Cheese!

I love cheese. If you want to be my friend, get me cheese. Any type of cheese is fine, except for the extra smelly ones.

I read with uncontainable excitement in Tun M's blog that there is now a mozzarella cheese-making factory in Langkawi. Efforts to google this wondrous place came up empty and now I am obsessed with finding out where this factory is.

I am also now interested in making my own cheese (though I'm sure this will go away very soon), although at the current prices, I think buying one gallon of milk to make cheese will be costlier than buying a block of cheese.

If it were up to me, I'd put cheese in every dish, but I don't want to be responsible for the bouts of food poisoning which may probably happen.

So.. I end this now so I can dream of cheese.

(Pic courtesy of stockphotography.com)

Fella's Birthday Dinner

I didn't make a cake for my fella's birthday. One, I didn't have time. Two, since moving to our own place, I didn't have time to buy bakeware (used to pau all Mom's bakeware + oven when we were living at my parents!). Three, I only have a teeny round electric oven which I got by redeeming Bonuslink points.

So anyway.. I just made him dinner. The menu was: fresh onion soup (with invisible cheese toast), steak with creamy turmeric sauce with creamy potato salad and banoffee pie for dessert. The reason the cheese toast was invisible was because I didn't have time to make it because we were trying to catch The Amazing Race Asia at 9 pm (So romantic, kan?). In the end we managed to miss TARA, but made it for 24, so all was not lost :)

Anyway... I forced the birthday boy to take photos of only the main course, so enjoy!

My Fella :)

Today is my hubby's birthday. We've known each other for about 10 years, and been married to 7 of them.

Yep. Seven years. Unfortunately, we haven't been blessed with any little ones, though that's in my prayers everyday. (But that's a different story). So instead, we've spent these years learning about each other and loving each other either more, or in spite of what we've learnt. Heh.

What I love about my fella is that he gets me. He knows me and he surprises me when I think he hasn't been listening. We think the same things, we finish each other's sentences and we voice each other's thoughts. And though we spend nearly every minute together, there are still things to talk about, and stories to share.

I'm blessed to have my fella in my life. And I hope he feels the same way about me too. (Sidenote: Yang, you'd better!!!)

I love you, yang :)

*Sigh*

I received a comment for my previous post, which questioned my views and basically said I know nothing about politics and whatnot. I choose not to post the comment because I like sunshine and happiness and everything positive in my comments section, but I will address the comment here.

One : I am not a politician, and I don't aspire to be one although I come from a long line of patriots and stalwart UMNO politicians, many of which have served or are still serving our beloved country. I don't profess to know politics, I am not influenced by anyone's views and all my views are just that-they are my views.

Two : What I've written is my personal observation on today's state of affairs. It makes me sad, because among others, race relations and the country's peace and stability have been affected as a result. It bothers me because I love the Malaysia I grew up in, and I want that Malaysia to still be around for the younger generations.

Hopefully in light of recent declarations, the country will go back to how it once was. And to me, for it to do that, we still need the present party to lead us. I still believe the country is in peril if it falls to the opposition, but the future leadership has to be strong enough to convince and prove to us that they are capable.

My only humble advice to those wanting positions in the party, if you're in it only for the position and the glamour, stop it. We want someone who can do the work and embrace the responsibility. People's faith in the party has eroded, so we need someone to strengthen and restore that faith. If you are that person, then by all means, run. If you're not, think hard and see if all that personal gain you're aiming for is worth ruining the party and worse, ultimately the country.

Again, all views and observations are my own. The only motivation behind these types of posts is wanting my Malaysia back.

Towards our 51st Merdeka

So PKR won Permatang Pauh. Yawn. A safe seat, at best, and weak opponents, in my opinion. Not to fault BN, because there's truly no suitable opponent, unless it was Tun Mahathir himself. Mind you, I'm not saying that DSAI is a good candidate, because I tell you, if he had the oratory skills of er, shall I say, a certain ex-minister who sort of embarassed himself and us when interviewed by a certain foreign media, he wouldn't even be where he is today.

To me, DSAI is all hype. He has the speech and charm and he has stepped into an era where people want change. But what kind of change has he wrought? Street demonstrations & protests, street violence, particularly towards the media and running to foreign powers for help when things don't go his way. And when all else fails, he has his bad back to fall on, pun intended. But is that the Malaysian way? For years, we've enjoyed peace. We read the papers, we congregate at kedai kopi-s and complain about everything under the sun. We write and complain to our assemblymen, and media, whenever we have grouses. We watch the news and see street demonstrations & violence happening all around the world and thank God that that's not the situation in our country.

Today, it's a different life. Ever since that stupid (pardon my strong language) Reformasi movement, life has changed for Malaysians everywhere. Hardcore supporters would say that it's a welcome change, but is it really? To me, we're now no different from countries who throw away their leaders like yesterday's stale bread. To be fair, part of the blame lies on the present weaker government. Wishy-washy decisions, weak leaders and outdated policies need to be addressed immediately, and to me, we still need the present government (albeit a change in the leaders. perhaps?) to bring us back to the situation when the great Tun was our leader.

I fear that if (God forbid!) another coalition rules the country, Malaysia will be another Iraq or the other countries governed indirectly by the US. Don't throw rocks at me, it is going to happen, if a certain party leads the nation. You can already see it now, the secret meetings with foreign representatives, running to other embassies for assistance, slamming our beloved nation in other countries. It doesn't help that youngsters nowadays lack the pride and love for our country that we have, and which sadly, most of my generation is also starting to lose.

For all that we dislike about the US, one thing can be said about them. They are proud of their country and their flag. They rally around each other when situations need them to. Can that be said about Malaysia? Are we already losing our identity, when we are still such a young country? That's what I fear. Already, not too long ago, Bahasa Baku was implemented, which to me, sounded too much like a neighbouring country's language, which, to me, was the beginning of the erosion of our nation from what it once was. Although Bahasa Baku has now been curbed, I still remember who introduced it, as well as all the foreign elements I've mentioned above.

To me, that is unforgivable. I cannot forgive such a person for changing this country for the worse. I cannot forgive such a person who lacks so much respect for this country that he/she is willing to badmouth us to any foreign power who wants to listen, yet harbours ambition to rule us all. I cannot forgive such a person who makes a mockery of our democratic system by "suggesting" to his loyal supporters to vacate the seats which we, the people, have chosen them for, so he/she could pursue his own political agenda. I cannot forgive such a person who changes his/her views to suit whichever audience he/she is facing, even if that means he/she is betraying his/her race or people.

And for now, I cannot forgive the situation that has forced such a person onto us all.

Our country will be 51 come Sunday (which incidentally coincides with my 7th wedding anniversary!). I pray for her long life and prosperity, and hope that the worst won't happen, because I need for the Malaysia that I know to still be around for my grandchildren.

Selamat Hari Merdeka!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

My Mom, and her favourite pastime, before the era of the blog

Today is my mom's birthday. Due to the fear of repercussion (heh!), I shall not tell you how old she is, but just tell you that she looks younger than her age.

My mom is the kind of person I hope to be, but have yet to be. And don't even know if I can be half the person she is today. Sure, I blame some "quirks" on my mom, i.e. the short eyebrows and the tummy rumblings when I don't eat at the desired time. Not to mention the sudden leg cramps at night (yep, Mom, I inherited that as well). But all things considered, these "quirks" are special because these are things I share with my mom. OKlah.. unfortunately all my siblings inherited the short eyebrows thing, so note to all, if in doubt as to whether we're related, just look at our eyebrows.

I am lucky to have a mom like mine. She always had time for us, even at the peak of her political career, and boy, did she have patience, even when I threw up all over her at the beginning of a long flight to US when I was just a wee 2 year old.

At an early age, she and my dad introduced us to our love of food, books and travel. And normally we'd do all three at the same time. When we were in US, I remember my parents being the ideal hosts. Everyone congregated at our house, and birthday parties and gatherings were the best. Everyone loved my Mom's cooking and relished at any excuse to go to our house. (I wish I knew people like my parents when I was studying overseas!).

My parents loved to pack us up and drive everywhere whenever they could. My siblings and I are fortunate to have travelled so much in our lifetime, which is a big thanks to my parents. They always found a way to take us somewhere, even when they were earning teachers' salaries. Even now, we make it a point to have a family holiday once a year.

My mom did it all. She is a great wife, a great mother, a great Opah, a great daughter, a great sister, a great teacher and a great leader. I only hope one day I'll be able to be like her. In the meantime, I'll just invest in eyebrow pencils to make my brows look longer.

Happy birthday, Mak!

When Nostalgia Hits, It Sure Hits Hard!

The past few months I've been attacked by bouts of nostalgia. The reason? My alma mater, MRSM Balik Pulau, will be celebrating its Silver Jubilee this year. That means, it's been 19 years since I've first stepped foot on MRSMBP soil.

Together with this celebration, a few of my fellow batch-mates, or fellow Batch '89ers ("89" denoting the year we entered MRSM, and not the year of SPM) felt that a reunion was long overdue, so we decided to organise a reunion dinner on 26 July 2008 in Penang.

What brought on these influx of memories is that ever since we decided to have this reunion, we've been meeting up more often, and our once-dormant yahoogroup has been beseiged by a deluge of emails in the past few months. And as usual, this leads to talking and reminiscing about the good old days.

While I have reminisced about MRSM days here and here, there are so many more memories which the 89ers were a part of.

For instance, only the 89ers were a part of the original batch which came in in Form 2, and had only 121 people, 25 of which were girls.

And only these 121 souls had homerooms with a maximum of 3 girls in it, with some sports houses having only four girls maximum representing it. My sports house, Suria, had only 4 girls, and the sad lot of us had to represent the house in all sports from athletics to team sports. Needless to say, the Suria girls were always near the bottom, if not there already.

And only the 25 girls knew how it felt to be teased mercilessly by most of the 96 boys, which only led to these girls learning how to stand up for themselves and holding their own against these boys. However, instead of declaring outright war against these boys, these 25 girls decided to stand up for them in Form 3 when the boys threatened to leave the MRSM en masse, for reasons only we know, and persuaded them to stay. This strenghtened the bond we have 'til this day.

And, I believe, only the 89ers had the highest number of kerja bakti "volunteers" (which nearly every original 89er was involved in) and JDM "participants".

And only the 89ers were the source of much rantings and frustrations by teachers, with many of us going through punishments which if were done this day, would probably be the cause of many lawsuits against the teaching profession. Hee. However, rather than complain to our parents, we were ashamed of our actions (rightfully so!), and opted to do the punishments quietly, hoping frantically that our parents wouldn't be informed. Unfortunately, that remorse lasted only briefly, and we were then back to our hantu ways, figuring out new ways to aggravate the teachers and wardens.

Side Note: Such punishments included:

1. Having chalk, markers and/or whiteboard dusters being thrown at us, sometimes all in succession. This was normally if the student was sleeping in class.


2. The 4 steps of not knowing the answers to teachers' questions: Step 1 was standing, Step 2 was standing on the chair, Step 3 was standing on the table, Step 4 was standing with a table on your head. I think my highest level was Step 2. There was an implied Step 5, which meant leaving the class immediately. Step 6 was when the teacher had to look for the student who used this as an excuse to go missing entirely.


3. Washing the school bus. A form of kerja bakti, normally reserved for groups of boys in trouble for different offences.


4. Raking the long jump box and pulling weed from the field. Another form of kerja bakti for lesser offences. During the jarum mas season, this kerja bakti became quite the profitable activity.

And only the 89ers were notorious for the co-op incident, which had probably contributed to any high blood pressure our teachers may now have. Which, rather unfortunately, our then vice-principal remembers to this day.

And it was only our batch in Forms 2 & 3, who lived in the same dormitory block, where the boys lived downstairs and the girls upstairs. And it was only these girls who were regularly entertained by the guys bellowing songs like Cintamu Mekar di Hati and Right Here Waiting at the top of their lungs downstairs. Heck, we never needed to buy radios and cassettes at the rate they were "serenading" us.

And it was only our batch whose football team was both the Penang Under-15 and Under-18 champions. The Under-18 girls hockey team was also the Penang vice-champions. And it was our batch which had a representative who made 4th place in the Men's Junior Open category in the Penang International Triathlon in 1991.

However, among the good memories, there are also some sad facts. Unfortunately, some of our friends are no longer with us, namely, Azman Yazit (Man Dayak), Husaini (Hussin), Rahman, Fadli Ayob (Korok) and Khairul (Romeo). Al-Fatihah. Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat ke atas roh-roh mereka.

What I can say for my batch is that even though it's been nearly 16 years since most of us had last met, it's as if we last met yesterday. Every memory is as fresh as if it just happened, and most of us still look essentially the same, although some are *umm* a bit more vertical than they were before. Heh.

Whatever it is, this batch shares a special bond. Even now, whenever any of us is in a fix, rest assured, help is on the way, no questions asked. The good thing is, I think I bond more with them now then I did when I was in school.

To all 89ers, I'm glad I got the chance to know you. I'm glad we grew up together and managed to be friends although we were all from different backgrounds. I'm glad we can still maintain a sense of loyalty to each other, although so many years have gone by. I'm glad no matter how much we fought or argued back then, that only served as a bond to strengthen our friendship further.

And finally, I'm glad we're all sisters and brothers from another mother (heh!).

What Happens When Writer's Block Strikes...

The setting: My bedroom

Attendance: Me (E) and my alter-ego, Little Boss (LB).

Reason for interview: None

Is the interview going to start anytime soon?: Yes

LB: Are you comfy there?

E: (Whilst reclining on bed) Uh-huh.

LB: What do you wanna talk about?

E: Duh..aren't you supposed to interview me?

LB: What did you do today?

E: Did some work. Updated my Mom's Mac. Made lunch for me and fella.

LB: Fella and I.

E: Didn't make you lunch.

LB: I mean, the proper way to say it is "fella and I".

E: Oh. Are you the grammar police now?

LB: Well, if you keep on mangling it, I very well might be.

E: Are you trying to pick a fight? 'Cos I'm sensing very hostile vibes here.

LB: Wait.. let's start again.

E: OK. That's 2 minutes of my life I'm never getting back.

LB: Phbbbbth..

E: Now that's mature!

LB: OK..OK.. What are your plans for the evening?

E: Thought I'd go meet some old  MRSM friends. They're about the only ones I'm regularly meeting nowadays :(

LB: Haven't you met up with other friends?

E: No. Been too busy and guilty to socialise. I miss my friends so much....

LB: Oh.

E: (Looks into space, depressed)

LB: So tell me.. why have you been meeting up with your MRSM friends?

E: We're having a reunion in July, so we're making plans and stuff.

LB: That's nice! Where's the reunion going to be held?

E: Well, we have this Silver Jubilee thingy at MRSM itself, then later that night it's Part-ay Time at the hotel!!

LB: Must be fun.

E: It is! Can't wait to see old friends again.

LB: How's your married life?

E: That's a bit out of the blue isn't it? Not to mention highly intrusive! Kay Poh Chee much? One second we were talking about the reunion....

LB: Just making conversation, OK?

E: Married life is great! Fella and I took a short break to Penang last weekend with the family and it was exactly what we needed.

LB: Are you traveling anywhere else soon?

E: Yep. We're going to Langkawi this weekend for an assignment.

LB: Wow. Two islands in two weekends. That must be fun.

E: It is! But don't know how much of the beach we can enjoy since the next trip is work related. Besides, fella isn't a beach bum. Which reminds me, I need to buy a swimming suit.

LB: It's 8.07pm. Shouldn't you be getting ready to go out?

E: Yikes! Can we continue this interview later?

LB: Well.. it's quite a boring interview. You don't do anything interesting, do you?

E: (Getting depressed). Well thanks a lot, Mrs Obvious.

LB: Er.. you're welcome.

E: Are you being sarcastic now?

LB: Wha..huh???

E: Look... just because I don't bungee jump, or roll down hills in a plastic ball doesn't mean my life's boring, OK? I have my share of fun. Just this day I decided to make 2 separate lunches instead of 1.

LB: Er...

E: Not only that, I made mashed potatoes from fried potatoes rather than boiled. And I used white pepper instead of black.

E: And to top it all off, I made fella kopi susu with local black coffee instead of Nescafe today. How's that for excitement???!

E: (Pauses to assess her statements)

E: Who am I kidding? I'm Mrs Boring McBorington!

Error 404. Interview postponed due to interviewee having a slight nervous breakdown.

Things to Do in the Car (Kids, don't try any of these EVER!)

I have nice eyebrows today. And it's not because I went to a salon to have it done, but because I had to wait in the car for nearly an hour while my parents were in the bank.

I am normally well-prepared. In my car, I have stocked the following items :

i) A novel; normally fiction. Current book is "The Face" by Dean Koontz.

ii) A roll of sweets; currently Vita-C mixed sweets, but down to the last piece. Must remember to replenish soon.

iii) A bottle of waterless hand cleaner and a pack of wet wipes. Very handy after eating Jack n Jill Roller Coaster potato rings in cheese.

iv) A small travel pillow which is easily the best pillow I've ever laid my head on, courtesy of Dunlop tyres.

v) A selection of cassettes and CDs and some great preset radio stations.

vi) When I remember, a bottle of mineral water, a can of Red Bull (for my fella), the above Jack n Jill chips or any snack food I can get my hands on and sometimes a bar of chocolate..mmm.. chocolate.

vii) A map book of the Klang Valley, with pages threatening to spill out any second.

Why do I have these things, you ask, and how is it related to my well-groomed eyebrows? The answer.. I am normally waiting for people in my car. Sometimes, when I feel adventurous and we're having an extremely hectic day, I like to call myself a getaway driver, especially since more often than not, I'm peeling myself away from banks.

On a good day, I just wait for about 10 minutes per stop. That only gives me time to fiddle with the radio, and perhaps read a page or two of my book. Other times, especially when fella's delivering items to clients, I sometimes wait for at least half an hour, and up to two hours. One day, I even managed to finish my half read book, plus get my eyebrows done.

I try to spice things up sometimes, so as to not make things too mundane. Like today, I took my trusty Swiss Army Knife, took out the tweezers and did my eyebrows. I tell you, the best place to do your eyebrows is in the car. Driver or front passenger seat is fine. You take down the visor and start tweezing away. I love the fact that the mirror is at a perfect level to do my brows, and since I am horribly short-sighted, I can even tweeze sans glasses. Plus you're in a comfy chair the whole time you're doing it!

Other times I use my tiny Swiss Army scissors to snip away at split ends. Note: This is only done if I have no other forms of entertainment, 'cos fella is not happy to see little bits of hair all over his precious car.

I once ate breakfast whilst driving to work. I packed some nasi goreng/nasi lemak in a plastic container together with a plastic spoon, and proceeded to eat breakfast in the middle of a traffic jam and at traffic light breaks. I've also applied makeup, read newspapers and presentations, and even edited photos for our Golf Club client whilst in traffic!

My car is also my mini karaoke studio. My current fave radio station is Red 104.9, 'cos it plays my generation's music (God! That sounds old!). I've stopped listening to Hitz.fm about 5 years ago, 'cos alas, I'm not as current as I thought I am anymore. *Sigh* 

I remember days filled with me beltin' out gems such as Cryin' (Aerosmith), Why can't this be love (Van Halen), Gadisku (Search) and er.. Back for Good (Take That). Good days. I'm also smart. To try not to look like a crazy woman singing/talking to herself (er..which was what I was doing anyway), I normally stick my trusty handsfree earpiece in my ear and once in a while, hold up my phone in earnest. Lakonan semata-mata.

If I'm tired or sleepy, I recline the seat and lay on my precious pillow. I tell you, I need to write to Dunlop asking them where they got the pillow 'cos it's so darn empuk! I would buy that for my whole house if I could.

Other things I've done in the car: wipe the windows from the inside, clean the interior using interior wet wipes, cut my toenails, applied lotion all over my legs and arms, did work on my computer, arranged photos in albums, stuffed dvds in their cases along with covers and plastic wrappings, wrapped presents, changed clothes (okay.. totally not advisable unless you're in a moving car and have huge sunshades covering every available window. I am not an exhibitionist people!), and many others.*

To get more things done, I think I may need to upgrade accessories in the car. And whilst I'm at it, maybe it's time for my fella and I to get either an RV, bus, Renault Kangoo or VW Combi and just convert the back as a mini studio/salon/kitchen/car workshop etc.

*Note to JPJ and PDRM: I have not done things in said paragraph whilst driving, so please don't come after me.

The Dino..It Attacks Again!

I made another dinosaur cake for my friend, Pye's son's 2nd birthday party. I thought I'd colour it a Tiffany blue, and cut Sugus sweets in halves as spikes on its back & tail. Wanted to use Hershey's kisses, but decided the plain chocolate colour seemed too dull. The cake was chocolate. The legs were pure fondant.

I should learn more about dinosaurs. Don't think my dinosaur existed in real life! To all you paleontologists & dinosaur enthusiasts, please don't send me hate mail.

Check out the March "It Girl"!

No..it's not me, unfortunately. Though, I'm thinking that should be my next mission. As soon as my wish for that billion dollars comes true (re : previous post)

Anyway, Malaysia Tatler has Chris Abishegam, one of our favourite clients, as their "It Girl" for the March issue. Check out the magazine spread on page 76. We only take credit for the above photos (minus the cover).

....

I'll start with the good news first. I'm happy and proud to announce that my sister-in-law won her first election and is now the DUN for Kampong Gajah, Perak. The bad news is, we never thought this would lead to her suddenly becoming part of the "Opposition" in Perak.

The election results shocked and saddened me. While some part of me was glad that for once, BN could see for themselves that the public aren't happy, I wish it didn't happen at the expense of the five states. And I also wish that a certain party didn't win that many seats. And I wish that the PM had advisors who actually had good and useful advice. And while I'm wishing, I wish for a billion dollars!

Well.. what is done is done. The public has spoken. Now I hope they start demanding that the Opposition make good with their promises, because there are a lot of promises that need to be fulfilled. And I, for one, am scrutinising their every move to see if they are actually up to the challenge.

I hope that BN fixes whatever is broken to restore the public's faith. Most of the votes were protest votes, so that means that BN still has a chance, as long as they listen to the people.  A word of advice to BN : It's time to make radical changes to modernise BN's outlook and approach, and sacrifices have to be made. Only then can BN have a chance to recapture the people's trust. And only then, can BN hope to get these states back.

In the meantime, allow me to grieve for Perak.

I'm Only Slightly Talking About Politics, Honest!

This weekend (more accurately, March 8) is bound to be a hectic one. Not only is it Election Day, it's also my niece, Elise's 8th birthday. Hopefully it'll be a double celebration, because Elise's mom, Dr. Wan Norashikin (or Kak Shikin, my brother's wife), is also standing as a first-time candidate in N49, DUN Kg Gajah, Perak.

My brother chose well. See, my family has always been active in politics, starting from my late grandfather, and followed closely by my mom and my uncle. Unfortunately, it appeared to skip a generation, as neither my siblings nor I have ever seemed interested to join politics. When I was younger, I hoped to join politics, but marriage and work kept me so busy, I couldn't even find the inclination to even join a political party. Luckily, my sister-in-law found her calling in politics, and is now my mom's favourite daughter (at least politically-wise), which my sister and I are quite happy about by the way!

As a young woman and a fresh candidate (and the only woman candidate in the Pasir Salak constituency), she has her work cut out for her. That, I must say, does not make me envious at all. But I am thoroughly amazed by her determination and her ease in meeting the people and making the rounds. As a former dental officer at the Kg Gajah government dental clinic, it must make her proud to be given the chance to represent her former patients, their families, and the whole Kg Gajah population as a whole.

Aaannywaay.. I'm hoping to make Elise a cake for her birthday this weekend, and thought I'd make Kak Shikin one too. Besides the election, her birthday's on 11 March, so we're hoping it'd be a triple celebration this weekend.

I'm thinking of making Elise either a Barbie cake, or something fairy-related, 'cos she loves fairies, and has tons of fairy story books. Kak Shikin? May need to rack my brain a bit. Either way, I hope I have the time to make the cakes, 'cos work is really killing me at the moment.

Best of luck, Kak Shikin!

And the GK* Award goes to.....(Warning! Political Post Ahead)

I am normally a semi-laidback person. Whatever issues I might have, I vent to people close to me (whether they want me to or not!). And this blog is supposed to be very impartial and to concentrate on cake.

However, some statements issued during this General Election have been ludicrous, to say the least. And I take great issue against a certain political party, which to me, has only one agenda: To turn Malaysia into a dictatorship run by a certain "wronged" person.

I don't deny that the present government has many flaws, and much more that needs to be delivered. And I don't deny that I long for the days when Tun Mahathir was still the PM, and whoever the next PM is going to be, would still have Tun's shadow hovering over him possibly until time immemorial.

However, when a certain "leader" suggests that his wife, his clearly inexperienced offspring, as well as a loyal supporter to run for seats as PROXIES for his "political comeback", that is way worse than whatever promises the government has failed to deliver. At the rate he's going, would it be wrong to assume that any seats won by his party would eventually be HIS seats once he is eligible? Am I the only one who sees this as a potential dictatorship? I mean, if his party wins (which at this point I hope to God it doesn't!), would Malaysia be then called A****sia?

It's bad enough that the way his party works is by sending supposedly potentially "influential" people to contest seats for the sole reason of contesting against the ruling coalition's candidates, without caring whether or not these "ideal" candidates even know where that particular area is. Plus they're fielding young candidates, who, I believe, may not even have known how to run for their school elections, much less the country's election.

I am miffed. I am angry and disappointed that qualities which we abhor in our culture are visibly apparent in this election. Again, I don't deny that all the parties contesting have some sort of flaw I have issues with. However, for this party to blatantly flaunt these qualities, and try to reason them with hopes of a better government, makes me sick to the stomach.

That said:

I hope voters will use reason and logic when making their decision on 8th March.
I hope voters won't use emotional sentiments plied by certain parties to influence their decision.
I hope that whoever wins the election realises that they are there because we put them there, thus they are then answerable to us.
I hope that the candidates and their supporters fight fair and square.
I hope people understand that these thoughts are all mine, and mine alone.
I hope to no longer write politically influenced blogs.
I hope that these next 11 days go by like the wind.

*GK = Gila Kuasa (Power-Mad)

Polling Days Are Here Again

The elections are coming. Parliament's been dissolved, politicians have started touring the country, and speculations and rumours are on the upswing.

Who am I voting for? That's a secret of course, as is my right, although those who know me would know which way my vote would be. It's fascinating, though, to see politicians, whom we'd never have seen otherwise, suddenly coming out of the woodwork, pleading for support.

My ideal government? The list is as below:

1) New faces. Enough with those who refuse to quit; make way for the younger generation to take their place in the administration. Although, saying that, I hope some certain new faces don't get fielded, 'cos boy are they annoying.

2) Old faces. Experienced people who were left out of the last election due to certain other people's agendas. These experienced people are more capable than the current government, have great track records and are well-liked and respected in their respective kawasan. They should be called back to serve, and hopefully guide the somewhat misguided government back to the right path.

3) Definitely not anyone who has been investigated and found guilty by the ACA. Why some of them were called up during the past election is beyond my comprehension. I mean, these people had nicknames and everything because of money politics, and yet, they are looked upon to be our leader? I can give you six million reasons why that is just wrong.

4) More corporate leaders. I'm not against veteran politicians and the like, but corporate leaders have better know how on how to run a smooth administration.

5) People who want to do the job well. It's probably a rarity now, and perhaps this optimism may change once they're in power, but if they got into politics for the right reasons, hopefully some of this idealism will stick.

That said, my ideal government probably won't become a reality, but it doesn't hurt to hope. And meanwhile, I will just wait for nomination day, thrust my thumb out during polling day for the wonderful new indelible ink to be applied and hope that I don't cross the wrong name.

Happy voting people!

The Day When Cupids Strike & Roses Bloom

For those who aren't aware, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Yep, the most commercialised celebration ever, but be honest, even those who don't celebrate it, deep down inside, feel that little pang of jealousy when your colleague in the next cubicle gets that gorgeous bouquet or adorable teddy bear on Valentine's Day. OK, so you'll hate her in the next 5 minutes when she starts telling anyone who'll listen that her boyfriend/husband/partner is the best one ever, but for the first 10 seconds, believe me, especially if you're a woman, you'll definitely get the pangs.

For those looking for a romantic dinner with your loved one, or just to make it a fun girls' night out (which I did with my best friend a few years back 'cos our significant others suddenly made themselves scarce), check out Tonka Bean Cafe at Impiana KLCC.

Why Tonka Bean, you ask? Well, I will be there, together with my fella, as the official photographers for the dinner. The Valentine's Set Dinner is priced at RM128++ per couple, and you get a special COMPLIMENTARY photograph from yours truly as a memento of this special dinner.

And what else can we do to make it special? Your photograph can be either in colour or in duotone, your choice. That's something worth checking out, if you ask me.

OK, so I'm shamelessly promoting my services, I admit that. But seriously.. isn't this a great deal? You get a great romantic dinner, be serenaded by a live band, the ladies get roses, and to top it all off, you get a nice photograph of you and your partner as a memento! That's why Impiana KLCC is the place to be on Valentine's night. Trust me.

For reservations, call Impiana KLCC at 03 2147 1111.

You Will Be Missed

One of my college friends passed away recently. Zaimirawati Ramli, or Atie, was not a close friend, but we would always greet each other with smiles and small talk.

We lived in the same block in college, but because we took different courses, we didn't have that much in common. However, I remember her most because of her sunny smile, and extremely good nature, and the fact that when we do chat, it was always filled with laughter.

After college, most of us went our separate ways. However, as fate would have had it, my aunt was close friends with Atie's mother-in-law. I was always touched that Atie would ask about me whenever she met my aunt and would always send her regards. That was her nature, and it continued, even when she became sick.

My aunt would regularly update me with news about Atie, and my one regret was that I didn't make more of an effort to call her up or even email her just to say "Hi".

After a long battle with cancer, Atie passed on peacefully on 6 February 2008. She left behind a loving husband, and two adorable children. Such a beautiful soul, both inside and out, has left us to go to a better place.

Semoga Allah meletakkan dia di kalangan orang-orang yang beriman. Al-Fatihah.

Night Out at the Movies

I'm bored. I have tons of editing to do, but I'm not in the mood to do any. 'Cos I'm bored. (Have I said that already?) My fella and I thought we'd go watch a movie, but there's nothing to watch. Maybe we'll just watch DVDs tonight instead.

My fella and I have simple tastes when it comes to movies. I personally don't enjoy movies that make me think too much. I know that probably puts me in the non-cool urban yuppie category, but hey, there's so much to think about in everyday life, why the heck should I pay good money to think some more?

That's not to say that I don't watch heavy dramas and such, to me, it's no longer entertainment. I like movies which go beyond the realm of normalcy, for e.g. car scenes from the Transporter & James Bond franchise.

I like action movies and romantic comedies. I love The Wedding Singer, and wish my fella would sing "Grow old with you" to me constantly. I love the Italian Job, although half of it is because I want to go to Venice, and partly because I adore Seth Green (especially as Oz in Buffy).

I love Die Hards 1-3, although I balk somewhat at Live Free and Die Hard, because Bruce Willis didn't seem like John McClane in it, unless John McClane became a broody, tired and lethargic old man since the last movie came out.

I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy although I sat through nearly the whole of the first movie thinking Legolas was played by James Marsters (Spike of Buffy fame) and marvelling at the wonderful make-up job that made him look so young.

I love treasure hunt type of movies, so National Treasure, Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade and Da Vinci Code occupy a special place in my heart. That said, how much did it suck that Tom Hanks played Robert Langdon??? I mean, dude was wooden, boring and don't even get me started about the hair!

I hate most Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie movies, and not just because I like Jennifer Aniston (well, her movies aren't that great either). I think most Brangelina movies are hyped 'cos they're pretty people, and I strongly believe that the only reason Angelina Jolie got that Oscar was because she played a crazy person, which er.. was kind of who she was then.

I love Sandra Bullock movies, even the semi-boring Lake House, although While You Were Sleeping will always be my favourite. Speed would be my next favourite, and partly 'cos for all his woodenness, I actually do like Keanu Reeves.

I like Hugh Grant movies as well. Love Actually and Music and Lyrics are my current fave. I would like to sing "Pop! Goes My Heart" when I see my fella, complete with pelvic twists and thrusts.

I love love love (!) Monsters Inc., and not just because Boo reminded me of my niece, Elise.

I love P. Ramlee comedies 'cos they're P. Ramlee comedies. Enough said.

My fella's taste is easier. As long as there's Chris Rock, Chris Tucker, Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac, Eddie Murphy or Cedric the Entertainer, he's happy. Oh. And he likes Italian Job too.

Movies should just be for entertainment. And to me, anything that can make me forget life's troubles for 2 hours is money well spent.

Days of Flying Saucers & Nasi Lemak Pak Ya

I recently browsed my friend, Idan's, blog (Frossonice) and he was rehashing memories of our MRSM Balik Pulau days. Coincidentally, my gals & I were also talking about the same stuff, although Idan's memories were way tamer than my gals!

Anyway..I spent the best years in my life in some form of hostels. It started with MRSM from 1989-1992, MARA College Banting from 1993-1995, then University of Hull, UK from 1995-1998. The friends I made in these places are those I can consider as lifelong friends, and indeed, if you look in my Facebook, about 90% are school friends (this includes my SRK Sri Petaling friends as well).

And unlike several other MRSM survivors, I totally LOVED my MRSM years. Being there since Form 2 made me more independent and adventurous than I would have been if I'd stayed at home.

For instance, I wouldn't have learned how to bathe in a river (citygirl since birth..woohoo!), run 10 laps at 3pm and a further 5 at 6pm during hockey season, stretch my bed linens over my bed so tight that a coin could bounce off of it without leaving a mark (OK.. I couldn't do it, but my friend Renny was THE master!) or learned how to hang my undergarments under other clothes to dry on the clothesline so that the boys who lived in the lower block wouldn't take them JUST FOR FUN.

Nor would I have learned how to sleep standing up while on the then Penang Yellow Bus to Georgetown, take a bus, ferry and train (all in one night) back to KL for the holidays, memorised nearly all 80's & 90's Malay rock songs by heart (to this day, OK?) or rode an Army tank, truck and camped out with my whole batch & some Army personnel after the SRP exams.

Nor would I have had the opportunity to eat food which I will never see outside of an MRSM, like ikan jaket (however, this gives me shudders to this day!), flying saucers (a wonderful concoction of sardines, baked beans & pancake-like batter), grilled corn-on-the-cob marinated in condensed milk and butter (YUM!!!!) or breakfast, lunch and dinners served in steel trays.

Nor would I have known the other 120 souls who registered with me at MRSM Balik Pulau on 7 January 1989 (For the record, my nombor maktab was the very cool 89098). Nor would I have realised I could actually memorise every single person's nombor maktab as well (don't think of me as a loser, but just someone with more time than necessary on her hands).

Nor would I have known that these 120 souls, as well as the others who joined us in Form 4 (now mature 33 year olds with respectable jobs), upon meeting now, would immediately transform into giggly teenagers reminiscing about the good ol' days.

Nope.. these things I would have never learned, had I not gone to MRSM. I may have had different memories had that been the case, but right now, I would not trade these memories with anything in the world.

"Kau umpama bunga yang mekar di hatiku..
Ku harap kau mekarlah selama-lamanya..
Kau umpama bintang menyinari hidupku..
Ku harap kau terus bersinar.."

-Cintamu Mekar di Hati-MAY
(Told you I can still hafal the lyrics!!!)

Busy Busy Bee

This was a Bumblebee cake for my friend, Sally's daughter, Ika Bee. It was a chocolate cake with frosting, with Rocky chocolate sticks as antennae, and paper doilies on sticks as the wings. My only regret was not being able to find black food colouring in time, so my bee had brown stripes instead of black.

Oh.. Bumblebee as in insect, and not the Transformer robot.

Dear Diary..

When I was younger, I had a diary. Make it 4 diaries, each being a huge ledger. I wrote in them nearly every day, and some, more than once a day. God knows what thoughts I had that warranted multiple entries in a day.

I guarded those diaries with my life. My friends in boarding school often saw me hunched over my diary, writing furiously about my life at that time. Thinking back, my life wasn't that happening then (not that it is now!) but I still felt it warranted being inked in memory.

Most of the time, I would write about my crush back then, my friends, people I was mad with, people who were mad at me, song lyrics, the usual stuff. As I grew older, I found less time to pen my thoughts, and more time being engrossed in life. If by life you mean sprawled on the bed with my friends in my quaint little house in Hull, watching Empire Records for the 100th time and eating Las Vagas (not a typo, that's really how it's spelt!) takeouts (the cheeseburger is the best!).

Thinking back, I wish I still kept a diary, 'cos I have memory like Swiss Cheese. I can barely remember what happened yesterday, much less what happened 10 years ago! I blame it on Britain's Mad Cow Disease.

Anyway....I wish I still kept a diary 'cos so much has happened to me, and there are so many places I've been to, and things I've done, which should be documented so my future descendants won't think I'm a loser whose main achievement in life is making a killer lasagna!

I kid.. I actually make a damn good pudding as well.

So, I'll try to properly utilise this space to jot down my thoughts, experiences and memories, and hope my descendants will at least think, "Boy, can she write cr*p!"

At least I tried.

Mat Rock!

Ahh.. the days of tight pants & Tancho hair cream.

This song is dedicated to all 90's rock fans, especially my MRSMBP buds.. Batch 89! This is for you!

Make sure you guys get the gestures & actions down pat.

Cicakman! Sort of..

Here's my version of Cicakman for Sofea, Renny's niece's birthday. I made an orange butter cake this time. The eyes are half-Oreos, and the teeth are marshmallows. Jokingly told Renny that my Cicakman needed some dental work..