Sleepyhead In Surrey

I was sitting on the bed, aimlessly channel surfing (yeah, all 5 channels!) when the news came out. I guess I was one of the few persons who received the news about its early stages. Kak Anne went straight on the Internet to read more. They did not report that Malaysia was involved but alas, later on I found out that it had taken the lives of approximately 63 people from Penang, Kedah and Selangor. Let's pray and hope for the best for those people involved in this disaster.

And a few days back Joe's father passed away. Heart complications. Be strong, my dear. God loves him more than the rest of us. May his soul rest in peace.

Posted in: on December 28, 2004 at at 6:30:00 AM 0 comments

You could probably guess that I'm bored to death with this umpteenth entry for today. Thought this might be as a good a time as any to announce the arrival of my third niece Aryssa Rizqin. Her mom is still contemplating putting a 'Puteri' in front of her name. She does not want to, but Qin Qin's sister has it and Qin Qin's grandmom has insisted upon it. We'll see how it goes when she gets back to Malaysia and has to register her name in the Home Ministry.

(p/s)And congratulations to As and Shidi -- they're gonna have a baby!


(p/p/s)congratulations too to Ifa and Syumi -- hope their baby will come soon.

Posted in: on December 20, 2004 at at 12:40:00 PM 0 comments

I totally dig this movie. Enuff sed.

Posted in: on at at 9:35:00 AM 0 comments

that I fell asleep in the middle of the movie. It has been two days since Judgment Day and I have been letting my guards down where it concerns my sleep cycle. So can you blame me? Erm..maybe but it was half past 5 and both inside and outside it was dark. A sleep conducive environment. Plus the Phantom was getting on my nervers going on and on about his ugly face and how the world discriminated against him.

But short nap aside, The Phantom of the Opera was a pleasant movie adaptation from the original novel written by Gaston Leroux. Gerard Butler plays the Phantom, whose face was disfigured from birth and was named as the Devil's Child because of his misfortune. Pitied by a young ballerina, Madame Giry (Miranda Richardson), he was taken to the Opera Populaire, the French Opera House and hid in the deep recesses of the building. He grew to be an obsessed adult who knows only the world of the opera. Enter the damsel in distress Christine (Emmy Rossum), a daughter of a former violinist who was training as a chorus girl. The Phantom was determined for her to advance as the lead role of the Opera House. The film revolves around the Phantom's obsession with Christine, trying to make her his eternal bride while at the same time Christine is falling in love with the Opera's patron Vicomte de Chagny (Patrick Wilson).

The musical score was remarkable, except for a few annoying rock-style rendition of the main theme. The cast was commendable, but I did not have any knowledge of their previous performance to compare them to. All in all it was an enjoyable evening, short naps, runny nose and all. Street creds goes to Huneydew. Thanks for inviting me. Lepas ni ajak la lagi.

Posted in: on December 17, 2004 at at 12:05:00 AM 0 comments

Is it due to lack of anything better to write about?

Posted in: on December 16, 2004 at at 11:53:00 PM 0 comments

I remember being told by my brothers and sisters about how every weekend my abah and mak would take all of them to the beach, any beach in our hometown. The four of them would go swimming together. My dad was an avid swimmer and he taught all of my siblings how to swim. The were like fish in the sea. Mak would cook up a storm knowing that her kids would be famished after hours of being in the water. Her usual fare and favorite among our family was nasi lemak. During this time, I wasn't even conceived. I must have been up there in the heavens being told by God that my time hasn't come yet.

When I came along, they were growing up to be teenagers and soon were caught up with their studies. I guess my abah and mak also felt a little older and they stopped taking their kids to the beach; so I missed out on that experience. I remember my abah only taught me how to swim ONCE; one sunny morning in the cold water of a small river in rural KT. He just held me in a horizontal position and dropped me in the water and expected me to float. I must have choked in a gazillion gallon of water. Yeah, I know it was extreme but it was the most fun experience of learning how to swim. I miss those moments and I wish that I was born sooner if only for the desire to experience what my siblings experienced with mak and abah.

Now, my first brother has taken to following abah's footsteps. As a first child, he's taken on the role of a responsible son, or in my mak's words, anak yang taat by calling my parents every week and making it a point to visit them at least once every month. And, being a good dad that he is, he never fails to bring his kids to the beach. Granted, my nieces and nephew are not swimmers yet but they take to the water like it was their elixir of life (ahem!). The little one has only now started to learn to immerse herself in deep water and I reckon she too will soon be an eager beaver in the water.

In retrospect, although I did not get to experience the more rigorous activities that abah and mak had taught my brothers and sistes I guess they had other ways of showing me how to have fun. Like how abah taught me how to ride the motorbike and how mak taught me how to sew. It's been ages since I rode abah's kapcai and god knows I could not sew to save my life; but I know that in some ways it was my parents' way of showing me the little things that are part of their lives that I would no doubt remember when I think of them until the day I die.

Posted in: on December 12, 2004 at at 2:55:00 AM 0 comments

Okay, so most of it are over. For a little while, I can rest my feet,

,

clear my clutter,

,

and sit back and enjoy a meal with a good book.

.

In case any of you were wondering, the shoes are Bata, the striped socks and gloves are New Look, the pencil Faber-Castell, the dish was pan-fried Tesco salmon on McCormick's lemon butter sauce and butter sauteed Tesco mixed vegetables..and the book Marian Keyes' Sushi for Beginners..and oh!..the plate, is from Everyday, I think, courtesy of Nagakayu and Elixir. (ahem, talk about name-dropping). I could get used to this. Alas, the Judgement Day is yet to come. Have a good weekend folks!

Posted in: on December 10, 2004 at at 7:59:00 PM 0 comments

It could happen to the best of persons. No, I don't mean BEING manipulated but rather being the person who MANIPULATES. Personally, I don't care much for people who manipulate others solely to satisfy their own needs. Oh, don't get me wrong; I may accept the notion of a barter trade, simply put, If you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. However, I simply could not condone the act of pure manipulation. You put a person into a situation where he/she does not want to be or is unwilling to be in. It is not a commendable act. For one, it compromises that person's opinion of you; and two, it would lead to only temporary happiness.

Dear God, may those people kiss the ground they spit on.

Posted in: on December 08, 2004 at at 9:04:00 AM 0 comments

No one knows how to love me quite like you do

When it comes down to the things i like
Boy, you know just how to satisfy me
You pick me up when i'm down, you put my feet on solid ground
And you make me your first priority

When there are clouds on a rainy day
You know how to bring sunshine to my life
And i've never felt this way before
You make me feel like i'm your goddess

Aaliyah
No One Knows How to Love Me Quite Like You Do

Posted in: on December 06, 2004 at at 2:49:00 AM 0 comments

so the weather has been awful so far. That's the first bad news since I landed. I knew it was too good to be true. First it was at the immigrations. I was sweating buckets worrying if I wouldn't be let into this cold damp country. What with my wheezing cough and horrid sweaty face. Indian looking Britsh officer said Hi and I hello'd back. How long are you gonna stay? Approximately a month, sir. Finished your bachelor's degree? (confused but flattered) Ahem, yes. What's your purpose of coming here? Erm to take exams. Ok, have a good evening. (Yay!!!!) You too, cheers. It went like a breeze. Not like the first time I was here. Felt like a farm animal. Must have been the multiple stamps from myriad of European countries on my passport, eheh. Next, received a call from Kelana Convoy tour guide, Mr S. Assalamualaikum. Waalaikummussalam. Weh ko dah sampai ka? Ya, ya baru keluar terminal 3. Ohoh. Hah Tunggu...sweet sue ngan classmate ko akan amik ko. Hah! Ye ke? Ya ya. Tenkiu Mr S. Okok no problem. Yay! Saves me from taking the Woking Railair. Next, called sweet sue. Kat mana tu? Nak masuk parking. Akak tunggu kat 'Pick up Only'. Okok. Blue Ford Escort passes by. Three people came out. Huh? Sani boy? I thought it was gonna be Lond. Sleepyhead, how are you? Same old greeting from Sani Boy. Good, nice to see you. Salam salam. hug hug (not with Sani Boy lah!) and get into car. Next, Sweet Sue suggested. Nak gi Mawar? Akak mana tau jalan. Sani, do u want to taste Malaysian food? What? At this hour? Yes. Alright, let's gamble. After about an hour and a half reach deserted parking lot. Car got parked. Took coat. Got out. Hot damn! or rather Fricking freezing damn! The weather was cooooooldd. My cough got worse. My lungs hurt and my breasts were sporting goosebumps (Kinkiness not intentional). They say it's gonna be one cold winter here. But at least I got my first meal here in the form of Nasi Goreng Special Mawar and Mango juice, served by Mr. S no less! So yeah...that is how it goes.

Posted in: on December 02, 2004 at at 4:00:00 AM 0 comments

I've never thought about the little things that goes into organising small meetings or gatherings, until last night. Be it a formal one or a casual little get together organised among old friends. The nice little gesture of inviting a person to come to a meeting, the calling or Yahoo Messaging of other guests, the coordinating of time and venue, the effort of getting the presents, the thought that goes into decorating the presents, the cards, the well-wishes; all blends together to create a pleasant little surprise that warms the heart. Thank you guys for last night!

Posted in: on November 26, 2004 at at 4:04:00 PM 0 comments

Okeh, it's been, what?, a month and 9 days that I've been home here in Malaysia. Each passing day I try to suppress my feelings and the urge to pour it all out here. But now haunted by my sleepless nights and restless days I've decided to let it out. Biarlah. Bak kata si dia ni, tulis je. Truth is, I miss Surrey! Or rather, the life I had in Surrey. Memang la best balik rumah. U finally get to see your beloved Mom, Dad, and kucing Botbot. Tapi.....

1. Terasa bila mak tak makan the meals I cooked every other day.
2. Sedih bila mak tak kasi keluar rumah on the basis of traffic jam. I am, for god's sakes, old enough to have my own family
3. Rindu of my serene, calm morning walks to work when every other soul is still under their covers waiting for the sun to come up
4. Miss bellowing "Good Morning!" down the hall to whomever it is you see. Val ke, Maddy ke, Janet ke, even the scary Ruth.
5. Teringin nak rasa again the walk back from work and you feel eager to meet your mates and get together in the kitchen to have lunch
5. Teringat-ingat at the unpredictable weather where you get to play guessing games over what to wear to go outside. Do I wear that blue hooded top, or, that Laura Ashley denim jacket, or, a light sweater, or just a plain t-shirt?
6. I even miss taking a shower in Stag Hill with its secluded shower stall where you feel like you are safe from prying eyes and the water is just the right tempeeature. Nice and really really really hot.
7. Meleleh air liur terkenang Tesco's trifle and creme caramel and danish.
8. Kaki gatal nak tawaf the aisles of Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Next, New Look, Laura Ashley, The Friary, Anatomy, Woolworths, Robert Dyas, Waterstones, Boots, Superdrug, even QS.
9. Pinggang tunggu nak sakit sebab daki bukit High Street and North Street.
10. Tunggu bila masa lagi nak pegi Enterprise, jumpa Toby and plan a road trip to anywhere.

Satu benda saja tak terkenang --- STUDY. Kih kih.

Huneydew, the grass is always greener kat Mesia sbb Mesia tadek Autumn atau Winter. Eheh. But nevertheless, enjoy the brown grass in UK while it lasts. Lepas ni boleh sambut birthday and raya kat Mesia bertahun tahun.

Selamat Menghayati Hujung Ramadhan and Selamat Hari Raya.

Posted in: on November 10, 2004 at at 5:02:00 AM 0 comments

Me : Do you know what kontol actually means in Indonesian?
Him : No, what?
Me : It means having sex!
Him : Oh. And do you know what gampang means in Indonesian?
Me : Someone or something bad, I think.
Him : No. It means ordinary, like, biasa ajer lah. Kinda like
sokmo in the east coast.
Me : You've got it wrong there. Sokmo means selalu. Like always.
Him : Oh, okay. Well then, when we get married lets kontol sokmo!
Me : Gampang aja!

Posted in: on November 07, 2004 at at 6:04:00 PM 2 comments

A new development in bone science. Maybe there is still hope for Mummy.

Posted in: on November 06, 2004 at at 11:27:00 AM 0 comments

Semalam keinginan aku menjadi-jadi. Bak kata fidzan melantun-lantun. Tak boleh nak tahan. Malam sebelumnya aku tak leh tido pikirkan apa aku harus buat keesokan hari. Joe telefon tanya jadi ke tidak plan. Aku kata "Jadi, jangan tak jadi!". Busan busan tak boleh tido aku belek intisari rancangan tv untuk esok. Nasib baik nothing much on. Akak kan jadi couch potato sepenuh masa sekejap. Ada ulangan The Apprentice which I missed tapi tak apalah. Tak lauk pon. Eh, silap tak luak pon. Lapar!

Jantung berdebar la jugak. Nak di "tak jadikkan" plan aku rasa rugi. Hati meluap-luap mengenangkan what happened last time. Daripada aku lepaskan peluang ni dan melopong baik aku try. Kalau tak dapat I could say to myself that I at least tried. Aku berkira-kira baju apa aku nak pakai besok. Almaklumla ada orang yang agak penting nak tengok aku (note: bukan jumpa tapi tengok). Dengarnya orang tu nak pastikan rupa aku ni sebab orang kata (bukan aku kata) aku dah banyak berubah. Kembang semangkuk la jugak bontot aku time aku guling-guling atas katil tu.

Otak aku laju merencana aktiviti untuk hari esok. Takut dan gementar pon ada. Sebab plan ni berisiko. Kot tersalah langkah mungkin memudaratkan hati, perasaan, nyawa dan juga kasut color turquoise aku. Last-last aku tak sedar pon aku terzzz. Sedar sedar tepon aku bunyi. Oh alarm clock aku call nak suruh bangun. Sayang betui aku kat alarm clock aku ni. Aku bangun pastu pack apa yang patut. Aku simbah sana simbah sini. gosok mana yang berkarat pastu sembur sana sini sikit. Siap. Jeng jeng jeng. Saat di tunggu dah tiba. Aku kena tabahkan hati bukak pintu bilik nih. Aku keluar toleh kiri kanan. Takde orang pulak. Mana depa ni? Aku dengar suara abah aku tengah ajar budak mengaji. Alah abah tu kacang ajek. Yang sorang lagi ni yang aku gemuruh sikit ni. Sekali tu aku dengar bunyi orang flush toilet. Yay! Mummy aku berak! Aku capai kunci Cik Tot terus keluar. Bukak pintu pagar, masuk kereta, start engine, chalo! Abah aku pesan satu jek. "Dik, tolong bayar parking ticket abah tu. Semalam lopa nak bayar". Hu hu hu. Selamats.

Aku tunggu Joe dekat rendezvous point. Lama gak. Berasap sekejap telinga aku. Mamat ni selalu punctual. Hari ni pulak nak buat roti canai basi. Tapi tak apalah since dia yang akan tolong aku jadikkan plan ni. Bila joe dah sampai kitorang tukar kereta and jalan. Bermulalah plan aku. Hati aku berdebar jugak. Rasa lambat jek nak sampai. Takut ni kalau-kalau anything happen on da way. Tapi alhamdulillah kitorang sampai jugak. Terus menuju ke destinasi dalam plan yang aku karam malam semalam tuh. Okeh agenda nomo satu ngan nomo dua dah settle walaupon tak megikut kehendak aku. Agenda nomo tiga - di tengok oleh Kak Long! Kak Long kata aku dah kecut. Yehoo!

So semua dah settle. Agenda nomo empat jek lagi. Kitorang berenti kat Jalan Dot Dot Dot (macam Leez plak aku rasa kena rahsiahkan identiti lokasi) dan joe keluar kereta nak mengambil the goods in question. Aku hulur duit untuk barang tu tapi as usual Joe kata "Takper, ambik! Bumiputra Commerce dekat jek". Dia support lagi la kan. Sukanya hati jahat aku. Dah dapat barang tu. Joe masuk kereta terus jalan balik.

Hati aku tak sabar lagi dah nak bukak barang tu. Tapi joe kata sabar sebab belum tiba masanya lagi. Hari dah nak gelap dah. Joe suruh aku recce tempat sesuai nak bukak barang tu. Sebab kalau tak kena tempat tak syoklah kan? Aku berkira-kira aku rasa aku tau tempat sesuai. Aku tengok jam. Macam lagi lima belas minit tu time sesuai tu untuk bukak barang tuh. Aku suruh joe berenti tempat tu. Kitorang park cantik-cantik kat parking lot dan bergerak keluar. Barang tu aku kelok dengan berhati-hati. Taku pecah lah. Kitorang melilau carik port best. Dah jumpa pastu kitorang duduk. Isk berdebar nya hati aku. Ok ke tak ok ni? Tibai jek lah. Aku toleh orang keliling. Takder perasaan semuanya. Nak tunjuk depa poser la tu. Aku pon poser gak tapi aku ada perasaan. Perasaan lapar la. Tapi bagus jugak depa stone jek tadek la perasan apa kitorang nak buat dengan barang tu. Dah lama lepas tu aku tengok orang dah mula active. Ini signal baik nih. Aku bukak cantik-cantik dan slow-slow barang tu. Satu persatu aku keluarkan. Bila tiba masanya aku pon tibai la cukup cukup. Apa lagi Nasi Beryani Restoran Insaflah......

Perut aku memboyot. Bukan busung tapi nak pecah perut melantak nasi beryani insaf. Tobat aku tak buat lagi. Insaflah...

Posted in: on November 04, 2004 at at 11:32:00 AM 0 comments

My cat Botbot's motivation in life is that bowl of Friskies seafood platter and the occasional bowl of cream or milk. You could say that his mind thinks of nothing but food and the call of nature, oh, and sleep. That is what motivates a cat, or any other animal for that matter, to stay alive. So what makes human beings motivated? Other than the want and need for a perfect well being in life there is the occasional muse or a particular person that we makes us click; the reason that we do whatever we do in life. What happens when that person no longer exists or no longer pays attention to us? Do we continue to be motivated or fall deep into the recesses of loss and depression?

On a side note: Mum's ayam percik and nasi minyak does motivate me to do all the dishes and the cleaning up, oh yes they do!

Posted in: on November 02, 2004 at at 7:30:00 PM 0 comments

I know some people would befriend others for their own hidden agenda. Like you get to know a person because you would like to ask for help from that person. But is there ever a time when you ask help from a person just because you would like to get to know that person better?

Posted in: on November 01, 2004 at at 7:36:00 PM 0 comments

We started off the day early enough. Around 5.30 a.m. Everyone got ready in a jiffy and soon we met up with Caesar and Yayan to board the train to Waterloo.

Posted in: on September 04, 2004 at at 3:22:00 PM 0 comments

Late Bloomer. That was what France was in tonight's match against England. For the first 90 minutes I was bored to death waiting for Henry's performance. France made a scare for the first few minutes when Zidane, Vieira and Henry made attempts to score. After that all I watched was lukewarm performance from France. Lampard woke me up in minute 38 when he scored the goal. Beckham thought he would have saved England from the penalty but he was denied the glory. I was prepared to be disgusted with France when Zidane made a free kick and scored! Right....an equaliser. And then .... David James made the mistake of being too eager to save the ball and bumped into Mr Thierry Henry. Hey presto! A penalty kick granted to the Blue-jerseyed team. Eheh. At least you contributed something to the game Mr Henry Sir! 2-1. And congrats to Miss Nagakayu for winning the bet. So call the guy already!

Posted in: on June 14, 2004 at at 6:02:00 AM 0 comments

The max temperature for today is 27 degrees. All the mat and minah sallehs are all decked out on the lawn with their skimpy attires. While they are revelling in the much sought after sunshine, we the malaysians are shying away from activities that require us to be outside. I remember working on the till one day when one makcik salleh asked me 'Why are you here?'. When I answered 'I'm here for the cool weather and the snow.', she looked at me funny. Well, to each his own right?
On another note, my friend landed herself a job at ExxonMobil and I cant help but feel envious, maybe a little jealous. Why? We were both in the same class and each pop quiz or exam became a slug fest of who could score better. Sometimes I won and at other times she did. It never really bothered me much until we came to the final year. Both of us were eligible for a VC award. When the award ceremony finally came, she was handed the 'blue ribbon' and I was not. It wasnt until later that I heard from a lecturer that her dad was buddy-buddy with the dean. I cried my heart out cuz I couldn't make my parents proud on that day since I wasn't awarded the VC. Needless to say, the award came much later in an envelope with a one line congratulation and a lame-ass apology for some 'computer system malfunction'. Dodgy? Maybe a little.

Posted in: on June 07, 2004 at at 11:29:00 PM 0 comments

Previously, I was dying for snow. I had my camera with me all the time, ready for action when the pristine, white crystals would pour and leave my nose as red as rudolph's. I got my wish when we were in Lake District and a few weeks back in good ol' Surrey. And, now the weather is so cold that it might bring the potential of another snow fall. Heck, I felt the tiny thing lightly dribble just now when I was walking from the library to the 'Club'. But now it is no longer a novelty for me. I'm starting to long for Spring. Just the sight of those lovely flowers every time I walk to class is making my heart pray for the day when the temperature would rise above 10 degrees and I could see beautiful colors around me. Oh, well.. it's all in good time.

Posted in: on February 21, 2004 at at 12:26:00 AM 0 comments

A Norwegian friend introduced me to the yummy delicacy - smoked salmon - at a house party that I recently attended and I havent been able to get over them. But the smoky after taste was too everwhelming for me so I had to improvise by lightly sauteeing the salmon and walla! I got myself a new favorite:
half a bagel
a spoonful of soft (cream) cheese
lightly sauteed smoked salmon

Posted in: on February 19, 2004 at at 11:12:00 PM 0 comments

Human beings have the nature of wanting it ALL. The successful career with impressive salary, the shiny car or two or three, the humongous castle on the cliffside overlooking the beautiful ocean, the gorgeous life partner, the intelligent and cute son and/or daughter, a cat or a dog, the whole works.. but sometimes it is the simple things in life that brings a smile to our mouth and makes our day. Thank you so much guys! I really appreciate them. I miss u guys like crazy.

Posted in: on February 18, 2004 at at 10:57:00 PM 0 comments

1. Put the smells you like (perfume/aftershave/arm pits or body odor) of your loved ones/boyfriend/girlfriend/babies/cats on your Ucuk.

2. Put your Ucuk against the heater for 5 minutes.

3. Put your Ucuk under your nose and inhale deeply.

Result? Heaven......

Posted in: on February 09, 2004 at at 5:10:00 AM

You wanna meet my precious lil Ucuk

Posted in: on January 30, 2004 at at 1:52:00 AM 0 comments

I got soooo bored last night. Got nothing to do. So I thought I'd snap a coupla pics of myself.....
You wanna see me in sexiest position?



You see my unique pose? Eheh, I usually do it by the road side but only when there's no one around.

Here is me waiting for ahkak Nagakayu or ahkak Paku to cook lunch. Just lounging under the dining table. Yup! My favorite place of all.



As a sleepyhead I CAN'T not have a blankie. Here it is... me and my blankie. We're the closest of frens, my blankie and I.



I also took a pic of me on my bed. Hee...hee..



Jangan mara aa ahkak Nagakayu, nanti kena juall!!!!!

Posted in: on January 25, 2004 at at 3:13:00 AM 0 comments

To those who, all their lives, have had the affinity towards valuable information or general knowledge the following facts might not be anything new. However, to me the ALLTIME HERMIT, this info is news for my coming years as being a student and a full-time slacker here in the UK.

UK - short for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - was formed from the merger between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland in 1801. Before that, the Kingdom of Great Britain was formed as a result of a merger between the kingdoms of England and Scotland. Currently, the UK consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

England in itself is subdivided into three types of areas which are non-unitary authorities, unitary authorities and London boroughs. Since it might take the whole of 2004 for yours truly to explain, you might wanna read about them here.
There, that explains why I always have a headache when I try to associate a particular name of place with its physical location. Mind boggling! You never know whether it's a borough, a county, or a state.

UK's current Prime Minister is Tony Blair, although it might change anytime soon judging from several major events taking place this week. Amongst them are UK's bid for the 2012 Olympics, the report about the murder of Dr Robert Kelly and the military kit shortages problem. At least the Defense Secretary, Geoff Hoon, is definitely under fire since the exposure of serious military equipment shortages by a widow of a military officer who died because he had to give up his body armour as there were not enough to go around.

UK's favorite words, in my books, are KNACKERED, SHATTERED and GUTTED (pronounced in intense, guttural sound). Why do they like to use these words? Beats me! I think they only sound sexy when they are being uttered by cute 'Shattered' contestant Chris. Otherwise, they sound completely British (read: offputting).

Finally, this has got to be UK's ugliest car. No, wait! It's UK's second ugliest car. Put that in yellow and hey, presto! you got yourself UK's BUTT (pardon the rude language) UGLIEST car. Apart from the unimaginative name of 'Ka', its bodystyle has got to be the most uncreative design I've ever seen. What was the designer thinking??!!

On another note, I got this hilarious link from a friend.

Posted in: on January 17, 2004 at at 4:48:00 AM 0 comments

Someone (Thank you, you!) suggested that I write a review about a book I read. I was pretty reluctant at first seeing how rusty my English is lately. But somehow I tried to muster up the courage to do it and guess what?! It's published! It might not sound as 'book review'-ish as I might like but hey, at least I tried. You can read it here.

Posted in: on January 15, 2004 at at 12:07:00 AM 0 comments

The winter season in Surrey is not that harsh. You can sometimes still walk around without putting on your long johns. A sweater and a coat would suffice. HOWEVER, that fact does not suppress my obsession for the above scarf and glove set. Eheh, hey! It's nothing fancy. Just a normal winter wear you see every Jane or Jennifer or Julie or even the occasional Nan-Li or Oshin wearing. But, you don't normally see a Aminah, Fatimah or Zaharah wearing them. Since I'll only be experiencing winter once in the next, oh maybe 4 years, I have consoled myself that it's not really an item on the top of my NEED list. However, how do you differ between what you NEED and what you WANT when the WANT just obsessively materialises in your dreams and in your mind when you eat or take a shower that you freakishly hallucinate every hour and think that it definitely IS what you NEED? Ok, so it can't be worn in the summer or the spring or maybe fall, ok so I dont really need the scarf, just the gloves, but it SO matches my ADIDAS sling bag. How can you top that as a reason to buy it??? Eheh.

Posted in: on January 14, 2004 at at 4:58:00 AM 0 comments

I have been putting off writing about my recent trip to the middle earth, eh!, part, of the British Isles mainly because it would be redundant since all my friends have written about it in their blogs. You can read about them here, here and here. Having said that, it seems the urge to write about it is still there. Heh. So here goes. It might not be as exciting a description as my friends' but what the heck!
Of course, the trip wouldn't have happened without a ride and well hey there! here comes the ride. It was a Volkswagen Beetle....NOT! Heh, well it only LOOKED like the Beetle. This distant cousin of hers is called Nissan Micra 1.2. A small, compact but very well-built car. It managed to house a whole lot of duvets under its teeny weeny boot. The duvets were the result of a lack of sleepingbags. Hey, how were we supposed to know that sleepingbags would come in handy??!We've only been here a coupla months.
Anyways, we got our ride from Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Word got around that it's one of the cheapest rental agency around town. It was either that or Kendall. Anyways, having experienced the process of renting a car, I find a few lessons to be learnt. Heh, leave it to me to be the 'skema', sensible type to come up with lessons to be learnt.
1. Always ask or HAGGLE your way to a deal that suits you most. Don't be shy or afraid to negotiate. The people at the agency are usually friendly enough to entertain your haggling.
2. You have to ask the minute details of the insurance coverage for the car if you are not already told about it. You might think that you got a cheap price for a car only to find out an accident or so later that you have to foot the bill yourself.
3. Do not leave the agency without inspecting the car for dents or damages. Failure to do so might result in you being held responsible for the crime you didn't commit when you return the car.
4. Last but not least, jangan gila stereng! Hehe. Do ask the reps first about every nook and cranny of the car, which buttons to push, which buttons NOT to push, yadda, yadda, yadda before you go on taking a joy ride. Otherwise, you might end up opening the hood when you want to fill up the tank. AhkakNaga sure paham kan? Eheh *wink* *wink*.
Needless to say, the Micra purred like a cream-filled kitten when we took it under our wings, or is it the other way around?!.Anyways, it was a breeze to drive except for the 30-million enjin mampos. Kih Kih.



VW Beetle's little sister

Posted in: on January 13, 2004 at at 4:43:00 AM 0 comments

I've been spending the remnants of my holiday reading this marvellous book by Yann Martel. Actually, I started reading it during my exam week. Drat, that devil who seduced me into reading it eventhough I had vowed to myself that it would be read ONLY and ONLY IF I finished my exams. Needless to say, I couldnt put it down! I had to stash it under my bed to prevent myself from being a sleeplessinsurrey. Anyways, the verdict? I consider it one of the best books that I've read so far. However, I was a bit saddened by the ending. But, like Pi was thinking, people would prefer to hear the happy version of things in life.

Posted in: on January 12, 2004 at at 9:58:00 AM 0 comments