tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66172146551822308492024-02-07T01:49:38.304-08:00Syaq's piece of mindA peace of mind is a piece of the mindsyaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-18566254897501845352009-12-30T02:25:00.000-08:002009-12-30T08:25:13.706-08:00Bahrain-London-Paris-LondonI've realized that there's only ONE day left for the year 2009. I can't possibly leave the year without noting the key events that happened. So, i decided that this whole year was about fulfilling one of the goals I stated in january 2009; to travel as much as I can. To actually turn the words into reality,I got a job and save up money. This trip was the highlight of my year(to be perfectly honest,a milestone in all my 22 years of living). Ever since I was 13(when I started learning French as a foreign language subject in secondary school),I have always imagined seeing Paris. On 17th December 2009,I departed for London from Bahrain. On 18th december,5.30am,I left for Paris via Eurostar form London St Pancras station. Anyway,here's a little summary of the recent trip.<br /><br />17th December 2009:<br />Got on the plane to London,around 10.30am Bahrain time. They said it's gonna take us 6 hours 50 minutes to reach there.Watched a movie 'PostGrad',was light hearted n entertaining,it's about life after uni. Reached London Heathrow terminal 4. Saw snow falling just outside my window in the plane,it was amazing yet so peaceful.<br />Waited for Aida and her sister,they were in another flight form Kuala Lumpur. Ate a sandwich but can't seem to find a rubbish bin anywhere(to be explained after this).<br />Finally met up with Aida and her sister. Challenge: pushing and carrying 3 small luggage and 2 big ones to Strawberry Hill. Getting there required 3 tube changes and 1 national rail change. No freaking escalators nor lifts at the stations,had to carry all that trunk through flight of stairs.HELL!<br />Arrived at Strawberry hill,snow covered walkway i.e very slippery. Took a short nap until 10.30pm,woke up to get ready. Have to leave for Richmond from Strawberry Hill to catch a train at St Pancras Station.<br /><br />18th December 2009:<br />Took a train form Richmond and arrived at Clapham junction,scheduled to take a train to King's Cross/St Pancras after that. Waited for the train,suddenly heard an announcement that no trains will be going towards that direction,have to take the bus instead( Thank god we're only carrying one hand luggage each!). Raced to the bus stop,made it just in time to catch the last bus to King's Cross Stn.<br />Quite a long journey from there,the bus was en route to King's Cross via central London. Snow fell heavily,later heard from the news that it was actually a blizzard!<br />It was super cold.Rushed inside St Pancras n met up with Nizam(our voluntary tour guide in Paris,hehe and got my assam milk tea,thanx a lot nizam!). Sat down for a caffeine fix there,can still felt the cold wind from there.<br />4.45 am.rushed to Eurostar Ticket office(didnt realized we were down to the wire,check in closed at 4.55).We made it 2 minutes before the train departed.*big sigh*<br />8.45 am. Paris!I was in Paris!the train stopped at Gare du Nord. Bought 3 day pass for easy access to METRO,RER and bus(cost = 20 euros). Actual ticket was soo tiny,not clumsy people-friendly<br /><br />18th december 2009(evening):<br />Familiarize ourselves with METRO,made a stop at Notre Dame Cathedral,Champs-Elysees,Arc de Triomphe,the Louvre(didnt go inside the museum today), walk around in Paris despite the heavy snow. We were determined!<br />5 pm,reached the Eiffel Tower(we've bought the tix in advance).Huge disappointment,it was closed due to the bad weather. Stomach growling,both feet numb.Got an Eifel tower background pic nevertheless.<br />HUNGRY!!solution: Halal KFC near the Famous Moulin Rouge!<br />I was kinda curious on what was going on inside Moulin Rouge(the evening shows were super expensive like around 100euros per person,so i have to scratch that idea off). Finally sat down and enjoy our meal. The sleepiness kicked in automatically after.<br />We went back to the hotel,get ready for bed and agreed to meet up at 8am at Gare du nord to go to Disneyland Paris<br /><br />19th december 2009:<br />Woke up at 8am!rushing to get ready.Aida got a text from nizam, Eurostar has suspended all their service for the day(he was scheduled to leave that very evening to London). Made our way to Gare du Nord,looked at the clock,it was 10am!.Our watches were still on London time,hahaha.<br />Nizam had to change his train ticket,to either the next day or the day after that,even with that there was no guarantee that the English Channel tunnel will be open and eurostar services will b up n running.He had to find a hotel to stay another night,found one near Gare du Nord.<br />Things cant any worse from there rite?wrong!the lift to go to his room was broken and the door wont open. The housekeeping lady was NOT helpful especially when he asked her a favour in English. Thank God my french was adequate enough to communicate with the very grumpy(menopaus-ing possibly) lady.<br />3pm,took RER to Disneyland Paris,arrived around 3.45pm..found out about a strike from the ticket person so we had to be on the train before 8pm. Shorter time to be spent in Disneyland.<br />I love Disneyland,i have to go bck!<br />7.30pm,reached central paris..ate dinner.<br />9pm,got ready for bed..praying and hoping that the weather wasnt harsh.The thought of snow wasnt at all pleasant at that time.<br /><br />20th december 2009:<br />4.40am,received a text from my dad saying that all Eurostar services is suspended until Monday.<br />9.30am,met up with nizam,had to go to an expensive internet service to check the status of our flight,as of that moment,everything was still good<br />1.30 pm,bid to goodbye to nizam and made our way to Musee de Louvre..the view from the inside was as astonishing as the view outside. I didnt know anything about paintings and their values. Seeing the paintings on display there made me understand why people go through great length to acquire these pictures,they're soo detailed and articulate.<br />3pm,saw the famous 'Monalisa',visitors can't get close to the painting though..people were crowding the area..i bet Leonardo Da Vinci couldn't even anticipate the commotion the public would have over his painting<br />3.30pm,made our way to Galleries Lafayette(Paris's version of Harrods),the christmas decoration set up was beautiful..we were taking pics in the concourse area and out of nowhere,a Chinese lady approached us asking for a favor. She wanted to buy more stuff at Louis Vuitton but she cant as they put a restriction on the number of purchase on Chinese passport holders.<br />There were A LOT of people inside the boutique,I thought to myself,"Man,there are a lot of rich people in this world". We bought the stuff for her.<br />8pm,arrived at CDG,checked in for our 9.55pm flight bounded for London Luton.<br />9.15pm,plane arrived..people lining up to get into the it as the stewardess made the announcement<br />10pm,starting to lose our patience,still waiting to get inside the plane..exhaustion began to kicked in<br />10.15pm,boarding began finally!me n aida were worried. Missing the last train from Richmond to Strawberry is a high possibility.<br />10.45pm(London time) arrived in London Luton,went to the bus counter straight,it was fully booked 11.30pm,had to take the later one instead,12am..At this rate,we were probably gonna reach Victoria Station at 1.15am or so..there will be no train running by that time. Got hold of the internet and wrote down an alternative route,an 11 minute walk from Twickenham bus stop to the house in Strawberry Hill was included<br /><br />21st december 2009:<br />1.30am,took the 1st bus according to the journey planner. got down to catch the 2nd bus but missed it(stupid journey planner forgot to state that we had to walk to another bus stop located on the other side of the road).had to wait for another bus 20 minutes.<br />2.45am,arrived at Twickenham bus stop..tried calling a taxi using a number we got off the internet..The operator told us that their cabs didnt operate in that area, he was gonna give us another number..*connection lost*insufficient credit,darn roaming charges..we were stucked<br />3.00am,saw a phone booth not far from the stop,tried calling the cab company again but alhamdullilah,this time around we got the other number and 10 mins after that,a car came and picked us up.<br />3.15am,finally got inside the house..get ready for bed. We only had 2 hours max to sleep,Bath,Stonehenge and Salisbury tour lined up at 9am<br /><br />I'm gonna continue the summary in my next post tomorrowsyaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-25593864149360384102009-09-13T18:53:00.000-07:002009-10-08T03:50:12.163-07:00(95) minutes of breeze<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHMO9kYe6HdWakgUQ1zsHBm_qaFba8YcQ68uhp_OjHQ4Ky1LIh-uPcxZUPKSKZQrCUX2sSDr_hOmzwsD2i69mj0jKsNGw5BOXrXcpN_F_RTnfOjZGwZmgadzbxdSVUtEAhIWKDS6pN32D/s1600-h/50days-of-summer-posters_opt-11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHMO9kYe6HdWakgUQ1zsHBm_qaFba8YcQ68uhp_OjHQ4Ky1LIh-uPcxZUPKSKZQrCUX2sSDr_hOmzwsD2i69mj0jKsNGw5BOXrXcpN_F_RTnfOjZGwZmgadzbxdSVUtEAhIWKDS6pN32D/s320/50days-of-summer-posters_opt-11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390053103237722226" border="0" /></a><br />I realized that the last time i wrote a post for my blog was ages ago, I blame my procrastinating nature and constantly thinking whether or not I can finally finish a post(since I usually take AWHILE to finish my post,don't ask me why but I'm just weird in that sense). Anyway,I finally shook some sense into myself and decided: I have to write a new post tonight!..This rather impulsive decision came to me during the last few minutes of watching <span style="font-style: italic;">(500) days of summer</span>..The movie was brilliant,bittersweet and surprisingly, revealing reality rather than idealistic notions. I'm usually a sucker for happy endings (I recalled bitching about some movie to my friends just cos my favorite characters in that particular movie didn't end up with each other..yup,I can be THAT unreasonable..hehehe). Anyway, the main objective of this post is to share a few anecdotes from <span style="font-style: italic;">(500) days of summer:<br /></span>(1) <span style="font-style: italic;">"Life is full of coincidences"...</span>this is something I see everyday, it was purely coincidental that I found out from Haziq,who happened to have dinner at Erwan's the night before, that Erwan thought our compsci225 assignment was due Thursday instead of Tuesday..Thank God we managed to inform him otherwise<br />(2)<span style="font-style: italic;">"If something's meant to be,it's not gonna be complicated"</span>...I've heard stories and watched how some people worked and fought so hard to keep their loved ones(i.e keep the relationship going)..and I'm constantly wondering whether it was all worth it..watching the movie,I came to this pessimistic conclusion: if something is too hard to endure, then it's not for you.Simple as that<br />(3)<span style="font-style: italic;">"What you observed in front of you is what your mind wants you to see"</span>...damn I sound like one of those weird tarot card readers/fortune tellers in carnivals and what not..but the statement is indeed a fact..In the movie,Tom(Joseph Gordon-Levitt) went to his favourite spot almost everyday..a girl said to him:"You looked familiar,have I seen you around somewhere?"<br /> Tom: "Nope,don't think so"<br /> Girl: "I think I saw you at______(Tom's favourite spot)"<br /> Tom: "Yup, that's like my favorite spot in the city. I haven't you around though"<br /> Girl:"Maybe you weren't looking"<br />Watching the scene played out,I suddenly realized that it's one of those casualties that people tend to do subconsciously..I should open my mind to other views and perspective.<br />(4)<span style="font-style: italic;">"Never settle for something that's just 'okay'"</span> ...they are very few people in this world that has the privilege of doing what they really want. All through my 22 years of living, I've found that I chose the easy way out most of the time..in other words,I settled..There are some regrets and some what ifs..who knows what would've happened if i were to do things differently?..I've decided to hold on tighter to my dreams from now on,no regrets +no more what ifs<br />(5)<span style="font-style: italic;">"The ending might not be the ending you want but it's certainly the ending you need to see"</span><br />I want a lot of things in life but the chances of me actually getting every single one is almost zero.zip.nada but I have keep reminding myself that Allah SWT knows best and that sometimes what I want might be bad for me ergo, I've been put out of misery by God.I should be more optimistic.syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-36637943347852308232009-07-20T01:58:00.000-07:002009-07-20T02:49:18.787-07:00A Proud Moment in my life<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyXOpeBTxhMahS0aZ44nVieZ641sRaXgqTSFWz26qwrCVEWgoKyVgt_jp52R3f1GhVPjFJ1SEYTMKuPYMON' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-32810996312986297392009-06-26T15:55:00.000-07:002009-07-17T12:54:41.482-07:00Syakirah's Awesome Holiday EssentialsThis might come off a bit cocky but I think I,Syakirah Ahmad Mahir,have found the essentials of an A-W-E-S-O-M-E holiday. I think this year's winter break is one of the best trips I've had in all 22 years of my life(yes Erwan,we're DAT old*grr*). It has funny, sad, dramatic, romantic, nail-biting and exceptional moments.<br />1. Watch a mind-blowing movie in IMAX(with loads of action and ass-kicking in my case,Transformers 2: Revenge of The Fallen)..with THX surround sound..I've finally undastood why guys dig Huge Screen TV and Home Theatre System..BIGGER is definitely BETTER..hehehehe<br />2. Hang out with your visiting friend..communicating via the internet is nothing like seeing and talking to dat person face to face. You cant quite capture the expressions with words or emoticons,but you can really see it when he/she is right in front of you..I had a lovely time dat day<br />3. Arrive late for my flight..now,this was not my fault or Ismas's..it's the Makcik shuttle 's..we came down and got on the shuttle to the airport on time but she went around God knows where to pick up people eventhough it was out of the way,we had until 4.30pm to do a bag drop before boarding the plane. We arrived at 4.40pm,I freaked out and dramatically asked Ismas to jot down the shuttle helpline,at that moment of insanity I was really thinking of suing that shuttle company(yes yes I noe I went abit psycho)..lucky for us,the flight to Christchurch dat evening was delayed and we were able to checked our bags in and board the plane.<br />4. Have a guy sing for you..I'm going out on a limb here to admit this but honestly,it's every girl dream come true when you have a guy(with a lovely voice,i might add) belt out songs while ure sitting on the gondola curl up with a warm blanket..we went punting on the avon in Christchurch and my heart melted when da punting guy pull off Pavarotti..it was one hell of a jaw dropping moment for me!<br />5. Cosy accommodation..it's definitely one important aspect when ure on holiday cause it can either make or break the whole vacation..our accommodation in Christchurch was comfortable and nice..but we got into a less than pleasant situation regarding the accommodation 3 of us had to stay in another place,thank God there was this one place that was available..the room dat we got was surprisingly pretty and comfy..<br />6.Go to Queenstown..I've never thought that I'd be so lucky dat i'll get the opportunity to witness the lush snow covered peaks,clear blue water and little snowflakes falling on my palms..breathtaking Queenstown,I really fell in love with this place..Honestly before this,whenever I go on trips..I looked at da scenery,da surrounding sight nd say to myself "WHOA..this is pretty"..take a couple of pics and then said to myself,"Now what?""Where's the shopping mall?"..I have to admit i can be shallow at times...Queenstown is the kind of place that u only see on paintings and postcards,not to mentioned in movies as well..think 'Dumb and Dumber'...Aspen,Colorado rite waga buddy?hehehehe<br />7.Try something exhilarating..a year ago,i remembered i told myself.."I dont think i'll ever get enough nerve to do bungy jumping" when i saw a group of people carrying AJ Hackett bungy pack..fast forward to 7th July 2009,approximately 10.30sumthing am,I DID IT!I jumped 43m from the Kawarau Bridge,icy cold weather..I felt like supergirl for 10 seconds<br />8.Dolphins+Seals+Waterfalls in one day...We went on a 2 hr cruise at Milford Sound..but the journey there...OMG,it took us 6 hrs from Queenstown..nevatheless i gt ova tiring journey the minute i saw a dolphin swimming behind the boat,all the worry n stress faded.a beauty in simplicity.<br />9.Learn something new..Ive been working for almost 3 months now but I've neva gotten an 'ice cream' shift..An ice cream shift requires the staff to roll ice cream n make it into a choctop..2 scoops of vanilla ice cream,dipped into melted chocolate..my 1st batch of ice cream was downright hideous but i gt the hang of it halfway thru my 5.5 hr shift..I got 71 choctops from 45L vanilla ice cream<br />10.Embrace ur inner evil..hahaha..no voodoo or black magic involved,just play "Mafia"..a person who can lie and manipulate other ppl is a sure winner in this game..it's highly addictive,played this game till 4am in the morning,played it again last nite afta we went for karaoke..syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-70610694331255690832009-05-21T23:56:00.000-07:002009-05-22T01:04:35.331-07:00Keeping up with da "Syaq"-ianI noe da title of this post is kinda lame but wut da heck it's my post,so I can do anything I like*tongue wags*God,I haven't written a post in almost 2 months..and the main reason behind that is my life's been kinda crazy,tests,back to back assignments,the cold and freezing weather,work etc..so,what's been happening in my life for the past 2 months?here goes..<br />1. I had a blast in Aussie..it's definitely a country dat offers different things for different people...I went to Melbourne,Adelaide and Sydney..My fav is Melbourne(although my financial standing in Melbourne may be a contributing factor)..Melbourne is not as bz or dense as Sydney,but at da same time, it's not as slow as Adelaide..(think goldilocks n 3 bears,she chose da little bear's bed cs it's neither too hard nor too soft,it was just right)<br />2. I got my pre-order Twilight 2-disc special edition dvd(phew,dat's a mouthful!)..which can only mean Edward Cullen ALL da time..hehehe..he's like the dreamiest vampire ever..evry girl shud hav their own Edward in real life,a hot,caring,sweet guy who's loyal and luvs u very much..but then again,not every girl is as good-looking as Bella Swan*back to reality*<br />3. Ive watched 3 movies for free this month,"Wolverine: X-men origins","Angels and Demons" and "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past"..all thanx to my staff comps..perks of working,cant wait for Transformers 2 to come out<br />4. Ive bought a new black bubble jacket..n no,im not promoting my purchase but i am telling u ppl dis..going to a place that snows definitely needs A LOT of preparation..my frens bought sleeping bags(which im soo lazy to buy),thermals,long johns,thick socks etc..3 words: money,money,money!<br />5. My finals r almost here..n I'm scared..it's my 1st time taking a stage 3 paper n I really have to ace it(it'll be considered for my hons)..I'm also doing 2 logic papers(i find it hard)..but nevatheless,ive gotta work my ass off for them,I have to...Ya Allah,plizz let me do my best<br />6. I'm soo bored with the food here..it's either pie,fries or Maggie 4 lunch..jst thinking bout it*uwek*but what to do..living in a foreign country makes u appreciate home soo much more<br />7. I havent finish reading the books I borrowed from the library..this is a VERY rare occurence 4 me,juggling everything on my plate rite nw makes me choose sleep ova read(I used to sleep only afta i finished my book)<br />8. I stopped watching American Idol..the week Anoop desai got voted off was da last time I saw it..sum ppl might say,u still got Adam Lamberg and the other guys(Kris Allen was d other guy in da finale n he beat Adam,yaaay!)..but Anoop represented ur average guy with talent,n dat makes him special..u make me melt Anoop..(do check out his performance in the finals with Jason Mraz,i luv it)<br />9. I miss my family,not everyday but it's the little things that reminds me of them..like today,i passed by a chinese restaurant that served dumplings n wantan..back in the day,my parents used to bring our whole family for dimsum on Sundays..i miss dat<br />10. My friends keeps me sane..im very grateful for having them around,I can tell them almost anything(even if it's lame n irrelevant)..thanx guys<br /><br />Dat's about it, I think,it's freezing cold now n nature's basically shouting,not calling.gtgsyaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-27788838491152083692009-03-31T22:41:00.000-07:002009-07-17T04:26:17.773-07:009 Things I thought I would NEVER experience in my lifetimeLife really does sneak up on you when you least expect it..it's like when you dig up your pockets before doing your laundry and suddenly*bell chimes* you found the 5 dollar bill you forgot you had..you cant help but do a mini victory dance there and then..it's the best feeling..So many things have happened since my last post,I said to myself:"I really should write these things down,it'll be a really good story to tell someday when i'm old and wrinkled"(hope that's gonna b very far in the future though..haha)..anyway,here's the list:<br />1. Set up the wireless modem myself..a certain friend of mine even said I was crediting myself for something so easy(waaagaa u)but i did feel a bit proud for it..cause i suck at DYIs,seeing the internet icon turning blue is definitely worth the 3 hours i spent<br />2. Cook fishball soup in a heater.. the saying "desperate times call for desperate measures" is sooo true..when the kitchen stove was out,I had to get creative(or izit innovative?)..the soup turned out pretty gud that I can safely recommend this method to anyone,hot yummy soup in matter of minutes,try it..hehehe<br />3. Jog daily...I loathe jogging/running cross country or any otha name people might call this activity,I used to find means and ways to get out of doing it during my school and college days..let's just say im kinda unlucky in the stamina department...but since stamina is part of my 2009 resolution,i decided to give it a go..ill update u guys on my development whenever i can<br />4. Find almost all the 90's teen movies on youtube and watching them...Those movies were 10 years old,watching them somehow took me back into the exact feeling and scenario when I first saw them,I felt I was young again(not that I'm old now tho)..90's is a wonderful era=no ridiculous hairstyle(eg the mullet) and songs that you can sing along to<br />5. C0me home from Dress Smart empty handed..for those of who wondering what the heck is a 'dress smart',it's a factory outlet for the supposedly branded goods in NZ(u can get Roxy and Quiksilver merchandise for as low as 10bucks,usually they're retailed at 4o bucks onwards)..Ive managed to control my shopping urges and for that,I think I deserve a pat on the back<br />6. Spend $17 on a shampoo..dat's almost rm34..I consider myself to be a realistic economist(some of my friends even described me as thrifty..which is sumwhat true at times)but this time curiosity got the best of me..bought the shampoo,my hair's never been better and i havent looked back since(until now dat is)<br />7. Open a joint account for the sole pupose of managing my house's finances..having a joint account at the age of 22 when you're unmarried may seem odd to some people..to tell you the truth,i was quite excited by the notion..It also made me feel abit OLD..and being old meant geting serious..argh,i hate that<br />8. Be in five different countries within the period of 4 months..I went to Dubai in january,then back to Bahrain in February,collect my food and hang out with my friends in Malaysia,that was in Feb as well...March marked the beginning of a new semester so I landed in Auckland just in time and today,6th April 2009..Im embarking on an 11 day trip around Australia..I love the feeling when you look out the window of the plane and see the sights of the city ure gonna land on..<br />9. Get free movie tix every week..getting a post at Skycity cinemas definitely have its perkssyaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-24855910011790942542009-03-04T11:20:00.000-08:002009-03-04T11:37:56.268-08:0011 things I need to accomplish in 20091. Get better grades for my maths papers<br />2. Take up french again<br />3. Get a job,save more money<br />4. Do more travelling<br />5. Learn new stuff<br />6. Build up my stamina<br />7. Makes new friends<br />8. Manage my finances wisely<br />9. Join the uni debate thing<br />10. Write posts more frequent<br />11. Move on, stop torturing myself with empty delusionssyaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-10025838585729469752009-01-08T11:58:00.000-08:002009-02-19T10:02:54.819-08:00Note to self (31st December 2008 - 19th February 2009)1. Shopping can temporarily relieves you off ur problems and sadness...the smell of newly bought clothes is like a drug,to me at least..my own sweet version of the 'happy pill'..it straight away turns into a stinky,disgusting brand's essence of chicken when you view your credit card balance<br />2. It's hard to kick off bad habits...to me,I dont think biting your finger nails is THAT bad,my mum on the other hand, keeps reminding me about it every single time I unconsciously do it..<br />3. Being nice and proper is NOT usually the way to go..especially when ure dealing with clueless and uncivilized people who cant seem to get what you said on the phone,you've gotta to repeat the order u placed 3 times(in a loud,harsh tone) before he gets it<br />4. Packing is the number one thing I hate about travelling (especially since ure flying with Air Asia and Pacific Blue where small excess weight still cost you money)..you're constantly thinking and praying,"Plizz dont lemme go over 20 kg"..and I'm still trying to figure out whether i should squeeze my handbag into my laptop bag(easier access to my wallet,passport and other amenities but quite small) or into my hand luggage(definitely more space but will be stowed away in the luggage overhead in the plane)..think,think,think<br />5. Watching movies online is less fun now..especially when you're soo into the movie and dying to know the ending,the vid stopped loading,then stupid megavideo screen flashed "You've watched 72 minutes of videos for today,wait 54 minutes or subscribe to megavideo premium for unlimited access of videos"..geez,Ive seen that message soo many times that I memorized it word by word..I'm such a freak<br />6. Never do things on impulse....when you're confused, u usually do things you regret the things you did rite after ure done,ull say to urself..damn it,i was supposed to say or write that..that's not what I wanna say..rationalizing is very important when it comes to these situations<br />7. Meet more people,make more friends..that's one of my new year's resolution..I'm not the type who would go up to some stranger and easily make a comment about something just to start a conversation,but I can try to smile more often though..people always have this notion that I'm unapproachable<br />8. Seeing is believing but can reading be believing too?...a non-working student on a three month holiday like me has A LOT of free time..I usually come across fascinating books and articles on the net..what I read totally makes sense but I'm not sure about the credibility<br />9. Time is NOT of the essence when you dont have assignment due dates or upcoming test and exam..u'll wake up every morning,going about ur daily activities as slow as you can just so you can kill time..like taking longer baths or delay finishing a 183 page novel(which usually takes one night max to get to the ending)<br />10. I'm gonna miss having my family around..cant believe Ive been with them for more than 3 months and it's almost over..but Im kinda excited that I'm gonna see my friends again,miss them very much..especially the late night gossips and chatssyaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-15545759567181044712008-12-31T00:31:00.000-08:002008-12-31T01:34:44.501-08:00Note to self (17th - 31st December 2008)First and foremost,as all of u can clearly see,i failed to stick to my plan(to make this note to self post a daily thing). Gonna aim at something a bit more realistic this time: a weekly post of note to self..here goes<br />1. Doing things on impulse is not necessarily a good thing..like waiting a week to buy the MNG top,rather than getting it at that moment on the 1st day of sale..the same top costs less d week after..yay me!*in sarcastic tone*<br />2. Looks are definitely deceiving..especially when it comes to Arab Men wearing their garb and carrying 'tasbeh' around,they're chanting praises to God with their mouths but ogling and popping their eyes out at some woman's cleavage..damn perverts<br />3. Edward Cullen only exist in an idealistic world..duh,that's not exactly a shocking revelation..but a guy as sweet,loving,protective,considerate,caring,a delight to look at and other things good is hard to find..but a girl can always hope to meet someone remotely close to that<br />4. Waking up early = higher chance of ur day being productive..if i woke up at 8.30am today,ill probably b off eating my brunch now rather than sitting on my bed with my jammies on and feeling awfully hungry,constantly rubbing my loud growling stomach<br />5. Islam is supposed to be one and same for all..wherever you go,the way you do things like praying should be similar to the Muslim praying next to you..such is not the case in Bahrain though, Islam is split into Sunnis and Shi'ah..the latter believes that torturing and bleeding themselves during the 1st week of Muharram in front of others symbolizes their idolisation towards Saidina Husain(son of Saidina Ali)..this is a contradiction to the fundamental teachings of Islam<br />6. I miss teh tarik..I didnt realize that i craved teh tarik until i drank it last week,had 3 cups of it..although the urge to pee was automatically felt shortly after the 3rd cup,it was definitely worth it<br />7. Caring for someone means that you'll try to do everything in your power to please the other person,in my opinion,that is..<br />8. Headaches are annoying..especially when u keep getting them once in 2/3 days..ive gotta watch what i eat,I think<br />9. I miss my family(my cousins,aunts,uncles,granparents) in KL especially in New Year's Eve..I cant believe that almost one year has passed when i spent New Year watching amazing fireworks display with them<br />10. I'll always have this adoration for French and France..last night,when i saw "The Devil wears Prada"..specifically the scene where Andy and Miranda(so-called-Devil) in Paris..I cant help but feel this huge longing to experience Paris myself even if I can only b there for 3 days..the memories of being there,the lights,the sights and even the smell will probably stay with me forever..mayb i should go..should I?syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-63500927440478694922008-12-17T08:59:00.000-08:002008-12-18T00:41:56.948-08:00Note to Self (18th December 2008)1. Ive gotta learn how to make the authentic fish curry..attempted to do it three times..not even one came close to the one my mum made today,darn yummy...<br />2. I realized that my appetite can be switched off automatically whenever I'm upset, I even turn down curly fries from my cousin..and anyone close to me knows how much i worship fries.<br />3. First impressions can be deceiving..the person may appear to be mean at first but within a space of a few hours,she can share with you the best hair treatment and cost cutting tricks that she have up her sleeves..<br />4. Being short means that you cant wear long MNG trench coat that feels soo good when you tried it on..it'll just make you appear even shorter<br />5. Facial hair threading in Bahrain is a well-known thing even the Arab guys are doing it..<br />6. Making someone else smile will make you smile as well..treating your sisters may give you this kind of effect<br />7. Curly-ish and wavy-ish hairstyle can volumize your hair..it certainly helped my hair<br />8. When you care a lot about someone,you'll try very hard to make them feel better..you cant help but feel disappointed when they still feel shitty<br />9. I immediately feel guilty after I get angry at my little brother..Ive gotta to remember to say sorry to him<br />10. Life's too short to stay mad/pissed/annoyed..we constantly have to find ways/things /people that can make us happysyaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-16827092523055432642008-12-16T10:01:00.000-08:002008-12-16T10:23:22.933-08:00Note to selfI havent been writing for almost a month now and my fingers are starting to itch already. So,I decided to start this new ritual of writing 10 things that I need to remind myself today and possibly,for the coming future. Here goes:<br />1. Scratching urself while ure sleeping can only cause one outcome and it aint a good one.<br />2. Eating nasi lemak(for breakfast) + chili chicken fries & creamy chicken pasta(for lunch)+ chicken shawarma(for dinner)= very very full stomach = guilt+ fat<br />3. Hula hooping can burn up to 600-700 calories per day if u do it 60-90 moinutes in a day<br />4. Putting red glitter and painting Bahrain's National Flag can actually caused ur car to breakdown in the middle of a roundabout.<br />5. You immediately know that it's Bahrain National Day when cars are honking more than usual.<br />6. Being too nice and supportive will lead you to an expectation,a high one I might..which also means ure in for a HUGE dissapointment.<br />7. The Indian guy selling Atlanta ice cream is definitely putting some weird drug on it,we cant help but come back for more.<br />8. New book and new outfit are two things that can be the cherries of ur day<br />9. NEVER over analyze nice,sweet things people tell u..they only mean it at dat moment,not da 1 second before nor 1 second after..cos if u do,ull get ur feelings hurt soo bad<br />10. I need to think of ways to gain more money rather than spending more(although that's my specialty)<br /><br />and Im grateful to Allah Swt for giving me the chance to live anotha day. Alhamdullilahsyaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-68350101442341659462008-11-15T21:00:00.000-08:002008-11-17T12:33:07.308-08:00Birthday boy!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrRZT5fCJstkAnkgVFgoq05sOStAiF-njZfW9S1vUFVA5NbpvXW0l-Jl5uNFYcp3ILPaTiU7gZaplpurZqo51QRIgBw9c3d0cf4PBiQLHyIbqnJIXaCEFeOH7gU2mff4ITmrAb92v7q2C/s1600-h/Hothotheat024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrRZT5fCJstkAnkgVFgoq05sOStAiF-njZfW9S1vUFVA5NbpvXW0l-Jl5uNFYcp3ILPaTiU7gZaplpurZqo51QRIgBw9c3d0cf4PBiQLHyIbqnJIXaCEFeOH7gU2mff4ITmrAb92v7q2C/s320/Hothotheat024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269121496154570562" border="0" /></a><br />I can't believe that exactly 9 years ago, i was a 12-year old girl who just received two best news in one day...I got 5A's for my UPSR examinations and my mum has safely delivered a baby boy into the world..yup,it's my little brother's birthday..i can still imagine carrying him around the house..now boy's grown up already,the other day when i talked to him via skype..he actually said these words:"kakak,can you give me the link to that website so that I can see the toy?"and i thought to myself:"I dont even know the meaning of the word 'link' when I was 9 years old. he told me just now when i talked to him that he's gonna ask my dad to bring me straight to Krispy Kreme Donuts when he picks me up at Bahrain International Airport.I cant wait.<br /><br />Luv ya Boy..syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-12130094858155487812008-11-15T12:46:00.000-08:002008-11-17T12:34:21.216-08:00skype, skinny jeans and perfect snuggleI opened my eyes,grabbed my humble cell phone and it was only 8.00am???I thought to myself,"WTH?I woke up this early on a SUNDAY?"Since i got nothing better to do anyway,i might as well update my blog right?So,here goes..it's been 11 months,21 days and if I'm not mistaken,1 hour since I touched down at Auckland International Airport,New Zealand to begin a whole new chapter in my life..the first thing that popped to my mind was:YAAAAAY,Im finally here..all the hard work(countless nights of finishing lab reports which results in MAJOR eyebags),the sucky things I had to go thru which include gathering water from the fire-hose whilst battling with killer red ants, finding staples bullet in my food and crying my eyes out when i was refused the permission to go back home due to supposedly 'compulsory' participation in a jogathon (or was it a marathon?I hate both so who freaking cares) all paid off..."I'm now officially studying overseas"..<br />I had these images and expectations in my head of how my life should be when I arrived, enjoying my life,going on vacations,shopping spree and having loads of friends..Boy,was I naive!!!You see the current total Malaysians in Auckland is about 400++ people and the numbers keep growing by the semester...that's a BIG number..what does this fact have to do with anything?simple. People already have their own set of posse,cliques and lifestyle that made the thought of accepting and mingling with newbies is a total turn-off..(which is kinda understandable though)<br />Leaving Malaysia meant i left my familiar close friends behind, Sakilah,Farhana,Laily,Miwa and Nab..(not exactly behind cause Farhana and Nab are both in UK) and my freak friends Hezry and Shahir..that being said, Im always grateful of the fact that I have Ismas,Aida,Bed,Lela and Bell here..they never fail to provide me with comfort,support,laughter and gossip(you know who you are)..and of course,the my daily dose of waga from Syed...Thanks a bunch*<span style="font-weight: bold;">snuggles</span> with all of u*<br />Internet connection in Auckland(if your isp provider is Telecom,that is) is Super-Fast!watching vids on youtube is a breeze with NO waiting for buffering time..I enjoyed this so much that my laptop is my new television..everyday,i watched the latest episodes of my favourite series almost immediately after they were aired..Technology is magical.Although my family is in a completely different time zone,I'm able to talk to then relentlessly..whenever i bought stuff for them,i can straigthaway contact them via <span style="font-weight: bold;">Skype</span> and voila!I can see my mum,dad,boy,Fiyyah and Fikah at the other end in real time..how can people survive without webcams?<br />In KL,you're pretty much doomed if you dont own a car..it's a hassle to get to places if you were to depend totally on public transport...it's a totally different scenario here..i walk to uni everyday,walk to Foodtown(it's NZ version of Tesco/Carrefour/Giant) for groceries and walk to Queen Street to fulfill my shopping itch..the transportation company here is kinda reliable,when you access their website,it tells you the exact time,the bus number and how long it'll take for you to reach your destination..da roads here are very hilly,i was constantly out of breath..and the fact that my stamina is virtually non-existent pretty much made it worse..one very good thing that came out of it is this: I can fit into a GUESS <span style="font-weight: bold;">skinny jeans</span> that I longed to own and loving every moment of it..<br />Im eternally grateful to Allah for blessing me with all these and more(even the not-so-great incidences)."What doesn't kill you,makes you stronger".Insyaallah<br />My almost one year in Auckland can be summed up into 3 words: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Skype,skinny jeans and perfect snuggle</span>syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-19684349440558187252008-11-09T23:57:00.000-08:002008-11-10T00:54:21.668-08:00my quantum of solace..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZ_16JJvTmFW-clHQywixVSWluwaxS8OHTlpD_sorY_Kzaxj8ePKWxN2IhMJztqmf1oa9uT4lDlB3aS_9xeT8kaNGB5qPmUhSCsld3fG_KuTz0-DlrjXEnx-X0LEuCvQg5ZUickqADpRH/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 113px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZ_16JJvTmFW-clHQywixVSWluwaxS8OHTlpD_sorY_Kzaxj8ePKWxN2IhMJztqmf1oa9uT4lDlB3aS_9xeT8kaNGB5qPmUhSCsld3fG_KuTz0-DlrjXEnx-X0LEuCvQg5ZUickqADpRH/s320/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266948790198369666" border="0" /></a><br />I'm taking a cue from the world's timeless espionage,James Bond..I've come realized that finding a small amount of comfort(="quantum of solace")in tiny,unsuspecting acts can make my life a little bit richer. I take refuge in:<br />1. lying on my small but very comfy bed,springy mattress and all,with 2 pillows stacked to support my head,wrapped in nicely warm,100% polyester comforter..it's sheer perfection<br />2. walking into the Auckland City Library,the smell of old books combined with a modern setting of how a library should be, complete with an outlet for coffee-lovers to sip their drink whilst transporting themselves to neverland<br />3. the sweetness of caramel in my mouth,or to be precised,on my tongue..I realized that the fudgy brown sticky substance causes euphoria automatically..<br />4. viewing the latest episodes of Brothers& Sisters,Entourage,Grey's Anatomy,Smallville,House and America's Next Top Model via the net through this particular link: ch131.com..i got some sorta excitement knowing what the characters I love soo much are doing this time around..plus the sight of Tom Welling and Adrian Grenier can cheer up any girl's day..their total eye-candy..yummy!!!<br />5. laughing my ass off watching "How I Met Your Mother"(season 2 and season 3 are safely stored in my computer's hardrive)..the AWESOME-ness of the sitcom lies in this very peculiar character,Barney Stinson..who's catch-phrase:"Suit up" never cease to amaze me..kudos to the writers of HIMYM,u guys are total brainiac for coming up for fresh exciting episodes every single time<br /><br />p/s-Daniel Craig is arguably, the most HOTTEST Bond to date:)syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-91751429094761647112008-11-02T01:33:00.000-07:002008-11-02T01:57:58.590-08:00the beginning of d end(final exams)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVbK77GJ-S2w33GWEtpIrh4qnYTciEHL_RwAF_h-lUozAVetWFEKzd0wJvHGxej4Uhit-np2g-Nuds56q13LFCMvqMB86DCQRLxCy8wsbd5qew6KTB45L-0Qmsq3cEqf4tkdGjC0RHn5gj/s1600-h/promo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVbK77GJ-S2w33GWEtpIrh4qnYTciEHL_RwAF_h-lUozAVetWFEKzd0wJvHGxej4Uhit-np2g-Nuds56q13LFCMvqMB86DCQRLxCy8wsbd5qew6KTB45L-0Qmsq3cEqf4tkdGjC0RHn5gj/s320/promo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263997134640911634" border="0" /></a><br />just a quick scribbling of words<br />my finals are starting TOMORROW!!3rd Nov 2009(9.15am to b exact)<br />I'm freaking out..last semester exams was full of in-between gaps,so I had quite some time to focus on one particular subject at a time..<br />My God!!!!!!<br />Ya Allah,plizz let me remember da remember wt i read earlier...<br />my room's is a rat hole,got overdue laundry to do,books form da library i havent returned n loads of clothes hanging..but i cant b bothered with it rite now..<br />gotta go people..have to continue reading my lecture materials..<br />Good luck and all the best to you guys out there who's in da same situation as lil ol me here..<br />xoxosyaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-83107183161041650482008-10-25T03:08:00.000-07:002008-10-25T03:16:44.984-07:00Retail therapy for the soul<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTheVO-TY4-pXGkk32eOK_eJjGpWYFQxXoXxxOA8prcWCZtUMo8qShbUNCcbtjDDlBx77SWlv3uhI6Pt7jjj6ZBljqMFlHYKrJsaPZnFAvmO62LpjFiMboXQbTvoULGLF0P8GPWoD0bJGP/s1600-h/s844-red-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTheVO-TY4-pXGkk32eOK_eJjGpWYFQxXoXxxOA8prcWCZtUMo8qShbUNCcbtjDDlBx77SWlv3uhI6Pt7jjj6ZBljqMFlHYKrJsaPZnFAvmO62LpjFiMboXQbTvoULGLF0P8GPWoD0bJGP/s320/s844-red-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261033384621637250" border="0" /></a><br />Bought this very cute handbag,red,"Melie Bianco'..<br />I cant seem to stop admiring the bag..<br />I LOVE IT!!!!<br />and i feel like sharing the news with everyone...<br />these past few days have been a drag..<br />note to self: retail therapy is the BEST DRUG to brighten your daysyaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-72954863688572368162008-10-22T03:13:00.000-07:002008-10-22T03:56:47.647-07:00S.E.P.II have never been a Malay film supporter, in fact all through my life I cant quite comprehend how people can actually take out 10 bucks from their wallets just to see some pathetic excuse of a 'movie' when they're actually seeing some actor making a fool of himself, saying things that does not make sense and act stupidly just so they'll get the audience to laugh...so,I gave up on Malay movies..Anyway, Ive recently discovered that Malaysia's film industry has grown better and they are producing films with real substance and message..I saw this movie "Cinta"(it was 2 years ago,if Im not mistaken) directed by Kabir Bhatia..the cinematography was kinda impressive,the storyline was predictable but still tasteful and manage to keep me till the very end and the casts gave a convincing performance..the movie managed to make me shed a few tears(I wont go to much detail on that cause it's embarassing)..Today,in the midst of final lectures and studying for my finals, i stole a few moments to watch a new movie produced by the same director. The title of the movie: SEPI(or Lonely in English)..the storyline was nothing out of the ordinary, it was certainly not Academy Award material but the messages that they were trying to convey are clear:<br />1. Always appreciate what is there in front of you, make time for your loved ones..mourning for them when theyre gone is useless<br />2. Believe in fate and destiny(Allah S.wt has written them for every single one of us)..If THAT person is your soulmate, God has His ways of making it happen..leave it all to Him..<br />3. Sometimes when you lost someone/something very dear,you'd like to pretend that they are still with you rather that feeling that pain of accepting the reality..DON'T,let them/it go..that's the only way you can truly live your life<br />4. True friends are those who stuck with you,through thick and thin,always there cheering u all the time<br /><br />I didnt expect anything when I started watching part 1 of the movie on youtube but I gained something useful at the end of it.<br /><br />THANX MAK CIK AIDA;)syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-25800195069022220962008-10-19T03:02:00.000-07:002008-10-19T03:51:51.036-07:00Que Sera, Sera...(Whatever will be,will be)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9G8W-B2zTXKmeCLPE69z3_ZPgf7iSIh0Sy8_fmiUthkOvEIj5Z1c0u436t3-9c_hgATbK2rLM7p44pykPUiZTx52lK2Bkx2af_KR2oT_CgRfDWpeNf4cVArHqxdmXbLncpxCtPkDnS2qT/s1600-h/Doris-Day.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9G8W-B2zTXKmeCLPE69z3_ZPgf7iSIh0Sy8_fmiUthkOvEIj5Z1c0u436t3-9c_hgATbK2rLM7p44pykPUiZTx52lK2Bkx2af_KR2oT_CgRfDWpeNf4cVArHqxdmXbLncpxCtPkDnS2qT/s320/Doris-Day.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258815921689559106" border="0" /></a><br />Taking the cue from Doris Day(sumbody who was famous back in the 1950's and 1960's)may seemed kinda odd rite?A happy,chirpy song like this cant possibly be relevant 2 us especially since it's the year 2008!well,that very thought be in ur heads now dear readers, but i beg to differ(at least im gonna try 2 convince u othawise;)..hihi..Nway,here goes..i went to a Diwali Festival('Festival of Lights')that was held by Auckland City Council today(i just got back,in fact)..One of the reasons that made me go even when i was kinda tired is the fact that im kinda fond of the Indian culture and their food..(i luv this thing called 'Capati',used to eat it every Sunday wile I was back in KL with my whole family..the last time i ate it was in July) and the authentic, colorful Khurta(traditional Indian top,if im not mistaken)..So,me n my otha 2 friends when about walking around Auckland Viaduct Harbour,where the festival was held..the second we entered we saw A LOT of food stalls along the sidewalk,an Indian lady whom i met earlier on the bus told me to try "Masala Dosa"(she said it's an Indian version of pancake),the hawkers were busy attracting customers by singing and clapping their hands just to promote their food. We were kind of curious so we went a bit closer just to check out the food they were selling..and it was..."Masala Dosa!"...curiousity got the best of me,i bought it...it was nzd3 for one(in my mind,i was like,"owh well..it's a bit expensive for ONE SMALL pancake but wut the heck?trying it wud be a priceless experience..my 3 bucks will be worth it")I was utterly speechless when the guy handed me a plate that consists of, not only the one pancake,but also a capati with dhal,sum yoghurt gravy(i dunno the exact name for it) and vegetarian curry!the Capati was crispy and soft at the same time,i felt like dancing a Bollywood number there and then(yup,it was THAT gud!!)haha...I miss eating capati soo much(even told my friends loads of time that it was one of the reasons that i cant wait to go back home)and i got to eat it HERE!in Auckland!It's fated:)..Que Sera,Sera...After that,we continued walking..saw loads of colorful exotic Indian tops that caught my eye but most of them didnt fit me(they were too big for me)...stopped at this one stall and i asked the seller which ones of the tops would fit me and he showed me a couple of unopened ones..I decided to buy a yellow/orangy one and was prepared to pay the guy already..and then...I spotted a purple top that I wanted to buy 9 MONTHS before,the exact same one,there on the table(i didnt buy it at that time cause I wanted to spend my money on winter clothes)..I grabbed that one instead and paid!I still cant believe that I got it..(the same color and design,it's in my size summore!)..again,I felt like dancing to anotha Bollywood number!..Que Sera, Sera...It made me think that if ever Allah s.w.t wants something to happen,it'll happen even when you least expect it...at this moment,the only thing I can say is "Thank you Allah for everything":)syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-59036041536749244322008-10-03T23:36:00.000-07:002008-10-06T03:04:14.189-07:00Celebrating eid in Auckland<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_bPubapVdODMTh6eCEQtPIC8QV9qq_i2cDrVzL6wh5SaVS9YWEHAe6F_mpaQBalHzBEb9JFg3JeU_GxPv64stuC16ufUYeisbBrjeKpcFC8sprjgrjQmptC1-p32gkx_5hhIKXxs5Qz5/s1600-h/PA021148.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_bPubapVdODMTh6eCEQtPIC8QV9qq_i2cDrVzL6wh5SaVS9YWEHAe6F_mpaQBalHzBEb9JFg3JeU_GxPv64stuC16ufUYeisbBrjeKpcFC8sprjgrjQmptC1-p32gkx_5hhIKXxs5Qz5/s320/PA021148.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253975606453264914" border="0" /></a><br />First and foremost,i would like to wish "Selamat Hari Raya" and "Happy Eid" to all,whoever you all may be..it's almost one week since the arrival of eid is upon us..People say you never truly miss something unless it's truly gone,at least I think it goes sumthing like dat,hehe..anyway,whoever created or think of that particular phrase was a genius cause it's very very true. Last year,on the eve of hari raya,my family and I went to break fast at Chilli's,it's kinda one of those da pre-raya tradition, i looked forward to it since the beginning of Ramadhan.This year,on the eve of hari raya however,i didnt spend it with my family..My parents,two sisters and my lil brother are in Bahrain(they celebrated eid one day early) while my other brother is back home in Malaysia alone(celebrating raya with my aunts n relatives in PJ) and me,im here in Auckland,New Zealand..how time goes by and the changes it brought...and I really miss every single one of them. Celebrating eid in New Zealand is different,no public holiday(in fact,i had a test 6.30pm that day and an assignment due also),no sound of my mum's voice nagging and urging me and my siblings to wake up early on raya(i woke darn early this year on my own),no sight of lemang stalls set up along the roads(i was only able to enjoy lemang instant Nona)..that being the case,celebrating raya here is a pleasant experience. Wearing new set of colorful baju kurung to class,being able to go back and forth to several 'open-house' and class and wishing fellow Malaysians "Selamat Hari Raya"(even when Ive never talked to them before) were just some of the stuff that made eid in Auckland incomparable to hari raya in Malaysia. We tried to make the eid here as similar as possible to how we celebrate it in Malaysia. Rendang and ketupat are never short of supply and both delicacies are served here as well. The BIG difference is WE are the ones preparing them,slaving over the kitchen stove,stirring and waiting for the dishes to be cooked..i, for one,had to cook ayam masak kuzi myself..it's my grandma's signature dish..it turned out okay but not nearly as nice as the one my grandma made. Besides that, i made 'biskut raya'(milk chocolate chunk and almond cookies)on my own free will..sent them to my brother in kl just so that he knows that I remember him..kuzi and biskut raya may seemed petty things when you're in Malaysia but these things are soo much more than food when you're 10 hours away without your family with you..making and preparing them,seeing the end result helped me keep my emotions intact(i.e not break down to tears during dat 1st eid morning)...I miss my family and relatives(cousins n all)..THEY are the ones that made my raya, raya in most truest sense..I cant wait to be back in Novembersyaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-76307682093486456372008-09-27T03:27:00.000-07:002008-09-27T05:06:22.020-07:00syakirah and the raya grinch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzep6-tJ42_81Gk6T44z1mrzXCw3URLEJTcYSkz7lUJYBEc9OhuztW12O-aqIrxBV74uPXknwkM6wRwgcjgLRiB-6FpYu5vZ11kKso7Dj3Rp6xGVDJKcJvKbp6IIZ-iOsjt3MAOQfY7u3G/s1600-h/grinch-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzep6-tJ42_81Gk6T44z1mrzXCw3URLEJTcYSkz7lUJYBEc9OhuztW12O-aqIrxBV74uPXknwkM6wRwgcjgLRiB-6FpYu5vZ11kKso7Dj3Rp6xGVDJKcJvKbp6IIZ-iOsjt3MAOQfY7u3G/s320/grinch-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250668708836027938" border="0" /></a><br />Once upon a time,in a place where raya is the most joyous n most celebrated holiday of all..where the song,"Selamat Hari Raya" by Saloma can be heard everywhere..there lived a peculiar guy,there was really nothing wrong with him..he likes playing 'Football Manager 2008', he adores "kurkure"...he's normal on d outside but on d inside he really is the RAYA GRINCH!..he doesnt enjoy raya ..he doesnt get all da big fuss bout raya(totally weird,rite?)anyway,ill go back 2 my story telling now,hehe..Anyway,in a another place,10-hours away from da place mentioned before,there's this girl who longs to be with her family and her friends,she especially miss da sumptious raya delicacies: ketupat,serunding daging and lontong with kuah lodeh..(just writing bout these food is making me drool)..then one night she sits byself and ponder: "Raya this year is kinda depressing,no serunding to eat with ketupat palas..*big sigh*"..she never did tell anyone about that particular thought..she let it pass just like dat..then on sunny wednesday afternoon,the girl checked her mail box and voila! a parcel was waiting for her..on the package, a "this item passed biosecurity act 1980"seal was plastered around it. She says to herself:"biosecurity?""that's weird""there's food in da parcel?"...she immediately retrieved a scissors,cuts thru da seal and the wrapper..She could not stop smiling when she saw the content...(i, the writer, couldnt quite capture precisely how she felt at dat moment but im gonna try k?)..she felt<br />ecstatic cos she got a lot of interesting stuff,<br />touched cos these people made an adorable handmade kadraya just for her,<br />so thankful cos she received a lot of stuff from these generous n wondaful people,<br />amazed cos The RAYA GRINCH ws da one who sent da parcel<br />and last but not least,<br />a wee bit of sadness cos she cant tell da raya grinch,in person,how much da parcel meant to her<br />...she called da grinch but only talked to him for less than 10 mins due to insufficient balance in da phone card..they got cut off in da middle of da conversation..she did get to thank him but not properly tho..5 mins later,a text message was delivered saying "Im glad dat ure happy"frm,wait for it.... non-other than da grinch himself!and they both lived happily ever after(cs all story ends with da same old corny phrase,hehehe)<br /><br />moral of da story: a friendship is a bond that goes beyond one's preference or dislike. The Raya Grinch went thru all da trouble to send da package to the girl even when he thinks raya is not ALL THAT..<br /><br />note: A tupperware full of serunding was one of the content of the package, the girl got exactly<br /> what she wanted.Courtesy of the Raya Grinch<br /><br />VERY IMPORTANT: the RAYA GRINCH is <span style="font-weight: bold;">good looking,image</span> used has <span style="font-weight: bold;">no relation </span>wutsoever <span style="font-weight: bold;">to him. </span><br /><br />Thank you soo much Dear.Only Allah knows how happy uve made me.syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-2510602522910359522008-09-17T16:22:00.000-07:002008-09-17T17:22:02.207-07:00Miracle on 17th SeptemberIve recently discovered that writing a post in my blog is strangely therapeutic..it's a simple medium to express my feelings whenever i cant find anyone to share them with..now don't get me wrong here, i'm perfectly happy and comfortable with my friends and all..it's just that sometimes you wanna say something but quite sure that other people will take the time or energy to actually hear you out..Something happened yesterday that made me questioned a very important decision i made in my life and that's very new to me...All through the years,i have never wondered back once I made a decision..I totally believe that I have chosen the best alternative and I shouldnt waste my energy thinking the outcome if i chose differently..I got my stats test results yesterday and let's just say,the mark was very demotivating.full stop.Then it hit me,"What am I doing here?""Why do I insist that I can succeed in doing Mathematics when my passion lies elsewhere?""Why do I endure it when I know that I'll probably do a whole lot better in Economics or Finance in Malaysia?""Have I made the wrong decision choosing this path?"..I stayed up late studying economics last night, trying to distract myself from answering these crucial questions...because i'm scared..i'm horrified..that if I do let myself dwell into them,im gonna arrive at a very undesirable conclusion.."Ive screwed up my life"....then a miracle happened,(not a BIG out-of-the-norm occurence tho)..at 10.28pm,17th September 2008..I received this message from Kak Fadhi..a simple quote..THAT very thing managed to answer ALL the questions that I tried avoiding earlier..It goes something like this:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">From Shuaib R.A. he once heard Prophet Muhammad SAW said</span><br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">It is an UNBELIEVABLE phenomenon for those who with strong faith as every single thing is good for him/her. Others wont be able to experience such blessing. When he/she receives a good news or achieve happiness, they are grateful because they know that the very thing is the best for them. When he/she stumbles upon sadness or grief,they are patient because they know that that very thing is ALSO the best for them."(HR Muslim)<br /></span><br />At that moment<span style="font-style: italic;">, </span>I realized that I just have to believe that God has this grand plan for me, that's why I end up here...I told my bestfriend about my doubts and what he said was exactly what I needed to hear..<span style="font-style: italic;">"No one ever gains from winning,it's losing that makes the man but the trick is to not make losing a habit..Everyone fails but not everyone gives up"..<br /><br /></span>So,on 18th September 2008,today,Im making a promise to myself: Im rising to the challenge and Im not gonna let a single bump in the road steer me away from my destination.Insyaallah.<br /><br />Thank you soo much Kak Fadhi.<br />Thank you soo much Dear.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span> </span>syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-838612864013697632008-09-08T02:03:00.000-07:002008-09-08T03:03:44.231-07:00The significance of changing a lightbulb<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgn2FCmgPdVjC-EAygvWVe_2U2ADLCQ8Vr_cw5CtZQCdS_H7u78423xNAlj74hCLzsFfyqwWUV2hAH_MP7NwIETN5XAYHM1eKWSgxbD_yXohM78u-sHOZ5FuKxeLNHmO_mmLpt3-QDo7h/s1600-h/Bulb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgn2FCmgPdVjC-EAygvWVe_2U2ADLCQ8Vr_cw5CtZQCdS_H7u78423xNAlj74hCLzsFfyqwWUV2hAH_MP7NwIETN5XAYHM1eKWSgxbD_yXohM78u-sHOZ5FuKxeLNHmO_mmLpt3-QDo7h/s320/Bulb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243588823769614290" border="0" /></a><br />In movies or in real life, i heard this 'myth' or saying that changing a light bulb is something only a guy can do..to tell you the truth, ive never really paid attention to this particular fact before because it was irrelevant to me(back in msia,my dad will probably be the one in charge of this or the electrician will do it)..plus ive heard some sort of a riddle or a knock-knock joke or something like it that goes, "How many MAN is needed to change a lightbulb?"Specifically empahasizing that only guys can change a lightbulb..so today(Monday,8th September 2008,around 5.34pm auckland time),i decided to change a lightbulb for da light in my room cause my friend, who usually helped me with this task before this,was busy cooking..turns out the task was not-so-hard after all, i took out the broken lightbulb,gently twisting the thing making sure that the side screws are intact then sliding it out. Take the new lightbulb,with care and twist the thing gently until it is properly in place. I switched on the light and it worked!!!Honestly, any normal people would think that it is NOT a big deal but somehow it was to me. It was an achievement for me who cant even open a pasta sauce jar by herself(yeah,im THAT pathetically weak)..i was hit by a revelation at that moment, IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO ANYTHING if you put your mind into it..I realized that if I want my dreams to come true I have to believe it myself and channel all my efforts towards achieving them..im determined to make that dream a reality:)syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-71478693058178679412008-09-05T04:14:00.000-07:002008-09-05T05:18:46.403-07:00How to cheer urself up when ure in a depressing moodImagine waking up one morning oblivious towards your surrounding and bam!something or someone suddenly awakens your cranky self instead..your whole day can only go from bad to worst from that point..you suddenly noticed that a new zit on your face, the result for your maths test is out n u performed not as well as you expected, got an email from regarding ur latest phone bill(money!!) and to top it all off, u cant reach ur dad or ur mum on skype cs it's still v early morning in Bahrain(cs of the frigging 9 hr difference from Auckland) which translates to no one answering your call..you're basically miserable..well,today is THAT day for lil ol' me..I figured rather than sulking and staying in this mood ill write a list of 10 things i can do 2 cheer myself up,so here goes:<br /><br />1. Sleep...sleep is the easiest way to forget(even for a few minutes) that you were in a foul mood in the 1st place..when i wake up, i feel better..i would recommend a nap for any of you having a shitty day<br /><br />2.Watch an episode of Friends on youtube...even if season 10 of friends ended like, 4 years ago,it never fails to crack me up..like the theme song by the Rembrandts "i'll be there for you"..the sitcom is always there for you especially in ur moment of need<br /><br />3. Have a bite of chocolate..i dunno whether it is the caffein in it or it's something about chocolate that provides a sense of comfort to you when you're savouring that little thing in your mouth..but i do know chocolate is a life-saver when ure in the "crouching tiger,hidden tiger"<br />mode<br /><br />4. Gossip with your girlfriends..girls have this really bad habit of talking A LOT with each other about other people or about them but it's certainly a great way to forget about your problems(your initial shitty mood) and laugh out loud with your besties<br /><br />5. Read a mills and boon...people might say it's lame to read romance novels especially those mills and boon, but lemme tell you guys..those books are like drugs for happy ending suckers like me..each one of them always have ppl getting married or hving a baby = happy ending!..it's a bit idealistic but hey,we can always dream right?<br /><br />6. Cook for others...even when you prepare a simple dish, you'll always feel this satisfaction when it's finished and ready to be served on the table..it'll be even more sweeter when you see people digging themselves into the food..that feeling is indescribable.<br /><br />7. Eat ice cream..it's a guaranteed spirit lifter for any people,anywhere any age<br /><br />8. Tidy ur room..this may seem like a weird suggestion, cleaning up when u dnt feel gud..but it proved to be a sure winner i.e ull feel that ull be able to breath or think when u see everything in your room is in order.<br /><br />9. Stop and ponder your thoughts for a sec...ull be able to analyze why ure in a bad mood in the 1st place and it'll help you realize that the thing that bothers you to begin with is petty and lame<br /><br />10. Pray to Allah..you'll feel more secure knowing that a higher power is always there for you,listening to you and providing the tranquility you need to overcome the unpleasant feeling you have<br /><br />owh n yeah,write a blog about it!hehehe..it certainly works for me.. <span style="font-style: italic;"></span>syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-7256169120834785522008-07-30T17:53:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:13:10.587-08:00The complete puzzle<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhari3x7BfR_D_SrVa1MDfmsDBncaR980syWolNrGG6AzkhEtPeEcbUFLRa2bPiU4ouBlgZGKAe0GO2YFsKJ2KV45Apr1cVy9RLtcuKBo32s8VTZ3vq_Vn9-oQSihll4SknCGmblqCh6SC1/s1600-h/0.jpg"><img style="CLEAR: both; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhari3x7BfR_D_SrVa1MDfmsDBncaR980syWolNrGG6AzkhEtPeEcbUFLRa2bPiU4ouBlgZGKAe0GO2YFsKJ2KV45Apr1cVy9RLtcuKBo32s8VTZ3vq_Vn9-oQSihll4SknCGmblqCh6SC1/s320/0.jpg" border="0" /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6617214655182230849.post-8842434564392388592008-07-30T17:43:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:13:10.721-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXZKYqEA36zy4fpTedxutQYhaF6dM-IHgWBMNk2-A-NexccaxV3RpJ2Pq-xAZDELjVdZsjDCMNsTy6f7Q39S18Y7UdHaBa87wLeMP9eqVWxMf2nuMoFyVPBmSB2ouRFGo3nBOn1qbkCiM/s1600-h/P7020931.JPG"><img style="CLEAR: both; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXZKYqEA36zy4fpTedxutQYhaF6dM-IHgWBMNk2-A-NexccaxV3RpJ2Pq-xAZDELjVdZsjDCMNsTy6f7Q39S18Y7UdHaBa87wLeMP9eqVWxMf2nuMoFyVPBmSB2ouRFGo3nBOn1qbkCiM/s320/P7020931.JPG" border="0" /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>syaq_kirahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203715994378366656noreply@blogger.com0