She's actually human too...

Wrapping Up The Year

2006-12-31T23:12:00.000+08:00

Ok. So let's get on with the cliche. Here's a reflection of my 2006. Done month by month, with my personal favourite entries for each of them.
da
January 2006
I started out the year with high entrepreneurial ambitions indeed. In the midst of our experiments with cupcakes, Raihan was imploring me to do gourmet sandwiches as well. As a result, we had a LOT of cupcake and sandwich testing sessions, much to the delight of family and friends. Schoolwise, I started on the revered Final Year Project. Got introduced to my tutor and laboratory managers. Applied for minor.
da
February 2006
This month was an eventful one. First, I celebrated Valentine's Day in the funkiest way possible with the girls in school; and that was to dress up hip-hop style! We didn't want to be one of those demure cotton candy girls did we? Hell nooo! Haha! Then came my debut to my cousin's lovely home, where she whipped up a feast with a red theme! Soon, I received the good news that I was accepted in the minor programme. Towards the end of the month, Parvin, the bestie who came back from Sydney since December departed again to foreign land.
da
March 2006
Shortly after that harsh farewell came another, with the departure of Kakak Wagiyah back to her home country. It was extremely hard to let go of her, but still. Then came the gruelling 3-day OBS camp at Ubin where I had to sleep on hard rock on an island just ready to get submerged by the tide. But at the end of the month, things got happier when we celebrated my sister's birthday and I had sushi mania?
da
April 2006
Month filled with exam preparations, but in the midst of it, made time to witness Hana's awesome performance. But one of the most definitive moments in my life occured this month when my sister and I garnered enough balls, no, courage, to open up The Baking Bug at www.thebakingbug.blogspot.com. After our successful first order, we've been on sugar high on business eversince, Alhamdulillah. I can remember the all the excitement to think of a logo, choosing fonts, figuring out HTML. Wow.
da
May 2006
Despite PAP winning in the elections and us having our first family chalet, without a doubt, Raihan's birthday was definitely the highlight of May!! Part 1 and Part 2 please. But somehow this entry garnered up the most response in my blog ever.
da
June 2006

Raihan and I celebrated 2 years of being together in the coolest way- literally! But it was hell of a hectic month completing the minor and then starting on my experiments. It took a LOT out of me, but in the middle of it, I had complete fun shooting Raihan's shortfilm, Sunat!

July 2006

Parvin came back from Sydney!!! With lotsa great stuff for ME! Then soon after, I attended NTU's Convocation with much envy, as I watched my best friend June in her gown. Was mighty proud of everyone I knew there! Oh yeah, World Cup finals: Italy versus France. Who could forget Zidane's butthead? And also the opening of Shortman Films!

August 2006

School reopened, and life started being hectic once more. Wanting it to be my last semester, I started it with lots of fervour and determination, but it was the same pressure that I exerted on myself that wore me down within weeks. However, I finally got to celebrate my best friend's birthday party after 2 years!

September 2006

And then what happened? The first day of the month earned me MY DRIVER'S LICENSE!! Uh-huh, I remember the test well. Very well. And soon Ramadhan came.

October 2006

But fasting certainly did not stop us all from feasting on my birthday! It was the most awesome barbecue I've had in my life! And also my birthdate that involved a very thrilling ride up high in the sky... Ooo! Now THAT was out of this world! But after the birthday frenzy, things simmered down quickly as the double E's drew near: Eid and Exams.

November 2006

This month is the one that should be least remembered because all I did was to drown myself in miserable studying and sitting for examination papers; one after another. So no fave entries for this month.

December 2006

The first screening of Shortman's first project! Woohoo! Followed by a fantastic Melbourne holiday and then of course the wonderful news of my own graduation!

For me, 2006 can only be described in superlatives. It was indeed a year filled with hard work and effort, but I'm only so glad to God who had bestowed upon me His blessings and rewards. And of course I'm extremely thankful for the dearest friends, family and my favourite boy on this Earth (that's you, Pe-man) for sharing the year together. Thank you! And cheers to a roaring 2007!

I've Earned It!

2006-12-28T22:53:00.000+08:00

Remember the gown they earned?

Well...

I've earned it too!!!!

Got the results today, and I'm proud to say that despite spending 4.5 years in the school (thanks to the semester I spent in the US), I've completed the course in 4 academic years and earned myself a:

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (Civil & Environmental) with Merit

& a Minor in Entrepreneurship

Wowzer. I think I had wet my pants in pride. :)

Screening!

2006-12-04T23:41:00.000+08:00

Today, Shortman Films' maiden project is being screened on HD Channel at 10pm!
da Guess what greeted them at their office door? Hehehe.

I rushed to the CC to try and catch their program, Love Under Covers, but to my dismay... They've swtiched off the TV by then.

Bob The Builder's Birthday

2006-12-02T23:57:00.000+08:00

Doesn't this adorable little boy remind you of Bob? As in Bob-the-builder-can-we-fix-it Bob.

Hehehe. Baby Aizrul.

Anyways, all of us celebrated his first year today at the barbecue pits near Raihan's block. It turned out to be a very intimate celebration involving close family, and as usual, it would be an utter sin if there wasn't copious amounts of food present at his family functions.

There was a wide spread. Raihan's aunt and grandmother prepared roti kirai and the works. Egg salad. French loaf. Black pepper seafood spaghetti. Egg and sardine sandwiches. Kuih kaswi. Fried bee hoon. Fishballs. And my contribution: roasted whole chickens from NTUC. Heh.

But what was most terrific was the mix-up that had caused the celebration to have not one, but TWO birthday cakes for Aizrul. And both were from hotels!! So one can only imagine how exquisite the chocolate mousse on the cakes was, right?

Wrong! Cos I had the honour of going a little beyond imagination to actually tasting both cakes!! Haha! They were heavenly. Great choices of cakes!

How I love babies' birthdays!! For all the fun, food and cakes. But then again all birthdays have fun, food and cakes. Oh heck, I love birthdays.

The End Of It All

2006-12-01T23:36:00.000+08:00

Today I had my last paper.

And I so want to totally ignore the huge chunk of November that reluctantly involved me being miserable and otak-cramp and other what nots that just made academic life totally unpleasant.

Except the most delirious times I had studying in school. (Ouch! I said the "S" word!) With the girlssssss...!

Look who paused revision to ogle at BB?!

Guess who wore pink socks to keep her feet warm in the library?!

Awww. Thank you so much sweety pies. And the guys too.

I hope and pray for the best. After all that's all that I can do now, right?

The First 1983 Engaged

2006-11-12T23:18:00.000+08:00

You must have read the title and went, "What the heck is Sofia talking about?"
da
Ok. There were 3 babies born in 1983 on my father's side of the family. There's Nurhafizah, myself and Zakky. There had always been a comparison or competition between the 3 of us... But really, those were all the parents' business. We 3 had always shared a bond that is strange. Although we meet so rarely, there's this common sense of fondness, closeness.
da
Or this is how I think anyway.
sa
So out of the 1983 cousins, Fizah turned out to be the first to get engaged. And it was very lovely.
da

My warmest congratulations to you and fiancee!

Raya With His Family

2006-11-05T22:07:00.000+08:00

It took a while for everyone in his huge family to make it on the same day. And when it was decided that they could all make it today, my mother cooked up a storm in the kitchen to greet Raihan's family and relatives!
da

There you go! My mummy has assimilated herself with the gang as well! Hahaha!

And here are the pretty-pretty girlies!

Engineer Jalanraya

2006-11-04T08:06:00.000+08:00

After thousands of messages being ignored, the guys suddenly decided that replying the girls' SMSes were a good idea after all. And when they did, a CEE Raya gathering was successfully planned.

Opps. Not that successful because the group wasn't as huge as the 2003 one! But nevertheless, it was to be gathering that was as merry as any could be!

The stipulated meeting time was 5pm at Rasyidah's home. I left my home frantically at 520pm, thinking everyone was going to kill me. But lucky as I was, I was the FIRST in attendance!! Hahahaha! It is really amazing coming to think of it. Our punctuality skills are so funny I swear I'm not even sarcastic here as I laugh my head off!

Hahaha, and so there I was. First I tried being the 'guest' by sitting down nicely, sipping my green tea and wiping off the condensation droplets that pooled at the base of my glass. Eventually, after lots of persuasion from Rasy, I finally lifted my skirt and sprawled across her oh-so comfortable bed while she pranced around the room doing her make-up.

And hour later, Rachmat knocked on the door. He looked hungrily at the pizzas that were waiting to be eaten. I could tell their prayers were going to be answered. And soon enough, yes he was gulping them down. Little did we know that Rasy's mum was preparing a superb mix of quote-unquote (from Rachmat) "head-scratching" spicy noodles.

Needless to say, we left her home bloated. Baddddd move.

In the lift we all knew what happened when I pressed the 'alarm' bell twice instead of the 'door closing' button.

We travelled a very, very long way to Toa Payoh to Shark's home after that, just to beat the jam. There, we were greeted by Shark and Far and Rabbit! Here too, we were served noodles again with mango pulp juice. And then Shark brought out her ultimate lethal weapon- her cheesecake!! That experience was so good, it should only be told in person.

I was so full by then I totally ignored her cookies. But Rabbit though, was too much of a handsome rabbit to ignore. So I did go by his cage to say hello!

The third home that we went to was Rachmat's. There, my bladder was bursting so I rushed to their toilet. Their toilet is so cute. It was decked with a shelf of Doraemon comics and there were a pair of Super Soakers. Hahaha! Now we all know.

Back down, his mother had prepared noodles too! But somehow all the noodles have not repeated themselves, so it was great trying each dish bit by bit. But the wings were the ones that I remembered so vividly since 2 years ago! And boy did they still taste good! I badly wanted to get a better look at his cat, Gray. But that monster only showed 2 seconds of himself before disappearing again. Sigh.

Next home: Sulaiman's! It is interesting to note here that this Sulaiman had been calling repeatedly since we were still at Shark's place! Hahaha, he really reminded me of a girlfriend that we all don't wanna have! Hahaha! But the only reason why he did that in the first place was because we promised we'd show at his home by 7pm. It was already way past 9pm, and we still weren't there. So sorry...

There we had... You guessed it! Noodles! We tried the best as we can to eat and drink and taste the cookies. But really I was getting nauseous by then. Oh yes! Darwis was there at Maan's place too! Finally the complete group!

And so Darwis' home was next. Fortunately for us, his parents were out of town, so we had a break from food. We sipped down plain water, which was really a relief for my throat. And then I went into his room. My goodness, his room is gorgeous. I never knew Darwis was such a sentimentalist. His room is really like a museum of memories. His pictures, his badges, his collections, his toys, books, collectibles. Wow. I wish I had that much dedication towards my possesions.

I was tired by then. And somehow a feverish wave swept over. It was threatening.

It was a long trip back to the far east, where Far lives. Mid way I badly needed to go again. I was so tempted to ask Shark to drop by a coffee shop to pee, but the expressway just went on and on and on! Good thing though, in the middle of our journey, we managed to see a massive pre-cast concrete beam being transported on a huge truck. It was escorted by a squad of policemen. Wow, like president like that.

And then there came the re-runs of the BeeGee's "Stayin Alive". Hahaha!

Once at Far's, again I rushed up with her just in time for me to not make a mess of my skirt, or anyone's shoes. Relieved, I plonked myself down and helped myself to nougats. Then her mother and brother (who was so kind to stay up to greet us- it was midnight!) brought out delicious noodles and rice! Yes, noodles again- but this time it was mee hong kong! My favourite!!

It was super duper. So very nice. It was such a pity I came by with a very filled stomach though. All I could do was to taste a little bit. But it was damn good.

When we were about to go to the last house (ahem!), Far and Shark told me it was too late for them to join the rest. So Far stayed home and Shark drove home. And so we were left with the 3 guys, Rasy and me.

We reached Kembangan at around 1am. Mummy was asleep already. So Mud was the one who stayed up to open the door. I quickly switched on the television and the guys decided to play Austin Powers.

In the kitchen, I was really shorthanded when sweet Rasy came in to offer some domestic help. Hehehe. So we heated up the prata puffs and made Neslo (nescafe+milo). Once the food was out, the guys then shifted to the dining table where we all just started to chat and chat and chat. Quite deep chats we had. Mostly about our future. Our career prospects. Politics.

Hahaha. You never know what you'd get from a post-midnight conversation with anyone.

And that was how the night ended.

It was awesome. And I really wish that this will remain an annual affair.

PS: Find photos at the side.

It's Eid! It's Eid!

2006-10-24T11:48:00.000+08:00

The cliched and over-mentioned phrase of the day:
da

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI! MAAF ZAHIR & BATIN!!

(no I don't have a photo of myself in baju kurung right now)

Deepavali Delights

2006-10-22T23:08:00.000+08:00

Just after my parents' Deepavali invitation yesterday, I received my own Deepavali invitations! One from Parvin and the other from Ray!
da
The girls and I immediately jumped at the chance to meet up, since:
1. We've never been to Ray's home before and
2. I haven't met Jo-jo-joanna in the longest time and
3. We love Deepavali!
da
So off we went to far, far away Redhill. Not that far, considering all of us spent at least 4 yrs studying in a hellhole chucked in the armpit of the west.
da
I was soooo delighted to meet Joanna! She's a full-fledged practising civil engineer now! I'm so proud. Hahaha. But engineer or not, she never fails to make me laugh with her stories. And during her company retreat, she got me this gift!

Ta-dah! A green shell bracelet!

Once at Tiong Bahru, we 3 decided not to go to Ray's home empty-handed, so we walked into Breadtalk and walked out with a beautiful mini green tea cake in a very sweet cake-box. NOW we were polite guests!

The journey to our destination was a very memorable one. Like a treasure hunt. We had to look out for a right turn where "2 schools are on each side of the road" before alighting. Once we at the bus stop, we had to look for "a tall flight of stairs with metal railings leading to a carpark". There, we were attacked by a horde of pigeons, as though they were the guardians of the palace where Ray lives.

Finally we saw block 32. But it was wrong. There was another block 32 across the road, and that was the correct one.

So difficult one.

Like most Hindu homes, we were greeted at the door with a beautiful kollum design painted on the floor. We removed our shoes and met Ray, who looked stunning in her copper-coloured Punjabi suit. We said hello to the rest of the family and sat down to an array of wonderful cookies. It was a pity I was fasting. All I could do was to watch Shi Min and Joanna get their fingers dirty with cookie crumbs. Sigh.

And then Ray's mum brought out her homemade briyani. Complete with the works: curry, achar, dhalca and papadum. Yum, yum, salivate, salivate. But what better way was there to distract myself from the food, but to capture the girls eating it!

Just when the girls finished their awesome-looking lunch, Chermaine popped in, along with her boyfriend and 2 friends. More people= more conversation= more photos of course! :)

After nearly an hour later, we finally made our move. We thanked the family for their kind hospitality (because of us, Ray's relatives who visited resorted to just staying in the room while we girls lounged and occupied the living room).

Ray then gave us a surprise token! She took out pretty pretty bangles that were tied with silver twisties, and let us choose which set we wanted! So niceeeeeeeeee!!

I chose a set of 6, consisting of dark blue and cyan coloured bangles, bound with gold thread! Pretty!

Of course, this meant more pictures. On the side!

Ramen 7

2006-10-21T23:02:00.000+08:00

Yeay! My dad's back from Geneva, and we all finally went out together as one big family to celebrate Mud's birthday! The location was an immediate unanimous decision between the siblings: Ramen Ten!
da
It was really exciting cos I, personally, had been looking forward to it since a week before. Furthermore, it was my brother's birthday after all. One of the 2 people in the world (apart from my sister lah) whose irritating antics I'd so-gladly grown accustomed to.
da
Anyway, it was really boggling as to what gift to get a 16-year-old boy without offending the parents. Hehe. Finally, I asked him, and his request was for me and Raihan to share the cost of wrapping his PSP with a protective film.
da
Yea, you thought correct! Gmask of course!
da
So after flipping through the pages of designs, Mud decided on something really cool.
da
Nice right!
da
Anyway, back at the restaurant, everyone was first-timers except for Raihan and myself. So it was so cool watching the rest, especially my parents scour through the menu for their preffered choice of dinner. Orders were made and the food eventually came. And everyone has slurped to their hearts' delight!

I love it when my dad is in an awfully happy mood. Just now he was super funny, and to see him joke and laugh so much is truly so contagious.

He was so comfortable and relaxed, he actually removed his shoe to rest his foot on my thigh underneath the table. Tsk tsk.

After dinner was done, we gave the waiters more than a few obvious winks before they finally brought out the cake that my sister had placed there prior the dinner. It was sad that it wasn't much of a surprise, but Mud looked so pleased anyway.

We ate the delicious chocalate-banana cake in no time.

Later my parents left us to go to a Deepavali invitation. So what are the youth supposed to do in Orchard at night on a bloated stomach? Chill out at a coffee joint of course!

My sister, her husband, Mud, Raihan and I then headed down to The Coffee Bean, where we eventually sipped our way through hazelnut lattes and equally satisfying conversations. So fun!

And we took lots of photos too. So check 'em out at the sidebar!

Guest Entry -- A Girl Named Zarith Sofia

2006-10-19T21:26:00.000+08:00

This is Raihan here.

Let’s get that out of the way.

Yep, this is me filling a guest entry spot for my lil missy.

I would dare say that I am the second luckiest man in the world. (The first place has to go to Brad Pitt -- dude’s got looks and Angelina Jolie to boot!) Way back, way before I had a girlfriend, I always said that I would take anything -- anyone who would want me to be their boyfriend.

So it didn’t happen. Thanks to websites like Friendster and the now defunct anakmelayu.com, I met some some nuts and much worse crazies. From a tudung psycho chick (“Which is more important, me or your platoon mates?”) to a suicidal 7-11 chick (“I want to bear your child!”)…I have seen it all.

Wait, hold up. What makes these girls crazier is the fact that I have never met them before. The “relationship” only reach the handphone level before they release their crazy from within.

So I realised that I won’t be taking just about anyone.

And then SHE came along. And oh boy…she did.

Zarith Sofia.

Check out the name people! Then check out how she looks on friendster. To say that I was hooked was an understatement.

I was cautious with this chick. The last thing I need is for her to go nuts on me. This girl was amazing. She talks to well, so poised and her sense of humour is amazing.

And then came that one creepy message…

“I am not complete. If you are looking for a complete girl, I am not one…”

Yup, her own words. And the imaginative side of me kicked in. What could she be missing?

A boob? I could live with that…wait…let me think again…okay, yes. I can.

Maybe she is dying? Oh man…this sounds like a movie already?!

And my friends weren’t helpful – “Maybe she’s in a wheelchair!?”

I panicked and I quickly asked her what is wrong with her. And then she told me that she is missing a right leg.

And I said – “Is that it?!?!”

Oh come on! Hahaha….

As we talked and began falling in love, Zarith Sofia became more than just a friend. I got to know her better and eventually saw her uber-cool cyberleg.

She became a girlfriend, a critic and eventually -- my biggest fan.

You know what? Screw you Brad – I am the luckiest SOB in the world.

I love you missy!

Sweet Sixteen

2006-10-19T20:32:00.000+08:00

My brother turns 16 today! Happy Birthday Half-hair-half-face-diagonal!
da
Seriously! His side-view looks like this:
da

He brought 3 friends over for break fast just now, 2 of which are the devils I teach. As usual they teased their tuition teacher (me) to the point of me nearly fuming.

Luckily there were the pizzas and chicken pies to keep me contented at the dinner table.

To end our dinner, I returned my brother a favour by buying a cake for him too. But this time I bought a simple Fiesta cheesecake. Yum nonetheless. See more in the album here.

Gay-Lang: 3 Nights In A Row

2006-10-15T23:01:00.000+08:00

On Friday, to mark the end of yet another bout of miserable quizzes, I dashed off from campus the minute we were let off from the quiz.

After the familiar 40-minute long train ride to the East, I hopped off at Paya Lebar. This time of the year, this particular station is notorious for its crowd. Not only is it appalling, but sightings of the mat and minah species are anything but rare.

But I was happy. I was practically skipping my way towards my very own Mat, who I haven't met in like... 2 days? Hahaha! We were all set to scour around the Geylang bazaar in search of his baju kurung!

We started our hunt at the tent that was closest to the MRT station. It was really hot and a bit stuffy, but we did manage to have fun looking at the things. Until we saw something he really liked!

Our friend has been wanting to wear black this year, and the set that we found was made of gorgeous Thai silk material. Hearing a reasonable price, he asked to try it out, and it fit him to a T. And so we bought it.

---

Yesterday, shortly after dinner, Raihan called me up sounding a little unsure. He then sheepishly said that when he tried the baju kurung on, it was far too big! Apparently our judgements the day before were skewed by our hunger. Or perhaps it was because he tried it on with his t-shirt and shorts with bulky pockets.

But this situation only meant that he had to go back there again. I readily volunteered. And that was how we ended up there the 2nd time.

However! When we got there, we asked for an XS. To our utter dismay, the pakcik said that the smallest size he had was a Small, which was what Raihan was already holding on to.

Disappointed, we stuffed ourselves with greasy Ramly burgers and inedible keropok lekor.

---

Today, we had a *new* situation. Raihan called me up again, saying with a laugh that he just realised that the baju kurung set that was sold to him was actually a LARGE! Patutlah besar! That gave us all the reason to return to the huge white tent to pick a fight with the shopkeepers.

Well, not really. We just went back to ask for a change of size.

Imagine our disbelief when he said there wasn't any more small sizes in black! After a little contemplation though, Raihan opted for the next colour on his list: Deep Purple. It still is nice, and its got this 'Western Shine' (kilat barat) effect to it.

---

So those were my only 3 intended visits to Geylang this festive season, all revolving around a Purple Baju Kurung that wanted to be worn by Raihan all along. :)

Announcement From Pixie

2006-10-14T16:42:00.000+08:00

Hey guys, I spent my whole Saturday afternoon updating my blog rather than studying. Yes, I know. I need to get my priorities right. But perhaps, just perhaps, for those 1 or 2 readers out there who miss my blog entries, this time used to update this site was worth it. Most of all, I did enjoy writing all of them, because it made me remember so many wonderful events that happenned. The updates are from Aug 12th to Oct 3rd. It is still not complete, though. There's still more between Oct 4th and today, Oct 14th to write about. Guess my life isn't thatttttt boring after all. Heh.

The Secret Dinner

2006-10-07T23:19:00.000+08:00

Yeap. Here's yet another entry about my, my, MY birthday celebration! This time, however, I had to share the limelight, rather unwillingly, to the bhai. Hahaha!! Kidding lah! I was more than elated to be having a joint birthday dinner with Kelvin, my fellow Libran!
da
The plan was to meet up at Suntec City's Secret Recipe outlet. But because of my itchy backside, I procrastinated in reserving seats until it was like... 610pm in a cab on the way there! :O
da
But luckily, with our local operators, I managed to snag up some seats at the Marina Square outlet instead. Just a few steps away. Heh.
da
As usual, our friends started appearing one-by-one, most of them fashionably late. Including Parvin. She arrived with a clear motive: and that is to make me green with envy over her uber-cool and gorgeous blouse. Damn pretty she looked. Then suddenly she started coughing and coughing. And coughing, and coughing.
da
Aiyoh, this woman let the haze got to her. She was turning paler by the minute, but that definitely didn't stop her to snap some photos with me & Rajin!
da

Yea, my hair not so happenning eh?

After happily taking all the photos, I (and the Mat) was reminded of our hunger. We ordered the food immediately after we arrived, which was 645pm? It was way past our break fast time by then yet there was still no whiff of my chicken cordon bleu. Disappointed, we took more photos!

Look at her top!!

While idling our time away by utilising my camera, I got a huge shock when this girl came up to me panting. In one huge breath, she continuously apologised for being late. She was halfway through her apology when my brain registered that she was Kelvin's sister, Neeshu.

She's adorable. Very kan cheong one. And amidst her profuse apology, she handed me a bouquet of the sweetest roses! My FIRST rose bouquet! (I always receive sunflowers) It was really so lovely of her. But before I could thank her enough, she had zipped off to return to the carpark where her fiancee was finding a lot.

Finally our food came. But honestly, I was too full with the 50 cents bottled tap water. Dammit. And Parvin was too sick to eat. Raihan was full with 2 bottles of smuggled-in Ice Lemon Tea. And Kelvin had a terrible sore throat. Argh. Only Rajin and Kiran seemed to enjoy their dinner. Hehehe!

We somehow felt a sense of accomplishment when we finished half of what was on our plates. Then we raced to the dessert counter to look at their killer cakes.

Just as we were about to start our on cakes, Neeshu and fiancee finally arrived. Parking was such a killer, they had to park at the Fullerton! And we were at Marina Square! Sigh, poor couple. They too, were also too exhausted from the parking lot stress and decided to jump straight to dessert.

A good chat really enhances the food that you eat, and this was exactly what I was feeling tonight. It was really a pity that it couldn't have lasted longer.

But I guess all good things have to come to an end, as we all parted with us giving Kelvin his gift, splitting the money that was shared for the gift in front of him, and a super embarassing moment for his sister. Hahaha. Sigh.

Happy birthday Bhai! And me!

As you all already now, photos are at the side!

Word Vomit

2006-10-06T01:33:00.000+08:00

I just have to spit these out.

I miss blogging. There's soooooooo many exciting things to write about eversince August 12th!!! But still no time. There's just too much to do. So much that I'm tired. Exhausted to the point of near-death. I've got photos. Lots of photos that I owe to so many people. Oh just you wait for my entries to come. It will, I promise. I am sooooo craving for more time. Or for time to freeze so I can catch up with work, and blogging. Sigh.

A Special Dedication

2006-10-04T23:58:00.000+08:00

Today, a day filled with unending laughter and joy for me, turned out to be one with sorrow and loss for a dear friend.
da
She had lost her furry companion, the most adorable crumpled mass of fur I'd seen. Before this jovial dog, I had never heard of its species, let alone be pleasantly surprised at how cute and cuddly it is.
da

Bon, a clean-shaven chow chow.

I sincerely hope that you, June, will garner enough strength to get through this terribly saddenning ordeal.

Top Of The World

2006-10-04T23:26:00.000+08:00

The rejected and dejected feeling that loomed over me yesterday barely had the chance to linger on to the next morning. I awoke today filled with excitement, cos one thing is: I'M NOT GOING TO SCHOOL!! And the reason for that is: RAIHAN'S BRINGING ME OUT ON A BIRTHDATE!!!
da
Yeap, what he organised on the 1st of October was just the beginning! At noon, he came over to fetch me, revealing nothing as to what we were going to do the whole day. We left the house soon after I dressed, hand in hand, to go to our first stop- Harbourfront Station.
da
I still had no idea what we were going to do, until Raihan directed us to a Ticketing Counter. We were going for a cable car ride!!
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I have to admit at this point that as he was buying the tickets, I was nervous as hell. I never was afraid of heights, looking down from the parapet wall from the 17th floor of a flat never was a problem. But being dangled from a cabin 15-storeys high? How can that not induce any tingling in your nerves?

Much so when he comes back to you happily with 2 tickets for a GLASS cabin.

To make matters worse, I was very afraid that the cars would not stop for you to board or alight from it. Just like the ones in Genting when my family took it waaaaaay back. And true enough, they didn't stop! We were supposed to just leap on board!

Now, now. Please don't take the last few paragraphs like I was hating every moment of the plan that Raihan had come up with. I was extremely excited inside, and I enjoy challenging myself to these kind of daring activities sometimes. And above all, I was happy that I was going to go through with the ride with Raihan and I wouldn't have prefered anybody else!

When it started, I was holding on to Raihan's hand so tightly. But because they were so sweaty, they kept slipping off. Later I found out he was sweating too! And behind my back he was gripping tightly to the chair of the car!! Having a glass-cabin was certainly bad for height-phobes like us.

Just watch how wussy we were.

But overall, I totally enjoyed myself. It was damn, damn fun! My adrenaline was rushing by then, and I was eagerly looking forward to our next activity.

We brought ouselves to Bugis next. What we did there was actually a time-filler cos we were too early for 'an appointment'. So we got ourselves busy in a booth. No kinky thoughts now... It wasn't any kind of booth, it was a Neoprint machine!

I love our pictures!

After that, we headed down to the Esplanade library, where Raihan had booked a screening room. We got cosy on the couch and watched a hilarious French movie called The Dinner Game. It was so funny, my mouth was dry laughing so hard.

When the movie ended, it was just in time for us to walk across to Marina Square's Seoul Garden to break our fast together. Thanks to Popular, who rewarded me with a free meal for my birthday, we got a super bargain to eat a generous buffet for dinner. It was wonderful. It was utmost happiness for me today.

With no cheesy pun with reference to our cable car ride, thank you again Raihan, for making me feel like I'm at the top of the world!

Photos by the side!

Shot Down

2006-10-03T21:16:00.000+08:00

I survived the week and managed to hand in my FYP report on time.

But I got an immediate email that screamed "SEE ME". Although it wasn't written like than, it really came with an urgency like those big red letters you see on your essay paper in primary/secondary school. You then panic to the point of urinating a drop or two in your pants, with the utter cluelessness as to what the whole matter is about.

So when I went into his office today, he cut to the point, saying he didn't like what he saw. He needed me to revamp the report.

I understood his reasons, and I knew I couldn't blame him. The worst part was that it was none other than MY own mistakes in making the report so sub-standard.

Being shot down by a super nice professor is worse than being rejected by a guy I think.

It's MY Great Cookout!

2006-10-02T02:24:00.000+08:00

From many weeks before, Raihan made sure that I was free during the weekend before my birthday. Although he tried to hide his intentions, I guessed it was pretty obvious he was planning a birthday date.

But little did I know how wrong I was! It was a much, much, MUCH bigger plan than what he allowed me to peep into!

This morning we both agreed to meet up at Toa Payoh to shop together for some ingredients. Armed with a trolley that I brought from home, we spent a good few hours in the NTUC buying strawberries, bananas, farce crabs, various sauces, corn, bread and marshmallows. And then we went to SKP to buy not one, but TWO barbecue pits.

By now, it was no surprise that there was going to be a barbecue that night at my place, and boy was I glad I was invited!

When we headed home, I realised that during the time we were gone, my mother was busy in the kitchen preparing beef and chicken patties! She had also cooked nasi minyak, complete with chicken curry, dhalca and the spicy cucumber thingy. Much to my ignorance, she had also packed the fridge with yummy bacon strips to be barbecued later!

Soon, we started setting up the barbecue area in the garden. And Raihan revealed he had to leave to buy more stuff. I was beginning to be worried about the scale of the whole event... But the excitement really multiplied with each growing moment. For the second shopping trip, I was told I wasn't allowed to follow. Instead, my brother went with him.

By the time they came back, it was nearly 615pm, and time to break fast was coming really quick. I was excited with all the things to eat!! I changed and wore a dress that my mother sewd for herself when she was younger, and gliterrati bunny ears! Wahaha, significantly for the birthday girl.

When I went downstairs, I saw my sister and brother-in-law had arrived, and she was cutting the strawberries and bananas up into many little pieces. I scoured around the house to see the stuff that the boys brought back, and was shocked out of my socks!

They went to Tampines to buy 'designer dogs'. What are they? 'Designer dogs' is the name that was endearingly given by my brother to chicken franks, or hot dogs, that stray away from the conventional flavours. The more glamourous variations lah. Today, they bought long, spicy beef hotdogs and chilli cheese chicken hotdogs. YUM!

My eyes then shifted to a huge container filled with pasta alike to the Seafood Spagetti served at Swensen's. But it was actually Raihan's grandmother's version of the dish! Oooo...

I ventured out to the pit area, where Raihan was lighting the pits. Then I saw two, humungous, fat fish that Raihan's cousin caught to be barbecued too! And as I turned to my left, on the table there lay the ingredients to... I wasn't sure.

There were lettuce, mashed eggs, prawns, breadcrumb-lookalikes, a mixture of sliced radish and carrots, black sauce, sambal and paper-thin crepes. Raihan then revealed that the seemingly confused mix of ingredients were actually for do-it-youself popiah!! He ordered the ingredients from Qiji, whose popiahs I love, love, LOVE! So anybody can roll their own popiahs? Yep, anybody can roll their own popiahs at Raihan's Great Cookout!

Wonderful!!

By then it was 645pm, and I was eagerly awaiting the call for Maghrib prayer, just so I can start tucking into all the food. Then the doorbell rang. There was a mini-van at the gate. There's something else? Those are your strippers. Quick go upstairs!

Oh shit.

I honestly thought Raihan was absurd enough to get strippers for me. For his girlfriend, at her house, in front of her parents. But when everything was ready, he escorted mye downstairs and I had to gasp at what I saw. It was awesome. I had a smooth, hot, overflowing chocolate fountain installed in the garden!!!

WOW!!! I was going to have fondue after all!! And with the last instalment of the party in place, we could all start our feast.

Everything was heavenly that day. I was so so happy. The food was fabulous, and although the barbecue was missing all the typical elements such as satay and chicken wings, it is this same fact that makes it the best barbecue I've ever had. The barbecued meat patties made the meanest beach burgers in the world. They could really be likened to those jumbo burgers we could only get in greasy American diners. Yummy!!!

And the popiahs. Raihan rolled the fattest 'TAF' club popiahs, stuffed with all the goodness of my favourites. The 'designer dogs' were popular favourites, especially the aptly named 'nigger dogs'! Hahaha! The spagetti was uber delicious and I dare say that it tasted better than its Swensen's counterpart. The nasi minyak was a great start to my meal and the fish. I think it was certainly the fish's fate to be born and eventually put on those pits. Their meat was supremely decadent. Just like the first time I tried fresh fish.

But. The pinacle of the party had to be my fondue. Oh the chocolate. The chocolate that really flowed through my mouth soooo soooo seductively. Sigh. It was really really divine.

Just when I rested myself onto the chair, instantly plump as a result of my gluttonny, Mud announced that he wanted to give me my present. And out he came with a cake!!

It was so sweet of him. We set up the table and everyone gathered to sing me a song. I cut the cake and we all ate the yummy mango cake. I was really full to the brim by then.

Next up, my gift opening! I received a beautiful jade (I love jade!) pendant from Taka Jewellery and a white bohemian bag from my mother, a Forever Orange blouse, a Loreal Voluminous mascara, a MAC lipgloss and a box of Dessert Treats lipglosses (by Jessica Simpson!) from my sister and lovely Aussino cupcake treat dishes from my brother-in-law.

I am deliriously ecstatic. I love my gifts, I love my cake, I love my barbecue and I love my 100 bucks (from my dad)!!! I want everyday to be my birthday!!

Raihan, thank you so so much for everything that you've done for me today. I am very touched, and humbled indeed. And truly I am beyond-words-happy. Thank you so much. *BIG hug* :)

PS: Please, do view the pictures on the sidebar. For some reason I'm not allowed to even post one miserable picture. :( Share my joy with me!

Touched

2006-10-01T23:15:00.000+08:00

After our date today, we both went home (his) to break fast. I'd been soooo looking forward to Raihan's grandmother's ayam lemak cili padi for a long time. And she cooked it specially for me this evening!

But what I thought was going to be a personal dinner turned out to be larger than expected! His aunties and cousins came, with the adorable niece and nephew! I was so elated, since it's been quite awhile that I'd spend time with all of them at a go. Especially after the past hectic weeks of quizzes and lab reports. It was definitely a pleasant surprise! :)

The food also turned out more than expected. This, to me, is the beauty of Ramadhan. Food will always be in abundance, surrounded by the company of loved ones during the breaking of fast. Not only was there the chicken dish, nenek also made roti john, Raihan and I bought Zam Zam chicken murtabak and his cousin brought Indian rojak. What an enjoyable meal it was. But the ayam had to be the star of it all.

After dinner, we were all lounging around in the living room, chit chatting and playing with the babies. I was playing with Arissa when Raihan's grandfather switched off the lights. I was amused at his peculiar move, but surely he had a good reason for his action.

And sure enough, the next second, Siti came out with a cake and lit candles! Everybody started singing Happy Birthday... I was puzzled at first and sang along when she presented the cake to me. How dumb could I get? I was such a dope for not realising sooner that they were singing for my birthday! Hahaha! I sincerely apologise for such stupidness. Hahaha!

The cake was chocolate nougat I think, and it was the perfect dessert to top up the whole dinner! I was so happy cutting and distributing the cake, and inside I was close to tears. I was really so touched that his family had surprised me so pleasantly. It is so very warm to know that I am accepted and even welcomed in this wonderful and awfully generous family.

Thank you so much everyone. Really, I've loved you all as my own since a long time back. And it feels so good that it is the same on your side. Thank you!!

How Man

2006-09-25T14:08:00.000+08:00

The recess starts this week. And by the end of the week I owe the school four freaking reports: 2 lab reports, a project report and the first draft of my FYP report. On top of that I need to study for the second season of tests when school reopens. And I'm not exactly afloat in my tutorials, mind you, so add the catching up of work to all that.

Die, sure die. I got no life.

A Wish For All

2006-09-24T14:06:00.000+08:00

May everyone have a very blessed Ramadhan!

The Dude I Live With

2006-09-23T21:51:00.000+08:00

Can't believe he's so big now. That boy with the goofy smile now has baby moustache brushing against his upper lips! Eww.
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And today, he's all dressed up. As I type this, he's at a hotel performing in front of his friends as a mark of everlasting friendship. My brother, at his graduation night.
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Quite handsome, I must say.

And So It Starts

2006-09-08T21:46:00.000+08:00

The merciless quizzes swarm us over like a plague, darkening the skies with disease and robbing us of our time.

One today, 2 next week, 3 the week after.

Hey Danny Boy!

2006-09-02T23:09:00.000+08:00

It's baby Danny's 1st birthday! And like all baby's birthdays, the family had a huge party!!
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If presents, party packs and balloon twisties were one end of the party spectrum...
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And the guests were at the other end...

Then the FOOD will be the fulcrum of it all!!

YUM!! Look at the spread! We had nasi lemak, complete with the works- choice of chicken wings, fish or fried anchovies. We had mee soto too, with killer "satu sudu boleh mati" sambal. We had tonnes of fishballs, egg and sardine sandwiches, kueh pie tee (some sort of minced meat served in a nice pastry cup), 'cherry blossoms' (the green kuih stuffed with sugared coconut), colourful ondeh-ondeh and an awesome centrepiece:

The cake.

The cake, as you can see, blew everyone away with its unique shape and decoration. Danny, the birthday boy, was so excited he wanted to grab it. But then again, he's always excited and wants to grab something...

Let me tell you a bit more about Danny. This little boy has the sweetest face. He's always, always smiling, and is so receptive to anyone, I think I've never heard him cry since his birth. He probably came to this world smiling too. He's soooooo adorable in that way. Honestly, when he smiles he looks like such a good boy (and he is, really) that he looks like a prefect! Haha, that description is with courtesy of Aunty Tini, who once described a cousin of mine in that way too! But seriously, he looks like a prefect that you can't help but obey cos he's so nice.

So back to the party. It was the usual works after the eating. The song, the cake-cutting, the cake sharing and soon, the reluctant dispersion. All in all, it was a fabulous party for a fabulous little boy.

More photos in sidebar people!

Plus One Please

2006-09-01T21:53:00.000+08:00

To the Singapore Department of Statistics, please add 1 to the number of lady drivers on the roads.

I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I scrapped a kerb, turned too widely, changed lanes abruptly and failed to check the mirror before changing lanes- resulting in the chalking of 18 points. But what the heck, I passed my first time and now I've got the most expensive piece of plastic in my wallet!! Yeay!!!!!!

Below Zero

2006-08-31T18:25:00.000+08:00

My morale now is like way underground.

I just spent 2 hours in the circuit. It was my 3rd and 4th session, and my instructor said I should be an expert by now. But oh how miserable I was. I couldn't tell my left from right! I keep turning too widely, scrapping the kerb.

I HAVE to pass tomorrow. I've got lots to prove. I cannot afford to waste more money. And more time. It took me 5 years to get here!! I remember marching down to the driving centre with my girlfriends immediately after our last 'A' Level paper, intending to pass together so we can zip around town.

And now they've both earned their licenses.

I also remember how trying it was just to get my PDL. The journey from hospital to doctor to hospital to doctor, everybody, including the TP, unsure as to who had the proper authority to certify that I am fit for the roads despite my condition.

It seemed to take forever. I was so frustrated once that I couldn't help but cry. And now it's so close, I'm crying again because of my own deficiency in my driving skills.

I really want this so badly.

The Party I've Been Waiting For For 2 Years

2006-08-27T11:36:00.000+08:00

Remember when I mentioned that my best friend and I haven't spent each other's birthday for 2 years now? Well finally, the long wait is over, and I've been invited to her party!!

Parvin and her family had organised a huge party to celebrate her birthday and her graduation. Weeks prior to this, pretty invitation cards were sent, the venue was booked and the excitement flared high. "What should I wear?" popped up many times during our conversations... But the birthday girl was quite set on what she'd be seen it that day. *wink*

So then the day came, and I arrived at New Park Hotel awaiting the arrival of the rest of the gang. Our gang was short of one though, none other than the shortfilmmaker himself. Heh. It was of course disappointing that he couldn't make it, and I still wish he could have. But back to me waiting for the rest to come, it turned out to be a pretty long wait, as I saw more and more of Parvin's relatives turning up.

Finally, when Mr. Kelvinder Singh, who was fashionably late, arrived, we could all enter the lovely Bharat Restaurant. Whiffs of spices filled the room, as I eyed the buffet spread ferociously. Bharat Restaurant is actually a brother outlet to The Riverwalk Tandoor, and you'd certainly be delighted with their food spread if you're a fan of North Indian Cuisine.

Well I am.

Immediately our host greeted us, looking all pretty and glamourous. I was beaming with pride because she was wearing what I gave her when she just returned from Sydney. So it seems that I haven't told you what I gave! Hehe, this is it:

(the skirt, not the nosy turtle)

(when she first got it)

She had teamed it up with a black top that she had specially bought, and she did look fabulous! She then took us to our table, which was situated in somewhat a more private dining area within the restaurant. Very cool. There I met some of Parvin's poly/uni mates. And soon the feasting started.

Oh the food.

I felt bad cos I think we were enjoying our food more than we were paying attention to the birthday girl. But alas she had to divide herself into more than 20 tables worth of guests... Fluttering here and there to say hello and make small talk. Little did she know that her boyfriend was being bullied at our table! But that's a tale for June to tell. Haha.

In the middle of what I think was my 3rd helping of dessert, the lights dimmed, signalling the time for Parvin to cut the cake. The cake was beautiful, very elaborately decorated.

And so came the birthday song, a speech, and photos!! (click on the album on the sidebar!)

With that, the party ended on a very high note. Everyone bloated not only with food, but with fun and glorious laughter. Happy Birthday Bebbeh!

Nervous Wreck

2006-08-21T23:29:00.000+08:00

It was my first time driving in the circuit this morning!!

Exciting as it was, I was so damn nervous at every turn I had to make. I've always thought the place was car-friendly... But it seems that when you're actually driving there, the lanes all suddenly shrink to an XXS! Try thinking of it as squeezing yourself into a pretty blouse that's 2 sizes too small! It was stifling, and I really had to literally hold my breath the whole time.

I never knew tester's could be so mean too. As my instructor mocked himself as one, he gave the most ridiculous instructions- most of them last minute!!

I left the circuit very demoralised indeed... How to pass like that?

The Heart Of The Ocean

2006-08-14T23:31:00.000+08:00

Remember the super-bling heart-shaped necklace that Rose was showing off in Titanic? Of course, you do. Especially when it was the only thing she had on her when she was showing it off to Jack.

Well, let us revert the scene to our less than romantic island. Or more specifically, my very unglamourous campus.

During Premiere Lumiere, as my friends and I were browsing through the stalls to check out the interesting stuffs on sale, the only light that seemed to dawn upon Yuxin was the little shimmers reflecting off a certain heart-shaped necklace!

Although not very similar to its luxurious cousin, I am still certain that Rose would have loved it had she been into hip-hop style and fashion.

We checked it out briefly, and after trying it, Yuxin sadly concluded that its price just wasn't right. This though, was said not without adding, "I know what is meant to be mine, will be mine."

It did not take much thinking for me and Shi Min to realise that it was actually a huge-ass hint for us to buy it for her for her birthday!!

O Yuxin, you sneaky one you.

Amidst all the denial of dropping that obvious hint, Yuxin beamed at us when she first held the necklace in her hands. We urged her to wear it, and true enough, it did look gorgeous on her.

Look at my Happy Fish! (Yu=Fish, Xin=Happy)

Happy Birthday Babe! Next birthday we'll find you a Jack so he can sketch you wearing only The *bling! bling* Heart Of The Ocean, ok? :P

Birthday Chalet Ole!

2006-08-12T23:37:00.000+08:00

Guess who turned 2 over the weekend??

It's baby girl Arissa! And to mark her second year on planet Earth, her parents (along with the entire family) turned one of the chalets along Changi into a venue for a smashing party for this beautiful girl! When I arrived though, Arissa was not to be found. Well perhaps she was around, but I barely noticed her... Especially when there were lots of AMAZING food proudly prepared by the master chefs of the house! The food was aplenty, and formed colourful heaps of wonderful in those aluminium trays.

By evening, everybody's anticipation to eat had nearly turned to anguish. But fortunately, the feasting started. It was great. I love, love, love to see many people eating and making merry. For those moments when they've got food in their mouths, they forget the heat of the evening, the sweaty t-shirt sticking to their backs and simply savour the taste of their meal... And somehow, conversations still linger, and instantly everyone is just. so. happy.

And then just when I was about to forget what occassion it was, Arissa came down, smelling typically of a baby fresh from a bath, wearing the prettiest dress I've seen. The birthday girl was obviously elated, and I think she knew that all the joy that she witnessed was for her.

It was time to cut the cake, and everybody gladly paused their dinner to sing for the baby girl. She was shy, appreciative and excited all at the same time.After the cake-cutting ceremony, the barbecue pit was lit! There was still more food to come? Oh yea! The guys then took out 3 huge and fat fish they caught the night before and then slammed them on the pit.

As barbaric as it seemed, its taste was the most refined taste of fish I've ever tasted. Ever. I never knew fresh fish tasted so good. Really, I just realised that night what goodness I'd been missing the past 22 years of my life. And Arissa's only 2 and she's tasting heaven already. She's a lucky girl!

For more photos, view the album in the sidebar!

Premiere Lumiere

2006-08-11T22:35:00.000+08:00

Or in other words- First Light.

That was the theme given for this year's Freshman Welcome Bazaar. And even though I am a freshman-no-more, (like for 4 years now!), the bazaar was lots of fun. So many things!

And check out my stash from today!

Nation Celebration

2006-08-09T22:06:00.000+08:00

And so came the *red hot* twins!

Happy National Day Singapore!

Girl Fun

2006-08-04T22:44:00.000+08:00

As a move to celebrate our last free Friday before semester starts, we girls made it a point to meet up one last time. Where? My house!!

But of course it was grocery-shopping first. As always, before any meet-up, we will jot down or simply think of what cravings we shared, and made it a point to do it!

This time it was homemade milkshakes! So we bought bananas, strawberries and milk. But we wanted to redo our previous date, so we filled up our baskets with more marshmallows, ice-cream and chocolate! Hmm, what else did we need? Oh yes, the girls requested nasi lemak for lunch, so we had a ball choosing ikan selar kuning with a strange aunty, didn't we Yuxin?

Haha, or might I correct myself... It was actually Yuxin who eventually braved herself to pick the fish after striking up a conversation with the elder woman.

On the way back, Yuxin suddenly had the itch to dye her hair. Excited, I egged her on, longing for another experience in dying a friend's hair. Soon, with a box of colour in hand, we headed home...

Lunch was a firecracker with these girls. It seemed like all of us were high on ikan bilis or something. Although filled to the brim with the coconutty rice, we convinced ourselves that we were in need of some thick milkshakes! So into the kitchen we went, laughter and all.

Our first try with the strawberries was so bad, all we could do was to laugh so hard about it. Then we tried the bananas, mixed with Oreo's and cocoa powder. It turned out worse. And really, by then my belly was literally spewing out of my pants!

Next stop: toilet. We were fortunate that the home toilet could accomodate 4 sugar-and-lactose-high girls. We took so long reading the instructions on the dye application, just to be sure I did not make a disaster on Yuxin's head. But then again, Yuxin's already a walking disaster on her own. Hahaha!

Putting the dye on for her was a wreck. Everytime a drop spilled, shrieks filled the room. Otherwise I'd imagine us as being in a kitty party, where a small congregation of women friends just gossipped or sold Tupperware to one another.

Finally after around 2 hours, everything was ready. Fortunately for Yuxin, the dye came out brilliantly. It was a colour that suited her very well. And thanks to my hair-drying and hair-styling services, she turned out looking like Linda Evangelista with her sassy bob.

Meanwhile, Shi Min and Joanna were busy downstairs melting the chocolate, and cutting the fruits. What were we having? Mmmm, fondue baby!!

Yum. We were really stuffing our faces like crazy. But it was really heavenly. As we were eating, and having The Ellen Show and eventually The Oprah Winfrey Show play in the background, each of us then posted hypothetical questions that were impossible to find answers to. Pointless, but darn entertaining while on a full stomach. :)

Not very long after, although each of us could tell we did not want the hang-out session to end, my friends went home. But not without settling on the next binging session! Yeay! So happy!

Argh. Cannot post more photos!!

MY Last Week

2006-08-01T20:42:00.000+08:00

This is the last week of holidays!!! After three whole months. Sigh.

Her Last Day

2006-07-31T22:36:00.000+08:00

I don't even know if I'm allowed to publicise this here. I'll check with her first. But we spent the afternoon together, hanging out, drinking coffee, chatting over our usual popcorn chicken. Talked about lots of things. Pondered even more. Sigh. Tomorrow she starts work. :(

June At July's End

2006-07-29T22:40:00.000+08:00

June finally made time for me!!

I miss this girl too much. Ever since graduation and clinching her first job, she's been round the clock busy! Or tired. She hardly ever shows up on MSN, and when she does, it'll be just too short or she'd have to do some research. The only consolation I get is the rare messages she sends via handphone, or the occassional reply saying that she's having fun with her job.

(She's a kindergarten teacher now, and she says the adults are the ones giving more problems than the children.)

So today, we got round to forcing ourselves down at Burger King and browsing through the convocation photos we took yesterday! It was hilarious hearing her stories of alllllllll the crushes she had on the many schoolmates, but best of all was how this guy...

...boldly asked her for a kiss in front of all the other graduants and parents!

After her quick lunch of a Whopper, fries and onion rings, we walked around Eastpoint for a while before heading down to Starbucks for our usual cuppa. It was a lazy catching up session where we just talked and talked about the people currently in our lives. Which is really not that many. Haha!

Eventually, the time came too soon for us to part. As we took our last sip of our lattes, we promised to not let sessions like these ever stop. :)

Bagus Dinner

2006-07-28T23:57:00.000+08:00

Immediately after I reached home from attending the convocation, my mother asked if I had the energy to join the extended family for dinner. It seemed that my aunt and uncle from Kuala Lumpur had come down for a surprise one-day visit! So amidst the exhaustion, I could barely contain my excitement, and I knew I couldn't refuse the chance for dinner with them.

So my mother, brother and myself zipped down to BAGUS La Mian Yong Tau Foo situated along Changi Road in no time. But imagine our disappointment to see them not there yet.

A half hour wait later, the 3 Magad siblings strolled in looking so happy. I can clearly see how much my father loves his sisters. The siblings are the only ones in the family left, now that they're parents (my grandparents) are gone. It was looking to be a great reunion dinner indeed.

So laksa yong tau foo it was for me. YUM!! I can't resist sidetracking a little bit here.

Do you know just a few months ago I had never eaten yong tau foo before? I just did not have the slightest bit of craving for the dish. Yes, I knew the novelty of choosing what goes into your soup... But I had the impression that the choices were restricted to only vegetables, fishbally stuff and the occassional chicken franks.

For those of you who know what a fussy eater I am, I eat neither vegetables nor fishballs. Chicken franks I like, but only when fried. It irked me thinking of my hotdogs in soup.

But when Raihan dragged me to Bagus one day, I fell in love. I chose the Tom Yam soup, and had a ball of a time choosing all the beancurd and tofu and taupok items!! It tasted sooooo good. And when I insisted on a second visit, I tried the laksa. And I had become an ardent fan ever since. :)

So anyway, back to dinner. It was mostly talk, slurp, talk and slurp. Mostly the conventional "Wah! You're so big now! When are you graduating??" kind of conversation. You know, aunties... And their perpetual desire for their children to outdo their cousins. Sigh.

In the middle of talking to my brother, I managed to catch a glimpse of this.

Can you see what's special in here??

My parents are holding hands!! So sweet right???

The Gown They Earned

2006-07-28T20:48:00.000+08:00

Today, there was the convocation ceremony held for the civil engineering graduants. It was supremely joyous for me to see my dear, dear friends wearing their deep blue gowns with pride. To see them beaming with happiness. It was great.
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My heartiest congratulations to my friends who've graduated!

This event had made me want to hold my scroll more than ever before. Pray that it all ends this year.

Guys Like These

2006-07-24T23:38:00.000+08:00

If you take a look at this entry, you will see that insignificant insecure teenage girl I was in secondary school. Naturally, I wasn't the one guys got attracted to- what with my below-knee skirt, geeky tortoise-shell rimmed specs, awful hair and all. But just because I wasn't popular does not mean I did not have fun those days.

Yes, I did fit into the other side of the spectrum: if one was not a beautiful babe, one would be a hardworking smart nerd, right? No no, my results were not fantastic, but I was diligent enough to have people wanting to copy my homework each morning. Plus, with me not wasting much time preening myself in the toilets and flirting with my adolescent schoolmates, I managed to bag myself a group of wonderful and unique friends whom I am still very close to.

Today, I met up with them for dinner. It has been almost a year since we last saw each other, but reunions like these are always so nice. After a quick poll, we all decided to go eat at Marrybrown!

Dinner started with juicy, tender chicken. But I was immediately engaged with atypical conversations about Japanese anime, SATs, fighter planes and business affairs. Hmm before I proceed, allow me to introduce them to you. :)

Meet David, the guy in red beside me. David is such a joy to be with, all the time. This cheerful character never fails to see the humour in such mundaneness, and always manages to make learning an exciting thing. Today, he's about to start an education in SMU, and aiming to be the biggest towkay around. With his friendly ways and innocent demeanour, this enterprising dude scores with almost anyone he meets. And I'm seriously thinking he'll appear in one of those top corporate magazines one day.

Meet Edmund, the one beside David. Shy, and quiet most of the time, this sweet lad still doesn't dare look me in the eye til today! But do not think his silence is forever. Look at him go when you talk to him about computers, computer games and chess! When you see Edmund with David, you won't help but chuckle at how David sometimes convinces him into getting the worse end of a bargain. Edmund will soon join NTU in computer engineering, and I don't have any doubt that he'll be as comfortable there as a sloth hanging upside down.

Next across Edmund is Cexuan. Cexuan's name has baffled many teachers, even Chinese teachers. As a result, he's been told many times to get an English name, but I still don't know if he has any. Cexuan is another lovable character. He has always been patient with me or any other girl who likes playing with his pencil case. Currently in the Royal Singapore Air Force, he's on his way to earning his wings. A high-flyer I must say. But behold, this guy has been known to dismantle and fix a CPU in 30 seconds!!

Cexuan and Kian An come in pairs. It's like a buy-one-get-one-free deal. So Kian An is obviously the bespectacled guy beside Cexuan. Kian An and Cexuan have sat either in front or behind me in class in all 4 of my secondary school years. Nicknamed 'Stone' byDavid, he has a very stoic persona. Hardly ever showing emotions, his gangly and skeletony frame is the most striking trait- at first. Once Kian An warms up to you, his jokes will definitely crack you up! His witty one-liners never fail to stun the whole group. I am looking forward to having lunches with this Stone in NTU once he gets into computer engineering as well.

Lastly, meet See Hau. I have a longer history with him than the rest. You see, See Hau was my primary school friend too! This guy is currently a student at SMU. His love for accountancy and business shows through his numerous business ideas and plans. It is interesting hearing of his canniving and smart business dealings, and yes, he'll definitely will make it big one day. See how lah hor?

Heh.

These are guys who I will always respect. Each one of them never fails to excel in whatever they do. They work hard to achieve their goals, and actually have fun while they're at it. I love it when I'm with them. What with their quirly traits and all.

I really hope such reunions will never cease. And I want to see all of us succeed one day soon. With friends like these guys, I really am glad that I was stuck as that awkward teenager that I was.

Precious Weekend

2006-07-23T22:57:00.000+08:00

After having an amazing Saturday, my Sunday was not short of fantastic as well!

It started out with me being awoken at 730am by my dad, asking if I'd like go for a family breakfast at Bedok Corner. Well hell yes! Who would turn down such a, in my case- rare, opportunity?? So I managed to drag myself out of bed to look presentable enough to go out in like, 30 seconds.

The food was bummer though. Or perhaps not. I wasn't so sure, but I was miserable throughout. You know why? Cos a humungous ulcer had planted itself conveniently behind my wisdom tooth. Mind you, that means that it is very, very deep inside my mouth. And considering how big a mouth I have, this ulcer had stuck itself into a corner where no light reaches it.

Enough description of the pain-causing scum in my mouth. Anyway, because of it I can only chew on the right side of my jaw. And still swallowing food will be painful. Sigh. Hence my roti prata telor sucked. However, spending time with the family really made my morning.

While sleeping back after breakfast, I received a call from Raihan's sister. She wanted to bring me out! The 2 sisters wanted to go and hang out at the airport at first, until I suggested cycling instead!

So cycling we went. At the ever-so-crowded East Coast Beach.
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The girls with their bicycles: Ready for a loooong thigh-aching journey!

We were fortunate to have the day so fine. The sun was hot, yes, but at least there was a constant breeze. It was great just chatting while cycling... But towards the end of the 1.5-hour trip, we were silenced by our own fatigue. We eventually plopped ourselves at McD's, and devoured 20-piece nuggets, large fries, 5 drinks and a hot fudge sundae among us. All the exercise gone within seconds! Wahahahaha! But truth be told, the juicy conversation we had during our meal made it all worth it!

Soon after 5pm, we all went home (his) to further indulge ourselves in nenek's incredible kacang pool and lontong. Lots of television and stories after that, I took my leave.

Thanks for a funday Sunday girls! And of course, to the Pe-man too. :)

Pizzas & Parvin & Pop Band?

2006-07-23T01:31:00.000+08:00

Answer to yesterday's entry: We made pizzas!

And we enjoyed the pizzas so much, I decided to do more today to give it to his family! And to Parvin too, whom I had a date with in the evening. Presenting...

The Italian Favourite: with minced beef, beef bacon, beef salami, red and green peppers, onions, mushrooms and tons of cheeeeese. For those who like lots of cow in their dishes.

The Asian Experiment: It's been done at Pizza Hut, and we simply needed to recreate it, with chicken dendeng, spicy chicken floss, black sesame seeds and tons of cheese as well. Highly recommended.

Apart from the pizzas, I also wanted to try out another flavour of frosting. So I made cupcakes!

Chocolate Cupcakes: with strawberry and chocolate frosting, topped with fresh strawberries. (Disclaimer: These cupcakes are not a creation or product of The Baking Bug.) Very sinfully delicious I must say.

Unfortunately, by the time I finished making a mess in the kitchen, I realised I had no time to personally deliver the food to Raihan's place. So I rushed to meet Raihan, Parvin and Kelvin instead.

We met up at our usual coffee place, for our very ever-interesting-and-controversial-couple-confession sessions. I absolutely loveee these sessions cos its the only time when all of us can laugh at each other's flaws. Sometimes it does get dangerous, but we always end up learning more about ourselves, our best friend and our partners.

Today's session wasn't any different. :P

Oh yes! We had a new member to our session today. Her name's Regine. She's so sweet, really. The 5 of us all had a ball of a time just chatting and saving money by eating cupcakes and pizzas at the cafe. (What cheapskates, I know!) Hahaha. It was really fun. Especially the part when the guys got hyper on caffeine.

And then when I reached home, I saw what I had never seen before. A complete band, comprising of 2 guitarists- my brothers- and a stereo speaker, with the most unlikely singer- my sister! Never have I seen her sing with such fervour and feeeeeeeeling ah. Then the mat joined in.

It was hilarious. And it was the perfect way to end my very tiring day.

PS: Can anyone please tell me why Blogger won't allow me to upload as many photos as before? I'm so frustrated at how little pictures I can put up now! :(

Lazy Day

2006-07-21T22:52:00.000+08:00

The past week had been crazy for Raihan. And a crazy work week for him will ultimately mean a crazy week for me too, as our meetings and time spent together will drastically be reduced.

So it was such a pleasure when he dedicated the whole of today for me. We first met up at Bedok central to go grocery shopping at two very major supermarkets. It is always fun going grocery shopping with him, to just go through each aisle and irritate each other along the way.

After we were done, we zoomed back home (mine) to quickly cook our lunch together. We were very hungry by then, and honestly, we ended up just rushing through the whole cooking experience just to satisfy our cravings.

And by the end of our scrumptious meal, boy were we satisfied! Yum!

Wanna guess what we made?

My Australian Souvenirs

2006-07-17T23:51:00.000+08:00

Oh yes! I haven't shown you guys what Parvin bought me!

Clockwise from left: Candy Box Lip Gloss by Sportgirl, with 20 gloss pots. Lots of chewy pistachio nougat pieces with apricot slices. All-time favourite Rocky Road Chocolate Bar by Darell Lea. And my personal favourite, a Handmade Artistic Stone Necklace by Samantha Abbott. Pretty!

Wanna know what I bought her? Shh, cannot say yet. I haven't given it to her!

Back For Good

2006-07-17T22:13:00.000+08:00

Yes people, the bebbeh has gotten her Punjabi ass back on Singapore land. And I'm soooooooo deliriously happy!!

Last night Raihan and me went to fetch her from the airport. We waited in anticipation, holding on to a sweet little bouquet of flowers for her. How long is her hair now? Has she grown thinner? Will she action action speak with an Aussie slang? How much has changed since February? Hehehe, these questions were involuntarily sprouting in my mind. But really, I was more concerned whether she came back healthy and safe. And how she was going to manage her luggage filled with a year's supply of clothes- and more.

So when we first caught sight of our friend, a huge wave of relief swept over, as I just watched her. There she was happily swaying her curvy hips, tossing her long cascade of shiny black hair over her shoulder and adjusting her shopping bags daintily around her elbows. So typically Bollywood.

BUT there was something different this time... She was walking with a very alluring elevated posture. Exuding the kind of confidence that only luxury can bring... What was it? So I glanced down the length of her body, and when I finally reached her feet, there I noticed the most gorgeous pair of stilettos!!

My Parvin in killer high-heels ok!!! Don't play play! I immediately fell in love with it. So much that I was eagerly waiting for her to come out of baggage claim just to grab her shoes off and run home.

But that kind of scenes only happen in Ally McBeal don't they? So I promptly waited until she collected her two oversized and overweight bags and came out. Then came the emotions.

My heart was pounding as I patiently waited for my turn to be hugged. It was so sweet to see her return to the arms of her parents and relatives. I was so happy. And finally when she called out "Minah!", and gave me the tightest squeeze, I felt tears welling up my eyes.

Kononnya drama lah.

By the time the photo-taking ended, it was near 1030pm, and so I reluctantly left to go home.

Today, due to my unsatisfaction, I brought myself over to her place after my meeting in school. I bought her her first Singaporean lunch in a long time: chicken noodle with bubble tea. Hahaha. I think Singaporean food is probably quite sad compared to her lunches in Sydney.

We had a fabulous time as she showed off her buys. It turns out that those heels were actually boots!! All the more wow right? Its colour is a dark tan of chocolate brown. Sigh. I want boots too. Then us best friends can happy walk around in boots together yea Parv? After that, we spent the better part of the day rolling around in her room and chatting and chatting and chatting...

It felt so warm spending time with her this afternoon. It is wonderful knowing that the good ol' best pal is back in town. Somehow, the back of my mind is at peace now. There's always someone to call up, always someone to confide in, to bitch to, to gossip with, to shop with, to lepak with. And you know the best part?

This best friend service provided by Parvin comes day or night, rain or shine, happy or unhappy. All the time.

Glad to have you back Bebbeh!

Awwwwwwwe

2006-07-12T21:05:00.000+08:00

See what I saw outside my window the other day!

A RAINBOW!

It was really so long since I saw one. Too long to the extent of even forgetting there was ever such a beautiful natural phenomenan that can actually happen in real life.

Rainbows make me happy!

Just A Normal Update

2006-07-11T10:32:00.000+08:00

It has been a while since I blogged, but I'm glad I'm back.

Many things happened between June 19th and today, and almost all were blog-worthy. The only reason that these events had not been translated into words and published here is because I was still so busy to the neck with school commitments.

BUT there is some good news! I'm proud to say that I am done with all the minor modules now! Yeay! Yesterday was my last day, where we handed in our last business plan, gave our last presentation and attended class for the last time. It truly is a relief, knowing that one huge holiday burden is off my back now.

And of course with all good news, there is usually the bad. The bad news is, now the rest of my holidays must be used for doing my Final Year Project. If any of you actually bothered checking out my FYP blog, its last update was March 24th. Sigh. Really, I have been putting it off too much, it's dangerous how out of touch I am with it...

Hmm, anyway, I will slowly insert entries of the past exciting events. So do come and check em out if you're interested yea? :p

A Freezing Cool Time

2006-07-07T12:16:00.000+08:00

This year, it was his turn to organise the celebration.

So he brought me to a place where it was -8.4 degrees Celsius!

Snow City!

It is a place that I had been longing to go to, just to play with snow and throw snowballs at each other here in sunny Singapore! So when we came, they provided us with (stinky) boots, jackets and gloves. Soon we were ready to roll! Literally!

Those smiles you see up there hardly stayed on though, as we entered the holding area- awaiting instructions on safety and so on. It was freezing cold before we even entered the place!

And when we did...

Oh gosh, sub-zero temperature is really no joke. We both looked at each other in pity as we wondered briefly why we put ourselves through the pain of putting up with the unbearable cold. Nevertheless, we scanned the interior to see only a small playing area with a children's playground, and a huge steep snow slide!

We immediately grabbed the rubber tubings and raced with the many other visitors who mainly comprised of those who have snow in their own countries... Why do they want to see artificial snow? And when they see the interior infrastructure of Snow City, they smirk and say "the snow in (insert their own country's name) is better!" Of course it is, the snow there is real!

Anyway, we both raced them up the hill to be one of the firsts to go. We sat our butts on our boucy round tube and wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! We whooshed our way down! Haha, sorry I really lack the adjectives to describe the experience more distinctly in proper vocabulary. But honestly, it was awesome.

Imagine sliding down what seems like a neverending slope at a speed only accelerated by gravity. Add extremely cool wind gushing in your face and the occasional waves of ice shavings that sprinkle all over you. So shiok!!

But we were wussies. The cold proved to be too much for us, so after each trip down the slope we had to rush outside to warm our bodies up naturally before going for the next round. Plus, we hardly played with the snow cos we were too excited about sliding down our snow-covered butts.

Our hour of fun passed very quickly indeed. Sadly, the only remains of the memories at Snow City were our red noses (which were temporary) and a souvenir photograph that was snapped while we were zooming past downhill. Unfortunately, it is not nice enough to show here. Haha.

We continued our celebration at Orchard Cineleisure, where we watched Thank You For Smoking. It was damn funny! Later we rushed down for dinner at Cafe Vienna, at the Royal Plaza On Scotts! There we met Abang Mirza, my brother-in-law, who was dining there with his friends!

I wish I could show off the gifts we exchanged, but somehow Blogger is not publishing any more of my photos. How come?

Guess I wasn't meant to show off then. Hehe.

Virtual Treat

2006-06-19T23:29:00.000+08:00

Even Tamagotchis love cupcakes!
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The Minah's Wedding

2006-06-18T19:50:00.000+08:00

There was once upon a time where 4 girls- all of different ethinicity- were the only ones awake to listen to their Physics tutor. The Punjabi girl was awake simply because she was hardworking, and felt she couldn't afford to miss anything that was taught. The Chinese girl was awake only because she could not sleep in weird positions. The Arab and Malay girl, however, were awake because they had no choice. Their Physics sucked. And with his only 4 loyal disciples, the Physics tutor taught with fervour and passion- trying his best to make the girls realise the beauty in scientific and mathematical laws.
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That is the fondest memory of Parvin, June, me and Azilah in junior college. After our 'A' levels, we went different directions. Parvin, June and myself stayed close throughout, but our favourite minah disappeared. For a very long time, we were kept out of touch, and always wondered about her life and wellbeing.
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In a fated meeting in a bus during the month of March however, Azilah managed to tell me what she had been up to- all in a 10 minute ride that we shared. I was so touched when she apologised and said she missed us. And then she invited me to her wedding!
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My friendship with Azilah goes a longer way back. She was also my secondary school classmate for 2 years. We shared many many memories in school and out of it. So many stories about crushes, dates and boyfriends. So many times skipping Malay lessons together. So you can imagine the tremendous joy getting back into contact with her.
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And attending her wedding!!
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I went there with Raihan and David, a close friend from secondary school as well. My heart was racing as I inched closer to her wedding venue, excited to see the good ol' minah as a bride.
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From afar I could see the soothing creamy white theme. The void deck was decorated with lovely satin bows and roses. Music was playing and many of her guests were already feasting happily when we arrived.
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As soon as we were greeted by her pretty sister, I quickly searched for the wedding dais. And there she was. Looking so radiant and regal, bedecked with jewels that glimmered against her royal purple songket. Gorgeous.

All of a sudden I felt a tinge of sadness swept by as I saw her, not just as my friend, but a beautiful bride waiting patiently for her groom to come. She sat there, quietly, subtly, smiling and tending to the guests who shook her hand. But underneath, there was a longing so apparent. A natural shudder of nervousness that will hit anyone- anyone at all. In that moment, the girl who always exuded confidence in anything she did revealed a side of her I had never seen before.

We walked towards her to congratulate her. She managed to squeeze in a joke about how hungry she was before telling us to proceed with our meal. The feast that was presented was a sumptuous one- comprising of nasi briyani accompanied by the conventional gravies. I was just about to start on dessert when the rhythmic beats of the kompang became audible from a distance. The groom had arrived!

It did not take long for my own heart to beat in sync with the tune that was crackling in the air. I rushed over to see Azilah, who mouthed to me, "I'm nervous." I tried calming her down, and soon her mak andam (personal beauty assistant) sat by her side to cover her face with an embroidered fan.

When the groom walked down the aisle and requested to see his bride, the mak andam refused to pull down the fan. After much persuasion and bribery by the bestmen though, the mak andam relented and there the couple saw each other as husband and wife for the first time.

Azilah kissed Faisal's hand, and then they kissed their parents' hands. A photography session followed, and this was where we 3 came in to snap a photo with the newlyweds!

Shortly after, we left...

Sigh. It is still so surreal to think I attended a friend's wedding. It seemed like just a few years back when all 4 of us were still struggling with Physics. So vivid.

And now one of us has a husband! Wow.

I wonder who's next?? Hehe.

View her photos under 'Albums' in my sidebar!

Flying First Class

2006-06-16T22:18:00.000+08:00

Look who (or what) greeted us as we entered the lounge...

... a life-sized cardboard SIA stewardess posing with her perpetual smile!

Shortly after, we were greeted by real SIA stewardess with a grin big enough to mock her cardboard colleague. She ushered us to the plush cushions in the lounge, and asked for the passports.

While waiting for her to come back, we were frantically looking for the infamous food and drink counter (which was reputed to serve Haagen Daas ice-cream!). But we were half-disappointed to realise it was situated in the lounge beyond the check-in counters. So instead, we took time to admire the decor and what else?? We took photos!

We were happily snapping away when the lady returned with my father's passport. And with that we knew we had to go soon. We stood up and helped with the luggage, before hugging my father and kissing his hand.

We walked him to the departure gate, and after waving him goodbye, we turned- and left the lounge. Hmmph, I wish I was the one flying First Class.

So much for the free snacks and ice-cream at the lounge, Daddy.

International Man Of Mystery

2006-06-13T13:23:00.000+08:00

Oh yes, although it has been almost 2 weeks now, it's never too late to reveal...
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JENG! JENG! JENG!

The Circumcision Celebration

2006-06-12T17:05:00.000+08:00

This entry is a little late for last yesterday's joyful event. It was to signify Raihan's 8-year-old cousin's bravery for going through circumcision.
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For those who aren't aware, circumcision is a compulsory ritual for all Muslim boys and girls to go through. Girls usually have it easy, because they normally get circumcised before they can even remember anything at all. (There are exceptions of course.) It is the boys who get under the knife at a tender age of 6, 7 or 8. Or at any age, for that matter. As long as they have it done.

But nevertheless, the norm here- in Singapore at least- is to bring the young boy to the clinic usually during the holidays, so that he has ample time to recover. It is always a significant memory and experience; not only for the boy, but for parents, relatives and friends.

(Sometimes the memory of pre, and post circumcision stays so vivid and colourful that it can inspire one to make a movie out of it! So look out for M. Raihan Halim's shortfilm Sunat!)

Anyway, Daniel, Raihan's cousin, got rewarded with a huge feast after his recovery. And it was a blast! It was the first time I attended a huge family gathering on Raihan's side, and it was a great opportunity to bond with all his cousins.

The heavy rain did not deter us from entertaining the younger cousins, nephews or nieces. Nor did it slow down our appetite for food and fun!

Check out more photos under 'Albums' in my sidebar!

What The...?!!

2006-06-11T17:18:00.000+08:00

My countdown timer's gone!!

Of all times of times, Timetill.com just must switch from providing splendid free countdown timers to providing cheap airfare tickets!! Just 1 day after I've made my very own customised countdown timer for Parvin!

Grr!

Homecoming

2006-06-10T13:14:00.000+08:00

MY BEST FRIEND IS COMING BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Akan datang this July. *yeay!*

Failure

2006-06-06T12:10:00.000+08:00

Remember when this happened? Click here.
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Seems that it was a real folly that had resulted in some serious disappointment indeed. And another one.

The Lost Weekend

2006-06-04T09:06:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday was spent at the Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre (TAPAC) where we auditioned some boys from Sriwana. Sriwana is a local cultural body that specialises in teaching/practising/performing various traditional Malay dances. (Read more at www.sriwana.com!)
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We weren't auditioning the boys on their dancing skills though. Instead, we were looking for a suitable actor to play the main character in M. Raihan Halim's upcoming (InsyaAllah) shortfilm, Sunat. The main character of the movie is a boy named Raihan, who's about 8 years old. Hence, we thought we were spot on in getting our young actor from Sriwana.
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Oh man. It was a riot auditioning the boys! They were so adorable, talkative and friendly. But when they came into the room one-by-one for the audition, they each clammed up and became sooooooo utterly shy! It was hard for us to warm them up, but eventually their antics still didn't fail to amuse us. Presenting the little rascals:
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Ok lah. A bit salah. One of them whom we auditioned was a girl. Actually, there isn't any role for Aqilah, but because she was so smily and sweet, our tuan director auditioned her anyway! Hahaha! It was fun!

We ended around 3 hours later- and by then we were hungry. But to our dismay, we were surrounded only by lifeless office buildings. A little bit of contemplation then brought us to a cafe that both of us had longed to try, but somehow always put off.

It is 2Hot Halal Cafe, situated very nicely by the breezy Esplanade bay. This cafe blends in nicely with the other bistros, with its lovely decor and extensive variety offered on its menu. Both of us decided to try their chef's recommendations:

Seafood Spaghetti Goreng, Masala Fish & Chips and Crunchy Oreo Ice-cream Pie

See the little figurine? It's the cat-bus from the cartoon My Neighbour Totoro! So cute ain't it?!

And with that my Saturday ended, leaving me satisfied and longing for the next good day to come.

Girly Great Time

2006-06-01T23:27:00.000+08:00

We met up after a looong time. And boy was it great. Thanks June!

Me? Material?

2006-05-28T23:18:00.000+08:00

At this point of time, as I type this entry on my laptop while carefully sipping my hot Milo, it seems like the entire past week just dissolved insignificantly. Like the lump of milk that I just stirred into my drink just now.

But I shudder at remembering the extreme pressure that I went through. The minor is taking more of me than expected. Believe it or not, I find myself being more committed to these entrepreneurial modules than my core modules. Heck, I've been attending school diligently (read: no absenting), reaching by 9am and ending my lessons at 5pm. My days lengthened by intense project meetings and research. And this is supposed to be my holidays!!

But I should not complain. Like I've been reminded so many times: I chose this. And I know my efforts will be worth it. And as much as I complain about how sickenning my projects can be, there's no denying the occassional laughters, jokes, teasing... the good times I share with my group mates.
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Oh well. Then again, the next module starts in 3 weeks. Shucks.

You know lately, due to my project work and its resulting exhaustion, depression got the better of me. Ridiculous as it may sound, I was beginning to hate everyone. Cos I was under the wayward illusion that everyone was beginning to hate me. I started becoming moody, grumpy, and just because I had no time to spend on myself, I threw tantrums knowing that others were enjoying their freedom.

(Now, now. Before you judge, I'm telling you, it really was the exhaustion. Hee.)

Anyways, I'm all cheered up now! Thanks to the great weekend so far. I watched X-Men 3: The Last Stand yesterday, did a little shopping and bought myself a pretty blouse. Just now, I went to my sister's place to bake and met up with Raihan to eat delicious yong tau foo.

But best of all, I received so many surprises!!!!!!

For almost no reason at all, Raihan bought me the red bag that I had been wanting from Seiyu, Mummy bought me 2 beautiful blouses from OAMC and Aunty Biba bought me a red beaded bracelet!

I'm so happy! And as I admire my new wardrobe additions, all my sadness just suddenly seems so remote. Like a distant memory. Ahh! I'm starting to wonder- am I that easily bought?

But wait. I am hardly obliged to ponder about this question now, am I? Instead, I really would rather enjoy my Milo and relax, while thinking of what I can wear tomorrow to match that red bag.

One Night In A Faraway Neighbourhood

2006-05-20T23:27:00.000+08:00

So I arrived via a 20-minute ride to a very hip and happening shopping complex in the middle of a very foreign neighbourhood. Any neighbourhood away from the east side of the island never fails to bring out a certain 'touristy' feel in me. As I stepped out of the cab, I just stood there in a moment, soaking in the new sights and sounds around.

Do you know that the Housing Development Board (HDB) markets Bukit Panjang as a nature sanctuary? I failed at noticing this aspect before, but truly, if one were to observe closely the planning of this little quaint neighbourhood, you will realise the numerous parks and luscious greenery all around. The landscape architecture is also very impressive, boasting a myriad of tree and plant species all grown in lovely fashion.

But what attracted me more last night was the bright neon lights of the newly upgraded Bukit Panjang Plaza. Now any shopping mall that has yet to be explored will definitely bring a twinkle in my eyes! So quickly I thought of something to buy- a tube of poster paint- giving me enough excuse to roam inside. (Come on Sofi, who needs paint??)

Ahh, the pleasure of seeing so many shops on untreaded ground! The joy in just walking around aimlessly in retail wonderland. Sigh, I am pathetic aren't I? Soon, I did get my useless tube of pink paint, a carton of milk and a block of butter. After that I headed down to my sister's place...

At the door grill where she greeted me, I found that the dear couple were cooking dinner. Deep, deep down, a sense of longing hit me, as I wondered when I'd get my chance to be cooking dinner for her and my brother-in-law in my kitchen with my husband. I quickly disposed off that thought, and happily proceeded in their home to join them.

The decor of their home still never fails to impress me. 2 years ago when they first got their keys, my sister and her husband decided on a minimalist interior theme. So all the furniture and colors were chosen carefully, abiding by a strict color code of black, white and grey in between. Beautiful.

Not long later, dinner was ready! And this was what greeted me.
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It was their own specialty of sauteed potatoes and mushrooms, and tasted splendid with the fried chicken. It was certainly a great way to start the looong evening ahead!

I had so much fun spending the night at my sister's. My sister and I chatted and chatted the whole night, just whipping up snacks in the kitchen and doing some handicrafts. Simple as the activities may sound, it is the irreplacable company of a sister and brother-in-law that can make it a lifetime memory. It was awesome, and we did not turn in until it was about 3 in the morning.

It was a great pity they made such a fuss over the comforts they needed to provide me. I must say that after spending the night on a bloody boulder on a secluded island off Pulau Ubin (during OBS), I can sleep anywhere in a house and still feel comfortable. So I was very pampered when they provided me with 2 cushy pillows and a comforter for the night in their olive room. Oh sweet slumber!

Morning woke us up very early indeed, and Abang brought us to Adam Road for their famous nasi lemak. It was a scrumptious meal. But what was more sinful was that the moment we reached home, we all headed back to bed to sleeeeeeeeeep the afternoon away! Hahaha! I love such slacker days!!

By 6pm, we were all packed to head down to Kembangan. My first sleepover at Kakak Yen's and Abang's home was over so quickly. But before we left, they both had a present for ME!!

(I am so amused at how things work these days. I slept over their place, and I'm receving a present when I should be the one giving. See also Birthday Bonanza Part I. Raihan's birthday, I received a gift too! But I ain't complaining! :D)

Ta-da! A make-up set from Avon, with so many pots of eyeshadow and blusher! *blush! blush!* I'm so happy. I truly am so grateful with the generous hospitality! Thank you both, and let's do it again soon!

As Dry As It Gets

2006-05-16T22:45:00.000+08:00

You guys may not notice this, but my entries rarely contain philosophical ideas or deeper insights to the feelings, emotions or thoughts that run through my head. Instead, I dare say almost all the entries so far are mere recounts of the events that happen in my life.
da
So do pardon me, if this blog gets too dry. That my entries may seem so superficial.

da
Don't get me wrong. Sometimes I do feel tempted. Tempted to pour out my insecurities, fears and depression in writing. To burden the entry with such heavy emotions. To weigh down my sentences with such sorrow. Or sometimes to spread an ideology, or to just impose onto you a concept on how an ideal life to me would be.
da
And yet.
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You see, having said all that, I don't mean that bloggers who confide their feelings into writing for everyone to read is unrecommended. In fact, it is sometimes through the blogs of the people I love that I realise what has been bothering them, who has been nasty and so on. And it is with these entries that I know when I should call, just to lend a listening ear.
da
It will be so nice if I were to do the same. But no. I have chosen not to. Blogs are of different purposes for different people. And the purpose of my blog is simply to record certain events that are particularly special; days that I want to remember and share with all of you.
da
So once again, I apologise if you were looking for something deeper. But believe me you, as far as I am concerned, the people and the days I write about here are etched deeper in my heart than any philosophy or recommendations that I care to spread about.
da
And I apologise again for going against my word. Cos I think I just wrote a heavy philosophical entry. And brace yourselves, for here comes a recommendation:
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Go watch this.

Deluge Of Entries

2006-05-15T23:44:00.000+08:00

Finally. To all my loyal, royal and handful of readers, I have updated my blog. I have inserted them in appropriate dates, and done away with my redundant "IOU" notice. Now, please enjoy!

Another Birthday By The Sea!

2006-05-14T23:41:00.000+08:00

Just when you thought all the birthday madness in this blog was over, here comes another birthday entry! Nope, I did not have anything else up my sleeves for Raihan, but now my attention on another friend of mine, Harveen.

Now this sweet girl had requested for a birthday picnic on Sentosa Island. It was sad to disappoint her, but honestly, we (the rest of the gang) thought that a picnic on the island was too much of a hassle. Imagine bringing all the food, drinks, mats and cutlery under the hot sun. And worse, imagine it raining after we've set everything up. After hearing this, Harveen promptly agreed, and shrank her request from offshore island, to manmade beach.

So East Coast Park it was.

We were so fortunate that we had lovely weather this afternoon. All of us were (almost) punctual, which was an event by itself! Haha! We managed to find ourselves a picnic table, under a nice shady tree. But when we got nearer, it was not surprisingly, blotched with sticky dried syrup. It was a good thing that Raihan, Kelvin and June bought us a nice round blue-checkered mat. So we used it as a tablecloth.

And so we laid out our food (we made it a pot-luck picnic due to budget constraints). Raihan brought Indian rojak, Kelvin brought the famous potato epok-epok from Epok-epok Central, Harveen brought cheese and tuna sandwiches while June supplied the drinks.
dada

Me? I brought chicken chunks that you see in the foreground, and a colourful surprise! (Oh yah, check out the table cloth!)

But before we ate, we decided to exchange gifts. First up, gifts from the Vins, Fia, Han and June to the Veen:

daAnd then, it was gifts from the Vins to the Han: s

daa da

As can be seen from the photos, they were obviously ecstatic with their gifts! And so it was time to eat!

Hehehe. Actually, after our meal there was a lingering sense of awkwardness between all of us. We were either too full, too distracted by the sea breeze or... I don't know, we just fell silent. But we were quick enough to suggest playing the cards. Not poker cards, mind you. We played good ol' fashion Old Maid and Donkey! And guess who lost in the games...

Enough about that. We moved on quickly to the next game, which is Monopoly at a whole new level. It was back to school for most of us, who couldn't quite understand terms like "recurrent income". Poor June had to put up with repeating the rules again and again until all of us understood. But it served her right for not wanting to play Monopoly as the simple game it was! She just had to modify the rules to make it similar to the Financial IQ game.

We played shakily in the beginning, and eventually got the hang of it. So much so that by the time it was dark, we were not ready to end the game, and brought the whole set to Coffee Bean to continue playing there. But of course, we just had to take more photos!

And with that, the picnic was over. Sigh. :( What a great day it was! Hope you enjoyed your picnic dear Harveen!

Birthday Bonanza (Part II)

2006-05-13T23:56:00.000+08:00

Like I've shamelessly admitted twice before on this blog, I am indeed, self-absorbed and selfish.

Hahaha! But how could I resist? I had to outdo myself. I had to make Raihan's birthday this year more special than how I had planned the last. And to do this, last Wednesday's celebration was only a tiny glimpse of what awaited the birthday boy.

You see, the dude had more than once complained to others about how deprived he was of seafood. Ever since he started going out with me, he says that he has not been playing his part in controlling the overpopulation of some sea species- particularly squids, prawns and crabs. So in order to make him literally bite back his words, my mother, kakak and I collaborated in giving him the most memorable meal he could find in my home. (because otherwise nobody in my family eats seafood)

Behold! Seafood galore!
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Toasted butter rolls, grilled prawns, fried squids and chilli crabs!

Ooo he ate like there was no tomorrow! He devoured those sea creatures so mercilessly, with a certain arrogance and superiority only predators possess. He must be proud to be top of the food chain.

After the messy meal, he dropped his savage instincts, bathed and changed to look very handsome. We were ready for a wonderful night out!

It was a night that both of us had been looking forward to. Thanks to the articulate planning of yours truly, Raihan's dream of singing Audioslave's "Like A Stone" in front of a live audience was to be realised!

The place was Aquadisiac, a swanky lounge in front of Wisma Atria. The time, 830pm. The friends and family came, large in quantity and even larger in support.

After nearly 45 minutes of butterflies flapping in his stomach, the moment finally arrived whn he was invited up on stage by Jeff, the lead singer of Cats In The Cradle. (Cats In The Cradle is the friendly in-house band for Aquadisiac. Read more about them at www.catsinthecradle.info!) He nervously went up, cleared his throat and gave a very sweet speech. And softly, he began to sing. Click here to watch him.

He picked up the rhythm, slowly but surely. And throughout his whole performance, I could see him relishing it, amidst the jitters. I could not help but have tears welling up a bit. I was so proud, so happy to see him up there. Say what you want, but I personally thought he was amazing. :)

At the end of his performance, we welcomed Raihan back to his seat with a huge ass cheesecake. The band sang him a ridiculous version of the birthday song while he cut the cake. And oh wow, the cake was mean and delicious. YUM!

After the cake sharing and merry-making, the night seemed to fly by so quickly. It was a pity it had to come to an abrupt end, when I glanced at the time. It was 10pm by then, and I had to mind the curfew. So all of us dispersed and headed home.

And with that, Raihan's birthday bonanza ended. Once again, Happy Birthday dude.

Birthday Bonanza (Part I)

2006-05-11T03:43:00.000+08:00

It was the dude's birthday!! And to cut the story short:

Impromptu bicycle gift. Lunch treat with sisters and cousin. Lost Chronicles with Bonus DVD. Eight Below. See pictures for reference.

AHA!! You'd think I'd let this entry go with just barely a paragraph eh? Sorry people, but a fun-filled day like yesterday certainly deserves elaboration.

I woke up at 8 in the morning still feeling very guilty, because- believe it or not- I had missed the midnight mark to wish Raihan a happy birthday! I felt so lousy thinking I had managed to immerse myself so much into work that I had overlooked that very important moment. But not wanting to let my conscience eat me up from inside, I eventually convinced myself that not turning up for school while my group members slogged on to finish their parts of the project made up for last night's folly.

So I carefully planned the day. Since his family wasn't celebrating his birthday at home, I knew I wanted to include at least his sisters in my plans for the day. I was lucky enough to have them free for the afternoon, and a few calls later, his cousin was also game to join us!

My next step was to go to Orchard Cineleisure to buy the movie tickets. Again, luck was on my side because yesterday was the last day they were showing Eight Below! Happy that I'd secured my 5 tickets, I then went on to Kinokuniya to get our friend the book he had been raving about. My plan was almost complete!

After buying the book, I quickly rushed down to our current favourite food joint: Ramen Ten! There I liaised with the same waiter, Shai, to pull off the same trick Raihan did for our 2nd-year anniversary, and he was only too glad too comply. So this time around, Shai would bring the Lost book along while serving our food to surprise him!

I excitedly waited for everyone to show up at Far East Plaza at 2pm, and thank God, my plan went smoothly! We all had a wonderful lunch, and it was so satisfying to see how happy Raihan was when Shai brought him his book. Siti, Nur and Awin (Raihan's sisters and cousin) also brought a surprise: cake slices! We each savoured our share after our meals, and it was great we didn't have leftovers.

As I was happily slurping the cream off my slice of cake, little did I know that the girls had another gift. And the gift was for me!! Hahaha! See what they gave!

It's a cuddly soft-toy turtle!! (We named it Ramen) How cute is that?!

We had some time to kill before the movie started, so we all took our time strolling down Orchard Road, chatting, laughing, giggling so hard. And finally the movie started.

The movie was so heart-warming, and 2 hours later, it left us with a new-found respect for our intelligent canine friends. But in the middle of discussing how clever and beautiful the huskies were, we got distracted by Bakin' Boys cookies and quickly bought ourselves some.

Shortly after, we were all in a cab on the way home.

I enjoyed myself thoroughly yesterday, but I hope the birthday boy enjoyed himself more.

PS: Oh yes, you may wonder the bicycle fits into this birthday story. Now that shall be a good conversation topic when you next see me ok? :p

Back To School

2006-05-08T22:30:00.000+08:00

Yeah, with the busy past weekend, I still have yet to get into the post-exams mood. The lazing around, taking my time to do brainless things. And suddenly today I was back in school for my minor classes.

Sigh.

Bummer huh? And guess what? We were all given our project assignment, which is to write up a full business plan by Thursday!! I've sO screwed up my own holidays. :(

For The 1st Time In My Life

2006-05-07T08:57:00.000+08:00

So immediately after my exams ended on the 4th of May, I didn't quite have the luxury to celebrate my new-found (albeit temporary) freedom. I immediately rushed after my paper to a well-liked supermarket; to scout around for the best bargains for snacks, chocolates and candy. These sweets were then stuffed nicely into colourful goodie bags. And in the middle of doing so, I got the confirmation that I was to be the gamemaster for the event! Hahaha! Slightly overwhelmed (read: panicked!) by my new post, I quickly spent the next day planning party games for the kids and grown-ups.

The event I was talking about above was a family chalet. As common as it may seem to you on the surface, it was an event that I had waited my whole life for. Everytime I hear friends groaning about a family chalet, everytime I see families camping by the sea, there had always been a pang of longing in me. Yea, we've had our late-night durian-eating sessions, our crazy barbecues and merry weddings...

But we never had a family gathering outside any one of our homes. Hence, this debut family chalet was particularly special for me.

We held it at Aloha Loyang, a spacious 2-storey bungalow just right to fit the 60-odd relatives. It was a pot-luck event meant for Mothers' day. But mothers being mothers, they refused to rest until they made sure that food was in abundance always. Just to name some of the dishes we had: nasi lemak, beef curry with bread, fried macaroni, banana fritters, bubur terigu, kek kukus, fried laksa, fried noodles, sardine and potato curry puffs, ondeh-ondeh, a variety of fruits, choices of hot and cold drinks and many more!!

Everyone was naturally happy to see so much food. And the kids had a ball screaming their lungs out and bursting the yellow balloons. By dusk, the boys had succesfully put up a nice fire and started barbecueing the wings. I, on the other hand, was waiting anxiously for the right time to start the games. But then, Nana suddenly brought out her surprise which completely stole the show that day...

Mini-cupcakes for the mummies!

Everyone oooh-ed and aahh-ed for awhile, before grabbing them one-by-one and popped them down without mercy. They were chocolate chip cupcakes, and were simply delicious.

People were all happily downing the cupcakes when it suddenly rained without warning, forcing the boys to stop the barbecueing. :( They were clearly disappointed too, because being at the bbq grills gave them excuse not to mingle so much with the makciks and pakciks. Hehe. But eventually, they settled themselves down with some good ol' male-bonding.

By then, it was already 8 plus at night. Everyone was satiated by then, and we took our time to chat while the children screamed with delight in the background. At that time I was sure that there wasn't going to be any use for a gamemaster anymore, and promptly gave out the goodie bags. And with that, it somehow gave the children more energy to scream at a higher volume.

Time passed by with a lingering eagerness to watch the election results on TV. Meanwhile, many guests left, and many insects replaced them. These insects were all over the place- even on my blouse. Disgusting!

By 10pm, most of us were too exhausted to do anything exciting anymore. General elections results were beginning to sound more interesting than another round of grapes or epok-epok. So to officially wrap things up, we got all the mothers together and snapped a memorable photograph of them. Happy Mothers' Day!

And to all those who do not want to openly admit it: I'll do the honours.

To view all photos, please click here! (Yes! I've changed to shutterfly, so you can view photos on my online album without the need to sign-in!)

Care 2B Frens?

2006-05-02T23:51:00.000+08:00

I still vividly remember the slightly warm afternoon in May 2004. I had just returned home from an examination paper. Exhausted, I simply plopped my bag down and routinely sat down to surf the internet. As usual I checked my email and decided to browse through my Friendster account. Apparently a new message from a stranger. Its contents read so sweet and sincere, that it was irresistable to send a reply. And from then on...

Over time, it was that message which eventually turned a stranger into a friend, a friend into a partner, like into love. And to that 1st message, we owe it all.

Today we celebrated the 2nd year since he first sent it- and since I first read it. It was so joyous, and oh-so memorable. He bared a side of himself that I quite rarely see, and even if he hates to admit it, he is quite a hopeless romantic.

I was awoken today by my mother telling me that a friend had come to visit. Clueless, I reluctantly tore myself off the bed, quickly washed my face and tried to look presentable. I failed terribly at doing so, and had no choice but to face my guest with a just-woke-up ensemble.

It turned out to be Mervyn, who held in his hands the cutest bouquet I've ever seen (with just 1 sole sunflower). He (somewhat) shyly passed it to me as he realised what an awkward position he was in. He said, "Here. It's from Han." With that, I let go all consciousness of my dishevelled out-of-bed hair, oily and bespectacled face, terrible-looking pajamas and morning breath to exclaim my surprise and happiness.

How so very sweet! Although he could have delivered the flowers himself to save me some embarassment, I ain't complaining. I absolutely love the adorable bouquet!

So despite the urge of skipping my Law paper and meeting Raihan instead, sense got the better of me as I went to school very dreamily in love indeed. I was so eager to rush through time, to let evening come as quickly as it could. But alas, it was only 1210pm then.

5 o'clock eventually came, and as I rushed through the ticketing machines at Orchard MRT station, I saw him there waiting. I felt a rush that I had not felt before in a looooong time. Finally, a date after what seemed like infinity (blame it on the neverending exams)!

Lunch was his treat at the now-halal Ramen Ten at Far East Plaza Level One. He ordered Spicy Chicken Karaage Ramen while I asked for Spicy Tom Yam Chicken Cutlet Dry Ramen. I was waiting very anxiously for the food as I had starved myself specially for this meal. So as the waiter came and placed my dish in front of me, I was eyeing it ferociously when he said, " Miss, here's a little gift from the gentleman down here" and carefully placed a delicate little jewellery box beside my ramen.

I was speechless. My mind was racing. I looked up at Raihan as he gave me the most endearing smile. "Open it'" he nudged. I was so flattered, and I did not dare open the pretty box up. I suddenly panicked at my inferior gift of a miserable (but adorable) mug shaped like stacked-up Oreo cookies.

But he was kind. I opened it slightly to see before me a very lovely necklace with a pendant showing 2 kissing fish, and a small diamond between them. I nearly cried. It was incredible to receive my first piece of jewellery from him. And then he (tried to) put it on for me.

Bursting at the seams with pride, I was, at the same time, humbled by his shower of thoughtful gestures. And if that was not enough, he then offered to accompany me to shop! We brought ourselves to Parkway Parade and walked around, trying on clothes, turning every blouse and shirt on each rack. And finally around 845pm, we parted to go home, each very satisfied with each other's buys.

I had so much fun today. It was really amazing! Thank you so much you.

PS: The Ramen Ten logo was taken from www.ramenten.com.

All The Way From Down Under

2006-04-29T23:18:00.000+08:00

If anyone doesn't know yet, the bhai actually had an OZ escapade mid-April, where he had spent around 2 weeks with the bebbeh where they both celebrated their 2nd-year anniversary. He had planned this from before she first left for Sydney last year, and finally, after so long not seeing each other, I am most happy to know that their reunion was magical. And from the stories I heard from them both, they shared many adventures visiting different Australian attractions, eating at the loveliest restaurants, meeting up with friends and warming each other up in the cold southern winter. (You can see more below and read more here.)

See how deliriously in love they look?? Hehehe. It is so sweet to see them both together. And I must say that a lump formed in my throat when Parvin said his trip "only confirmed how much (she) wants to spend the rest of (her) life with him". Sigh.

Anyway, you might wonder how I fit into this very diabetic-causing event. Call me evil, but I was incessantly awaiting the bhai's return because of one, and only one reason alone- the gifts that my best friend had sent for me.

Muahahahahaha! Of course, I am quite civil. I knew that in all fair exchanges, the barter for a gift from her, would obviously be a gift from me too. And hence I scoured around for something she'd appreciate, wrapped it up so nicely, complete with a handmade card and requested the bhai politely to help pass it to her.

Tada! A baby blue knitted woolen shawl with matching white beaded loop earrings with matching snowscape card with matching gift-wrap with matching ribbon! (If you notice, she was wearing them in one of the pictures above) Quite a nice bribe for some gifts in return yea? Heh.

And so it was. Just a day after he returned (which was yesterday), the bhai called me up to pass me "some stuff". Ooo, so excited I was! I couldn't wait to see what the bebbeh gave me, so I ungraciously opened my loot in front of the bhai. Behold the spread of items...

A cool ethnic necklace: which is very me, a big-ass pack of very-much-coveted Darell Lea Rocky Road: which the whole family had been craving for (you can see that 1/2 of it is gone), packs of chocolate chai tea and turkish apple tea: both which I love so much, bars of Australian nougat and chocolate: which always cannot be refused and a Starbucks card: which is 1 more to add to my collection! How awesome are these!

So here comes a shout-out to my best friend somewhere in the southern hemisphere: THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Wahahahaha! Don't action action don't want to bring jacket, and later freeze yourself ok. And you know I'm kidding about the bribe. The gift was sincere and with no intention of getting something in return.

Or was it? Heh. Love you girl, and all the best for your papers k.

PS: Photos of Parvin and Kelvin were taken from her blog.

Wah, Hana!

2006-04-25T02:00:00.000+08:00

It's been a very hectic weekend, but it was fantastic.

I was caught up with work (exams still on mah), a BIG project *wink* which required a lot of time, attention and running around, missing Raihan who went to KL and being very impressed by an awesome girl...

Can you see? I'm talking about Hana! Haha! So cute right the sushi name.

Anyway, Hana belongs to a dikir barat group called Wahana Deksu (very suitable choice eh?) which is very much revered in the scene. Established for almost 13 years now, it's been known to have gorgeous girl members who have a mean talent in shouting the lyrics of their songs as they clap in synchronised style. (Read more here.) They thrive, even in a very male-dominated arena. But really, with their class acts and meaningful songs, I am indeed not surprised that the group, Wahana Deksu, has accumulated many loyal fans.

So Wahana Deksu, along with Hana, participated in a nationwide competition last Sunday. It was definitely an eager wait for me and the rest of the family to watch her perform. And after nearly 3 1/2 hours, I caught a glimpse of her!

It was the first time I watched her perform, and honestly, I was somehow so touched. I couldn't take my focus of her on stage and I couldn't understand the tremendous pride I had. She had wanted this so much, and it showed how much she loved being part of the performance. I could see her effort, and hence I felt so happy and moved by her sincerity and precision of hand movements.

Call me drama, but it is true.

After the performance I left. But I hated the fact that I had to. As I was walking out I saw the whole group walk together from backstage to the holding area, all with smiles on their faces. I tried looking for Hana. To... I don't know, hug her or congratulate her. I just felt like bursting with emotions. And just as I caught a glimpse of her, I just stood still.

I was truly in awe, of a younger sister I wish I had.

The Amazing Cheat Sheet

2006-04-20T20:20:00.000+08:00

The paper I sat for today allowed us to bring in a single sheet of paper with any notes written on it. The picture above shows mine. Can you read what's on it?

Bad news is, neither can't I.

My own handwriting failed me at the time I needed it the most.

So loser right?

Beating (And Whisking) Away During Easter

2006-04-14T23:40:00.000+08:00

And so it has started. Had my 1st paper yesterday. Ah well, let me just say that talking about the paper isn't as blog-worthy as what we did today!
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Actually, my sister's been at it for quite sometime now. It seems like she's been bitten by the:

Haha. She can't stop baking! Really! But this situation is obviously not where one has to panic, cos ultimately it is the members of the household (including yours truly) who gets to enjoy her creations- like these cuppycakes below!

So today, as usual she came over armed with all her baking tools and ingredients, ready to whip up some good stuff in the kitchen. And so I decided to disarm myself of books and notes to join her!

Ooo what fun it was, getting my hands messy again after sooo long. It was so shiok being in the kitchen with her, trying to decipher recipes like a mathematics equation. But, like how all mathematics equations hold truth, it is 'un-arguable' that the product of today's session was nothing less than satisfying.

Pretty right?! And the taste... Just made all my time not studying worth it. Oh, and I made a special edition cupcake too.

My dream was realised. Oh happiness!

Tears

2006-04-10T23:50:00.000+08:00

[Disclaimer: The following was written with no intent of blasphemy.]

Allow me to recite
An everlasting tale…

In Eden it starts
With Adam and Eve
Surrounded by angels
So blissful they live

Where skies are so blue
And days always bright
With countless stars beaming
So proudly at night
The breeze never fails
To drift by so light
Surely this tells
Of God’s love and might

With each break of dawn
They come out to play
So excited they are
To start a new day

Adam steps forward
And bows down to God
To tell how he loves Him
His almighty Lord

He thanks Him for Eve
His only best friend
His promise to love her
As best as he can

He turns to Eve
As she bows down too
So shy she smiles
And thanks the Lord too

He kisses her cheek
And then they hold hands
Eager to wander
Explore Heaven’s lands

So long they walk
But never they tire
They sing and dance
So happy together

Eve picks up a flower
And he steals a kiss
How lucky they are
In eternal bliss

As music floats by
Of harp and the flute
They stop by the tree
With forbidden fruit

The music all stops
And out comes a snake
Hissing so loudly
Eve trembles and shakes

Eat it, the snake says
The fruit tastes so good
Better than any
Of paradise food

Reluctant at first
But the snake persists
Never leaving
The couple in peace

And then with doubt
Adam steps forth
As he plucks off the fruit
All angels pause

The whole Heaven
Await to see
The snake cheers him on
And giggles with glee

Adam then bites
And Eve takes one too
Then all creatures gasp
Don’t know what to do

Adam realises
What he has done
He begs for mercy
It’s God that he wants

Eve then sits down
As her legs grow weak
A feeling so strange
It makes her feel sick

Her heart shatters
So filled with remorse
She feels so sorry
At her sudden loss

Her body trembles
With guilt and fear
Then her vision subsides
As her lips quiver
She blinks her eyes
Welled up with water
And then so slowly
She sheds her first tear

Growing Up

2006-04-09T23:16:00.000+08:00

A reminder popped up in my school's email inbox today, asking me to send in a passport-sized photograph. The photo that I send will be published in the NTU Civil & Environmental Engineering's yearbook for the graduating class of 2006.

Mind you, I can't possibly send in any photo. The yearbook shall be the sole document that shall hold proof of my 4 torturous years of earning my bachelor's degree. And, if any, anyone at all were to 1 day flip through its pages to reminisce, memories of the good ol' Sofie should never be synonymous with a bleargh-looking picture, no?

But! I'm too lazy to take a new photo, what more pay for 4 copies of it when I only need 1.

So I scoured through my collection of all my passport-sized photographs that I previously took (yes, all those extra copies). And in doing so I was amused.

See how much I've grown? From the chubby, innocent 7-year-old through primary school, terrible-looking teenage years in secondary school, plain Jane in junior college, experimental-looking make-up and bad hair after that, and finally me in university.

Haha! It is so weird looking at these photos. Damn girl, you look so... wrong! However, there is no doubt in saying that each photo up there brings back lots, and lots of great memories. It is nice to space out and think about the past sometimes. And it is nice to know that growing up is indeed, a nice thing to do in your past time. :)

Anyway, you must be wondering which one I submitted... Of course the most recent one lah! Haha!

Please, Don't Try This At Home

2006-04-09T01:23:00.000+08:00

But we did. Click!

Just Curious For Public Opinion

2006-04-08T11:09:00.000+08:00

Hehe. I'm self-absorbed, I know.

Explaining My Absence

2006-04-08T01:52:00.000+08:00

It's been a while, yes. And you may think I have a lot to write here to account for the many days that I have been missing, but I'm afraid I'll disappoint. Cos really, exams are coming. My sole responsibility now is nothing except study, study, study. And since all my readers are just my close family and friends, I know it'd appease you guys to know I'm burying myself in books than wasting my time blogging... right?

Uh huh! *all readers nod in unison*

Then again, it is a guaranteed fact that spending too much time going through modules like Hydrology and Structures will only result in me finding excuses to just squeeze in that extra 'break time' to pamper myself. I'm sure this is all too familiar to anyone who's gone through school and exams before- where a supposed 10-minute quick snack turned into a comfortable 2-hour "hey, I didn't know they're showing this on tv" break.

Yep, sometimes you know you deserve the rest and manage to get away with it guilt-free. But there are other times when someone catches you red-handed... And when this happens, you know the only rest you'll get is back in the chair at your desk. Take this afternoon for example.

I was going through a stack of my notes when I came across a bright red envelope. I checked its contents and to my delight, found several vouchers given by Esprit. All held attractive discounts of sorts, but there was 1 that screamed out loud at me- FREE Oriental Swedish Pampering worth $120! It includes a massage, scrub and steam bath!!

How could my buttocks not be stirred in the chair I was sitting in? Tell me. So naturally, after thinking it over once, twice, thrice, I picked up the phone and swiftly made an appointment at 2 o'clock. So exciting!

Then suddenly a wave of guilt swept past, but only very temporarily, cos before I could finish up 2 more pages I was on the way to take my shower and soon, I was ready to go!

Yeay, huh? I went out with glee, and even told Raihan I was so happy I was going for a free massage. He did express his concern for me to be studying instead. So in panic (and not wanting the guilt to set in again) I lied and said the voucher was expiring! * gasp!*

The bus finally came after a very long wait in the sun. And just as I boarded the bus, I saw an oh-so-familiar face...............

YES!! Exactly with that 'haha-what-are-you-doing-here-caught-you-red-handed' expression! Damn! At that moment I swear I could literally see my would-be masseuse laughing at me too!!

So that was it. The beginning and the end of my Friday afternoon study escapade.

But it turned out that the reason Raihan was in that bus was cos he wanted to keep me company at home. So while I studied, he'd do his own work. Which was quite brilliant too. We had lunch together, and then I was back to my desk.

Sigh.

But still I had so much fun! In between mini breaks, we discussed about how the presskit for his shortfilm should look like. So I came up with this:

Nice right?! He loved it! But it is too suggestive he said. And unfortunately I have to nod my head in agreement cos his audience will range from very young to very old. Hopefully I'll come up with something better soon. Ok lah, I admit that actually this bit is written just to show off my design. But you gotta admit, it does look awesome doesn't it? Heh.

What can I say? IQ 135 mah... What's yours?

New Off The Sushi Rack

2006-03-26T12:23:00.000+08:00

Straight from the kitchen comes a new jumbo sushi. Soon to be a hot favourite, it's definitely a must-try! Ingredients consist of: unagi, inagi, sashimi and much more...!

It's a Raihan-Temaki!

Books Can Wait While I...

2006-03-23T00:07:00.000+08:00

Well with all the work and pressure I'd been soaking myself in, one must admit there is always a great reason to just pause everything- to enjoy and celebrate.

Especially when it is my sister's birthday today!!

As always, birthday celebrations will mean stuffing my face with lots of fabulous homemade dishes...

See my mother wanted to capture a 'surf-and-turf' theme to her dishes... So she came up with a very diplomatic spread; consisting of (clockwise from top-left) tandoori chicken chunks seasoned with English herbs and onions, rendang whole-squids stuffed with Malay glutinous rice, crispy deep fried batter-dipped beef slices and lastly, a local favourite, Indian rojak. All of these to be eaten, not with rice, but with the cutest...

... potato balls!

Hahaha! My mother and her unique style of gourmet cooking.

So after a very heavy dinner, with what seems to be catching on as a tradition in the family, everyone feigned disinterest and cluelessness about how the dinner would progress. Nonchalantly massaging bloated stomachs, sighing about how already satiated they were... All this while eyeing eagerly in the direction of the kitchen, just waiting to find out what flavour the birthday cake is.

And all anticipation ceased as the cake was revealed to the birthday girl.

Check this out. Upon clever recommendation and advice from a certain scriptwriter, we had ordered a gorgeous SNICKERS Cheesecake.

Care for a review? This cheesecake is indeed a killer. It gives you no mercy. It may look decent and unsuspecting on the outside, with innocent chocolate shavings and modest, small pieces of Snickers bars. But it is its contents that simply overwhelms you without warning. With its ungracious mess of oozing caramel, peanuts and thick cream cheese, you can't help but surrender to its mighty taste and richness.

Simply put, this cheesecake is one more to add to the list of things you must try before dying.

Later on, it was time to open the presents! Apart from the kick-ass cheesecake, my sister's loot consisted of a 50-piece cookie cutter set, a sponsored session for a full body scrub at Wayan Spa Resort, a Summer Rose stone bracelet from Chomel and a dark grey long-sleeved shirt from Fox.

Oh yes! And who can forget the "perfectly rounded pearls from the southern asian seas"? Heh.

Happy Birthday Marianne. May God bless you with all the best things in life always.

Help!

2006-03-14T13:44:00.000+08:00

My life right now is a messy concoction of work, work and work- among other things.

Scheizer.

To Serve To Strive And Not To Yield

2006-03-13T10:05:00.000+08:00

It took 3 days for me to realise that the outdoors ain't that bad after all.

Yet Another Farewell

2006-03-05T00:53:00.000+08:00

The menu had to be planned 2 days before. 5 hours to shop for ingredients at 2 different supermarkets. 3 people to carry all the shopping bags. 18 guests to feed.
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The cooking had to start from morning for all the dishes to be ready by 6 in the evening. I woke up early just to join in the action, knowing it will be one of the last times I get to spend with her in the kitchen. Chatting, gossiping and irritating her while cutting the veges had always been a joy. There was always some kind of satisfaction just watching her cook.
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There was barely time for rest, but everything ceased promptly and punctually by 530pm. Chicken rice, sambal (chilli sauce), 36 pieces of crispy fried chicken, 8 grilled fish stuffed with cencalok (spicy shrimp paste), chap chye (stewed vegetables with egg tofu) and epok-epok sardin (sardine puffs) all awaited the guests.
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Raihan came early around 3pm, bringing a surprise of his own- his grandmother's specialty: roti boyan!

Everyone finally came at around 730pm, and there was an even greater surprise when Aunty Rohana brought kuih kuria and kuih lapis! How wonderful- my favourites! There were lots and lots of food now, for lots and lots of people.

And so the feasting started.

Grandma said the house was like a restaurant. Hehe.

And then it was time for dessert! (contribution by yours truly of course) Presenting...

... my Sore-Throat Brownie Special!

(It was quite a flop, cos it made its creator sick.)

Anyway, it is still a mystery to whom the farewell was for isn't it? It was quite ironic that she barely showed her face throughout the dinner cos she was (still) busy in the kitchen. But she took time to savour my brownie with me.

Kakak Wagiyah (the one who's hugging me) and I have grown close over the past 6 years, close enough for me to see her as another elder sister. Her presence in my life goes beyond the need for her to wash my clothes and cook my lunch... And soon she'll be going home. It has been a pleasure knowing her. And I love her.

And I know Kakak Khotimah (the one in pink) will be just as nice... But really, Kakak Wagiyah already has a place in my heart.

Saying Goodbye Again

2006-02-27T00:45:00.000+08:00

Next time a best friend decides to study overseas (or go somewhere far away for a loooong time), stop her immediately.

Yes, put aside all that generosity and support. Shove away all encouraging words and visions of her potential success. Forget about trying to convince one another that time shall be kind enough to pass so quickly. That emails and calling cards will disguise the distance that sets both apart. That photographs and memories are there to heal. That looking forward to her return helps.

Throw all of it away. Rubbish.

And just don't mention that everything shall stay the same. Cos it won't.

Tell me I'm being selfish. But I just cannot stand the fact that my best friend is thousands of kilometres away- in an entirely different continent. It hurts that I cannot just pick up the phone, dial a local number and whine in her ear, or that I cannot just meet up with her for KFC cheese fries, a quick coffee and cheesecake. It bothers me that she's not lazing around in her green room in her home watching Hindi movies that she had borrowed from a Simei video store. The worst part is that she left last year, came back for a short 2 months- and now she has gone again...

The farewell dinner was fun though.

Disclaimer: This entry was written with the use of "her" without any intent of feminism. It is simply because my best friend is a girl.

I badly need to learn how to link my blog to my online album, without the need to sign-in. Anyone can help?

Oasis...! Or Just A Mirage?

2006-02-23T23:28:00.000+08:00

Tonight the legends performed!

Well, it is not as if I went. And I only have myself to blame, cos even though it has been my dream to watch them live, I still can't bear to further reduce the meagre remnance of my bank account.

Guess I'm destined to remain a concert-virgin all my life.

Not Quite A Break...

2006-02-20T23:23:00.000+08:00

The one-week holiday starts today. But there'll hardly be any time to rest and relax! My to-do list is quite intimidating, with many requiring my urgent attention!

Things to achieve during break:

1. Study for 2 tests

2. Catch up on undone tutorials (all 36 of them!!!)

3. Start the first cycle of experiments for my FYP

4. Build a bridge for the Structures II project

5. Go out with friends

6. Enjoy last days with bestie

How man? It's an almost impossible task! As it is, Friday evening+Saturday+Sunday+Monday have not been exactly productive.

Oh well, but at least I spent those days having lots of FUN!

Seeing Red

2006-02-19T00:40:00.000+08:00

1 New Year resolution that I am more than happy to uphold is the promise to meet up with my girl cousins at least once every month. I guess all 4 of us realised somehow that a bond so strong should never be jeopardised by hectic work schedules, nor should it be distanced by unhealthy once-a-year-during-Eid meetings at dear old Gramma's place.

I didn't blog about this earlier, only because a quarter of the girls (the busy pear) was missing during our first date in January. Though incomplete, it was a wonderful meet nonetheless. So wonderful, it fuelled much excitement in us (or me, at least) for our February date!

So the 18th of February came. It was decided that a pot-luck dinner be held in Nana's home because I've never been there before. After much thought, Pear, DJ and me brought home-baked blueberry muffins and tons of snacks while Pops bugged his gramma to cook up fried macaroni as his contribution!

First and foremost, utmost compliments to Nana and Fansuri on their lovely, lovely home. It is beautiful, and mostly off-white, creating a warm and inviting hue. Nana gave me a tour of her home, and the more I saw, the more I liked and admired. Very nice!!

But my growling tummy soon turned my attention to what was being prepared in the kitchen. It turned out that Nana put careful thought to her spread as well! She'd actually given a colour theme to the date: RED!

See! Red napkins, red chillies on cashew nut chicken noodle, red macaroni, red border on pizza boxes (which, by the way, were Yaya & Jeremy's contribution!)... Ok lah, I admit the blueberry muffins certainly weren't red, but they somehow blend in here. Heh.

Dinner was splendid, thanks to the variety of food... We were all very much satiated amidst chit chat and raspberry cordial drinks (*gasp!* red coloured too!) until lo and behold! There was the match between the Reds and the Red devils! How red was that!

(Check out DJ's red polo-tee) Little did we know that Nana and Fansuri had another red something up their sleeves...

Wowzer! Strawberry cheesecake at its meanest. It was served with a generous filling, making it a very rich, textured and delicious cheesecake. This sinful dessert definitely made everyone's lips quiver with redness as each of us devoured it. (well, not really all of us, cos Jeremy is lactose intolerant)

Everyone was so happy by the end of the night, more so when the Reds won the match. With good food and greater company, seeing red had never been funner.

[click on pic for more!] I am sOOO looking forward to our March date now.

My Hip-Hop Valentines

2006-02-14T23:39:00.000+08:00

The consensus was to distance ourselves as far as possible from the cookie cutout of the feminine, dainty, long-haired, doe-eyed, butterflies-in-the-air lovestruck kinda girl this Valentine's.

So... We decided to don our hip-hop gear and rock the socks off everybody in 'da hood yo! Our main motive: Dress to impress, parlay all day!

And parlay we did. It turned out that it was the start of the NTU Welfare Festival as well, which only meant that it was filled with loads of freebies, bazaar stalls, loud muzak, and fun, fun, fun! We shoved our way past the girly girls with bouquets in their hands and lovelorn guys who queued up to buy last minute chocolates to the check out the campus buzz.

Behold- arcade game machines in school lah! Air hockey, Daytona Car Racing, Puzzle Bubble, Metal Slug, Soccer Champions, House Of The Dead and Para-para Dance machines... Here comes the best part: all games were unlimited and free! Who can beat that?! NTUSU rocks! There were also lots of pink heart-shaped balloons (but who cares? cos we were the mean hip hop V-day babes!), a 3-minute caricature artist and free ice-cream!

There was also a carnival tent set up not far from the north spine (ie. 'da hood). Uncle Ringo's Fun Fair was complete with old school game stalls like shooting the balls off the bottles, and fuzzy long-armed flourescent-coloured monkey stuffed toys to be won. June tested her strength with the large hammer, but she didn't win anything.

It was back to lectures for us, after the hectic fun and activity. But we didn't let ourselves stop there. After our last lesson, we went from study tables to lecture theatres, being trigger-happy, snapping and snapping away!

And if all that wasn't enough to make it the best Valentine's day ever, little did I know that there was a another huge surprise waiting for me to make it even better.

Ubin Boy... And Girl

2006-02-12T22:47:00.000+08:00

It was a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious mega date at Ubin today. This friendly little island is definitely the perfect place for anyone who wishes for a quick getaway. Or for anyone who wishes to see Singapore stuck in the 70's. Or for anyone who wishes for great thigh exercise while cycling challenging terrain. Or for anyone who wishes to see fellow countrymen who live in a tourist attraction. Or for anyone who just wishes to have a relaxing time without having your passport chopped.

For me, all I wished for was a date. But Ubin, and someone else, swept me off my feet!

A Quickie (Warning: Cupcake Content)

2006-02-07T22:55:00.000+08:00

I really have to make this a short one, not because of content-constraint, but I am so short of time!

(Been a busy girl, but getting busier soon!)

Hopped over to his place just now to see how he was. Apparently he overate yesterday, so much so that his stomach ached whenever he thought of another morsel of food entering his (very small) mouth. When I arrived, he was barely awake. He looked so pale and sick when he greeted me. And short of 5 seconds later, he was back on the couch sleeping.

Well, it was a very sad sight. And it hurt me to see him so unwell like that.

However! It gave us (me and his darling sis) great excuse to get up to some infamous kitchen mischief! We had all the ingredients ready (coincidence? no?) and before you know it, a delicious brown batter was whipped up! Dainty little paper cups were then filled, baked and decorated...

And voila! Presenting...

...24 cupcakes for the Birthday Girl!

*Aren't they pretty??*

Later in the evening, all of us dropped by the Birthday Girl's place to surprise her; and boy was she surprised! She never expected it, and it was clear she loved every single one of them. Especially this one!

So kudos to the girls behind the cupcake surprise!

Oh by the way, check out my new buy! Pretty no?

Encounters Of The Scary Kind

2006-02-05T17:27:00.000+08:00

Blame it on my lack of discipline.

So I was trying to spend my Sunday afternoon catching up on my studies. After all, I'm going to have 2 quizzes this coming week, and I haven't started revision! I have put my notes down in front of me on the desk, tucked in my chair and started reading a line.

Then I decided I was still too tired from all the walking we did last night, and rolled my chair towards the bed. With my notes in hand, no less. Nope, of course I wouldn't waste the perfect afternoon not studying!!

Ahh, the afternoon breeze was so nice. I felt it sweep over my face down to my toes, and it was so relaxing. Closed my eyes...

And slept.

I dreamt insignificant dreams, but in the middle of it something happened.

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I was awoken by something that was looming behind my bed. It was like there was somebody, as I heard the slight clinging of the balcony lock. There was something... I could almost see a shadow. I thought if this was a movie, there'd be a terrifying apparition drooling down on me.

I glanced behind to see no one. Thinking it was nothing, I continued rolling in bed, swaying in and out of slumber.

And then suddenly a HUGE invisible force pressed me down. It held me so hard to my bed, I couldn't move. I felt the whole bed begin to shake, as I vibrated along with it.

I started praying, and called out for my mother. All I heard was a tiny distant voice. I heard breathing down my ear. I was somehow just waiting to see what it was, but it never showed itself.

I said the same prayer thrice, and towards the end of the third, my breathing had became faint. So faint I panicked. But I knew I had to force myself against this erm... force.

I tried and tried to push myself up from my bed. And finally, I managed to sit up.

It suddenly stopped. The vibrations.

Air rushed through my lungs again, and as I rushed away from my bed to seek comfort from mum, I glanced behind me.

Nothing.

Biting Of The Tongue

2006-02-02T10:58:00.000+08:00

It has been a few days now, but still.

If there is a lesson to be learnt here, it is this: Once you bite too deep into your own flesh, it bleeds. Then it clots and it numbs. You are left with no feeling in the area that you have bitten, and you can only rely on the kindness of time to return to you the most gifted sense.

Taste.

Yeah yeah, I may be over-exaggerating the fact that it is only one tiny spot that is numb on my tongue, but it is miserable not too have a full functioning organ, you know what I mean?

So try not to bite your own tongue today, or any other. :)

The BDs Of A Ya-ya Sisterhood Outing

2006-01-31T00:28:00.000+08:00

After swiping on a dash of my gloss, my sister and I left the house. Finally.

We were all set and dressed up for a great sisterly outing, and we looked so good, I was convinced that both of us will rock the island's streets zooming around in good ol' Dad's car. But alas, the one with the license decided to go public instead. *caterpie....! BD, BD!*

So our bellies eventually instructed us to go seek the rarest form of halal fast food in Singapore, Popeye's! Chucked in quite a discreet corner of the airport, it took us a bus, an MRT and a skytrain ride to reach it. Ahh, but it was worth it.

For the unfamiliar, Popeye's serves fried chicken, but far different from KFC's. Theirs have special cajun seasoning, giving it a very exotic and spicy flavour! So what are the biscuits in Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits? These yummies are actually buttermilk scones, served with maple syrup or strawberry jam. Loveliest snacks on Earth.

It was so lovely chewing on it yesterday, it overexcited me, and I bit my tongue so hard it bled! Now that's testimony of how good those buggers taste. Oh yes! Try their amazing fries and mashed potato too!

After the mini-drama of my bleeding tongue, *BD! BD!* we didn't waste any time in satisfying our second crave: Mocha Valencia Frappucino. We scurried around Terminal One, only to find out there wasn't a Starbucks outlet there. So we had to walk all the way back and take the skytrain to Terminal Two. *BD! BD!*

We were lucky to find ourselves a comfortable spot to sit. I really couldn't wait any longer for my cuppa when a certain situation cropped up regarding someone's decaf order. *BD! BD!* Fortunately for me, this pretty lady was more than ready to give in, and quickly settled for the normal beverage instead. And here they are:

Yeah, I didn't know that they serve drinks in glasses at the airport!! Nice, but cheat my money also. Nevertheless, it was wonderful just sipping the coffee with my sister. It's been rare that we get to spend time together. And when we do, I always love it. And yesterday was no different.

Around 2 hours later, and after a lot of contemplation and bowel movement *BD! BD!*, we headed down to Plaza Singapura via a looong bus ride that I thought was short. *BD! BD!* We wanted to look for craft supplies at Spotlight. But to our dismay, it was closed- as were many others. It was weird walking through a mall which seemed so dead, so closed.

We thrilled ourselves walking through Carrefour though. We had fun picking out some groceries.

And like how all fun days do to me, this one ended just like that.

Haha, I really am already looking forward to the next BD outing with my darling sis.

PS: Popeye's logo photo taken from www.popeyes.com.

The Day We Had Fun

2006-01-29T00:47:00.000+08:00

On Chinese New Year's Eve, we both took a long bus ride and landed in Toa Payoh. Not having a plan, we let spontaineity decide what we would do next. So we brought ourselves to Pizza Hut and gorged down a whole Prosperity pizza. All filled up, we thought the next best thing to do was to let our stomachs get hard at work digesting our meal while we watched a movie. So Memoirs it was. A tad disappointed and clearly lacking of testosterone we went home. Soon after, we went out again to visit Gramma, and craving caused us to order another Prosperity pizza. Wowzer-fied, we gorged it down all over again. Or at least one of us did. And then we fed ourselves with another movie: Rush Hour. Tired, the day ended, just like that.

Bus ride, pizza, movie, Gramma, pizza, movie. Sounds like just another simple day?

My words do great injustice indeed. I can write all I can, but I can't truly describe how much fun I had today. I'm sorry I can't.

Counting And Counting And Counting

2006-01-27T22:39:00.000+08:00

Look! I added a counter!!!

Stealing My Heart

2006-01-26T00:04:00.000+08:00

In 3 easy steps:
1. Surprise me out of the blue
2. Tell a ridiculous joke with cocoa on your t-shirt
3. Take a looooooong bus ride and sleep on my shoulder

It's simple really. Especially when I'm already in love with you.

Perhaps Worth Remembering

2006-01-23T01:31:00.000+08:00

Today, certain things happened that shook me a little. But thankfully I was given great advice. As quoted from his all-time favourite TV series, Lost, he told me: "Don't mistake coincidence for fate".

And he went back to sleep. But at least I felt better. He's right. If I dig too deep, I'll only find dirt.

Then again...

Building Sandwiches In The Sky

2006-01-22T00:25:00.000+08:00

Remember idea numero dos? Wondering what choices of sandwiches ought to be given, the variety, the packaging... Here's where I'll explain it all.

Somehow good word got round about my mean sandwiches. Apparently, compliments and photos had been passed through a couple of hands, resulting in an invitation. This gentleman wanted to know more about my dreams. He seemed eager in helping me realise it. And we agreed that the best way to start was to let my sandwiches be put to the test.

So today started real early when the most pleasant surprise showed up at my doorstep this morning. He was all set and ready to go, despite having only 4 hours of sleep the night before. It was amusing to see how he had to summon all strength to push away the grogginess and fake enthusiasm, only to end up being a little too hyper instead.

It was a quickie through 2 major supermarkets in a nearby neighbourhood, another quickie to the second home and back to the first home to prepare everything. All this while, nothing was hectic- until.

We were back at the second home by 530pm, and there we started cutting the breads.

Then we started preparing the filling.

There you go. Choices of breads, variety of filling.

And then the guests (including the gentleman mentioned above) came. I was pleased that they eyed the food ferociously.

As you can see, sandwiches weren't prepared yet. I wanted to capture the novelty of custom-made sandwiches. Although this idea is really not new, I just thought it'd be fun to let my guests create their own sandwich combinations. And boy did they have fun!

It was so rewarding to see them savour each bite of their sandwiches. It was obvious they were struggling to stretch their mouths wide enough to fit the whole bugger in. Veges were spilling out, sauces outlined their lips. But all (I think) were very happy. And so was I !

After they force-fed themselves with one-and-half sandwiches each, they surrended, and called me for deliberation. How did I fair in their eyes? I am proud to say that they shared very valuable views and constructive criticism. *beaming with glee!*

Now the gentleman had big ideas of his own too. To top off the heavy meal, he brought an equally heavy dessert. But heavy as it seemed, it were undeniably pieces of heaven that you'd chew in your mouth.

Behold. The most divine cheesecakes on Earth. Mmm...

The whole dinner concluded soon after, and though everyone were virtually strangers to me, I regret that it did not last long enough for me to get to know them, especially the gentleman.

Really, tonight would not have been made possible if he did not have such interest in my dream. Tonight, my dream became a little real. It is like I have taken my first step towards it, and suddenly I'm excited. Now I'm eager to do something more, to not only take more steps, but to walk and eventually run towards achieving what I've longed for.

Wow.

I'm just overwhelmed by the realisation that it can happen after all.

It can, can't it? Or am I just building sandcastles in the sky?

Idea Spurts

2006-01-19T23:41:00.000+08:00

Ok, I've come up with a way out. A much, much cheaper way out if I still want to get meself that charm necklace. Not quite a Tiffany's. But still can make it lah.

See I already have this.

Yep, you guessed it. I bought this lovely charm bracelet with its teeny-booper charms from Gift-A-Name some time back. I hopped over yesterday and found out that the chains only come in a specific lengths, meaning that they don't sell necklaces.

So here comes idea numero uno: I was thinking of buying several bracelets, enough to fit my neck, and combining them into a necklace. Each bracelet costs $4.90, and if I need 3, it means I'll pay less than 15 bucks! Not bad eh? Furthermore -here's the best part- this shop sells that same silver heart-shaped charm as well!

But now I'm wondering if it is all going to look too... cheesy. Haha, we'll see if I buy it in the end.

So moving on. My backside got itchy just now, and my feet (foot, actually) brought me to the supermarkets! And naturally, I went impulse-shopping for ingredients.

Ta-da! Take your pick between (from left) Focaccia, Olive and Multigrain breads. Which brings me to idea numero dos: Choices. They need to be spoilt for choices. Like Subway, O'Briens, Delifrance. Presentation. Some like it tidy, some prefer sloppy. Packaging. Novelty. Variety...

Hmm. Looks like the entry title is out to mislead again. Idea number 2 isn't really an idea is it? But it's getting somewhere I hope.

Hey my writing sounds terrible man.