even know it. I must say I truly feel bersyukur. At least one part of the house looks like a home already.

    Wednesday, September 29, 2004

    EGGS ,,,,,FINALLY....



    Yesterday's news that the powers that be in this red dot will start allowing the import of eggs from Malaysia is indeed cause for celebration. Since the ban, I have stopped preparing eggs sandwiches for The Don. I've been cooking fried rice and fried noodles instead. No..not because I'm a stingy wingy gal but because the only eggs that we manage to procure from the neighbourhood shops are very very tiny and very sub-standard...(tastes different) The only way we could get "normal" eggs is if we buy them from NTUC Supermarket and only with purchases of $10/- of other items first. This proved quite difficult as my family do not usually buy our groceries from NTUC. (JB Giant is the place to go..Tolong ekonomi negara sendiri sambil selamatkan ekonomi sendiri heheh)

    And now that the ban has been lifted... The DON is one happy man.. more eggs for him from now on. To start it off I made a special treat for him this morning....

    EGG MAYO SANDWICHES


    PS: Org kat Malaysia sedap sedap makan telur hari hari... org kat sini takut mati tak nak makan telur.

    Monday, September 27, 2004

    Speak Malay Day

    Sepanjang hari ini, saya akan bertutur/menaip dalam bahasa Melayu yang sempurna (jangan ketawa tau!!!)

    Saya teringat akan peristiwa semasa saya masih di sekolah rendah.(darjah 3 kalau tak silap) Kerana terlalu ramai murid yang menggunakan Bahasa Inggeris di dalam kelas Bahasa Melayu, Cikgu BM saya (Cikgu Ahmad) telah mengadakan peraturan baru. Sesiapa yang menggunakan bahasa Inggeris didalam kelasnye dikenakan denda 20 sen.

    Sebagai seorang murid yang vokal, saya telah berdiri untuk menyuarakan rasa tidak puas hati saya terhadap peraturan itu. (sebab saya tahu saya akan tercakap Inggeris) Tapi apakan daya ayat pertama yang terkeluar dari mulut saya ialah "Cikgu, itu tak FAIR" (terbang 20 sen saya)

    Bila cikgu terangkan yang ini adelah supaya murid murid berusaha menggunakan BM, saya tanpa berfikir panjang mencelah, "BUT Cikgu, saya...." (20 sen lagi)
    Akhirnya perbualah mengenai peraturan itu sahaja telah menyebabkan 60 sen terbang dari kocek saya. Selepas itu, saya duduk diam-diam tanpa bersuara lagi sehingga loceng berbunyi menandakan masa untuk ke kelas lain. hehehehe

    Satu lagi peristiwa, bapa dan mak saudara saya bercuti di Singapura semasa saya di menengah satu. Bapa saudara saya (Guru Kanan & Guru Matematiks) dan mak saudara saya (Guru Bahasa Melayu) minta untuk membaca buku teks dan buku latihan Melayu saya. Dengan bangganya, saya mengeluarkan kesemua buku buku itu (sebab saya adalah diantara pelajar cemerlang di sekolah jadi markah saya boleh dikatakan selalu tertinggi dikelas) Alangkah sedihnya apabila saya melihat bapa dan mak saudara saya membaca buku2 saya itu dan menggelengkan kepala mereka. Bila saya tanya mengapa, mereka mengatakan struktur ayat saya semua salah. Saya suka menggunakan perkataan "telah" dan saya telah menggunakan sewenang-wenangnye(wow! new word)
    Yang menghairankan saya macam mana saya boleh dapat markah tertinggi di dalam kelas. (sungguh terok sekali taraf bahasa Melayu di kota Singa ini)

    Semasa peperiksaan A level, saya ambil Bahasa Melayu di peringkat A level jadi antara syllabus (oops) saya ialah buku buku sastera Melayu seperti 'Salina' karya A Samad Said. Di dalam kolej saya iaitu Kolej Kebangsaan Singapura (NJC) hanya dua org saje yang mengambil A level Malay, saya dan seorang murid perempuan berbangsa cina (berasal dari Indonesia) Cikgu saya meletakkan setinggi tinggi harapan kepada saya untuk mendapatkan markah kepujian (distinction) tapi semasa keputusan diketahui, budak perempuan itu yang mendapat kepujian sementara saya hanya dapat "B". Sediiihh.... sediiih.....

    Bagaimanapun, saya akan terus berusaha untuk mempelajari dan lebih menggunakan bahasa Melayu. Itu sahaja entry (oops again) saya untuk hari ni dalam bahasa Melayu.

    Saturday, September 25, 2004

    My New Best Friend

    From this day on, if you see me online or meet me on the streets, speak Malay to me ok?? My Malay is sooo rotten I dunno how in the world I managed to get a distinction in Malay at O levels and a reasonably good grade in 'A' level Malay. Its like my brains just jam up (LITERALLY!) when I need to find the Malay equivalent of an English word. I've always had this problem whenever I converse with my elder aunts and uncle's in Malaysia (my aunts n uncles in Singapore speak Malay just as horribly as I do) but it has never been so severe (ot at least I never realised its severity) till last week when I started vounteering to translate and digest (rewrite it into a digest not the kind you swallow and digest) Syariah Court Judgments and MUIS appeal cases into English for the Singapore Academy of Law. I chanced upon their ad for volunteers and kinda jumped at the chance. Its something I enjoy (or so I thought) playing around with language and getting a chance to read all the sob stories.(some on the borderline of morbid). If you think I'm doing it for the money, you've got to be joking. The honorarium (It is after all a VOLUNTEER thingy) is too small an amount to mention but at least the experience will look good on my CV.

    So right now my bestest friend in the world is this I bought this like 7 years ago, I think... when I entered JC and needed to know more "cheem" Malay words but I think I've made use of it all of 5 times since I got it. Well if not for this thing, it'd have remain under utilized.

    Thursday, September 23, 2004

    Pretty Pontianak

    When I was in Carrefour, Midvalley I chanced upon this cd ->


    The Don and I looked al over for the bootleg copy when it first came out on screens but did not manage to find. Not in JB, KL or even Kuantan. I guess Malaysian nti-piracy policies must be working.

    I dun usually fancy horror movies. I feel silly sitting down subjecting myself to hours of anxiety and working myself up to a frenzy. Its like giving yourself up to the butcher, then waiting silently for your turn to be slaughtered. Still, I was interested to watch this one. It was touted to be one of Malaysia's best films (a horror flick, notwithstanding) and that it achieved Best Cinematography, Best Music Best Director at the Film Este Pona Fantasi & Horor in Malaga, Spain.

    So after watching it, it was good I guess. Although the story had so many holes it reminded me of Spongebob. And the post-pro editing was terrible. Lotsa clipped scenes from nowhere. Plot was shaky but very interesting. I know this story came out in screens like in July so I guess u guys would know this better.
  • Who the hell is Maria? daughter? granddaughter? or just mere descendant?
  • Why did Madame Pontianak wait a whole 60 years before she made a comeback ? Was she hibernating ?
  • And lastly what in the world is the necessity of Marsani going through plastic surgery ?

    Still the movie was a good watch (despite the Don and I turning to look at each other every few minutes puzzled by the sucession of scenes) And Maya Karin is oohh soo pweeety.



    And as for the scandalous title, "Sundal Malam" is actually the name of this flower

    otherwise known as the TUBEROSE. Hahahhaha to those of you who thought it was sumthing else.
  • Wednesday, September 22, 2004

    The Shopping Divas Are Back!!!

    Ok peeps M n I ended our best holiday trip on Sun night at the stroke of midnight. It has been definitely been the single (pun intended) best trip i have ever had. It was shopping shopping and even more shopping. Actually looking back, that was all we did. hehehe

    We reached KL about 2pm on Friday and promptly checked in to Istana Hotel. Our room was quite large and the bathroom OH MY GAWD!! soooo cantek I wouldn't mind sleeping there if I had to. They had separate shower stalls and the marrble-lined long bath is so deep, you could literally drown in it. How I wish I can transport the whole bathroom into my new house. *wishful thinking* Anyway after lunch at the hotel we got into a cab and sped off to our first shopping stop ---> Midvalley Mega Mall.
    Only one complain about the hotel though, they allow taxis to charge an additional RM2 for taxis boarded from the hotel lobby. Kinda crappy policy. we fell for it once then subsequently walked out to the main road before flagging a cab.

    I've been to Midvalley several times but never managed to cover the whole shopping centre. So on Friday, we intended to do just that. We shopped floor by floor thru the north, centre and south courts. Jusco was having a sale and the shoes were going at 40% off!!! And the number of shoe shops they have there is mind boggling. I especially like La PrimaVera.
    The shoes are great for work, nice design and cheap!!! Much like Vincci shoes that I am sooo in love with. Most of the shops are similiar to those in Singapore but some of the shops like Salabianca have really nice clothes.

    As usual, we didn't leave Midvalley till the lights were switched off and the announcements were once every minute. hehehe bad habits die hard!!!


    Breakfast at Istana Hotel was delicious. A huge spread of food awaited us everything from local to Japanese food.(imagine eating Japanese for breakfast Euuwww!!)Immediately after we walked down Bt Bintang starting from Lot 10 (nearest our hotel) past KL Plaza down to Starhill & J W Marriott and then up the other way past BB Plaza, Sungai Wang right up to Berjaya Times Square. And in every shopping centre we shopped floor by floor. Almost shop by shop. Lunch was surprising good and cheap at Johnny's (BB Plaza).
    By the time we got to the taxi stand in front of Melia Hotel, we realised we had gone every single shopping centre in the Bt Bintang Area so with shopping bags in hand (too lazy to walk back to dump our purchases in our hotel room) we hopped into a cab and made our way to One Utama.

    My Gawd!! One Utama is sooo huge. We thot Midvalley was huge but this is even bigger and we're not talking about the Ikano Centre yet. *Gasp!* By the time we finished 'touring' One Utama our legs were screaming for mercy. Oh and while we were 'admiring' the Promenade, a lady tapped my shoulder and guess what - it was my cousin Kak Noor. She was eating with her husband and kids at KFC when she thot she saw me walked by. She brushed it off thinking she must have been mistaken but she came out anyway just to be sure. I have so many cousins in KL I always know I will bump into some of them someday. Still the trip was too short so I didn't manage to arrange to meet any of my cousins or frenz there. (Sorry Yanz & Acid, Next time ok??)

    We wanted to check out one Bombay Palace at Jalan Tun Razak for dinner but with our aching legs, we only managed to get as far as BB Plaza to get the side walk cafe's naan & tandoori chicken. Such generous serving we could hardly finish it all.


    On all previous trips, M and I always encountered interesting taxi drivers. In KL, we encountered two. One Indian guy spoke non-stop (as if talking to drivers in the cars around him) "Ah ah Langgar!! Langgar aje kak! Jangan takut!! Masuk Masuk!! Tunggu ape lagi ??" and another chinese apek enacted an imaginary hilarious conversation with the management of One Utama asking why the taxi line was a standstill. Dunno why it always happens to us. We're such suckers for cheap comedy.

    We didnt intend to go to KLCC but since we were dying to check out Stuart Weitzman's new shoes collection, we went anyway on Sunday. (just looking for an excuse to shop actually, hehe) Next stop was Petaling Street. I guess a trip to Kl wouldn't be complete without a visit. Our eyes went "Blink" "Blink" seeing the many LV bags, Ferragamo wallets and Breitling watches. It took all our willpower to not succumb to temptation and buy these "designer" goods. hehehe

    And lastly we went to Malaysian Tourism Centre (MTC) to board our Transnasional Executive Bus straight to Singapore. Aaahhh What a fulfiling trip!!! I wonder when we can go on such shopping sprees again.

    Check out the photos here