Opening Up..

Spring time in London

2011-06-13T20:56:00.002+08:00

Was in London recently with Aliah. Her first trip. I was away for work.. Some pics here.. We went to Stamford Bridge. Aliah berpaling team from the 'setan merah' to the Blues :-)

Had a seminar in Cambridge. Went for the punting tour the day after. Great sights! Weather was excellent, sunny and warm.

Two things that Aliah wanted to do: (1) Justin Bieber at Madame Tussauds, and (2) Sherlock Holmes museum. We did both on the first day we were there. Gumbira bergambar with JB. Wax pun wax lah... The usual sights of London. I just cannot get enough of the Big Ben hahaha

We both had fun!

Makan2 Arabic Food

2011-05-04T20:35:00.002+08:00

Was at lunch with the AL9'ers recently. Akhirnya dapat jugak join the boys after week-after-week "listening" to their lunch makan session.

This outlet is in Seksyen 13 Shah Alam. Jalan Rugbi 13/30 if I'm not mistaken.. Sedap.. we had the chicken and lamb mandhy.. nyummy!

Balik tu drive slowly je to KL and had to play the music loudly supaya tak terlelap :-)

Other half: next time i take u here ehh

Wing's Opera Hidup

2011-05-04T20:27:00.003+08:00

Was at Wing's Opera Hidup concert at Istana Budaya on 29 Apr with the other half. It was full house and apparently tix were sold out! It was great!! The best concert so far.. Sound system was superb, the orchestra was excellent and i came out pekak telinga :-)

Selection of songs was good too.. Mus May, Jojet and Mel were also invited. So layan jugaklah the songs during their zaman. Didn't notice that Mus had 5 albums while he was with Wings.

Had lots of fun. Think the other half did too, although i sang a lot more than him hahaha Lain kali bawak saya lagi ehh.. :-)

"...Tinggal kenangan
Gagal segala impian
Tinggal bertanya
Erti sejati

Kenangan itu
Hanya mainan bagimu
Tinggal bertanya
Erti sejati
Yang telah engkau janjikan dulu..."

The Bieber Fever

2011-04-19T20:49:00.002+08:00

The girls are so crazy over this JB! Send three giggling girls (Aliah & 2 cousins) to watch the movie over the weekend. Keluar semua happy.. and sorry girls, movie only. Too young for concerts :-)

The Movie Theme Park - Universal Studios, Singapore

2011-02-02T20:35:00.005+08:00

We finally went to Universal Studios in Singapore! The plan was to go last school holidays but we couldn't get tickets. This time, we had no plans to actually go. It was supposed to be the zoo but Long suggested we try to see if there are tickets.. and the rest is history and here are some pics to share.

The theater was good! We got the front seats and it was full! it was a musical do - monsters doing rock and roll stuff.

Had to queue to have this pic taken..

There was Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, the penguins in Madagascar, Kungfu Panda, some Egyptian character from Mummy returns, Shrek etc..

It rained and rained while we were there, so this the nearest we could get to this ball..

Kononnya macam kat US la.. like real! Aliah asked if those doors can actually take us to the shops, so suggested she open them. Of course lah facade je! hehehe

It was the Madagascar characters on the carousel. We took the ride, of course.. my fav!

Aliah with the yellow cab.

The best ride was the roller coaster ride on Revenge of the Mummy. scary giler and was great! it was in the dark. Yours truly was too scared not knowing what to expect, and kept silent the whole ride! At one point, thot the ride would be reversed. adoiii.. semput jugak lah bila keluar.. perhaps too old for stuff like this hahahaha

The other awesome was the 4D Shrek. Yes, in 4D.. when the donkey sneezed, muka pun kena air! Bila spiders datang, kaki pun boleh rasa macam ada spiders lalu - apa lagi, jerit lah! it was a real watch and fell thingy. cleverly done!

Universal Studios came out to be a bit of a disappointment. some rides were closed, especially the scariest roller coaster ride, Battlestar Galactica. Perhaps, after the wide range of rides in Ancol, Universal Studios is like a fraction of it only.. kejap je dah habis.. But it was fun, for sure!

Fun in Taman Impian Jaya Ancol - Dunia Fantasi

2011-02-02T20:22:00.003+08:00

We were in Jakarta over the long Taipusam weekend. Spent a day in this theme park in Ancol, called Dunia Fantasi or DUFAN. Aliah had a great time on the roller coaster and bumper car :-) It rained and rained, we got drenched in Anjung Jeram, dried and got wet again due to the rain.

Aliah had a try in this Bola Gelo, trying to stand straight.. tengok pun letih..

Went on this roller coaster sampai hilang suara menjerit. Aliah tak puas hati, wanted to go another round..

This was after Anjung Jeram, where we came out drenched!

Merry go round - the ride that i will not miss :-)

All in all, it was a great place to chill. We were there from open to close. Since it was Friday, the park only opened at 2.30pm. It closed at 8pm. Had fun!

Exam Fever

2010-12-20T11:47:00.004+08:00

Skipped 2 semesters and I'm back to taking exams this semester, with the other half too. Done with one paper last week and another this afternoon. Left with one more paper and perhaps one thesis and I'm done! Learnt so much.. and grateful for that.

Here's pics.. countdown to study and one kopi session after the Takaful paper. Tak tahu berapa banyak latte i had past one week :-)

At INCEIF's library, just a day before the exam.. Baru lah nak cari reference book :-)

At kedai kopi - study and chilling out. There's also Starbucks, but dah delete the pic.

The Dash - Linda Ellis

2010-12-13T08:22:00.003+08:00

Read this on The Star Online and decided to google the poem. A reminder to self. And here's to sharing..

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard.

Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

Appreciate the people around you - spouse, kids, family, friends. Appreciate what you have. Stop comparing. Compromise a bit more. Spend more time with loved ones. Spend more time doing what you enjoy. Ask less. Enjoy life. Life is short..

Snippets: KL-Paka-Dungun-KL Trip

2010-10-31T12:45:00.005+08:00

Some stuff we picked up on the short break.

Jawi on signboard and billboard

Signboards in jawi too. This was spot in Dungun. The only one that we spot, actually.

This Nescafe advert, with jawi too, was seen in Chukai. Sebelah Hai Peng Kopitiam. Haven't been to Terengganu for a while, but billboards like this is a norm in Kota Baru kan?

Rough Seas..
It drizzled and drizzled.. maklumlah, hampir tengkujuh.. but only in Paka and Dungun. No rain in Kuantan and otw back to KL.

Pic: At a gerai just outside UiTM Dungun. A bit of drizzle and strong winds. Waves were just bergulung2 and reached shore with so much energy. It was loud!

Pic: Tanjong Jara Resort's beach.

.. the red flag was out.

Mesra Mall, Kerteh
Kerteh now has a shopping mall!! It was full with cars, and even more cars on the day we left for KL since it was the weekend for the 'Ganu folks. Just opened after Eidul Fitr. Not bad jugak.. there's TMC, Popular book store and a TGV too.

Kemaman Supply Base (KSB)
Did a little detour to KSB. KSB is owned and managed by the listed EPIC Berhad. Loads of activities here. There was also 2 offshore rigs, perhaps down for maintenance.

Kopi time @Hai Peng Kopitiam
A must-stop for us in Chukai :-)

S had the slice kaya bread with coffee. I had the kaya bun.. and..

nasi dagang! Mujur datang awal, ada lagi nasi dagang.. otherwise, teruk lah S kena carikan good nasi dagang for me hehehe

.. at the end of the trip, tayar kereta pancit. S was driving >90km/h along the Karak Highway, just after the Genting Sempah RnR. S was cool coz i would have panicked if i were behind the wheels. We had to make a dangerous stop in the dark at KM31 towards KL. MTD Prime's emergency team couldn't attend to us coz they were all busy attending the bus that skidded down from Genting.

Bukan sebab tak tahu ganti tayar, but we were in pitch black! Scary, folks! In the end, we got help from AAM.. phew.. alhamdulillah.. we were by the roadside for about 1 hour.. what an experience :-)

Spa Village Treat, Tanjong Jara Resort

2010-10-31T12:27:00.005+08:00

We did a quick drive north of Paka for a treat at Tanjong Jara Resort. This is like a five-six star resort, owned by the YTL Group. TJR is in Dungun, on the right side, after Pekan Dungun.

In TJR is the award winning Spa Village. Nice place! Excellent service too! Has a traditional massage.. best giler.. There's a pakcik, Pak Yahya, a famous and award-winning masseur here. However, he was not available on the day we were there. We got to bring back the batik sarong we wore during the urut session.

Pic below shows a view from inside the spa, at the waiting lounge. It looks out to the swimming pool and the sea di kejauhan..

Our massage started with a mandi bunga do. Sejuk giler since it drizzled since morning.. First time mandi bunga experience for me and S. Seven types of flowers, we were told. Menarik jugak :-)

This place is certainly recommended untuk berehat2. Like the spa as well as the resort itself. Next destination for sure!

Rumbia Resort Villa Stay

2010-10-31T12:13:00.004+08:00

Spent 2 nights at Rumbia Resort Villa, just after Paka town. That's in Terengganu :-) KL-Kuantan-Kijal-Kemasik-Kerteh-Paka. Right after the Paka town, on your right after the bridge over Sg Paka.

Nice place. Quiet. Food was ok, not fussy anyway. "Rooms" were actually a 3-room semi-D or a bungalow.

Ours was a bungalow, pic below. Place was clean, with sufficient Astro channels (movie and sports, that's it). Fully equipped kitchen. Nice dining table and comfy sofa. Good consideration if travelling with family.

The place is near the Sg Paka's muara. Went for a little walk after the first breakfast. Nothing much, just this run down jetty. Nice place to stop half way further north of the east coast. Would consider this place definitely.

On behalf of S, thanks for the vouchers, Rumbia Resort! :-)

SSO-TY

2010-09-18T08:07:00.005+08:00

The day came and went well.
Alhamdulillah.. Thank you family and friends for all the kind wishes..

A Year Older..

2010-08-23T22:15:00.004+08:00

That's me - a year older today. Thank you, thank you, thank you dear friends and family for the birthday wishes and kind words over Facebook, BBM, SMS and the calls..

I came home, greeted by Aliah's poster "Happy Birthday Umi" - handmade as usual.. with the words glued to the artpaper and with a pink crayon-coloured background. Sweet.. And as we walked to the kitchen for iftar, she said there's another suprise. There you go - as the pic shows :-) Aliah shared a piece of her favourite kuih. Ibu said she washed the bottle cap before putting in the flag. Cute.. Thank you Aliah. Umi loves u, heaps!

I had a great birthday! Simple and menusuk ke hati :-)

Jalan2 Keliling Rumah Parents.. again..

2010-08-14T07:58:00.006+08:00

More! after this jalan2..

Mimosa, pokok semalu
Hibiscus. There's also a white one, somewhere outside the house..

Roselle. Ibu cooks the isi and made syrup. Macam ribena je..

Clothes peg on the ampaian..
Another ampaian shot

Tempayan.. where Aliah and nephews suka lah nak main air kat dalam dia..

Water hose. Kucing suka tidur in that middle space..

Another tempayan, with dragon picture on it

Ramadhan Kareem..

2010-08-14T07:43:00.004+08:00

For the first time after many years, I had my 1 Ramadhan outside home. Worst still, in a foreign country! Sedey la konon..

Sahur was room service that first morning coz the hotel has yet to get their Ramadhan Tent buffet place ready. Could hardly eat coz I'm not a big fan of those arab salads etc.. Iftar was chicken ceaser, again room service. But had the buffet sahur on the second morning at 1.15am.. adoii tak leh nak makan but had my rice, finally :-)

Despite being a rice person for sahur, the breads and fruits got me through the 15 hours summer fasting, alhamdulillah.. Here are some from the tray:

Fruits, which I finished. There was also a fruit salad, habis jugak :-)
Kuwait dates

Dunno what this is called. It's those red beans, supposed to be eaten with the bread. Didn't like the taste, tawar..

Plate of cheese

The Platter, which also includes an omelette, tea, yoghurt, stick vege, hummus and one sticky white sweet dish.

Yemeni Food in KL

2010-08-14T07:39:00.004+08:00

A dear brother bought us dinner at this Yemeni restaurant, Hadramwt located in Chulan Square. Food was fantastic! We had lamb and prawns. Nice, quiet place.. There's also shisha - which i didnt try, again :-) One of these days lah maybe...

Up, Close & Personal with ...

2010-06-27T10:43:00.002+08:00

Did a short detour to Kuala Gandah Elephant Sactuary on our way back to KL from our plantation resort holiday. However, we arrived late (at 12.30pm) and tix to ride and bathe the elephants were out. I was told that there are only 120 tix available every day and is usually gone by 10.30am. aihhh.. next time. Aliah was upset though. Instead, we just touched the elephants and watched the bathing session. Didn't stay long, so hot! We'll come again another time. Aliah so want to ride and bathe the elephants..
We stopped at this Deerland, 3km away from the sanctuary place. More exciting! Fed the deers (menakutkan!). Aliah got a pic with the phyton - again.. and there was a 5 year old sunbear. We were able to touch and feed the guy!! First time dapat touch a bear. It's mummy and daddy were in a different enclosure, separated coz they needed rest - had too many visitors in the morning.

Plantation Resort Holiday

2010-06-27T10:21:00.004+08:00

Aliah and I had a different kind of trip during the last school hols. As yours truly didn't make any reservations anywhere more exotic, we had to settle for 2 nights at this plantation resort. Felda Tekam Plantation Resort is about 25km to Jerantut, and about 15km from Bandar Jengka. Journey was over 2.5hours from KL.

This place is actually the research centre of Felda. It's like being in a little town within its compound. Very green (of course, surrounded by oil palm estates) and besides Felda's Pejabat Wilayah Jengka and its research institute, within the compound is also a school, masjid, recreation centre (badminton courts, jogging trek, field etc), a golf course, a BP petrol station, residential (the peneroka stay here), row of kedai makan, a grocery shop, and the resort itself. There's a swimming pool here and a simple breakfast included. We drove out to Jengka 8 for dinner.
Went for a oil palm plantation tour on our 1st day there. More of an education trip for Aliah, and me :-) Was briefed on how Felda undertakes research and process of the commodity. This tree up here is >25 years old, not commercially viable for planting anymore. We were took to the estate to look at the trees and fruits and how harvesting was done. Aliah enjoyed it!

Other than the plantion tour, there's the Kota Gelanggi caves for visit too. Just about 7km away from the resot. We went but it was so quiet, no one was there.. and rather scary. We left and took an easy drive to Jerantut town. I just realised that Jerantut is the gateway to Kuala Tahan and Taman Negara. It was tempting to drive over but it rained, so we went back to the resort. We both had fun.

BTW, for those thinking of checking out the place, internet is available. A slow EDGE :-)

The Hot Kuwait

2010-06-26T08:50:00.004+08:00

Just got back fron a 3-day trip to Kuwait. What a trip! First we were delayed for 3.5hours in KL due to a technical glitch on the plane. So, we missed our connecting flight and had to wait 5 hours in the cold Dubai airport before hopping on our 7.45am flight. On our return trip, the computer system in the whole Kuwait airport was down. Luckily we checked-in online and didnt have to wait long at the queue.. and the flight was about an hour delayed. This time, it was JIT to get onto our connecting flight back to KL. phew! Otherwise, we may have to wait for over 6 hours for the next one!

It was hot in Kuwait! Averaged temp was 46 degrees, lower than last week's of 50 degrees. There was a dust storm on our second day there. Was a great trip, nonetheless.

Entrance to office building
Like being blown by a huge hot air blower - plus the dust :-)

Dubai.. again

2010-06-12T19:33:00.004+08:00

Was in Dubai mid-May for a 3-days conference on Islamic Finance. Good one, supposed to just do marketing, but ended up inside the conference hall. Some random pics - not from the conference - from the trip :-)

Joined JA and friends and the VIP for lamb and chicken mandy. This whole dulang was shared among the seven of us.. nyummy!
View of part of Sheikh Zayed road from Monarch Hotel.

Monarch Hotel.. just my luck eh? Was told air-cond in the hotel and the whole stretch of road is not functioning. Some construction company accidently dug onto the cooling water pipeline. It was Day 2 when I arrived. We had a warm then hot conference in Day 1..
.. the conference organisors were quick enough to shift the conference and the peeps in Monarch to Raffles Hotel. oh niceeee... This hotel is right next to Wafi Shopping Centre.

Kuwait.. again

2010-06-12T19:20:00.002+08:00

Just got back from Kuwait yesterday. Did full 2-days of meetings. Can feel the pre-summer heat. It was 34 degress when we touched down at 3am. So, imagine lah the temperature in the day! BBC reported it being at 46 degress. .. and it's not the peak of summer yet. Adoi..

Here's some shots from the visit..

Kedai2 tepi jalan..
The tall building is JW Marriott Hotel, just beside a deretan kedai2 like in Chow Kit. Opposite the hotel is an office block with a Pizza Hut and Subway, among others, on its ground floor.

Notice the little traffic light? That is to cater those sports car? I'm not sure if it's for little children though.. Anyone can shed a light on this?

Heritage Souk, opposite HQ's office

Liberation Tower, otw to office

Chevron Rules - for now..

2010-06-12T19:12:00.002+08:00

Berpaling. Yes, that is what I've been doing since 2 months back. I am now pumping Chevron's petroleum brand instead of the national corporation's. Results - I don't know if it's physcology, but the car glides smoothly. Mintak maaf kengkawan yg kerja kuat at the national petroleum company.. :-)

Question: This is the only petrol retailing company that asks what petrol grade do i want to pump. Why ahh?

Yas Hotel, Abu Dhabi

2010-05-26T22:18:00.003+08:00

Had drinks with JA at Yas Hotel last nite. Cool hotel.. cuma temperature je tak cool. It was a warm tanah gurun nite.

My first time at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi - the new side of AD. This is a natural island. Developed by Aldar, the entertainment destination of Yas Island will eventually occupy a total land area of 25km2 with approximately 17km2 used for development. The island will play host to numerous attractions, such as a world-class racing circuits, signature hotels, theme parks, marinas, golf courses and much more.

The F1 circuit is here, and it passes thru this hotel! Yes, the track is below this shell. The 'shell' stands out at nite with its colourful lights (pic).

Jewel Fever

2010-05-09T12:25:00.003+08:00

I am hooked on this! arghh! It started during teh Hanoi trip when I realised some friends were playing it on FB. Since it was a holiday, I thought "why not, lets have fun" .. and I am now hooked on it! Especially so when I wonder how my other FB friends are able to get over 300,000 mark! hehehe BTW, i managed to passed my record high 262,000 points this morning :-)

French Village visit

2010-05-09T12:14:00.002+08:00

No, I was not in France recently.. The last time I was there was easily 15 years back :-) Was in this French Village along the Banjaran Titiwangsa last weekend. Spent about half an hour here while the boys were chasing after the little white balls. *Orang2 tua main panas!* Lots of people since it was a weekend but it was so hot! Nothing much to do, as it was before.. and I skipped the viewing-people activity as the cafe was full. Here are some shots from BB, hence the pixels.

Entrance to the village.

Some shots of the French windows here..

This is the view from the tower, overlooking the entrance and market place. There were some kiddies stuff at the market place, and a clown too.

Lunch at Hornbill.. with a hornbill

2010-04-29T21:34:00.004+08:00

Had lunch at the Hornbill Restaurant on Tuesday after the SFR paper. This little hornbill came and picked on the french fries! And flew to feed his (i think!) mate. Cute!

Exam Season

2010-04-26T21:51:00.003+08:00

It's the end of the January 2010 semester,and yes, it's exam time again. aduhhh.. berapa lama lagi la nak study nih.. Taking 2 papers this semester: (1) Structuring Financial Requirements; and (2) Managing Islamic Financial Institutions. 1st paper tomorrow morning, and another next week. Have 3 more to go before I have a thesis to graduate.. adoiiii..

Anyway, spent the weekend studying - last minute as usual :-) ..

Here's at a kedai kopi in Aeon AU2 last Saturday.

While waiting for Aliah to finish her taekwando class on Sunday morning..

.. and Starbucks AU2 this morning..

Wish me luck! Mau pass aja, not aiming for an A pun hehehe

Jalan-jalan Hanoi

2010-04-17T07:41:00.003+08:00

I was in Hanoi over the March school holidays, with Aliah and a group of friends. 5 days, cool temperature, foreign land and new experience. Aliah loved the trip and has asked for another holiday there.

The group (L-R): Yan, Yours Truly, Sabrina, Kak Norlia, Kak Azizah, Jasmin, Aimee, Hasnul, Ahmad, Aliah, Sri, Kenny

Will find peddlers like this by the roadside. They carry everything - fruits, meat, noodles (with those little dapur and little stool too). Those selling fruits and meat will carry the weighing machine. They stop everywhere, depand kedai, by the roadside, at the junction etc

We went for a day trip toHalong Bay, 3 hours drive from Hanoi. Spent 4 hours on the boat, enjoyed the sight and a short walk in a cave nearby. This is the view from the cave. All those boats are tourists boats.

We were on this boat. Just the 12 of us. Took a private charter.

This was part of the day sightseeing we did on the 2nd day in Hanoi. This is the famous water puppet performance. Didn't understand a thing, but it was about everyday life in Vietnam. Some funny parts too. This pic up here shows 2 people riding a horse, and one of them went up the pole to light a firework.

We visited the local wet market too. Yours truly made a scene there when the ikan keli jumped out of the basin while I was looking closely at the katak nearby. I think the mat salleh caught me on camera too hahaha

Dust Storm in Kuwait

2010-03-06T11:10:00.005+08:00

Experienced my first dust storm in Kuwait during my trip this week. The city went from clear, bright skies to orange-gy and dusty. It's simply amazing when the storm moved from east (this is where the desert is) to the city centre. Can see the orange-gy skies moving.. like how we usually see the black clouds move in Msia.

This was at 8.55am. That bright spot in the sky is the sun.

The Liberation Tower in dusty mode. It's usually clear from the office.

Kuwait City engulved in dust.

Bowling Outing with Aberites

2010-02-28T15:17:00.005+08:00

Went bowling with the Aber Uni Malaysia Alumni last Sunday at Alamanda. Yours truly did badly, as usual :-) Score? hahahah double digits je :-) Played 2 games followed by prize giving.. and makan2, sponsored by Acat*. I had fun. Thanks for counting me in :-) Yours truly is not an Aberite but have appeared in more Aber acitivities compared to Coventry's. hehehe

* Acat is an Aberite, who is also the Tuan Director of Rasa, the food court operator at Alamanda and KLCC. Think the name is familiar? He played a role in last year's Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa theater :) psst.. Acat is also single hehehe

Wedding of Atuk Hassan's 2nd Girl Cucu

2010-02-19T09:24:00.005+08:00

Selamat Pengantin Baru to Ati & Amir! Ati is my cousin and is the next girl cucu after me. Yours truly is the eldest cucu.. and yes, with Ati being the second girl cucu, it implies that yours truly grew up with cousin brothers for err... 10 years? opps! Did i just reveal my age? hahaha

Anyway, the wedding took place in my aunt's place in Muar. Meriah sungguh and sungguh panas! Some pics here to share.

That's Aliah duduk makan at the meja pengantin! Kononnya "nak pergi kat atuk", rupa2nya pergi makan sekali.. Air bandung, I was told, is a Johor thingy, similarly to telur pindang.

The kompang group = Man U team hehehe

Jalan-Jalan Tengok Rumah

2010-02-19T09:08:00.002+08:00

It has been sometime that I've been around checking out the property market. Happen to be in Shah Alam recently for a friend's house warming do, and did some driving around. Mahal rupanya rumah2 sekarang ni eh.. ;-)

This one below is Alam Impian, a project by I&P. Located adjacent to Sect 24 Shah Alam. There's a dedicated highway that goes to the township. Dari toll booth boleh nampak bumbung rumah! Nice semi-D house going for RM760K (secondary market). The master bedroom and bathroom is superb! It has a little door at the porch, which takes you straight to the kitchens, so that you dont have to carry your groceries and sampah thru the living room and dining place. I thot that was clever. Surrounding is like Bukit Jelutong, nice and clean and well landscaped.

The next is D'Kayangan, a project by Lebar Daun. Located at Sect 13 Shah Alam, dekat stadium and go-kart circuit. Used to be the Batu Tiga racing track. Nice semi-d house, going from RM738K from the developer. No side sliding door but there is a door at the dining place, that will lead to the side terrace. Thus when entertaining, one can have those coffee lepak place out at the terrace.. perhaps overlooking a kolam ikan? hmmm.. Aliah would like that.. :-)

I'd actually go for D'Kayangan for the matured surrounding area. There's a Giant and Tesco nearby, and school is about 15 mins away. It is also nearer to KL. But, the Alam Impian bodes well for those who wanna just 'retire' at the place. New township, new design etc..

A Month Has Passed..

2010-02-18T21:54:00.000+08:00

That was how long I haven't updated this blog! RO called today to check if I'm still alive given the idle blog. I am, dear friend. Thanks for the call.. :-)

Now..lemme see what I've been up to in the past month. I have been busy with work (yeah, what else!).. house hunting (no, more like checking the market for potential investment)..managing a relationship (which comes with a lot of other variables to consider)..a bit of travelling (for work that is. Ohhh exluding one Nusantara wknd ;-))..spending time with Aliah.. Yeah, I guess that sums it all up.

Just usual stuff. I guess I am just used to updating my Facebook that I have neglected the blog.. Well, more posting later inya allah..

The Gibraltar Strait

2010-01-19T13:58:00.003+08:00

From Wikipedia: The name Gibraltar is the Spanish derivation of the Arabis name Jabal Tāriq (or mountain of Tariq). It refers to the geological formation, the rock of Gibraltar, which in turn was named after the general Tariq ibn Zayid who led the initial incursion into Iberia in advance of the main Moorish force in 711 under the command of Umayyad Caliph al-Walid.

Was made aware of this in June last year.. and was reminded again over the weekend. At the strait, there is a significant difference in the colours of the water. The strait is where water from the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea meets. Reasons: difference in temperature and salt density.. and it has been highlighted in the Quran:

“Dia membiarkan dua lautan mengalir yang keduanya kemudian bertemu. Antara keduanya ada batas yang tidak dilampaui masing-masing.”(Q.S. Ar-Rahman:19-20)

“Dan Dialah yang membiarkan dua laut yang mengalir (berdampingan); yang ini tawar lagi segar dan yang lain asin lagi pahit; dan Dia jadikan antara keduanya dinding dan batas yang menghalangi.”(Q.S. Al-Furqaan:53)

Amazing!

Wadi Samrah Stay

2009-12-31T11:28:00.004+08:00

Was with a group friends over the Christmas holidays at Janda Baik, near KL. Put up a nite at Wadi Samrah, a nice cool and green retreat. Recommended for all! There are two bungalows to choose, one with 2 rooms and the other had 4 rooms (i think). It's over 6 acre of land, filled with greeneries. Nice! There's a little stream nearby and the kids had fun. Sejuk..

Kids had a whale time at the pool. For adults, ada BBQ pit to chill out, the night was breezy and fresh. There's also a karaoke tower to fill time with friends and family. Check out the website folks.

No luck, again, as usual

2009-12-13T22:40:00.005+08:00

Didn't win anything at KFHMB's Appreciation Nite, last nite.. thot i felt lucky especially after swithing this card from SSO :-D Mine was 0237, and i switched with him coz i want my birthdate! Udahnya, dua2 pun tak de luck hahaha

Bird Park, KL

2009-11-28T13:53:00.002+08:00

Went to Bird Park in KL with Aliah last Sunday. Had lunch at this Hornbill Restaurant. Always like this restaurant - cosy. Food rather pricey tho..

Besides the collection of birds, there was also a nursery. Aliah had her time playing with the chicks and we saw this little chick, which just hatched.

Peacocks berkeliaran merata2 the park. Saw this hornbill too. Cute..

Seoul, Korea

2009-11-28T13:37:00.003+08:00

Was in Seoul recently for a roadshow with that regulator. My first time there. It was the autumn-winter transition and it was rather cold. Touched down at 7am at -3degrees. It was 4-6 degrees while we were there.

Went with WL. Managed to go around, sight seeing. Went up the N Seoul Tower, and here's the view from the top.

The N Seoul Tower

Visited the Korean Folk Village too. The purpose of Korean Folk Village is to display elements of traditional Korean life and culture. There are multiple sections to the park. There are numerous replicas of traditional houses of the different social classes and the various regions.

Visited Deoksugung palace too. It became a palace in 1593 when King Seojo moved in (after all of Seoul's other palaces were destroyed during the Japanese invasion).

Short updates

2009-11-22T19:56:00.005+08:00

Not able to find time to update this blog. Have been bogged down with work and the extremely terrible broadband service. Some updates here..

Aliah got 4A 1B for her Year 4 exam. Yes, it's a big deal for me (and Aliah) coz she did badly year end last year and mid-term too. I was extremely stressed out then. So, Aliah pun kena pressure kaw2 lah.. Her dad, for the first time, came to school to attend this prize giving ceremony. Hujan lebat hari tu!!! Anyway, well done, girl!

Also attended a congratulatory dinner for Tuanku Muhriz on 14 Nov at PJ Hilton. It was organised by the Aberystwyth Alumni Club Malaysia. Tuanku graduated with a law degree from
this uni many years ago. Tapi, tak sempat nak kata "Ayah den oghang Bongek, Tuanku" isk..

Makan-makan: Sinar Cafe, KL

2009-11-10T17:31:00.005+08:00

Was with a group of Aberites last Sunday as they organised their royal dinner, scheduled this Saturday. It was at this Sinar Cafe, which I NEVER noticed despite plying this highway almost every forthnight. It's located above this Dunkin Donuts, just after the Sg Besi Toll heading south. Nice quiet and cosy place..

The nasik lemak rendang ayam was good! .. maybe sebab lapar sangat kot :-)

Made friends with a 5-year old cute boy, Adam, whose dad was at the meeting. yep, yours truly tolong babysit but still managed to finish that weekly commodity report. After he finished his drawing, we sang Barney songs and he introduced me to Pocoyo.

This is the first time i jumpa this Pocoyo character (shows how long since I have a little toddler :-)).. It is about a young boy dressed in blue, who is full of curiosity. It was in Spanish. The only word that i understood was "hola!" hehehe The other characters are:

Pato is a yellow duck who wears nothing but a small green hat.
Elly is a pink elephant who always wears a blue back-pack.
Loula is Pocoyo's orange-yellow pet puppy and companion.
Sleepy Bird is a teal-coloured bird. She does little but sleep, and usually flies with her eyes closed.

I had fun! Thanks Adam for bringing back fun! :-)

The Glittering Gold

2009-11-05T18:24:00.004+08:00

I have been away for a conference past 2 days and gold hit a high of USD1,098/oz intraday yesterday!It was partly due to India buying 200 tonnes of gold from IMF.

Source: Bloomberg

The CIO of Emerging Global Advisors LLC expects gold to climb to USD1,350 an ounce and oil will top USD100 a barrel in the next six months, driven by a “herd mentality” fueling an investment boom. Gold prices is already +24% this year, and has outperformed U.S. stocks and bonds as investors seek to protect their wealth againstcurrency debasement and an inflation threat. So.. gold investments, anyone?

Cuti-Cuti Port Dickson

2009-10-29T17:22:00.004+08:00

Spent a night at Avillion Admiral Cove last weekend with Aliah. We were there too the last trip :-) Aliah wanted to 'tido hotel', and no KL and PD is just near enough to drive. Plus, she wanted the beach, and my favourite Cherating and East Coast is a bit too far to drive.

Didn't do much. Just let Aliah enjoyed the pool and I sat with a book in hand. Book? hah! More like the shariah law text book! kakaka Anyway, we had pasar malam-tapaued dinner on Saturday night by the beach. Rupa2nya, there were spot lights along the beach and there were families and group of people berpicnic there malam2. So, we bentang our tikar, had our dinner and enjoyed the sea and the moon and the stars. Rather fun!

Wanted to go to Lukut Fort and Museum but it rained Sunday morning. Next trip then..

Qatar Weekend with Perak's Crown Prince

2009-10-16T12:54:00.006+08:00

Nah, wasn't really spending weekend with him. But was part of the Malaysian delegation under that established regulator for a trip to Qatar. Perak's Crown Prince is the Financial Ambassador of the entity. BTW, the delegation proceeded to Bahrain, but we went home. huwaaaa

My first trip to Qatar. The country that has the third largest gas reserves. So full of dust and tanah gurun.. and many high rise buildings. Didn't manage to explore much given the limited time (we were there for 3 days only). Only visited the Museum of Islamic Art and the traditional souq waqif (pasar la tu..). Had fun tho! Made new frens *wink*wink*

Here are some shots to share:

The brownish building is the Museum of Islamic Arts, located at the Corniche, along the Persian Gulf. The Corniche is where people lepak2 and enjoy the skyline of Qatar (see pic below) and the fishing harbour.

The fishing harbour.

A mix of the traditional and the modern world. That's the fishing harbour against the skyscrapers of Qatar. This is a view from The Corniche.

This was the only museum open - the Museum of Islamic Arts. An eye-opening.

That's inside the souq. We reached here about 4pm, an hour before maghrib. The shops were just opening - after the Arab's afternoon siesta :-)

More of inside the souq. It's like a maze in there. The sections are clearly done up - makan place, spices/herbs, pets, clothings etc.

Here's a Pak Arab resting in the afternoon. See what he's on! :-)

The souq from outside.

Ashie and I had this chicken briyani while we were at the souq. Both of us lapar nasik. This meal cost us 35 Qatar riyal each (about RM35). .. and we didnt finish it. Huge portion.

Jalan-jalan keliling parents' place

2009-10-04T13:49:00.005+08:00

Date: Eidul Fitri holidays
Venue: Around parents' place, Kg Nakhoda
Objective: Mengisi masa lapang :-)

Dunno what plant this is but the leaves berbulu2..

err.. dunno the name again but it can be found on those huge trees in the hutan

orchid

guess?! Daun belimbing batang

Bunga kertas. There's a purple one too, somewhere around the house

Pucuk betik

Cili padi

Terung apa ni eh?

Belimbing and its bunga

Pokok puding

Brinjal Cute je..

Eid Mubarak!

2009-09-30T18:08:00.003+08:00

Spent eid-ul fitr with the family in KL. First day penuh dgn guests. Second day was quiet. Aunts and uncles went back to JB, Melaka and Muar.

The Yaacob family

With Aliah

On 5th day of eid, we went to Muar to attend Along's engagement to Amir Shukri. Along is my cousin. Our grandparents have 21 grandchildren. Yours truly is the eldest and Along is the next grandaughter after yours truly. Yep, between me and Along, semua boys belaka :-) The pic below is Along with her hantarans for Amir. Congratulations dear!

AL9 Iftar get together

2009-09-08T17:24:00.002+08:00

AL9 = A Level Batch 9 at PPP/ITM. That was where I was after SPM. A whole bunch of us spent two years together, 1990-1992 before pursuing our degree in UK.

The usual faces met over iftar last 2 weekends ago. Yes, this is a long overdue post. It was great to meet the usual kaki but more this year - there were new faces!! Many I havent met since the last day of exam! wow!

Iftar was at Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam in KL. Great spread. For those looking for places to berbuka, could consider KGPA. I had a good time. Thanks to Jonn, the organiser, memang boleh diharap :-) err. pic is courtesy of Jonn.. timekacih ye..

Eina turned 37

2009-08-23T21:38:00.002+08:00

Yep, just shy of three years to hit the big forty! :-) Nah, age is just a number.

I'm grateful to be healthy. Blessed with a girl and parents, family who are always by my side. Grateful for the friends who allow me to be the person I am, who are there to support and guide me, ready to offer an ear or a shoulder to cry on, to share happy times and laughter.

It was a quiet affair. The birthday wishes came as early as Friday, from those who doesnt visit FB over the weekend :-) More wishes came today, via sms, calls and FB, as early as 0000 23 Aug and continued till sahur and the rest of the day. Thank you for all the well wishes dear family and friends, near and far..

A non-event this year. No flowers. No gifts. No cakes. Just a nice quiet ice cream time out with Aliah. She insisted to belanja me and paid RM10 :-) She also made my bed this morning, and left me a "I love you, ummi" note while I had my nap this afternoon. Lots of hugs and kisses. What a treasure..

Happy birthday, Eina. Semoga terus tabah dan dimurahkan rezeki.

Aliah turned 10

2009-08-18T08:56:00.006+08:00

Aliah turned 10 yesterday. It felt just like yesterday when I gave birth to her.. and went through the monthly fever and some trial-and-error parenting techniques along the way. Has been fun.

Aliah took these cuppies to school. Got it from my officemate, Darshini. Cute kan?

Charity event: SK Kg Sertik, Karak

2009-08-16T07:30:00.007+08:00

This post is long overdue.

Went with Aliah, again, for another landscaping project organised by the company last Saturday. This is the last one for the year. SK Kg Sertik is located in Karak. Took the Karak Highway and exited at Mempaga/Sertik exit and the school is within Felda's plantation area.

Aliah and I had fun, despite the heat. I planted 3 pokok bunga kertas and painted the school fence. There was an ice cream break in between the mengecat pagar sekolah. Ended with the usual speeches, prize givings and great lunch and durian and rambutan. Aliah had the gulai ikan patin, which yours truly declined. err.. ikan tu tak hensem la..

It has been a great year so far. I've been attending activities organised by the PR Dept and Sports Club. Aliah seemed to be enjoying it too. Found and made new friends - one of the pull factor to come to work. aduss..

Di Awan Biru with Search

2009-08-02T08:45:00.007+08:00

Saw Search at Bukit Kiara Equestrian Polo Club last night. My first local concert! Quite an experience. Lenguh kaki berdiri and in the end duduk atas rumput.

Despite the Gadis Misteri, Gadisku and Pawana, was a bit dissapointed Search did not sing the hits like Fenomena and Rozana.. Perhaps the average age in the crowd was late 30s coz when they sang the songs from the later albums, orang dah mula bosan and walk away. err.. your truly included. Duduk goyang2 and sembang.

Traffic was bad! Search punya penangan. Cars triple, quadraple parked along the SC-KLGCC stretch - both sides! This pesanan was flashing on the board, who cared kan? hahaha Anyway, it was a great night out. Would i do it again? Perhaps, can consider. Didnt get enough dosage of Search, pagi ni had Rampage playing in the background. ehh mana CD yang lama2 tu eh? "Gadis idamanku, hanya engkau yang satu.."

Thanks SSO for taking me there. I got home safely at 2:30am.

The Heritage Hunt: KL-Melaka

2009-07-26T20:53:00.004+08:00

Was in Melaka over the weekend. This time with an extremely interesting and fun challenge! For the first time, I joined a Treasure Hunt. Was organised by the Sports Club. Teamed up with SSO, Yong and Ai Reen to formed InIt4Fun with car number 15. SSO drove and Ai Reen navigated. We all did the thinking together.. with the help of two Blackberry. hehehe ngelat sket..

Aliah joined us for the Drive Hunt and i 'exported' her to F just before we start the Walk Hunt. We 'hunted' at Hartamas, Nilai, road leading to Alor Gajah, including the Makam Hang Tuah. We managed to reach the hotel JIT :-) Continued with the Walk Hunt, which was designed like the Amazing Race (since we were in the Open Category. The other category was Family). Had to panjat the stairs up St Paul's (tinggi i tell u! Pancit jugak la panjat tangga..), where the A Famosa was. Answered some questions there and got a new set (we lost marks here, got only 1 right out of 5) and walked down to Christ Church for another set of questions. Answers were along Jonker Street, and it was fun looking for it! Ada ngelat jugak la sikit - jeling other group's answer sheet! hahaha

We finished 45mins ahead of the allocated time! Tak sangka! And the results? We got 10th, just made it with consolation prize of RM600 Jusco vouchers. alhamdulillah.. Didnt expect to win prizes! We scored 130 points, 7 points less than the 9th position.. and far compared to the champion which scored 144 points.

Did my ronda2 town after dropping Ai Reen at Melaka Sentral. It was a nice Sunday morning drive, especially after the heavy downpour subuh2 hari. Ada orang tu cuak jugak la.. takut kena cancel golf. hahaha

Like Penang, i like Melaka's old bulding, narrow streets. Classic. Like lost in time. Just realised that there are lots of interesting places to visit in Melaka. And there are lots of museums here! No joke! I just learned about it over the weekend. Museum of Enduring Beauty is one. Will sure spend a bit more time exploring them one day nanti.. Now.. that's something to look forward to besides the ikan bakau :-)

Here and there..

2009-07-19T22:31:00.003+08:00

I have been around.. tak de pergi mana2.. No more travelling. ohh the last time i travelled, was in Jakarta - at one of those hotels that got bombed last Friday.

Just cant find time to update this blog. I've been busy with .. assignments (short semester nih).. melayan Aliah over the weekend.. menyebok at some company events.. melepak at parents (what else..)..

Here's a pic from a recent company event. A landscaping project at SK Tg Sepat near Morib. Had fun.. Lunch came with durian, rambutan and manggis. After the event, went to Morib Beach with Aliah and drove to Jugra for some jalan2..

.. and dapur saya sudah berasap! Cooked nasi ayam last weekend and at Aliah's request, sup ketam today (pic below). It has been years since I last cooked, but seeing that happy face on Aliah and her "sedap ummi masak'' was worth it :-)

.. have also been bz berdurian. The last time i got the durians (from the gerai i took this pic below), ibu made the pengat. Nyummy.. and our house cat, Putih, had one biji durian to herself. Ayah had fun feeding her the fruit :-)

The sedih part is, after a week, Putih died. We guessed she got hit by a car/motorcycle. By the time atuk jumpa, she dah keras with blood at the mouth. Everyone was sad... Putih's sibling, Pucat, went around the house the next day to where Putih used to lepak. Kesian dia.. now Pucat spend more time in the house, melepak with us :-)

What's next? .. will be taking part in 2 more company events before puasa, exams early August, a teh tarik session(s) with kawan2 - especially with the one who's running away from the heat in Dubai, more cooking at home (weekends only), project study room.. i think that's enough to keep me busy :-)

Matahari

2009-06-28T08:31:00.003+08:00

"Demi matahari dan sinarnya di pagi hari..

Demi bulan apabila ia mengiringi..

Demi siang bila menampakkan dirinya..

Demi malam apabila ia menutupi..

Demi langit beserta seluruh binaannya..

Demi bumi serta yang ada di hamparannya..

Demi jiwa dan seluruh penyempurnaannya.

Allah mengilhamkan sukma kefasikan dan ketaqwaan

Beruntung bagi yang mensucikan-Nya

Merugi bagi yang mengotori-Nya"

Asy-Syams 1-10

A reminder untuk diri sendiri..

The 20-years after CBN. A reunion!

2009-06-21T14:25:00.006+08:00

A whole bunch of us girls from the class of 1989 Convent Bukit Nanas KL met over breakfast-lunch at BV2 on Saturday. We left school 20 years ago!! Many of the girls i haven't met since then!

It was hillarious as we tried to recall names and faces, and classes. Tuty^ brought our year book and it was helpful. Even then, we all broke into laughter as we saw our school pics.

L-R: Jasmin, Hafizah, Wan Adela, Nina, Dwi+, my best friend & partner in crime - Liza, Eina

It was fun! Great to be back in touch with the girls. Many of us actually went to CBN for 11 years, and yours truly included :-) Now, there's no reason not to be in touch again. After all, there's Facebook to thank to :-) Thank you Lynn for arranging the meet. Appreciate it.

^After CBN, Tuty (above pic: standing, second from left) and I did A Levels together. We were classmates in Form 5. One fine Biology class, Liza and I put a gonggok in her pencil box while we had class under the tree. Tuty shouted loudly once we were back at the lab and went "Ni mesti kerja Liza and Tursina!!" kakakaka And of course, we denied :-)

+After CBN, we met at Klinink Kita in Wangsa Maju early this year! and after those long years after CBN, Dwi's first phone call to me was to ask where AEON AU2 was. aihhh.. Anyway, we kinda grew together. We did primary school together :-)

Go-Karting @Sepang

2009-05-31T18:05:00.004+08:00

Had a field day go-karting last Saturday. It was this middle east bank's annual go-kart event oraganised by its Sports Club. This year it was at Sepang Go-Kart Circuit - much better than the Shah Alam one. The circuit is 1,247 metres with 11 turns.

I was on kart 8. Finished second last in my team at 1:36, against the fastest at 1:20 kakaka Dah tua.. hehe Nonetheless, had great fun in the sun. Got to know some people who i only interacted via emails and phone.

With colleague, Yong.

Jalan-jalan to Proton, Tg Malim

2009-05-21T18:13:00.003+08:00

Went for a short detour to re-visit Proton's second plant (the first is in Shah Alam) in Tg Malim after the tanam pokok event last Saturday. Wanted to show Aliah where her atuk's Persona was built.

The last (and only) time i was here, this place was so empty and barren. Proton, then, had just shifted some equipment to this location. Production pun belum start lagi then.

The Tg Malim plant is five times larger that the Shah Alam one, with an annual capacity of 1mln units. Here's more on the plant, from Autoworld. It has been years since i follow the stock, have forgotten the details and numbers :-P

That's the corporate office.

Charity Event @SK Tg Malim

2009-05-17T16:27:00.004+08:00

For the first time since i joined this organisation i cari makan with, I joined PR in their school landscaping charity event. This is the second this year. Missed the first one since I was on the road.

Last Saturday, it was Sek Keb Tg Malim. Did a nice drive with Aliah and we were the first to arrive. Yours truly helped a bit then stood in the shade. hehehe Look forward to joining the remaining two. Actually, it's events like this that i get to meet the other people from the organisation.

Pic courtesy of Cik Huzaifah of KFHMB

Below is the pokok bunga we helped planted :-)

An Epic Evening out

2009-05-17T16:17:00.003+08:00

Watched the Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa play last Friday nite. SSO stood me up, again.. while Amin-Ina couldn't make it. So i went with Aliah. We both enjoyed the show. We were also there to support a fellow ALV mate, Acat. He played the character Darat.

Tak ingat pulak anything about this hikayat actually.. In short, it's about the empires of Byzantine Rome and China which are due to be united by a royal wedding. Garuda, who opposed the wedding, kidnaps the princess and sinks the prince's fleet. The magical bird, Jentayu (hensem..) was then torn between saving his frens and being loyal to his uncle, Garuda. Udahnya? .. watch it lah.. last show tonite at 8.30pm at Lambang Sari, Istana Budaya.

Another trip to Zoo Negara

2009-05-13T18:13:00.004+08:00

17 May 09: Updated with Aliah & phyton pic. Aliah and I went to Zoo Negara, again. It must be our 100th trip there! Were there for about 3 hours after our nasik lemak and roti breakfast in the car at the zoo's parking.

Nothing much has changed. Aliah concluded that she liked the Singapore Zoo and the one in Sydney better. hmm.. I tend to agree with her on that. Anyway, we did the usual giraffes, elephants, lions, tigers and snakes visit.. as well as the animal show.

We fed the deers with carrots.. Aliah insisted ummi pun feed the animals, so..

This elephant was so at the end of its perimeter! Macam nak tergolek masuk longkang je..

Nothing beats the giraffes in Sydney, who had the city skyline as a view.. hehe

The visit ended with the photo session with a huge big phyton! ahh with Aliah that is. I had my share.. cukuplah sekali.. geli! Pic is blurred, took with BB from the ori photo print.

Done with exams! Phew..

2009-05-06T14:17:00.004+08:00

Did the final paper for this semester this morning. Serik ambik 4 modules! hahahaha It wont be so bad if i had managed my time properly, minus the week long travelling and studied earlier. But, as usual, i studied last minute.

What an experience this time. The first paper I did whole-heartedly and put my pen down at 12.05pm (paper ended 12.15pm). But the remaining three papers, I finished in between 1.5 hours and 1.75 hours hehehe.. Don't think it was easy, but I attempted all the questions, tembak and goreng wherever possible until I don't know what else to write :-)

I had a mix of hard and good time taking the exams this semester, mainly hard times. Nothing like the last semester. We parted two weeks before the exam and I cried.. So, i lost my study partner and did the studying and revision by myself. Friends consoled me and I thank them for their time. He - did not make it to the exam, except for one, which he stayed for less than an hour. No offense, but i think u have great potential. Cukuplah, enough of sabotaging yourself and get back on track.

Next: wait for the results this semester. Results be out month end and the new semester will start mid-June. It will be a short semester. Looking forward to it!

Dinner @Muara Sg Duyung

2009-05-04T15:31:00.004+08:00

Had dinner with Aliah, F and AMN at Muara Sg Duyong, Permatang Pasir in Melaka yesterday evening. The sun was just about to dissappear when we arrived.. cantik..

This ikan bakau and seafood place is otw to Bandar Hilir if you're coming from Padang Temu. It's nearer compared to Umbai and Anjung Batu. According to F, the Anjung Batu one is better. It has been years since he brought me there.. masa tu masih dating phase lagi. Dah tak ingat. hahahaha

This is the muara sungai. The sungai must be Sg Duyong la kot kekeke.. there were fishermen boats, could not get a shot. Some other time.

There are crocodiles at this place!

I quite like this place compared to the commercial Umbai. Next time would come earlier and get some shots of the boats and watch the sunset. arhh.. me and sunset and the sea.. ++nak start melancholy balik ler nih..++

Theatre outing - Mahsuri

2009-04-26T21:11:00.002+08:00

Watched Mahsuri with Nana and Mus Saturday nite - despite having to study for the SH1002 paper Monday morning. It was commendable. I cried (and Nana thought I had cold!) so much.. aiyah.. menjiwai sungguh!

Cried when Wan Derus (Mahsuri's hubby) left Mahsuri and Langkawi to fight at the border of Siam, coz Mahsuri was pregnant and her biras is one bad-hearted lady. Cried even more at the end - when they killed Mahsuri. Sedey.. she lost her life in a cruel manner, kena fitnah.. Vanida Imran really carried her role. Iya2 je aku nangis.. hahahaha

All in all, I enjoyed it. We girls actually enjoyed it! Tapi, rasa macam anti-klimaks je sikit coz it ended when Mahsuri died.. I guess the rest is history lah.. Padang jarak padang terkukur for tujuh keturunan..

Dinner Date in London

2009-04-26T00:48:00.003+08:00

Kiab* will always be Kiab, the baik and thoughtful and warm. The first night, he cooked roasted chicken for me. Then, Friday nite, spent time with me again, despite the cold and wet evening. Thank you for your time dear.. Appreciate it greatly. On top of that, Kiab offered to sembang till pagi should i arrive early from the Manchester trip.

We had dinner at J Sheekey on St Martin's Court in London. The nearest tube station is Leicester Square on the Northern and Piccadilly lines. Ohhh so soft with light batter, and so sedap the fish that i had. The one that Kiab had was also excellent! I had Fried Fillet of Haddock (with chips and mushy peas). nyummy!

The restaurant was full! We were walk-in customers and could only stay till 7.30pm since the table has been reserved. It's located in the centre of the theatre scene and many have pre/post theatre do here.

Kiab then took me to PAUL for coffee and dessert. Just nearby. Coffee in UK? No way! It's usually hot choc for me :-) and the hot choc here was superb! So thick and chocolatey.. nyummy!

* Kiab and I were classmates during A Levels days in Shah Alam. That was back in 1990/92.

English Tea.. but not in England!

2009-04-26T00:36:00.003+08:00

Ashie and I had afternoon tea at Sheraton Kuwait's English Tea Lounge after our trip from Souq Sharq. 'afternoon' tea was actually maghrib tea, at about 7pm. We were looking for coffee place, but there were none around the hotel area. We usually stay at JW Marriott, which has a Starbucks adjacent to it, but not here..

In the end, we ended up at the Tea Lounge, spent about 2 hours there, just talking and enjoying our tea.. and sandwiches.. and fruits.

English tea betul with earl grey tea.. but not in England, but Kuwait :-)

err.. next: English tea at Carcosa. Jom!

Back in Q8 - again

2009-04-26T00:26:00.002+08:00

Went to the hot and dusty Kuwait after the chilly spring London.. what a change! aduhh.. had meetings and attended a conference. This time around, we managed to visit a shopping mall.

We had lunch at Chilli's here in Souq Sharq. It oversees the skyline (?) of Kuwait City, with the Kuwait Towers and Liberation Tower at its horizon. Apparently, this is one of the favorite shopping arcades situated in this small city, which, by virtue of its collection of a wide variety of items has been drawing tourists as well as local people for years. Didnt do any shopping though, mahal.. 1KD = RM12.00

With Ashie, it's her first trip here. See the Kuwait Towers di kejauhan..

18 Apr: Destination Old Trafford

2009-04-24T23:16:00.004+08:00

This blog post goes out to SSO, who despite being a true and hardcore Man Utd supporter, have yet to set his foot here! Sorry babe, just have to say that.. kakakaka jgn marah.. And me, who is NOT a Man Utd supporter, have been here twice! hehehe

Here are some shots from Old Trafford. It was cold and windy. Ashie and I were freezing! There's a museum and stadium tour, but we skipped that since we're not hard core fans anyway. hehehe.. SSO dear, if we ever get here together, do take me for the tour eh :-)

Sir Matt Busby - a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Man Utd between 1945 and 1969 and again for the 1970–1971 season. He is the longest serving manager in the history of Manchester United, ahead of Sir Alex Ferguson, although the latter has overseen more matches as manager. Hence his statue..

Old Trafford - With space for 76,212 spectators, Old Trafford has the second-largest capacity of any English football stadium after Wembley Stadium, with which it is one of two stadia in the country to have been given a five-star rating by UEFA.

The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Dreams by Bobby Charlton, is the home of Man Utd and has been the club's permanent residence since 1910, with the exception of an eight-year absence from 1941 to 1949, following the bombing of the stadium in the 2nd World War. More here.

This is the road leading to Old Trafford. It's called the Sir Matt Busby Way. The shops and cafes here are all red and obviously, has MU on its signboards.

18 Apr: Destination University of Manchester

2009-04-24T23:04:00.004+08:00

After Warwick Unit, we headed north to Machester. Ashie completed her degree here. So did her other half. I've been to Manchester with HM while we did our undergrad, but didnt get a uni tour then. With Ashie, it's more meaningful.

Wikipedia describe Uni. of Manchester as a "red brick" civic uni. See pictures below :-)

The University of Manchester has been created by bringing together The Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST, two of Britain's most distinguished universities, to create a powerful new force in British Higher Education. Manchester has a long tradition of excellence in Higher Education. UMIST can trace its roots back to 1824 and the formation of the Manchester Mechanics' Institute, whilst The Victoria University of Manchester was founded as Owens College in 1851. After 100 years of working together, these two great institutions formally combined to form a single university on 22 October 2004.

Thanks for the tour, Ashie!

18 Apr: Destination University of Warwick

2009-04-24T22:48:00.006+08:00

From Oxford we stopped at Warwick Uni to visit the place Ashie's other half studied.. and yours truly too. I was here for a year in 1992/93. Did 1st year Computer Science course, failed 9 subjects, re-sat all of them and failed.. and got kicked out of the programme. hehehe

Anyway, things have changed so much here! Been back 2-3 times while i was at Coventry but never been back since then.

The Arts Centre looks the same from the outside. The inside is totally different! There's a nicer pathway to the cinema and there's a modern eating place inside. The bookshop is in here (cant remember if it has always been there).

This is an extension to the Rootes Building. It's the main reception building where it housed the Rootes Restaurant (fish and chips kat sini nyummy) and another eating place downstairs. There were also banks and a little grocery shop dulu, and a post office.. The bus station infront of Rootes is no longer there.

Now, the little grocery shop has turned into kinda a supermarket place, located at this Students Union! The SU is far from the brown-bricked and dark one we had dulu. This SU is totally new and modern. The Post Office is inside.

This is one of the student accommodations, Whitefields. Stayed here while i was in Warwick Uni. It's made up of 17 houses of 9 or 12 single rooms, with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities in each house, ground floor lounge in each house. Best of all, centrally located with easy access to all facilities. It's actually just besides the SU.

18 Apr: Destination Oxford

2009-04-24T22:37:00.004+08:00

Ashie and I rented a car and we drove to Oxford (among others) on Saturday 18 Apr. It's about an hour drive from Central London. **We did not get lost at all. Thanks to the SatNav :-) **

According to Wikipedia, Oxford has a population of just under 165,000, with 151,000 living within the District boundary. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre. We spent about an hour there, just for a short detour.

Not China, this is Oxford, England.

We went to the gounds of Oxford Castle. I have a thing with castles. Over the four years I did my undergrad, I visited Warwick Castle four times! hehehe

The development of Oxford Castle began in 1071 when, having fought alongside him during the Norman Conquest of 1066, Robert d’Oilly built Oxford Castle for William the Conqueror. The Castle was strategically positioned near to the river, on the western edge of the existing Saxon town defences. The Motte, or Mound, with a well chamber, stands over 20 metres high and is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

London: Back Again

2009-04-24T22:26:00.002+08:00

Was in London 15-18 April. For work, meetings from 10am to 6pm everyday.. aduh.. Lucky coz the meetings (with exception of a site visit session) were done at one place. That keeps us away from the chilly wind.

Except for the afternoon on our first day there, it was wet and rainy and grey (ahh what's new with London kan?). That afternoon, as Kiab told me, was the best day this year! It was warm and sunny! And we were in meetings!! adoiii terseksa sungguh.. By the time we finished, we were so hungry, went to Oxford St for makan, and headed back to the hotel - jet lagged! hahaha

Nothing much has changed since the last trip about 2 years ago.

The London Eye on the background.

The Tower Bridge. Been here countless times. Cannot resist a short stop and more pictures here :-)

The same goes for this Big Ben :-)

A Productive Weekend!

2009-04-12T10:53:00.009+08:00

I had another productive weekend! Proud of myself. For the first time in many weeks, i did not do any office work for the weekend. Done with:

Sending the car for major 80K service. aduhh.. mahai nya.. How to change to that continental car? ;-)
The final assignment. yahoo! Need to re-read, format, convert to pdf and submit. Target to do that tonight or latest tmrw after work.
A bit of studying while I waited for the car to be serviced yesterday.
Getting durians for Aliah. She has been asking for it past one week. Result: a durian smelling car and pengat durian for breakfast today. nyummy!
Filing 2008 income tax. .. and IRB owes me five-figure numbers!!! Thanks for the rebate on allowances hehehe Yang last year pun belum dibayar lagi. Can consider a long and far overseas trip once the money is in ;-)

Next would be a visit to Zarina and the new baby, and perhaps that ex-colleague in hospital. .. and a visit to MPH for books I've promised Aliah. .. and some research on a BIG project!! Watch this page for more ;-)

I'm happy! Selamat berhujung minggu folks!

Patah kaki for a day.. and discoveries

2009-03-28T20:24:00.003+08:00

Patah kaki
Not really break my leg. I didn't have my car for half a day today. It was out at the bengkel for a minor ketuk after i 'kissed' a Kembara's back over a week ago. Now it's good as new! Only need a good wash :-)

Anyway, i had errands to run today. So Aliah and I went on public transport - cab and LRT, no buses since we didnt have to. It has been sometime since we've been on the LRT. Seronok but Aliah complaint about having to walk a lot. We walked from the eye clinic at Jln Ipoh to PWTC's LRT.. and Sogo-Masjid Jamek LRT. Yours truly sempat lah jugak look-see tudung and kain ;-)

Discoveries
Aliah has astigmatism, we found out today at the eye clinic. That confirms her blur-ness when i ask her to look fo rthings or read the singboards. aihhh.. She needs glasses for reading and TV now. Astigmatism is caused by an unevenly shaped eyeball.

Aliah has turned girlish! It started with a request to get her ears pierced just before the school holidays. It followed with wanting hair pins to keep her hair away from her eyes.. and in process, she bought a pair of pink-with-white-polkadots hair pin! It's PINK! And she hates pink!! .. and today.. I wanted to get her a real stud for the ears, not gold plated ones.. and she refused to get it from PK and insisted we go to H***B! and her's is RM40 more expensive than the one im wearing! aduhh.. what's next? hmmm.. but im happy. Hopefully she will agree to keep her hair a bit longer ;-)

Walk down History - The Museum Visit

2009-03-08T19:30:00.004+08:00

We visited the Muzium Tentera Darat in PD. I did not take Aliah here a few years ago when we stayed 4 nites in Pd coz she was a bit too young and may not appreciate the visit. But this time, I think it's about time. Aliah enjoyed it. It was a history lesson for her.

This tugu peringatan fills the museam's dataran. The museum is on a hill, so you wont miss it. Take the Sua Betong route, dont drive straight to Teluk Kemang if ur coming from KL.

The museum took us back to the years before independence. There were history on the Dutch and Portugese in Melaka.. then how the British came.. and of course the Japanese.. and independence. All in all, i think it's good for kids.

Next: museum visits in KL. There are 2-3 places to visit around Lake Garden area.. and maybe another round to the National Museum. Any one wanna join?

The Blue Lagoon

2009-03-08T19:22:00.002+08:00

Not the movie folks! It's the Blue Lagoon in PD. The last time I was here - that was yearsssss ago when I was a wife and Aliah was a toddler - this was a quiet place. I remember, we sat under the tree and let Aliah walked around the beach.

The Blue Lagoon is by PNB Ihlam Resort. White sandy beach with corals. This part of PD has corals along the coast.

Air surut while we were there. That is why we were able to get these shots: seaweed, the running little crabs, coral (dead, maybe) and siput. We walked far into the sea and quickly ran back to the beach when the water came.

Lighthouse visit

2009-03-08T19:07:00.002+08:00

I have always wanted to go here but never had the chance to. The chance came and I did, with Aliah. It was worth it. This is the view from the top of the hill. We were not allowed on the lighthouse - need to have a letter to enter :-(

Pic: The darkish thingy are actually corals. Who said there aren't corals in PD?

The lighthouse is also called the Cape Rachado Lighthouse. It's at Tanjung Tuan, Melaka. Yep, it's under Melaka's jurisdiction, but actually it borders PD. So all you need to do is get to PD and head towards Melaka. There are signboards around. If you are familiar with PD, and know where PNB Ilham Resort is, it's just there.

Pic: Greenery everywhere. It's the Hutan Rekreasi Tanjung Tuan

To get to the lighthouse, we had to 'panjat' the hill through the Hutan Rekreasi. uhhh.. letih la jugak - so unfit! :-) It's about 15-20mins walk up under the cooling trees..

Pic: Our path to the lighthouse

Lighthouse pics.. It commenced ops in 1863 and has a visible range of 23 nautical miles. If only can go up to the lights.. Who said PD is boring? :-)

A page from Anas Zubedy

2009-02-26T16:20:00.002+08:00

This was on a full page in The Star today. I met Anas in a marketing course while at that local-bank backed brokerage. Smart and practical guy. Well done, Anas. Well said!

Dear Malaysian Politicians,
Please stop the power chase, call for a truce and focus on the economy.

I do not claim to speak on behalf of all Malaysians, but I have strong convictions that many share my sentiments.

Our concern today is not who rules the country or heads the state governments but the looming bad economy.

Whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat leads, it is meaningless if Malaysians have no job to go to, no money to pay rent and no means to put food on the table.

I am a business owner, like other business owners and managers of corporations I have a responsibility to ensure people under my care and payroll continue to have jobs and a decent income to take home. We work hard and willing to go the extra mile to make sure our nation not only survive this crisis but come out stronger and wiser. We need your help.

Let me explain. I am in the business of Training, Development and Consultancy and have 20 people in my team.

Saedah is 42. She keeps the office clean and helps organise the training rooms. She has four children and her husband is unemployed. She was first hired on a part time basis, because she is very hard working and has a great attitude, we offered her a full time job to help provide a stable income for her family. Even then, when her third child started school this year, it was a struggle for her to buy new school uniforms and other necessities. Saedah lives on a ‘kais bulan, makan bulan’ basis, so, if she is jobless, her tap runs dry.

Samsuri is 27 years old. He lives with his sister and her family in a low cost government flat in Sunway. He does our despatch, helps with various clerical works and occasionally acts as a driver. During the first week at zubedy, we learned that he not only did not have money to buy new clothes and shoes for work, he had no money for lunch. Like Saedah, if he has no job, his tap runs dry too.

Alicia in Client Servicing turns 26 this year. She lives with her dad who is 71 years old and retired. Her mom passed away when she was little. Alicia is a hard-working team member, has a gentle caring outlook and fun to be with. (We like to poke fun at her as she blushes easily). Last May her dad went through a major operation, thank God he has recovered well. Alicia needs a job, both for herself and her dad.

Sudesh, 38, is one of our facilitators. When his father passed away last year, he moved back and lives with his mother in Seremban. He shuttles between Kuala Lumpur and Seremban daily, leaving home sometimes as early as 4 in the morning and returning late at night. He is no stranger to hard work and sacrifice, he knows what he needs to do to survive and to care for his mother, but he too needs a job.

Like fellow Malaysians, every one of us in zubedy needs employment, those that live from hand to mouth like Saedah and Samsuri and others like Alicia and Sudesh with family to care for. We Malaysians need the Malaysian economy to be strong. We need you, our leaders, to work hard and to work together to make our economy viable.

So this is my plea.

Pakatan Rakyat, please stop your attempts to take over the federal government and persuade BN’s lawmakers to join you. Stop all legal proceedings, no more 916 and let go, just let go. The nation can wait till the next general elections if they want change. By doing so, Malaysians will see your party as caring, unselfish and gracious and give you their support in the next elections.

Barisan Nasional, please stop any attempts to take over PR states and win over PR’s lawmakers. You have proven your point with Perak. The nation can wait for the next general elections if they want your party. Focus all your talent, energy and hard work in steering the country out of an economic downturn. By doing so, Malaysians will see your party as caring, unselfish and smart and give you their support in the next elections.

BN and PR! Call for a truce. Get together and compromise. Someone has to give in. Or has hate consumed your heart till it blinds you? You can do it. You have enough intelligent people between you. I am sure you can find solutions. Take the nation to heart. That is why you are in politics in the first place.

Focus on the people.

Focus on the economy.

Anas Zubedy
Managing Director
Zubedy (M) Sdn Bhd

Shines like new

2009-02-22T21:10:00.001+08:00

It was a day for me and my ride yesterday. Sent him (why am I attaching it a male gender?) For the scheduled 75K service in the morning (had a great conversation while I waited. Thanks!), then off for his vanity session in the afternoon. Yeah, the first after almost three years I have him!! But, opps! It rained just the moment I left the vanity place. Aduhh..

Next vanity session soon, to add to his dark tan. Thot of doing it today, but Aliah was in a crap mood, so later lah. Looks like that continental ride won't be at my parking lot so soon :-)

PGL nite out

2009-02-14T02:01:00.000+08:00

Watched PGL Musicals Friday evening. My first despite running for the third season. I enjoyed it extremely!

I can relate to some of Putri's scenes. The questions. The wait. The longing. The sacrifices. The cries. The loneliness. The uncertainty.

But no, I don't want to be like Putri. Wait for something unsure. I'd move on. :)

Analysts and Valuations

2009-02-03T17:55:00.003+08:00

Like your money, relationship is also an investment. At least, that's what i think :-) It comes with hard work (to make sure returns are achieved from that investment). And that requires some homework.

Similar to the approach that equity analysts analyse stocks, relationship can undergo the same process. Here's the usual way I do my "initiating coverage" stock:

Business background - history, core business, company structure, location, management team, shareholders
Core business - what, where, how (usually process flow especially manufacturing companies), market positioning, products/services
Key success factors - what drives the company
Financial performance - historical trends. To include financial projections with clear assumptions.
Concerns - can be operational, financial standing, industry-related (especially if within a regulated industry), management, shareholders
Outlook - the future prospects
Valuation - fair value indication and recommendation (buy, hold, sell)

Valuation is done to arrive at a fair value. Valuation can be done in several ways, usually depending on the company's nature of business:

Price/earnings ratio (PER) - the simplest and straighforward
Price/book ratio (P/B) - usually used for banks
Discounted cashflow (DCF) - good for companies with steady cashflow trend e.g. IPPs, cash-business companies like Amway or Nestle
Sum-of-parts (SOP) - break the companies according to its core business. Usually used for conglomerates e.g. companies like Sime Darby and MMC. An a holding company has a holding company discount attached to it. hehe

Note - these valuation methods has its own +ve and -ve points :-)

So, which valuation method should I use now?.. Perhaps a SOP.. and i will have to apply a holding company discount. Wah! That will reduce your fair value. If your fair value is >20% of the current market price, i may consider to purchase. If it's <20%, I wont consider buying at all. kikikik

.. and what if one wants to have >1 stock to hold? One can do a stock universe and apply some portfolio management techniques to ensure the optimum results. ahhh.. another post ya. har har har

A Great Lunch Get Together

2009-01-30T14:57:00.003+08:00

I had an extremely great and fulfilling lunch today! The girls in the pic above are my school mates. Many of them I haven't seen since SPM in 1989! It has been years!! It was hillarious as we laughed, took pictures, and exchanged stories and keep each other updated with work, children.. and marital status as well :-)

Many thanks to Almiza for making it happen. We met each other through Facebook and decided to do a get together. Most of us have known each other since primary school and the friendship continued as we went to secondary school. ahh Fulfilling sungguh to meet the girls again..

Thanks to the DUKE

2009-01-14T07:36:00.004+08:00

Not the duke, it's the Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE). Been plying the road since Saturday. It cuts travelling time by at least 5 minutes to Aliah' school, my parents place and onto MRR2 from the apartment. Don't have to go through four traffic lights just to get onto MRR2. The best is, it cuts 15 to 30 minutes of travelling time to office in the morning! yeay!!

The highway is vast (maybe coz it's still relatively empty). There are some sharp corners, which has scare your truly - now penakut sikit after the skid raya hari tu - so, has been slowing down at those. Otherwise, it's alrite. Well lit too, which is greatly appreciated by this rabun yours truly. One can catch the KL skyline and its beautiful at night.

DUKE will start tolling at 0001 9 Feb 2009. I'm considering taking it for Aliah's school-office route. ahh.. additional transportation cost. I'm already paying RM3.00/day on AKLEH.

Back to school

2009-01-07T14:00:00.003+08:00

Aliah is now in Year 4. Sekejap jer.. that means, i've been sending her to school for the past six years. hehehe Yes, i take credit for that. :-)

I remember her first day at pre-school. She cried and cried and refuse to get into the school. The teacher grabbed her and i peeked from outside. She finally settled in. It went on for about a week.

Now, i just drop her in front of the school. Make sure she walks into the school compound and i leave for office.

Coffee at Hai Peng

2008-12-30T17:01:00.004+08:00

We purposely took the longer coastal road back to KL from KB. Headed to Pasir Putih onto Jertih and did that Terengganu coastal route. Cantik.. There's something about Terengganu waters that i like.. We stopped at Pasar Payang in KT for shopping (yours truly yang sebok shopping, of course) and lunch.. Did some keropok shopping at Marang and headed back to KL.

Before hitting Pahang, we stopped at Chukai for coffee at the famous Hai Peng Kedai Kopi. Insisted that we stop here coz my parents have always heard me mentioning this place. It was already 5.15pm when we reached the place, so tak dok nasik dage doh. But coffee and roti bakar was great.

Anyone needs company to go there - please call me. I can do the driving :-)

Jale-jale ke PCB

2008-12-30T16:51:00.002+08:00

It rained most of the time we were in KB. Not a surprise eh :-) But the children wanted to go to the beach. We went to Pantai Cahaya Bulan (PCB). And true enough.. we could see the dark clouds across the sea when we arrived..
Sea was rough and ganas..

Additional info from wiki: terletak kira-kira 10 km dari KB dan merupakan kawasan pendaratan tentera Jepun untuk menyerang British pada 8 Disember 1941. Pada suatu ketika, pantai ini dinamakan Pantai Cinta Berahi, suatu nama yang dikatakan diberi oleh seorang askar British ketika dia di pantai ini pada masa Perang Dunia II. Pada masa itu, askar tersebut sedang menderita kerana cintanya tidak berbalas.

My bro, Ari with his wife, Yati and their three boys.. plus Aliah in the picture.

More of KB

2008-12-30T16:05:00.005+08:00

KB comes to me as a rather busy town. Maybe it was the school holidays and long weekend. Traffic jam. Here are some pics to share. Im a visual person :-)

Wanita bertudung on the billboards:

Signboards are in jawi too. Here's Maxis..

and here's a bicycle shop.

Some personal shots ..

This was where we spent our three nights in KB.

The house gets its water supply from the ground. So, water is free. Only pay electricity. Water is pumped from beneath with this pump. Every unit has this. The water supply in the kitchen comes straight from the ground while the one in the bathroom is stored in the tanked.

The road within this housing estate is small. Rubbish are not collected at the front gate as what we usually get in KL. Instead, my bro would have to throw the garbage at a dumpster along the main road. This is how rubbish is carried ..

.. and thrown here :-)

Cuti-cuti Kota Baru

2008-12-26T21:29:00.000+08:00

We are in Kota Baru:yours truly, Aliah and ibu and ayah. We arrived last night after 8 hours drive with 3 short solat, toilet and makan stops. It rained and there were many vehicles making overtaking a challenge. Winding roads, double lines and all. My rabun eyes didn't help too as it turned dark :)

The last time I was in KB, I had to give a talk to a group of investors. That was many years ago when I was in the local-bank back brokerage. I left that emplyer in 2005.

My bro took his family here last year when he was transferred and this is the first time we're here to see their place. Easy life, rental is relatively cheap compared to KL, taska anak2 pun cheaper. They're staying 7km from KB town at a place called Kg Tunjong.

Maxis broadband sucks here but Celcom is great. Aliah gets her usual Digimon dosage here. What's interesting here is my brother doesn't pay for water. Water is actually pumped from undergound. A pump has been installed and the only cost is electricity. Cool!! So the kitchen's pipe water is purely ground water. Sejuk! Grrr...

Didn't do much today. Rained the whole day. Nonetheless, we went to Rantau Panjang and Wakaf Che Yah for look-see sessions and had dinner in town. Tomorrow is the pasar visit. Yeay! Pictures later folks, I'm blogging from the berry.

Of exams and post-exams

2008-12-26T21:21:00.000+08:00

It has been a hectic week. Besides finishing the global report, I had two papers to sit as part of my aim to finish the CIFP programme. Well, I've just only started actually :)

Exams took place 20th and 24th Dec. Did the second module better than the first, I think. Had time and study partner to prepare for the second one. Tak pe lah, tawakal je..

Aliah has been with me since 23rd Dec and watched Bolt after the exam. It was a 3D one at Pavilion, cool and we both enjoyed it!

ahh exams dah lepas, lega. Hope I make it thru. Look forward to continue the next semester.

Makan-makan

2008-12-16T17:57:00.002+08:00

The new AEON is now open in Setiawangsa. Looks like it's gonna be my new lepak place. Banyak food outlets but no MPH like the one in Alpha Angle, Wangsa Maju. Had satay at the Satay Club last week. Tasted ok, cuma lama2 rasa mual coz it's rather sweet. Otherwise, service was good and friendly.

Had chicken, beef, squid and prawn satay

Had dinner at Wong Solo last weekend. Been here a few times, the Ampang outlet. Went to the Jakarta and Bali ones too. Indonesia food, nyum! The ayam penyet is excellent! For Syak and Kenny, the Ampang outlet is at Jalan Dagang 13/3A, Taman Dagang. Look for the Balai Polis Ampang, u'll never get lost. Apparently, there is another Wong Solo at Jalan Raja Alang, Kg Baru. Havent been there yet. Im sure it's the same.

so.. sesiapa yg perlu teman for dinner, I'm only 10 mins away from both AEON Setiawangsa and Wong Solo's Ampang outlet :-)

Q8 trip

2008-11-27T15:52:00.004+08:00

That tower at the background is the Liberation Tower. It is the tallest structure situated in Kuwait, regarded as the symbol of Kuwaiti liberation and the unique sign of country's renaissance. Construction started before the Iraqi attack of on Kuwait on 2nd August in 1990.

I'm back in KL after 3 days in Kuwait. Meetings went well. Weather was excelent! Average of 23-25degs. Sunny and windy. Subuh is like 5am, sunrises about 620am while maghrib is just before 5pm.

Kuwait is nothing busy or moving like Dubai. Not like Abu Dhabi too. Yeah, that is despite it being the world's fifth largest proven oil reserves and is the 9th richest country in the world per capita!

Its parliament resigned while we were there. ahhh.. what's the surprised? so often they do that. Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy and has the oldest directly elected parliament in the Persian Gulf region. The head of state is the Emir or Sheikh, a hereditary office. The Emir appoints a PM/Crown Prince. A council of ministers, also known as cabinet ministers, aids the PM in his task as the head of Govt of Kuwait, which must contain at least one elected member of the Kuwaiti parliament, known as Majlis Al-Umma (National Assembly).

Felt like transported to masa lampau. It must be those torn down buildings and lack of cranes (yes, unlike Dubai again) or any form of modern LRT/train transportation. Some parts of the city is beautiful. Went to one shopping centre - The Avenues. It's so expansive! Huge! Apparently the largest in Kuwait. Had nice dinner at an Iranian restaurant.

The airport is sungguh menyedihkan. Small, crowded, kecoh. There was a long queue just to get thru immigration upon departure. Aduh! I did a sad face and the airport officer let me went on the First/Business Class queue :-)

Otherwise, it was a good trip. I enjoyed it.

Sampai Syurga - Faizal Tahir

2008-11-21T18:41:00.002+08:00

The car CD player has been singing Faizal Tahir for the past one week. And this song is ringing in my head after the lunch drive out. urgh!

Ku membenarkan jiwaku

Untuk mencintaimu

Ku persembahkan hidupku

Untuk bersama kamu

Dan diriku untuk kamu

Belum pernah kumerasai begitu

Semua itu telah berlalu

Harapanku palsu

Dan mungkin hari yang satu

Terus ku tertunggu

Di hatiku masih kamu

Belum pernah ku ingin terus memburu

Aku lemah tanpa kamu

Ku inginmu dampingi ku

Aku fahami aku bukan terbaik

Untuk dirimu

Namun aku tetap aku

Yang terbaik untuk diriku

Hanya satu

Hanya kamu

Ku membiarkan hatiku

Untuk merinduimu

Ku menghamparkan sakitku

Untuk tatapan kamu

Bersamamu harapanku

Hilang dalam terang yang membutakanku

Lagu frust. Banyak lagu frust. Tak de lagu happy2? :-)

The NSE or ECE? i did NSE

2008-11-16T14:20:00.000+08:00

Drove to Melaka yesterday to send Aliah to her dad. Pelik arrangement eh? Hahaha

I wanted to drive out anyway. It has been sometime since I took de car for a fast rough ride. Wanted to drive to KT and do some shopping initially. Couldn't confirm until I know F's arrangement for Aliah. In de end, I drove to Melaka and back.

At 9.55pm yesterday I was still contemplating if I should just get a hotel in Melaka. By 12.10am today, I'm back at my apartment. Ohhh syok habis drive laju2. Had the music on so loud and felt the VTEC kicked in. If dapat speeding ticket pun puas hati hahaha

Hmm.. If my 1500cc japanese car gives me that adrenalin rush, I wonder how it feels on THAT continental car.. Hmmm..

Ummi-girl dates

2008-11-16T14:15:00.001+08:00

Took Aliah to Impak Maksima Musikal Friday nite. What a letdown! Save for the drifting, storyline was boring. Something about the soundsystem too, hardly hear de dialogues clearly. Perhaps banyak sangat menjerit. We left halfway, cannot tahan.

Yesterday, took Aliah for Madagascar 2. Ok lah.. But we both prefer the first one. After that, we did the fish spa. This time round, it was less geli :-)

The date ended around maghrib. Sent Aliah to her dad in Melaka. I'm in for about 2 weeks alone. Huwaaa..

A Meltdown

2008-10-24T16:27:00.003+08:00

Have been following the financial pages? Scary i think. That has got me occupied in the office. We ran a series on the global financial crisis. Singapore is in recession. UK economy -0.5% in 3Q08. Equities are not spared. More investors selling down - globally! The fall in crude oil and gold prices is no longer a catalyst to the market. Currencies are hit too. Korea's won has plunged 33% YTD. Indian rupee is also at its low.

Here are the situation, illustrated.

Crude oil price (52 weeks) - coming down

Ringgit (2004 - present)

Those holding USD will get more for your RM. But if u have loans in USD, ouch..it's painful

KLCI (as at 4.25pm, 24 Oct 2008)

Self explanatory

Asia Pacific major indices (as at 4.25pm, 24 Oct 2008)

Global major indices (as at 4.25pm, 24 Oct 2008)
European markets tanked 4% upon open

The Eid week

2008-10-07T18:02:00.003+08:00

Atuk with some of his cucu and yours truly is Atuk's eldest cucu.

Itu semua my cousins except for Din (my youngest bro).

Front row (L-R): Eina, Kak Cik, Baby, Firdaus, Along Ati, Angah Aisyah, Rizzat

Back row (L-R): Fauzi, Din, Atuk, Rizuan

Eid is a non-event for me. Tak de sebok2 buat/beli baju raya, no kasut raya, no tudung raya, no buat biskut raya, no new langsir, no new furniture, tak cat rumah etc.. This year is event worse. Tak de mood nak raya! The highlight of the day would be solat and salam2 with family. .. and phone calls to love one(s) (this is extra effort, tak sama macam hantar sms. Same goes with kad raya, that's extra effort).

It's my second raya as a single. It was even terasa this year coz Aliah wasn't with me the whole week. I had my parents, and brothers, nephews, and aunts, uncles and cousins.. as well as Ijai and Yan's three boys - dah lama tak beraya kat Msia :-)

Day 1 - Arrived at parents, kemas2 the table, get the pinggan and mangkuk and glasses out. Many guests whole day - mainly my mom's cousins. Rumah penuh and meriah. By the evening, it was full house. Very meriah! Just a bit pissed off coz someone didn't bother to return my call. You are forgiven btw.. Appreciate if u'd return call in de future :-)

Day 2 - Uncle Mok and Busu & respective families made their way to Johor. Tak ramai guests. Yours truly went book browsing at MPH after asar :-) Seronok pergi Alpha Angle, tak de orang.

Day 3 - err.. sudah boring.. Ran some errands in the morning and lepak parents again. Started to work on slides since I got that email reminder "Please show me the draft on Monday". Met fren for coffee at night.

All in all, it was a quiet event for me. Lots of time spent at parents and by myself. Alhamdulillah for the opportunity to rasa Eid tahun nih.. Most importantly, syukur that I am able to post this. Would have lost my life on Kerinchi Link sunday afternoon. err.. i spun twice on that sharp turn, panicked big time. I could have flown off the flyover onto Federal Highway. Moral of the event: drive carefully semasa hujan..

Eid Mubarak

2008-09-30T06:36:00.000+08:00

Wishing all muslim family and friends Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Maaf zahir batin.

Drive carefully. Eat moderately :-) I'm raya-ing in KL, my second single raya. Aliah will be in Melaka with her dad and I'll have my parents for raya. Other than starting with the slides (yep, ada office work) and assignments, I'm rather free. Do call.

Eid mubarak!

Iftar do with college mates

2008-09-24T08:29:00.005+08:00

Pic from Jonn

Date: 20 Sept 2008
Venue: Singgahsana Hotel, PJ
Group: A Level mates, PPP/ITM 1990-1992

My first buka puasa outside home (besides Brunei trip). Have been really anti-social this year, partly because I'm no longer in the melayan-clients job environment. phew! lega jugak.. otherwise, pening nak cari tempat iftar dgn clients. .. and partly coz tak de kaki nak berbuka outside. But the main reason is - I prefer to be at home with Aliah.

It was a great do. Some friends I haven't met since A Level days, yep, that was in 1992 before we all do our first year. Five of us from R8 came: myself, Hanie, Nisa, Anis and Sal. Tapi, tak leh lawan class R10 - 5 org made it to the event.

Thank you to Jonn and Jenam for organising it. Lain kali buat lagi eh.. ;-)

A Quiet and Calm Brunei

2008-09-14T17:49:00.001+08:00

Room service sahur

Did a short one night trip to Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei recently. BSB comes to me as calm and peaceful, flat land with sungguh sikit vehicles! The only jam we had was jam org pergi bazaar Ramadhan.

It was 2pm on a Friday at de centre of BSB town, and it was amazingly quiet!! Nothing like KL or Seremban. Maybe like Arau, sungguhlah laid back and peaceful. Err I don't mind going there for short trips. Woeking and staying may be a challenge hehehe

Another kind of therapy

2008-09-02T12:29:00.005+08:00

It's on Level 5 at Pavillion, just outside Red Box and GSC.

We tried these little ones first

We had a whale time on Hari Kebangsaan. Took Aliah to the fish spa at Pavilion as birthday gift. Yikes! So geli when the fish come and bite(?), err nibble actually. There were giggles and lots of giggles! It was a great experience. We enjoyed it. Look forward to do more :-)

We graduated to these bigger ones after 20mins

The fishes are called Garra Rufa and they originated from a hot spring near Kangal in Turkey where they were first discovered for their healing power. They are also called ‘Doctor Fish' as these fishes help in easing the symptoms of those suffering from skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. They actually nibble away scaly and dead skin, leaving the skin smooth. Aliah did not attract many, but I did hehehe

36 today..

2008-08-23T19:07:00.001+08:00

Time sure flies very fast. Turned 36 today. BIG number. I'd have to say I'm heading to late 30s. Aduhh.. Well, its just a number.

Sure feel like I've grown so much older past one year. After de 35th bday, came de big D, then adjusting to life without Aliah over wknds, new job, new friends, new life, the loneliness, the cries, the laughs, the hurt and healing.. Gone thru a lot. Good thing is, I survived. Alhamdulillah.. I'm moving on.

I know I have my family and frens. And Aliah. Thank you for de bday wishes, dat came as early as it striked OOO1 23 Aug from SSO followed by Lanyau, my brother Ari in KB, Afrezal at 0134. Subuh2 FND texted then ibu called and sms/email came from WL, Ashie, Darsh and Ella from office.as well as Lorna via FB. More wishes: ALM from Makkah as well as Roslan, dear Nazira, Bayan, HMM, Ojie and best fren Ja. Actually nya, ramai2 tu are new frens I met over de year.. And old frens dat became close frens. Amazing how life works..

No celebration as usual. Thankful to be alive and sihat. A cake arrived at de ofis Friday afternoon. Timekasih babe.. And I'm having dinner with Nazira. Yep! I'm in Penang! For work but no complains.. Company is great tonite!

So dats how my 36th bday goes.

Now by de beach at Feringgi.. Watching de sunset - alone :-)

Gua Hira' on Jabal Nur

2008-08-21T13:11:00.004+08:00

The mutawwir took us to Gua Hira' on Jabal Nur one evening after dinner. We didn't want to let the opportunity go and we went, including Aliah. Ibu and ayah had walking sticks to assist the hike. Took 1 hour plus to reach the cave. Balik tu, sakit lutut hehe

Jabal Nur just, as its name, bercahaya, in the pitch dark night. cantik.. The bukit is berbatu2. Quarter up dah letih but kuatkan jugak to see the place where the first ayat diturunkan on 17 Ramadhan 611.

Jabal Nur is 2 miles from Makkah. Gua Hira' is 3.5m long and 1.5m wide. yep, narrow. Boleh muat 2 org solat berdiri and 1 solat duduk. We all had our turns to perform solat or sujud syukur.

Makkah can be view from Gua Hira'. Masjidil Haram was so bright dikejauhan itu. See pic below, can see the minarets. The pic below is captured at Gua Hira' level.