.: Award :.

Lost for words.

Had a few minutes to spare, browsed a couple of blogs in a jiffy and ...

Waahey~!

Halfway through thinking that she can't prolly be more outrageously lovely than she already is, a pleasant surprise lurks in the tremendously humble Sister Hijabee's entry. Plainly put, she got me bowled over. *as if you haven't done enough with your massively insightful posts* Gosh~! The things I can rave about you. If Sister Mina didn't award this to you ahead of time, I'm positive scores of us will. :)

Loads of gratitude for including me in the honours list. ^^ Finding myself to be rather undeserving for it. *Cool and me apparently don't walk together ... haha~* Sis will find this bit of news hard to digest. LOL.

Whilst I'm still exhibiting excessive levels of euphoria, and keeping in with the tradition of sharing the blissful occasion, I must nominate 10 uber cool blogs. * bah~ that's absurd!* Every single blog reveal coolness in its own way. Aih~ Unfortunately, I still have to. There are bound to be reiterations from previous nominations. Needless to say, I'm amplifying the coolness effect that your blog has on people, particularly me.

Hijabee :: Need I say more? Kudos to our Hijabee in DC!

Mamamona :: Love how she posts her days in Egypt. The stuff that she does with her sweet little angels always leave a pleasing feeling inside.^

Empress Anisa :: Possess the flair to create articulate, well-expressed stirring posts. Dear sister, please prioritize in getting the internet connection before unpacking your stuff. *joking!*

Umm Travis :: Her tea break thoughts coupled with spectacular photos are the very things that perk me up in any given day. :)

Miss Unique :: If I knew you before I went for Hajj, I would have made it a point to meet you in person. Surely a beautiful soul exists in you sis. Posts chock-full with notable reminders back-to-back.

Hajar :: She has the cutest bundles of joy~! *squeels* Reading her posts on her happenings with them is owh-so wonderful!

Yoli :: Another sister with equally cute kids! *bah~ I'm starting to sound like a ninny.* It's always a delight to read her entries. The inspiring poems, quotes, paintings ... extremely uplifting!

Sister Farhana :: One of the first lovely sisters that I know. Awesome book reviews along with updates on the ingenious noble projects that bring forth immense benefits for the well being of others. Glad to know you're back sis. ^^

Miss Ash :: Within her lies a pivotal role in unleashing that thriving poetess. Blimey! Your posts shock me, in a good way. All the best for your major exams! ^^

Lisa B :: A picture speaks a thousand words. Quite cliché. Spend some time to go over her blog, captivated in the glorious picturesque compositions as seen through her lenses. ~

To the ones not mentioned, it doesn't mean your blogs are any less inferior. As said earlier, each blog has its own distinct significance, and every one is cool. However, I do admit that I am being partial by not mentioning any blogs by brothers. The sisterhood in me is just screaming for attention. *kidding* For more cool blogs, the links are listed in here. :)

Lots of love from your Asian connection *quoting Hijabee*.

10.02pm Malaysian Time

.: My favourite things :.

The Sound of Music.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens;
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens;
Brown paper packages tied up with strings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels;
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles;
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes;
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes;
Silver-white winters that melt into springs;
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the dog bites,
When the bee stings,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Tagged by 2 wonderfully superb sisters, Hijabee and Ms. Unique. Thanks! ^^

If you've been tagged you have to add one more favorite thing to the end of the list:

This has got to be the most toughest tag I've ever done simply because I try not to have favourites, therefore I'll list out the first thing that pops into my mind. There may be moments of shilly-shallying ensuing blank or nonsensical answers. Kindly bear with me. :)

Favourite colour: Sky blue.

Favourite perfume(guys): I don't smell guys ...

Favourite perfume (girls): I don't smell girls either ...

Favourite pj brand: I doubt it even has a brand. :P

Favourite clothes brand in general: None. I normally wear the Malay traditional Baju Kurung. It's the only thing that I wear that will not get me mistaken as anything, but Malay. A follow-up post coming up later. :)

Favourite person in the entire world: My dad.

Favourite country: Malaysia. Patriotism.

Favourite car: RC cars. *I'm still a kid ... coughs*

Favourite sport: Walking is a sport.

Favourite sport player : Lee Chong Wei. Malaysia's pro badminton player.

Favourite spot in America: No idea. Never been there.

Favourite animal: Hamster. *My brother once said if you squeeze a hamster, its eyes will stick out. I refuse to allow him to go anywhere near my hamsters. Presently, I have no more.*

Favourite movie: Secret, The Secret That Cannot be Told.

Favourite singer: My dad. :)

Favourite day in the week: Friday.

Favourite time of the day: Morning.

Favourite holiday season: Monsoon season. *we have a tropical climate*

Favourite number: 21

Favourite food: Mum's cooking.

Favourite chocolate: Don't make me choose. Please.

Favourite cartoon: Bleach. *it's an anime*

Favourite blogger: Ms. Unique *Love the poetry pieces* :)

Favourite Flavour Ice Cream: Noo!!! I really can't choose!

Favourite Mobile Brand: Sony Ericsson.

Favourite name: Fa'ad. *it's my brother's name. as in my real brother.*

Favourite hobby: Sleeping. :)

Favorite room in my house: The guest room.

Favourite Fruit: Persimmons.

Favourite fictional book: Alice in Wonderland & Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

And I add ::

Favourite flower: Baby's breath.

Tagging Kak Chik, Ihssan, Ummi, Hajar, and Redanna. Update, 4.45pm :: Extended to Miss Ash.

To the others, feel free to join in the fun. ^^

9.55am Malaysian Time

.: Kitchen sessions :.

5th day of holidays.

My parents are here, so mum roped me in her cooking spree. Coincidentally, my cousin MSNed me asking whether I'm going anywhere since I still have a long stretch of holidays. I said yes, and the destination is the kitchen.*Family are fairly used to my level of irony. coughs*

The leafy greens are i.e. Daun Kunyit [turmeric leaves], Daun Pisang [banana leaves], Daun Kari [curry leaves]. If these sound familiar to you, it's also used in Indian cookery. As I'm feeling cheeky today, I'll list out a few Malay herbs i.e. Daun Kesum, Daun Kaduk, Daun Mengkudu, Pucuk Ubi and I doubt anyone is still with me now. :) Truthfully, I don't think there are any English names for it. *Anyone can prove me wrong on this?* Otherwise, I am clearly unaware of it. Lastly, is the tempe [fermented soy beans], a synonymous ingredient in southern cooking.

• Samosa filling wrapped in Popiah skin :: Did a few triangular samosas, then I became sluggish. Had a smashing good time pounding the coriander seeds to smithereens. ^^
  
• Kuih Kaswi :: Steamed rice cakes mixed with palm sugar, normally eaten with slightly salted grated coconut. In the old days, mum used to use Chinese porcelain tea cups as moulds. I must have broken most of it as a kid, so we had to make do with the plastic ones.
  
• Kuih Lopes :: Steamed glutinous rice, sprinkled with slightly salted grated coconut, drizzled with palm sugar. Thought that mum made bak chang. Never felt so cheated in my whole life.
  
• Sweet Popiah :: Stuffed tahina [sesame seed paste] in the leftover Popiah [Spring rolls] skin. In Malacca, they're famous for their Ais Krim Goreng [fried ice-cream]. Wanted to imitate it by stuffing ice-cream, but I ended up consuming the ice-cream instead. *pathetic*
• Pais Ikan :: Fish stuffed with paste, steamed in banana leaves. Besides steaming, another method is to grill it. *We had this for lunch today* :)
  
• Poori :: My aunt made curry. Decided to make poori as we were tired of rice. Astonishingly, it turned out good for a first time. Aunt did the frying, I ate. *haha~!* Other than eating, I made the dough, kneaded and rolled it. :) First time I had Poori was in school. Enchanted on how efficient the Indian lady was doing it, I was resolved in having a go at it. She was all the more obliging to entertain me, although she only allowed me to make chapatis in fear I might scald myself when frying the pooris.
  
• Caramel Custard :: A year had gone by yet I'm still not over this craze over the devilishly tantalizing caramel custard. We had ice-cream and fruit cocktail left behind, therefore I threw those in. *We had this after lunch today* :) Quite a hot day, so it was just what we needed. Would have made some tong sui, alas I succumbed to my cravings. :)
  
• Pancakes :: I prefer to call it lempeng [Malay pancakes]. Made some cinnamon flavored ones, topped with ice-cream, butter and golden syrup.
  

For the time being, mum is having a blast teaching me food chemistry, having talks on recipes, even cooking methods. I suppose, this can be taken as an approach in strengthening our mother-daughter relationship. Moreover, aunt and sis have become the ultimate food critics. Who says cooking can't be nerve-racking?

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

Once during lunch, we brought one of my brothers *in some way, I think of him as more of a dad* to a Malay restaurant, complete with the traditional Malay settings to have a taste of authentic Malay food. *there were a couple of other foreigners in our group*

Brother :: So sister, can you cook this?
Me :: Yeah. Taste will differ a little, but yeah.
Brother :: So does that mean we can come to your house?

Now he's just being cute.

6.09pm Malaysian Time

.: 万事如意 :.

Literal translations;

10,000 things as one's wish. Meaning, may all your wishes come true.

.: Typical Chinese New Year greetings in Malaysia ::
A special wish for all celebrating the Year of the Ox.

恭喜发财
Pin Yin :: gōng xǐ fā cái!
English :: Wishing you prosperity and good fortune!

祝你新年快
Pin Yin :: zhù nǐ xīn nián kuài lè!
English :: I wish you a Happy New Year!

For added genuineness, clasp your hands together in front of you as you say it to your acquaintances, friends and family members. *strangers included* Go around, offer Mandarin oranges, and the best part for unmarried individuals is ... collect hong bao / ang pow! *red packets / envelope*

To friends :: Hong bao na lai! *haha~ Joking. I learnt that from the telly.* :P

________________________________________________________

Up till 4am, our skies were still lit up with fireworks, accompanied with the ricochets of Chinese firecrackers. Nonetheless, the atmosphere last night was amazing. At home, we had our own reunion dinner. *minus the yee sang*

鞭炮声太吵了 - The firecrackers were too noisy!

10.16am Malaysian Time

.: Retrospect :.

یک روز دیدی دوست، روزی دیگر دیدی برادر

The first day you meet, you are friends. The next day you meet, you are brothers.

Afghan proverb

In my former workplace, I had to take care of a group of Afghanistan students. There were about 11 of them, 10 guys and a girl.

The guard revealed that the girl is having adjustment problems, spending her time cooped up in her room, crying. Although she’s older than me, I always thought of her as a younger sister. *I am old, really. :)* So I went to talk to her, with intentions of alleviating her homesickness. Language made my efforts futile. Thus, I relied heavily on the Sikh guard.

Sometimes I see her sitting on the slopes, gazing intensely at the sky as if she’s trying hard to see the images of her hometown. Whenever I’m able to, I’ll join her. With the limited conversations, I found bits and pieces of her world. She speaks affectionately of her mum, her fiancé, and her friends.

Days, weeks and months went by. Gradually, she settled herself. Calls from her started to disappear. It didn’t matter; as long as I know she’s fine. *the Sikh guard kept me informed* A year passed and she went back to Afghanistan, all smiles.

I experienced homesickness a long time ago. Perhaps you may not even call it as that as I was only 6 or 7. Over the years, I have come to terms on dealing with it to the point that I hardly call home because I never feel like I’m away. Friends get puzzled on my capacity to distance myself. Sis on the other hand says I have a heart of stone. *it’s in the name; hajar in Arabic is stone. trust my siblings to name me* Seeing her situation, made me realize that I may had gone a little overboard on the independent stage. It made me reflect on my actions, to spare more thought on family ties.

When she left, I was at home. We never really got to say goodbye. If she ever reads this, I have one thing to say to her.

Sister Shukriya, shukriya. :)

10.16am Malaysian Time

.: Nameless mosque :.

In Wangsa Maju, K.L.

"When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece."

John Ruskin 1819-1900, British Critic, Social Theorist

Alhamdulillah, I'm finally able to post some photos. ^^ The last time I came to the mosque in Dec. it was still nameless. There's a religious school, school canteen and quarters within the vicinity. I didn't manage to snap any shots of the interior as it was still under construction. Anyway, awed by its brilliance, it was worth the hike up the steep hill. One of these days, Insya'Allah I'll go there again.

It's a brand new day tomorrow!

11.50pm Malaysian Time

.: Crack of dawn :.

As far as my feet will take me.

Do you have one of those days when you just feel like being in seclusion?

Not the ones where you choose to lock yourself out from the world. More of doing things alone, toying with time to value the things around.

There are times when I’ll go to places on my own. It can be a park, an exhibition, the bookstore, pavements, even the mosque, just about anywhere that my feet take me. Often I’ll find myself in high or open spaces when amongst throngs of people, tuning them out becomes natural, all in the name of disentangling from home, work, friends, family and everyday affairs, opting to commune with the great outdoors together with the idea of being lost in the inexplicable wondrous marvels of life.

Once there, my tools are a pen and a notebook. Scribbling, doodling, sketching thoughts that pass through my mind, the camera helps in permeating the memory lapse I may undergo in future. *the brain has gone on a sharp strike, give it some space or it’ll burst*

Times like these, even the flutter of a mere leaf is enough to set me on the ride of a never-ending escapade in seeing things in diverse angles. The simplicity of noticing things, bewildered with the seemingly incomprehensible outlook. There are lessons learnt in writings, the media, some from experiences, and others from people. Grasping the gist straight from the sources itself, is the added alternative.

Amid the hustle and bustle of city life, omit the daily sights and sounds surrounding you. Imagine that you are all alone. Try to listen and see the little things. In the dead silence, do you hear the whispers of the winds? Do you feel it brushing against you? Do you see it blowing gently through your flowing garments? Otherwise, do you sense or savor its purity? Do you spot the child enjoying every last bit of it? And do you allow yourself to let loose the child in you?

The winds reveal itself in a myriad of ways. So do other things. It’s just about looking at it from a different perspective, and the extent of finding the means of viewing it. I suppose, mine is more apt when I’m alone since I don’t fancy spacing out in a company of family or friends. *I find it rude* However, it has been done before, unintentionally. In public, strangers tend to interrupt, but it is more of me taking the dive into their world.

Of course, one need not always venture out. In most situations, I do it in the comfort of home, albeit it frequently happen in the wee hours resulting to the constant disposal on sleep, hence I try to schedule it every other day so as not to cause any disruptions in health, and day activities. *the passion for sleep typically gets overridden by thoughts*

Moving on, Blogger is being extra cute, it won't let me upload pics. Going south plans are canceled as my uncle is having an operation today. *it's a minor one but the thing about family is no matter how little it may be, they'll be there* Mum and dad will reach here later. The silver lining on top of this is, my Chinese New Year holidays starts tomorrow till 2nd Feb!

Awesome! :)

5.44am Malaysian Time

.: Brief hiatus :.

The Year of the Ox.

Approximately 1 week to go, and the Chinese New Year [CNY] vibes are almost everywhere, hence I shall spend the last days of the year of the Rat on wrapping up as much work as possible. *the office will be dead* Next post will most probably be on Friday.

Stuff that I scribbled ::

• Sometime ago someone requested for an article on time management. I guess I'm in no position to write anything on that since I have been very bad at it lately. Insya'Allah, after the CNY break.
  
• Is it just me or is there an upsurge on the number of reverts in KL?
  
• A comment from my Mandarin teacher; "Every time I speak to you, you remind me of the people of my hometown." I speak like a Sichuanese! *Cool~ I should have heeded my aunt when she said I should become a linguist*
• Read my Chinese horoscopes for the year of the Ox. It predicted that I shall become domesticated. *sarcasm* I have been doing lots of cooking. *The only language of love that I speak of that has anything to do with this world revolves around food!* Sis is really pushing it by getting me to do the chores. The other day I joked with her saying we should really get a weekend maid, and she said "What for when we have you?". For crying out loud, I may just end up like one of those housewives that sings, dances, topped with plastered smiles radiating in euphoria, over chores. *I know some people do enjoy chores. I do. To a certain extent. More than that may result to me being mentally deranged. Am in full admiration to all that does it well. All hail the supermums!*
  
• I'm heading south this weekend @ CNY! *not my hometown* Mum called yesterday whether I can pop-over to help her make cookies and love letters. *coughs* Going there also means that I may be able hike up the hill, to finally sketch that isolated temple. *the audacity ... coughs* I need dad to distract mum, at least until I get halfway up there. :)
  

Love letters :: Also known as Kuih Kapit or Kuih Sepit. Kapit or Sepit when used here roughly carries the same meaning, that is pressed tightly. It is derived from the cooking method, thereby one pours the batter on the mould, closing it tightly. I liken it to crispy thin waffles, with a crepe-like texture. Tourism Penang has the recipe in case anyone wants it. *what were you thinking? That I actually agree to help mum make real love letters? I won't get pass the first sentence!*

To Malaysians :: You may want to view this blog; Coalition of Malaysian NGOs Against Persecution of Palestinians [COMPLETE]. They launched a 'Save the Palestinians' campaign yesterday. Here's their FB account link if you want to be kept updated.

The Sisterhood of Travelling Hijab :: Been meaning to write on this. Not sure if Hijabee is still accepting participants or has the blog been made private. Anyway, do a quick blog-hop there if you're interested. ^^

So much to write, so much to be done. Bah~

Addendum; 1.54pm.

9.54am Malaysian Time

.: Absolute bleakness :.

Strewn over the skies of Gaza.

When I look at my sins I find them plenty,
But when I recount Allah's favor upon me I find it infinite.
I have no hope in my good deeds,
I only hope in Allah's mercy.
He is my Guardian, He is my Creator,
And I have entrusted myself unto Him as one who is weak and frail.
If I am forgiven it is because of His Mercy,
And if I am not forgiven, what can I do, what will be my fate?

Abu Nuwas, Al-Munabbihat

I suppose I'm still awfully upset with the perpetual onslaught in Palestine, trying to divert myself, in vain. Home greets me with agonizing reports starting with the 8pm national news followed by added updates from Al Jazeera. Retreating to the room, in the effort to isolate oneself from the harsh reality, leaves little hope when one is unable to barricade the mind from it. Torn apart with the devastating state, the few things that's been keeping the spirits away from the dumps are the du'as and prayers, along with the notion that Insya'Allah, things will work out. Eventually.

Nevertheless, many a time, I hear people claiming that casualties are mostly brought upon themselves. That it's Allah S.W.T way to admonish the nonbelievers; sinners. Under what basis do they substantiate the soundness? Who are we to condemn the outcomes of people? For us that are blessed with vast fortuity, granted freedom from strife, are we really free from transgressions? Or could it be that time is ticking at our side ... subliminal to our line up ...

The emergence of the ugly side of people.

9.02pm Malaysian Time

.: An air of vileness :.

Obscuring the little minds.

This was my response to Sister Mona's post, Terror.

I had this talk with my sis a couple of days ago. I was telling her how disturbed I felt having the images splashed allover the telly, to which she said they're just showing facts. Facts, yes yet the audience comprises of other ages that may not be able to comprehend it. Kids are highly imaginative, and you never know how they digest this kind of information. These days, I remove myself from the telly and prefer to read it online.

As it is, I have little cousins that swear in their daily conversations. The amount of garbage they spoke of, mostly taken from the telly. Throughout my early years, family monitored my telly access. My siblings used to cover my ears and eyes if there's anything improper. Even so, they keep me abreast of what's happening, minus the visual aids.

We don't want you to be grateful of what you have only after seeing the sufferings of others. We are not shielding you from seeing the truth. We are teaching you to see it from your mind, your heart, not just from your eyes or ears.

Don't ever show Child's Play to your kids. They might turn out the way I do.*my brother had it around the house* On the war, after seeing one too many images, I still have vivid nightmares of the bloody massacre. I can't even begin to imagine what it does to kids.

Sleepless nights are becoming a norm.

9.44pm Malaysian Time

.: The harvest festival :.

Of South India.

Was on my way home yesterday when I noticed Indian shops massively laden with sugar canes, mithais, earthenware etc. everywhere, in addition to the shops packed with patrons. Text my friend asking her what it's all about. According to her, Pongal is here!

Pongal is a harvest festival - the Tamil equivalent of Thanksgiving. In an agriculture based civilization the harvest plays an important part. The farmer cultivating his land depends on cattle, timely rain and the Sun. Once a year, he expresses his gratitude to these during the harvest festival. With the end of the wet month of Margazhi (mid December to mid January) the new Tamil month of Thai heralds a series of festivals. The first day of this month is a festival day known as "Pongal Day". Pongal means the "boiling over" of milk and rice during the month of Thai.

Information taken from the Society for the Confluence of Festivals in India [SCFI] website, Pongal Festival.

Having stayed here for most of my life, I have yet to know every festival celebrated by Malaysians allover. I only got to know about Pongal 2 years ago, and that was because my colleague took the day off. Obtained most of the Indian festivals, customs etc. knowledge from her as well as my colleagues from India.

Have a wonderful Pongal everyone!

9.30am Malaysian Time

.: The two aunties :.

And their husbands.

Mecca, we shared our room with 2 aunts; namely Auntie Laili and Auntie Radziah.

Auntie Radziah :: Her husband is the muezzin for the floor. Auntie Radziah joked on how she has grown tired of his voice, until one day when we didn’t hear him for Fajr. Apparently, he overslept. Each morning, without fail he’d knock at our doors, bringing her breakfast. Since we normally go out together, naturally her husband will inquire from us if he can’t find her. Auntie Laili claims that Auntie Radziah’s husband is really her boyfriend as he’s paranoid of where she’s at along with his perpetual coddling. *it never struck to me on how frantic he can be when he loses sight of her*

Auntie Laili :: Apart from talking about her family; the warm, affable, affectionate person that she is, also shares her food with us. *she has ample supply of pomegranates* At one point in time, I was very sick, yet it didn’t stop her from indulging me with treats. *I was addicted to Crème Caramel and Dannette products.* Trust me; it helps to consume sweets after shoving rancid stuff down your throat. *medicine is rancid* Furthermore, she found amusement with my eating habits. *I learnt how pregnant people supposedly eat from her*

Sis :: How can you eat those stuff? It's too sweet!
Me :: With utmost joy!

All along Auntie Laili thought I’m in my teens. Not wanting to lead her on, I told her I’m much older. It didn't make any difference. Her treatment was still the same. *added with a couple of chocs. the saying that the way to a guy's heart is really through his stomach seems to work for me too :)* Additionally, she likes to tease me when my sister’s adopted lil’ brother comes over or if any guys try to talk to me.

Auntie Laili :: Aww~ they want to be friends with you. So sweet~

Mum might have thought otherwise. :)

11.11am Malaysian Time

.: Cape no. 7 :.

A film by Wei Te-Sheng.

"Everybody’s heart harbors an undelivered love letter …"

The highest-grossing film ever in Taiwanese box-office history. Director Wei, a former assistant director under the legendary Edward Yang, has exquisitely portrays a hidden love from the 1940’s Japanese-occupied Taiwan. Unable to disclose his affection for a Taiwanese lady prior to returning to Japan, a Japanese teacher reveals his love in seven unforgettably passionate letters. Although these letters weren’t mailed until some 70 years later, they ignite a series of events and become a catalyst of another inter-cultural love affair.

As much as I hate to admit that I’ll most probably cry my heart out on this one, there are some things that I don’t mind crying for. I have high hopes for Cape No. 7. Furthermore, I am resolute on getting the DVD and OST, which includes Heidenröslein, the poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Get it released already! Gya~ !

1.03pm Malaysian Time

.: Honest scrap :.

10 random things about me.

I was tagged by the ever so lovely Miss Ash and Ms. Unique. Both tags had different headings, albeit the mechanism is similar.

a) first list 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!
b) pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.

Spoilers :: I'll be repetitive and the honest facts are basically FAQs that I've gotten from readers. :P

1. I'm from Malaysia. Being somewhat specific, I'm residing in Kuala Lumpur. No, I don't live in a jungle.
2. I have yet to grasp the ways of consuming medicine; tablets, capsules, the likes. Yes, I still bash 'em up. No, it's not cute.
3. There are no fabrications in my writings. If you correspond with me, there are no fibs either. My rational is, why lie when you can choose not to say about it. Besides, what's the point of making up stories when Allah S.W.T knows everything.
4. I have done some pretty stupid and crazy stuff. Hajj made me rethink on my actions, thus I'm making amendments as time goes by. As I told a friend, I can be no angel but I'm just trying to make myself a better person.
5. The only accessory I use is my spectacles. Without it, I'm lost, literally.
6. I hate heels.
7. I also hate make-up.
8. I love food. :)
9. Friends and family still hold my hand when I want to cross the road.
10. Figuratively, I'm old. Haha~ Friends and family think I should really act my age. I like to say, I possess the leisure pursuits of an old hag. ^

Passing this to Erin, Hajar, Heryanti, Yoli, Solace, Kakchik, and Empress Anisa.

Anything else, will have to wait.

10.15am Malaysian Time

.: Getting to know you :.

Getting to know all about you~

7am, departmental trip. Thought of having some time to myself, having a walk at the beach. Never occurred to me that one of my friends wanted to tag along. So I had my morning walk with him. He’s from Hyderabad, India. Yes, he’s married, has a kid and I know his wife.

Anyway, he was concerned whether I’d feel uncomfortable since I sort of hesitated to budge when he said he’s coming along. The hesitation was because I never really talk to him, so I thought the walk might create an awkward moment. From another perspective, perhaps it may be for the better, and it did.

He talked about his hometown. On how it’s like. The people, the environment on how different it is with Malaysia. Living in the countryside, they didn’t have a proper piping system, relying heavily on the river. Thus he talked about how he used to have walks at the riverbanks with family and friends. After all those years staying here, he has yet to adapt to the Malaysian food.

Me: Get your wife to cook it then. That’s what she’s for. *I was joking on this*
Friend: No no no! She still cannot cook like my mum!
Me: Then you should have married your mum, shouldn’t you?

While walking, we came across some locals. Curious to know what they were doing, he asked me to be the translator as if I wasn’t curious myself. I’ll say that his Malay proficiency is on par with my Hindi proficiency. At work, he does all the Hindi talking for us. Without him, it’d take us ages with the hand signals. One of my former colleagues calls him the baby of the office cos he’s really like a baby. He goes around calling me Ms. Siti, after various desperate attempts to get him to call me Hajar failed.

Another Friend: Don’t make his life harder Hajar.
Me: I haven’t even tried.

It’s amazing how working with him for months, I only knew so little about him but just a couple of hours, I know his life story.

Shall we dance?

8.49pm Malaysian Time

.: School field :.

Lying there after school.

# Hi, what are you doing?

~ Looking at the sky.

# Why?

~ If you join me, I might tell you.

# So, will you tell me why?

~ Why do you think?

# I don't know. Maybe you like to see the clouds sailing.

~ I do. But it's not because of that.

# Are you telling me?

~ People always ask me this question. Don't you look at the sky sometimes?

# Yes. Just to check the weather.

~ Do you wonder whether at this moment, someone, somewhere is looking at the sky and wondering of the exact same thing?

# Never thought of that.

~ I know. Like well, at least I think most people don't.

# Why does this fascinate you?

~ I don't know. It just does.

# Then, there is no point.

~ Why did you come and ask me questions?

# Because I wanted to know what are you doing.

~ Why?

# I just want to know. Is that wrong?

~ No. That's the same thing, right?

# But you will never know whether that someone exist.

~ I never said the person exist. That's why I said I wonder.

# Don't you want to know? If there is such a person?

~ Are you looking at the sky?

# Yes.

~ :)

The stranger left earlier than I did. I never got to know who the person was. I don' t even know how the person looked like because I was too absorbed with my thoughts and the sky. Now, if only I can find a field where I can lie down on my own, without getting awkward stares or any intrusions.

The clouds are poofy today.

9.20pm Malaysian Time

.: The Palestinians :.

Another sleepless day.

Currently in the office having my daily dosage of blogging updates from the lovely sisters that I've come to know over the last few months. Still have 10mins left till work officially starts. It's amazing how I can drag myself to work even with the weariness. *I have a meeting, that must be it*

Went through Empress Anisa's post "Donations For Israel" and was led on to Ange's entry "Boycott Israel". In Facebook, I got to know that one of my cousins is going for the protests in London. *did she throw her heels?* Then there are the donations drive info including the urgency to conduct prayers and du'a for the Palestinians.

Truthfully, I'm not the kind to do any form of protesting or boycotting albeit I am mindful to the fact that these acts do indeed serve its purposes thereby when people refuse to make the purchases, sales revenues go down, therefore these companies will not be able to provide substantial monetary assistance to the Israelites. However, I remain doubtful on the validity along with the reliability of the list.

On the other hand, not because I don't give a damn on what goes on in the world, rather I prefer to say that I'm concerned on the people that actually work for these companies for their livelihood. *in reference to our Muslim brothers and sisters* Hearing the talks on how the economy is affecting them, added with the news of the community boycotting 'their' products, they are petrified with the idea that this may cause possible salary cuts and even retrenchment.

There are many ways of seeing this. One can say that through the boycotts, our voices may be heard, the transgressions may be stopped, that peace and harmony throughout humanity will eventually be restored. Optimistically, that is the ideal conclusion that just about everyone wants. For that reason, I shall have no say on whether it is right or wrong to conduct boycotts.

As a frugal and controlled shopper, I make purchases in 5 out of the massive list of labels mentioned, which if I were to elaborate further is likened to a once in a blue moon occurrence. Of late, I admit that I've been having take-outs from Starbucks and McDonald's for friends primarily because they refuse to let me foot the bill. For now, that's the only way I could think of to reciprocate.

A message from the government :: "Belilah barangan buatan Malaysia." - buy products made in Malaysia. Guess I'll hit these joints then. ^^

Another day at work.

9.00am Malaysian Time

.: Awake :.

I stand corrected.


5.30am.

I've yet to fall asleep. Probably the caffeine is finally kicking in. Recalled the last time I had some Japanese coffee, it made me sleepless for 3 days. Wonder if Starbucks can overshoot that. Well, the time is not wasted. Up till now, I've managed to complete reading 2 books and drafted some stuff.

Earlier, I met up with a friend and her friend; a guy. He said something about seeing me as a good mother plus a bunch of other stuff. *this came from someone that met me for the 1st time* I find this mentally disturbing. *which may explain the restlessness* As I'll be meeting up with my friend again tomorrow, I'll be cornering her on the kind of stuff that she's been telling people about me, particularly guys that I know nothing of. Need to get this off my system.

Like always, I'll take the cab when I'm supposedly late. *in actual fact, i was 5 hours early ... being stood up is quite a norm, that's why I always have books with me* Told cabbie I'm going to KL Sentral. He inquired whether I'm meeting anyone and the gender. I said, my friend, female. *honestly, I didn't know my friend was going to bring her friend with her* Cabbie started preaching to me on how bad it is to lie and that it's alright to admit I'm meeting up with a guy. I stood my ground by insisting that my friend is a she, only to be followed with further preachings on the sinful act of lying. *what does it take to trust people nowadays? don't people take your word for real anymore?*

Perhaps the lack of sleep is making me cranky. O~hey, it's 7.10am and ermm ... I'm still ... awake? After all that had happened, let's see whether I can get some shut eyes after all. Also, I might as well throw this in ... how does one force oneself to go to the Land of Nod? Sure have my own ways, still it is great to know the ways of others.

Good morning. :)

7.18am Malaysian Time

.: Eyes closed :.

And I'm back in time.

You’re going to switch schools.

I smiled, nodded and did my usual stuff.

The next morning, as I looked outside the windows of the school bus with beads of raindrops trickling at the sides, I asked myself …

Why is the sky crying?

Only then I realized, I'm crying with it.

The idea was unfathomable. No amount of reasoning was enough to alter mum’s decision. Dad tried to console me, to no avail.

They have their reasons.

~ Then why won’t they tell me?

Because we are kids.

~ The sky is crying again.

Don’t cry with it.

~ I can’t.

...

8.44am Malaysian Time