Last weekend and this coming weekend...

Hari Sabtu lepas, saya berjumpa kawan2 lama. Dengan komitmen masing2 sejak jadi ibu/mama/mummy… selalunya mmg payah nak jumpa. Tapi bila ada yg rajin to take the initiative, barulah berpeluang nak tengok muka.

This time around, thanx to Fida… who invited me and few others to her beautiful house in conjunction with her sons' birthday & house warming. Walau pun tak ramai yg dpt dtg… tapi ok jugak la bila dpt berjumpa dan berborak dgn member2 lama. And what a pleasant coincidence… bila tanpa disangka2, saya dpt berjumpa dgn junior yg sama prefectorial board dgn saya setelah 16 tahun tidak bersua muka! Rasa macam baru aje lagi tanggalkan tie prefect tu… rupanya dah 16 tahun berlalu… time flies!

Malam Ahad hari tu, MU kalahkan Aston Villa 4-0... and MU still leading with 76 points. Walaupun Chelsea, Arsenal dan Liverpool pun menang jugak tapi kedudukan MU belum tergugat.

Malam semalam, berlangsungnya Anugerah Bintang Popular 2007... as usual... you can expect the winners! Cuma satu dua aje keputusan yg berlainan drp tahun lepas.

Dan hujung minggu ini, bermula dari 4hb April sehingga 13hb April 2008, akan berlangsungnya Pesta Buku Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur bertempat di PWTC.

Datanglah beramai-ramai dan kunjungilah booth ALAF 21 kerana ramai penulis yang akan memeriahkan pesta buku kali ini. Jangan lepaskan peluang untuk bertemu penulis kesayangan anda. InsyaALLAH as for me, I’ll be there on the 5th & 6th April 2008 (Saturday & Sunday) for the sake of Melodi Kasih…

Aper nak beli nih?

My husband’s birthday is just around the corner…
Dan seperti tahun2 sebelum ni, saya masih tak tahu apa nak beli utk birthday dia kali ni. Mmg saya hopeless… fail tiba bab2 sebegini. Hampeh (may be that’s the correct word!)

I know he likes surprises but I’m just not into that… tak reti nak surprise2 kan org. Sepanjang 3 thn berkawan dgn dia, 7 thn bercinta dgn dia dan 8 thn berkahwin dgn dia… and that is equivalent to 18 years, tapi bila tiba jer bulan April, mula la saya menggagau utk cari present utk dia. Bukan saya tak tahu apa yg dia suka. Dan dia punya preference mmg lain drp org. The colours, the style, the design… he’s very particular and that is why, his choices are very limited.

Ada org kata, tak kisah la bagi apa… the thought that counts. Even if I bake him a cheese cake or cream puff for his birthday… it’s already good enough. The effort I make… that’s the most important, right? But I don’t feel good about it… seriously! Sbb dia jenis yg akan bagi saya ‘present/surprises’ tak kira masa… no particular ocassion or reason. Tup tup… ada jer… dari sekecik, seremeh benda hingga sesuatu yg saya suka. Walaupun kekadang hanya beg telekung (bila dia perasan saya tak de beg telekung! Pergi mana2… isi telekung dlm beg plastik..)

Saya pernah ajak dia pegi shopping mall bila birthday dia. Saya kata, grab aje lah apa2… nnt saya bayar. But that method doesn’t work. Because he ended up buying something for me instead of me buying a present for him! Hahahaha… saya yg ‘grab’ something… tak senonoh betul saya ni! Kaedah lain yg saya pernah gunakan…. Saya tanya dia, apa benda yg betul2 dia perlukan atau benar2 dia minat/idamkan… beritahu dan tunjukkan pada saya in advance. Nnt saya pergi beli dan wrap cantik2. Bila birthday dia, saya hulurkan. Kaedah tu menjadi, cuma tak best sbb tak de elemen-elemen surprise. Kaedah terakhir saya gunakan… saya terus terang dgn dia berapa peruntukan saya utk present dia. So, pandai2 la cari sendiri brg apa yg sesuai dgn budget saya tu… klau kurang tak pe. Tapi klau lebih, bayar sendiri! Hehe. And that was when he decided to buy a good/new absorber/suspension for his car! How unromantic!

And recently, I had a discussion with my 5 years old daughter a.k.a AHA (her initial name) on this matter. And the interesting discussion went something like this:-

Saya : Kita nak beli apa utk papa punya birthday?
AHA : Kita belikan papa kereta mewah la… sports car!
Saya terdiam kejap. Berangan kalau saya boleh jadi spt Victoria Beckham yg menghadiahkan David Beckham sebiji kereta sports!
Saya : Mak ooi… mana mama ada duit byk mcm tu nak belikan papa kereta mewah (kembali berpijak di bumi nyata! Kalau setakat kereta Ferrari RM8.90 yg dijual di merata Shell station tu… boleh la kot! Hahaha… well having said that, I have already collected 6 out of 7 for him. Tiap kali saya isi minyak kat Shell, saya belikan utk dia! Kira present la jugak tu kan? Cheap skate betul…)
AHA : Atau kita belikan papa remote…
Saya berkerut sekejap.
Saya : Remote? Remote apa? Remote kereta jer… bukan kereta? Atau remote Astro? (sbb AHA selalu berebut remote Astro dgn papa dia. So, may be she’s trying to avoid the incovenience by having another remote…)
AHA : Bukan remote tu… remote yg bleh control kereta tu… mcm yg ada jual kat Toys R Us….
Saya : Oh okey… (saya mula faham maksud dia). Tapi papa dah besar, tak kan nak beli toy utk dia? Apa kata kalau kita beli tie?
AHA : Boleh jugak… tie warna pink… gambar power puff girls!
Saya dah tergelak.
Saya : Tak kan papa nak pakai tie warna pink… ppg pulak tu!
AHA : Tak pe la… nnt klau org ofis tanya, papa cakap… anak saya suka! (Being the daddy’s little girl, dia tahu papa dia mesti beralah dgn dia!)

Kesimpulannya… saya tak tahu kaedah mana yg patut saya gunakan tahun ni. Atau mungkin saya ikut aje cadangan AHA. Any suggestion dear friends?

The 'Big-Four' Games...

Perlawanan yg sememangnya dinantikan, cukup sengit antara 'the big four' dlm EPL mlm smlm di Old Trafford berkesudahan dgn kemenangan MU mengalahkn Liverpool 3-0 (goals by Brown, Ronaldo and Nani!) You know you'll get goals when you have Ronaldo, Rooney & Nani! So... MU stays right on the top, baby!

Manakala Chelsea menundukkan Arsenal 2-1 di Stamford Bridge, menjadikan Chelsea melompat ke anak tangga ke 2 dlm carta!

Mula suspens jer... takut tak dpt tengok game MU. Biasala Astro... asal hujan jer, tak dpt reception... and they still charge us for the blank screen that says "services currently not available"! Hmmm...

May We All Be Coffee

You may never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire - soon the pots came to boil.

In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." ''Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg.Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma; the daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

To all of you who has touched my life in one way or another; to those who make me smile when I really need it; to those who make me see the brighter side of things when I'm really down; to those who appreciate the friendship... you guys are so meaningful in my life.

P/S: Thanx to my husband for emailing this good philosophy to be shared with everyone...

A lesson to be learned and an eye-opener to everyone...

It has been 5 days after the 12th general election but still, it’s the hot topic everywhere at any point of time. Masih panas… sepanas beberapa kerusi yg dipertandingkan hari Sabtu lepas!

Tahun ni masuk kali ke 3 saya menjalankn tanggungjawab sbagai pengundi. Saya tidak mengundi di kawasan tmpt kelahiran, sebaliknya di kawasan saya dibesarkan… namun masih di dlm negeri yg sama. Selepas mengundi, kami semua seramai 26 org (termasuk mak, kakak, mak cik, pak cik, sepupu & anak2 buah) berkumpul di Pertak for weekend getaway. We don’t come from a BIG or huge family… but being able to gather 26 of us… it is a BIG thing!

During the tea-time with teh and kopi o panas, karipap, keropok lekor, kerepek, cakes and breads… we were all talking about our polling experiences. Pakcik & makcik saya bercerita… turun aje dari kereta nak mengundi… wakil dari parti2 yg bertanding, siap bukakan pintu kereta dan memayungkan pakcik & makcik saya sehingga ke tempat buang undi… ala2 YB gitu! Saya dpt personalized SMS drpd calon ADUN kawasan saya sehari sblm mengundi tu… nak pancing undi! Husband saya pulak, pkl 8 dh beratur dan dia org yg ke 6 dlm barisan tapi sudahnya nak dekat pkl 9 baru dpt mengundi. Sebabnya… computer broke-down la pulak… dan entah apa2 benda lagi. Well, they should have sorted it out a day before that, isn’t it? Mak saya sampai tmpt mengundi 5 minit sblm tutup dan mcm2 lagi cerita yg dikongsi.

While having dinner with ikan bakar cicah asam, sambal sotong, rendang daging dendeng, gulai lemak nenas ikan masin, pucuk paku, belacan…we were all sitting in front of the TV, eargerly listening to news and election cross over. Sudah mula rasa bahang keputusan… those expected and unexpected results. Mula lah keluar gossip tu, gossip ni… jokes tu, jokes ni… all the ‘inside’ stories… those unknown and known facts! Almaklumlah… semua kat situ ex-govt servant, still servicing in govt or semi-govt sector and organization which strongly back the govt (kecuali saya, husband dan seorg cousin yg keje dgn private sector!) Mmg hangat la mlm tu dgn mcm2 citer sehangat ikan bakar yg baru diangkat dari atas bara! And we all slept at 5am with mixed feelings of shock, sad, frustration and relieved in us…

Over breakfast with Nescafe and Milo, roti canai and nasi lemak… we were still distraught with the downfall of our home state to the Barisan Alternatif!

Macam tak percaya aje… tapi bila fikir secara rasional… this should be a lesson to all. Some of them may just take things for granted… and let this be an eye-opener to those who blindly close their eyes all these while. Setiap yg berlaku tu ada hikmahnya, mesti ada sesuatu yg boleh kita ambil sebagai iktibar… jgn tamak dan jgn riak. Tapi jadi lah lebih down to earth and more responsible. Yang kalah itu tidak semestinya tidak bagus… dan yg menang itu bukan semestinya terbaik… tapi keadaan/persekitaran yg menentukan siapa yg menang dan yg tewas. Sometimes, you can be very lucky but there are times when luck is not on your side. Walaupun mungkin yg menang itu dgn cara yg tidak sepatutnya, but the truth will reveal one day. So, jgn arrogant atau over confident. Or may be, this is the turning point for the whole nation… (or is it a catastrophe?) But then again, this is what the majority wants… winds of change. Whether it’s going to be a ‘change’ from bad to good or bad to worst… we’ll see about it!

Selama saya bergelar pengundi, tidak pernah sekali pun saya mendengar sebarang ceramah politik yg berapi-api tu, baik parti BN mahupun BA setiap kali menjelang pilihanraya. Sebab bagi saya, penceramah itu semua oppurtunist. Apa isu yg hangat, itu lah yg cuba dimanupulasikan. Maka saya tak pernah terpengaruh dgn cakap2 politik setiap kali keluar mengundi. Dan kerana itu, saya tak hairan dgn apa yg mereka canang dan janjikan selain drp melihat sekali pandang manifesto yg diperjuangkan. Politicians are being politicians… they can really talk! Dan kpd yg sudah diberikan mandat utk memerintah, tak payah ckp byk2… just deliver whatever you have promised!

Anak saya (AHA) bersama sepupu2nya… may these young generations face no predicament in future, due to our choice on that historical day; 8th March 2008!

Facebook And Friends

When I was invited to join Facebook… I accepted it half-heartedly. Bukan pasal apa, sbb saya ni bukannya rajin sgt nak melayan benda2 spt Friendster, Myspace, Tagged, Hi-5 dan segala yg seangkatan dengannya. Saya akan joined tapi lepas tu sonyap je la! Sori ye kengkawan yg susah pyh invite tu… but I do appreciate ur sincerity to include me in ur list!

But after sometime, I do find tat Facebook is quite interesting. Even though I don’t like to be poked, neither do I want to poke you people… but to receive those virtual hugs & kisses, gifts and sweet messages… well, it’s kind of cool, actually.

When I start to browse for friends I know in Facebook, saya ‘ter’jumpa semula kwn2 lama. Bukan setakat kwn tingkatan 5… tapi kwn darjah 5 jugak, hokay? Kelakar bila tengok latest gambar kwn2 punya ex-girlfriend/boyfriend. Dulu masing2 muka bebudak jer… skrg vogue dan macho abis! Jumpa ex-bus mate. Ex-cendol mate pun ada. The best part is, jumpa semula adik angkat saya, ‘adik ipar tak jadi’ pun terjumpa jugak…. hahaha! And I got really excited, when few of my juniors added me… esp this girl yg rapat sgt dgn saya masa zaman sekolah dulu. Tapi kitorg lost contact bila dia pergi France. Ingat jugak adik2 ni kat kakak senior ni ye? Hehe. Wow… there are times when this facebook really got me hooked… despite the fact that I only have 38 friends in the list so far!

And because of Facebook, I managed to meet up with my senior (yg saya tak jumpa 20 tahun lamanya!) Hari Sabtu lepas, kami berkesempatan utk lepak di Friendster Dsara Perdana… saya bwk sekali anak dara saya tu. Sedar tak sedar, time flies and the last time we met… we were still in school pinafore way back in 1988! Sekarang bila jumpa siap bawak anak sekali!

Husband saya kekadang give-up dgn saya… bila saya bercerita ttg kawan yang ini, kawan yang itu. Dia akan kata, saya ni ramai benar kawan! Ramai sgt ke kawan/kenalan saya? Tapi kalau ikut pukul rata… mmg kawan saya lebih ramai drp kawan dia! Hahaha… sori, babe!

Nak kata saya ni glamour sgt kat sekolah… tidak sama sekali. Nak kata pelajar cemerlang, pun tidak jugak! Tapi saya berjaya kumpul ramai kawan zaman sekolah dulu, berbanding dgn waktu di kolej dan era bekerja. Dan kawan2 saya terdiri drp kategori yg berlainan. Ada kawan saya yg straight A's student di sekolah dulu (yg tolong ajarkan saya Commerce… hehe). Saya ada kawan2 utk bergelak-ketawa. Saya ada kawan yang ‘cuma kami saje yg faham jokes nye!’ Saya ada kwn yg serius… yg akan tegur klau saya buat perangai merapu. Saya ada kawan yg boleh saya tumpang bahu mereka utk menangis. Saya ada kawan yg mempunyai hobi yg sama. Dan saya juga ada kawan yg tak serupa langsung pemikiran dgn saya… but still we can be friends until now.

To all my friends out there, jgn putus asa utk invite saya lagi… hehe. Mungkin saya tidak serajin mana utk membalas mesej anda… or blow kisses to all of you, but I do enjoy your company. Sekali sekala, seronok jugak melayan Facebook ni… and may all of us stay in touch!