Tram, Casino and Hop&Stop

Casino - yup, that was one of the places that I went to yesterday. The Burswood Casino at Burswood International Resort to be exact. The resort is near the Swan River, and I tell you, it is really big. It has 9 restaurants, 6 bars, a luxury hotel, a convention centre, a theatre (if I am not mistaken), and a dome (for sports event - some Hopman Cup, or something like that. Wasn't really listening when Barry was "narating" the description of the place). And I think that could be the most popular resort in WA. And yes, the Burswood Park is nearby and a golf course too (kalau tak salahnya la). But the Casino (which is opened 24/7) is the major attration to the place.

The Burswood Casino is really big, brightly lit and looks impressive. Well, I can't really compare it as I have never been to any casino before. Yup, my first time to the casino, and Lolly's too. So, you can imagine la how blur we were yesterday. We walked and walked around to look at the games that they have. Ada yg duduk in circles, and ada jugak macam machines that come in black boxes - these ones are plenty. We saw card games, and many of those, and others that we didn't know how to play. I know I shouldn't be gambling, but LOL we were so tempted to try, and we did. I put in $10, and Lolly put in $10 too. Hehehehehe, $20 to gamble??? Ada ke orang yang gamble guna $20? But that was already too much for us. We went to the changer, and in exchange he gave us in one plastic mug with 20 pieces of $1 coins. After circling the casino for a few times, we tried 3 different games --> all of which we didn't know how to play --> at all!!! --> that is in spite of reading the rules over and over again. LOL, the only thing that we did was just pressing whatever buttons that were lighted on the machine. Hahahahaha, needless to say, we lost $10. We took the balance of our money in the mug ($5 each) and headed to the hotel's reception. By the way, from our observation, 90% of the patrons in the casino are all old people! Old as in yang memang dah tua-tua tu, jalan yg slow je, yang pakai tongkat pun ada, and quite a number of Asians jugak (must be tourists). Walau weyyyy, they surely enjoy gambling, just keep on putting in the coins. Dan, haaaa.... yg lagi tua sikit, duduk main bingo, LOL. What a view.

At the hotel lobby, there were a few shops selling souvenirs and I bought 2 bottles of jam from Margaret River@Burswood . Lepas tu, we waited for 30 mins for the next tram to the city. Ok, why in the world did we end up at the casino? The reason is this - we missed the river cruise to Swan Valley this morning. Lolly surfed the Net and saw that the cruise was scheduled at 11am, so we thought we still could make it by 10.30am. Tengok-tengok, the morning cruise leaves at 10.15am. The morning cruise is without lunch but with morning coffee. We planned to have lunch in Northbridge pas tu. When we reached the Barrack Street Pier tu, yang ada hanya lah afternoon luncheon river cruise (with wine tasting lagi tu). Harganya agak mahal, dari $80 - $115, memang awal-awal lagi kena kensel la ($$$$$ tak dak). Pusing punya pusing tak de choice lain, maybe lain kali la we all try again. Lepas tu, tak tau la plak nak buat apa. So we sat on one bench, figuring out what to do next when we saw the tram coming. Hehehehe, we didn't want a trip around the city, the only place yang tak pernah pergi lagi on the list is the Casino. So ... itu lah ceritanya. Barry, the tram driver cum the tourist guide, was really a nice chap - very friendly. And bila balik tu, we took the big red double-decker bus Hop and Stop. Both of us climbed up the upper deck, and ahhhhh, the experience was great, macam budak-budak pulak. Seronok wooo...angin tiup, bleh tgk city dgn begitu clear lagi.

Ok, bila sampai city, we hopped down in front of the city campus, and carik tempat nak makan. Found an Asian restaurant, I had fried rice, Lolly had green curry noodle (something like that). Food was really good, and lepas tu we all ingat nak gi Subi, tapi tak jadik. Ended up in the city, Lolly shopping sakan, and me ... hehehehe, beli sikit2 je. Since the Xmas mood is in the air, shopping has never been this great and nice-smelling (LOL, sbb we tried so many perfumes at the countless of counters that they have here). The Xmas gifts that they have ... soooo irresistable, sakit belakang pun hilang ... alangkah baiknya kalau aku ni jutawan ... cheers!

EUH - II/2005

My flatmates semua dah balik, except for Kath. And myself. Itu pun Kath akan pindahkan all her stuffs by tonight as the flat inspection is tomorrow for her. Fiona left last Wednesday, Jane last Friday, Lolly & Sumi this afternoon, and Kath tonite. Huhuhuhuhuhu ... tinggal la aku sensorang kat flat ni. And the TV and microwave pun dah diambil semula. Uwaaaaaa... what a day. Helped Lolly & Sumi just now with their things, byk gak. And goodness, the amount of food yang kena buang punya la byk - sama ada dah expired, dah tak larat nak pack / angkut bawak balik dan yang dah tak nak dimakan. I felt so bad nak buang food tu semua (not my food you know but my friends') sbb masa aku kecik2 dulu, Opah aku kata jangan buang barang makan, tu rezeki katanya. Sebab tu la jugak, bila makan kena cuba abiskan apa yg ada dalam pinggan tu, kalau idak nasi tu menangis. Sampai la skrg ni, aku masih percaya cakapnya tu.

Anyway, I can only move into the new flat by besok or lusa. Dah tu, it's quite a distance jugak. With my junk yg byk ni, it easily requires me to make a few trips to shift all the things. Apa nak buat, nampaknya kena la guna trolley Coles tu. I am going to miss my flatmates much... Here's wishing all the best to Fion & Sumi, may you gals find what you are looking for. To Super Lolly, have a wonderful holiday in Sydney and don't forget to text Ruud, hehehehehe. To Janet, happy savoring the roti canai & the nasi lemak, and Kath, good luck in your clinicals and have a jolly Xmas too. Muah muah ...

Only in Malaysia by LAT

Satu Hari di Hari Isnin

What a day! I have never been as pissed off as I was today. I didn't get any dosage of my Internet routines until now. Yup, I was blocked to go online by those ********* ! Why? I suspected it must be my downloading some pics that Lolly sent me last nite through the msger. Eh, tu gambar aje la, bukannya pornographic pics. Buduhhssss ... I went to uni and there I was in my workstation figuring out what the heck happened to my PC, until I realised that I was not allowed the access to go online. I was on the verge of bursting into anger when I said to myself that it would not help at all. So I went back to the flat and started working on the draft that I have left untouched for 1 week. Well, it is still in progress though. Just bits and pieces to write, delete, re-write, re-type, etc etc etc. Ok, in other words, no Internet is also good so that I can focus better in my work, hehehehehe. Now I am not angry anymore.

Another highlight of the day was the Australian Idol 2005. After sitting in front of the TV for more than an hour, we were finally revealed that Kate has won the Idol title. Bravo gal! Though I have always had my preference on Emily, I thought Kate did fairly well too. She surely has sheer determination to win after trying for 3 consecutive years, and she is just 19. She won herself a contract with Sony (I think) and a Mazda. Emily, on the other hand, has always been one incredible singer. She is definitely going to make it big here in Australia. And I bet si Radio Besar mesti unhappy as Emily didn't win - itu kan fave singer dia. For me, if others can't appreciate the differences in others' talents, then s/he not really tasted what life is. Sometimes, you ought to realise that things do not get around to be in your favour all the time. Winning or losing isn't about being on the centre stage. It's having the courage to face the challenge and to believe in what you are doing that matter most -- like in the Impossible Dream -- as what Kate sang tonite. After the Idol punya show, we watched Queer as Folks and one French movie. Thanks to Super Lolly, now I am addicted to them too.

What else, hmmmm. I had quite a busy week minggu lepas actually. Let's see ... I went out to lunch with K. Yuss and her mates at the Monties Brasserie. I think the food there is quite delicious, and the ambience is certainly great for a get-together. I met Marie, Jean, satu makcik SPore (tak ingat dah nama dia) and Tim. LOL, terkejut bila nampak si Tim kat situ and he too. Makcik-makcik tu semua semuanya dah 60 lebih, but still studying. And Marie and Jean are actually half Abo. although they look as if they are pure mat saleh. They told me about their childhood - and I just couldn't believe what they have gone through. Not a sweet, but an unforgettable one I can assure you. Respect la sama dorang, walaupun dah ada cucu masih ada will to keep their mind ticking. Tim seperti biasa cakap byk and he apologised profusely when I first arrived about provoking me during the one day conference. Come on mate, I am not that easily offended la. Sheeesshhh ... kadang-kadang the state of being overly-concerned macam tu can really irritate you. The lunch went well, I enjoyed the company of the makciks and the chicken laksa.

Apa lagi ye ... ha, I went out to lunch with Sophie last Friday. Lepas lunch ngan geng K. Yuss, I think I should also do that with my other mates. So, I had lunch kat Engineering ngan Sophie. She isn't that bad actually, dia pun tak de kawan. Amin wasn't around and hehehehe, bagus jugak. Kalau bercakap ngan dia mesti tak bleh menang. Ada je benda yg tak kena. But I don't ignore them as much as before. And I think Sophie told him in Swahili that we went out together. Amin kata maybe we should do that more often memandangkan aku dah tak "skema". Cheh! Mulut laser betul. And he said that they have to appreciate the relationship with a Malaysian, duuuhhhhh.

Next, I had a haircut last Saturday. I told the hairstylist to make it short, so short it is now. After months tak gunting rambut, finally ada la rasa ringan sikit kepala. And tak de la selebet teruk sgt ... tapi masih selebet sikit. I really miss my trips to Sam's place. No one can beat him ... but Danae wasn't that bad too. At least it was better that the one that I had at Verona's.

Then, I went to Freo with Lolly last Sunday. Huh ... gi shoppinggg, makan kat Cicerello's lagi. I had seafood tray and Lolly had the grilled garfish. The serving was big ... and needless to say, we all punya perut pun jadi sekenyang yg boleh. Lepas makan, pegi melawat the Maritime Museum. Kat dalam museum tu ada byk maritime nyer historical exhibits. Melaka, Muar, Pahang, Penang, Pulau Sembilan, tu semua ada masuk lam map yg dilukis pada tahun 1657 (kalau tak salahnya). Can you believe that! Terasa macam going back to the past pulak. I was really amazed with some of the artefacts that they have there. Menarik sebenarnya ... Hehehehehe ... I like Freo during the weekends. Ada ramai orang, but semua pun santai saja. We had ice cream from Simmo's at the Cappuchino strip and as usual gi Market Square. Singgah at one secondhand book store - Elizabeth's. Best woooo ... dan jumpa quite a number of Malaysian tourists too. I talked to 2 masa dalam bas. The husband was nice but the wife, aiseehhhhhhh ... show off nyer lady. She must have thought that I might be one selebet looking student who's trying to make a pass at the hubby. Alooooooo makcik, ppl are trying to be nice to you, so tak yah la nak eksyen. Macam la aku ni kebuloq nak sgt kat laki hang. That's the reality here actually. Even the OZs greet and talk to you bila they see you, paling koman pun exchange smiles. Orang kita??? Hampehhh ... dia ingat dah cukup bagus datang bercuti di Perth for 1 week. Kiss my arse la kakak ... I should listen to K. Yuss, tak yah nak tegur orang dari Msia. Dorang bukannya appreciate pun. Kalau Datin tu tak pe la gak, ni alahaaaiiiii ... kerek semacam je . Mentang-mentang la aku pakai baju yg dah faded, jeans buruk, bawak beg plastik hang pandang rendah kat aku. Tak pe la ... biaq pi apa dia nak pikir. Yang aku tau ... the "real" aku adalah jauh lebih vogue dari apa yg dia pikir. Hahahahahaha perasan le plak ... bapak aku kata, biar orang ingat kita miskin, kita tak berduit, kita bodoh, kita tak tau apa-apa, as long as you keep your cool. Yang penting, kita tahu siapa kita yg sebenarnya.

OK ... this is a long post. Better stop here. Nak bobok ...

Malaysia di WA

This event took place the very evening after I had the DoP. Jadinya, sambungan cerita hari Jumaat. K. Yuss came to pick me up at the residence to go to the Convention Park in East Victoria. Ada sambutan Hari Raya untuk semua warga Malaysia di WA. Penganjur? Kelab UMNO cawangan WA. We all bukan ahli, tapi turut dihantar jemputan. Sambutan kali ini untuk meraikan hari raya bersama semua pelajar Msia di sini, yang bekerja di sini dan juga warga Malaysia yg telah berhijrah ke mari. And that was the first time I saw many Malaysians under one roof. Ramaiiii ooooo ... Melayu, Cina & India and ada jugak several OZs. Dewan tu besar and berkumandang lah lagu2 raya yg evergreen tu ... sedihhhh gak rasanya.

Abg Ramli dah beli kereta baru, kale merah gitu. Rata2 semua orang pakai baju kebangsaan. Nasib baik lah aku pakai baju kurung, kalau idak mesti rasa out of place. Hehehehe ... apa lagi, pakai baju raya, ada gak yg pakai "lain2", LOL. Biasa la kannn, bila lagi nak melaram. I met all my kakaks yg dah lama tak jumpa. Semua pakat marah sebab aku tak gi Open House tu ari. But I felt really good. Pengerusi Kelab UMNO kat sini is a lady, jgn memain2. She is a very nice lady, K. Jumi namanya. Tapi dia kata panggil Aunty je la. Hehehehe, tak le sampai nak panggil makcik. Bersembang ngan all the gang, K. Zura as usual dgn motivasinya, Eda tak berapa sihat, Nazlida ok, Hani tgh bahagia sementara Amran ada kat sini, K. Ijan ok, haaaa ... K. Sal lost weight gila2 since I last met her, K. Adlina maintain vogue cam biasa, K. Chik pun gitu. Abg Musa & gang bukak korum bersembang ngan begitu rancak lagi ngan konsulat kat sini. Jumpa orang Swak gak, K. Faezah. Dia kenal Tina, which reminds me that I should email her soon. Dah lost contact since the Morib "expedition" that day. Pendek kata, semua pun riang ria di hari raya la lebih kurang. Makan pun soooodaappp. Ada satay, nasi minyak, laksa, kuih muih, dll. And the best part is that, this sounds so "hiaw hia" ... I saw 2 cuties. LOL, masih sempat lagi dalam hiruk pikuk tu. Ada byk undergrads yg attended the makan2, but one boy was just outstanding. Well, dia dok mengadap aku bila makan, and whenever I looked up, dia mesti tgh tgk meja we all ... tu namanya perasan kannnn, ngan budak pulak tu .... haihhhh ... and then, there is this one man, very fair, dressed up rather formally ngan baju kemeja batiknya. Maybe he's one of the VIP kut, sbb he was ushering in the guests. He came over to talk to K. Ijan & K. Zura. Nak tanya K.Zura kang obvious la plak ... LOL.

Apapun, I enjoyed myself very much that Friday. Siang gi conference, malam gi makan. I wanted to type in this part earlier, tapi bila balik malam tu penat sgt. Tu yg sekerat-sekerat. And semalam gi shopping kat Carousel. Orang punya la ramai sbb the mat salehs dah start shopping for Xmas. Dorang nyer barang untuk Xmas memang banyak, colorful pulak tu. Bermacam2 jenis food, decoration, etc. What did I buy? Jeng jeng jeng ... a bag. I kind of spent a lot juga, butttttttttttt ... I didn't do any shopping for myself for quite some time. So, I am not going to fret on what I have bought yesterday. Cheers mate!

Sebelas Sebelas Dua Ribu Lima

Power to the People

Artist: Jacqueline Jong, 1968 Victoria University Library, Toronto, Canada

Provocation was the theme for today. To tell you the truth, I was too nervous the night before to even think about the title of the conference - a DoP (acronym). I just didn't know what to expect. And the first impression I had when I arrived at the venue confirmed that. There's many OZs for sure, but nearly all looked disntinguished and "associated" to the theme of the day, except for yours truly la. But at 6.30pm today, I was walking back to my residence with a smile of my face. I have had a really wonderful day. I made new friends, and I got to learn more about culture.

There were 13 small groups altogether. The topics varied according to the interest of the participants (pre-determined earlier). I requested for the Culture group, and after a short coffee break, we headed to the lecture theatre for the Opening of the conference. There were 3 different speakers to welcome the participants to the day's event. The speakers were certainly thought provoking in each of their presentation. So I thought, hey not bad for a start.

I had a really great bunch of people in my group - very talented , far-sighted intellectuals - that is minus me. Hehehehehe, there were 3 OZs, 1 Welsh and 1 Chinese and we also had a sit-in member, a very wonderful Aboriginal lady. All of us are from different backfrounds such as journalism, language, geography, Aboriginal studies, media and nursing. We quickly became adapted to the topic, discussing things from our own personal views. I learn many new things that have never interest me before. Being already provoked, it lingered in my mind that there I was, listening to this one white man talking about some Aboriginal tribes in my own country that I myself have never taken the effort to know about. This man was narrating his experience in my country with my people. I felt so malu. But I was glad to discuss that out. I explained what they should know about Malaysia, and I believed that the discussions have brought them greater understanding of how things are in Malaysia. It was good as I get to see things the way they see it. We also talked about country, nationhood, ethnicity, race, skin color, resistence, art, geograpy, place, home, traditon, religion, beliefs, education, theory of "whiteness", identity, and loads and loads of other things. Meriel, Qian, Julie, Shaphan and Tim were really great thinkers who just worked as things cropped up. Our discussions were not theorectical at all when compared to the other groups, yet distinct. We just went with the flow - for nothing is definite. And the presence of Mingili was inspiring. She talked about her people. Being such a unique person and one who is very proud of her backgroud, I admire the respect that she has gained from the rest of the community here in WA. I know that she has seen so much in her life and she will always remain as the first Aborigine that I really have the chance to interact with. Needless to say, the experience was awesome. And yeah, we went to the Gallery too for the closing of an exhibition by some final year students. And do not ask me about it, as I am totally lost when it comes to appreciating arts as such. At least, Meriel said she could appreciate the sculpture.

And after not standing in front of an audience for quite some time, I was also nervous when we had to present our "provocative piece". But I did it! And I was very proud doing so. My voice might have shrilled, but I was proud to "show" them my country. Each one of us said something in our own mother tongue, and Tim sang an Aboriginal song. If you were to sum it up, the "provocative" piece is just like the language of culture - Shaphan said that statement was profound, hehehehehe. You just can't define what is precisely the thing that you call culture. It's dynamic (this is Julie's), it's too subjective to be categorised into fixed order or class. Afterall, as pointed out by Tim, we are first and foremost just mere human beings (if I quoted that correctly).

So, we had several workshop sessions where we interrogated the borders, unpacked the assumptions and produced the provocative. And the organisers were so thoughtful by specially providing me with halal food. I was touched. The day ended with a sundowner, not that I drink, but it was just a session to wrap up the whole group thingy and we promised to keep in touch with each other. I really hope so.

Kalau ada sumur di ladang,

Boleh saya menumpang mandi,

Kalau ada umur yang panjang,

Boleh kita berjumpa lagi ...

Though it had been a long day, I was happy that I attended this one-day conference. It was a conference with a different approach, exactly a new experience to me. All in all, I had a very provocative day, of being provoked and to provoke (I hope).

Malam Rabu

The Secret Life of Us traces the lives of eight twenty-somethings living within a Melbourne apartment block who are all looking for the same thing - love, romance, success and anything else that's worth going after.

So they say ... I kinda like it. Though it's been running for more than 1 season here, tonite was the first time I watched it. Something like The Last Man Standing. The Secret Life of Us ... how apt ...

http://www.triotv.com/secretlife/

James Bond 007

I am supposedly to attend the Raya Open House skrg ni. Tapinya tak pegi. Sakit perut la, "diarrhoiea" gitu. I felt so bad

Anyway, I attended my Residence Gala Dinner 2005 last nite. That was my first social formal event here. Well, semi-formal as they termed it. The theme was James Bond 007. I went with my flatmates, except for si Radio Besar - Jane, Lolly, Kath & Fiona. Kath drove us there in her new car. Semua orang bergaya last nite, with dress masing2 and make-up lagi. I thought of wearing my baju kurung, but later put on my skirt and blouse, and the heels. Geeee ... it has been quite some months that I have not put on any make-up on my face, have not used any heels or even have not had the needs to melaram ... until last night. Tiba2 je terasa nak "over" sket. But as usual, my state of being "over" is usually an understatement. Gempak je lebih. But I am glad I did take the time to pamper myself a bit. My dad always reminds me that, try to respect the occassion even if you don't feel like it. By that he means, your attire and your demeanour.

Sooo, there we were. Put on our wristband (if you don't, you will not be served your food), and greeted Tom, Wendy and hubby at the entrance. Tom gave us a pen - with a message in it. The idea was great but it'd been better if they vary the messages . When we got in, nearly all the tables were filled up. We ended up shifting to 2 different places, till we decided to join Lolly's friends from China. The venue for the dinner was actually at the Hockey Stadium. We thought it'd be an open-aired event, only to discover that it has a bar attached to it too. Quite a big one too. No BYO alcohol, but the soft drinks are free flow. Ade finger food and dips. The pies were really nice, the dips were great too, except for the sandwiches. I went for roast lamb and beef, with a bit of pasta, gardern salad, fried rice, baked potatoes, etc. The rice was not good but the lamb & beef roast were really tasty. Tender and succulent. Jane told me that the roast chicken was also good. All the food served mmg halal, as to cater to the Muslim students attending the dinner .

I was glad that I put on the dress that I was wearing. Most of the OZs really dressed up to the occassions, though it was a semi-formal one. Tapi ada jugak la beberapa yg ala-ala syok sendiri bawak pistol & machine gun. Hehehehehe ... As compared to Asians, it could easily be seen how different our definition of "semi-formal" was to them. There were those who dressed up really gorgeous, and at another extreme there were also those who just dressed up casually, really really "casual". Saw some cuties too, tapi semuanya mcm budak2. Terasa tua plak, hehehehe . We snapped some pics, and left before dessert. Jane nak balik, and Fiona not feeling well. I knew that Lolly wanted to stay longer though, and as for me, either way was ok. No qualms on that. Well, Wendy told us that there would be a dance session after dinner, and we missed that. Not that I have a date to dance with, but who knows ... LOL Though we left early, I had fun. What a Bond nite ...

Malam Raya ...

Telefon Mak.
Deme raya esok.
Dia tengah sibuk masak nasi impit & kuah kacang.
Itu kegemaran ku ...
Line pulak tak berapa clear.
Dia kata tak dengo,
Jenuh juge bertempik ...
Cucu Opah Nab sebelah tengah buat bising.
Apa nak buat ...
Dari dulu memang macam tu.
Masa kita orang kecik dulu pun, bising gak.
Dia sampai pukoi 1 tadi.
Pergi market, beli ayam, beli lemang.
Rumah bersih katanya ...
Dah bentang carpet dah.

Sembang ngan Apak.

Pasal research ku, pasal flatku, pasal menu berbuka malam ni.

Aku cakap, nasi dengan lauk udang semalam.

Masa bercakap, terdengar orang bang, azan dari madrasah.

Sayu rasanya, macam aku ada di rumah.

Tak lama pas tu, Mak kata takbir raya.

Aku tak ada.

Selamat Hari Raya Mak, Apak

Selamat Hari Raya Opah, Tok.

Tahun ni, Ita tak dapat balik.

Tahun ni, Ita tak dapat ke kubor jumpa Opah, jumpa Tok.

Telefon Mak Nyah.
Mak Nyah tak sihat,
Gaut ngan gastrik.
Katanya ..."aku dah tua, udah 60 lebih"
Sedih aku dengo.
Ya, kita tak sedar.
Kita semakin tua, deme pon sama juga.
Katanya lagi ...
"Opah kamu dah tak de, Tok kamu pon tak ada"
"Wa kamu, esok genap le 100 hari"
Orang ramai di market hari nih.
Tumbang jugak le sekor dua ayam katanya.
Anak cucu semua balik.
Mak Nyah sibuk nak kenduri pas raya ni.
Acai nak kawin.
Dengan orang Juru.
Mak Nyah kata nikah ari Jumaat depan.
Mempelai sana ari Sabtu
Aku tak dapat balik meraikan dia & isteri.
Tapi aku tumpang gembira.
Kami rapat masa kecik, walaupun slalu "bercako" org Perak kata
Aku anggap dia macam abang aku sendiri
Walaupun bila dewasa masing-masing dengan jalan sendiri
Semoga berbahagia Acai ...

Sembang ngan Abang.

Katanya telepon dari mana ni? Dari Ausralia ke??

Ya ... aku kata.

Abang ngan family sampai kol 4 tadi.

Dok kat Langkawi katanya bolehhhhh laaa...

Bleh makan angin sana katanya.

Ari Sabtu ni balik Kedah.

Sebab ari Isnin K. Balkis kerja.

Dan nak simpan cuti nak balik kenduri minggu depan.

Betul gak tu.

Sembang ngan Akak.
Dia kata baru balik dari rumah Opah Cu.
Penuh rumah kenduri tadi.
Akak singgah rumah sana jugak.
Mak tengah masak rendang.
Kegemaran ku juga ...
Akak kata dengo suara ku ngan clear, macam kat Msia
Dia kata, raya kat tempat orang macam dia beraya kat Sabah dulu
Tapi kan, di Sabah kalau tak de lemang tak pe.
Masih di bumi Msia, masih bleh dengo lagu raya.
Tapi kat sini ... Mana kan sama ...
Katanya lagi, tahun ni tak buat kuih raya.
Tempah aje dari orang Lenggong.
Kuih kampung, mesti sedap ...
Abg Hasan balik esok, si Hafizi dah masuk Darjah 2
Katanya lagi, K. Balkis mengandung semula.
Anak no. 5, hehehehe ... rezeki namanya tu.

Acai & Amir blom balik.

Mungkin besok aku telefon lagi

nak bercakap ngan Acai & Amir.

Rindu gak pada si Kurus tu.

Dia ibarat adik pada aku.

Masa kecik aku slalu gak buli dia,

Tapi aku sayang dia masa dia dok ngan aku & Opah

Sampai skrg, aku masih ingat dia budak lagi.

Dah bleh jadi bapak budak, dah 25.

Lepas Acai kawin, dia pulak.

Mak Nyah kata, semua pulun orang utara.

Amir pulak orang pantai timur.

Misi gituuuuu ...

K. Yuss telefon jugak.
Katanya jangan raya besok.
Orang Indon raya besok, PR raya besok.
Tapi masjid kat Perth raya ari Jumaat.
Jadinya kita di tempat orang, ikut saja ari Jumaat.
Iya jawabku.
Bersembang tentang Open House.
Maaf pintaku, sebab tak datang & tak dapat menolong.
Tak pe katanya.
Jangan lupa datang ari Ahad.
Ada Open House.
Aku kata, mungkin kut nanti aku bawak Maruku.
Yang akan ku beli di Coles, kiranya ada.
Ala-ala macam Deepa-Raya.
Ya... aku akan pergi nanti.

Itu lah malam raya ku tahun ini.

Malam raya jauh dari keluarga.

Malam raya yang sunyi,

kecuali bunyi radio beso si S****tra yg kuat nak mam*** tu.

Malam raya yang tak de panjut,

Malam raya yang tak dengo bunyi meriam buluh dari kampung beca

Malam raya yang belum pernah aku rasa

... sungguh sungguh jauh dari semua orang

Salam Lebaran dari Perth

Selamat Menyambut Hari Raya Aidilfitri

dan

Maaf Zahir Batin

Nak Balik Kampung ...

I
want
to
balik
kampung
for
Hari
Raya
...

Save the Last Dance

Hey ... I know, it is a 2001 movie. But who cares, I happen to like it, though I have watched it for several times. So ... that was my Friday night here, followed by Halloween: Resurrection. Both had Sean Patrick Thomas - but I still think Save the Last Dance is a better one. I feel like balik kampung ... keta tak de, naik bas kut ... haiyaahhhhh ...

Wishful Thinking ...

Have you ever met someone whom you could never imagined to have left such a profound longing in you to just meet him/her again? I have and I was too stupid, at that point of time, to put on my mask of ego. Damn, I should admit that, shouldn't I? I wasn't sure at first, only to learn more about each other during those last few days before he left. And surprisingly, I still hope to meet him after all this while, even if it is from afar. Just to see him ...

Hingga Akhir Nanti

(by Alleycats)

Hingga akhir nanti

kau tetap jadi pujaan walau seribu tahun

walau seribu zaman kutetap menanti

Hingga akhir nanti kau saja idaman hati

segala rasa cinta segala rasa sayang

hanyalah untukmu

hingga akhir nanti

Bulan takkan terang tanpa seri wajahmu

hati takkan tenang tanpa kehadiranmu

rindu dalam sepi rindu dalam mimpiku

tetap menantihingga akhir nanti

Datanglah kekasih datanglah padaku

kesetiaan diriku janganlah kau ragu

betapa kukasih betapa kurindu

seandainya kau tahu benarnya cintaku

Dari Temasek hingga ke Bintang

Finally... I decided to go out with my friends again. They called me on Saturday afternoon to invite me again. And what did I do, I politely declined by giving them an "excuse". Being ever so nice, they invited me again to attend Temasek Cafe's Grand Opening yesterday, for the majlis berbuka puasa actually. I thought about it the whole day, and then called K. Yuss that I'll be joining them. Rasa tak sedap pulak, org beria-ia mengajak, ada saja alasan tak nak pegi. Bukannya apa, tak suka menyusahkan org nak menjemput dan menghantar pulang. So, yesterday we went to the city to bukak puasa at Temasek. Pergi berkonvoi gitu, a few cars, dgn K.Ijan & Abg Musa, K. Kiza & Abg Mud, K. Azi & family, K. Yuss & Abg. Ramli, me, Lin and satu Wak ni. Temasek is actually owned by En. Azlee, a Msian. The cafe is located in Wiliam St, but I remember Northbridge better lagi than nama jalan tu. Sampai sana, ada lagi geng yg dah sampai Hani, Eda, K. Pa, dan yg lain2. Ala2 riuh gitu, maklumlah time nak berbuka. Tapinya, abt 40 mins after that, Abg Ramli kata let's go. Hehehehehe, kakak2 and abg2 cam ala2 tak berpuas hati sikit ngan layanan yg diberikan, makanya dorang semua kata let's make a move. I didn't say anything, sbb semenjak berpuasa kat sini, tak cerewet dah bab2 makan. In my opinion, the hosts weren't that ready to receive the guests, and the organisation of the place & the food were not as what the kakak2 and the abg2 expected. So we left.

We then headed to Victoria Park, Vic Park for short. There's a lot of halal restaurants there and oriental shops jugak. Makan2 Cafe is located in Vic Park, tapi we all tak makan kat situ. Wak took us to one Indon nyer reataurant, Bintang Cafe. Wahhhh, my kudos for the owner. The hospitality was great, from both husband and wife. The food was really nice and tasty. And I think the prices are really reasonable as compared to some Malaysian-owned cafes that I have been to, even Temasek Cafe for that matter. We had trout goreng, chicken, beef rendang (or dried kari), and a lot more. Penyudahnya ada goreng pisang panas, that one I tell you ... was the one I like most. The kids had their meals from the Charcoal House, Abg Mud blanje. Ape lagi, memalam makan aiskrim la. But the suasana was really good, rasa mcm makan di Msia, since all of us took our food outside. And riuh rendah with all the laughters, jokes and suara org2 Msia, it felt really at home. Tu semua Wak yg blanje. Might have cost him a lot gak I suppose, since there were easily 20+ of us.

And K.Yuss & Abg Ramli sent me back at 9pm. I told dorang I will be joining them this Saturday, and dah janji ngan K. Yuss to help her to cook the dalca. I am glad that I went with them yesterday. They are my family now.

On Friendship

Your friend is your needs answered.

He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.

And he is your board and your fireside.

For you come to him with your hunger,and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay."

And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;

For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.

When you part from your friend, you grieve not;

For that which you love most in him maybe clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.

And let there be no purpose in friend-ship save the deepening of the spirit.

For love that seeks aught but the dis-closure of its own mystery is not love buta net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend.

If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.

For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?

Seek him always with hours to live.

For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

(Excerpt from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran)

To Linda, TQ for the Sacred Red Rose of Friendship

Unhappy

Rasa sungguh tak gembira ...

Ramadhan Sepi di Rantauan

Sambal tumis ikan bilis, telur rebus and sayur sawi, that was my menu for today's buka puasa. Dengan siapa? Sorang-sorang le. Ramadhan datang lagi dan Ramadhan kali ini memang lain sekali. Jauh dari rumah, jauh dari mak bapak, jauh dari kawan-kawan, jauh dari Malaysia. Teringat pada Ramadhan yang lepas, Shintaro passed away on the very first of Ramadhan, berpuasa di antara Segamat dan Melaka, dan minggu akhir di Teluk Intan. Teringat pada lauk pauk kegemaran, teringat pada pelbagai juadah di Pasar Ramadhan. Teringat pada air tebu ...

I attended a pre-raya gathering last Saturday at Kak Ijan's house di Creaton Street. K. Yuss & Eda jemput di hostel, dan bila balik K.Yuss and Abg. Ramli yang hantar balik. I was there nearly the whole day. I have met some of them, but kali ni ada ramai students UWA. They were really nice, and satu rumah gegak gempita dgn orang dewasanya, dan dgn budak2 kecik. Lepas majlis baca Yassin, ada sesi photoshoot. Dgr cerita dorang nak post ke suratkhabar di Malaysia, mungkin ada la nanti muka-muka we all kat situ utk salam aidifitri dari perantauan. And the best part memang la about the food. Kakak-kakak tu semua memang pakar memasak, everything was really tasty - ada nasi dagang, mee kari, satay, nasi impit, kuih raya, cheese berbagai rasa, kuih bakar, pudding, kuih raya (tart nenas lagi tu) and many more, aaaaaaaannnd air cincau. I really had fun. I met mak Hani jugak, she's leaving for Malaysia (Tg. Tokong, org Penang) this Sunday. Makcik tu sebak sungguh masa nak balik, I know how she felt. Mesti la risau nak tinggalkan Hani sorang-sorang di sini, dah tu Hani pulak baru kahwin, kesian kena berpisah sekejap. Setiap hari Sabtu ada gathering utk majlis berbuka puasa dan solat terawih. I want to go, but takut nak balik malam-malam. Tak sedap hati pulak asyik berhantar dan berambik di residence. I will still sit on the idea.

Okay la, I wanted to type more, but simply am so not in the mood. Dunno why ... maybe I should just get some sleep. Need to wake up at 3.30 for sahur. Signing off.

All the Way from Teluk Intan

Orang kata bila kita di rantauan, mudah sungguh kita lupa kampung halaman. I guess it is true to a certain extent, especially for those who called themselves orang bandar. You might argue that one case is no case at all, but for me, one case is already a good example. In my flat, there are 3 Malaysians (of different ethnicity each), including myself. The others are Asians, but not Malaysians. I want to describe to you what I feel about them, which is obviously from my personal observation.

Seorang makcik ni memang kaki kalut. She can be kepoh at times, but most of the times, dia suka lepak in her room. She says she'll get headaches if she were to watch TV at the living room. As such, she likes to watch DVDs in the room. She's kind of nice, though she can be fickleminded. I know she comes from a well-to-do family, punya family business di Kompleks Aik Aik tu. Yet, she takes good care of herself, and the things around her. Berjimat cermat dah memang cara dia, and bersih. What she does in her room is totally personal, but overall, I like her, and I can tolerate her. Dan dia datang dari Jalan Laksamana, who would have thought that I get to meet my orang kampung here. She respects our differences in religion and dia selalu tanya if it is of offense if she were to take something, like her ba alif ba ya. And interestingly, for a Chinese, dia suka translate her ideas from BM into English, kadang-kadang kelakar, hehehehe ... Dalam erti kata lain, dia ni memang nyonya. Pantang bab-bab duit ni, tapi tak menyakitkan hati. Dia buat kerja dia, kita buat kerja kita. Lurus bendul gak, patuh pada regulations.

Lagi seorang makcik tu, nampak cool all the time. Maklumlah dah setahun setengah in Perth. Badannya cekeding, tapi lagaknya kalah Mak Limah TESL. Kononnya datang dari bandaraya KL, dan nampak gayanya macam datang dari family yang senang. Ada sedara mara di seluruh Ivy Leagues di dunia ini. Mungkin la agaknya, I never asked. Yang aku tahu, dia pernah cerita yang dia telah melancong ke beberapa negara luar. Aku ingat lagi, dari hari pertama aku jejak kaki ke flat ini, dia dah bercerita not only to me, but also to my parents that dia dalam process nak memohon jadi warganegara di sini. That's funny, isn't it ... katanya hidup di sini tak sama macam di Malaysia. Cakap dah lah very the orang putih, gaya tak perlu lah cerita, kawan baik cum penasihat memang orang putih, cuma dia saja yang tak berapa putih... hehehehehe. Umur muda, baru 21, betul ke keputusan dia tu? When I come to view it, teruk sangat ke Malaysia tu? Bagus sangat ke negara orang putih ni, sampaikan tak sabar-sabar dia nak pulang, dan datang semula untuk menggenapkan 2 tahun tinggal di sini? Agak pengotor orangnya dalam bergaya tu, pinggan mangkuk dibiar berendam berhari-hari, bila masak tu, kurang mahir bab cuci mencuci. Katanya, masa dengan flatmates dari Spore & Amerika, semuanya cincai belaka. Tak siapa kisah sekotor mana. hehehehe, itu lah penangannya terlalu asyik dan kagum dengan barang orang, sampai barang sendiri dicampak pergi. Yang lagi peliknya, dua-dua makcik ni pangkalnya orang Malaysia, pergi sekolah di Malaysia (seorang di bandaraya glamer, seorang lagi di Horley Methodist), makan nasi, minum air cap Malaysia, membesar bersama rakan dari kaum berlainan bangsa. Tapi, seorang masih takut-takut dan percaya dengan apa yang dibawa dari Malaysia, lagi seorang dah jauh pergi, tak sedar lagi agaknya. Rugi saja Malaysia bagi kad pengenalan pada dia.

I pray not to see myself becoming like that, Insyaallah. Well, each of us is entitled to our own life. Aku bangga punya kampung, walaupun yang dulunya selalu banjir, walaupun hanya ada Fajar dan Billion., Mastan Ghani, kacang rebus gemuk, cucuk ngan popiah, gulai tempoyak ikan keli, sambal machang, beriyani Ghulam Rasul dan jam tinggi yg semakin senget tu? Kalau ada pun, tak kan sama dengan yang original. We always think that education and exposure can liberate one's mind to be open to the differences in others' lifestyles and beliefs. But in actual sense, one might get rather very obsessessive in embracing the so-called "better" lifestyle, only too embarrassed to admit that she or he already has one. Acquiring another culture and lingo does not guarantee that your life ahead is better. And how sure can you be - of being accepted as one of them? I asked because I feel that makcik is so carried away with the PR thingy, that is yet to be applied next year. Hebat sungguh penangan nak jadi MACAM orang putih ni, kadang-kadang nak gelak pun ada. You should come here and see for your own. She parades herself as being so westernised, indirectly indicating to us her own set of superimposed ideas and meanings in life. Here's from me lurve, get a life! There's more outside there than just dreaming to become an orang putih, in which they themselves are not like that. Mungkin dia tak ada kampung, jadi dia tak tau apa itu setia. Entah lah ... mungkin agaknya


http://www.molon.de/galleries/Malaysia/TelukIntan/img.php?pic=4
http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teluk_Intan

Pada Waktu-waktunya

Kalaulah gelisah membelah
tenteram dadamu
teguh-teguhkanlah
langkah perkasamu
membenamkan duka
di jalan terbuka.
Kalaulah sepi meningkah
hayat kudratmu
cekal-cekalkanlah
lelah relamu
melemparkan risau
di angin pulau.

Kalaulah hampa mencecah
pinta sentosamu
tenang-tenangkanlah
gementar hatimu
bagai musafir
mengucup takdir.

(Dharmawijaya, 1981)

*I found this beautiful poem when I was browsing through Arbak Othman's discussion on The Innate Structure of Culture In Dharmawijaya’s Poems: A Unified Theory of Description. It has touched me in a way that I cannot describe ...

Terima Kasih

I celebrated my hari jadi all alone yesterday, the way I chose it to be. Nothing special, nothing fancy, no cakes, no friends, no loved ones (except for letting go of the fire alarm in the flat when I was frying the ikan merah). I wanted to keep it to myself, just for myself. I guess I have mellowed as much through the years, and I do find contentment in doing what I want and what I like most. This list is endless, but when I reflect on what I have had through out the years of my life, these are the ones that matter most to me.

1. I am thankful to God the Almighty for bestowing me with good health and a healthy mind to walk on the face of this planet
2. I am thankful to have my Mak and my Bapak who love me very much, who support me in every move that I make, and who are always willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of my well-being and my happiness
3. I am thankful to have all the memories that I can keep with me of my Opah and my Tuk since the day I was born till the day I was left to be on my own, for which I shall forever hold close their endless belief and love in me
4. I am thankful to have been brought up in Teluk Intan, one very insignificant, small outdated place to others, but one biggest, most special home to me regardless where I have been or where I am
5. I am thankful to have been given opportunities upon opportunities when I thought I was really at the bottom-end of my life, when I thought giving up was the only solution I have in hand
6. I am thankful to have gone through the bitterweet moments of knowing I have felt deeply for someone though I know I would never be able to be with him
7. I am thankful to have (some) family and relatives whom I know I can always depend on
8. I am thankful to have friends who really care for me, who really stand by me, through my ups and my downs, through all my temperaments and all my dreams
9. I am thankful to have led a life that that has brought me to where and who I am now (academically, professionally & personally)
10. But most of all, I am thankful to be just who I am

My Mak called to wish me Selamat Hari Jadi and my Bapak said always look forward and don't turn back anymore. He has hoped that every day of my life is a wonderful one.

Thank you.

Sand, Sea and Surfers

There was no regret in getting up early today,ie. early by my standard. Lolly and I took a trip to Cottlesloe - finally. We reached Cottlesloe (located in West Perth, I think) at 11.30am. Luckily, we chose to walk by the beach first before going to the town of Cottlesloe, as we later found that most shops were closed today (except for the makan places). The Cottlesloe beach is just wonderful, and the weather was really lovely. I think I like the beach in Cottlesloe better than the one in Freo. Since this is just the beginning of spring, not as many were at the beach. But you could sense the "feel-good" mood around you - you know - young couples having picnic with their babies, a grandson walking with the grandmother, owners taking their dogs out for a walk, parents taking their kids for an outing, a group of tourists taking pictures, OZ men and women sun basking, lovebirds revealing their innermost feelings (maybe ) a lonely man in seluar bunga-bunga jogging, gals and boys enjoying themselves playing frisbee, persistent (novice) surfers trying to get a ride on the wave, sexy looking surfer dudes, 8 hot-looking blokes playing volleyball - hehehehe ... it felt really good. We strolled along the beachline. I picked some seashells while Lolly enjoyed herself playing with the water. It felt like a very long time since my last stroll back in Pantai Puteri, Klebang. But this time it was different. I used to go for long walks at the beach whenever I need some space to think or whenever I need to be sure of the decisions that I made. I remembered my last walk at the beach. It was when I need to decide about my coming to Australia. There is always this great sense of serenity that I felt when I am at the beach. I felt so much at ease with myself. Today's walk at Cottlesloe put me back into that frame of mind - that I am finally letting myself loose. It felt so satisfying. We later had lunch on the grass, facing the sea. The scenery was really beautiful. I had kebab (sedap) and Lolly had chicken burger (which she said was salty, and without cheese, hehehe). We "tapau" the food from one side restaurant called the Cott. And we also had 2 uninvited yet avid visitors joining us - 1 good seagull and 1 selfish seagull - that's how I named them. They were waiting for us to share our lunch with them, and we did . While waiting for the bus, we saw one Cessna aircraft circling in the air. It had a banner and it read - Tracey, will you marry me? Scoob - It was soooo romantic ... hey, I am not being mushy-mushy, but you don't get to see a marriage proposal in the sky everyday, do we? We then took the train back to Perth, but later decided to stop over at Subiaco. I like Subiaco too. Subi has a lot of makan places and cafes, and the market was what I like most. It's like the market in Freo - there's flowers, clothes, accesories, reflexology centres, etc. etc., but the best ones are the ones in the wet market. The fruits and veges are fresh and aplenty. The stalls were crowded with people getting their weekly supplies I suppose. Most carried with them their own trolleys & boxes. The fruits, for instance, were really cheap as compared to Coles'. I bought some nougats, walnuts, china dates and strawberries. I bought some fish too - this time not the fillets or the cutlets. It's the whole fish. I was practically smiling from ear to ear ... I have survived on fish this far, and shall be too delighted to have something other than salmon and mackerel. And bananas for Lolly, as usual. We reached home at 5.30pm and had a really good dinner. Gosh, I cannot describe my appetite now. It's like I can eat a horse! This is horrifying! Australian Idol was the next agenda, until everybody decided to call it a day. Ok lah, tata for now. Till the next posting, selamat malam.

G_L_o_o_M_Y and the Complaints

I am posting this from my workstation. It was slightly cloudy this morning, but not as stormy as the past couple of days. So I took a slow walk to the uni. - a pleasant one after 3 days "hibernating" in the flat. Yup, I didn't go to the uni for 3 days, but hey I spent hours on reading in the room you know. I managed to complete a number of articles for my next dateline, and thought I'd just pop into the workstation and do some work.

As usual, the moment I reached the workstation, I exchanged greetings with Sophie and Amin. Marc is not around and so does Sayfol. Sophie asked how I was doing and I said I am fine. And Amin asked the same too and mentioned that it has been cold this last few days. Well, me ... being me ... replied that it has been gloomy for me. I told him that I didn't quite like the wet weather here as it really made me gloomy. Ok fine, we always have heavy downpours in Malaysia too, but I was NEVER gloomy because of rain. But here, with the storm, the rain and the chill, they simply don't help at all. Plus I am very prone of getting sick in this kind of weather. I was coughing for the last 4 weeks and it took me not quite a while to get better, and I certainly do not plan to fall sick again.

Right, that was not that I wanted to say actually. Ok, Amin pointed out that I always like to complain. He said I like to complain about "small things" like the gloomy weather! What a f****** statement! I told him flat that the interpretation of the word "gloomy" is subjective. Surely my saying the wet weather is making my day gloomy is of no effect to him, right ... or did it? He said - that is the problem with researchers - "they" like to make "small things" look "big". Well, that was the first overstatement that I've ever had since I arrived here. Welcome to Perth mate! Life isn't always bright and sunny ok, and I happen to be just one of those who gets easily ticked off when some blanket statements are thrown to me about my personal being. Ok, I was pissed off because this isn't the first time he made such a remark. He once pointed out to me bluntly that I am just being "too hard" on my work here, ie. my studies. That I need to take things less seriously and enjoy. He might have all the time in the world, but not me.

I do things according to my way and I do not like to meddle into one's life. Thus, I'd expect the same from other people too. It's either he enjoys being overly critical, or simply because I have become so great a distraction to him! Hahahahahahaha ... Who does he think he is? He barely knows me, and he says that I like to complain??? I can do that one very well, not that I can't. How??? Like these:

• He has now made it a habit to invite all his "konco" to come to our workstation here and make it as if it is theirs. Christabel with her loud "annoucement' of her appearance in the room, and there's another man whom I am not bothered to ask for his name. And you know what, they have just made their grand entrance to the room now! Duhhhhhhh ... I so do not want to sound very sceptic or discriminating, but they simply can be so "kampunggggg"! I come from the kampung too, but at least, my kampung has taught me how to behave di rumah orang ...
• To make it worst, they even talk in their own language - very loudly - without being considerate of others in the room. I always regard my workstation here is a conducive place for me to do my work like when Zi and Istvan were still around. Everyone respects each other's space. That is, not until these two "zombies" came in! So much of being "polite" huh! The weird part is that, they only do that when I am around, not when Marc or Sayfol is in. And that is another reason why I chose to stay in the flat for the lst 3 days - to have some peace when I am concentrating on my readings!
• And not to mention that he was making passes at me too! Ohhh yeaahhh, he did that. There were a few instances that saw he was trying a bit too hard - sorry mate, I am not interested! There was this one time when he was so keen in introducing his people's music to me, and was purposely reaching for my hand on the mouse many a time, hell I brushed him off! And of his dancing in front of me, ohhhh plssssss! He failed - if he wants to know whether he has succeeded in "getting to me". I might have deprived myself of larger social circle or social life for that matter, but obviously not this kind.

I say, this is one piece of "complaint" about being complained. What a day! Miss Gloomy signing off ...

The Storm in My Heart

I have not gone to the uni. for 2 days. It's been very stormy for the past few days and the wind was howling like nobody's business. Last night it even sound eerie . What a spring! This is my first spring here in Australia, and I really look forward to see the flowers bloom. I watched on TV quite recently about the Araluen Botanic Park here in Perth. Maybe I should just take a trip to the Park. I must see the many colored tulips that they have there. I saw some in the city, but I sure wish to see them at closer look. I received a card and a present from my Mak and Bapak today. My birthday is coming up soon. Carole from the office called me to pick up the parcel. Nothing beats the feelings of getting parcels from them, although I know they could be just mere medicines or vitamins. Hehehehe, it felt like a kid again. When I was small, I really couldn't wait for my birthday presents, though I have never asked for any. I was brought up never to ask things from others. Therefore, if you were to get any, you can imagine the delight in me. That has not changed much, I suppose there's still this little kid in me... not to mention of my keeping of Che' Matt, my best buddy . So, this is the first birthday abroad, far from my family and friends. My mum will usually prepare the beriyani and my other favourite dishes on my birthday and my Dad's. And this year, they sent me a bottle of perfume, of which is one of my favourite too. I am so happy ... But there will be no beriyani ... no Mak & Bapak ... I sure miss having them around...especially on my birthday

FIVE Cargo Pants!

FIVE cargo pants, can you imagine that?!! I bought 5 cargo pants yesterday at Westfield Carousel and today, I am still sitting on the thoughts of how inappropriately I have spent. Well, yes, I do have the money allocated for that, but it was a bit out of way, wasn't it? Five, you know, not one, not two, not three, not four, but FIVEEEE!!!! In actual reason, I have been thinking on getting a pair of jeans - ONE pair only. And now, I ended up with 3 pairs of carduroy cargo pants and 2 of the cotton denim, so much for the resoulution of not to spend unnecessarily, and worstill, my wardrobe now looks --> that should explain it! But hey, I got them all for half of their original $$$$ . No..no..no.., still I shouldn't have become such an impulsive buyer! And the earrings too, gosh, whatever did I buy it for! Not that I don't have any with me, nor am I putting it on now to the uni... I have never learnt my lesson, haven't I? Ok, okkkkk .... I feel real bad now - guilty as charged!

By the way, Lolly and I ended up waiting for the bus 1 hour before we got to know that we waited at the wrong bus stop. By the time we reached the "correct" bus stop, the next bus scheduled was at 8.20pm (that was like quarter to 6). Lolly said her feet were killing her, hehehehe, it was her cowgal boots actually, hehehehe. So, we took a long ride to the city and reached home somewhere near 8pm. I did enjoy the ride though. The bus passed through 2 different zones, coming out at the Kwinana Fwy. I think we passed through East Perth, maybe, and the Southlands Boulevard, that one is definite. They also have some kind of a mall there, with a cinema too. We reached the bus port in the city close to 7, and had some Doritos. It wasn't that bad eh Lolly... except for my buying that 5 cargo pants . I know I'll be brewing on this for some time, so pls. bear with me ok. Catcha later.

Tanahair ku Tercinta

Selamat Menyambut Ulangtahun Kemerdekaan Yang ke-48 Malaysia!

Happy 48th Birthday, Malaysia!

Visit http://thestar.com.my/merdeka/

The Spaniard & The Rainbow

His hair was curly, all the way down his ears, reaching that nape of his. It gave me this sense to just nuzzle close and touch the fringe. Not too dark, nor was it auburn. Just like the color of his eyes. Looking at him is like looking into a transparent sheath of mirror. It felt like looking through him, so lucid. He looked at me, nodded his head and smiled. That smile was warm, sincere and infectious. I smiled too and took a seat next to him. We exchanged HIs and later introduced ourselves. He has this very soft look on his face, the one that you'd never get bored looking at, and the way he uttered his words was just as soft. I'd imagined him flaunting his accent, but not at all. With much difficulties, he tried hard to string his sentences and to find the right words. Mujtaba, the Iranian and Hung, the Vietnamese, were really focussed in trying to understand his ideas of the GIS. I noticed that he had a black-colored Collin's Inglis Pocket Dictionary, and at times attentively jotting down Antonia's notes.

I was so much engrossed in my observation till Hung's regular snorts of flu and scratchings of his hair made their way. I pushed my bag nearer to me and instantly shifted closer to my left, to his side. I was uneasy. He must have sensed that for he offered Hung some tissues. Yeah ... I saw them, neatly stacked, which much to my suprise, Hung refused. Hmmm ... thoughtful ... and sensitive, making an even more complete outline of what a person he could be. He had certainly become my object of further scrutiny. I wrote what they said, recorded the details of Mujtaba's dilemma and of Hung's views. They discussed the points as if I did not even exist. That was what happened if you belonged to a group of 4 men. But I was too happy with that, as I continued stealing the many looks of him. He must have not shaved for some days, still the thin red lips were smacking. The nook of his nose was perfect and the eyes ... that deep, deep look they're capable of ... were captivating. I watched the way he listened and responded. By then, I was already in cloud nine. Hung and Mujtaba became the near "invisible fixture" by now, disappearing bit by bit into the thin air.

As swift as he turned, we exchanged looks. He led his finger to the paper and looked at me again. Put it down, your ideas, he smilingly said. He caught me redhanded! What an apt moment! That one hour passed in a blink. He told me he'd be back for the evening session and asked if I would too. Sadly, I shook my head. Damn, I cursed myself. I registered for the one on Wednesday. He nodded again, wished me luck and left. I could only watch him leaving, even Antonia's concluding remarks sounded alien to me. The only thing that came to my mind was that I'm not going to see him again. It felt awkward. There were tickles of sadness in me. I didn't sulk the whole of the next 2 hours, but found myself staring out from one of the windows in one corner of the Silent Zone. Gazing out at the sky, I saw sun and droplets of rain. But too soon after, there it stood. It was simply majestic, too magnificent to be described. I lost my words, only to realise that it brought the smile back on me. The brilliant colors that painted the bluish grey sky were spectacular. My first rainbow here, and it came to me when I needed it most.

They said there is a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. I have never believed in it, until today. At the end of the rainbow, I grabbed my bag and left. I was content. At the end of the rainbow, I started to count my steps home. I was pleased. But alas, at the end of the rainbow, I saw MY pot of gold. I was dumbfounded. At the end of the rainbow, I saw Roma'n. He waved, and etched that same unforgetable smile ...

It was just magic ...