novicecook

Malaysia Road Trip

2008-12-29T22:38:00.016+08:00

7 days. 5 hotels. This road trip was the best one yet.

Went to Malaysia with my nuclear family. Yupp. Just the 6 of us. We didn’t make any hotel reservations, just our necessities and an open mind to whatever that may come. Did a lot of new stuff. Scaryy to do but I did it nonetheless. Feel so proud of myself hahha.

Day 1

Departed at around 6 plus to beat traffic at causeway. It was okay, not as bad as the one when we went to Port Dickson. Took my turn driving for one hour plus before we reached Ancasa Resort. Mom left her handphone there from the previous trip, so we had to go back there to retrieve it. Anyways, the drive to PD shall not be wasted, so we did GoKarting! hahha. Went to the same place a week back. Guess the drive at the north-south highway was good practice cause I was first to finish 8 laps! hahha okay, maybe it was because Ngah's kart was spoiled and she kept skidding off the track, while Abah's had his whole rear wheel coming off the kart. The state of the karts was terrible. But still cheap nonetheless.

By 1 we were off to Perak for our stay there. Made 2 stops to eat at a roadside stall and then at Jejantas. Coconut plus lekor makes for an incredible combination. It was really nice to sip coconut drink and eat the chewy fish lekor. The greenery and cooling kampong environment in the area was simply refreshing.

And I miss A & W already!

After dinner at around 11, we checked in to our first hotel in Ipoh, Perak. The room rates at Hotel Excelsior were pretty reasonable at RM 135 plus buffet breakfast with one king sized bed to be shared by the four of us.

Day 2

Woke up early for breakfast and we packed our stuff again to head for Gua Tempurung in Kampar. Unfortunately, we were late as the group heading for the grand tour for caving had already left. They only have one slot which starts at 9am and lasts for about 3 and a half hour. So we looked for a place to stay for the night and were led to the only hotel in Kampar. The Grand Kampar Hotel. This time instead of two rooms we got a family suite at RM207 for 2 nights. Pretty reasonable considering that there were 2 single beds, one queen sized bed, a bathroom consisting of a bathtub, a shower area and private cubicle plus a living area. It was the best accommodation we’ve had so far.

So we rested and headed for Lata Kijang Waterfalls. We had a light lunch first, which was chappati. Mmm. Real delicious with an empty stomach. The waterfalls were amazing. Had seen it while we were travelling on the north-south highway many times before but to see it up close was pretty special. The water was crystal clear and soaking in the cool mountain water with the slight drizzle that was showering us was simply incredible.

Day 3

Woke up real early so that we won’t miss the tour group this time. Ngah told me all sorts of stories of the things to expect when we go caving, so I was pretty nervous about the whole idea but hey, there must always be a first for everything. We took the hardest tour available there, even mom said why not. Lols.

And what do I think of the tour? Breathtaking. Stalagmites and stalactites and everything. It was magnificent. At first we walked the track that was already paved within the caves. That was pretty easy as we went about snapping whatever photos we could in the dark. Then, things got really scary.

It all started when we went off the paved track and was made to follow the guide with the help of our torchlights. We climbed up steep rocks in the dark. I had to try to find rocks and indents to grab hold on to while we climbed up. We slid down steep crevices in the dark. All had to be done slowly lest you risk plunging down into the darkness below. We went up, and up, then down and around rocks after countless rocks. We went on our kness in water and even crawled through cubby holes with water up to our chests. Even Ngah who was doing this for the third time admitted she was still terrified as we went through the whole thing. Maybe it was because this time we were going with our loved ones who we are not exactly confident of being able to endure this task. Mama isn’t exactly the fittest person around and zirah is only ten. Tuhan sahaja tahu how scared I was for them and myself.

But I must say all the hard work and constant prayers we silently made throughout the process was worth it. To witness the grandeur of God’s creation and the realise how beautiful the earth is was certainly a humbling experience. Felt so proud of the 6 of us. We soaked ourselves in the water to our hearts content at the midpoint of the tour.

Once the tour ended we headed back to the hotel to clean ourselves up. Then I drove us to Ipoh for dinner and shopping!! Lols. We are 4 teenage girls after all.

Day 4

Checked out of Grand Kampar and travelled down the coastal highway to Lumut jetty. We were going to Pangkor Island! Hahh. It was decided the night before. Parked our car there and the parents left us at the terminal and disappeared for almost an hour before coming back with a booked hotel room and tickets to ride the ferry. Not bad huhh.

Once we reached there I had the gut feeling that we won’t be that comfortable there. We took a taxi which pretty much looked like a pink van just so that they could carry more passengers and luggage. The ride to our Bay View Resort was a nice 10 minute one as we drove past the beach. Then came the hotel. No wonder it was unbooked. RM 135 with no breakfast included. Okay. I admit I am used to comfortable hotels. So this one was not my favourite. All 6 of us cramped in a room no bigger than a normal bedroom in a HDB flat, with not so great toilet facilities. But we shall get past that.

Anyways, after lunch headed off to Coral Island for snorkelling! Yess. I know I can’t swim. But that won’t stop me ehh. Dad got a deal from some guys at the beach who’d send us to and fro Coral Island nearby by motorboat. And that includes snorkelling gears for all 6 of us. This at a price of RM50. Couldn’t get my specs into the the snorkelling thingy so had to be myopic throughout my first snorkelling adventure. Hahha.

Honestly, the corals aren’t that great. Even my sis with 20/20 vision said the corals weren’t colourful or lively at all. The only nice thing was the fishes that would swarm under you when you feed them with the bread. But it was still fun nonetheless. Then we went on the boat back to the Pangkor beach in time to play by the swings at the beach. Ahh.. felt like little kids all over again.

Day 5

Merry Christmas! Had brunch at a roadside shop and we ate overlooking the beach.

Dad had pulled strings and managed to shorten the stay at Bay View and switch to a Coral Bay Hotel. Thank God! The girls got one room with 2 single beds and a decent toilet. Yayy. It was at RM 165 with breakfast included. Dad also rented a small white proton saga of which all 4 of us girls cramped at the rear seat. Oklah, we’re pretty slim girls.

Then the 3 girls and abah went kayaking at the beach. All for RM . Not bad huhh, especially since you’d need way more money and be a certified kayak-ist/ canoe-ist to be able to do it in Singapore. Hahh.

Day 6 and Day 7

Headed for KL and got caught in traffic. Ugghh. Terrible. So we shopped a bit and ate a lot. Hahha Almost couldn’t find a place to stay for the night. Finally found a room, a family room at a budget hotel Bintang Warisan. The price was pretty expensive at RM250 breakfast included.

It was a wonderful holiday. Loved the view on the road at the highway. You’ll never get it in Singapore. Can’t imagine this holiday to be any longer cos I started missing my bed already. And school is starting soon. Uggh.

Port Dickson Getaway

2008-12-18T13:49:00.043+08:00

Day 1
So yess, the holiday was a superr nice one. There was alot of travelling, since negeri sembilan is pretty far, especially if you've got vans that can't even go over 90km/h. But it was fine though. Mostly slept and listened to music in the car. Got to take over my dad when he got sleepy. Seriously, driving on the north-south highway is superr funn! yupp, mostly because it was just a straight road and you can speed up without a care in the world. hahh. Exhilarating.

Kids are so adorable. Babies and little toddlers to be exact. They get so excited over the littlest things. We checked in at Ancasa Resort Allsuites at around 5 plus and the place was soo crowded. Maybe cos it was an apartment resort and facilities are so limited. The kids were like so awed when they saw the swimming pool.

The apartment was pretty spacious too. A 3 bedroom one plus a kitchen, big living room, small balcony and 2 toilets. Not bad for RM328 huhh. And the view was pretty awesome. Kak mimi had her's even better with a view of the sea.

Anyways, the first night we walked more than 1km from the hotel to look for somewhere to eat. hmpph so much for the only 500m that the reception people claimed.

By the time we got back it was close to 11, and we played ping pong! hahha especially fun if you dont know how to play it. Balls went flying everywhere, even mak long, mak ngah and mama played. The guys and dads played pool too.

Day 2

Started the day with a buffet breakfast at 7.30am. We wanted to beat the crowd you see. Turns out we were the first ones there. Breakfast was ok, with quite a variety of things to eat. Adam was the happiest.hahaa. And ooohohh the bilik bujang kena kacau *shudders*! They were telling the story over breakfast. Heard women's voices crying and stuff. uggh scary.

The first stop was Ostrich Farm. It was quite a disorganized place, with messy enclosures. Entry was quite cheap with RM8 for adults and an even cheaper price for kids. It was different from the ones back home cos you can actually come up close to the animals. Animals included goats, monkeys, rabbits, hens,a horse, pheasant and a turkey. Jakun Singaporeans like us fed these animals with practically the same 2 ringgit corn kernels sold at the door lah. The little kids were so inquisitive, touching and petting the animals. Adults were no less curious too, snapping photos incessantly.

Pak Ngah befriended a goat which escaped from its enclosure too. haha.It was chewing away on the leaves so he helped carry it to reach the unaccesible places. lols. Kak Aisah said he smelt of kambing the whole day.

Next we went to Eagle Ranch in hope of playing some fun games like paintball and gokarting, but the games were pretty expensive so we ditched the idea and travelled back to this place which had an awesome gokart just the same. Plus, the price was really cheap. Digg this. 15 ringgit! That's like 7 sing dollars lah. We get 8 laps for that price. Even the makciks took their ride. Abah and mama rode together too hahh.. For the first time ever I didnt get stuck on the track. Yayy! haha though I had to refrain myself from being cautious at bends or checking blindspots. Good driving habits need not apply here haha.

The cousins then went swimming at the beach near our hotel later in the afternoon. The parents were not around cos there were planning something special for that night. We took a banana boat for RM20 each, 9 of us. They brought us really far out to sea, we couldnt even see the beach. The view of the greenery was spectacular, and the rush of wind against your face was so cooling.

Then on the way back we capsized. We were told to tilt so that they could turn a bend. It all happened soo fast. Suddenly heard the rush of water into my ears and mouth. Realised we capsized and I almost panicked. Two things went in my head. Shitt. I cant swim. And nisah and zirah are so small. Told myself to reach for the water surface. Once above water, looked for zirah and the rest. We were practically out at sea away from the beach. Everything was so blur, my specs had been lost during the fall. So were Nisah's and Amin's.

Luckily Adam had held on to Zirah when we capsized, cos he said she was almost flung out lah. *Shudders. Once all of us got to the surface we called each other out. Alhamdulillah everyone was ok. Even though nothing was said, we were pretty alarmed. The Banana boat guy tried to get us back up. Everyone helped each other out. Noh took care of zirah, and all the guys helped bring the girls up. Even zaini who couldnt swim took my hand when I asked him to bring us back to the banana boat. Then once we all got back up they brought us back to land and capsized us for a second time lah, this time purposely. haiz. I was so scared ah, Adam pulled me back to shore cos I couldnt swim back. After the whole thing everyone said that was fun. Uggh. And that was the scariest thing for me. Amin was pissed cos his new specs got lost at sea lah. Kesian dia kena rabun mata throughout dinner time lols.

Dinner was seafood and there was a special cake-cutting event for the couple kak Edah and abang Khairil. It was their 5th anniversary. Celebrated Mak Ngah's birthday too. Special speeches were made and tears shed. Then we had a karaoke session. There was a small stage at the restaurant for people to come up and show off their singing prowess. lols. Song dedications were made for the cute couple and the wonderful mak ngah. Even Husin bawled his eyes out when he sang for his mom. hahaa. And the part where abg khairil sang for his wife was so touching. Kak Edah was trying very hard to hold back her tears. They went through so much. Semoga kekal hingga ke akhir hayat ya. InsyaAllah.

Anyways, almost everyone sang. Even the little ones, Iman went up to sing baby talk on the microphone. Ultimate cuteness. I went up like 4 times too lah, mostly to accompany people.

Day 3

Mostly R & R as we did many things on our own after breakfast. Played pool and ping pong. Checked out at 12 plus and had group photo!

The kids were obviously reluctant to leave, as the 3 days felt so fast.

Then we travelled to Mahkota Parade Melaka and had Kenny Rogers! yumm.

Drove again all the way to Pagoh at around dusk. So funn. Changed drivers when night came. Not ready for that yet, with no street lamps. Scary. Gelang Patah was our last stop before the 2 vans and our mpv parted ways.All in all it was a wonderful holiday. Bila lah nak pergi lagi.

Das Experiment: Black Box

2008-11-29T11:26:00.024+08:00

Yess. I've splurged on another play to watch.

Presenting the World-Wide Theatrical Premiere of Mario Giordano’s novel and film; Das Experiment: Black Box. A group of men take part in a scientific study discovering the fine line between play-acting and reality. Volunteers arrive at a makeshift prison to take part in a two-week experiment analyzing behavioral patterns of a controlled prison environment. Half the volunteers pose as prison guards and the other half their prisoners. Two days into the experiment personalities and situations begin to get out of hand with the threat of complete chaos and death.

You can also watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDKvyrNYiGM

Spent almost an hour looking for Far East Square the pavillion. The show was adapted from the german novel Das Experiment(the experiment). Watched the german film version years back, hardly remember it anymore though.And the theatre version was sooo amazing. Disturbing too, but I still think pillowman was better hahh.

So the show was about an experiment carried out by a university as mentioned in the synopsis. There were 8 men role-playing the prisoners, and another 5 the prison guards. At first it was all fun and games as the men did whatever they were asked to do, wearing the prisoner dresses and officer outfits. Then, things started to get intense as the participants took their role too seriously, and even resorting to violence.

At first thought the play being nc16 only meant there might be f*-ing of sorts in their dialogue. Hahh ya right. Its a prison stimulation show, so obviously there would be stripping ah. So when the men stripped down to their white underwears, I was like alamak, where to look ah. And being the only 2 malay girls with tudung and all makes it even more uncomfortable.But what the heck. Still want to watch the show, so just focused on their faces and don't look down lah. haha.

It was so amazing to see how man can turn 180 degrees around when there are desperate, like how the prison guard was so petty when he was initially bullied by inmate 77 and ended up to be the meanest officer ever. The physchological trauma he inflicted on the inmates were like making them eat like dogs, embarass them by making them do degrading things like cleaning the filthy toilets with their inmate uniform. uggh. Yet, we also saw human compassion among the oppressed inmates, like how inmate 77 tried coaxing 69 when he was on the verge of a breakdown.

The theatrical physchological thriller got the audience on the edge of their seats throughout. It was so depressing to see inmate 82 and how this nice man who volunteered to get some cash to treat his dying wife get tortured by the officers, or how 38 can remain so calm and seem unaffected with all thats happening around him. There were also some funny moments as we saw the different characteristics of both inmates and officers though.Half the time I was so tempted to just jump into the set and stop the torture that was unfolding right in front of me lah.

And yeah, the actors were incredible too, like claude gerardi, inmate 77, who may be all noisy and a joker at times, but actually had a kind soul. Or R chandran, inmate 82, who is your average nice married man guy who just had a poor memory in remembering the rules but had to suffer because of it. And the only good officer played by rodney oliveiro was an endearing one too. Jonathan Lim, the officer whom you'd just love to hate, was very talented too. Beatrice Chia was also great though she was only in certain parts of the play.

The stage was pretty cool with a 2-tiered stage, level 1 the main stage- the prison cells, and the balcony level 2 had the officers' lounge and the doctors' office. There was also gun powder fired, like when there was a struggle to get hold of the gun. The sound was booming in your ears lah. The black box where 77 was isolated into was also freaky, anyone can get claustrophobic lah. Pretty cool how they had live feed on tv to show his reaction when he was imprisoned there. The fluorescent lighting and sound effects made the stimulated prison environment even more believable too. There was a blunder too, when towards the end of the show, one of the poles of the make-shift prison fell apart. The actors were stunned for a while, but it was so unfortunate that the audiences had to laugh at it. haiz, manners please. Several people died too, 82!

And yess, several eye candy too. Inmate 77 was hott, and oliverio was cute too.haha..and ohoh! there was the 2 guys from the starhub tv ad. Remember the guy who made his wife faint when he doubled and tripled into the same man? hahh. he was an inmate. and the other starhub ad guy played the officer.lols

Gemuk Girls

2008-11-02T14:41:00.009+08:00

So fahimah and I watched Gemuk Girls at the necessary stage black box in marine parade community building yesterday.

Here's a short synopsis of the play.

Kartini and Juliana are not your typical mother-daughter pair- one loud and overbearing, the other straitlaced and on the threshold of entering politics. Together they are Gemuk Girls and proud of it.

One day, they receive shocking news about Kartini's father who had been arrested and detained in the 1960s. Suddenly the floodgates of the family's emotional past are thrown open. Can a family survive as they struggle to reconcile the past with the present? Will Kartini and Juliana continue to be Gemuk Girls?

Gemuk Girls is a bold and often darkly humourous look at family politics and the politics of the day.

We were slightly late for the show, hmm about 15 minutes? The place too far lah. Anyways, the play only had 3 characters, the mother-daughter pair and their grandfather, Marzuki. Loved how the mother Kartini exudes such confidence as a Gemuk girl. Her character was pretty funny, and how she kept engaging in witty banter with her daughter, Juliana aka Jules.

The first scene of the mother-daughter that I saw had Juliana, (remember tahu-nahu on suria?) wearing just a white bra and an undergarment shorts, as she was getting ready to get to some political meeting or something. I was like woaahh. So that's why its nc16. There were other scenes where she had just a towel wrapped around her, in all her gemuk girl glory. Was quite impressed with her daring-ness i must say. Got me a little uncomfortable though, but its all in the name of art i guess.

There were quite a lot of instances where they poked fun at the Singaporean malays. Like how the MP-to-be was proposing the malays to stop reproducing like rabbits, since they have the highest birth-rate, but one of the lowest-educated group in the country. "Stop at 2" hahh. There was also one where they said how the malays think when a malay is doing the O levels, they make such a big deal about it, as though they're taking their pHD.hahaa. But actually, it is a step forward now as compared to the past whatt. At least an education is valued more now.

Kartini the mother played by Alin Mosbit had great humour and sarcasm, but had a dark past too. Her opening up about the anger and hurt that she harboured for her dad who was detained really pulled me at the heart strings. The conversations between the dead grandfather and his grandaughter Juliana was also sweet and endearing at times too, like how he shared his experiences of living in prison with Juliana.

And Marzuki played by Najib Soiman (or bijaN as said in the programme, lol) was also very talented as he acted as a detainee who was accused as a communist in the 60s. The pain that he suffered as the officials made use of his loved ones to get him to do what they want was deeply frustrating to see. And his crying as he was forced to leave his family behind was so heart-wrenching. I almost wanted to cry lah.

The cast actually spoke a lot of malay, and there was dialogues in chinese, and of course english. It was cool how they made use of hidden cameras within the set to show close-ups of the actors and screening it at the projecting screens surrounding the walls of the set. And the shifting of 'rafts' on wheels on the set floor made it easier to recognize scene changes, without the need for any backstage people.

All in all, it was a wonderful play to watch, though I think Fah and I spent a longer time travelling there than the duration of the show. And yayyness for still being a student! Got tickets at concession price, at 25 bucks. Hmm expensive but definitely cheaper than adult tics. Think I wont go to any plays this year or in the near future. Need to save up again now that I cant use my duit raya anymore...

And yess! I cooked sambal udang (spicy prawns) today! haha I'm so domesticated.

Love's Labour's Lost

2008-09-14T14:56:00.006+08:00

Yesterday night was pretty fun.
So ya, watched a play with Fahimah that night. Love's Labour's Lost. Yess, during bulan puasa pulak tu. I know i know . Should be going terawih or something but its been ages since i went to play and fah needed company, so yeah.

Here's a short synopsis of the play:

The King of Narvarre and his three lords - Berowne, Longaville and Dumaine - swear an oath to study three years, and during that period renounce earthly pleasures. However, the arrival of the Princess of France and her three lovely ladies-in-waiting will prove to be a formidable distraction indeed...

Follow the exploits of the four would-be scholars as they attempt to woo these girls of France, and still keep to their very public oath! With mixed-up love letters, an overly-excited Spaniard, a play within a play and at least one false beard, will the hopeless lovers get the girls? Will they even get the right girls?

SRT's The Young Co. presents William Shakespeare's charming comedy Love's Labour's Lost this September at the DBS Arts Centre - Home of SRT.

Fah and i were slightly late so entered the DBS arts theatre during one of the first scenes. Our row was like the 2nd row lah. Sooo near. Had to strain my neck abit to see the actors. And ya, there were quite a few malay actors sey. Tak sangka. Read the brochure, and discovered the cast were from Young and Co., mostly made up of theatre students i think. There were graduate students in the cast and crew and even first year students. Not sure which school they're from though.

Fahimah was supposed to go to at least one play and write a review about it for her theatre studies module.The show was ok, i guess. Yupp, Love's Labour's Lost was a romantic comedy written by Shakespear. So, being a Shakespearean illiterate, couldn't understand like half the dialogue. So much flowery language lah.

So struggled to understand what they were talking but then again, the Language of Love. Aaah. That's something that can be understood by anyone no matter what language it is spoken in.Haha. I'm such a sucker for love stories. Anyway, the chemistry between the various couples were evident, not exactly 100% believable but still believable nonetheless..Like I said earlier, i struggled to understand what they were talking, while Fah was like making mental notes already, all the tema and persoalan stuff i guess.

Next up, probably gonna watch another play in oct or nov. Praying the tickets wont be too costly. And that people will be generous for duit raya this year. Yess, this other play, I'm anticipating for it. The Vagina Monologues. Sound so vulgar right? And its m18 lah. Mesti best. Saw the brochure, and guess who's the main sponsor lah. Vagisil! lols.

2008-08-29T20:42:00.001+08:00

Wohoo! I passed!

Now I've got the license to drive(:

2008-05-12T11:20:00.003+08:00

The whole of Saturday was spent "upgrading" myself, part of my transition to adulthood. Wont be long before I hit the big two-one. So in my relentless pursuit to better prepare myself for the future, went to a seminar that had something to do about life investment. And this one is about real-estate investment.

Yep, it was pretty good. Brought Hana along since she went to the internet business course with me last feb. It was great to have her along. At least I wont have to keep acting too old among my dad's friends. hehe. So the beginning of the seminar was pretty redundant cos the speaker, Steven Molnar, made exactly the same introduction as he did during the NAC.Think I dozed off a bit there.

Had lunch at Simpang Bedok. It's just like Adam Rd except its in Simpang Bedok. A round foodcourt with a seats at the centre after which you would never know which exit you came from when you want to leave. And the choices of food were pretty wide. Rambang mata jadinya. So in the end Hana and I chose the same food. Chicken cutlet with rice. The plate was humongous! Was real full when we went back to expo.

So the seminar became real techy and very detailed after lunch, which was good, since that was what I came for. But I felt really sleepy and had trouble concentrating. Written notes turned into scribbles and I gave up writing anything altogether. There were times when audiences were asked to shout whatever suggestions they had. Dad gave one, but he wasn't heard so he stood up and shouted his idea. Then people started to shout for him since he wasn't heard by the speaker. So enthu seh. But I still love him. Anyway,I was able to focus again after buying a drink from coffee bean. I really did learnt alot from the seminar. But I couldnt really implement the things they taught us just yet. Probably will after I start working. For now, studies first!

2008-05-03T15:20:00.005+08:00

Celebrated Zirah's 10th Birthday yesterday night. Yess. The big one zero. It's her first two-digit age, so yeah.

We had a simple get-together at home and had blackforest cake. Acquired taste. Not my favourite. Got her a book Spiderwick because I couldn't think of a gift that would be both fun and educational for her. If you guessed I'm the boring older sister, you're spot on.

Looking back, it made me realise how old I am. Relatively, that is. Seems just like yesterday I was taking my streaming exams, back when they had streaming exams. Now they call it an exam that could just see whether you're ready to take any hmt and stuff. Sounds pretty much the same to me. Didn't have much opportunities as my sis has now. Heck, she's going to Beijing just for being in Malay Dance. And for doing well in her studies too of course. But I shan't be ungrateful cause if I said this to someone 20 years my senior they would have thought having a CCA was the best thing I had that they didn't have. Hmm. Wonder what the children 20 years from now will experience by the time they hit their first two-digit number.

I wanna watch ayat-ayat cinta.

2008-05-02T14:48:00.003+08:00

The last 3 days were spent at the National Achievers Congress because my dad got me tickets from a year ago. Siggh. Let's just say it wasn't my cup of tea.

Everyone was sososo supperr enthu it almost irks you. Lots of working adults attended it and they had several millionaire guest speakers at the event. Most of them were pretty inspiring but I couldn't help but think that the event was just a preview for the real courses that each speakers had to offer. They build up such suspense in you that they will eventually entice you to go for their various courses. And mind you, they're not cheap. Some amount to thousands of dollars and the speakers would encourage you to do so because they claim it would be a life investment.

The speakers' method of using their booming voices through a very loud sound system that just resonates throughout the expo hall can be verry persuasive.And irritating too. For the first day you feel pretty much swayed by whatever the speakers had to say with their very convincing gestures and shouting purposely done to make you agree with them. But by the third day, you can pretty much see the pattern. I'm not saying the event was a rip-off altogether, as there were several take-aways like a few motivational strategies to facing certain boundaries in life, etc.

There were several courses offered that seemed rather interesting to me such as courses teaching you to learn and practice the tricks and trades of stocks and options. There was even a product/service offered that can guide you to buy and sell your shares/stocks at the right time- you wouldn't even need to learn the most detailed technical know-how. And yeah, there was the much talked about forrex too. These seem to be too good to be true coming from me but hey, remember the verry persuasive speakers and the booming sound system? It works.

And yess, I was hooked for one of the introductory courses and registered for it. Yupp only one. Mainly because it was the only FREE course offered throughout the NAC. The guy is virtually an unknown so I guess he's trying to build up his rep. He's a real estate tycoon from Down Under and owns a bank. Now that got me interested. Steven Molnar. Maybe I should google him.

2008-04-27T22:44:00.005+08:00

Today is a solemn day.

SFK9173M will always be in our hearts and minds.

Traded in our car today. Abah n mama made that decision cos the present car was too expensive to upkeep with rising oil prices and what nots. So we, shall I say, downgraded to a honda stream. Was told the old car would probably be scraped and stuff. Ouch. So many fond and bitter sweet memories.

Moving on, the new car was silver coloured, a contrast to the previous one.It did not have the luxuries of the previous one though. No individual lights for each seat, not retractable little table for the middle row seats, no air-con vent on all six sides. Sighs. I miss the old car already. But the one now is pretty fine. Pretty functional. As long as it can take you places, its a good car, I say.

So the new car's first drive may be quite weird. And to top it off, we almost met up with an accident. Way to go for our first drive. Was on the PIE when mom suddenly screamed. Looked up and was just in time to see a motorcyclist hit the back of a car that had swerved into its lane. The guy is a damn good motorcyclist cos his bike swerved to a stop and fell sideways. Imagine. In one smooth second he practically jumped out of his bike and landed just nicely to sit on the already toppled over bike. Phew. Nice save. Was pretty cool how he saved himself in the nick of time.Abah jerked to a stop and quickly changed lane to prevent road-hogging and maintain lane displine. Hahh. That sounded just like my driving theory lesson.Speaking of which, I need to go read my practical handbook.

2008-04-21T21:57:00.007+08:00

Birthdays.

You go to bed one age, and you wake up the next day another, with no say in the matter.

Had an outing with the nuts on sat and we had dinner at breeks. yupp it was the 1st time for all 5 of us. Julianah couldnt make it so yeah, 5 of us had dinner then we moved on to desserts at another restaurant. Ice cream was yummy! Then, we had retail therapy and shopped at this place which had a super tempting sale. Bought 2 tops and felt real good. haha. ended the day just lazing around at esplanade roof top and the nuts gave me and shalini our presents. yayy thank you dears! and thanks loads for the ice cream too (:

On Sunday had lunch with my family at vivo. We had fig & olive to celebrate nisah's and my birthday. Hers was on 14th and mine's on 18th, so she practically had to wait for a week before we could celebrate. hahh siape suruh lahir cepat sangat.

Food was delicious but the steaks came so slow! My sis who ordered fish n chips finished hers just when my steak arrived. There was a side which was basically dedaun hijau, or leaves of some sorts but they actually tasted quite interesting. One leaf even had the taste just bursting in your mouth as you chew on it.felt like a goat eating it. hahh. it was amazing.

Got a present from abah n mama, syimah and zirah, but nisah just got me a birthday card saying she'd probably give me 2 presents next year in place for this year. hmph. she said the exact same thing last year. Anyways, nisah and i got the same present! well, not exactly the same but we got books from the same author.

I got Neverwhere while nisah got Coraline. Both by Neil Gaiman! hahh. he rules.

Pictures!

April Babies

sisters

Zirah frolicking in the water

While the daughters busied themselves, the love birds went on their own alone time

19 is an odd number.

2008-04-13T11:08:00.001+08:00

Went out with Aisyah yesterday to get a book for my sister's birthday while I accompanied her as she went shopping. Couldn't find the book I promised to get for her at popular so yes, being the most responsible kak long that i am, went all the way to borders to search for it. It definitely has to be there. Then my other sis suggested going far east cos there's a few 2nd hand book shops there. Thought I'd rather buy a brand new book for her but when Ngah said that it'd be wayy cheaper there, well, then i guess it'd be a good buy. So yeah, met up with aisyah at around 6 and had dinner 1st. went to 2 book shops and couldn't find it. They only had other titles by the author that I was looking for. Finally, went to sunny bookstore and i found it! There were only 2 copies left and both had different cover illustrations. So the book's called Coraline by Neil Gaiman.

Looks Interesting right?

It's a dark horror novel for kids of some sorts. Think Mirror Mask for kids or the likes of the series of unfortunate events. Yupp, creepy and oddly freaky. Felt like reading it first but refrained myself cos it's her birthday present. It was quite a good bargain at $10.50. Not sure if its 2nd hand or not, but it looks pretty brand new, so there. Oh here's a short synopsis of the book if you like.

In Coraline's new house she discovers a door in the attic that sometimes opens onto a brick wall, and sometimes doesn't. Venturing through the doorway she discovers a world that mirrors her own, though the mirror is disturbingly distorted. There is more fun and better food there though, and her parents and neighbors are reflected there too, but with troubling differences. Returning to her own home she finds that her real parents are missing, only appearing in the hallway mirror. With the help of a cat that can talk in the mirror world, Coraline returns to rescue her parents, as well as the souls of other children that she finds imprisoned there, from the fiendish Other Mother.

I think they're making a movie out of it. Can't wait. Maybe it'd be in the likes of Corpse's Bride or something. Saw the site and it looks pretty cool. http://www.mousecircus.com/flash/coraline.html

The bus ride home was packed and had to stand at the bend. It was late and some were dozing off. Was getting bored then saw a kpo auntie looking out the window and pointingpointing outside. Realised everyone else was also getting restless and were peering out. So, being a typical Singaporean, I looked out too and realised the bus actually took the wrong route! wow. thats a first. Apparently the driver missed the exit at the expressway and ended up god knows where. But the passengers were pretty cool as they didn't complain to the driver or anything. It was dark and perhaps the driver was abit off that night. So he U-turned and went all the way back to the correct route to drop people off the way it should be. hahh.cheap thrill.

The Pillowman

2008-04-07T13:29:00.023+08:00

Yesterday night was simply WONDERFUL.

Yes! I watched The Pillowman! It was superb! My mom bought tickets for me and sis cos i passed my A's. Hah. Talk about parents' expectations. Anyway, if you haven't already heard about this production by Singapore Repertory Theatre(srt), here's the synopsis by the site.

The Pillowman - the critically acclaimed play that was a runaway hit in both New York, London and played to full houses in Singapore and was a highlight of SRTs' season in 2007. Set in an unnamed totalitarian state, Katurian – a fiction writer of gruesome fairy tales - has been dragged in by the police for interrogation about crimes committed in his community. They bear an uncanny resemblance to his books. As the police inspectors perform their good cop/bad cop routines, the audience will be led into the darkly funny and brutal world of the writer's, and perhaps even their own imaginations.

Saw the advert on arts central and thought the play looked cool. And damn im right. The play had mature content/strong lang, according to the tic, and you'd have to be at least 16 to get in. Yayyness for being old. Came to the theatre just on time and realised there were so many ang mohs there lah. Thanks to sis, we got front row tickets. Row d, and we could really see the actors well.

And there were a few celebrities too. I think they're considered one lah. Saw 2 of them. One actress who looked familiar but i cant recall from where. The other is, uhm..Remember eye for a guy 2? The runner up, Howard Lo was there. Looked anglo chinese but he's abc right i think. He was really fair-skinned and looked unassuming. niicee. Too bad he was with a date.

Anyway, back to the play, it was 3 hours long. But the story line was great,coupled with a talented cast. There was a lot of *f-ing words used in the dialogue, but thats just about the profane-est the language could get. And yah, there was blood and a little thrashing involved. Ok lah, csi is worse.

The Pillowman was a story that had a writer telling his gruesome short stories about deaths of young children. My sis got sick halfway through just thinking of the tales told. Imagine, a little girl forced to swallow an apple with a razor blade at the core down her throat. hint: poster above. Other tales were a twist in the story about the Pied Piper of Hamelin and Little Jesus. Gory lah the tale. The use of illustrations projected on the walls of the interrogation cell made it even more spine-chilling. Katurian is a fabulous story teller i say.

And yah, did i mention, Adrian Pang is hott. Damn good actor too. But Daniel Jenkins who played the writer Katurian was hands down the best of the cast. His 400 tales (though only 5 were told) are awesomely sick yet his affection for his intellectually-challenged brother was simply sweet. And of course the tale of The Pillowman was hauntingly sad.

Sis also did a post on the play and hers sounds way more intellectual than mine.haha have a LOOK

Glad that we watched the last show for the season cos in the end when the cast were onstage, Adrian Pang called upon the director on behalf of the cast and gave her a bouquet of flowers and the play's poster with messages scrawled on it. He then sang a song of praises for her, and added "And its not because she's my wife" Hahh. So sweet.

Yepp. Its official.I'm hooked to plays. Watching them at least. And sis Syimah shall be my theatre buddy!! haha. Saw one back in jan, Above Us Only Sky at esplanade. This one's at dbs arts house. However, tickets are immensely expensive, especially for a student like me. 53 bucks!! Yet watching a play makes you deliriously satisfied (if its good, that is). And it really makes me feel so artsy fartsy. Mind u, i'm a science student. Yess, once you've tasted it there's no turning back. I'm still a newbie so cant really expect me to critically analyse it and stuff but it'll be too long to write here anyway. Heck. Should find ways to earn just for buying tickets. Or a get a guy like Howard Lo. Haha

2008-03-27T20:55:00.001+08:00

Income statement. IRAS wanted it, and I had to do the collation of the whole year's expenses. The whole year! Argh, so confusing. What's taxable or not? Not sure, just followed the template.

But doing the data entry for a sef-employed man's income statement can be quite a revelation. So much money is spent for marketing and advertising. It's simply crazy. But then again, minus all that, and you still reap in quite a hefty amount of cash. Ah. Counting money can be pretty fun. Wouldn't it be fun-ner if it was yours.hmm.

It's amazing that one can earn quite a lot just from earning commissions. Being in sales can be quite lucrative I say. That is, if you're in the right industry and you know where to look for opportunities. Real estate is one. But it seems to me there's an increasing amount of people who are venturing into it that it can get pretty competitive. Heck. HDB hub is always ever so crowded. But i still love the fish n chips at fork n spoon. hah random.

2008-03-17T22:17:00.000+08:00

i need to get a job. driving lessons are draining me of my money! What was i thinking that tuition lessons would earn me enough for all these expenses? And my reaction time and co-ordination between my left and right leg seriously needs improvement.

2008-03-10T21:29:00.006+08:00

Just got back from Malacca trip. Was celebrating my parent's 20th anniversary with my extended family. My parents were in such a generous mood that they planned ahead end of last yr to treat our relatives to a 2 day 1 night trip to Malacca. Syiok kan? they spent about 5K sing dollars just to celebrate the occasion! Seriously, even if had that much money i wouldn't spend so much on others lah. really admire their generosity.

Lots of things happened in that 2 days. Imagine, my family of six and a whole convoy of 9 other MPVs! Kalah Chan brothers agaknye. We booked thirteen apartments at mahkota hotel. Cos it was such a bulk order, we paid a discounted price. They treated our relatives to ikan bakar aka seafood dinner. My distant uncle n aunt from KL dropped by. He was the one who booked the dinner. People had their food at the 1st floor, we had ours at the 2nd floor. Us and no one else. din expect it to be so special! And the food was delicious! loved the cockles co much its shells were practically mounting on my plate! my maternal aunt and the 4 of us sisters planned to give our parents couple rings, sponsored by dear mak uda. it costs a bomb at $400 in total.

By the end of the dinner, my paternal cousin gathered the 39 of us and made a short speech, followed by my maternal cousin, then me. was damn nervous. in the end, i spoke totally differently from what my prepared speech was, but it was ok. Mama had tears in her eyes, while abah tried to act man by quickly taking out his hanky and wiped his watery eyes. Then they put the new rings on each other and cut the pulut cake, followed by by the big cream cake sponsored by cik wahab.

It was so touching. to see your parents so happy. im truly lucky to have them. sisters and i made a scrapbook telling the story of their lives in the 20 yrs they spent. Really proud of it. i ransacked thru all the photo albums just to get the right photos. stumbled upon many cute baby photos too.

That's my youngest sis when she was 1. great taste in handbags ya?

and that's sexy me thrashing a barbie.

abah went to japan for 3 months and we missed him lots!

look at syimah's voluptuous lips. angelina jolie would die for those! haha

Oh ya, all the outfits u see the kids wearing? Mum sewed them herself. Bunga-bunga and all. haha.Those were the days. I should probably learn how to sew from her. She started earlier by making her own singapore airlines kebaya for herself when she was 15 in homec. cool eh. maybe i could learn from her and make my own designer label or something. hah. should probably get started by learning how to put thread in the needle hole first.

Back to the topic.

There were alot of not-so-pleasant things that happened during the trip too. Made my blood boil just thinking of it. family politics. shant comment on that. but hey, it makes life more interesting eh?

2008-03-07T21:19:00.000+08:00

My results? people had a look at my result slip and give me a blank look. guess they're not sure how to react.No As. Should they congratulate me or not? so they ask "are u happy?" i said i am. THEN they say they're happy for me too. hmm just glad my ranking point was almost double than what i had in prelims.i'm happy and pretty satisfied.hopefully nus, ntu or some uni feels the same way too.

Not sure what course i can take at uni. what can i get with my scores? better make use of all the number of choices they're giving. all i want is a paper that can help me land a job that has something to do with healthcare. Very vague huh. Either that or business admin that can give me at least a decent office job. at least there's aircon.

In constant prayers for acceptance.Please!

2008-02-25T12:30:00.009+08:00

I've a friend who's set up a business selling clutch bags, among other things such as souvenirs. But i love her clutch bags the most(: And they're pretty affordable too. Have a look yourself. Zahra's clutch bags

2008-02-24T12:28:00.000+08:00

Wishful thinking

2008-02-22T22:46:00.005+08:00

Ainina is officially the cutest baby in the world. yess. her mom left her at my place on wednesday and today. She's such and adorable baby.5 months old! We brought her along to my paternal cousin's wedding this morning. Weird how people can be so shameless when they see a cute baby. They'll come to you eventhough they have no idea who you are and start cooing at the baby. But its ok lah Nina's a good sport. She hardly cried eventhough she was being passsed around like a baton.

The visit at the registry of marriages was intriguing. Saw my cousin pacing up and down just before the solemnisation or akad nikah.The groom has to recite these few lines to make him the husband of the intended wife. He was damn nervous lah and started asking for water. And found out the bride's name was this really long name i couldn't really remember, but i was pretty sure there was "katoon" in it. Odd name.Imagine if he stumbled in saying her long, odd name. Seriously, don't parents ever think about their future son-in-law when naming their baby daughter. Kesian budak tu. Anyway, i din't know him that well and just felt like accompanying my mum and dad there. After the solemnisation, the groom looked super relieved and happy sangat. you could put him down all you want and he'll still be smiling from ear to ear. During the photo session, he started making peace signs behind his bride's head. So inappropriate. But hey, a forty-plus year old doing that is pretty amusing. He must be so happy to end his bachelorhood. Haha.

Thought I lost touch in caring for babies but what do you know! I was pretty gd. Felt my maternal instincts kick in and was able to carry her without much awkwardness. It was cool. Nina's face was so peaceful when she's asleep. When my youngest sis kept bugging my mum for another baby, she told her to ask one from me. Whatthe. I told my sis to get one herself. Too bad she's only 10. apeape jer lah eh.

Internet business competition is wearing me out. Been so long since I did any presentation whatsoever. And its tmr!got to go practice.

2008-02-16T12:01:00.001+08:00

YES!
I finally got the layout of my blog just right. Been so long since I've done this.

Learnt to cook macaroni soup today. It was pretty simple since the I just had to follow my mom's delicious recipe. Yet, somehow it tasted different. No umpph lah. Maybe she forgot to tell me one important ingredient. And yes, i discovered the magic of italian seasoning. Sprinkle in some of that and voila! you get a very italianish flavour. No idea what its made of, herbs perhaps,all I know is that it's halal so yeah. The soup tasted better with it. Boiled my macaroni for too long i think cos it looks a bit elongated than usual.

The kitchen definitely needs revamping. One of the stove pit has already spoilt so there's only 2 left. And those are starting to get cranky too. The fire kept shutting off for no absolute reason, so I had to keep switching it on. It got so frustating as I had to keep doing it like every 30 seconds lah.

Wiki-ed on macaroni and read that it was created in the 15th century by some chef who made a recipe for macaroni siciliani. The macaroni was prepared by wrapping dough around a thin iron rod and drying it in the sun. Hmm wonder how many thin rods they need to prepare that just one dish.Some also used to call macaroni as elbow spaghetti cos of its elbow-like shape.weird huh.