@Mango Tree

Was not in the mood for any updates the whole week. Initially was having difficulty deciding then now am busy running up and down settling some stuffs. But, this one event I must blog.

One of the farewell parties the girls had for me was @Mango Tree. I like the place very much and price of food is very reasonable, portion large, service excellent! They specialised in Thai authentic (when I use the word authentic, they really do justice to the word) cuisine as well as modern platters which are superlicking good. Ah, the place is heavenly.

We had kerabu mangga sort of thing as appetizer, then fried rice with shrimp, pineapple rice, chicken stir fried with chilli, and lamb. For dessert we had this pulut thingy with mango slices. The lamb was two thumbs up. However, if you do go to any Thai restaurants do go for this appetizer that consists of daun kaduk and various condiments. That night they ran out of daun kaduk. Bummer. It's worth the try unless you're allergic to any form or raw veggies.

All in all it was a good night. The children roamed, hopped, jumped, and enjoyed each others company just as we ladies chatted the night away. Boy, I'll miss their company.

How sweet can all these people get? It's not like I'm leaving for good but they're making all the efforts (and excuses) to organize macam-macam. Next are two more parties to attend including a slumber party! As they say, "Any reasons just to celebrate, eat and have parties".

@Mango Tree punya lah excited nak makan, tak snap any photos pun. Gambar mak dara n anak dara je lah yang ada...

Sis Ku Zaina, Farah and I. Needless to elaborate more on who's the only anak dara there :P

Nice ambience ay. Notice the dry chilli on the yellow napkins? It's the size of yr palm! Could have snatch some home to cook ayam masak merah. heheheee...

Happy Ramadhan.

May Allah bless us with Joy & Nur into our life & grant us total Forgiveness, InsyaAllah...

Hoorayyy!??

Sukacita dimaklumkan penempatan di MR*M Ko*a Puter*, Bes*t. Diminta melapor diri 2/10/2006.

So, I got the offer.

Now, am torn in between.

Picture this:

a) I'm currently in the D*A. Prospect of being an AD before you hit 40 is quite tempting plus many other perks. It's the civil services but it's State. It is not impossible to enter Federal but that would require some time.

b) A teacher attached to MA*A. Possibilities to enter office in later years are there. Or switching career. Plus teaching... it's a noble pursuit.

In both options I would have the chance to further my studies. There's job satisfaction in both choices. Both are my passion, my dream... I think in both jobs I will have equal opportunity to travel (which is what I enjoy), n I will be able to reach the height I eye for, just a matter of which route is faster. Not that it matters much anyway. You will always find ways too to advance in life one way or another. Kan?

I'm just worried about my Mum. I guess this happens when you're the only daughter out of two children. If I were to go off to Terengganu, I hope she'll be fine.

I was advised to decide fast to avoid too much pondering on the 'what if(s), what could have(s)'. InsyaAllah I think I've quite made up my mind and will decide for sure by next week...

Let's hope for the best. Ameen... =)

Kenduri Kendara

During the previous trip to KL, I was there to attend a wedding reception. The nikah ceremony was held two weeks earlier in Kelantan.

My tasks kicked off with the mission of finding and preparing another set of hantaran. Oh well, orang memberi kita membalas. My fingers are really rough at such delicate work of art. They are just not crafted to be doing such dainty travail. Nevertheless we managed.

The day before the big event was filled with pots and pans boiling and frying away to cater to guests beginning to arrive for the reception. Kalut jangan cakap la. The number of guests we had to attend to? We had to rent the largest bungalow in FRIM to fit them all. Unknowingly we actually rented the place when they filmed Bilik 404 (104?) and another horror flick. Stories that follows memang ada..hehehee... siang pun 'kena' gak =P Nasib badan...

The night of the wedding reception; we were busy preparing the door gifts and bunga telur to be handed out and for the dais. Next day we were up early getting ready. The reception was held in Dewan FRIM. Judging from the number of guests and amount of food served, it was la grandeur. You could just never imagine being understaffed for this kind of event huh. But we did suffer due to the absence of ample helping hands! There were actually already 9 of us! Memang penat giler. I was basically standing up from 11am till 9.30pm, minus the times I was chauffering around. After the main event we had to do some more cleaning up at home while entertaining more guests around. Phheewww. It takes this much work for a wedding ay. Not complaining pun, it was a good experience.

Two days later I was off to Teluk Intan for Majlis Sambutan Israk Mikraj and a kenduri arwah.

My first experience kenduri in the kampung. I woke up in the morning ready to get on the go alas my friend told me to take our own sweet time as works will only commence after the Zohor prayers. I was like “for real?” Will we be in time?

After the noon prayers, we spread some mats under the house and brought everything out such as potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, etc. We sat down chit chatting while hands constantly at work. It was lots of fun. Of course I was quite blur as they were all speaking Jawo. Heheee... My friend had to act as the translator. With everyone diligently doing their respective tasks, we were set to cook after Asar. They cooked nasi minyak, ayam masak merah, dalca, acar, papadam, salted fish, and all was done before Maghrib! I was amazed.

The night proceeded well, and we packed the leftover food to be taken home by the visitors.

I remembered sleeping soundly till dawn and half-heartedly boarded the bus back to KL.

Hot.FM

I think this is one fast growing station. More and more of my friends are actually listening to Hot.fm. I'm talking about the non-Malays who are actually tuning in to this station. A change of taste? Perhaps. I hope the station will maintain this success of theirs. When I asked my friends, they all agree upon one thing i.e. Hot.fm plays good selection of songs, repetitive perhaps but that is what your listeners want to listen to. Somehow the feeling is different from listening to a channel that's not yr favourite playing the same songs over and over again would bore you to death. =P

A few other channels such as Sinar, Mix, Light&Easy, IKIM remains my favourite for their concept.

Listening to Farah and Faizal in the morning, and Tini and AG in the evening really takes yr mind off the road (not concentration but boredom wise). They are so lawak esp Farah Fauzana aka Fafau tuh. Bila gelak tak hengat dunia. hehee... really, they are one entertaining bunch of DJs.

Topic pagi ni was on dowries (mas kahwin). Well, didn't get to listen to more callers. I usually arrive office by 7.30am. I understand the things people do in the name of love, but is it necessary to spend that much? By all means if you can afford it do go ahead but there are people of the same stature or better off that do not splurge in such sense anyway.

Personally, I don't mind at all if I'm not presented with any hantaran. And this notion is shared by many of the people that I know, who want to keep things simple. But, then it makes me wonder who then are these people who request for tens of thousands worth of mas kahwin n hantaran.I have nothing against a grand affair, I know it'd be a beautiful one too. It just makes me marvel as most modern ladies nowadays don't go for the berbelas-belas and beribu hantaran thingy. At least not the people I know of kot.

However, to me, a reception is a must, insyaAllah if I have the means to. I do feel that it would be nice though to present your future spouse with some gifts from the heart. Tak perlu berdulang-dulang pun, perhaps the ideal one would be 3 returned by 5 or 5 to 7. Well, different people have different ideas on what's ideal. Tunggu dan lihat saja lah this blog in the next few years, tu pun if I ever get hitched.

Apasal topic nikah kahwin manjang ni?

Here's another one related to marriagehood. heh. During lunch break we visited another colleague's sister who just gave birth to a baby boy. He is just so cute! His nose, his lips, his tiny fingers, oh, I so wanna squeeze them, Babies melt your heart. *sigh* Baik toksah dok berangan ni. =P

And a Happy 48th Birthday to Ummi tersayang today!

Letter to The Editor...

One touches on car pooling. This is a banal issue. When I drive on the road I do tend to look at the cars around me; how many person are actually on the car. Most cars as we know are occupied by only one which is the driver. Sometimes, I think it's not that people do not want to car pool but there is no one in the office going in the same direction such as my case for example. I do want to car pool but there're none (that I know of so far) that stays nearby. Natijahnya, I'm among the many drivers deemed selfish and needed some change of attitude.

More cars on the road, congestion is a price that we have to pay as we gear towards a developed state/country. Where there’re growths and opportunities, people will crowd. Plus, car loans are so much lither these days with low monthly installments. Once you hit the working world, it's only true-to-life that you would want (or have) to purchase your own car. I've not plan on purchasing one yet, but will be one fine day won't I?

Better roads, improved public transportations; I don't know when can these finally be resolved. I am all for car pooling. Driving to and fro 5 days a week, or it can be 6, is quite tiring. If there was a bus going to my workplace I would have boarded it. That's why I think it's tough to develop a systematic line of public transportation in this capital city. Most private firms are in the town centre, but as for government buildings and offices, we're scattered in the outskirt of city centre. I've never known any bus service that passes by our building. What option do you have other than to drive on your own? Not that it's impossible, it can be done of course because where there's a will there's a way. I mean an effective system for public transports here.

Yesterday I encountered a really massive jam on the way home. Mujur lah I knew of another alternative road. Didn't get to find out what caused the jam as I was still far behind the lines. Over dinner I was telling my Mum that the situations may worsen due to the new mall that will be built in the area. There are two new malls to look fwd to in the next few years. One would be The Spring, a little on the medium and high end concept and also this upcoming Boulevard/Hypermarket/Megamall (I don't know which is true). Whatever it is I hope they'll spruce a better shopping environment for everyone, locals and tourists alike. Tolong lah, it's high time we have at least a Jaya Jusco here. Hey, shopping should be a fun experience, kan?

Dzul's back. Called her during lunch break and set for a date. Talking to this makcik is not helping for both of us are feeling a lil 'homesick' and deprived still. She's a nut case. hehee... can't wait to meet her though.

Tuesday Night spells DHW. Yeay!

I've just realised though I drive everyday to work and spent almost a day in the office, I am not as tired as I was teaching previously. A relief? Quite. Teachers in our country do work hard and they deserve more recognitions and a mega raise. Well, that, altogether is another topic for another post. =D

Suzana@60

Last Friday night we went for a musical theatre show titled Suzana@60. The show depicts life in the 60s and starred Zul Yahya and Fazura as the main casts. Props used are synonym to the 60s such as the vespa, shiny black bicycle with big tires and distinct bells ringing and of course the Mini Austin. It really does bring back the memories of yesteryears for some of the audiences.

There were at least 4 000 present that night alone. It was a splendid night with renditions from the 60's. Among those performed was Jeffry Din, Fatimah Amin, S.Mariam, Afida ES, Ahmad Jais,L.Ramlee and many, many more .The only song I was familiar with was Yale Yale by M.Ishak. As I watched and sang along (based on the lyrics on screens) I thought of Kak Teh. Simply because in her last posting last week that I read, if I could recall them well, she mentioned about having the knacks for lyrics . And in my thoughts, jealous makcik-makcik nieh kalau tahu. heh. Am still so affected by the whole show that I resort listening to some songs from Alleycats, Black Dog Bone's songs on my mp3 at work. heh.

There were parts where the audience joined in the sing-along, and fighting against urges we only managed some a-go-go and twist steps with our butts glued to the seats.

The show ended at about 11.30pm, and I felt it was a good effort to revive the songs of those eras among the younger (and clueless) generations. My friend purchased the book and we lined up for autographs. By the time we drove out of the Stadium Perpaduan, it was already past midnight. We decided for a late snack and by the time I snuggled under the duvet it was almost 2am. Pejam mata terus tidur tak sedar diri ke Subuh.

Forced myself up to join the girls to some sales and open day in one of the colleges. By noon I was so deprived of a good rest that I skipped bowling practise and usrah. My eyes hurt so much that I don't think I can concentrate aiming for the pins. I did slightly regret not making it to usrah though. Next week insyaAllah.

Sunday was so uneventful I nearly died of boredom. heh. So, I just helped my Mum did some baking and tended the flowers.

Soon, it's Monday already. Di ofis tadi sempat lah melayan sms and calls dari dua tiga makcik di KL nun. Allergic betul ngan soalan "when are you coming down again?" "when are you relocating?" Ingat duit grow on trees ke, or I'm the boss at the office suka suka je bercuti-cuti Malaysia sokmo. heheheee.... Tamo pikir lah, nanti kalau dipikir I gak yang susah hati tak pasal-pasal... =)

What's in my mind...as of now

The journey to work takes me a good 25mins or so. On certain roads I can still hit 90-100km/hr so it's quite ok. There was once it took me nearly 40mins. It was the Monday rush. We were stuck and slow-moving for about 15mins.

There are several routes to work I can take and they all have equal journey time. There's one particular stretch of road that has many stalls selling kueh and nasi lemak etc. I've never stopped to purchase any yet, but I enjoy the sight of them. Needless to say, they remind me of KL pagi-pagi.

I can now exercise regularly at the Pustaka. There's aerobic sessions there every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, participated by at least 80 ppl. I knew about these sessions long time ago, but since I pass by the place everyday now I might as well make a stop rather than joining in the rush hour at 5pm.Hah, Kak Jade! I am now actually engaging in some energetic physical actions. =P

I dread drivers who do not know how to stick to their respective lanes. Cilok sana, celah sini, causing other vehicle to slow down or put to a halt, lagi la sesak jalan tuh. Cuba ikut lane memasing elok-elok. Yang tak bagi signal tuh lagi nak kena. When in a good mood, I biar je la these drivers overtake, kalau mood ala-ala tak best, jangan harap la nak bagi jalan. heheee...

Last night we watched My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Gila lawak. Stupid movie. It was ok. No-brainer mah. For the first time, I was in a cinema whereby the crowd laughed wholeheartedly... in unison!

The office is quite empty today, some staffs are away preparing for the launchingof the state's own branding.

Oh. Was just wondering why is that some people are extra sensitive when their 'buddies' don't tell them certain things or don't hang out with them that often anymore? Kes merajuk bab macam nie yang maleh nak dengar nieh. Pastu tak puas hati let the steam off by being cocky and sarcastic. Agak bengang lah when you have to deal with such childish sentiment "If you're my friend, what's my favourite colour?". Duh. I don't even know what's the cup size of my best buddies bra. Does that make me any less of a friend to them or vice versa? Thing is, please look at the bigger picture and be realistic. Period.

Ramadhan is less than 3 weeks away! =D

About turning 23

It's a beautiful morning. Third day in the new building. Am enjoying it so far. I enjoy the view from this floor. I'm still adjusting, getting to know people, banyak departments occupying building nieh.

It's kinda basi to talk about the trips I made last month, now doesn't it? As much as I want to. It was an enjoyable one though. Like always. And I came back feeling more 'homesick' than ever. I don't know why too that I left with a heavier heart this time around. Perhaps it's the fact that I have limited number of holidays a year now thus less frequent trips. It is only wise to know that I have a career to strive for now and I should stay put where I am. I try not to think of the future too much.

I welcomed my 23rd birthday on the 4th with well wishes from people who are dear to me. Friends of childhood days and from my uni years. And a few ex-students.

I for one am BAD with dates. It really touches my heart to know many remembered, friends in and abroad. I do feel bad whenever I forget theirs. =P

I celebrated with some friends who are around last weekend. Dah tua gini pun celebrate lagi. heh. What ever would I do without friends who keep me sane...

As the years passes by, changes takes place. My birthday a year ago was in a different surrounding. It was a week before receiving my scroll. This year's saw some missing and new pieces.

I can't help thinking of the many possibilities. I was once told never to regret any decisions made. I try not to think about it but as only human, there are moments when you'll decided to take a rest from the buck and sit back and let the thoughts flow.

The night before I turned 23, we had a long talk. I still can't make up my mind. The day will come when I have to make the call. Sometimes, I wished it'd be sooner, yet at times I wished it'll never arrive.

23, a figure that once seem so far away. After this, the numbers will just keep rolling and we have much to catch up with. I will try to live a day at a time and I want to be there for my loved ones just as how they've been there for me. May I continue to treasure the friendship of the people around me, to be forgiving and embracing life as it is, that it is not this world I'm living for.

Aaaarrgghhhh...

Best jek dah prepare posting tapi hilang. Nieh yang frust nieh. Hantu betul.

Esok buat baru!! Ini jam sudah hilang mood. Mau balik and ke panggung. Ladies nite.. (so, I'm cheap, sue me)

=P