Thursday, December 27, 2007

Berakhirnya Satu Penantian...

There is a saying goes… “Your first novel is like your first baby!” And I agree with it 100%! Perasaan berdebar, letih menunggu, gembira, risau, teruja… semuanya bercampur aduk tatkala menunggu terbitnya novel saya, cuma tak ada contraction jer! Dan selepas menghadapi sedikit kelewatan, menghitung hari, menahan debar di dada, tidur pun tak berapa lena... akhirnya, penantian saya berakhir dengan lahirnya Melodi Kasih.

Alhamdulillah… kini Melodi Kasih sudah ada di pasaran. Walaupun ada masanya, saya masih tertanya “Eh, betul ke novel yg aku tulis tu dah keluar?” Antara percaya dan tidak… antara suka dan terharu.

Anda di luar sana, sudi-sudikanlah membeli dan membaca. This is how the cover looks like…presented by ALAF 21… (jgn salah beli, ye? Hehe) Go and grab one! And tell me what do you think of it. Sesungguhnya, saya akui, first attempt saya ni masih terdapat byk kekurangan dan mungkin juga ada kesilapan. Apa-apa pun, saya mohon maaf dan berilah komen yg sewajar dan sejujurnya agar saya dpt membaiki kelemahan yg ada.



MELODI KASIH
Harga: RM18.00

Penulis: Hezzy Azra
Halaman: 480
ISBN: 978-983-124-327-5
Sinopsis: Zahara Inas, Edrina Julia dan Iman Syukriah dilahirkan pada bulan yang sama tetapi menerima takdir yang berbeza-beza. Warna-warna cinta mereka juga tidak sejernih titisan embun.
Zahara yang pernah dikecewakan lantas mengunci jendela hati, tidak mahu bayu cinta berhembus lalu meniupkan taufan duka. Baginya hidup ini tetap berputar tanpa insan bernama lelaki. Namun sampai bila?
Setiap cinta Edrina tidak pernah kesampaian. Oleh itu dia akur pada percaturan keluarga, menerima Taj sebagai suami walau tiada perasaan cinta di jiwa. Malangnya, Taj sisipkan duri hingga tercalar pedih hatinya.
Istana cinta yang Iman bina bersama Huzir memekar bunga-bunga sayang bersama si cahaya mata. Tetapi ada jua gelora berombak menggoncang badai. Hanya pada cinta yang ikhlas mereka berpaut. Teguhkah cinta itu?
Ahh... Sukarnya mengungkapkan kata cinta. Tatkala ucapan cinta dilafazkan, bisa bergetar jiwa dan bergelora perasaan. Kalimah sakti ini jika mudah meniti di bibir, mudah juga dipersendakan. Lantas, tegakah insan-insan ini berhadapan dengan kemelut cinta masing-masing? Dalam benci, ada sayang. Akan ketemukah kebahagiaan yang didambakan?


Untuk langganan: sila layari www.alaf21.com.my

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

206...

Alhamdulillah… spt yg dirancang, 21 Disember, hari Jumaat lepas, saya sekeluarga selamat berpindah ke rumah baru.

Dalam sibuk2 berkemas, membeli lagi brg2 keperluan yg tak cukup2… saya dan husband buat lagi kerja gila. Pada mulanya, kami nak membeli cermin utk bilik mandi. Tapi kedai cermin tu tak bukak lagi… dan di sebelah kedai tu, ada Naza Showroom. Dan spt biasa, saya dgn husband saje masuk utk menjenguk kereta2 yg ada. Sorento, Citra, Sutera dan saya terpandang Bestari 206. Kami pun tanya salesman tu, boleh test drive tak? Dan salesman cina tu pun terus ambil kunci Bestari 206 dan nak serahkan kpd suami. Tapi suami saya dah duduk pun dgn selambanya di kerusi belakang bersama anak saya. Salesman tu pun dlm keterpaksaan, hulur kunci kpd saya. Dan dia pun nak mengajar saya la kononnya, signal sebelah kiri… camana nak adjust seat dan sebagainya. Saya senyum aje. One little fact that he doesn’t know… we are actually, two oldies fascinated by these French technologies for ages!

Selesai pusing sana sini, lenjan kereta tu, kemudian husband pulak take over… akhirnya kami balik ke showroom tu setelah hampir setengah jam. Dan salesman tu pun mula bercerita ttg latest promotion Bestari 206. Goodness… saya dan husband terus terdiam. It is a good buy… with a lot of discounts and low interest rate, we can own the car with only RM188 as initial payment! Saya dan husband dah bertukar pandangan… biar betul! Mmg kami sedang mencari kereta lain… tapi setakat ni, tak de kereta yg betul2 captured us. Maka keimanan, keinginan dan prinsip kami utk membeli kereta baru masih boleh bertahan. Kereta yg kitorg betul2 suka, dgn kelajuan yg menggugat jiwa… semuanya mahal gila! So, we know that we still have a long way to go before buying all those cars. Husband saya gilakan highly performance cars (klau boleh dia nak 2 doors car tapi saya tak setuju! Dah cukup-cukuplah pakai kereta 2 pintu!) Manakala saya gilakan 4 wheel drive (dan husband tak setuju, dia kata 4 wheel drive, tak suitable utk saya!) Husband selalu kata “I’ll get you one small, safe and reliable car.” Dan saya selalu jawab “I don’t like to drive small cars! Those cars are not safe and reliable enough for me!” Perbalahan pendapat ini selalunya tak mencapai sebarang rumusan. Lagipun, mmg belum ada kereta yg memenuhi citarasa kami. Tapi Bestari 206 ni, membuatkan keimanan dan prinsip kami tergugat habis!

Beria-ia salesman tu meyakinkan kami… dan kami betul2 terasa yakin. Tapi kami cepat tersedar dan berpijak di bumi nyata. Tujuan kami ke situ nak beli cermin bilik mandi… bukan beli Bestari! Haha.

P/S: Frankly speaking… we are still attracted by the offers and the car’s performance. And till now, we are still discussing the possibilities of buying it!

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Tagged By Diamond Baby...

Sempena cuti hari raya ni... saya pun cubalah menjawab soalan2 yg sudah di'Tagged'kan!

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night.
My doughter… she was asking me “Mama, kenapa pelanggan kita tak sampai lagi?” She was actually referring to rombongan org surau yg akan dtg takbir ke rumah mak saya bila kitorg dah siapkan kek, mee goreng, kuah kacang dan nasi impit di ruang tamu. Salah concept anak saya ni...
2. What were you doing at 0800?
Standing in front of my wardrobe, thinking of wat to wear today and finally realized that I had no choice. Semua baju kurung sudah diexport ke rumah baru… yg tinggal hanya office attire, jeans dan sehelai jubah Mekah.
3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Said ‘bye’ to my husband… sbb dia nak balik ke rumah menghabiskan kerja2 mengecat (hari raya pun terpaksa cat rumah… kesian dia!) dan saya masih nak duduk beraya di rumah mak saya… bestnye!
4. What happened to you in 2006?
Saya mula membaca novel2 melayu setelah hampir 15 tahun ‘melupakannya’ dan mula menulis manuscript sendiri.
5. What was the last thing you said out loud?
“Jangan gaduh2… main elok2!” kpd anak saya yg sedang bergurau dgn sepupu2nya.
6. How many beverages did you have today?
1 mug of coffee, 1 glass of plain water and 2 glasses of Sunquick
7. What color is your hairbrush?
Hitam dan merah
8. What was the last thing you paid for?
RM 19.58 for 2 bars of Philadelphia Cream Cheese utk buat Cheese Cake atas permintaan suami saya!
9. Where were you last night?
At my mom’s house… baking cheese cake with my new Pensonic stand mixer!
10. What color is your front door?
Beige
11. Where do you keep your change?
Dalam purse atau tempat coins tepi tingkap kereta.
12. What’s the weather like today?
Very sunny… kering la segala bed sheet dan curtain yg saya jemur di luar tu!
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor?
Everything is delicious/sedap/best for me except strawberry flavor
14. What excites you?
Romantic/sexy love songs (jiwang karat la pulak!) Yg tak jiwang… highly performance (at least 140bhp), sleek and solid sports cars or 4 wheel drive!
15. Do you want to cut your hair?
Saya mmg teringin nak berambut pendek tapi husband kata rupa saya nnt mcm budak tkt 4! (Eleh… dia tu bukan apa, he doesn’t want to be seen as a man who married an underage girl! Haha)
16. Are you over the age of 25?
Hmmm….. dah 9 thn pun melepasi umur tu!
17. Do you talk a lot?
Yes I do… with my husband, my family, my close friends, my office colleague. Tapi dgn org yg saya baru kenal atau tak biasa lagi, saya tergolong dlm kelompok yg sgt pendiam sehingga menjurus kpd kategori sombong!
18. Do you watch the O.C.?
OC? Citer aper tu? Channel aper? Ketinggalan zaman betul saya ni! Sebenarnya, saya jarang mengikuti sebarang drama bersiri di tv, telenovela, samarinda atau apa saje yg seangkatan dengannya.
19. Do you know anyone named Steven?
Steven? Ye, ye saya rasa saya kenal, cina yg jual chicken cop kat DU Uptown tu!
20. Do you make up your own words?
Yes I do make up my own words… all the words in the 300 pages of my manuscripts!
21. Are you a jealous person?
Nope… I hardly get jealous! Beruntungnya suami saya… hehe
22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’.
Ahmad Fariq! Is this acceptable?!
23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’.
Ku Ril (If Ahmad Fariq is acceptable, I’m sure this one is ok too… hehe)
24. Who’s the first person on your received call list?
Yang!
25. What does the last text message you received say?
U mana? AHA buat apa? My husband’s standard line every hour… all day long when I’m not in front of him… asking me where I am and what is my daughter doing. Sbb dia tahu, isteri dia selalu on the run dan anak dia yg terlalu byk aktiviti sampingan! Jgn tak tahu anak saya… dia boleh call kitorg kat office beritahu dia nak pegi hi-tea dgn sepupu-sepapat!
26. Do you chew on your straw?
Oh tidak sekali! Saya rasa ngilu tengok org kunyah straw!
27. Do you have curly hair?
Ada kot… somewhere! ;P
28. Where’s the next place you’re going to?
Nak balik ke rumah saya bila bed sheet & curtain jemuran saya sudah kering (laundry saya pun kat umah mak hari ni!)
29. Who’s the rudest person in your life?
I meet rude people everytime, everywhere on the road while driving and paying my bills… dan semua tu the rudest in my life!
30. What was the last thing you ate?
My mom’s chicken rendang, kuah kacang and nasi impit.
31. Will you get married in the future?
Nak kahwin lagi? Dgn sapa? Ada ke org nak kan saya selain suami saya?
32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks?
Gladiator! The thing is, tiap kali citer yg Russel Crowe berlakon ni kuar kat channel Astro, saya akan menontonnya walaupun sudah beratus kali ditayangkan!
33. Is there anyone you like right now?
All time favourite: suami saya. When MK is concerned: Keanu Reeves. Bila time suka2 menjamu mata: mamat cina yg officenya sama floor dgn office saya, kulitnya sedikit tanned, hidungnya yg mancung, matanya tak sepet sgt, driving black color 5 series with registration no W** 61, hobinya merokok dan bergayut di handphone sambil berdiri di tepi koridor!
34. When was the last time you did the dishes?
Just now, when my maid was busy packing all of our things!
35. Are you currently depressed?
A little bit… bila memikirkan aliran wang tunai yg mengalir deras bak air di sungai semasa musim tengkujuh ini. Semuanya akibat dari proses perpindahan yg sedang berlaku!
36. Did you cry today?
Nope! Sejak akhir-akhir ni, hati saya dah ‘kering’ sedikit… saya dah jarang menangis melainkan isu2 serius yg melibatkan emosi dan mental! Sungguh pun saya sedang membaca novel yg meruntun jiwa raga atau menonton tv citer sedih pilu… belum cukup utk menyentuh hati batu saya ni…
37. Why did you answer and post this?
Just to kill time… sementara tunggu bed sheet saya kering dan anak saya tgh bermain2 dgn sepupu2nya.
38. People I want to tag next:
Ala… sapa ek?
Syam
Fida
Rose Harissa
Lily Haslina

Sekian Terima Kasih...

Men Are Just Happier People...

This post is for all women who can handle it... and to all men who enjoy reading it.
Men Are Just Happier People... What do you expect from such simple creatures?
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President and never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes... one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier.
Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha kepada semua...

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

The Saturday Nite

The theme : Bollywood & Hollywood
The time and date: 8pm Saturday 15th December 2007
The venue : Vintage Ballroom, Holiday Villa Subang

Since I don’t want to dress sexy and hot like Jennifer Lopez or any other Hollywood stars (the fact that I’m not so hot and sexy anymore… sob sob!) so I choose to put on the Punjabi suit (hoping that I could be Madhuri Dixit or Aisywarya Rai look-alike!) Thanx to my dear friend, yg meminjamkan saya baju ni. Kawan saya ni, Melayu... tapi dia memiliki hampir sedozen koleksi baju ala-ala Bollywood! (Sho, kau boleh bukak butik lepas ni!)




The Chinese Course served was so-so. Nothing to shout about. But the performance by Diddy AF4 is something I was looking forward to. Ternyata Diddy tidak mengecewakan. With his hit single ‘Hilang’ (lagu yg mengingatkan saya kpd Putraku yg sudah hilang!!!) and beautiful Broery Marantika’s ‘Bila Bulan Bicara’… I was amazed with his voice. Saya bukan peminat fanatik bintang2 yg dilahirkan oleh AF… tidak juga peminat Diddy tapi saya menghargai mereka yg benar2 berbakat ni.

Dan sejarah dlm hidup saya bila memenangi dua hadiah lucky draw… Pensonic 5 speed stand mixer (bolehlah dirasmikan dgn membuat cake sempena hari raya haji ni!) and a bath towel! Tuala pun tuala la… bolehlah menambah koleksi tuala yg ada! Tapi saya terlepas hadiah utama Plasma TV tu… (yg saya harap2kan utk menang supaya boleh letak kat living room umah baru! Tingginya angan2 saya! Haha)

Overall, it was okay… I had fun laughing at my husband’s subordinates performing their ‘Bollywood & Hollywood’ mixture. I know quite a few of them… tak sangka dioarg ni semua tak de langsung stage fright. Selamba jer menari2 kat atas tu. Infact, one of them is about 5 months pregnant! Hebat! Alkisahnya persembahan tu, ada couple tgh menari hindustan, happy2... tetiba minah tu pengsan sbb mamat tu bertukar jadi hantu nyanyi lagu ‘Thriller’. Dan kemudian, muncul pulak boss husband saya yg mat salih tu menari style Jacko dgn lagu ‘Black or White.’ And this group won the first prize with RM1000 cash in hand! Wow….


P/S: Sunday Nite... MU won 1-0 over Liverpool at Anfield. Tapi sorakan MU tak lama... sbb lepas tu Arsenal pulak kalahkan Chelsea... cis!

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Busy weekend...

Sabtu 15hb...

1) Pagi- pergi office

2) Lunch- ada wedding

3) Petang- pergi IKEA (again!!). Ada lagi brg tak cukup...

4) Malam - annual dinner kat Holiday Villa Subang. Husband punya office... the Bollywood Nite!


Ahad 16hb...

1) mengangkut brg sepanjang hari... sekurang2nye 5 trip

And we are going to end our hectic weekend with...








P/S: Ini nasib baik saya tak menerima pelawaan seorg kenalan yg ajak pergi test-drive BMW 3 series kat Glenmarie! To whom it may concern (u know who u are) ... you must be joking to ask me to come along... Hahaha...

Monday, December 10, 2007

These Are The Common Lines...

Our conversation lately...

1) when is the kitchen cabinet guy coming to take the measurement? bila boleh pasang?

2) kira brp byk lighting point, fan point? kat living room tu nak letak track-light

3) IKEA nak deliver brp hari? wat are the charges like?

4) langsir colour aper? beli ready-made jer. baru skrg saya tahu yg kedai ambil tempahan langsir (those interior design boutique tu... mahal sungguh!). Railing langsir pulak silap beli... terlebih panjang, need to be changed within 30 days!

5) have to start packing now, angkut sikit2 dulu esp brg2 kecik

6) where can we buy nice and cheap carpet?

7) i need a reliable stove... nnt tak berasap dapur! (cewah... macam nak masak utk kenduri!hehe)

8) nak pasang blind, nak pasang awning... segala mcm benda nak pasang

9) tell the management to speed up their work... defect tu tak repair lagi. susah2 sgt, repair sendiri jer la (mcm contractor la pulak!)

10) rumah kita ni ada ala2 Casa Impian tak? Kita panggil Eric Leong nak? Atau masuk dlm Anjung Seri ke? Hehe... dream on!

11) oh no... lori pun belum cari lagi!



"Mama... kita nak pegi mana ni? Nak cari kitchen cabinet ke?" Anak saya bertanya. She must've been listening and observing! Itu la aktiviti kami sejak dua menjak ni...

SEPERTI ADA CINTA

Blurb: Bertahun menyulam cinta, yang Farra Nuha dambakan hanyalah sebuah mahligai indah bersama Ilhan. Tetapi semakin tiba hari...