have yourself a merry little christmas...

a quick note to wish my fellow friends & family who are celebrating this blessed day.....



Send this eCard !

there is no love

back when i stayed in a link house, we had very good neighbors whom we still meet every now & then. just this afternoon, i attended of their daughter's wedding reception. since i moved to an 'elite' condo or so it claims or tries to be i have very little interaction with my fellow neighbors.

we have four units to a floor; one has moved to dubai & the very little interaction we had with them was pleasant. another is a guy from the land of the rising sun. not really very friendly & his local chinese gal-pal complements him well. my immediate neighbor, a couple of mix marriage are quite friendly really but our paths seldom cross.

see, where i stay residents have access cards which only allow them to the common floors (ie parking, lobby) & our respective floors. and we can't take the stairs to the other floors as well as the doors can't be opened from the stairwell area. so if we have a slight problem with the neighbors above us (eg water dripping from their unit & kids jumping on the floor thus the thudding sound), we can't take a walk upstairs & talk to them.

no... we have to lodge a 'complaint' at the management office & they will then get the maintenance people to solve whatever problem there is. see, this morning i got a call from the management office. apparently the unit below had a wet floor in their work area (or wet kitchen) & naturally assumed that the unit above (in this case mine) was the cause of it. so i went to my work area to see if there were any leakages that could cause the drip. of course takdelah. but my floors were wet too so i looked up & saw a wet mop dripping to the unit above me, mine, below me & possibly all the way down...

so i told the girl that probably thats the cause of it. and then she tells me 'oh, they complained two days ago. so we want to send our maintenance guys to check your unit on monday at 330. is it okay with you?'. okay.... two days later. dhl - dua hari lambat. two days ago, the same unit above probably hung their wet mop & caused the drip (or for that matter many units above as i saw plenty of mops hanging to dry).

we'll see what happens on monday.

'tis the season...

noel is just a week away. done all the gift shopping. hubby suggested to go away for the x'mas hols. he wanted to know if the mom would freak out if we didn't make it back for the family gathering. i told him i am sure she wouldn't mind although she may be a bit sad. then i asked him if his mom would freak out if we didn't go back for raya celebrations. that kept him quiet for a while. so yeah, we would be going back for the christmas celebration....

meanwhile, a certain someone i know is going away just a couple of days after the yuletide hols. now i must go rummage my stuff to see if i can find her the little black thing she is planning to wear... i know she's gonna have loads of fun. and i am one who cannot wait to hear what happens during the hols. kepoh, kepoh, kepoh.

hello mr robinson

him - in green
her - in blue

yesterday al tanya how old are you? i told him same age lah. he was surprised to know that you are nearing 40. so i cakap ngan dia 'ala al, tak yah nak cakap lagi dah. ramai orang selalu cakap she nampak muda. sampai telinga i dah sakit dah nak dengar'. lepas tu al gelak jer... masa kita gi jumpa al & zack kat kedai tu semalam, zack said you & i nampak cam age difference tujuh tahun

hahahahhahaha. its better that i look younger than you right. if i look older than you, then you mesti nak cari yang younger looking...sure punye lah

eh, pandai lah you. mana you tau. bangga lah tu...

tak ah.. dah immune dengar.

eleh!! but min pun selalu cakap you look different now. yalah, dulu you cam kampung tapi sekarang dah uptown girl...

ah, boleh blah. you pun apa kurangnye.. dulu pun you kampung gak apa.

eh, i dulu hensem sampai pompuan meleleh tengok i & lelaki bermasam muka..

bukan lelaki pun meleleh tengok you ke? hahahahah

hahahaha, sial jer cakap ngan you.....

curiosity breaks the plate

many moons come, many moons ago - i bought a few pieces of the famed (or not) corelle dining ware for what i thought was reasonably priced. fast forward ten years to the present day...

whilst in singapore, my friend told me i should get the corelle stuff 'cos its much cheaper there even with the exchange rate of 2.41. after some calculation, we figured a dinner plate would cost about thirty ringgit, which i still thought was pretty ridiculous lah.

so when we came back to kl, curiosity got the better of the hubby & i. everytime we walked into the household section in a departmental store, we would check out the prices of the corelle stuff. can you believe that a dinner plate here cost about sixty ringgit.

so at isetan klcc, i asked the sales guy why on earth the stuff was exorbitantly priced. so the conversation went somewhat like:

me: dik, kenapa barang corelle ni mahal sangat?

him: benda ni import dari u.s lah kak

me: ya lah, import dari u.s ke, china ke makan nasi tempat rasa nasi lah. lain lah kalau letak nasi putih bila makan tu rasa nasi briyani. kalau cam tu, okay jugak...

him: entahlah kak *laughs*

so, now it has become an obsession that everytime we pass by one of the corelle stuff, we check out the price to see if we can in some way chance upon a piece that is selling for like ten bucks.

i have been told that its light, won't chip or break easily if you drop it, dries fast, yada yada yada. i told the hubby to pick up the cheapest piece (probably a sauce bowl or something) & drop it, if it really doesn't break we'll be amazed. if it breaks, errr.... maybe we'll try it in langkawi......

of dancing queens, bags & pimping

a series of unfortunate & fortunate events happened today...

partie une - the jade, the jam & the 'why didn't i know it's a holiday today?'
i started my xmas gift shopping last night. managed to get some useful & useless stuff for them family members. all except for mommy dearest. so a friend told me of where i can get nice jade stuff as a gift. we agreed to meet this morning to go have a look see lah. so this morning instead of sleeping in, i had to drive all the way to the other end of the earth to meet up with her (well not exactly the other end lah but it felt like it). so after viewing & belek-ing, pusing-ing & entah apa-apa lagi entah i decided upon a nice little piece lah. then we thought - 'okay, since we are in the neighborhood, how bout we go to mid-valley to have the stone set'. but someone forgot to tell us that today is a public holiday in selangor & we got caught in a bloody jam that can make you cry blood. one hour just to try to get into the parking area (valet parking full lah maam) & bloody get out of the shit of jam just to get to bangsar!!! hungry, cold & swearing at every fucking driving who just got on our nerves. decided to have lunch at bangsar village at deli'cious (betul ah the spelling) & thank goodness the food was good.

partie deux - dancing queen, young & sweet only seventeen
got a call from catwoman who suggested we meet up for teh tarik in hartamas. set aje... so after lunch, a bit of cuci mata, tengok tengok tapi tak beli we headed for hartamas for our date (& i dragged my other friend along). on the way there, the hubby called & said he managed to get two tix to the mamma mia musical. so catwoman & i will be tunjuk langit, tunding bulan lah come 3rd jan (alamak salah musical lah, tu demam malam sabtu lah. takpelah, boleh jugak kan kan kan). excited much....

partie trois - the bag lady
remember my earlier post about used bags that were sold in singapore for a dime & a song - well yeah many many many dimes & then some. found another place in penang, where i managed to get an lv epi for like way way way less. one guessed i paid 5k while another said 3k. anything above 1.5k i wouldn't even it give it a second thought. but managed to get it reduced to a wee bit above the 1k mark from its selling price. a steal really.....catwoman is heading up north soon & this is for sure one place of interest she'll pay a visit to. found another one in plaza damas but we couldn't make it in time. oh well, some other day i guess....

partie quatre - pimp my friend
catwoman has a gay friend, i have a gay friend - one nasi lemak antarabangsa & the other hainanese chicken rice. they are both looking for a hook up. so we decided to pimp them to each other. but who knew both these people had a million and one questions like - how old is he, what does he do, where does he work, is he tall, is he panjang lebar, what does he look like. so pusing punya pusing, apparently chicky rice knows nasi lemak.. so whether or not it happens remains to be seen. but i have been promised a pair of choos if he gets someone atas... angkasawan available ah? with his charges of 8k per appearance, what is a pair of choos man? some more he said he will uncle jimmy to make them choos.... the long & short of it (unintened yet some how intended), we were talking crap & laughing our asses off....


all in the day of the life of a plain jane i guess......must practise singing now - i have a dream, a song to sing, to help me cope.....oooh ooooh, here goes the dancing queen in my head now.

no, its really not funny

in any relationship be it with friends or family - what is the one thing that comes in the way & causes it all to fall apart; regardless of what you have shared & gone through?

cliché as it may sound, money is indeed the root of all evil. its something we need & can't do without yet too much of it, and it slowly but surely destroys us. so, it would suffice to me that we have enough for the necessities in life & yes at times for the pleasures and comfort it can buy us.

when the daughter was young, she used to sigh & wish we were filthy rich. see, some of her friends were anak datuk lah who at a very young age were flying half way round the world for the school holidays. and at that very young age, she was able to comprehend when i told her that money isn't everything. we don't have to be stinking rich - as long as we are comfortable (yeah and what i said above) & we don't have to beg, borrow or steal, we are doing okay. not sure if she still thinks the same though.

yeah, i like the bags & the shoes & the clothes & the bling but its something i can do without. i have been there, i have survived & there is no reason i would die without it.

why am i telling you this? its a long story but to cut it short - a slight misunderstanding happened between some family members & us. what we did for so long with nothing but the best intentions at heart was misinterpreted as them owing us money. when she uttered the word "aku ada hutang kau duit ke?"; it practically stabbed us in the heart & we felt so sad. we thought that she would understand us & know that we did what we did because we loved her so dearly.

well, like i believe - everything happens for a reason & this episode is no different. this too shall pass.....

its not just me, he's the same

lest some people think i have nothing between my ears & have a mindless fetish for bags, shoes & all things evil and unecessary; i am proud to say my other half has his fetishes too. lets see, there's...
- shoes (for a household of 3, we have a cupboard full of it)
- knives (although i must say i don't really mind this one)
- carpets (go figure)
- clothes (he got the bigger portion of the wardrobe 'cos i am but a lowly home-maker mah)
- tv (recent buy was a 50" plasma & i don't know how much bigger its gonna go by the next world cup)

justifying my reason for buying the bag, i suppose.. okay!! my conscience is clear as a clear blue sky now..... :-)

a bag a day

was in singapore last week with the hubby & some friends. purpose of the trip - what else shopping lah. got some clothes - yeah yeah the brands you find there can be found here too but with the sale going on, and even with the exchange rate, some are still cheaper & certain collection found there ain't the same as the ones here.

found the olive celine bag too but its a tad more than here, so didn't get it either. settled instead for a chloé joan shoulder bag, but not without going in & out numerous times into the shops. if they converted all those walking into frequent flyer points, i'd be on my way to dubai & back on first class already. saw a pair of jimmy choo sandals but i was able to resist temptation *smiles*.

my new chloé joan shoulder bag

then i chanced upon a shop selling pre-owned bags - loads of lv, fendi, pradas, even saw the light from heaven shining above on the hermès birkin bag which is selling for a cool sgd16k... sighhhhh. anyway if you are interested in browsing, go to http://www.theatticplace.com/.

so what is with women & their fascination with bags and shoes? to be honest - i really have no idea. it's just so pretty. shoes, i can live without but give me a bag any day & i'll be as happy as a lark.... doesn't hurt to dream, eh??

i am upstairs

hear ye, hear ye - people who know me well enough. i want you to give me your honest opinion (please disregard my answer in the previous post re whether i can handle the truth) - am i really upstairs or atas? for them ill-informed, it means uppity.

i have had a couple of remarks that seem to say 'wah, you so atas. pandang banyak tinggi'. i mean i appreciate the finer things in life that money can buy but i can be comfortable in a pair of shorts that i bought in wh or reject shop. and note that appreciate means doesn't mean i want i buy terus ah. sometimes say only want but cannot get also. what is it they say in the secret, if you want it so bad... my hubby buat bodoh jer... pretend like there's a buzzing in his ear.

last week, accompanied my sis-in-law to the tailors. i was sitting quietly helping the sis to pick out materials to make baju kurung. then i eyed this gorgeous cotton material, which i wanted for myself lah. then at the end of it when it came to paying - the seamstress (ct) said my material is the most expensive.

me: next time, cakap lah '(my name) kain yang awak pilih nie mahal' (next time, tell me '(my name) the material you picked out is expensive')
ct: alah, your mata pandang very atas one, ada kelas (you have an eye for expensive items, got class)
me: tch!!

maybe next time i should just look at the floor and not at anything beyond my eye level. ha ha

then yesterday i was with my agent booking for flights & hotel to my upcoming trip to an island down south. a friend tagging along didn't want to fly on mana ada system (mas lah tu) cos the tix was close to a thousand buckaroos. she said she would check with jetstar for cheaper fares. i initially thought okaylah, i'd fly with her on the budget airline but after trying to get the correct times & fare (not helping is the fact that the stupid server also was dead slow); i told the agent to go ahead with the earlier plans cos i don't want to lose the confirmation & end up not being able to get tix on either carrier. you know what my agent said?? 'aiya, don't bother with the budget airline lah, you so atas.'

erk? now what did i say? it has happened numerous times people remarking aiya don't bother lah, you so atas. we can't afford you..

my house got no stairs leh, how to be atas?

mamma mia, here i go again...

...my my. how can i resist you.

i may be the last person, or not to catch the hyped up movie. and i must say i enjoyed it tremendously.

set on a colorful greek island, the plot serves as a background for a wealth of great abba songs which are used in remarkably appropriate ways. a young woman about to be married discovers that any one of three men could be her father. she invites all three to the wedding without telling her mother, donna who was once the lead singer of donna and the dynamos. In the meantime, donna has invited her backup singers, rosie and tanya. Written by jojo.acapulco@gmail.com - summary taken from www.imdb.com.

meryl strepp does a wonderful job at potraying donna, who freaks out when she finds out that three of her ex boyfriends (all of whom she slept with) are on the island just in time for her daughter's wedding. see, one of these men may be the father of her child.

her two best friends, rosie (played by julie walters) & tanya (hilariously played by christine baranski) are her wonderful back up singers - the dynamos in their group, donna & the dynamos. they do a mean & comical rendition of chiquitita, dancing queen, super trouper, dancing queen & waterloo. and all the while, it had me singing along. cheesy yeah, but who cares!!

didn't quite like the idea of pierce brosnan in a musical (didn't like him in remington steele or james bond either). i mean he's got the smoldering eyes, he's okay in the looks department but that man cannot sing lah. then he takes of his shirt. alamak!! terkejut beruk.. anyways, colin firth & stellan skarsgård are a hilarious duo. and watch out for this trio in an ala elvis bling-ed overalls singing waterloo.

a feel good romantic comedy musical that will for sure have you singing along to those good ole abba songs (those who grew up listening to them lah). now, to get tickets for the west end musical that is coming to town. sing along now, you know you want to....

note: thank god tom hanks decided to be the exec producer & not take on the lead role. can you just imagine him singing. him as robert langdon in the da vinci code was scary enough (its the hair i tell you!!)

hell's kitchen

mom-in-law was staying over for a few days with us before she left for her haj on saturday night. as she is quite particular about what she eats (read no eating out), it was three nights four days of cooking to feed a multitude. not to forget the cleaning up after that (took this opportunity to tell the hubby that we need to buy more plates too *smirks*).

whilst chatting with a friend who was wondering how come i have disappeared from cyberworld for a while, we were exchanging stories about how we emerged or morphed from a totally hopeless lost cause to a nigella lawson wannabe.

she asked if the daughter helps out in the kitchen. told her that the initial plan was for the daughter to start learning how to prepare simple dishes during this school hols. yet, as i am typing this she is away up north staying at her aunt's. so probably after she comes back she will still want to learn (toes, fingers & anything that can, are being crossed).

the friend then tells me that when she was fifteen, she was forced to learn how to cook cos her mom was going away for a long holiday. of course, her dad & her brothers criticized her cooking. and she of course being the defiant fifteen year old we all once were, she very proudly declared that when she got married & got a house of her own; she was going to make sure that the house has no kitchen. hmmm... now where have i heard that. oh yeah, i declared the same too!!

yeah, when i was young i never helped out in the kitchen. mom would chase me out (nanti kena minyak lah, nanti kena pisau lah) whenever i attempted to be her aide. and of course after i got married, no choice lah but to learn how to cook. first attempt was stir fried bean sprouts which ended up sour. my bro-in-law & hubby spat out after taking the first bite. they asked what i did wrong. i followed my sis-in-law's instructions to a t. turned out the sprouts had gone bad - not my fault ah... she kept the veg for centuries.

so over the years, i very patiently learnt how to cook & not without its fair share of errors. i won't say i am nigella lawson now (note the word wannabe in the earlier para) but can lah - janji boleh makan.

and yes, we both now have a sizeable kitchen in our homes, despite the fact that it can be hell's kitchen. cos' we can be quite irritable in it when someone tries to offer help but in actual fact just gets in the way!!

bak mai lima posen dulu....

was watching the idiot box with the hubby some nights ago. then on came the ads for some action movies - you know like the ones where only wesley snipes or bruce willis is the 'only man who can stop the world from total destruction'. this time i think it was a wesley snipes movie where only one man can stop the bomb from destroying the world; 'the detonator' or something like that lah the title. i who normally find these movies so mind numbing. i mean i enjoy action packed movies but must lah have some logic gak. so the conversation went somewhat like this:


me: why ah, its always only ONE MAN who can stop the world from experiencing armageddon. bruce willis pun one, wesley snipe pun one, dah dua dah. then yang sorang lagi tu apa nama dia?
him: ahhhhh, shit now you started already lah. what's his name? (you know how it is like you know who or what it is & its at the tip of your tongue but you just can't for the life of you recall what it is)
me: michael bolton?
him: so farny... tell me lah what's his name?
me: if i tell you what's in it for me?
him: cheh, cam tu pun nak habuan. alah, benci lah. what's the fella's name?
me: sleepy lah, good nite (turns round to google on my phone)
him: ni yang tak leh tido ni. aiya what is the bugger's name? nama dia start ngan apa?
me: first name six letters, second also six letters
him: brad pitt ah
me: ah, yalah if you say so
him: eeeee, WHAT'S HIS NAME?
me: i tell you tomorrow lah. unless you give me lima posen now, i tell you
him: lima posen? (irritated already)
me: ya...


so five minutes later after much agony of trying to recall his name, hubby looks for a fifty sen coin & gives it to me...

him: okay what's name?
me: steven s...
him: steven farking seagal. okay now can sleep. good nite baby....



i know he loves me for being so irritatingly annoying.... or so i would like to think!!

long overdue

got tagged by catwoman centuries ago but but but (sorry babe though you left the 'tag' in my comments box). what the heck, i thought i'd give it a shot. don't really enjoy answering questions but i'll try...

starting time: 1830
name: plain jane
sisters: 2
brothers: 1
shoe size: 6/7
height: okaylah, don't have to tip-toe or use ladder to kiss my hubby
where do you live: at home lah

have you ever....
been on a plane: yes
swam in the ocean: errrr
fallen asleep at school: haven't we all?
broken someone's heart: yeah, i guess but the s.o.b told people he broke mine. what-er-vah!!
fell off your chair: yup
sat by the phone all night waiting for someone to call: nope, i called him
saved emails: when i was working lah. now not really unless it's receipts for tax exemption

what is your room like: comfy
what's right beside you: a pillow
what is the last thing you ate: salmon sashimi, soft shell crab maki, rice & veg miso soup

ever had...
chicken pox: ya
sore throat: a'hah
stitches: you show me yours & i'll show you mine
broken nose: don't think so

do you believe in...
love at first sight: hell yeah, the olive celine bag in pavilion that cost like 4k. nakkkkkkkkkk!
like picnics: yeah but not when i have to prepare the grub

who was/were the last person...
danced with: god!! it's been ages, social life depriviation... :-(
made you smile: the daughter
you yelled at: haven't yelled at anyone in a while

today, did you...
talk to someone you like: not only today lah but everyday
miss someone: no. err, wait - i miss the silver surfer, my personal tormentor
kiss anyone: yup
talk to an ex: ex what? define ex

who do your really hate: right now? no one
do you like your hand writing: yeah
are your toe nails painted: it will when i go for my next pedi

whose bed other than yours would you rather sleep in: large comfy cozy bed in the four seasons?
what color shirt are you wearing: not a shirt but a black tank top
are you a friendly person: only when i want to be

do you have any pets: technically not mine but yeah
do you sleep with the tv on: sometimes
what are you doing right now: duh!!??

can you handle the truth: yeah i guess although i might end up telling you "up yours"
are you closer to your mother or your father: neither really
do you eat healthy: tolak batu & kayu, janji makan tak mampus. dah montel, up the workouts lah

do you still have pictures of you & your ex: ex what?
if you are having a bad day, who are you most likely to go to: my other half
are you loud or quiet most of the time: either or, neither nor
are you confident: i'd like to think so

5 things i did 10 years ago.. why the hell would i want to remember what i did 10 years ago

5 things i would do if i were a billionare... sigh!! wishful thinking so i won't even go there!!

5 of my bad habits..
(1) staring at people till they disappear from sight
(2) sleeping on one side instead of changing
(3) not being able to hide my feelings (ie what i feel shows on my face). if i hate you, it shows
(4) getting irritated / annoyed easily
(5) impatience

5 places i am living in... tsk!! stupid question


bloody tag took me two hours to complete. half time gi kena tosai lah. do i want to tag anyone?? nah!! if you want to do, do lah. don't want to do, not a problem. free world what.....

she works hard for the money

its the daughter's school holidays. yay? no, not really. don't have anything planned really for the next one and a half months. want to travel but don't know where to go. what more with the upcoming raya haji (not really celebrating but will be heading up north to be with family) & christmas being just round the corner. seasons like this very taxing on the pocket one you know...

so anyways, the daughter decided she wanted to get a part time job to make a little moolah on the side. told her she could make some money if she helped out with the chores at home. no luck there, so i spoke to a friend who owns an eatery & he agreed to have her there. she's starting tomorrow.

i don't know why but i pulak yang kind of excited...

if this ain't creepy, i don't know what is.

a darling friend who is working with an advertising firm recently posted an event on facebook & naturally i have been invited to it lah. so i thought i would help to promote the event & forwarded the details to my contacts in facebook.

then, out of the blue one of my 'friends' whom i don't even know who the hell he is (remember i said i never turn down anyone who wants to be friends) replied me with messages like 'love you' & 'but i miss you'. urgh!!!! creepy, much. he goes by the pseudonym hensem sangat & i can honestly tell you he is faaaaaaaaaaar from it. if he ada sipi-sipi daniel craig takpelah... boleh gak i layan.. ni nak muntah adalah.

if you want to be part of gillette's attempt to be in the malaysian guiness book of records for the most facial shaves in one day (here for details), make your way to giant in bandar kinrara puchong on 29th nov (sat) anytime between 9am till 10pm. just don't cut yourself while shaving....

lucy in the sky with diamonds

i. want. the. new. ipod nano chromatic. yeah i can go out & buy it now but what the heck am i going to do with the old one? sigh.... no, i shall not be tamak haloba & get the ipod touch. anyone interested in buying it off me? 4gb, blue comes with silicon casing....

what me got right now....

what me wants....

pretty, no? perhaps if i am really really good, i would get it come christmas morn??

just call me montel

i have a new pet name. it all started when i got my previous maid to come in to clean the apartment. see, since we moved in about a year ago, i did not engage her services to clean my new place, whilst she was still coming in thrice weekly to my sis-in-laws place. off & on, i do drop by to check on things or collect stuff and don't bump into the help.

recently, the maid's hubby suffered a minor heart attack & was advised to rest for about three weeks. so hubby & i decided to help her out financially by getting her to come in & clean our place. so i haven't seen her for about almost a year.

so okay, day one - she does what she needs to do. time to leave, she casually remarks 'sejak tak kerja nie, (my name) sudah montel'. erk??!! hubby laughs his head off & since then it has become my pet name.

so there, from now on - just call me montel.

i am woman, hear me roar!!!

got this in the mail a couple of days ago & simply had to share.. especially with my gal pals who can be bad as bad can be yet can have a halo on the head when need be (contradictory yes but hey we adapt!!). and yeah to them men too....

woman's perfect breakfast
she's sitting at the table with her gourmet coffee. her son is on the cover of the wheaties box; her daughter is on the cover of business week; her boyfriend is on the cover of playgirl & her husband is on the back of the milk carton.

woman's revenge
"cash, check or charge?" the cashier asks, after folding the items a woman wished to purchase. as she fumbled for her wallet, the cashier notices a tv remote control in her purse. "so, do you always carry your tv remote?" the cashier asks. "no," she replied, "but my husband refused to come shopping with me and i figured this was the most evil thing i could do to him legally."

wife vs husband
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. an earlier discussion had led to an argument & neither of them wanted to concede their position. as they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "relatives of yours?" "yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."

words
a husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000. the wife replied, "the reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men..." the husband then turned to his wife and asked, "what?"

creation
a man said to his wife one day, "i don't know how you can be so stupid & so beautiful all at the same time." the wife responded "allow me to explain. god made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me. god made me stupid so I would be attracted to you !"

who does what
a man & his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning. the wife said, "you should do it because you get up first & then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."

the husband said, "you are in charge of cooking around here & you should do it because that is your job & I can just wait for my coffee."

wife replies, "no, you should do it & besides it is in the bible that the man should do the coffee."

husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me." so she fetches the bible & opens the new testament & showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says..........HEBREWS.

the silent treatment
a man & his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5am for an early morning business flight. not wanting to be the first to break the silence (& lose), he wrote on a piece of paper, 'please wake me at 5am'. he left it where he knew she would find it.

the next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9am & he had missed his flight. furious, he was about to go & see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. the paper said, "it is 5am. wake up."

men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.



and remember this - god may have created man before woman, but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece.

another year passes me by....

....and i don't know if i am proud to say that i am none the wiser. oh well!! slowly but surely i am getting very close to going over the hill & what is it that they say about life beginning at forty?? then again, is age just a number?

so it was a quite affair. started the morning with a wish from the daughter which made my day. received sms-es & messages on facebook from friends. good to know that people out there lurve me despite me being a major biatch at some point of their life. hahaha..... grumpiest ever but still lovable. ada butul ka, j lo?

the daughter & the niece could not decide what to get me so they treated me to dinner. maybe my post on my wish list scared them. but hey!! i am a simple person with simple needs. yeah i may love the odd luxe item or treat. i may want to have dim sum at eden klia but i can be quite happy with a glass of warm delicious teh tarik & delicious tandoori chicken in a mamak eatery in town ('k advertising here - the restoran pandan indah, i think thats the name pandan something lah; in jalan yap kwan seng. fantastic tandoori, naan, mee mamak. ahhh, semua sedap ah).

cliche as it may sound, at the end of the day its the thought that counts. the niece & the daughter (although i think she just tumpang glamer) made a card. sweet!! its been ages since i received an item that had the personal touch. these days we are far too lazy & opt just to look for the perfect gift at the nearest mall (well at least we will it to be perfect & pray that its liked).

the niece wanted to know if i qualify for the 'wise mans' (or womans) club. apparently she read somewhere that when one reaches the age of fifty two, he/she qualifies as a wise man/woman. no, i haven't been so lucky to reach that level yet. i don't know if she is trying to imply that i am old. then something about senior privelege came up. god, i was left speechless with all the 'compliments' i was receiving. and being the wise old woman i am slowly becoming i remained calm & simply laughed it off. (argh!!! its a miracle)

so there...as we age gracefully or otherwise, do we really want to be reminded of it? do i want a birthday party with a cake lit with forty candles (i am taking about next year, just so you know)? thanks but i'll pass. a nice quiet dinner with my loved ones, a hug & a kiss from those who matter will make it more wonderful.

quantum of...

a tad of dissapointment really. caught the premiere of the 22nd bond movie 'quantum of solace' yesterday with the family. was quite looking forward to it since the casino royale & the yummylicious daniel craig.

the movie started out promising. car chase with loads of dare-devil driving (the aston is gorgeous), shooting & car driving off the cliff. then came the song 'another way to die' by the ever-so-talented alicia keys & jack white. then what do you know, they censored the bloody song...

well, it got all the right ingredients - the car, the babes, exotic locations, the wham & bam that came fast & aplenty.. but something was amiss. and the ridiculous censorship didn't help either. and, no daniel in the buff...tsk!! just a few seconds shot with him in his trunks. sigh.... the baddies weren't mean enough, the gals weren't tough as nails, yadda yadda yadda. well to give credit where its due, its a good watch simply for its actions scenes & ogling at daniel in his sharp suits & tight tees...

ah well, till the next one then.

much ado about nothing

its getting quite tiresome to read the papers these days. what else is there but news about the upcoming umno general elections, or some politicos doing what they do best (being morons); or quite possibly some new 'ruling' or 'fatwa' that don't make any sense...

most recently, the national fatwa council advised its fellow muslims who are practising yoga to stop practising for fear that they can deviate from their faith (more here); thus ruling that yoga is 'haram'. to top that, there are also some christian groups are also saying it is wrong for their believers to practise it (here). all because they are of the opinion that practising yoga is related to practising the hindu religion.

practised since 3300 bc, yoga refers to traditional physical & mental disciplines originating from india. while it may have originated as a spiritual practise in hinduism, it has in the modern world evolved to be a form of purely physical exercise just to keep fit & healthy.

i for sure am not praying to the lord krishna when i put my hands in prayer position while doing the mountain pose; or chanting some hindu hymns while doing the breathing exercises. i may attend a wedding or funeral in a church or temple but it does not make me a christian or buddhist or hindu. yes i am a muslim. i may not be the perfect muslim but i am trying to be as good as i can be. i know what i believe in & i doubt very much that practising yoga can deviate me from it.

i am going to continue practising yoga. whether it is 'haram' or otherwise, it is between my creator & me. as long as i practise & believe in the tenets & pillars of the muslim religion, i think i will be alright....

anyhoos, i cheated on him & i am glad i did it...more about that when i have the itch to put up another post.

my eyes!!! they burn....

we had a couple of open houses to attend today - one for raya & another for pre-deepavali. so lunch & dinner was taken care of.

the raya open house was at a close friend's place in an upscale condo in ampang area. it was at the common area near the swimming pool. so after stuffing myself, i went over to pool area to sit & chat with my friend's mom. i was pointing out to her a condo on the first floor that tore apart the unit for renovations. its not always you see a condo torn down to practically its bare essentials for renovations. friend's mom was a bit rabun, so lucky for her she didn't see what i witnessed next.

what do i see? a young lady on a 2nd floor unit stark naked!! she was probably drawing the curtains to get dressed or something. i was shocked into speechlessness for a minute or so (which is quite rare for me). i think she saw me looking at her cos she just ran out of sight.

i mean come on lah...your bloody unit is like on the 2nd floor & facing the pool. the bloody windows were open & there were loads of people at the pool area. the noise alone would have made her aware there were people there & the kids were screaming their heads off in the pool. what the hell was she thinking?

and no, no free show during the pre-deepavali open house.....

wishing on a stinger....

my favorite month, november is just a couple of days away. why is it my fave month you ask? well its when i turn a year older & hopefully wiser.

you know how they say birds of a feather flock together. i have a couple of friends who are scorpions & we clique well. although some may beg to differ & tend to think of us as mega bitches, hate our guts & our sharp tongue and perhaps wish us off the face of the earth. but hey, we are who we are, take it or leave it. you don't like us, no problem. we don't have a problem with it. do you?

so this time around, i am gonna dedicate this post to them who are the stingers. perhaps it would help you better understand why i can be a bitch at times - well, yeah most of the time.


the scorpion is one intense little creature with enough poison in its own tail to disable or kill a much larger opponent. it is the only sign that has three animal totems - the scorpion with its active tail; as it learns to master its passion & hold its instincts at bay, it changes into the eagle; and finally the scorpion becomes the always-peaceful dove. scorpio is about metamorphosis, transforming the painful poisons of possessive passion into a higher consciousness based on universal love.

characteristics - strong, forceful & active, capable of immense feats of prowess and patience. highly determined with a strong spirit of conquest. you will have some loyal followers who could accept you as someone born to command and defeat.

strength - proud & haughty, governing character, intense, powerful, determined, sensitive, profound, ambitious.

weakness - deeply resentful, brooding, destructive, sarcastic

likes - activity, mysteries, secrets, winning, being acknowledged

dislikes - being analyzed, being asked personal questions, people who think they know more than scorpios do, too many compliments, having to trust a stranger.

during their lifetime, scorpios will make many acquaitances but few true friendships. friendship for the scorpio is no easy matter, but once made it will be strong & permanent. a scorpio is always a friend one can count on, especially their trustworthiness & readiness to help.


so here's to my friends who are also turning a year older in november:

ah chanz - the scorpio dragon lady. can you imagine the lethal scorpio + dragon combination? scary eh? you are damn right - she's one scary crazy bitch. but she's a great person to talk to. witty, loud, full of sarcasm (tong loads) yet deep deep down she's a gem (not like the mega pain people perceive her to be).

evil twin - the scorpio ox lady, another strong combination. this one is not that scary though. but her subtle sinister remarks can be as sharp & have as much sting. but you have to be quick to pick out her nasties & do the extra work of reading between the lines.

so there.... i was chatting with a good friend the other day & i asked her if i could give her my wish list. she said she might just faint from looking at the names / brands i would shoot off. i told her, i'll be kind lah - i'll be happy with books. i gave her the title of what i wanted.

regardless, i still have my wish list though. just in case lah ya - let's see.... sandals from jimmy choo, tod's or gucci handbag, hublot or piaget time-piece (the piaget rihanna wears her 'take a bow' video), ax (nice dresses), polo sport (tees, in klcc), polo ralph lauren (polo dress in blue & white stripes available in pavilion). see!! my wish list bukannya panjang sangat pun. simple is as simple gets.......

happy festival of lights

four days to go & we get to celebrate another festival in this wonderful multiracial nation of ours. since its gonna be a long weekend, some may take this opportunity to go out town . but we are giving this time a miss. the daughter is having her finals tomorrow.

so to those celebrating the festival of lights, here's wishing you & your loved ones a very happy & wonderful deepavali. to those who are going away for a short break over the long weekend, have a wonderful one. eat, drink, be merry & most importantly be safe wherever you are.

meanwhile i'll be looking forward to getting yummy muruku & kuih gunting from my evil twin. yeah yeah i know i have no shame but do i care?? janji sedap!! but in advance, i say tima kasih daun keladi; tahun depan mintak lagi. botol kecik pun jadi lah.....

and after that another friend & i are gonna pig out on banana leaf lunch in one of the indian restaurants in lebuh ampang. mmmmm, dedapnya!! haven't been there in ages so cannot recall which one is good. any recommendations?

the other side of the coin

just yesterday i put up a post on my recent sixteenth wedding anniversary & today i received an email from a friend (no, i don't think she read my post). quite funny & heaven forbid that my other half and i should have this conversation come four years time... anyhoos, it's still funny so i thought i'd put it up here.

a woman awakes during the night to find that her husband was not in their bed. she puts on her dressing gown and goes downstairs to look for him. she finds him sitting at the kitchen table with a hot cup of coffee in front of him. he appears to be in deep thought, just staring at the wall. she watches as he wipes a tear from his eye and takes a sip of his coffee.

"what's the matter, dear?" she whispers as she steps into the room. "why are you down here at this time of night?"

the husband looks up from his coffee. "i am just remembering when we first met twenty years ago and started dating. you were only 16. do you remember back then?" he says solemnly.

the wife is touched to tears thinking that her husband is so caring & sensitive. "yes, i do" she replies. the husband pauses. the words were not coming easily.

"do you remember when your father caught us in the back seat of my car?"

"yes, i remember " said the wife lowering herself into a chair beside him.

the husband continues "do you remember when he shoved the gun in my face and said 'either marry my daughter or i will send you to jail for 20 years'?"

"i remember that too" she replies softly.

he wipes away another tear from his cheek and says "i would have been released today."

and before any of you ask the stupid question of 'you got caught in the back seat of a car ah?' in my comments space... just to save you time, no nothing of that sort happened.

he ain't heavy, he...

- is a pain where the sun don't shine at times;
- deserves a smack in the head for being an ass;
- knows he's an asshole, admits being one but still is one;
- is the love of my life & i will do anything for him.

we just celebrated our sixteenth anniversary of becoming mr & mrs. it started out alright but just as we were getting ready to go out for dinner, he & the daughter got into a little tiff. we went ahead with our dinner plains albeit the sombre mood & the 'twenty sen' face. not entirely resolved, they are still giving each other the cold shoulder treatment. this too shall pass....

had lunch with a friend today & she was telling me stories about her other half & a mutual friend's hubby. how both the guys are possessive about their wives. about how they cannot go out with their friends that the hubbys don't approve of (but the men can go out with whomever they want). about how they men would freak out when they call the wives & the women don't answer on the first ring. about how the mutual friend had to cut short her biz trip just cos her hubby 'merajuk' when she didn't answer his call cos she was working.

when i hear stories like this, i am glad i married the man i married. sixteen years with this man with its fair share of good times, bad times & times when i just ask 'why me?' - i am thankful to god for him. he may be a pain at times but nothing like me telling him 'f off' won't fix....

hot ni, hot...

the husband & i went on our errands yesterday. first to do was to go settle the credit card bills. sigh!! so there i was queuing up at the counter to settle the bill. in a rush to leave the bank, i didn't realise that the teller actually gave me the incorrect change. just as we were exiting the parking area, the hubby's mobile rang. according to him the conversation went somewhat like this:

teller: is this encik xxx?
hubby: yes
teller: i am calling from xxx
hubby: yeah, i just left your bank
teller: a girl came to settle your bill just now
hubby: a girl? you mean my wife
teller: oh... can i speak to her please??

hah, apa lagi - kembang bermangkuk mangkuk lah. so after that we proceeded to ikea to have a look see & to get some stuff. now this scenario is at the checkout counter. yours truly is at the end of it, packing the things into the bags. hubby is waiting at the counter waiting to pay. behind him is a makcik.

makcik: (to the cashier) dik, kenapa panas sangat ni?
cashier: maaf lah ya, tapi hari ni ramai orang
makcik: ya ke? bukan sebab yang berdiri kat depan ni hot ke?

hubby related this to me when we were in the car on the way home. good laugh.. the hubby is quite a looker (not like brad pitt lah but pleasing to the eye lah). i used to tease him about attracting the wrong kind (more like the opposite sex) when he was much younger. now that he is attracting the right sex, its the wrong age group.

chindiana, would this qualify as the cheesiest pick up line ah?

the aftermath

the fasting month has come & gone. so much for wanting to shed the unwanted kg. all lost in that one month were quickly gained in the two & half days we were back in the kampung. how to resist good food, you tell me?! anyways....

raya was a quiet affair. not all the siblings made it back for the celebrations. one up north couldn't make as her other half had to be hospitalized due to abdominal pains. one in the klang valley had to stay back as his wife is due any time now. the nephews & nieces are all grown up now (youngest being four & she being the noisiest of the lot & the oldest is twenty, me thinks) so it wasn't as noisy or as chaotic as it was back when they were little. and as they grow, it takes its toll on our purses as well cos we (the hubby & i at least) give them duit raya according to the level of education they are pursuing. thinking they would graduate next year (a couple less to give lah), they smile & tell us 'err, no lah. nak sambung masters'. maybe we should not give duit raya to those twenty one years of age & above.... oh well.

so this raya, the hubby decided to visit a couple of his old house-mates. the last we visited them was when my daughter was about three feet high. two feet & a couple of inches later.... so there i was trying to be a perempuan bukan melayu terakhir....

adik (the friend's younger sis)
pbmt (me lah)
makcik (some lady who was also a guest)

adik: lama tak jumpa. anak tak ikut?
pbmt: tak, dia kat rumah ngan cousins dia. lagi pun dah besar-besar nie, manalah nak ikut mak bapak dia
adik: how old is she?
pbmt: next year 15
adik: wah.. dah besar. masih satu lagi ke
pbmt: ya. one & only. dah rezeki tuhan...
adik: rugi ooo. kalau ada dua tiga baru okay
makcik: ye lah, rugi kalau ada satu jer. dapat lah dua tiga lagi
pbmt: ah, okay nanti saya cari kat supermarket
adik: hahahah
makcik: eh, mana ada. ingat anak tu barang ke
pbmt: eh, bukan ke?

they stopped at that... normally i wouldn't end the conversation with some uncalled for remarks (which is very unlike me but you know - respect the elders & all that) but this makcik cari pasal kan? sibuk sangat saper suruh???

oh, thanks y'all for your raya greeting & well-wishes...

before the exodus

a little less than a week & muslims worldwide will be celebrating hari raya aidilfitri. as most schools / academic institutions are starting their leave tomorrow, most of us (muslims & non-muslims alike) will embark on the journey back home to be with family & loved ones.

to those celebrating, have a wonderful & blessed raya. and also i would like to take this opportunity to pinta maaf dari hujung rambut sampai hujung kaki kalau ada silap dan salah. yang termakan terminum tu, minta halalkan.

and to the non-muslims, have a good holiday.

be safe, wherever you may be.

things you don't say to your wife

got this from a friend a couple of days back. pretty hilarious stuff. men, take note...





sing along now folks...

hey honey, have you gained some weight in your rear ends
the dress you wear reminds me of my old girlfriends
and where'd you get those shoes, i think they're pretty lame
would you stop talking cos i'm trying to watch the game
if you're a man who wants to live a long and happy life
these are the things you don't say to your wife

i planned a hunting trip next week on your birthday
i didn't ask you but i knew it'd be okay
go make some dinner while i watch this fishing show
i taped it over our wedding video
if you're a man who done that
a long and happy life
these are the things you don't say to your wife

your cooking is okay but not like mother makes
the diamond in the ring i bought you is a fake
your eyes look puffy dear are you feeling ill
happy anniversary, i bought you a treadmill
if you're a man who wants to live, yeah thats you
these are the things you don't say to your wife
you're a man who doesn't want to get killed with a knife
these are the things you don't say to your wife

he's got some other stuff on his site www.timhawkins.net or you can check them out at www.youtube.com (especially the 'i don't drink beer')

can i walk with you

scene 1
weekend at the market (not the wet stinky market 'k but the uppity market in an affluent neighbourhood). lady probably in her late 20s or early 30s, dressed not quite appropriately for marketing unless you consider a low cut dress with heels suitable for buying the weekly supply of fish, meat & veg; in heels & quite heavily made up. she's pushing her way around with her maid in tow, buying some stuff. then she runs up to a much older man, walks around arm in arm & goes 'abang, you rasa we should buy this ke?'. ahhhh, bini nombor dua ke tiga ke empat ke...

scene 2
at a local barbers (where a quick trim & shave costs the hubby rm12). a pakcik walks in with 4 young ones in tow. he & two other boys sit on the barber's chairs for their new raya look. two other girls sit at the waiting area giggling. the pakcik is done but the other two boys aren't. pakcik go sit with the girls. the girls ask him for something & he said 'okay okay, nanti kita gi beli'. the girls squeal with deligh & go 'thank you papa, thank you papa...'. eh???

this morning on the radio, they were discussing about people's perception when they see an old man with a sweet young thing... it seems one of the deejays saw a 70 year old man with a young thing & of course everybody in the mamak shop were sniggering & whispering lah. typical no?

some said 'mind your own business' (which is sometimes easier said than done), our kepochiness just won't allow it. normally, i wouldn't give two hoots about it - it may be dad & child, grandad & cucu or like one listener put it the syt (sweet young thing) was trying to borrow money from the old man. until...... until the girl behaves so miang. then for sure lah, confirm the old man is dating the young ciku. why do i say that? look, the old buggers who normally date the young ones are normally quite well to do (if got no vitamin m, you think the syt will look your way ah??) & can afford to splurge on the young girlfriend lah.. and normally these girls will go all mengada-ngada. ada betul ka?

the daughter is now 14 going on 15 & my other half is nearing the hill soon. sometimes when we go out, the dad likes to hug the girl. come five years time, will they be mistaken for dirty old man with an opportunist young thing?

when you have nothing nice to say...

...then just zip it!! or in nicer terms, don't say anything at all. i received an e-mail from an ex-colleague (rb) asking me for some goss on my ex-boss to commemorate his donkey years employment with the company & he's being given a long service award or something like that. so rb got roped in by the hr department to do a write up as a tribute to this fella.

apparently rb interviewed the dinosaurs in the company & they told her that i would be able to provide more information / low-down on this ass (sort of tells you my sentiments of him eh??). firstly the head of hr (who is still scheming her evil doings there) was, is & will till the end of time be pally pally with him - she should know all the dirt. and so like her to get someone else to do all the shit work & she then goes up there and gives 'her' presentation like she had a helluva lot to do with it.

and he's got a string of loyal supporters - he's the best boss in this world; i've learnt so much from him (eh, if you've learnt so much why are you still doing the same thing you did five years ago??); i will stay in this company for as long as he is my boss; i will follow him till the ends of the earth.... they should be able to heap praises on him till kingdom come. do not ask me as he once remarked that hiring me was the biggest mistake of his life (albeit in a joking tone but he said it too many a times till it began to feel like it was the truth).

how do i say nice things about someone i have lost respect for?? yeah, initially when i joined the company, i thought he & she (the evil one) were nice bosses. but i guess i was too outspoken & smart (well at least compared to them) for my own good. so after about a little more than two years, i decided not to take their shit anymore & left...

so here's my 'tribute' to my ex-boss who is a ...

• scrooge - yeah i know he is the person holding the company's moolah but ever heard of the saying penny wise pound foolish. well!! here you have the living breathing proof. don't ever say i was never the obedient employee. after many years of the department not having a company lunch, we managed to persuade him to organize a departmental lunch. on one event, we went to a chinese restaurant (which is quite famed for its seafood selection). everybody was pretty excited when the person taking our orders recommended the lobster but alas, boss said 'no, no lobster. too expensive, there's too many of us here. take the fish instead'. as yours truly was responsible for the ordering, i chose the soon hock fish. for the not so well informed, this fish is one of the most expensive items in the menu which would have cost almost the same as if we took the lobsters. the bill came up close to rm900 - one of the highest we have ever seen. what??!! i took the fish what, didn't i??
  
• spineless balls-less ass - when i brought up an expense discrepancy to him, he would be like 'yeah, yeah, we can't allow this'. then when the claimants come to him & argue, he would be like 'oh okay, we'll allow it this time' (it would be the same thing each & every time). he'll cave in if the other party is a foot taller than him.. so there!!
  
• mr 'i'll think about it' - any time we wanted him to do something or needed his approval, he would go 'oh, i'll think about it' on us. and most of the time his thinking will take forever. during my employment with the company, we had quarterly activities on top of other activies we had to organize for the employees. and every single time, i had to run to him for approval even for a measly hundred bucks item. kind of fed up i asked him for a budget for me to work with (not much just rm200 or so) & he went all i'll think about it on me. and this was for meals for the staffs who were dragged back on a weekend for a seminar. oh come on!! i wasn't even asking for two thousand bucks just a measly 200 bucks. he said he needed the supremo uno's approval on this. what???? you kidding me?? what did i do? i told him don't bother, i'll talk to the big boss. and whadya know, i got the budget i wanted. and after that any project i worked on, i got a budget from the boss & didn't have to go running to haji bakhil each and every time i needed something.

so, what was my reply to rb? i told her that i don't have anything to say about him & she would get a better scoop by talking to his fellow comrades who are reaching a decade just like him or those who are 'air-conditioning' him. i don't normally bitch about my exes (in work or relationships) but they started it. i wasn't flattered that they should think i have fond memories of him. i have had bosses who were a bitch to work with but in actuality, they are a diamond in the rough & i am glad to say that i have them for friends and i have nothing but respect for them. and then there are the ones who seem so nice & understanding but in reality, are the shit for brains morons and i don't give a rats ass about them.

if you recall my post mind your own beezy-ness, you don't disturb me i'll leave you in peace. as rb said its hr's project - last i recalled, i stopped drawing a paycheck about two years back. so bugger off!! and i'll leave the she for when the company decides to award her for whatever it is they decide & if they are dumb enough to ask for my input again!!

ps - hilang pahala puasa. si katek tu punya pasal lah....

and they say love is dead...

this morning i went to deposit a cheque for the credit card payment (sigh!! is there no end to this??). just as i was about to enter the ebanking center, i saw this couple (quite old pakcik & wife) on their bike. the pakcik was dropping off the wife for work i suppose. my guess is the makcik works as a cleaner at the bank.

just as she was bending down to pick up the papers, atm chits, envelope seals that were strewn across all over the place, i noticed the hubby started helping her by sweeping the floor & picking up the rubbish. it warms the heart to see such love.

is it so difficult to take that extra few steps to dispose the rubbish into the bin? yeah yeah, some idiots might say 'but that's her job what!!'... what?? you live in a pig sty? is that what you do at home? do you just throw rubbish on the floor & expect your maid to pick up after you?

i had a dream....

i am not sure why but of late i have been having dreams when i sleep, which is not something that normally happens. mostly when morning comes, i have a vague recollection of my dream & i have never been one who is too bothered about it or what it means.

but one morning i kinda of woke up in a confused state of mind. i dreamt of... horrors of all horrors my mother-in-law!! yeah, yeah... i know i know i probably should have washed my feet before going to bed the night before. and to make it even scarier, in the dream she gave me a gift of expensive silk material to make baju kurung for the coming raya!! i mean my mil & i are not really the best of friends and of all people, she is the last person i would expect a gift from much less something pricey.

someone look out the window & tell me you are seeing pigs fly. or perhaps the latest in cnn that hell hath frozen over???

i think i do

the hubby volunteered to prepare this morning's sahur meal as yours truly is on a break. jools-wannabe decide to make burgers (albeit it being of the frozen type, never mindlah) & potato wedges. so the night before...

him: dah potong the kentang? (have you cut the potatoes?)
her: err, no. you can do that in the morning
him: tak sempat nanti (there won't be enough time). cut & put in the fridge lah
her: no needlah. it won't take very long to cut the potatoes la. okay lah, i'll help you *sigh*
him: okay okay. took our the burgers from the freezer 'd?
her: yesssssssss
him: wah!! so effecient one!!
her: then what you thought??
him: you bangun (waking up) ke tomorrow?
her: ya... i'm not so mean lah

so i had to drag my sleepy self out of bed at 330am to help him prepare the sahur meal. then when everything is ready, he says 'make scrambled eggs lah'... make la, make la...

well at least, after me washing up & clearing things - he was kind enough to let me sleep instead of turning on the tv. yeah, he did some time early this week. after the sahur meal, at about 430am he turned on the tv & was channel surfing whilst watching a series of live sporting events. of course i couldn't sleep with the glare & the noise from the tv. before i knew it, it was time to wake the daughter up & get ready to send her to school. just as i was about to get ready to start the day, darling hubby turns off the tv at 630am & is cozily going off to zzzzz land. huh!!??

that's him - my other half. god only knows how much i love him to death but there are times i just wanna smack his head.....

book review - jeffrey archer's a prisoner of birth

after my last book, it's been a while that i picked up another book to read. last saturday after sending the daughter for her music class, ventured into mph (a fave hangout to kill time). not really intending to buy anything (cos i still have a few books that haven't seen the light of day) but couldn't resist when i saw jeffrey archer's latest novel, prisoner of birth. i was patiently waiting for the paperback version. could. not. resist. had. to. buy. so bought lah. happy happy. like many of his other works, it is one i could not put down till i reached the end.


in summary - danny cartwright was arrested & charged with the murder of his best friend, who also happens to be his future bride's brother. and when the four prosecution witnesses are a barrister, a popular actor, an aristocrat & the youngest partner in an established firm's history; who is going to believe his side of the story? danny is then sentenced to twenty two years & sent to belmarsh prison, the highest security jail in the land where no prisoner has ever escaped. danny then goes on a quest to seek revenge while his fiancee is on a relentess quest to seek justice.

go here if you want to read an excerpt of this excellent book - http://www.jeffreyarcher.co.uk/excerpt-pob/1-18.pdf.


and thus begins my reading season where i will continue reading one book after another. till i get bored (not that i would get bored of reading but its like the monsoon season - it comes it goes it comes again) & won't pick up a book for ages till i get all excited again to read my latest buy & the season starts again. yeah, on & on it goes i guess....

i'm not missing me

yeah, its been a while since i logged on on the laps of mine & updated my blog. so what's been happening lately since i last rambled? nothing much really.

merdeka day - 31st august 2008
merdeka day came & went. it was the nation's 51st independence. it was a sunday so slept in a bit. at about 9ish, the hubby & i decided to have breakfast of nasi lemak bungkus & half boiled telur ayam kampung. mid breakfast, there was a black-out. then the daughter called said there's a black-out at home & ustaz cannot come up to the unit. so we had to call the ustaz to postpone the class. went back home. luckily the emergency lift was working, lest we have to walk all the way up to the 16th floor. thankfully the weather was bearable so we weren't hot & sweaty. went out for lunch & hoped for the electricity to come back after we got back but no such luck. a call to the guardhouse & they confirmed 'sedang dibikin puan'. a couple of hours later, a call to tnb & they said 'oh there's some maintenance work going on. it should be back in a while'. battery on all the laptops are out (thanks to the daughter & yours truly playing games). the hubby went out golfing, so the daughter & i went to a relatives place nearby. hung around till 7ish, then headed home for dinner. came back from dinner, still utter darkness. well, nothing to do in the dark.. so it was an early night for us & the cat included, sprawled out in the living room. just before midnight, the power came back on. lugged our blankies & pillows back to the rooms for a more comfortable sleep... and the next day is the first day of ramadhan


first day of ramadhan
time flew by & before we knew it, the fasting month beckons again. thankfully, today is a public holiday. woke up at 4am, woke the other two up for the sahur meal. for one whole month a year, we don't take rice & contribute a minimal portion of moolah to dutch lady (milk), kelloggs, nestle & post (cereal & oatmeal) - as this is our staple diet during the sahur.

as we abstain from food, drinks, smoking, all things evil (see, speak, hear, think) & sex - somehow there is a certain calm in us. no swearing (see, my post is swear free. now don't you wish this lasts, eh??). and it helps to rid our bodies of toxins & the shedding of a couple of kilos (or grams) is a plus. but only to put it all back in one day on the first day of raya. ahh, maybe won't pig out so much then... to make it more interesting the hubby & i are having a 'contest' to see who loses more by the end of ramadhan...


here & there...
so in between, i have been watching a lot of movies on dvd. will post soon on whats good & whats trash.. or at least what i think anyway...

oh!! mama olly popped & we welcome oliver kwok into the world. a healthy 3.1kg (me thinks) baby boy prince of con & ian. such a cutie (till he screams that is i suppose)...congrats mama olly.

so to my fellow muslims out there, selamat berpuasa & have a safe one.

men are just.....

received this via email the other day from a friend - MEN ARE JUST HAPPIER PEOPLE..

nicknames

• if laura, kate & sarah go out to lunch, they will call each other laura, kate & sarah.
• if mike, dave & john go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as fat boy, godzilla or four eyes.

and if the men can't for the life of them remember the names or its simply too long, just call them brader or dude... works either way

eating out

• when the girls get their bill, out comes the pocket calculators
• when the bill arrives; mike, dave & john will each throw in $20 even though the bill is only $32.50. none of them will have anything smaller & none will actually admit they want change back.

money

• a woman will pay $1 for a $2 item she doesn't need but it's on sale
• a man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs

bathrooms

• the average number of items in a typical woman's bathroom is 337. a man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.
• a man has seven items in his bathroom - toothbrush & toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, deodorant and a towel

arguments

• a woman has the last word in any argument
• anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument

future

• a woman worries about the future until she gets a husband
• a man never worries about the future until he gets a wife

success

• a successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend
• a successful woman is one who can find such a man

marriage

• a woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't
• a man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does
  

offspring

• a woman knows all about her children. she knows about dentist appointments & romances, best friends, favourite foods, secret fears, hopes & dreams
• a man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house

does that make men happier? women are from venus, men are just clueless...

in a hazy daze...

today marks the start of some things & the end of others. the olympics ended last night & after sixteen days of plonking the lazy tush on the sofa facing the idiot box, there is nothing interesting to watch anymore. no more chicken dance from lightning bolt, no more hot bod yelena isinbaeva, no more fabously chiselled swimmers / divers. till 2012 in london...

it is also the first day of school after the one week's holiday. didn't do much except for a family outing at a highland resort nearby in the mid of last week. same ole, same ole... it gets predictable & lame after one visit too many i guess. what the hell, i got sun burnt pulak!! so much for a cool getaway.

i guess i'm still in a hazy daze after the one week break. had to drag myself out of bed this morning to send the daughter to school. had to force myself to do some pottering in my 'garden' (to get rid of the dead plants, thanks to the haze before the other half starts on how i killed the plants) & hopefully can bring myself to resume my yoga / pilates / pt sessions (yeah, been slacking or maybe i should keep this off till after the fasting month??). oh yes, the fasting month starts sometime next week. but thats another thing all-together.

by the way, mph is having a book fair at the bandar utama community hall on the 27th august from 9am till 7pm (no i am not their spokesperson) but just helping fellow ulat buku out there. good time to do your christmas shopping (can never go wrong with books can you?), your secret santa & what have you... anyone wants to know what i want for christmas?

this post is going nowhere but who cares. i am entitled to a blur moment, ain't i?

what a pain in the neck

woke up in the middle of the night before with a sharp pain in the neck & shoulder blade area. damn!! disrupted sleep & a sore in the morning saw me through yesterday very helpless. every little action brought pain. took some muscle relaxants, did some strecthes & sort of chilled. it normally takes 24 hours to ease / get better so i just relaxed & hoped today it would be better.

woke up this morning with the pain & worse part is i could even lift my arms. felt like little pins poking my back. aghhh! enough is enough. decided to pay a visit to the friendly albeit pricey doctor. so a jab & rm214 poorer (and a whole lot of medication), i have been instructed to rest - no gym, no heavy lifting. she asked if i needed an mc (medical chit) for work. i asked her if she could issue an mc to excuse me from housework. she laughed...

feeling a tad better now with a little but bearable pain in the neck region, i am hoping it would be much better by later today. don't want to ruin the weekend by sitting upright like a wooden figure and not being able to do anything.

what a pain in the neck & after the jab, in the tush!!

this is me

when i first started on facebook, it was very addictive. i would go in everyday, add applications, look for friends / long lost contacts & add them as friends, do everything anything possible.

nowadays, i just log on once in a while to catch up on whats happening with my 'friends' (some whom i know for a while now & some i just got to know through fb and doubt we will ever cross paths).

one application i haven't done in a while is the superlatives (where friends think you are most likely to do) & characteristics (well, self explanatory don't you think). just today, someone characterized me as unpredictable. so i was browsing on what others thought of me. anyways, here's what those who know me think of me & what i am capable of doing.

i am most likely to....

• ...kick it with jesus someday (??). this means i am going to heaven ah? shame on you those who think i am the devil reincarnate...
• ...have the best personality. really ah? *flattered, blush blush*
• ...bring sexy back. hmm, although i have another friend who begs to differ. ah well....
• ...flash for $20. seriously?? puh-leeze lah, so cheap meh?? tsk tsk.
• ...slap your butt. yeah, if you have the firm round tush. someone i know can recognize a person from his / her butt (disturbing much?). hmmmm......
• ...fight a good cause
• ...to be best friends forever (until you do something horrible & be an utter pain in the arse)
• ...say something sarcastic. who? me? whatever makes you say that? well, i never!!!
• ...rock you like a hurricane. don't how how this is but yeah okay.
• ...live happily ever after. awww, how nice.

and they think i am...

• brave (eh? maybe i speak my mind, thus interpreted as brave??)
• honest (i do tell it as i see it. perhaps some may say i am blunt & find it a negative trait)
• creative (hmmm??)
• entertaining (ha ha ha...never saw that coming)
• funny (i do love a good laugh)
• hyper (huh? sounds like an out of control toddler in their terrible twos)
• intelligent (yeah okay)
• mischevious (this from my ex boss)
• relaxed (yeah okay)
• responsible (good good)
• sexy (ahahahahahahahhahahahahah)
• unpredictable (is this good or bad??)

well i guess most of what has been used to described me is good but do you actually tell a person their negative traits? can you bring yourself to be so honest with a person (and sometimes the truth hurts)?? so how do you judge a person? and how much truth is there in it?

there's always a first time

caught the men's singles finals badminton match last night between the worlds numbers 1, lin dan (we prefer to call him linda) & 2, malaysia's very own lee chong wei. can't call it an awesome match; more like cw was cowered into giving the game to linda.

well linda in no. 1 for a reason & he is bloody physically fit, runs around the whole court without breaking a sweat & he had the advantage of the home crowd who kept shouting 'lin dan, jiayou' (could hardly hear the cheers for cw).

so after beating cw 21-12 & 21-6, linda took home the gold medal while our homeboy became the first ever singles player to enter the finals at the olympics & bring home the silver. whatever it is, i am sure many a malaysian is extremely proud of cw & misbun (his coach) and what they have achieved. i had goosebumps watching him walking into the court for the match & couldn't help but feel proud when the malaysian flag flew along side the chinese flags during the award ceremony.

as much as we all wanted cw to bring home the coveted gold but i guess we are all equally proud of what he has achieved. so, he will only get rm300k & a monthly allowance of rm3k although i would have gladly prefered that he get the rm1m & pension of rm5k for the rest of his life. the hubby was saying its causing the taxpayers money. but think of it, would you rather it go to the sportsman (woman) who brought glory to the country or to the powers that be (or their spouses to spend at the hair-dressers daily)?

my choice is as good as any of yours......

p.s. as i am updating this blog, i am watching the olympic highlights, the 110m hurdles - and china's liu xiang (the defending olympic champion) walking away dejectedly as he is unable to compete in the event due to hamstring injury. as he walks away from the tracks, his country men are shedding tears & walking out to leave the stadium.... (sumpah keramat kot??)

its the holi, holidays....

today's the last day of school & then starts the one week holidays. which means, i have to make the eleventh hour's enquiries & reservations.

the daughter wanted to go to a nearby highland resort with some friends. dad relented, gave in & allowed her to go but felt uncomfortable with the daughter being in someone else's company. see the adults ferrying them there is a friend's friend's parents (yeah, its complicated like that). regardless its a day trip - the dad's twenty-one questions were like:

• what car does the dad drive? (the daughter doesn't even know the friend's friend)
• you know there are a lot of slopes there & its quite dangerous right?
• do you really want to go?
• can you promise to behave yourself?

he says he worries when she is out of her sight & if he worries, he can't golf well (uh, o.k.a.y). so i suggested that he can golf in the same resort. however, we would do our own thing & allow the kids to their own devices. and we'd make it an overnite trip instead. okay everybody agrees, is happy & i have to book the rooms. but now the girls (the daughter & her partner in chaos) doesn't want to hang out with friend & friend's friend; if the hubby & i are going along. well, no matter...

but then this morning the hubby suggests a beach resort pulak, say the highland place is boring lah & we just went there a couple of months back. so here i am while updating this rant space whilst surfing the net for available locations. and i just hate it that there is a 'click here for picture' & all you get is a picture of the bed up close. duh!!?? some people plan their holidays months ahead & here i am doing it like three days prior. so what do i get? sorry maam, we are fully booked...

sigh, planning for holidays are so stressful..... and the sniffles ain't helping much. ):

tv trivia

do you remember the tv series you practically grew up with? this morning on radio, they were reminiscing the series of yesteryears (or more recently like the o.c) & the deejays were playing the theme songs. it kinda was a ride down memory lane...see if you can remember the series of the images here & who the main stars were & where they are now.

released in 1962, it is a world war two drama, followed a frontline american infantry squad as they battled their way across europe. starred vic morrow, rick jason, pierre jalbert, jack hogan, dick peabody & conlan carter.


released 1977, it tells of the misadventures of two women & one man living in one apartment. main characters included the late john ritter, suzanne sommers & joyce dewitt.



released 1978, it tells of the drama in the life of the ewing family who is involved in the oil business. stars included larry hagman, patrick duffy, victoria principal, linda gray & charlene tilton amongst others.


released 1980, it chronicles the adventures of a hawaii based private investigator starring the dashing tom selleck (he has aged gracefully & you can catch him in las vegas season five onwards).

huge hit in 1981 introducing big hair & big shoulder pads, it is the saga of a wealthy denver family in the oil business - the carringtons. a whole load of stars, the notable ones were john forsythe, linda evans, joan collins and heather locklear.



1982 - the regulars of a boston bar share their experiences & lives with each other while drinking or working at the bar where everybody knows your name. who is in it? ted danson, shelly long replaced by kirstie alley later, rhea perlman, woody harrelson, kelsey grammer, john ratzenberger & george wendt.


a hit in 1983, it is about four vietnam vets framed for a crime they didn't commit who help the innocent while on the run from the military. starring george peppard, dwight schultz, mr. t & dirk benedict.

released in 1984, it tells of a renegade pilot who goes on missions as part of a deal for with a intelligence agency to look for his missing brother. main casts included jan-michael vincent, alex cord, ernest borgnine & jean bruce scott and a super cool advanced battle copter.



well if it isn't will smith in this 1990 hit playing a street smart teen from philly. his aunt & uncle, the banks take him into their mansion in bel air, and try to teach him to be responsible, mature & respectable...




of course there are a lots more but not enough space...sigh!! those were good times.