Kick ass!

When the book first came out on the shelves of Kinokuniya last year, I was estatic. I knew I had to get hold of the book somehow. But since the first edition of this kind of book is always a hard cover, I wanted to wait for the paperback, which obviously would be cheaper.

The thing is, everytime I went back to Kinokuniya, all I did was to ask the information counter officer if the paperback version is out.

2 days ago, we headed to our usual hunt at Takashimaya. This time, I instinctively know I need to read at least a few pages of the book. I took a copy of the book, found a corner to sit quietly and read.

Think Big And Kick Ass (by Donald Trump & Bill Zanker) really is a good kicking ass book!

What I thought would be a few pages of reading turned out to be 2 whole chapters instead. I couldn’t put the book down! This is afterall Trump’s version of “The Secret” which I have been indulging since a year ago! I took mental images of the list of pointers at the end of both chapters and went home to share it with Imran. He has always been my semangat and anything good needs to be shared with him, especially.

I will go back to Kino to read the book and get the rest of Trump’s pointers, I told Imran.

Anyway, it was Dad’s 59th birthday yesterday. We headed back to Yishun to wish him well and have our traditional merry making day. Mom prepared tulang for dinner.  

He looks so delightful in the first picture aye? I guess it was a nice surprise for him to get something he wanted. One more year before he retires. I hope he’ll have a blast during his last year of service to the Force.

After dinner, while we were on the train heading back home, Imran texted saying he would love to meet after he was done with the movie. It’s always good to meet him, so we head on home, watched Dirty Sexy Money and left for town on the last train.

When we met, he immediately went, “Nah, this is for you”. Without having to look what’s inside the bag, I knew what it was. He bought me THE book! I couldn’t have thanked him enough and couldn’t have been happier! I jumped like a berry happy ribena. Literally.

I love happy endings. Nan, go for that Chapter. It will be sweet, really.

Gratification

I believe that our relationship has been very healthy since we first started in 2001. We have never fail to have arguments and huge fights yet, we also never fail to be able to talk some sense and make things right again. Although Friday was a total nightmare for us, the weekend was spent to heal things up.

Well, Saturday should not really count cos we both were downright tired from our morning run/jog that the whole day was about getting all spread out for a good rest at my sister’s place. Sunday, however, was a different thing altogether.

The Wan read in the papers about the Comic Con at Suntec over the weekend and he wanted to go so bad. Although I wasn’t really keen, his interests are my muse. We headed out to have pasta lunch nearby before going to Suntec. Some discussion over lunch took me by surprise and I was totally not myself throughout the day, but I did try not to act indifferent.

The crowd at the exhibition hall was crazy but I guess it was much harmless compared to the typical PC show that boasts of discounted sales. There were alot of people who know nuts of what’s going on but just followed the crowd, just because, and made the place unnecessarily crowded. Anyhow, the main attraction of the convention for the Wan is of course the row of International Artists. Among them are Pete Fowler (Monsterism), Simone Legno (tokidoki) and Mori Chack (Gloomy the Naughty Grizzly - the site is in Japanese).

The Wan only caught up with Pete Fowler and Mori Chack for autographs and we stayed around for abit to look at Guitar Hero and the Wii demos. Oh, and of course, some Star Wars characters.

Pete Fowler & Monsterism

2 designers of Devil Robots

Mori Chack

 

Star Wars, anyone?

Since the Wan decided to go Suntec, I had to decide where to go next. I chose Millenia Walk, just because we simply had neglected it was where we often went even before E-Walk. I love the breeze there because it is so near the Marina. We took the chance to take a couple of photos. I think we’re just meant to be; me the photographer, the Wan the model. I am so not photogenic at all.

More narcissistic photos are hidden (well, not really)..

The Married Life

Having being married, or rather, before that, no one actually told me of any horror stories that I should be aware of. And now being married, I have learnt so much on my own as we go along. The only things I hear was when I was working with some kakak-kakak office during our eat-in lunch.

Yesterday I rebelled against the Wan. I left home hungry and without my handphone. The poor man came home to an empty room and went down to search for me without a clue. I took solace in some greens and smoke on the water (fire in the sky).

I came home after the sun came down oh well, just say, we talked it out like adults. Don’t worry, folks, things are back to normal. I think we just need to get out more and smell the (polluted) air. E-Walk, I miss our times there. We have to have a better strategy lah.

Let’s go back to Koh Lanta instead of Phuket, eh? hehehe

Tell me, really.

how do you sleep at night
with all the things you have done
with all the hurt you have caused
with all the lies you have told

how do you sleep at night
with all the accusations you pointed
with all the ties you severed
with all the blood you smeared

do you sleep
with horns on your scalp
with snigger on your face
with pitchfork in your hand

do you sleep
with pride you have killed
with ego you have bruised
with blood you have sucked

For the love of it

This was taken on 30th May 2008. The Wan hubby took the day off so that we could take my nephew, Asfa out to Sentosa. He loves the boy and always want to take the boy out whenever he could. So this was the chance to do so cos no one was around that weekend to look after Asfa.

We were on the bus and Asfa was getting quite excited about his trip. So his Papa Wan played peek-a-boo with him. I love this photo cos it caught Asfa while in motion.

It does put a smile on your face, right?

Taken on the same day after I had changed Asfa’s diapers and the extra top.

Contrary to the Luge tagline “Once is never enough!”, Asfa’s reaction in this photo just after we got off the Luge is classic - Once IS enough!

It took us quite awhile to coax him into getting on the Skyride and then down the Luge. He enjoyed the Luge more than the Skyride but whenever we asked him if he wants to get on the Luge again these days, he’ll answer a curt no!

Here’s my Dad when we were at Sentosa on Zura’s birthday, 8th June 2008. He was intrigued with the bridge that goes to the Southern Most Point of Continental Asia. Dad hasn’t been to Sentosa for ages!

Notice the earphones hanging around his neck? Dad loves to listen to the radio everywhere he goes! Mom can get very irritated with that because when she speaks to him he get very distracted with what he’s hearing on the radio that he doesn’t pay attention to what Mom says. The fact that he would always ask Mom to repeat what she was saying is the reason why Mom’s always irritated with Dad.

Quirky? That’s my Dad =D

He’s turning 59 next week! Gosh, now I need to go grab a gift for him!

 

These 2 photos were taken on the same day when we were high on the watch towers at the Southern Most Point of the Asia Continent.

When you look to your left, you’ll see boats, ferries coming or going towards Batam, Indonesia.

And on the further right is where oil refinery plants can be seen on Pulau Bukum.

I love the different clouds that were covering the skies that day, as shown on the right and left.

 

I always retreat in my room. Besides, I work from home, so I have to always be in my room, anyhow.

When days are bad, I love to just look out of my window. It could be raining or it could be sunny, I love them any way they are. But the best is when the sky is filled with clouds and the sun shining down strong, giving the clouds the literal silver lining.

The contrast in colors just make me smile no matter how bad my day could be.

Don’t you just love the fluffy clouds?

Sometimes they look as if they are sweet enough for you to pinch and take a bite. Just like cotton candies!

Just to get by

I went to visit my parents very early on Sunday morning while my husband went for a game of soccer. Mom still does the same scrambled eggs for Dad. I miss having breakfast with them. But really, I thought, isn’t it time for us to return the favour. Mom has been doing that for years. Why can’t we just take the time to make them breakfast during our off days? I ended up making drinks and toasting bread. I went on to cook Tom Yam for lunch.

After lunch, Mom sat down with me just like the times before I got married. She spoke to me about my current situation where I’m working part-time just to get by. Although she knows I’m working on my huge project to bank in on, she suggested I go back to a full-time job to earn some moolah while making some other things work. I should perhaps distract myself with a full-time job now that we haven’t gotten ourselves pregnant nor a new place to live in.

I sat there thinking of my options. Thinking of my opportunities. Absorbing every single word Mom was laying down for me on the table. I know Mom meant very well and I see her point. I tried to soften this hard-sturbborned heart of mine to perhaps have that inkling want or need to work again in the rat race.

I really tried very hard.

But I can’t. I have this strong urge to make this work. No matter if I need to work odd jobs here and there, just to get by, I need to make my plan work. 2008 is the year for me to make things work for the benefits to be reaped by both of us.

Having want a beautiful life is not to work blindly for money, but work passionately for what you believe in. The comfortable life will come when you deserve it. If it is not happening now, there is always a reason behind all these.

God is full of love and concern for his community. Bismillahirahmanirrahim - Dengan nama Allah yang maha pengasih lagi maha penyayang. He wouldn’t be cruel to you and give you things you cannot afford to have for now. He knows best. We only plan, but He defines.

For now, the next plan is..

The light in my dark

This whole week that I’m down, not knowing what’s wrong and what’s missing, today finally I figured it out. I was missing the one boy in my life. Muhammad Dhia Asfa.

As infuriatingly irritating he can get, he is that much adorable. Today, we witnessed some of his ridiculously smart antics. Note, he calls me Mama Ain. Ain being the name my family calls me by.

Me to Wan: I tak nak geng you lah! (I don’t want to friend you, lah!)
(a few moments of silence then)
Asfa said to me innocently: Asfa geng Mama Ain, k? (Asfa friend Mama Ain, k?)

This, coming from a 2 year old boy! He’s way too smart for us sometimes. Like the next incident, for example.

While in the cab when Dad was driving us home and Asfa came along..
Asfa to me: Mana Mama Mama Ain? (Where Mama Mama Ain?)
Me to him: Ni, Mama Ain here.
Asfa again to me: Asfa tanya mana Mama, Mama Ain? (Asfa ask where Mama, Mama Ain?)
(with punctuation and the correct intonation!!)

.. Asfa spotted some diggers along the expressway that was undergoing construction.
Asfa exclaims: Waahhh digger! Digger!
His grandpa (or he calls Atok) teases him: Digger digger, Asfa!
Asfa to his Atok: Bukan digger digger. Digger lah, Atok. (bukan=not)

Hours before I had my laughing therapy being around Asfa, while I was in the office (I do part-time work for abit), I received a surprise call from Salim. It’s always nice to get phone calls when their faces appear on my phone (well, of course I had tagged the common friends’ photos to their numbers in my phone!). It was so endearing to hear from Salim. Makes me miss all the other friends I have now. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling while in that cold office earlier.

These are the things that have been missing throughout my whole week. Gosh. What have I done to myself?

In plateau

I’m done with the most of 95% of work for SpaJelita. Now that I am suddenly not rushing anymore, I don’t quite know what to do. I still have other projects to start, take off and such but my mind is just going in sorta limbo.

I’ve been so spaced out since a few nights ago. I’m sorry love, I don’t know what’s wrong either.

I need some spark/semangat. Or rather, I just need to get out of this mess. I’m losing it. Help.

Like a caged rat, desperate to escape

Choked without touch
Haunted with presence
Caged without bars
Desperate with escape

Fear without respect
Hatred with fury
Trapped without emotion
Hopeless with hope

Not a Plain-Sunset

A week ago, Fadila mentioned to me that she went for Tiramisu’s gig at Substation and she felt old. Gosh, did I so understand her when I was at Zouk for PlainSunset last night. PlainSunset launched their album PLAINSUNSET 2008 last night and their music video of Johari’s Window premiered on MTV Asia the same night too.

When we arrived outside Zouk, there was no familiar face at all.

Rewind to 21st July 2001, at the same place, Zouk, when PlainSunset had their Love Songs for the Emotionally Wounded, the outside was full of faces we know. Loads of hi and hey going around.

We found ourselves at the same corner everytime we go to Zouk for a DJ competition or a performance. When they started their set at 9pm, it was good time all over again. The boys, or rather the men of PlainSunset rocked like they always do. Ronny’s drumming skills still never skip a beat. Sham and Nizam’s crazy jumps never fail to synchronize. Jon, his singing, never fails to get the whole crowd singing along. In all, PlainSunset is one of the best bands to watch live.

At 10pm, they premiered their 1st single music video, Johari’s Window - which I really think was a blast. Love the video through and through. Familiar faces in the video sure give me goosebumps, reminding me of those years in good times.

Somewhere, in a corner of my heart, this could be the last rocking out gig I’d go crazy at. And I thank PlainSunset for the best years of my life. They are never a ‘plain’ sunset. Always colourful with life.