Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts

Friday, March 06, 2009

Thirty!

The big THREE-OH.


30.


To say that I’m thirty takes a bit of a getting used-to.


THIRTY. Thirrrrtteeeeee.


TIGA PULUH. Tigeploh.


Not to say I’m averse to it. Just that during the last ten years it’s been twenty-something, so to change something you’ve been used to for ten frigging years should take a bit of a getting used to, methinks.


It’s time for self-reflection.

Where I’ve been. What I’ve been up to. What am I doing now. And so what’s next?


It’s always a time for a change for the better. It’s pretty good now, but there’s no way I’m gonna say, ok, that’s it, that’s that, no more need to be done whatsoever.


No way Jose. I’m only thirty! There’s a lot more things I want and need to do!


A friend said that ‘Thirty is the new twenties yadayadayada’. Haha, I so want to agree to that. It’s majorly despite the fact that I’ve earned my own money since joining the workforce at the age of twenty-two, it’s only fairly recent that I feel like having real, complete control of my finances. Wasted quite a number of years (and RM!!!) before taking stock of the situation and realizing that I need to manage my finances much, much better. Not that I’m in a sinkhole of debt or have nothing saved for a rainy day, just that there are a number of things that I could’ve (should’ve) done differently with.


Job – tick. House – tick. Car – tick. House rented out – tick. House rent increase – tick. Savings for rainy day – tick. First promotion – tick. Insurance – tick. Transfer to another position – tick. Leave ALL ongoings of previous position to the new officer – hmmm. Still involved. Must tick this soon soon soon. Learn the ropes of new position – half tick. Next promotion? Working on it.


Pending religious responsibilities – (lots of things to be ticked)


Relationship – tick, untick, tick, wait…. nope, untick, tick, untick again. Question mark. School friend, pen pal, cousin’s friend, university friend, chat friend, colleague, guy met at bookstore, younger guy, older guy, single guy, married guy, guy whose engagement just broken off with another – all has appeared in the list for one reason or the other at a time. But still no guy whatsoever haha. No sweat. Next, please!


Getting taller – haha dream on! I’ve stopped growing at the age of 16, I think. Except sideways, of course. Which brings to… getting fit. Gained kilos after starting to ease in at the workplace – tick. Lost 12kgs with Herbalife and exercise – tick. Joined the gym – tick. Actually go to the gym – tick. Got personal training sessions – tick. Sliding off after finishing personal training sessions and got caught up with work – tick. Gym membership ends without extending it – tick. Gaining weight again – demmmm, tick. New getting fit program – errr….will start again.


Health is big on my agenda. It’s rare for me to get sick and I don’t intend that to be any different now. Looking at the general statistics, this is exactly the time that I should pay more attention to the area. Metabolism will start to slow down gradually. Bone density decreasing. Shucks the onset of osteoporosis, I’m taking my calcium! Wrinkles, urgh. Supplements! All the attention now will pay off for sure when I reach my fifties. Hehe. Hope!

Family and friends – tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick (and more).


Counting my blessings and finding as always so much to be thankful for.


Wonderful parents whose support is always 110% with whatever I choose to do, whose borderless love and priceless lessons have made me into who I am today. A brother who’s always firmly there and a sister in law I can get along with. A sister whom I’d be so lost without. Two delightful nephews to love and spoil!! Close cousins I can count on, spend time with and just be crazy together as cousins are meant to be. All the aunts and uncles, and the rest appended to family ties near and far.


Friends who I could depend on, have fun with, to go for all those sessions of makan, karaoke, movies, holiday trips and ga-ga over all the silly things with, to laugh with, to read with, to get second opinions from, to agree to disagree with and to argue over differences in opinion with, and of course – to cry with. There are also ones whom are for me to cry for. To fight for. To defend for. To stand by for.


I’ve been happy, I’ve been sad, I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve been hurt but I’ve not lost my ability to love. My belief of all things that are good.


Life, is to be cherished and appreciated. Oh yes. Day by day, step by step.


And so I celebrate being a thirty-year-young girl in this wonderful world.


Helleww, tomorrow!


I'm thirty :)

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

the reason


That gesture. To have exactly THAT.

..would be the main reason for me to want to get married one day.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

suka ke? / al-Nafourah threesome

1. Suka ke?

Malam semalam, lepas sesi threesome dinner* kitorang, J tanya aku dgn Biah :

"Cuba cakap, honestly, korang suka ke kerja korang?"


Kerja aku turut melibatkan perkara-perkara ni :



Well mestilah banyak lagi benda lain dalam kerja aku tu kan, takdela berjalannnnnnnn je... Macam-macam benda yang perlu dibuat. Kadang-kadang beban kerja tu buat aku rasa macam nak gila pun ada. Balik pukul ntah berapa, dah tak macam orang normal. Paperwork banyak taktau nak cakap cemana dah. Tapi bila stress or whatever, aku akan fokus dan fikir pada benda-benda yang positif seperti di atas. Haha.

Kalau diperhati antara nama-nama fail projek XXXX dalam bilik aku.

Projek Pulau Tuba, Langkawi
Projek Pulau Banggi, Sabah
Projek Kg Org Asli RPS Dala, Perak
Projek Pulau Ketam
Projek Kg Org Asli Negeri Pahang (Fasa I)
Projek Fasa I & Fasa II Sabah
Projek Pulau Kapas
Projek Pulau Perhentian

Itu yang dalam bilik. Dalam bilik fail, ada lagi.

So berbalik kepada pertanyaan di atas, dah tentu la aku boleh jawab dengan tulus ikhlas dan jujur :

"Hell of course!!"

Biah? Jawapan sama dengan aku. Kitorang sama-sama suka kerja kitorang. Setakat ni lah. Dalam ada perkara-perkara yang mungkin tak berapa best, perkara-perkara yang best masih ada dan masih cukup untuk mengekalkan kitorang sebagai anak-anak buah En. Lan.

Kalau saya tada suka ini kerja saya buat, suda lama saya ca-alif-but pigi itu offer lain department tau. Well, that and also several other reasons as well.

------------------------------------------------------

*2a. pra al-Nafourah threesome

Khamis petang :


Tiba-tiba Biah teringat, voucher untuk semi-buffet di al-Nafourah, Le Meridien yang dia menang masa cabutan bertuah the Sun Corporate Hunt tiga bulan lepas tak guna lagi. Sekali check, dah nak expired lagi tiga hari!

"Jom pegi nak?"
"Bila?"
"Tinggal hari Jumaat dengan Sabtu ni je"
"Demm, gi esok lah camtu, lepas keje"
"Ok karang aku buat reservations"


Jumaat :

Waktu rehat makan tengahari yang panjang. A.k.a waktu untuk kaum Hawa berlalalala mengikut rentak hati. Aku dengan Biah tiba-tiba rasa nak cari air kelapa tengahari tu. Sampai Kelana Jaya kitorang berlalalala. Ada, gerai air kelapa. Sebelah minivan Daud Kuih. Tapi last-last kitorang dua-dua minum air tebu jadinya. Biasalah, ubah fikiran last minute.

"Eh, malam karang nak pegi pukul berapa?"

(typical orang Malaysia, waktu tengahari dah pikir pasal makan malam)
"Aku reserve pukul lapan setengah. Gerak kul lapan lah kut?"
"Ok"

Makan karipap.

"Eh, pekata ajak J join? Ok tak?"
"Tapi voucher tu untuk dua orang je"
"Dia kena bayar la. Eh kita kena bayar lagi ke completely free?"
"Ntah. Aku pun confused voucher ni, macam ada kena bayar lagi kut?"
"Demm. Kalau mahal sangat cemana?"
"Tu la, kalau mahal sangat malas aa"
"Ala kita pegi je laa"
"Haha ye la"

Sambung minum air tebu.

"J apahal ekk minggu ni?"
"Tu la, sampai En. Lan pun kata dia bad mood."
"Oh yeh"
"Aku nak tanya dia pasal event tu tak berani, suruh En. Lan yang tanya"

"Period kut haha. Takpela nanti ko cuba tanya kalau dia nak join"
"Ok. Karang lah"

Balik ofis. Sambung kerja. Biah pegi discussion. Aku check email, baru terima info dari Klang untuk report Pulau Ketam. Buat amendment macam En. Zul suruh. Ralit.

Teringat. Hantar SMS kat Biah.

[4.52 pm - Eh ko dah tanya mamat esmo tu tak to join us tonite?]

[4.53 pm - Ko tanya lah. Aku bz]

Sambung buat report dulu. Ralit lagi.

5.15 petang. Naik tingkat 19 nak mengadap En. Zul, bayar 'hutang'. Dia tak ada dalam biliknya. Aku letak report tu atas meja, tulis nota di Post-It-Notes kuning untuk explain beberapa perkara.

Toleh kiri. Balik dinding kaca bilik En. Zul - eh, si J. Aisey, belum tanya lagi!
Aku lambai-lambai dari dalam. Cuma pandangan dari sisi yang aku dapat, dengan muka tension.
Aku keluar dari bilik En. Zul.

"What are you doing tonite?"
"Kenapa?"
"Kitorang nak dinner kat Le Meridien. Jom?"
"Ada apa?"
"Biah nak tunaikan voucher buffet yang dia menang haritu"
"Kalau voucher, mesti dua orang je.."
"Ala voucher untuk semi-buffet. Main course kitorang kena bayar jugak rasanya. Jom la"
"Ajak, lima minit sebelum bertolak, baik tak payah"

"La.. kitorang nak pegi malam la... bukan sekarang"
"Takpela tak payah"
"Hm. Ok then"

Feh. Time orang tengah moody gitu, takyah la cakap lebih-lebih.

6.20 petang. Biah baru habis discussion kat atas.

"Nak pegi pukul berapa ni? J nak join tak?"
"Dia kata, aku quote, lima minit lagi nak bertolak baik tak payah ajak"
"Apsal lak tu?"
"Ntah, aku tak berani tanya lebih"
"Oh... kalau dia biasa dah nak turun makan baru call bagitau kita takpe"
"Tu la pasal"
"Meh aku call dia"
"Ko call la, haha, cuba"

Biah angkat gagang telefon, dail extension internal 4 angka.
Ajak lagi. Explain : Dah nak expired, terlupa pun, jom la, it's Friday.

"Ok, jadi. Dia suruh tunggu dia siap kerja"
"Ok? Haha ye ke tu?"
"Ye la kut. Eh aku reserve untuk dua orang, kena call balik"

Dail lagi. Settle.

7.55 malam. Call mamat esmo.

"Jom turun. Kitorang tunggu dalam kereta, kat lobby, entrance tepi"
"Ok, give me 10 minutes to freshen-up".

Aku dengan Biah bantai gelak gila-gila. Freshen-up?

8.15 malam. Mamat esmo muncul, lengan baju berlipat ke siku. Muka masih separa tension.

"Out. I'm driving"
"Sure? Ler, kata letih kerja, relax la kat belakang"
"No. I'm driving"
"Ooookayyy"

Time macam tu, aku malas nak cakap banyak. Bagi aje la.


*2b. the dinner

Kata official site :

"The opulent Al Nafourah is a contemporary Arabian oasis with all the mystique of the Middle East at its most exotic. Private silken dinner tents, Moorish arches, ornate paintings, and richly woven carpets lend an enchanting ambience, scented with spices. After a feast of Lebanese cuisine, diners can enjoy intriguing belly dancing performances or draw flavoured tobacco from bubbling hookahs on the terrace by the pool."

Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Hours: Lunch 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM; Dinner 6:30 PM - 11:00 PM
Atmosphere: Contemporary

Al-Nafourah@ Le Meridien - Ala Arab-style restaurant, obviuosly (duh!). Duduk je terus dapat jus kurma dalam gelas comel. Lagu padang pasir berkumandang, ada satu lagu ni dia ulang berapa kali ucapan "assalamualaikum", penat aku dengan Biah nak menjawabnya. Siap ada belly dancer ok! Perut flat macam padang pasir, pergh, jeles aku tengok.

Konsep semi-buffet rupanya macam ni, appetizer dan dessert dihidang style buffet, ambik la apa yang kita nak, tapi untuk main course kita kena order salah satu dari pilihan yang ada dalam menu. Harga semi-buffet dinner di al-Nafourah - RM108++. Mak ai. Nasib baik la voucher tu memang untuk makan percuma sepenuhnya.

Ada sup lentil dengan roti Arab, tabbouleh (salad tradisional Arab), cheesecake, umm amr (puding roti dengan kacang dalam susu), chocolate panacotta, kambing bakar, baklava, meatlof gulung, macam-macam lagi appetizer dan dessert selection dia. Boleh la. Ada aku ambik satu dish ni, description dia 'crumbled bread with almond', sekali rasa, masin dan penuh rasa minyak zaitun, tak jadi nak makan semua. Untuk main course pulak pilih antara hidangan ayam, daging, seafood, kambing. Masa tu dah nak kenyang makan buffet, semua tak habis makan main course masing-masing. Sayang pulak.

Highlight utama dah tentu sembang-sembang dan gossip session. Apa lagi. Pasal orang-orang dan peristiwa kat tempat kerja.

"Nasib baik la korang tak masuk final list untuk transfer"
"Apsal?"
"Nama korang naik mula-mula tu"

Aku dengan Biah bulatkan biji mata. Iye ke.

"Nama aku pulak kena struck off awal-awal lagi"
"Tapi kau teringin nak masuk sana kan?"
"Memang la. Tapi nak buat cemana, sah-sah bos tak nak lepaskan"

Hoh. Camtu ceritanya. Patut la member bad mood seminggu.

"Ooo itu ke yang kau tension sangat tu" Biah.
"Lebih kurang la... pastu ada la lagi benda-benda lain jugak."
"Ye ke" Aku.
"Hell week. Nak makan pun tak sempat"
"Kitorang pun macam-macam hal gak, tapi sempat lagi nak makan" Biah.
"Cuba teka lunch kitorang makan apa. You'll never guess" Aku.
"Nanti aku tunjuk kat korang my lunch today"
"Ala...jgn la camtu" Biah.
"My lunch, which is still sitting there, in my room, UNEATEN"

Patut la makan macam... err macam agak lapar.

Sambung lagi pasal hal-hal berkaitan.

"Kalau retire nanti, kita semua dapat retirement benefit trust fund tak?" Aku.
"Semua dapat la kan. Macam mana kira eh?"
"Ada formula. Sapa kerja dari zaman dulu, lagi untung. Kaya la" Aku.
"Kitorang yang baru masuk ni, dia kira lain sikit. Tolak EPF" Biah.
"Lain pulak"
"Bos-bos besar tu, umur 56 nanti, mau dapat 2 juta seh" Biah.
"Pergh, jadi OKT" Aku.
"OKT tu apa?"
"Orang Kaya Tua haha" Aku & Biah (serentak).

Agenda cerita hal-hal lain.

"So tau tak 'uvula' tu apa. Body part" Aku.
"Hahaahahah. Apa?"
"Benda yang 'dangling' (tergantung)" Biah.
"Hahahah. Aku tau"
"Hah apa dia?" Aku.
"Hahaahhahaahahhahahaah" (gelak yang boleh diprasangka)
"Eii ingat apa tu? It's pronounceable lah" Aku.
"Dia dalam mulut" Biah.
"Hahahahaah. Mulut sapa, mulut kau ke Biah?"
"Uvula tu anak tekak la dol" Aku.

Crew restoran dah mula kemas meja, tukar alas. Jeling keliling, dah tak ada pelanggan lain.

Tanya waitress.

"Cik, kitorang dah nak kena balik ke?"
"Eh takdelah"
"Restoran tutup pukul berapa?"
"Err 11 malam"

Tengok jam. Dah 11.30. Aiks, boleh dia kata tak payah balik lagi? Memang tip-top nak jaga hati pelanggan.

"I really appreciate you guys for inviting me to dinner. I needed this"
"No prob. We think so too."
"Ingatkan dah taknak join. Sampai kitorang kena jemput dua kali la"
"Takdela"
"Hekleh, ntah apa-apa tah"
"Lain kali jangan esmo dengan kitorang"

--------------

Aku selalu count my blessings that I have friends like the ones I have.
And that I have the job that I have.
I may not get everything that I want, but still, what I have is already a lot.

Alhamdulillah.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

what? it's already 2007?

man, time sure flies by when you're having so much *fun*.

it's new year by the roman calendar, but since our financial year starts in september, for me it's already one-third into the year.

meaning i have only about 8 months left to achieve all those KPIs. really need to get them EEs this year to get my promotion. my GM and also the the finance dept. GM both are firing me up to get promoted, coz I've been in the same place for quite some time now and it's about right for me to go somewhere else soon.

most important 2007 resolution - get them EEs!

Monday, October 30, 2006

comings

  • Aidilfitri open houses
  • School 10-yr reunion
  • My first property investment
  • Company bonus

Life, is beautiful :)

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Buku! (part II)

The fantasy of a bibliophile.

If I'm ever to be cooped up for days somewhere due to natural catastrophe e.g. earthquake / killer waves / haze or to be quarantined due to whatever disease, I wish it'll be in a bookstore (MPH /Kinokuniya), or the very least, a decent library. Heh. My idea of a worldly heaven would be close to that.

Books, books and more books. Stacked on the shelves, lining whole expanse of walls. Spread them on the floor, like an ocean to slake the thirst of the minf. Fictions and non fictions. Thick and thin. All colors, all sizes. Bound pages by the hundreds of thousands (dare I say millions?) waiting to be caressed and pondered upon.

And the time to read them all.

Pheehhh.

Have you ever read.....?
  • during class / seminars / talks ( there's an art to pretending you're listening when actually you're devouring Stephen King's It under the desk)
  • while waiting for the bus / the blind date / your turn during track practice
  • while walking someplace
  • during school assembly
  • on the train / car / plane
  • on the john (eleh come on lah, lots of people do this)
  • while taking a shower
  • while driving (especially during massive traffic jams)
  • while cooking
  • while having breakfast / lunch / dinner
I wonder where or what else do people do, that could be supplemented with reading on the side? Tell me.

--------------

Image from "Read or Die" [image credit] :
an anime involving a world obsessed with books - imagine that!


Monday, August 21, 2006

Buku!

Tiba-tiba terasa jauh dari mereka. Buku-buku.

Aku rindu saat-saat membaca. Dulu.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Shahrizal - my first love story

(in lieu of Mukhsin)

We were seven.
His name was Shahrizal. We were in the same class. Satu Merah.

We would buy each other kuih during recess.
The only time he didn't take the curry-puff I gave him was because he had just had his bersunat and there were meat in it. "Kalau makan daging nanti ko*ek aku bentan, mak aku cakap", he said.

On the last day of the year, we had already chosen a place next to each other in our future Dua Merah class. Cikgu Zuraida had to stop us from putting our heads in each other's lap.

At recess that day he gave me packet wrapped in newspaper and told me he will be moving to another school.

I think I still have that pink-beads necklace somewhere.

I've never heard of Shahrizal ever since.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Friday blessing

Last Friday, I got EXACTLY what I wanted. Just when I needed it.

I felt that God loves me.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

onions


Shrek: Ogres are like onions.

Donkey: They stink?

Shrek: Yes. No.

Donkey: Oh, they make you cry.

Shrek: No.

Donkey: Oh, you leave em out in the sun, they get all brown, start sproutin' little white hairs.

Shrek: NO. Layers. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers.
[sighs]

Donkey: Oh, you both have layers. Oh. You know, not everybody like onion.

Quote from the movie Shrek, 2001

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

blast from the past

Did you watch this back in the 90s?


('Moero Attack' opening theme)

Summersault berkembar!!

(of course at that time I thought it was 'somersot bekembar!')

Friday, June 23, 2006

Takziah

Salam takziah to Nz for the loss of his father. May Allah bless his soul, and I hope the family is coping well. Amin.

Al-fatihah.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Err... geli!

Some people just have that ingrained ability to make you go..

kembang tekak.

Euwrr.