Dog Ate My Homework (aka Excuses, Excuses)

I wanna write, I wanna update my blog, I wanna bloghop, I wanna leave comments, I wanna share my thoughts my confession my observation. But life is too hectic in the office, and my cats have been ferociously hijacking my blogging territory at home. So how?

Relix: Hallo, this place is ours, go away

Relix: Hei fren, wake up, let’s do this together
Relix: So, you are still holding the mouse eh?

Koko: Woi, apa bising2 nih…

Koko: Biar je lah mak cik ni nak guna PC…
Relix: No way…

Relix: I am cute right…

Relix: I can be cuter … Why can’t you play with me… preety please…

Relix: See, I can try to look mean too…

Relix: Aiyahh…I give up… so sleepy alreadi

Ma’am Besar: Wake up… wake up, now I have no more excuses not to update my blog

Train of Thought

I wonder how some weekdays I can just get very lucky. I got out from the house, opened the gate, locked it, got inside the car, started the car engine, pressed the fuel and glided through the road without having to press the break pad. I didn’t stop at traffic lights because they were all green all the way until I reached the train station. I didn’t have to queue to board the train because the coach smoothly welcomed me onboard just in time when I reached the platform. I even managed to find empty seat in the train, and the persons sitting next to me were very much awake or reading books; not snoring, nor loudly chatting.

It is as though I was in dreamland.

I am enjoying the sunset in Pangkor Island, Anuar Zain serenading me with “…Lelaki ini yang selalu memuja, Hanya diri mu, Yang bertahta dalam sanubari ku...” Oooooohhhhhoooohh……. ok lah, Himself is with me, BUT he doesn’t mind my ogling Anuar Zain just for a short while only!

Ok, ok, go back on track. I was sitting comfortably in the not so crowded train, heading to work, excitedly aware that the boss is still on holiday in Gold Coast. So basically no one is going to be harassing me in office for now. I only need to handle that one particularly very fussy client, but I have already prepared the company’s technology roadmap which I wish will make him happy.

Life is good, I am happy with my life. I couldn’t ask for more. Life also can be very embarrassingly funny sometimes.

I remember when I was in my teen years ago and it was school holiday. I dragged my sister along to board the bus heading to the city. I just wanted to hang out in the supermarkets, buying stationeries and colorful greeting cards, and all those stuffs. I think we could have been out in the city a little bit too long, so feeling a bit guilty I decided to buy a watermelon, a big wholesome watermelon.

And there we were, seated in the front most seats in the bus, right behind the driver, heading back home. It was difficult to hold the large melon, or maybe I was a much smaller size back then, so I just left the fruit underneath the seat. I was sharing some silly jokes I couldn’t remember what with my sister. Before we realized what had happened, the watermelon just glided through back and front, front and back, back and front, crossing underneath through those seats in the bus full of passengers, every time the bus passed through slightly hilly areas. And when the bus took corners, the watermelon just followed through, going left and right, right and left, left and right, criss-crossing those people. And for the life of me, I can never forget the roar of laughter inside the bus. I had not acquired thick skin back then, so I just felt like jumping out of the bus, there and then, to save myself from the mounting embarrassment. I think I did swear that once we reached our destination I would leave my sister to fetch the fruit herself and just pretended I didn’t know her, so I can run away from all the people. But unfortunately I didn’t, somehow the watermelon cleverly managed to get close to us just before we disembarked the bus, so we just dragged the fruit out of the bus and headed straight home.

That scene almost always never fails to pop out of my head every time any full load of passenger buses pass through me these days.

And, Oh Ya! What about the time when I stupidly rammed into the glass door because I …

Next Station, KL Sentral!

Oh well, I reached my destination, there goes my happy and funny train of thought!

Selamat Hari Raya!

The household is set to balik kampung in Johor for the 1st Eid day…yeehar!!! Thank you Yang, and we shall go round visiting Abang Long, Abang Ngah, and all the Nogori clans next weekend okay!

But before that, let’s just go through the checklist as published in The Star today:

1 – DISCARD all perishable food and ensure leftovers are cleared from the table and cupboards to keep away ants, flies and rats.

OK, I have not been making home-cooked meals for the whole Ramadhan, so definitely Checked!

2 – IF you are planning to turn off your refrigerator, make sure you clean the inside using a mild detergent. Leave the door ajar to provide ventilation and to keep away fungi.

How to turn off? Got so many ice-cream and fruit juice in there. Not Checked!

3 – WET clothes and mops breed germs, so make sure that they are dry and clean before leaving.

OK, laundry done last night, Checked! Mops? OK, I mopped the kitchen floor like 4 weeks ago (no cooking mahh!!!), so ooops..germs might have been breeding and spreading already! Alamak, Unchecked, or OK lah partially Checked!

4 – EMPTY the dustbins and ensure that the waste has been collected by the rubbish disposal service before you leave home. If left outside in the dustbin, the foul smell will pollute the air.

Yup, emptied the dustbins already, but how to ensure they are collected and disposed by the contractor… OK, even if they do collect the waste, I sometimes wonder where they dispose the garbage…Karam Singh, off you go, trail the garbage collector! Partially checked, again!

5 – POUR cleaning liquid into drains and sinks, and leave it for a while before flushing with water. It will kill germs and get rid of grease and unwanted odour.

Good idea! Have to do this before we leave home tonight! To be Checked!

6 – MAKE sure your pet is sent to a care centre or to your friend so that it is well taken care of.

Aiyahh… everybody goes balik kampung what? Who wants to stay put, to jaga all the pets! So Kiki, you stay and take care of the home ok, you have 2-day supplies of Whiskas and mineral water! Tuan will be back Sunday afternoon. Sob…sob… cannot check!

Or, I know this one good blogger buddy who seems like owning cats of purple colors, I wonder if I can drop by her family home to tumpang Kiki for the weekend. Can I purple cat..hehehe?

7 – DO not reveal your holiday plans to anyone or avoid leaving notes to dispatchers stating that no one is at home.

Whoops!!! Aiyoh, published this post already, so how? …Thinking…Thinking..eyes blinking..blinking… should I delete the post? To check or not to check…

8 – CONDUCT last-minute checks to ensure all windows and doors are locked.

Sure one, we normally have a few rounds of checking before leaving…Definitely checked!

9 – WHETHER you are living in a gated community or otherwise, don’t forget to ask your neighbours or someone you trust to keep an eye on your property. If you are planning a longer outing, make sure the lawns are mowed beforehand.

Sure, if only we manage to catch my next-door neighbour Kak A, today before leaving. We normally leave home 6:30am and will not be back until 8 or 9:00pm, so how to bump into her…don’t think can check this!

10 – ALSO if possible, inform the police of your absence so that they can keep an eye on your home. If there is a burglar alarm installed, let the police know who has the key to your house.

Well, in this Malay-dominated neighborhood whose kampungs are definitely not KL or Selangor, I bet the police already knows we are not home what. I remember Kak A who happened to drive back home on the 2nd Raya day last year said she saw police patrolling the neighborhood. So, can consider checked lah!

11 – DO not leave cash and valuables at home. Either take them along with you or leave them in a safe deposit box in a bank.

Are you crazy? I need all the cash for balik kampung mah… not that I have tonnes of them by the way… Checked!

12 – CANCEL your newspaper subscription and also inform the milkman to discontinue supply for the time you are away.

Me, no subscribe newspaper one. Just read from the internet, lorr!!! Checked!

Selamat Hari Raya!!!

How Are You Today?

Your Italian Name Is…

Bianca Romano

What’s Your Italian Name?

In a Past Life…

You Were: A Redhead Fortune Teller. Where You Lived: New Zealand. How You Died: Buried alive.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

You Are Pretty Happy

You generally have a happy, fulfilling life. But things could be a little better, and deep down, you know it. Maybe you need more supportive friends or a more challenging career. Something is preventing you from being totally happy. You just need to figure out what it is!

How Happy Are You, Really?

Your Worry Factor is 39%

You worry a little, but you usually don’t go overboard. You know it’s good to recognize your fears, as long as you let go of them. So whenever you start to worry too much, just take a deep breath and relax. You’re not the worrying kind – and there’s no reason to start.

Do You Worry Too Much?

Your Brain is Yellow

Of all the brain types, yours is the most intellectual. You crave mental stimulation, and your thoughts tend to very complex. Your thoughts tend to be innovative and cutting edge, though many people don’t understand them. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about science, architecture, and communication.

What Color Is Your Brain?

You Are 55% Tortured Genius

You are very smart and a little bit tortured. Like a tortured genius in training. You’re brilliant enough to see how screwed up the world is. Just don’t let it screw you up!

Are You a Tortured Genius?

Your Chances of Being a Multimillionaire: 92%

It’s almost certain you’ll be a multimillionaire. Just keep doing what you’re doing. You are good with money, a creative thinker, and an ethical person. You might be the next Donald Trump!

Will You Be a Multimillionaire?

MUAHAHAHAHA!!!

The Undomestic Goddess’ Craving for Mocha Mud Pie

A kind of frenzied hysteria has come over me. I know I cannot do this, but somehow I can’t give up either. I keep thinking miracle will happen. I’ll pull it all together. I’ll manage it somehow.

Oh, God, the gravy’s bubbling over.

I shove the oven door shut, grab a spoon, and start stirring it. It looks like revolting lumpy brown water. Frantically I start searching in the cupboards for something to chuck in. Flour. Cornstarch. Something like that. This’ll do. I grab a small pot and shake in vigorous amounts of the white powder, then wipe the sweat off my brow. OK. What now?

Suddenly I remember the egg whites, still whisking up in their bowl. I grab the recipe book, running my finger down the page. I changed the desert course to pavlova after I chanced upon the line in a recipe book: Meringues are so easy to make.

So far so good. What next? Form the stiff meringue mixture? Mine’s liquid.

It has to be right, I tell myself feverishly. It has to be. I followed the instructions. Maybe it’s thicker than it looks. Maybe once I start pouring it out, it’ll stiffen up by some weird culinary law of physics.

Slowly I start to pour it onto the tray. It doesn’t stiffen up. It spreads in a white oozing lake and starts dripping off the tray onto the floor.

Something tells me this is not going to make white chocolate pavlova for eight.

I splodge lands on my foot and I give a frustrated cry, near tears. Why didn’t it work? I followed the sodding recipe and everything. A pent-up rage is rising inside me: rage at myself, at my defective crappy egg whites, at cookery books, at cooks, at food … and most of all at whoever wrote that meringues were so easy to make.

“What the hell – “ a male voice exclaims in surprise. His face working with disbelief. “You know bugger all about cooking! I don’t know what the hell you’re up to –“.

“I’m not up to anything!” I reply, in shock. “Look…please.” I rub my sweaty face. “I’m not trying to rip anyone off. OK, I can’t cook. But I ended here because of … a misunderstanding.”

“I could speak to my mum. She can cook. She could teach you the basics.”

—
“So. You want to learn how to cook.” Her tone is friendly but businesslike. I sense this is a woman who doesn’t waste words.

“Yes.” I smile. “Please.”

“All right. Let’s get you cooking.”

MOCHA MUD PIE

Oreo cookies (about 26)

2 tbsp butter, melted

1 pt. chocolate ice cream, softened

2 pts. coffee ice cream, softened

1/2 c. heavy cream, whipped

1/4 c. chopped nuts (pref. walnuts)

1/2 c. hot fudge topping

Roll cookies into fine crumbs; mix with butter. Press crumb mixture into bottom of 9 inch pie plate. Place in freezer for 10 minutes. Evenly spread chocolate ice cream into cookie crust. Scoop coffee ice cream into balls; arrange over chocolate layer. Freeze until firm. Serve topped with whipped cream, walnuts, and hot fudge. 8 servings. Can use other favorite flavors of ice cream as well!

—
We’re inches apart, and as I gaze up to him, breathing hard, all the frustrations of the last couple of weeks are distilling inside me. A huge block of pressure is growing, until I can’t bear it. Unable to stop myself, I reach up and pull his face down towards mine.

I haven’t kissed like this since I was in college. Arms wrapped around each other, oblivious of anything else in the world. Completely lost.

It seems hours later that I open my eyes and we draw apart. My lips feel swollen; my legs are staggery.

“I don’t have long, I have to get back to my plumbing.” His hand runs lightly down my back and I feel my body curving towards his.

“I don’t take long,” I say, my voice husky with desire.

Note: The above is a true fiction extracted, adapted and rearranged from Sophie Kinsella’s The Undomestic Goddess, which I read last weekend and at the same time indulging in TGIF’s Mocha Mud Pie. Of course you won’t find the mud pie recipe in the novel. BTW, MPH gives away a free cool yellow tank top for every purchase of shopaholic series.

I gotta run, my Mikey is waiting for me…hehehe!!!

Do I Make You Proud! ♡

This is in support to Kak Teh and lil Ms D’s pledge for women bloggers to unite, keep blogging and celebrate 8th March as the International Women’s Day. I am dedicating this song by Taylor Hicks to my mum, mum in law, sister, sister in laws, cousin sisters, aunties, late grannies, female superiors and colleagues at work and all great women out there.

Do I make you proud! ♡

I’ve never been the one to raise my hand,
That was not me and now that’s who I am
Because of you I am standing tall,
My heart is full of endless gratitude,
You were the one, the one to guide me through,
Now I can see and I believe it’s only just beginning

Chorus-
This what we dream about
but the only question with me now
Is do I make you proud
Stronger than I’ve ever been NOW
Never been afraid of standing out
But do I make you proud

I guess I’ve learned, to question is to grow
That you still have faith, is all I need to know
I’ve learned to love, myself in spite of me
And I’ve learned to walk, the road that I believe

This what we dream about

but the only question with me now
Is do I make you proud
Stronger than I’ve ever been NOW
Never been afraid of standing out
But do I make you proud

Everybody needs to rise up
Everybody needs to be loved, to be loved
This what we dream about but
the only question with me now
Is do I make you proud

Stronger than I’ve ever been NOW
Never been afraid of standing out
But do I make you proud
This what we dream about

but the only question with me now
Is do I make you proud

Stronger than I’ve ever been NOW
Never been afraid of standing out
But do I make you proud

Do I make you proud?

Do I make you proud?

p/s: But lil Ms D, how can I ignore the other half? What the heck, it is dedicated to my significant other, dad, dad in law, brother, brother in laws, cousin brothers, uncles, late grandpas, male superiors and colleagues, and all you great men out there as well. I can’t live without you…sorry lil Ms D…but I will buy your “I am Muslim” book!!

Tagged – 6 Weird Things About Me!

I’ve been tagged by Gab, Intan and KC.

RULES: People who are tagged should write a blog post of 6 weird things about them as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

Six weird things about me:

#1
I can be quite eloquent with my words when they are written but not necessarily when they are spoken. It is very much easier for me to find words when meeting new people thru blogs (one of the many reasons why I keep one), but given the opportunity to meet fellow bloggers in person I won’t be surprised if the only words I can utter would be “Hi”, “Apa Kabar”, and I would just be content letting the other person leads the conversation.

#2
When I read books, especially thriller novels, I like to start from the final chapter before moving backwards. Although this seems to be an anti-climax way of savoring the suspense, I find this to be much more interesting as it allows me to religiously follow the writer’s train of thought, on how he/she would be maneuvering the words, characters, situations, etc before hitting the jackpot.

#3
When I eat burgers, I love having it layer by layer. I would start with the bun, then the lettuce/veggies, then the cheese, before savoring the meat. I will then start enjoying the other half, cheese first, veggies and finally the final layer, the bun. I find this to be more enjoyable since it allows me to really taste the different kinds of texture, flavor, bits and bits of the food, although everything will eventually come together when they all reach the stomach.

#4
My next choice if I cannot find Malay delicacies is to have Chinese food, then only the westerns. Nothing funny with that right, but many of my friends think so. Come to think about it, it is a bit weird since none of my ancestors from both side of my parents were Chinese.

I just find Chinese food very light and easy, not to forget very healthy and simple to prepare. I don’t have to think much whether the chicken, fish, meat or veggies go well with or without coconut milk, whether I should cook it with curry or kurma powders, or which combination of anise, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, etc goes well with which dishes.

#5
Still on the food section. For some reason I like eating watermelons with soy sauce (kicap). Somehow the combination of sweet, salty, sour and tangy can soothe my throat. I picked up the trait when I was in boarding school, you know, asrama food can be so bland and predictable, so we decided to be creative.

And I thought I was weird in this department, until I found out my sis-in-law’s secret recipe of making great watermelon juice is by adding a dash of soy sauce!

#6
Finally, my no 6! You can call me the fanatical fan of Mawi, hahaha! At times when fellow female officemates drool over Anuar Zain, Hazami and the like, I find Mawi just tickles me. I just dunno what about him that makes me feel that way, although my circle of friends can tell the rationale behind, after all before Mawi comes I was nuts about Jamal Abdillah, M Nasir and Hattan. I can vividly see my other half’s pissed-off look every time Mawi appears on telly. My nieces and nephews were astounded when they found out I spent hundreds voting for Mawi during the AF3 season.

Hei, any of you members of MFC out there, don’t get me wrong. This wierdo confession is meant to be a compliment to you guys! And please do tell Mawi I deserve a free ticket for his next overseas trip!

There, my 6 weirdest!

And, to carry on the tradition, it would be a great honor to have these personalities to share theirs. This tag carries no expiry date, just take your time, I know you are very busy.

1 – Sis AnnCKay (Your writings always touch me, I love to learn more about you!)
2 – Bro Awang Goneng (Salam bang, I am a loyal fan of Kak Teh, I can never get enough of her writings, especially when she wrote about you in the autumn love story. So what better way to get to know more about you and Kak Teh, then to have you share something light about yourself. BTW, I am aware that Kak Teh has been tagged by so many fans).
3 – Sis Mama Irma (I can relate to most of your entries, I guess I like to know more about your other side. Can you please ma’am?)
4 – Bro Bergen (Your entries never fail to tickle me, if you don’t mind, can you share the 6 weird thingy about yourself)
5 – Sis Queen of The House (Your entries on the old photos touched me. Could you do me a favor by sharing your 6 weird things?)
6 – Sis LuvUJordan (I know Gab, KC and Intan have tagged you. But since I have yet to see the wierdo entries, just treat this request as another gentle push hehe)

A Penny Saved Could Be Five Cents Earned

A snippet from Yahoo! caught my attention this morning. Reuters reported that since price for metals such as cooper has been rising sharply every day, people may stop using pennies but would rather pile them up and sell them as metals. As such, economists in US Federal Reserve Bank have suggested raising the value of the pennies to 5 cents each to deter people from melting or exporting them for a much higher profit.

I say we start doing spring cleaning to collect all those pennies laying around at our kitchen counter, kitchen cabinet, living room, study room, couch and all those places we had leisurely tossed the worthless 1-cent to. I can imagine Bree of the Westeria Lane immediately stops polishing her silvers and instead storms into Andrew’s room, not so much to clean up the mess, but to find, again not Andrew and his ‘mates’, pennies (gee.. this would make a good script in Desperate Housewives).

Shall we also stop leaving 1-cent to the little so-called donation box every time we receive small change when shopping at Giant, Tesco, etc or eating at McDonald’s or KFC? Wait till we see the cashier’s face when we demand the balance for the groceries or fastfood we bought be paid in 1-cents.

The Elite toll collectors will be smiling broadly at me next time, because I stop giving them 1-cent. And, they still dare increasing the toll fee every year!

I once saw a local fashion designer producing a beautiful evening gown made from 1-cent coins, how much would the dress worth now? Would Datuk Datin Siti Nurhaliza prefer dazzling in this 1-cent dress over Rizalman’s and the like for her wedding fiesta last year? No comment!

We often say “… tak guna satu sen…” here when referring to something (or someone) we perceive as less worthy. But since the global economy has set that one cent is gonna worth at least 5 times its face value, what shall we change our cynical phrase to?

And what about those who have hit the ASBs’ maximum saving of RM200,000.00? If they really wanna exercise their rights in this country by converting it into 20,000,000.00 cents, it could make them millionaires instantly!

Ok, enough rambling!