Whims of a Coffee Addict

Zero

2009-09-04T04:52:00.000+12:00

Oh wow look!An abandoned blog.

Life in Solok Tambun

2009-06-25T01:16:00.008+12:00

Other than expanding the width of buttocks, I really haven't been doing much. On a normal day, I'd wake up round noon, eat, drink coffee and start surfing the net and watching TV at the same time. Bliss. But hopefully it won't be too long before I join the thousands of blank-faced commuters of KayEL. A few weeks back, I took an early LRT ride to KL Sentral and almost everyone onboard just looked...dead. Of course there were a few of 'em "I'm high on LIFE!" people with smiles plastered on their faces.
Hmph, maybe it was a tad too early.

bloopbloop

Mama tengah kecik ati and for once, it's not my fault! Yipeeeeeeee!

bloopbloop

Cousin Daisy is finally married! It was a beautiful wedding and I really enjoyed meeting the rest of the clan.
While visiting my aunts and uncles, I noticed family photos I had taken years ago were proudly hanging on their walls. The photos aren't that great but at the time,I was convinced I was going to be Malaysia's TOP female photographer. And yet here I am...Hehehe. Ok back to the story. I'm extremely glad and relieved my photos have found loving homes.

bloopbloop

On Sunday, we made our way to Sitiawan to buy freshly caught crabs. I needed to use the loo, so Mom asked the shopowner does she have a toilet and could I use it. So she said "Yah, ada ada. Itu sana lu guna la". The loo if you could call it that, was basically a small wooden cubicle next to where they keep the crabs. Ceramic bowl you say? How about just a hole in the wooden floor? (The hole was not even fully rounded, it was all jaggedy, like The Hulk had put his foot through the floor during one of his tantrums)And so your pee/poo goes straight into the sea. I hear the crabs they sell are super yummy.

RIP

2009-06-05T03:10:00.002+12:00

A most unfortunate event has taken place.

David Carradine
1936-2009

HOME?

2009-06-04T19:49:00.001+12:00

"Cleanliness and tidiness are entrenched in the culture of Switzerland, where many households still set aside one day a week solely for washing and doing housework".

Source: TVNZ

Pudu oh Pudu

2009-04-27T04:11:00.003+12:00

Dear Datuk Seri Najib,

Thinking of leaving behind a legacy?

Consider this: A well thought and well planned bus station in central KL.

And yeah thanks for taking some time out to trace the same path my mom usually takes.

Regards,
IcantbelieveIamdownherebreathingallthiscarbonmonoxidewhilebeingharassedbyblindkaripapsellers

http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2009&dt=0426&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Muka_Hadapan&pg=mh_02.htm

I heart Wellington

2009-04-14T02:06:00.001+12:00

Oh Welly had I known earlier that you're oh-so-cool and oh-so-cute I'd have long moved my ass there.

My countdown...mana pegi my countdown?

AHA!

2009-03-19T01:29:00.001+13:00

Infatuation is the state of being completely carried away by unreasoned passion or love; addictive love. Usually one is inspired with an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone.

In the case of infatuation, there is more often than not an obsessor and an object of desire (generally unattainable). One may come to the conclusion that unlike love, infatuation is not usually mutual. From Wikipedia

Phew, thank god. And here I thought I was going bonkers.

My very own Auckland

2009-03-12T01:00:00.004+13:00

So here goes a countdown of things I lurve about Auckland/NZ. If I can commit myself to a countdown that is.

At No.10

I love that...

Sometimes when you're having a really bad day, the rain stops and the clouds part to reveal...

Auckland, March 10th 2009

Baggage movers

2009-02-26T01:04:00.003+13:00

Finally after 3 very long years I'm done! Feels like I've been doing my degree forever.

Forever?

Forever 'eva mi amiga.

XXX

I can't wait to see Coldplay, my mom and Wellington.

And yes, in that order.

XXX

Nowadays I'm scratching my head every night thinking, "What can I get rid off?" I don't have much stuff actually but I know somewhere deep in boxes and bags are things that I don't need (and exactly WHY did I get them in the first place? Oh blardy consumerism). I despise knick knacks. My mom love 'em to bits.

Ah my mom. How I've missed her perfume.

XXX

The very definition of COOL.

Exciting news

2009-02-01T02:04:00.003+13:00

Monet and the Impressionists will be coming here this February! Chance to see Water Lily right in front of me!

Wonder which Degas pieces they'll be showing...

Ooooo happy days.

Airline food...yum?

2009-01-31T00:39:00.002+13:00

Uno

"A Virgin Airways passenger, thoroughly upset with the meal and service during a flight, took matters into his own hand, and wrote Sir Richard Branson a personal complaint letter about the experience. An exerpt:

So lets peel back the tin-foil on the main dish and see what's on offer.

I'll try and explain how this felt. Imagine being a twelve year old boy Richard. Now imagine it's Christmas morning and you're sat their with your final present to open. It's a big one, and you know what it is. It's that Goodmans stereo you picked out the catalogue and wrote to Santa about.

Only you open the present and it's not in there. It's your hamster Richard. It's your hamster in the box and it's not breathing. That's how I felt."

For more hilarity and photos

Dos

Dear Sir/madam/automated telephone answering service

Having spent the past twenty minutes waiting for someone at Leith police station to pick up a telephone I have decided to abandon the idea and try e-mailing you instead. Perhaps you would be so kind as to pass this message on to your colleagues in Leith by means of smoke signal, carrier pigeon or ouji board.

As I'm writing this e-mail there are eleven failed medical experiments (I think you call them youths) in West Cromwell Street which is just off Commercial Street in Leith. Six of them seem happy enough to play a game which involves kicking a football against an iron gate with the force of a meteorite. This causes an earth shattering CLANG! Which rings throughout the entire building. This game is now in it's third week and as I am unsure how the scoring system works, I have no idea if it will end any time soon.

The remaining five walking abortions are happily rummaging through several bags of rubbish and items of furniture that someone has so thoughtfully dumped beside the wheelie bins. One of them has found a saw and is setting about a discarded chair like a beaver on speed. I fear that it's only a matter of time before they turn their limited attention to the bottle of calor gas that is lying on it's side between the two bins. If they could be relied on to only blow their own arms and legs off then I would happily leave them to it. I would even go so far as to lend them the matches. Unfortunately they are far more likely to blow up half the street with them and I've just finished decorating the kitchen.

What I suggest is this. After replying to this e-mail with worthless assurances that the matter is being looked into and will be dealt with, why not leave it until the one night of the year (probably bath night) when there are no mutants around then drive up the street in a panda car before doing a three point turn and disappearing again. This will of course serve no other purpose than to remind us what policemen actually look like.

I trust that when I take a claw-hammer to the skull of one of these throwbacks you'll do me the same courtesy of giving me a four month head start before coming to arrest me.

I remain sir, your obedient servant
--------
Mr ----

I have read your e-mail and understand you frustration at the problems caused by youth playing in the area and the problems you have encountered in trying to contact the police. As the Community Beat Officer for your street I would like to extend an offer of discussing the matter fully with you. Should you wish to discuss the matter, please provide contact details (address / telephone number) and when may be suitable.

Regards

PC 387

Community Beat Officer
----

Dear PC 387

First of all I would like to thank you for the speedy response to my original e-mail. 16 hours and 38 minutes must be a personal record for Leith Police station and rest assured that I will forward these details to Norris McWhirter for inclusion in his next book.

Secondly I was delighted to hear that our street has it's own community beat officer. May I be the first to congratulate you on your covert skills. In the five or so years I have lived in West Cromwell Street, I have never seen you. Do you hide up a tree or have you gone deep undercover and infiltrated the gang itself? Are you the one with the acne and the moustache on his forehead or the one with a chin like a wash hand basin? It's surely only a matter of time before you are head-hunted by MI5.

Whilst I realise that there may be far more serious crimes taking place in Leith such as smoking in a public place or being Muslim without due care and attention, is it too much to ask for a policeman to explain (using words of no more than two syllables at a time) to these t***s that they might want to play their strange football game elsewhere? The pitch behind the Citadel or the one at DK's are both within spitting distance, as is the bottom of the Leith Dock.

Should you wish to discuss these matters further you should feel free to contact me on 557 0890 If after 25 minutes I have still failed to answer, I'll buy you a large one in the Compass Bar.

Regards

---------

P.S If you think that this is sarcasm, think yourself lucky that you don't work for the cleansing department.

Source

On Muse

2009-01-21T19:55:00.006+13:00

Was here...

Now wishing I was here as well.

I can't believe prior to last week the only Muse song I was aware of was Starlight. Rugi giler nih! Lagi pikir rugi when I start thinking bout the fact that they'd been here to Auckland twice, and seriously, what the heck was I doing at that time? Spacing out over Media Comm?????

*scratches head (whilst thinking and partly also thanks to dandruff)

By the way, Happy 10th Anniversary Transcendence!

Separated at birth?

2009-01-16T00:28:00.004+13:00

At first I thought she looks like Cruella, but then it hit me!

Same glee man. But then again it could just be me.

Summer Breeze

2009-01-14T23:47:00.003+13:00

As I get older I find that the only way I could receive and store any form of information successfully, is if it comes out through the tube.

I wish all the journals and articles I'd have to read could be turned into tv mini-series.

I would EXCEL in Media Comm I tell ya.

I care

2009-01-06T22:50:00.002+13:00

A middle-aged American guy and his wife came in and ordered drip coffee.

The guy seemed friendly and nice enough, talking and joking around with the three girls.

Then a huge crowd went past the store. Men, women and children passed by carrying placards,shouting and chanting.

"Ohhh what have we got here. Better take out my camera!"

He began filming the protesters.

Some in the crowd were angry. Some were sad.

"Yeah yeah yeah. Whatever. Who cares?" The old guy said to the girls.

The girls just kept their heads down. One was still wondering whether or not it's right to say drip coffee.

"Hey, my son's Jewish!" He chuckled.

The pins on his green cap, each from the states or countries he'd been to shone brightly under the sun.

**

Yes, I didn't say anything. I'm weak at confrontations or debates.

But Mr. American drip-coffee guy, here's what I would like to say to you-

I care. Those who died, they have names. That's someone's son right there. Pity that you've been around the world and yet you haven't really seen it.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0901/S00051.htm

The Best of 2008

2009-01-03T01:22:00.003+13:00

Movie(s) of the Year:
No Country For Old Man
So so dark. I like.

Pineapple Express
Can't ever remember laughing so hard. Worth every penny. I still haven't seen Milk, Revolutionary Road, Changeling,The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The band's visit, etc

Song of the Year: I'm Yours by Jason Mraz
The new version is better than the old one definately. The perfect summer song.

Book of the Year: White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Indian writes are geniuses.

Drama of the Year: Nodame Cantabile
Well the drama came out a couple of years back but I just recently watched it. Let's all enter Hentai Mori!

Best Trend: Leather jackets? Brogues? Can't decide.

Best (re)discovery: Jdorama
Now I'm addicted. I sleep at 5am just to khatam 10/11 episodes. Shame.....

Learnt a lot in 2008. Here's a list-
1-Learnt how to make ikan goreng
2-Learnt how to make nasi lemak
3-Learnt how to make kuey teow goreng...cekodok pisang(selalu hangus)...mung bean drink...

My cooking may not be great I've gotta admit, but at least I'm learning?

4-Learnt how to remain calm when customers ask incredibly stooo....

Farewell 2008, hello 2009!

Oya sumi...zzzz

Happiness is...

2008-12-23T15:38:00.002+13:00

Watching Coldplay performing Yellow...LIVE.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!I'll finally see them right before my eyes.

Tears.Of.Joy.

Cut and Paste

2008-12-22T22:56:00.005+13:00

Feel a wee bit guilty about abandoning my blog for the past 2 months but I really don't have anything innneresting to say so I've decided to just 'cut and paste'.

Kauthar had given me some Japanese drama series to watch over the next couple of days since I ain't gonna work. Did a marathon of One Litre of Tears last night (cried buckets) and now I'm hooked on the song 'Konayuki'. And possibly the main actor. Maybe.

Some inspirational stuff to keep in mind when you're down?

It's okay if you fall.
You can just get up again.
Why don't you look up at the sky, while you're down there.
The blue sky spreads across above you.
Can you see it smiling at you?
You are alive.

I want to be like the air. The good-hearted person whose kindness overflows and people realize how important she was to them, once she is gone.
I want to be that kind of person.

I wonder where happiness is.
I wonder what happiness is.

Why did the illness choose me?
The word fate isn't a good enough explanation!

I don't have the right to pick my options. I can never go onto the same path as my friends.If I make myself feel better by thinking that I'm going to walk the same paths as my friends, my own path will disappear...
I wanna go somewhere...I wanna hit something really hard, yell and scream like crazy, fall down laughing...

I really don’t want to say things such as “I want to go back as how things were before” . I recognize how I am right now, and I will continue to live on. Just being alive is such a lovely and wonderful thing.

From Kitou Aya's diary

Short Entry- Part Deux

2008-12-22T22:36:00.002+13:00

However, if you need a lil' bit of magic get your hands on ONCE.

Short Entry Part Uno

2008-12-20T02:47:00.002+13:00

I plead with all my heart...DO NOT WATCH The day the earth stood still.

Unless you like cringing.

Raya in Auckland

2008-10-10T00:44:00.009+13:00

This year saw a much more festive Aidilfitri celebration for me.

On the eve of Eid, I made some Honey Joys (a success!)while Kak Zaidah cooked up a storm. Lontong, nasi impit, rendang daging, kuah kacang, and sambal udang...Our apartment smelt like a proper malam raya.

Last year, my apartment had smelt of multi-purpose cleaner and bleach. I was living alone, had nothing else to do but to go on a cleaning frenzy.

Back to this year-Right before I went to bed, I realized I hadn't changed my sheets! The horror! This is a ritual of mine. My room HAS to be spick and span for Hari Raya. So even though I was mighty sleepy, I managed to replace the sheets and tidied up the whole room.

Early in the morning Kak Zaidah and I took the bus to Ponsonby Mosque. I managed to get myself a source for my news story. Sweet.

Unfortunately for me though, I had a tutorial at 3. No one else in class knew it was a special day for moi and millions around the world, except for my tutor. Good on him.

Neway, Kak Zaidah's open house was due to start around 6. So we waited for people to come over.

And waited.

And dozed off.

When our very first guests rang the intercom thingy, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Hahah.

By 8 our apartment was jam packed with people. Having heaps of people around, even though I had no idea who most of them were, certainly made me feel like I was at home. Good food and good company equals great fun. It really did feel like the first day of raya this year in Auckland :)

Reading mokciknab's blog reminded me very much of beraya kat kampung. So I've decided to go down memory's lane.

Every year from when I was 1 til about 17, we would make our way back to Bota Kiri for Eid. The drive there, depending on where we were living at the time, could be very very long indeed. Long and WINDING before PLUS highway was built. Bless you PLUS.

Then petang before raya, nenek would get her api ready. Yup she made her own lemang. Aunty Ayang and Mama would start preparing all the dishes. Usually Mama would work on her laksa Sarawak and rendang while Aunty Ayang would be making her special ketupat.

My siblings and I would be in front of the TV of course. The older I got though, the more I was in charge of cleaning the dining and living room. I was also in charge of filling up the glass jars with biscuits. And ah yes, changing the cushion covers. Then we'd wait patiently for my cousins to arrive from Ipoh.

At night, we would main bunga api and mercun. Man I miss bunga api.

Nenek would crank up her radio to hear takbir raya right about this time.

Sometimes late at night, she would put inai on our lil' fingers and we'd hold our hands over burning candles to make it dry faster. But that stopped as soon as I turned 13...I think. Inai is not something I miss to tell you the truth. I find it terribly ugly. On my fingers at least.

On Eid morning, we'd have breakfast/brunch together. Then the usual salam salam stuff, which I dread. Guests would start coming over with pesky lil' kids (only there for the money and fizzy drinks). Later on, we'd make our way to relatives' houses. Pak Din, Pak Lah..and ntah siapa siapa lagi. Most of them were really poor and I remember they'd always say stuff like, "mintak maaf le takde apa nak hidang". And yet they still managed to serve us awesome teas and biscuits.

I would say the thing I miss most is not hari raya itself but malam raya instead. I think the whole atmosphere-mom cooking all night long and frantically decorating the house, Aunty Ayang on the floor still weaving her ketupat,neighbours coming over to see what mom's cooking, crappy Malay movies playing on TV...I miss the whole chaotic air about it.

Being in an actual kampung for Aidilfitri is a unique experience.

I miss it teribly. But now, my kampung dah jadi kampung orang lain. Haha. So I shall not dwell on it any longer.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Maaf Zahir dan Batin all the way from Aotearoa.

Things I heart

2008-08-31T02:38:00.008+12:00

Movies movies movies
I can't explain it. The big screen, the undivided attention, the smell of a cinema, the moment the curtains are raised...By the way I've just got to quote a line from Wanted (All hail Queen Angie. She can do anything!)and some stuff I've seen recently.

From Wanted
Wesley: This is me taking back control of my life. What the f**k have you done lately?

From Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Matthew: I have a question for you real quick. What did you think of my demo? Did you get it?
Aldous Snow: I was gonna listen to that, but then, um, I just carried on living my life.

From Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Gary: Shotguns? What, like guns that fire shot?
Barry the Baptist: Oh, you must be the brains of the operation. Yes, guns that fire shot.

From Atonement
Fiona Maguire: It says in the newspaper the army are making "strategic withdrawals."
Briony - 18 years old: Yes, I saw that. It's a euphemism for "retreat."

Ramadan
I'm dreading life without coffee. Its times like these (really, are there any other times?) that my addiction to coffee is fully realised by others. I think crankiness is an understatement.
That being said however, I've always (secretly) looked forward to Ramadan. Maybe it's the family dinners with Donkey cracking his (lame!) jokes? Maybe it's the cincau? Maybe it's the whole spiritual side to it?

Ramadan al Mubarak :)

Merdeka
I miss the days when I had to go shoot Merdeka parades for my assignments. I miss spending the night on the streets of KL, being chased off by police, haha. I miss my former housemates who are all now either married or in the process of marrying loved ones. Guess it's just me, Mish and Ina now.

Gosh I miss all of 'em.

Selamat Hari Merdeka to all Malaysians and for that matter, anyone who values freedom.

Gossip Girl

Finally I can see what the big fuss was all about and I haven't been let down yet. TVNZ is currently playing the show's first season. A big hurrah for TVNZ!

My 'spotted' section
Spotted on Friday-Samantha Hayes, newspresenter on TV3's Nightline. Oh my list is growing...Can't wait to bump into Jaquie Brown.

Garfield

He passed away last week after being sick for so long. I cried. Bunny cried. I bet Donkey did as well. Hope you're in cat heaven, precious.

Muaks.

Spotted!

2008-08-20T23:24:00.007+12:00

1-Last week at Elliott St Food Court.

2-Last Monday, one of New Zealand's top fashion designer, Cybèle Wirren on K'road. Wonder what she was up to?

3-And last not but least, spotted at the zoo.

Paris is burning all night long...

2008-08-04T02:30:00.003+12:00

I can't believe the lineup to this!

Tomo-chan you're so lucky!

No sambal yet but...

2008-07-21T22:21:00.004+12:00

Sometime, somewhere I must have done something right in my life because believe it or not, I have found a piece of heaven,

1922

2008-07-21T01:24:00.003+12:00

"Well I worked all summer, couldn't save a cent
I gave all of my money to the government
I don't know quite how it got spent
But the banks a'comin' for my deed,boys
The man at the mill can't see,boys
He let me get my feed for free,boys
Ain't that the way it is...

Well I cut out down a gravel road
I traded my stocks for a V8 Ford
That's 4-10 down on the floor boards
And the title loan down to me, boys
That gasoline ain't free, boys
It pushes when all I need, boys
Ain't that the way it is...

Well I met me a woman down in St. Paul
I even met her mother and I met her pa
Her brother told me he'd bust my jaw
If I talked to his sister again, boys
Told me I couldn't win, boys
Now there's blood runnin' down my chin now
But ain't that the way it is...

Well I slept all night on the bar room floor
and woke up this morning my head was sore
Pockets empty but I want some more
The bar man's got my car
Tales worth more by far
As I leave her down at the bar now
Ain't that the way it is

Well I hitched me a ride on the way back home
I got me a job on a family farm
Times are hard here but I can't roll
and I ain't got nothing more
Oh that company store
Gold's looking good for sure though
Ain't that the way it is

Well I worked all summer couldn't save a cent
I gave all my money to the government
I don't know quite how it got spent
but the banks are coming for my deed boys
Man at the mill can't see boys
Let me get my feed for free boys
Ain't that the way it is

Now let's get me some sambal ikan bilis recipes!

East to West

2008-07-19T17:01:00.012+12:00

The 40th Auckland International Film Festival is finally here! One of the few events here in Auckland I eagerly wait for each year. 2008's lineup ain't that bad, here are some that I've seen and what I thought of them.

The Duchess of Langeais
Very very slow paced. And I didn't get some of the things they talked about. And I kinda disliked the ending. So....6/10 from me.

Boy A
Thought about Bailey Jr Kurariki the whole time I was watching this. Excellent movie. 9/10

Flight of the Red Balloon
Yet another slow paced movie, but I was captivated by Song Fang (what and how she does things) and le great Juliette Binoche. Movie's an homage to Lamorisse's Red Balloon. Oh Paris Paris how I love you! 8/10

Lorna's Silence
I am a sucker for movies where the main characters would fall in love AFTER entering into marriage. So, hehe, 9/10 from me.

Let's see, what else have I been up to...

Thursday 3/7/08
Flew down to Christchurch for Shireen and Henry's wedding. I was already bundled up in layers of clothing but as I was about to leave for the airport, I felt like I couldn't breathe and would you believe it, had a full blown panic attack. Peeled some layers off immediately, took a couple of deep breaths to calm myself down and finally left the apartment. Airport bus was late late late.

Kasyah and Ida picked me up in Christchurch and at home I was greeted by Maddox and Shiloh. Meow! Kasyah then had a surprise for me, SAMBAL SOTONG! Double Meow!

Shiloh and Maddox slept in with me every single night I was there. Awwww.

Friday 4/7/08
I had already been to Christchurch before but that was in hot sweaty summer. This is winter and I was very excited to walk around the city in my coat and boots.

Winter+Flat City=Awesomeness.

Oh and I had dinner with Kasyah and her students later that night. We had spicy steamboat to warm us up. Yummm....and sugared bread for dessert, yumm some more.

Saturday 5/7/08

Shireen got lucky- it snowed on her wedding day! Well at first it was just sleet; the snow didn't settle but sure enough around 4 or 5 it started snowing. By this time I was already back at Kasyah and Ida's place and couldn't contain my excitement. When Kasyah announced "It's snowing!" I went round the house like a mad woman, looking for my camera and my jacket and uh beanie. I think I drove Ida insane.

Sunday 6/7/08
Day after the wedding I met up with Kak Zaidah at Addington station. We made our way to the west coast by TranzAlpine train service. Beautiful snow-capped mountains will definately take your breath away. Saw just a handful of houses along the way, with smoke coming out from their chimneys. Wonder what it's like living in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by vast empty whiteness?

Sigh.

I'd highly recommend taking the train instead of driving through Arthur's Pass (our roommates over at Hokitika claimed they witnessed a few road accidents along the way). The thing is though, when you are on the viewing deck, you've gotta find the best spot which can mean pushing someone else away so you can get YOUR best shot.

As soon as we arrived in Greymouth we hopped into our car and made our way to Punakaiki, home of the pancake rocks. Had our lunch overlooking the sea, Subwaylah apa lagi. Left for Franz Josef after about an hour there.

Note:YHA Franz Josef is unbelievably clean. And hey, it's brand new still!

Monday 7/7/08
Freezing start to the day, and I actually loved it. Had to scrape off frost from our windshield. Fox Glacier isn't that far off from Franz Josef but the road leading us there was icy,so slowly and carefully we, well Kak Zaidah anyway, drove.

I was super excited (and worried at the same time) to do the half day glacier walk. Can I really walk for 4 hours? Uphill plak tuh?

Answer: Yes I can. All day walk next time? Maybe.

Sure going uphill through the rainforest with heavy boots was hell, but walking on ice was too cool.

Tooooo cool I say.

We stayed the night in Hokitika. I fell asleep around 9pm.

Couldn't believe it myself.

Tuesday 8/7/08
Kak Zaidah flew back to Auckland, while I took the bus to Greymouth and then the train back to Christchurch. Bus driver gave commentaries along the way.

My recommendations to fellow travellers would be, take the morning train to Greymouth. As it gets dark early in winter you won't have too much photo-ops if you take the late ride. For me there's absolutely no point in taking the train in summer unless you like greeneries. And oh yeah, the blazing sun.

I think we've established the fact that I love winter.

TranzAlpine Christchurch-Greymouth return=$114
Intercity Coachline Hokitika-Greymouth=$14

Wednesday 9/7/08
Woke up super early to grab my scarf from Kasyah. On the way to Cathedral Square where I was supposed to catch the $5 bus to the airport, I just had to drop by Ballentyne's to get me-self a red beret. Last beret, I swear.

Arriving in Auckland, I thought, "Crap. I miss South Island already".

!!!!

2008-06-25T00:54:00.001+12:00

"Atlet negara menang emas Olimpik dapat RM1 juta"

R U f****** kidding me?

Viva La Vida

2008-06-17T02:00:00.002+12:00

Coldplay's new album just came out today in rainy Auckland.

Headed over to JB-Hifi in between cursing Dreamweaver and getting my coffees.

So now I'm listening to Strawberry Swing and I'm hearting it.

Sure a few songs will need some getting used to, but overall, this one's got Coldplay written all over it.

Me likey.

The miracles of Avomine

2008-05-16T01:03:00.007+12:00

I've actually got to research web designs and whatnots but my mind has since wandered off so I guess it's update-your-blog time!

Ain, Zab, Kak Zaidah and I went up to Northland about a week back and this time around I decided to give motion-sickness pills a try.

They worked.

I took one tablet every night before I hit the snooze button and whenever I felt a lil' bit quesy during the trip itself, I popped one in.

Result-A very satisfied (and quite possibly slightly sedated) traveller.

Day One
We were supposed to wake up at 7 but only Kak Zaidah managed to crawl out of bed that early and headed down to Beach Road to get our car. The rest of us slept in till Kak Zaidah's -Is everybody ready?-text woke me up. We left Auckland around 11am. On the way to Paihia we stopped over at Whangarei.

This is where I discovered Captain Cook pies. Yum.

After checking into our motel in Paihia, we headed out to Russell by ferry. Found the oldest church in NZ. It was already getting dark so we couldn't do any of the tracks. We were too hungry anyway, so off we went to the local Fish n Chips.

Day One ended with heavy discussions about the state of Malaysia's education system, etc. Lost interest within 10 minutes. Kahkahkah. Sorry guys, I tried to listen but you lost me past the story about kids trying to go to the loo.

Day Two
I saw dolphins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I didn't get seasick at all! Zab did though and I felt really bad for her but at least she managed to get some awesome dolphin photos for the rest of us. On the way to Kaitaia I saw persimmons. Thousands of persimmons....ooooooo..........yummmmm...Just had to stop and get 'em. A big bag of about 15 cost as little as $5.

Unbelievable.

Day Three
Started off as a very beautiful day indeed.

We made our journey to Cape Reinga early in the morning. Well, early by our standard. We decided to take up the advice of the guy who rented us the surfboard-"instead of driving straight to the cape, go sandsurfing first". Rain was expected to arrive around noon.

Sandsurfing was way fun. Wonder if there's any sand dunes near Auckie....

And the guy was right- as soon as we arrived in Cape Reinga, it poured. I could actually see rain coming in from the sea which I think is amazingly beautiful, coz hey, we all know how much I love the rain. It cleared up though as we made our way back to the car from the lighthouse. *Positive thoughts*

I was drained by the time we left Watiki Landings (I think) and just had to doze off. But at one point, I could sense we were moving way to fast, so I tried my best to stay up to remind Kak Zaidah to please slow down weh...

We wanted to drop by and see Tane Mahuta but it was already beyond dark, so maybe next time eh big guy?

Can't wait for my next trip on Avomine.

Enjoy the photos.

p.s-Photobucket, I heart you.

Wednesday will come...

2008-04-22T03:18:00.002+12:00

and Barça will have to fight fight fight!

Sigh.

But if I know the devil that is Cristiano Ronaldo...

One helluva ride

2008-03-07T20:45:00.006+13:00

T'was summer: working inside a store without an a/c running at the front made me all sticky and irritated at the end of the day. Toss in 30 rude, 10 drunk and 20 plain dumbass customers per shift, you get an incredibly moody Zara.

Summer was looking wayyy tooo long to my liking.

Fortunately, our trip to Christchurch was lurking nearer and nearer as each day passed by and surprise surprise, before I knew it, it was already the 21st of February!

So I bid farewell (at least temporarily) to donuts and smoothies (yuk) and set off on a (truly) unforgettable journey down south.

First stop: Christchurch. Much to my wallet's delight Kak Zaidah and I bumped into Lynda and co. at the airport and they gave us a ride to the city centre. The city itself is small but delightfully charming, with sidewalk cafes and specialty boutiques housed in old buildings. And c'mon, they've got trams and punts! How cute is that?

After settling down at the New Exelsior Backpackers we headed out for Cathedral Square then jumped on a tram to the Botanical Garden. The garden is huge and round and round we went searching for the rose garden and perhaps more importantly (to moi), the rock garden. We never did find the latter but the rose garden was certainly pretty enough to make up for it. My mom would have loved it.

We then raced to the Christchurch Gondola about 20 minutes away from the city. Oh dear me, I wouldn't have paid for the tickets if I knew it was going to be quite a high ride up! I just about managed to stay calm (bet I was deathly pale) throughout the ride. Unfortunately for us it was already late: the restaurant was closed (much to my stomach's dismay)and any photo-op I'd dreamt of couldn't be realized. It was too dark and I didn't have the right camera for the job.

But yes, simply fab view.

Kaikoura, here I come! Oh the excitement at just the thought of seeing whales! The day didn't start out as planned, sadly. We were going to pick up the rental car so we got on a bus but unfortunately we missed the stop for Sir William (something) Drive, so we had to pull our luggages along Memorial Ave, walking towards the airport, and mind you, I hadn't had my coffee yet. The horror! "Steve" finally picked us up, brought us to the rental company, and off we drove to Kaikoura (well I didn't drive). Yipeee! I was going to see whales :)

Let's cut the story short-I got seasick. Not even minor seasickness. A major one. 10 minutes into the boat ride I was already feeling like shit. Pening, nak muntah, and my body was burning up. I closed my eyes and if I could stuff my ears I would. Everything around me was making me feel nauseous-everything I saw, every sound, every movement...OMG...Nothing worked (Not the balm not the kulit limau not the taking off of my sweater) and before I knew it, I was grabbing the barf bags in front of me.

Then I thought, "Hey I've thrown up, surely I'll feel better rite?"

No. Not right at ALL.

They then spotted a whale. I gathered all my strengths and left my seat. Fresh air felt sooooo gooooddddd. And there it was- we could only see the spout first. Then as the whale dived in, we could finally see its tail. Photo-op! So that's that and it's back inside to chase after another whale.

Shame they didn't allow us to stay on the deck while in transit: I think I would have felt way better, but nevermind that. At this stage thoughts of swimming back to shore kept playing in my mind. I didn't bother leaving my seat after that; rushing in and out everytime they THINK they've spotted one made me feel even worse than before.

So throughout the ride, I stayed in and tried as hard as I could to sleep (but I couldn't). As soon as we landed, I wanted to kiss the very ground I stood on.

Barf bags count: 4.

So that's that. I'd have to say though, Kaikoura is unbelievably beautiful. Oh and I got to see seals! Up close and personal in their natural habitat :)

Then it was back to Christchurch- met up with Kasyah and Ida for dinner and I got to meet HRH Maddox and Shiloh. Yey!

Sunday we headed out to Lyttelton and Akaroa. The drive to Akaroa was simply amazing. Past the long winding road (which left me feeling yes, sick again), are some of the most incredible sights you just can't afford to miss. Just vast empty lands dotted with a couple of (hundreds of) sheeps...Roll down the windows and go "ahhhh"...

Man, I wanna live there in the middle of nowhere...Sigh.

Sadly, the damage's been done. The fact that I was so sick on the boat and that I didn't take enough time to rest (also, winding road to every destination, I kid you not) made me feel nauseous almost all of the time. I finally felt better on Monday, but hey, guess what? That's our last day in South Island. 'Tis very sad indeed.

Next trip?

The West Coast! Choo-choo!!!!

G'nite folks :)

Old man take a look at my life

2008-02-09T02:19:00.000+13:00

What's the meaning of my name, Zara?

What Zara Means

You are incredibly wise and perceptive. You have a lot of life experience.

You are a natural peacemaker, and you are especially good at helping others get along.

But keeping the peace in your own life is not easy. You see things very differently, and it's hard to get you to budge.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.

You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

I am not wild, but yes, I am crazy. My kind of trouble is a lot fun? Don't think so, no. As stated above, most people can't handle me (cue robyn's song), or is it I can't handle other people? Hmmmm.....
Have a great weekend!

And it's only January...

2008-01-23T19:13:00.000+13:00

My oh my, 2008 is looking quite bleak indeed...for the world of cinema.

Yet another shocking passing.

Just Because...

2008-01-22T00:58:00.000+13:00

(Video courtesy of BradRenfro.org)

I hate it that when you google "Brad Renfro", you'll be greeted either by the words 'died' or 'July 25, 1982 – January 15, 2008'.

Just hate it.

On a much lighter note...

I have since found an actor worthy of my ob-ses-sion.

And.......Let's all wish Skeet a very Happy Birthday!

Brad has left the building

2008-01-16T19:05:00.000+13:00

I am utterly shocked to hear about the death of Brad Renfro. One of my fave actors, you could always rely on Renfro to flawlessly handle a complicated character, just like River.

I guess the good ones die young.

RIP

Only in China?

2008-01-05T16:18:00.000+13:00

Warning, this article may cause you to cry yourself to sleep at night.

I wonder, what makes these people sooo...barbaric?

Communism?

2007, The Year That Was

2007-12-31T20:11:00.001+13:00

Woot! In less than 2 hours we'll be welcoming in 2008, and like last year, I've decided to just stay at home. I don't have any of my cats with me now, which is a shame really, but I've got a large Vegie pizza for company, double woot!

Oh and lucky me, Lemony Snickett and Pretty Woman's on TV.

Let's get started...

In 2007...
I survived Media Comm 1. The bane of my existance, and I've finally, finally, gotten through it alive and kicking.

In 2007...

At last, my very own Barca jersey thanks to Donkey, Marco and Baby Bunny. Sadly though, football matches have become distant memories as I hardly watch them anymore. 'Hardly' being understatement.
(Note to self: Get Sky?)

Best Movie(s)

Living in NZ meant my cinematic experiences had to be reduced, greatly. I managed to catch some really great movies during the International Film Festival, but that's about it. So in my opinion, based on what I've seen, the best movie of the year has got to be....

Dadadadadadadadada...The Simpsons Movie.

I mean c'mon, Maggie finally said something! How can anything else top that?

Right behind it is, Perfume the Story of a Murderer. The only reason it's in 2nd place is because, it was in English! If it was in French, it'd be more artsy, and therefore, in my world, perfect.

Best TV Shows

Brothers and Sisters. If you know me, then you'd also know that I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Ally McBeal. And so naturally, I adored Calista as well. How could I not watch the show then? Sally Field is cute as a button as well.

I'm glad I'm following Californication here in NZ. Had I been watching it back home, it'd be heavily censored, and thus lose much of its essence.

Seeing Ms Zima naked though, is something I'd rather forget.

Best Songs

Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love was an accidental find, and oh what a find it was!

Umbrella has GOT to be the song of the year. I don't know bout you guys, but everytime someone mentions the word, Umbrella, I'd go, ella-ella-eh....

Most amusing person on earth

BRITNEY SPEARS. How she entertained us the whole year through. I can't imagine what 2007 would look like without Brit and her countless wigs.

And next year, looks like lil' sis Jamie Lynn is set to take her place. Weheeeee!!!

Here's to the Spears!

Breakup of the Year

Will and Kate. Yeah so they've since rekindled their romance, but when I first read about it online, I, like many others, went apeshizz bout the whole thing. Now I couldn't really care less about these two muppets. I am however interested in the going ons of Harry.

Kat Malaysia plak, I'd have to say Nash and his soon to be ex-wife, Ms. Whatever-her-name-is.

Shocker of the Year

Death of Jane magazine. I still can't find a mag as funny and as intelligent as Jane. Oh please someone...help....

Shocker of the Year 2

Well, maybe some people could already see it coming, but not me. Bhutto survived the attack in October and I thought, surely she'd live to see the election. Guess not, huh?

Hopes for 2008? I hope I'll survive MC2 and MC3 as well. And of course, finally get my much deserved degree.

I hope life will be kinder to me, though if there's one thing I've learnt from this thing called life, is that it's unpredictable, and so, I'm wayyyy ready for it to throw me a challenge or two.

Hear that 'life'? A challenge or two. Not three, and not four.

And so, 2007 closed with a bang (maybe literally somewhere in the Middle East) and till next year, toodles!

Pescatarians

2007-12-23T01:44:00.000+13:00

Word of the day.

Pescatarians.

Find out why you can't say I'm a vegetarian, a semi-semi even.

We're Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band!

On the move...again!

2007-12-20T02:17:00.000+13:00

I am yet again, as the title suggests, moving on to another apartment. Will be living with Kak Zaidah this time around. Woot! I'm sure we'll get on swell as housemates, and if we don't there's always a place where we could vent out our frustations...le blog!.

Then we can leave nasty comments on each other's blog yah?

I can't remember what's it like to actually have a housemate...it's been 2 years since I've lived with someone. Whatev! I hope we get the apartment on Liverpool Street, kalau tak kena corner balik to Alpha ASAP!

Last nite we had Xmas dinner over at Dunkin', where there were plenty of food, and no, no donuts. Not at the back anyways.

Ginny, ever the maternal-boss, decided to cook up a storm; roti canai (yes,from scratch), mee goreng, nasi goreng, popiah, chicken nibbles. We also had sushis, roasted chicken, fruit punch, tiramisu and tom yam. Hmm wot else....Also did a secret santa kinda thing where I ended up with a new set of parents!

Imagine that!

My parents as of now, are being soaked in a bucket, and in about 72 hours, they'll grow over 600%?!!!! What does that mean? I don't know.

Oh the excitement!

Hope they won't grow that much though...Would be kinda scary waking up to a pair of red-dwarfish parents, no?

Some fun-filled photos from last night's party.

I've just finished reading Haruki Murakami's novel, Kafka on the Shore. All I can say is...wow.

Here's a taste of what it's like being me, in the words of Mr. Murakami.

"Being empty is like a vacant house. An unlocked, vacant house. Anybody can come in, anytime they want".

"Living turned me into nothing. Weird...People are born in order to live, right? But the longer I've lived, the more I've lost what's inside me-and ended up empty".

Ahhhh...now where's that Prozac?

Ciao! Happpy holidays! Oh and let's not forget, Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha. Mbbekkk....Remember,

Kalau tak sampai hati,
Be a vegie!

Makan dan Tidur

2007-11-26T02:51:00.000+13:00

It's been forever since my last entry.

Back home in Ipoh, but sadly, flying to Auckland in less than a week.

Oh so sad.

I am so going to miss hugging Baby Bunny, kissing my cats (and pinching their cheeks!), checking up on mom and her crossword puzzles, and watching movies with Khai. God... I could talk to Khai for hours on end!

As I am typing this, I am listening to Juara Lagu (Balada). It's no wonder why Malaysians are tuning in to Indonesian singers.

"Apa nak jadi dengan industri muzik Malaysia?"

The lyrics and compositions are pathetic. Takde seni langsung.

Sad. Sad.

Off to eat ketam masak cili.

If you keep losing sleep

2007-10-10T05:29:00.000+13:00

What happens if you keep losing sleep?

You go crazy that's what.

Well, I certainly am. I'm sleeping when the world's awake, and staying awake when it's asleep. ZZZZZZ.

Doing my Media Communication essay is driving me up the walls. I don't get what the readings are trying to say; I mean, I see that they're saying something, but what they're spelling out to be? I have no idea.

And just when I think I GET IT, the evil that is deep thinking would make the matter way more complicated for me to be able to just sit down and just effin' write a relatively easy essay (well that's what my tutor promised).

Topic is pretty simple, what are the roles of the media under the classical ideals of liberal democracy and how well does the NZ media fulfil those roles.

(If only I could say, I think they're doing a crappy job. There. I deserve an A)

S-I-M-P-L-E.

But nooooooooo...I just have to be me, and think beyond the topic, and in the end, I can't even come up with an intro. Read more you say?

More I read the more confused I become and the more referencing becomes a nightmare.

I've been cooped up in my apartment since Sunday. Sunday people!

I so need to spend my money right now.

Just a few more days to goooooo

2007-10-06T21:47:00.000+13:00

Oh dear, my body clock is going crazeeee!

I've been staying up late for sahur; I usually eat around 4am, but thing is, after sahur I stay up for... Dawson's Creek! I'm hooked!

Because I sleep late, I wake up even wayyyy late. And I've also been taking wayy too many afternoon naps. There goes my brownie points for Ramadhan.

Anyway, went round town today coz it's a nice day to be out, and guess who I saw milling about?

Robyn Malcolm from Outrageous Fortune!

Then on my way back from Cindy's place, guess who I saw emerging in pairs from the Albion pub?

The Rugby League Team! Don't ask me what team, but they were wearing kinda AB looking jersey...The grey and black one...

They were so HAWT! And they smelt so good! I love how some guys have that bodywash/soap smell on them even after they've long had their showers...And no, I didn't go up to them and sniff...

I tried walking as closely as possible to them AND take a whiff. Haha.

Search and Destroy!

2007-10-01T00:57:00.000+13:00

Oh how I heart thee

Shopping!

Living and going to a uni that's in the city means that in between classes or when I'm bored to death I can just head down to Queen Street and explore my fave shops!

Valleygirl offers dirt cheap clothes, most are gaudy looking, but a handful are really good, like their knits and dresses.

Opshops
Recycle Boutique is great if you wanna get hold of some NZ designers' stuff. 4.50 for a Ricochet shirt is way awesome. Unfortunately they also sell clothes from Farmers and Supre that are just not meant to be sold and definately not worn anymore! Most of the clothes sold at Search and Destroy on Krd cost around 5 dollars. Saw a cute fuschia skirt, and a grey jersey hooded minidress that could use a good home. My home maybe? Hehe. I definately prefer them to Fast and Loose. Search and Destroy only takes cash. Thing with opshops though, you've gotta spend time combing over rubbish before you find that special something. I usually come out with aching arms (and a happy heart!).

Free Way on Chancery Lane. OOOOOOO I can't even begin to tell you the state I was in as I discovered a new store has arrived in town! This one has gotta be the cutest around, with candles, flowers and birdcages as part of the decor, place smells delicious and they've got the friendliest SAs to help you out too. Head straight to the right as you enter to get carefully chosen-easy on the wallet-made in China garments or if you've got some serious moolah to spend the head straight to the left where most clothes are made in NZ or the USA.

Coffee!
Esquires and Gloria Jeans serve the best coffees. I haven't tried Columbus yet. Heard they're even better. Brazil on Krd has been closed down.

KK's buttered prawns!
Almost like the ones in TOPSPOT Kuching. So good I'm still thinking about 'em now. Oh yum.

Music!
1234 by Feist, Save Room by John Legend, and Konichiwa Bitches by Robyn have been playing on and on, for days on my laptop.

Tuna Sushis
Best tuna sushi as of now? Sold at the sushi place behind Wendy's. Friendly uncle too.

On to sad news...

My mom told me last week that Scamper has passed away. Scamper's been with us since 1997, way back when we used to live in Bangi. He lurves to lick all the other cats, guess if he was human, he'd be a hair stylist! Scamper has always been there for my fave cat and his sis. For them, there's no such thing as "Three's a crowd" as they eat, sleep and play together, every single day.

I'll miss you Scamper!

Scamper's the black one in front of the door.

And oh yeah, don't worry bout the skinny orange one. He died a long time back. May they rest in peace.

25 and still clueless... :)

2007-09-20T00:57:00.000+12:00

Hola peeps

Just turned 25 on Saturday, and aside from the bukak puasa dinner with some friends,I didn't do anything at all!...Which sounds pretty alrite to me...

See, my childhood days were filled with birthday parties (parties=presents!); mine, my brothers' and my sister's. Mom, being the perfect hostess that she is, would make sure ours were the best in the neighbourhood. Almost everyone we knew were invited, sometimes there would even be tents (extravagant I hear you say? I don't think so!), yummy, huge birthday cakes were a must, and everyone HAD to leave with a party bag. Those were the days...I guess, this is probably the reason why, as we get older, my siblings and I don't really mind it if we do absolutely nothing on our birthdays, we've had the best parties and presents really :)

(The spoiled rotten kids grew up to be way cool adults who wear baju tradisional all the time. Coz they're cool, see?)

Thanks Mama.

So back to Saturday, I dreadfully woke up feeling hungry. Bought birthday presents for meself (a yearly ritual)-a pair of jeans and hoodie I've been eyeing for some time now. Plus, I actually do need new jeans (justifying my purchase?).....Then berbuke puasa with Kak Zaidah, Dot and Tasnim who cooked ikan bakar! Ikan bakar! Sambal udang and tomyam were also on the menu. Ahhhh sungguh sedap....

That ikan bakar wud be the highlight of my 25th birthday! And the jeans of course.

(EH?Not my cake mah?)

Much thanks to Kak Zaidah who got me a cheesecake (oh-so-yummm) and a pair of earrings (oh-so-me) and Grace for the BodyShop body spray. Waiting for some gifts from home :)

Is it sad those are the only presents I received this time round?

Ermmm must be thankful Zara. Some people are actually starving on their birthdays. Shudder.

In between buying the jeans, and having dinner, I did some thinking. Which I have to say, uses so much energy.

I'm 25. What have I achieved? Aside from a diploma (and it's not even hanging on the wall), nothing significant really. I still am clueless as to what I want to do in the next few years, let alone life! I've given up on being the oh so cool female photographer. I don't know if I can be in the world of advertising, I don't know if I wanna go back to Malaysia to work( I don't wanna stay in NZ either, please can someone spell BOSAN?), and unlike many of my friends, I don't know if I can settle down and have ugly kids running around the house. I really am glad that most of my friends know what they want from life, and more importantly what or who makes and keeps them happy the most. Good for them. Seriously.

Not knowing what the hell you want to do in life is scary.

And exciting.

And it's amazing that I'm still sane.

Thanks to all the birthday wishes people, here's to ME!!

Of salutations

2007-09-01T01:16:00.000+12:00

Are you a Dato' Seri or Puan Sri who's been annoyed that the good people of MAS has only been refering to you as Mr or Mrs so and so? Fret not Dato', for now when you're buying your tickets online, you can choose your salutation(s) in the drop down menu provided.

Because of course your title matters. Great that someone has finally recognized all the troubles you went through to get it!

Doesn't mean that you can carry more than 1 litre of liquid on board, but hey at least it says TAN SRI on your ticket eh?

Beat that you COMMON people you!

On a more POSITIVE note for me, fashion label Witchery is now available at Smith & Caughey's. Phew, what with the death of Jane mag, and Bling on Vulcan Lane, I thought the world as I know it is coming to an end (eh maybe it is? scary thought.let's proceed. Almost like Country Road but BETTER, with lotsa tunics and loose fitting tops, I must say, me likey! Me likey a lot...

Also, Diana Ferrari is now where Bling used to be. Pretty pretty shoes.

OOOOO Blogthings how I love thee

2007-08-31T23:49:00.000+12:00

You are 73% Virgo

How Virgo Are You?

You're Totally Sarcastic

You sarcastic? Never! You're as sweet as a baby bunny.
Seriously, though, you have a sharp tongue - and you aren't afraid to use it.
And if people are too wimpy to deal with your attitutde, then too bad. So sad.

How Sarcastic Are You?

You've Changed 76% in 10 Years

Compared to who you were ten years ago, you've changed a great deal.
In fact, you're probably in a completely different phase of your life - and very happy about it!

How Much Have You Changed in 10 Years?

You Are a Night Person

For you, there's nothing worse than having to get up and moving early.
In fact, you probably don't hit your peak until well after the sun has set.
So if your struggling to make it on a normal schedule, realize it's not your fault.
You just weren't meant to do anything during the day!

Are You a Morning Person or Night Person?

Tis one's for the Bom Chicka Wahwah!!!

2007-08-31T00:39:00.000+12:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md9zMmsqkg8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsmK5mJha0s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMEkf_nYAzo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFA594MpJrs

Enjoy...bom chickawahwah

The Advantages of Waking Up Early

2007-08-26T12:04:00.000+12:00

As I had to print some readings for an essay due tomorrow (and here I am posting a blog entry), I woke up very early this morning.

8.30am. Wow. I'm truly amazed at myself.

So I went to uni, did what I had to do, then headed over to New World to take some pictures of B_E_E products for yet another assignment. I was searching the aisles for tomyam paste when lo and behold, who did I see getting some of his groceries?

The MacDaddy of NZ media, John Campbell! Looks the same as he does on TV. I thought of approaching him but alas, the stories I've heard about him made me stay away.

The other advantage of waking up early is...owning Queen Street. Seemed like Queen Street belonged to me and a few "underprivileged" people. Most shops were still closed, and no one scurried past me at the crossings, phew! It annoys me to see people rushing past and bumping into other pedestrians.

Election time is getting nearer for Auckland folks...and yet most have no idea who's running for the mayoralty.

Off to my readings now, toodle-doo

Dear Jane

2007-08-25T22:47:00.000+12:00

Dear Jane,

Why oh why have u left me with all these other outfits which can no way live up to your standards? Sob.

Love,
Zara

For those in the dark, Jane has been my fave fave FAVE magazine for the past 4 years. That's 4 years of awesome fashion spreads, 4 years of helping me to expand my music library, and 4 years of getting to know and loving Jane's eclectic mix of writers. I feel like I know most of 'em personally.

Because I can't get my hands on Jane here in NZ, my mom who totally gets my obsession with the magazine (MUAKS), would send them over by post or through someone she knew was coming to Auckland.

And now, she doesn't have to anymore. Coz the magazine has been discontinued.

What went wrong?

As a reader, I've noticed how Jane has...ermm...changed..And not for the better sadly. What went wrong? Lotsa boring articles, wrong cover-girls, and just the whole essence of the magazine has drifted away from what it was all about. Tis sad.

Oh well, better quit while they're ahead.

In other exciting news, I have found that SUSHI FACTORY on Vulcan Lane makes the BEST TUNA ROLL when compared to other sushi places around Queen Street. I've yet to venture outside the CBD.

Book-land!

2007-08-12T20:58:00.000+12:00

The Man Booker Dozen has been announced...jengjengjeng..and sad to say, I can't get most of the books here in NZ. Gotta get them specially ordered for meself at bookstores or get 'em online.

The books that are in the running for the prize-

Darkmans by Nicola Barker
Self Help by Edward Docx
The Gift Of Rain by Tan Twan Eng
The Gathering by Anne Enright
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
Gifted by Nikita Lalwani
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn
Consolation by Michael Redhill
Animal's People by Indra Sinha
Winnie & Wolf by A.N. Wilson

Mister Pip? Mister Pip I can def' get in Auckie. It's everywhere!!Since the writer hails from New Zealand. Blah. I don't plan to read it.

I've finally read White Teeth by Zadie Smith, and I must say, it's brilliant! Currently reading her third novel; On Beauty (starts getting interesting after page 100 or so) and right after that, I wanna get my hands on her second; The Autograph Man.

Then I shall wait (im)patiently for her fourth.OOOOOOO....Time..why must you be so slooowww...

Another writer I <3 so much is Mark Haddon. With him, I don't need to imagine all the little details. I just need to FEEL. And in that way, he's amazing. Both The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and A Spot of Bother are must-reads.

And the SIMPSON's Movie?

F-U-N-N-Y

Just before I chow-cincau, here are some quotes from the books above. Just so ya know what I'm babbling about.

Quotes from A Spot of Bother
"The secret of contentment, George felt, lay in ignoring many things completely".

"Did they ever go insane, children?Properly insane, not just handicapped like the Henderson girl? He was unsure. Perhaps there was not enough brain to malfunction till they reached university".

"Jamie was a homosexual. And what was wrong with that? Nothing whatsoever. So long as one was hygienic".

Quotes from White Teeth

"The principles of Christianity and Sod's Law (aka Murphy's Law)are the same: Everything happens to me, for me. If a man drops a piece of toast and it lands butter-side down, this unlucky event is interpreted as being proof of an essential truth about bad luck:that the toast fell as it did just to prove to you, Mr Unlucky, that there is a defining force in the universe and it is bad luck".

"Pain by itself is just Pain...But Pain+Distance can=entertainment, human interest,cinema verite, a good belly chuckle...disguised contempt".

"In a place where you are never welcomed, only tolerated. Just tolerated. Like you are an animal finally house-trained"

"....suddenly this thing, this belonging, it seems like some long, dirty lie..."

Ads Ads Ads

2007-08-09T01:44:00.000+12:00

Because ARES doesn't seem to work

2007-08-05T02:17:00.000+12:00

I have no idea why I can't get these songs from Ares. And coz I am so in love with these songs, and I wanna listen to them endlessly, I've decided to post 'em up here.

Then I can press replay as many times I like. So there.

I am genuinely surprised that Lifehouse has lasted this long. I thought they'd be a one hit wonder, so kudos for 7 long years in the mainstream market guys!

This song makes me wanna head to the beach ASAP and stare at the life guards. Yum.

And now a trip down memory lane...presenting Oasis!

Nothing Left to Lose

2007-07-30T01:59:00.000+12:00

Mat Kearney - Nothing Left To Lose lyrics

Phew! Finally! After weeks of wondering whose song is it that's being played on Grey's Anatomy trailer on TV3...got the answer now yippeee :)

And here's another of my current fave..

Thirsty Merc - 20 Good Reasons

Helps that this one's being played to death on the ray-d-O. I'll get over it in no time.

LIKE

2007-07-20T01:58:00.000+12:00

"What word makes you cringe? Like. I think there should be little electric-shock things put in people's bodies, and every time they say it inappropriately, they get electrocuted"

(Rufus Wainwright, Jane July 2007)

More than half of the girls (and come to think of it, guys too) doing BCS is guilty of saying 'like'.

'Like' is peppered throughout their conversations, as if the word somehow connects sentences.

Like I went to OZ to ski.

Like I don't wanna go to like the concert and like..

I like, said to him, like hey..

Rufus' idea doesn't sound too bad. Especially when you're in the lift having to listen to a group of wannabes and their 'likes'.

MEOW!

Currently reading: White Teeth

How I Survived Friday the 13th

2007-07-14T01:43:00.000+12:00

Ah another Friday the 13th has passed us by. And despite much paranoia about going up the Sky Tower (what about the storm? what about that car parked near the entrance? what about the lift?rotating restaurant? whaddaya mean rotating????) nothing bad happened. To me anyway.

So in order to avoid bad luck yesterday, these are some of the things that I did.

No.1 Start my day right
How you start off your day is mighty important. I didn't wanna sleep in till 4 like I've been doing for the last couple of days (I woke up hating the world), so before I went to bed the nite before, I drew the curtains apart. The idea is that when my alarm goes off at 12pm, the sunlight would...force me to climb out of bed and get me hyped up about LIFE.

No.2 Choose reliable food courts
To avoid spending hard earned money on crappy food, choose a place where you know; good food will be served. When Syaf suggested lunch (good thing I woke up early else I wouldn't realise I had received the sms), I immediately thought of Food Alley. Better to stay safe than sorry, it was Friday the 13th after all, and I didn't wanna have to finish off some icky noodles and whatnots in an unknown restaurant.

Food Alley. Best Food Court in Auckland.

No.3 Avoid work
On my way to see BlackBook, I stoppped by DD to get me some munchkins, and boy am I glad I wasn't working! Apparently, yesterday was one of those days where customers are extra whiny. And also one of those days where everybody feels like they wanna have a donut. But they feel guilty about having one because weighing scales haven't been too kind to them. I don't know why there's this need to justify buying a donut to us, after all, it's not like we CARE.

"Oh I really shouldn't have one..(pats tummy), hahah, but I just feel a lil bit naughty, and I haven't had donuts here before...now let's see...what shall I have...."

They will then proceed to spend about 5 minutes deciding on what kind of donuts they would like.

"Heheh. I really don't know what I want..."

Yesterday was one of those days where you smile politely through gritted teeth, get their donuts, charge them, and as soon as they're out of sight start crying out "Dear god, what have I done to deserve this?". That or you bitch about them to anyone who's willing to listen just so you don't turn stark raving mad.

Of course, these kinda days happen occasionally, but on Friday the 13th? It just feels extra...emotionally challenging.

So while my colleagues were 'serving' customers yesterday, I watched a fairly good movie at the Civic. How nice.

No.4 Stay away from clumsy waiters
As we were shown to our seats at the Orbit (restaurant up Sky Tower), I decided to stay away from where the waiters would be walking back and forth with a tray full of drinks and dirty plates. Excellent decision I must say, as 20 minutes in, a waiter spilled all but 2 drinks off his tray (I suspect the waiter had gotten a little pening, since the restaurant rotates...In fact I'm getting a lil' fening myself right now...)

Someone at our table got the sleeves of his jacket wet. And so someone's gonna smell like an alcoholic for a few days.

Still, Friday the 13th managed to sprinkle some bad luck on us. Our table wasn't ready when we arrived, so we had to go down to the Observatory Deck (which means going up and down the damn lift way more than I intended). We then had to wait for almost an hour for the food to arrive. No fear though, as Anne had brought along each of us a party pack! So while we waited for our food to arrive, we nibbled on some lollies and chocs she had no doubt painstakingly pepared for us. Thanks Anne!

And to birthday girl Shireen, Happy Belated Birthday! Your present coming soon, me think...

Pretty much this week has been my only holiday, from uni AND from work. I took 5 days off because I'd volunteered for the international students orientation, which was fun. Those 2 days helping out the new students really made me feel connected to AUT. Guess I'll be volunteering again...

Pity I didn't take any other shots, I'd brought my camera along, but somehow I forgot it was in my bag...

Wednesday night we had dinner with Kate as she was leaving NZ. I can't say I like the Ramen at Mentatz, somehow not as good as its hyped up to be...Bit salty..Then we head over to Brooklyn, and it was odd that they serve their mochacinnos in a clear glass instead of the normal cup. But hey, coffee's still coffee right?

Thursday, I decided to head over to Newmarket for a lil' retail therapy...Oooo feeling good babeh....Managed to get my dose of Bling earrings (Bling over at Vulcan Lane has been closed down. The world is hell bent in driving me insane).

On the way back from Newmarket, I encountered something I haven't seen in a very long time.

Traffic jam.

The trip from Newmarket to Wellesley Street took almost an hour. My butt was aching. And yeah watching the new Simpsons Movie trailer first time round on the bus' TV was funny, but over and over again? Without sound? I don't think so.

Then I watched Harry Potter in IMAX with Shireen and co.OOOOOOO I heart 3D glasses!!!!

Heh, you could hardly see my nose. Or face. As I was so jakun...taking pix with my cam, I didn't notice that my popcorn had spilled all over the floor. That's like 3/4 of my popcorn. Gone. Just like that. Caramel popcorn some more. Thank god movie was 'entertaining'. I'm beginning to think Sirius has been having some dark thoughts about Harry. Some very dark thoughts....

Oh well, uni here I come!!!

One more week...

2007-07-08T22:05:00.000+12:00

Weather's been nice today, for a change.

I've been working from Friday, and I'm looking forward to having some days off starting from tomorrow, yey!

I'm super excited about the film fest that's coming to town and spending some btime with friends before uni starts..again.

Yesterday saw Paul Henry passing by DD with his daughter, I think. And tonight, saw David Farrier on KRd as I was going home. So tempted to say, "OOOO....THIS WEEK ON THE INTERNET!!!" Heheh.

Wonder which TV personality I'm going to meet next...Ms Brown? I'll whip out my cam for that!

Currently reading: A spot of Bother

Welcome Mrs.Winter...NOT!

2007-07-02T02:53:00.000+12:00

The weather's been pretty horrible. In Auckland nowadays, you've got 2 choices.

a-Wet and humid day or
b-Dry and effin' cold day (usually with VERY strong wind)

Either way, forget about turning to your destination (i.e parties, dinner, movies) looking fab.

It's the holidays now, and instead of going off on a trip with friends, I'm stuck here in Auckie, either catching some much needed sleep, watching my fave TV shows (I've decided. SUNDAY is the hottest nite now. Starting with the Simpsons, then My Name is Earl then CSI then Jericho. WOOT!), or working.

In between that routine, I eat lotsa chocs, drink lotsa mochachinnos and watch DVDs.

I'm planning to have a DVD library. I've bought 8 so far in a matter of...less than 3 weeks. Damn JBHifi... I figure, DVDs are much lighter to bring back home than books. Hehe.

So it was a relief when Ginny suggested dinner at her place. A break from the usual stuff. Menu? Steamboat. Oh YUM! So good on a cold night...Brrrr...

Then on Saturday, Yohei decided to have lunch on his birthday (followed by partayyyy, but I had to work). I was looking forward for that plate of fried crabs I was eyeing on my last visit, but alas, it wasn't a crowd favourite. It's been taken off the menu. Tis sad.

And we forgot to order ice-cream balls. Ohhhh double sadness..... Nasib baik Yohei bayar.

New section of me blog. Toilet review! Idea taken from Aut's student magazine, and since I go into lotsa public toilet (for erm touch-ups), I've decided to occassionally review 'em.

First up,

The Ascott, Auckland

Someone's friend was staying at the ever exclusive hotel, and I went into it's lobby restroom. Well, not actually in the lobby area. The restrooms are located near the conference room, I think, and you gotta go down a flight of stairs. It's a bit hidden.

As expected, nicely designed. Very clean. Water taps are way cool. But thing is, the taps are too wide, and too near the bowl rim. Which equates to...wet sink counter.

From the outside Ascott looks so posh, I half expected someone to open the toilet door for me, and hand me towels to wipe my hands dry.

Last Sunday my mom turned 57. How time flies....HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!!Love you lots and lots!

You dapat 2 handbags? Ni yang jealous nih...

Current fave song-Your Love Alone is Not Enough

Six weird things about me

2007-06-28T01:26:00.000+12:00

Eh, so I've been tagged by Zureen.

Six weird things about me

No 1
Everytime I hear someone say "Zara Mardiana Nasarudin" I would cringe. Too pretty of a name for a cynical, pessimistic, whiny person like me.

Note: If a get a dollar for every customer who says, "Zara? Wow, what a nice name" I'd be a ...well...a person with about 20 dollars.

No 2
I eat my cereals without milk.

No 3
I don't eat anything that comes in a shell(?), like uh, mussels, kerang, siput sedut, etc. They just look like they taste like...chemicals.

No 4
I'm super organized when it comes to trivial matters. My hangers have to be the same colour. My pots and pans are arranged according to their sizes. The bottles in my fridge are arranged according to their height.

I can't simply throw a 'throw' on a sofa. It has to be 'thrown' a certain way.

I can't just go out without a plan. I have to organize my time, like say, 2pm leave house, 2.15 post office, 2.30 fax letter, 3 start walking to Foodtown.

Financially organized as well. Ehem.

Sadly, am not at all organized in my studying.

No 5
My lauks have to match. Ikan goreng can be eaten with any type of lauk, but ikan masak sambal should never be eaten with stir-fried mixed vegies. And although I am semi-vegetarian, I absolutely hate vegetarian food.

Vegetarian pork anyone?

No 6
The holocaust and serial killers. Two things I am fascinated with.

No 7 (saje nak add)
Sometimes I can't spell scissors. Or tomorrow.

I'm not tagging anyone, but feel free to tag yourself! It's fun!

p.s-i'm weird enough as it is.

Just.Kill.Me

2007-06-13T03:41:00.000+12:00

1-Watch the video.

2-Laugh all you want.

3-Try to sleep at night.

The background music just kills me.

And the award goes to...

2007-06-09T01:41:00.000+12:00

Queen of Procrastination

Siap ada effort nak letak crown pakai photoshop.

If my PR manual textbook could speak, it'd go "Tsk-tsk Zara".

Sob.

And because I don't have any intention of flipping over some useless theoritical stuff any time soon, I'm going to fill this out. (Taken from Zureen's blog)

MY VERY OWN TOP TWOS....

Top 2 things found in your wallet as
always:
- eftpos card.sungguh penting
- pic of my family

Top 2 things to do when i'm sad:
- walk around on Queen Street,listening to music
- buy a new top.

Top 2 songs you can listen to again
and again:

ermmm this is hard...
- yellow by coldplay
- grace kelly by mika?

Top 2 reasons to watch television?
- tv rocks. period.

Top 2 places I'd want to visit 10 yrs.
from now
- Spain
- New York

Top 2 current obsessions:
- HEROES. ohsogood.
- coffee

Top 2 current favorite food (
- sambal nasi padang
- pizzas. i lurveeee pizzas

Top 2 favorite snacks:
- sour cream and chives chips. why don't they have these back home?
- koko krunch?

Top 2 favorite website:
- the superficial.so so so funny.
- perezhilton

Top 2 favorite things to do:
- online
- shopping!

Top 2 favorite places:
- my red sofa. bed's too cold u see...
- thewarehouse. where EVERYONE gets a bargain.

Top 2 things i can't wait to happen:
- for this semester to end. cipan lama btul.almost there now.
- see my cats again.

Top 2 places where I love to shop:
- oh hatyai, how i've missed thee..
- i've rediscovered singapore.

Top 2 movies I could watch over and
over?
- BORAT. lawak gile ok?
- Gosford Park

Top 2 things I'd do on bed:
- sleep
- pretend to sleep when someone from Dunkin' Donuts call me.

Top 2 favourite person apart from
family:
- khai
- tomomi!OMG, i miss tomo-chan!

Top 2 things about me is
- i hate doing things last minute. yet i still do it. do i secretly love doing it then? NO.
- i can drink bad coffee like there's no tomorrow

Top 2 fav things i owned:
- my boots.they were made for walking!
- my laptop

RUBY RUBY RUBY!!!

2007-05-30T01:45:00.000+12:00

Can't get that song outta my head. Sheesh

Anyhoos, for those who are interested to know, haha, I've been quite busy with stuff lately. Patah tulang lah like this...Assignments, work, AND moving!

I moved out of Unilodge about 10 days back. After much looking around, I was getting pretty desperate to tell you the truth, and was about to tell that girl at Unilodge, "Yes, just book me a studio".

Nice fully furnished apartments rite smack in the city itself is so hard to find lemme tell ya. So when I came to view my current place, I terus fell in love with it , and told the owner, "I want it. Like, NOW. Please don't show this place to anyone else!"

I've gotta admit though, the entrance's pretty dodgy. You walk in and will immediately see the disgusting wheelie bin, and let's not even talk about the laundry room, (but hey, free washing!I reckon I could just clean the machine before I use it.heheh). My landlord did say he's going to try and take over the management, and make the place better, so..here's hoping!

Like my new place?

Oh me oh my, tis I must tell! I had tau-foo-fah in Auckland! Yohei, Jaesern, Rachel and I went out to have Yum Char (which I tot was funny, coz yum char means let's drink tea, no?) near the Viaduct on Sunday. I loved their ice-cream balls, and fried fish as well. Came up pretty expensive, but I thought it was worth it. Next time I'd grab the crabs/squids!

I love being able to just whip out my phone when I see something exciting, and snap a pix or two. Here are some random snaps of Auckland. Pixelated though, as my phone's not that canggih...

Teresa, who's been with Dunkin' Donuts for quite sometime now, has resigned, sob, and so, we decided to spend some QUALITY time with her. The rest of the gang went to have dinner in Mission Bay, while I was stuck at work on Krd (and it was a busy nite, can you believe?) Joined everyone later on for bowling, yey! I just adore bowling. So cute.

Teresa, I'm wishing you all the best for the future, and get me discounts for shoes ya?

That's Teresa with the orange ball.

Nite all!

Everytime I try to think better of them, something like this comes along

2007-05-23T17:28:00.000+12:00

If you don't wanna get terribly upset, please don't click this.

Sigh.

Tell me, why are they like this?

p.s-Kudos to TV3 for bringing tis up.

Newspaper Man aka Cindy's Boyfriend

2007-04-30T01:47:00.000+12:00

There's this homeless guy who comes into Dunkin' Donuts everyday for a cup of coffee.

He usually comes bearing gifts; newspapers and magazines for his "two Chinese girls".

Sometimes, his "2 Chinese girls" won't be working, so he has to settle for the rest of us.

He has this thing with all things Chinese.

The other day, a couple of girls came in, and asked a customer to buy them a donut (he actually got them a donut. and get this. he waited for me to give his $0.20 back).

And so Cindy's Boyfriend asked the crew, "Does this ever happen in China?"

(Come to think about it, I've heard him say "Does this ever happen in China" quite a number of times. Hmmm.)

Last night, at the expense of getting free supplies of weekend papers, I had to listen to him go on and on about Myspace in China. Chinese government. Chinese economic policy. How, in the future, NZ should probably get their boxes made in China.

He even did some readings for us.

Oh how Cindy's "boyfriend" amuses me.

Anyway, I read an interesting piece on Kiwi foods. According to Yvonne Marie Lorkin, who writes for SundayView, there are 7 truly iconic New Zealand Foods.

They are...

Tip Top Hokey Pokey Ice Cream
Tastes like vanilla ice cream with caramel swirl actually. What is Hokey Pokey? I don't know. I know of a song that goes like this, "Do the hokey pokey and turn around, that's what it's all about!"

Sounds kinky.

Pavlova
Meringue with fruit filling. Too egg-y for me. I like the fruits and the cream though.

Lemon & Paeroa
Can you believe that I've never actually tasted it?

And for that, I am proud.

Pineapple Lumps
When I first saw the P'apple Lumps' ad on TV, I thought they must taste really good.

Then, in one of my Visual Comm classes, my tutor offered us all the p'apple lumps.

I took it from its familiar yellow packet, put it in my mouth, and...

Needless to say, that shall be my last.

Watties's Tomato Sauce
Heinz beats the crap out of Wattie's. Definately.

Vogel's Bread
See, the thing is I hardly eat bread. Everytime I buy bread, I could never finish the whole lot. So my solution is to get the cheapest. After all, bread is just bread. Taste all the same.

BUT, I've been so tempted to get me a loaf of Vogel's.

Their packagings look great. Plus they've got so many varieties I could never decide which one I wanna get.

Which is prolly why I've never bought one before. HAHA.

Nestle Reduced Cream and Maggi Onion Soup Dip
Apa ni? Never heard of this kinda dip before...Onion's always yummy though. Will definately give it a try.

Off to a good night's sleep. Toodles all.

UPDATE- Still drinking too much coffee.

Coz the Boy's a Wizard!

2007-04-21T03:19:00.000+12:00

Just keeps getting better and better...

P.S-I can't help it, I still go, "Lari Messi...Lariiiiiii......" when I watch him play.

Look who's single and available

2007-04-14T23:48:00.000+12:00

He's up for grabs again!

Siapa mau?

Wish I was there...

2007-04-14T01:21:00.000+12:00

Please read

I wish someone had filmed it, and posted it on YouTube.

It would be hilarious.

It'd go well with 'Japanese Learns English'..

Hah!

Cows MUUUUUUU

2007-04-10T00:10:00.000+12:00

Yesterday as I was heading to Foodtown, I felt as if my sugar level was slowly dropping...

(HIPPO-Glycemic as Sylvia Fine puts it, hahah!)

...so I went into Taiping, and bought a packet of YAN YAN. Remember Yan Yan?

I don't remember the sticks having any "FUN LINES" printed on them before. But they do now.

If you can't read them, lemme tell you what they say...

Cow Muuuuuuu
Mole in a Hole
Cat say Meow
Bat only in the night
Whale Biggesy Mammal

Biggesy Mammal. Wow.

Nevertheless, they still taste good.

I heart chocolate eggs

2007-04-07T23:19:00.000+12:00

I'm actually feeling miserable about something right now, but let's keep the mood light shall we?

I've finally bought my shoes! Yey! Headed down to St Lukes today, with the hope of getting a discount or two...I thought all the stores would have some sorta Easter sales but alas only a few had it.

JeansWest was offering two tops for $35, what a bargain! Malangnye most of their clothes are too big for me, :( (Managed to grab 2 though, that don't make me look like a walking skeleton)

Must put on a kilo or two.

Also got me-self some chocolate eggs...

I love chocolate eggs and bunnies. They seem to taste..better....

Ok, getting a lil' serious here. I've just read something about this boy, Nazrin.

Apparently, his parents lost him in Sogo about a week ago. I can't even begin to imagine what they're going through. To lose your child when you're shopping? The guilt, oh dear me...And for Nazrin to be alone in a big city like KL? In THAT area???

I hope they do find him, it's now a nation-wide mission. I remember there was a chinese boy in JB ke apa...a few years back who disappeared and whose fate even until today remains unknown.

Let's all pray both of them will be reunited with their respective families.

Fine, Sometimes Cloudy

2007-04-01T00:42:00.000+12:00

It has been raining for a few days, and I am happy to report that the weather yesterday was fine, and so that meant the trip to Muriwai was ON.

I've actually been to Muriwai for a few times before, but coz it's so pretty I don't mind going there over and over again.

I totally forgot to buy prawns on Friday, so, I came to Muriwai (dengan muka tak malu) with 2 bags of chips. That's it. Haha. Syaf fortunately made us her very own Pasta with Tuna (yum I must say) and brought along some grapes. Yum some more.

A bit tanned now though. Ugh.

Hello Kitty

2007-03-29T17:31:00.001+12:00

I pass by a B&B over on Parliament Street everyday, and sometimes this cat will be lounging around. I am so tempted to just go in and cuddle it, but takut kena marah la pulak...

So for now, I guess I'll just be saying HELLO to Kitty. Yes, I've named it Kitty. How unimaginative, I know.

As for my cats back home...I miss all of you sooo much. Sigh. If only they could read this.

M16s to replace tongkats?

2007-03-28T01:19:00.000+12:00

I am really against this idea.

http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/content.asp?y=2007&dt=0327&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Dalam_Negeri&pg=dn_01.htm

In a world where muslims are trying hard to send out the message that we heart peace, he comes up with this.

What do you think?

So what's in YOUR bag?

2007-03-22T01:25:00.000+12:00

This is why, it is absolutely necessary for me to carry big bags around. I can't tote small Guess bags. No-uh. Not me.

What's in my magical MOOKS pouch, you say? Lemme see-baby powder, hand sanitizer, contact lens solution, mini perfume sprays, hand lotion, lip balm, and minyak angin.

Sorta tagged by Rumanz.

I'm tagging everyone who is reading this.

Maybe simplicity is better?

2007-03-20T03:18:00.000+12:00

Check this out.

http://www.leoburnett.com.my/index.html

How long did it take for you to figure out how to actually enter the site?

KLIA tops Changi

2007-03-14T23:12:00.000+13:00

The world's best airport has been revealed, and it's jeng jeng jeng...INCHEON! I must say I was surprised at first. I mean, Incheon? I don't remember it being amazing in terms of customer service.

Then, I remembered they've got some ridiculously clean loos there.

Say you wash your hands. Sink gets wet right? No worries, there's always a lady right beside you to wipe it dry.

Then she will proceed to disinfect whatever you've touched. The tap. The automatic dryer. The very floor you walked on. If she could legally spray you, she would.

Embarassed that someone might be able to listen to you while you're doing your business? You can turn on the music. Mak aih, canggih toilet diorang...

Hong Kong's 2nd on the list, followed closely by Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Hah!

I've always thought that Changi's a bit dreary, and I find it odd that it has always come up tops. Last year, travelling from bright, open-spaced, clean KLIA, I was greeted by a very much closed and darkened Changi (felt like I couldn't breathe). Not only that, some kid probably threw up at the Transit Section, and because the whole place was carpeted, the pungent smell of puke didn't go away. Ugh.

Also, compared to Changi, we've got way more toilets. Jalan sikit toilet. Jalan sikit toilet. KLIA's probably Britney's idea of Disneyland! OOOOOO so many loos to choose from...

I can't say I remember much about HK's airport, except that it was SUPER busy. And uh, the runway's on water or surrounded by water or something like that.

Hopefully KLIA will be moving up the ladder next year!

Summer has ended!

2007-03-12T23:32:00.001+13:00

It's been raining all day, and according to the forecast, winter'll be here by Wednesday. I surely won't mind the temperature going down a little, since I have been complaining to just about everyone that it's too hot (mengada kan?). However, I dread facing the rain and the wind. Oh windy days just make me so nervous.

Anyway, it seems that the fireworks display at Auckland Domain on Saturday night sorta sealed the deal on summer. I'm guessing we won't be getting anymore festivals coming our way.

On rainy days like this with the kitchen in a far, far away land, all I can think about is FOOD. And there were tons at the Auckland Lantern Festival. Satay, Curry Mee, Rendang, Nasi Lemak, Milk Teas, Popiah...Why bother cooking?

What's a lantern fest without lanterns?

A lil' tribute to the lady who barbequed the corns. They were good. Really good.

Then there was the Pasifika Festival over on the weekends. I went there in 2005, and enjoyed the Chop Suey that was sold at almost every stall, so obviously, come Saturday, I had to head down to Western Springs. This time around, my Chop Suey's a bit salty, but definately better than the ones being sold at the Otara Market. MUST learn how to cook Chop Suey.

Paella, Garlic and Butter Prawns, and my Chop Suey.

Didn't have the Paella though. The whole idea of cooking rice, prawns, mussels, and god knows what in a LARGE pan makes me sick.

Oh dear, I'm having a headache trying to put in the pictures here, I'll just leave it as it is, then.

G'nite!

And that's a hat-trick!

2007-03-12T18:26:00.000+13:00

Lionel Messi scored 3 goals for Barca against Real Madrid on Saturday, and I didn't get to watch the match. Bugger...

"He saved us from defeat tonight; when a player scores three goals that means he's been special" Frank Rijkaard

Best young player? Me think!

Now, if only he was in this form in the game against Liverpool.

This troubles me deeply...

2007-03-04T21:07:00.000+13:00

To find out how you can help lil' Amid, visit http://zoomelaka.gov.my/.

Kia Ora!

2007-03-03T23:55:00.000+13:00

My very first post here. Yey!

Hahah, saje nak waste your time.