My Baju... :(

My reception dress is not yet ready, and it is 4 days towards the wedding... :(

The tailor promised to get it ready on the 12th (it's actually ready but waiting for the beads to be sewn on the dress) but when I called yesterday, she was like saying that she promised to hand it to me on the 20th. I said...cannot be la...20th is the day of my wedding...you promised me on the 12th la...I so regret for not calling her earlier, like last week or something...

And so she said she will get the beadings done by Thursday (17th). Is it possible for beadings to be done in 2 days time? We're talking abt the whole baju here...I was at the shop today and I saw the baju still togel without the beads. Oh pls tell me is it possible? :( We all know what will happen if something is done is such a haste...

That is the only major thing which is bugging me right now...the rest of the items...alhamdulillah semuanya OK...

Down to 8

OK, it's down to 8 days now. Slightly more than a week to go.

Hmm let's see what else pending?

1. Pick up the dress from the dressmaker.

2. Finish up the VIP doorgifts...also searching for a label printing shop here in Penang....

3. Finalising the number of guests to the caterer.

4. Decorate the hantaran. Sigh, hope I'll turn creative this coming 1 week.

5. Self-pampering --> other than excessive sleep, do I really have to go to the spa? I mean, does 1 visit really make a difference? Pls advise me...

Hmm...what else?

I am happy...but scared nevertheless...hope everything will be allright...

ps: I am really honoured to those who are making extra big effort to travel up north to be at my wedding... Love you guys! :)

Edible Fruits Basket

Aren't the artificial fruit baskets pretty? The best thing, they are edible! Every single piece of it. And yes, that includes the baskets too. It's such an eye candy if to be put on a hantaran tray. And these fruits baskets are baked for hours in the oven, and they last for years...

Reminds me of a story told by my friend that the ppl in the western countries, they'll keep that small cake on the topmost tier of their fondant wedding cake until their 1st year anniversary...

Oh, these cute little things are available locally from here.

Inai

Oh, the simplicity of it!

Probably I'm just gonna go with the simple henna on my fingers. So I went for an afternoon walk at the Little India; the long rows of Indian shops along the King Street and Queen Street of Penang for an instant henna.

Bought a box of powdered henna, made 100% of grounded henna leaves. I tried experimenting on my little pinky couple of days back. Below is the result:

Dark-orangey

I left the henna on for about one and half hour. I only prepared the henna mixture with air paip. The colour is not that bad right? Though I prefer it if it is a bit darker and more reddish. Jadi bagaimanakah caranya untuk bagi warna inai menjadi lebih terang? I googled some tips online, and below are a few petua:

i) Mix the concoction with air teh yg dibancuh pekat instead of air paip
ii) Put in some drops of pewarna (merah)
iii) Put a few butir of nasi in the concoction, so that the henna will stick easily to ur fingers
iv) When the henna on ur fingers is about to dry up, moisten it up with lemon juice droplets
v) Other than the lemon juice, can also consider minyak cap kapak
vi) After moisten the henna up a few times, and it's about the time to remove the henna, just peel the henna off and do not wash ur hands immediately. Lather ur hands with minyak masak first

Hm, that's all I think. Any other petua? But then again, I read somewhere that warna inai ni ikut darah seseorang tu...though I am not too sure on the relationship of the inai and the darah?

Mamak kedai told me that the inai will last for a week or so...let's see whether if it's true. I hope it can last longer than that...a month, maybe?!

To those who want a simple henna as per above, maybe can consider to put cellotape around the point of where ur henna is going to end on ur fingers. So that the henna tak comot2 or terpanjang or terpendek...

Oh by the way, here is the powdered henna that I bought for RM1.90:


But I saw at Mydin, they are selling 2 boxes of these for RM1.10 or something. Murah, kan?!

Oh So Cheap!

Walked around this one shopping mall in Penang with a mission to find myself a pair of wedding shoes suitable to wear for both nikah and sanding ceremonies.

This one shopping mall memang banyak gila kedai kasut, and banyak juga menjual kasut-kasut merepek.

But as I jalan-jalan, I saw this one cute white peep toe, looks something like this: -


The price? RM30 saje! Too cheap for me not to buy! :)

If I could not find anything nicer towards the wedding, I might just wear this pair of shoes. The only thing is that its a 2 1/2 inch, and I'm looking for something lesser than that...since I am pretty tall, and Ide is well, about the same height as me...

I think I should try it on and see how I look next to him...

Zikir & Doa Untuk Kesejahteraan Rumahtangga

Few days ago I happened to watch a talk show which generally focuses on marriage and relationship based on the Islamic values and principles. A very lively and interesting show, hosted by such a sweet & loving couple. Cute sangat!

At the end of the show, the hosts shared some of the Quranic verses which are advisable the husbands and wives to recite, especially to strengthen the bond between a husband and wife, and lead a marriage full of barakah, insha Allah.

Here are some of the verses of which we can maybe recite after each solat, and before sleep: -

1) Surah Toha ayat 39
2) Surah Yusuf ayat 4
3) Surah Ibrahim ayat 37
4) Surah Alimran ayat 173 and 174 (more afdhal if to recite 33x)
5) Surah An Naml ayat 31 and 32 (to recite and hembus kat leher suami/ isteri - errr make sure hubby or wifey dah tidur time tu)
6) Surah Alimran ayat 200 (this one can recite while preparing a meal for the hubby)

Rasanya ayat-ayat al Quran kat atas ni pendek-pendek saja. If we can allocate some of our time to memorize these verses, coupled with doa for us to lead a happy and blessed married life. Insha Allah.

Meja Pengantin

Whenever ppl mentioned meja pengantin or meja beradab, I have always imagined the long table which would fit 8-10 ppl.

The long meja beradab is something like this: -

Source from here

The longer the table, the more decoration it would require, I think. And it means...it could get pricier. Having a budget of my own, I am considering other alternatives, i.e. to convert one of the round guest tables into a meja pengantin.

Let's look at these pictures below: -

Both are done by Romantis Bridal.

I don't think it requires a lot of decoration, maybe a nice centrepiece would do. As per my previous entry. And of course, kerusi for both the pengantin we can hire the big kerawang chairs tu kan.

All of which I think is much lesser than the deco needed for the long meja pengantin instead.

Oh, and easier to pass2 the food also! :D

I need to decide fast!

Oh no...

...I am getting married NEXT MONTH!

There's still so many things pending to be done! (Now, where's the to-do list?!)

Please tell me, what am I supposed to feel?

There's so many mixed feelings blending inside me right now...

But don't take me wrong, of course I am happy to be getting married!

PDA!

Anyone up for a bit of a PDA (Public Display of Affection)?

Beautiful wedding of a friend, Syafiq and his wife Rita

Hailed from Penang, the weddings that I can recall attending in most of my childhood + teenage life were the ones of the relatives, the more traditional type at the kampung-kampung where the food was cooked via gotong-royong by the villagers, then makan bawah khemah atap zink tengah-tengah panas. Main menu for the kenduri would be kari. Kari ikan, kari daging lembu, kari daging kambing, kari ayam.

Then bila dah besar sikit, baru dapat attend the ones held at a more proper hall, or hotels. Cuz by then the daughters/sons of my parents' friends in the city pun dah besar-besar and dah nak kahwin.

But the first time that I witnessed the actual preparation of a modern-type wedding was a few years ago in KL. Everything abt the wedding was so beautiful, but the one thing that caught my attention was this one big framed-portraiture that stood at the entrance of the hall.

I was so mesmerized at the beauty of the picture and thought to myself that I want the same thing for my own wedding.

So, here I am, only trying to fulfill my teenage dreams :)

Insha Allah we are going for a simple pre-wedding photo shoot in a few weeks' time. Can't wait! Hihi. My sister's friend in KL agreed to do it for us. So hopefully we are able to choose a nice pic out of the many.

And thanks to Bang Hus for agreeing to lend me that tripodlike-thingy so that I am able to prop up that big frame on it :)

All You Have To Do Is Wait...

"All you have to do is wait for your nikah day". That was what being told to me by the helpful people at the Pejabat Agama Islam today after I submitted the borang nikah.

Submitted!

There was a brief interview or rather, a chit chat session with the Ustaz before he allowed me to hand in the form. On the way to the Pejabat Agama with my mom, we were quizzing each other on Rukun Islam, Rukun Iman, etc; the basic Pendidikan Islam stuffs. And then boleh pulak both of us terlupa 1 rukun for each the Rukun Islam and Rukun Iman! Punya la dok ingat... apa benda la yang termiss tu?? When you're panic-stricken, you simply forget! Errr...and why is my mom panicking again?

My dad told me that last week his friend's daughter ke son went to see the Ustaz, and he/she was asked to recite the Qunut. Maybe he/she was too nervous, and could not complete the recital. In the end the Ustaz asked him/her to come back once he/she is ready. Thanks Abah, does not help calm me down!

At the last moments before I went in to see the Ustaz, alhamdulillah I could recall each of the Rukun Islam and Iman. *phew*

But not that the Ustaz quizzed me on those anyway. Just a simple recital of the istighfar and syahadah, with the meaning. And he advised me on the do's and don'ts for a blissful marriage...tiba-tiba rasa sedih T.T

Domes and Table Centrepieces

Went to discuss with the caterer yesterday... Amongst the things discussed is whether they are going to provide us with maybe 4, 5 "domes" for the VIP tables (untuk rombongan lelaki). Cuz we will be having buffet-style lunch and I think the rombongan shouldn't be queueing at the buffett line with the other guests for food? Well, so far tak pernah tengok lagi, kalau ada, do tell me ya. So the idea is that the food will be served in that dome.

Unfortunately, the caterer they don't have any domes to provide to us. Well, our caterer ni small-time caterer aja. Semalam pergi discuss pun dekat rumah dia kat kampung kat Penang ni :) Food dia, insha Allah belum ada orang complain tak sedap lagi. They did the food for my engagement party last February and everyone liked it.

OK, so, tak da dome. The caterer is not aware of anyone whom we can hire the domes from. He said if we want to hire pun maybe about RM50 per dome, or more.

Anyway, later after meeting the caterer I went to find this one florist recommended by the bridal boutique. She told me that this florist memang tak charge mahal, and will do his best to work around our budget. I am trying to get quotation for my hand bouquets... And true enough... this florist memang tak sombong langsung. He showed me so many pics and samples together with price quotation. Eg if my budget is RM60 this is what I will get... and he also advised me on the alternatives to cut down on the price.

And I found out that he can also do table centrepieces... Quite cheap too... And I don't think I will be needing the domes anymore... Lauk pauk tu, I think dihidangkan atas meja dalam pinggan ke apa... And I am thinking of simple table centrepieces, like these pictures:-

From here

From here

From here

From here

...and I really2 want candles in the centrepieces too! Boleh tak? :D

Tomorrow (Monday) he invited me to his house cum showroom to see his flower arrangements... Can't wait!

Alhamdulillah...

My request to transfer to the firm's branch in KL is accepted. Now am waiting for the clearance date, as in when can my current office effectively release me. Don't wanna owe the office anything, do we? Leave the office as a clean slate.

Hmm...do I really want to continue in the line I'm currently in? Those late hours, high stress levels...in KL it's gonna be even worse (the traffic jam's gonna make the whole thing worse)... Not good for married life, they say.

I tell myself to give myself a chance. Should things do not work the way they are supposed to, maybe Plan B will take into action (note to self: to formulate Plan B :P) There are so many things about the wedding to think of, rather than nak peningkan kepala nak cari kerja lain!

Before "I Do"

Tiba-tiba timbul keinginan entah dari mana nak amik gambar pre-wedding. Mungkin berkat usaha kawan-kawan Chinese kat ofis asyik dok tanya aja bila nak amik gambar pre-wedding. To the Chinese, it's like a must to have pre-wedding pictures. Mula-mula memang tak pertimbangkan langsung nak amik gambar pre-wedding ni, banyak lagi benda nak difikirkan selain dari posing-posing depan kamera. Nanti masa kawin nanti, dah nak posing dah pun.

Tapi, bila duduk dan fikir-fikir...

Why not? Ngee...

Nothing too fancy and elaborate. Just me and Ide in our normal clothes looking pretty in front of the camera.

Something like this, perhaps: -

Pretty, isn't it? Thanks to Bang Hus

I talked to Ide abt it... He thinks it is a good idea too... But we haven't really decided on it. If it happens then the event will take place somewhere in KL, and I plan not to go to KL again what with the wedding is so near now... my Mom cakap nanti takda seri pulak... asyik menunjukkan muka kat KL ja :-S But there is still so many things for me to do! Pick up invi cards, groom's ring, fitting for KL reception, bla bla blaaaa....

Absence...

...makes the heart grow fonder.

Miss my darling... It was only yesterday I sent him off on the bus back to KL, and I miss him already... (ngada, ya I know :P)

Did I tell you how much fun we had during his short 2-day trip to Penang? His last trip to Penang as an ineligible bachelor...

Day 1
Turun2 bas ja, he said his stomach was grumbling and needed to be fed Nasi Kandar Line Clear... off we went... hmm tapi tak sedap sgt la... I prefer Nasi Kandar Kg Melayu hands down... then we went home and talked and talked... listened to beautiful music, I am so in love with Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major (flute and piano version), but Ide likes the violin and harp version.

Day 2
Went to Transfer Road to try the Ceri Roti Canai... It is years since I've been wanting to try that infamous roti canai... But always tak pergi cuz my thought is roti canai is very fattening. But whenever I'm arnd Ide, my diet always seem nonexistent. The roti canai sedappp...but mcm kena tipu ja bila time bayar? :( Note to self: Next time tanya betul2 harga setiap benda yg diorder.

Then off we went for facial... It was his first experience, he seemed very excited but did not show it (tak macho lah, excited nak pi facial :P). He kept asking me to tell him what's gonna happen during the process... I told him just enjoy the process lah... Hehe. We were placed on adjacent rooms, and throughout the facial I can hear him making weird noises... Like when the lady put on a steamer he snorted few times. I guess he slept for some time cuz I heard him snoring!! Grr...

Then we went to place deposit to rent his tuxedo, after that to the mall in the quest to find him the bow tie and waist band as described in the previous entry. Watched the movie "Surrogate" (interesting movie! - pursuaded him to watch "Papadom" but he refused to) and had Thai dinner at a kedai makan tepi jalan.

Day 3
Rode on the motorbike to the local neighbourhood market to have breakfast (ya you read me right - motorbike!). It was his first time carrying a pillion rider hehe. Nasib baik tak tertunggang terbalik OK. It was our first time riding together on a motorbike.

Went to the shopping mall to find him his pair of shoes for the wedding... Then we went back home to eat Mama's homecooked lunch and get him packing for his bus back home to KL.

And today... here I am... missing him :(

The Groom

Ide darling is in town this weekend, yay! He is here to hand-deliver his completed borang nikah forms and such - I am proud of him for actually completing the necessaries for his nikah application at such a short time. Me? I haven't even get the form from the local Pejabat Agama *embarrassed*

He is also here to get his size for the tuxedo rental. Erm...kami rent aja, don't have the budget to custom made a full tuxedo set. But we have to get the pants on our own, if we are to rent one from the bridal shop, the pants provided are all rubber-waisted (means kat pinggang tu semua getah, pakai sarung aja takda cakuk2). Eee...don't want! Macam lau pek lah...

Then we went on the hunt for his bow tie and waist band... Not that the bridal shop does not provide one, but the shop only provides a clip-on...and Ide wants a proper bow tie that he has to tie himself. Emm...mengada tak? :P

But then it is his wedding as much as mine, if he wants to be a gentleman, let him be. He grew up idolising James Bond. I suppose he has been dreaming of being as suave as the Bond on his own wedding since childhood...who knows? And that he is only realising his childhood dreams.

This is the look he hopes to achieve on our wedding day:

My fave Bond - Daniel Craig...handsome kan? :D

And we had fun learning how to tie the bow tie, it is quite tricky actually but the SA at the shop was really helpful, we practised until we managed to get it right...and again, YouTube does help too! :)

And all I can say is, the groom's attire is almost as expensive as the bride's! - Yea...my dress is just a simple affair...nothing too fancy :)

His tuxedo set is almost complete, only left with his tuxedo shirt aja...I am not sure where to get a tuxedo shirt...(is it what they call it?) We thought of getting a normal white shirt if still couldn't find the tuxedo shirt...

I told Ide that his next trip to Penang - he'll be a married man! Hihi.

Make Up Gone Wrong

When I was in KL almost 2 weeks ago (hmm I realize that this month's entries are mostly about the happenings which took place during my recent trip to KL ;p ), MIL-to-be told me about this hair salon owned by a lady who happens to also do bridal makeups. So, since we are still deciding on who's gonna do the makeup for the KL reception, MIL-to-be suggested why not I check this lady out, since the price is rather reasonable.

I do not go for famous and professional make-up artists since I do not have the budget for that. And I believe, if look hard enough there are promising makeup artists who are on the rise, and charge reasonable charges too.

And I do not want to pandai-pandai suggest as I don't feel too good abt doing so, since it is the majlis bertandang and I do not want to interfere in their planning, unless required for.

As curiosity kills the cat (and it did kill me too!), I went to the lady's hair salon and booked for an appointment for a trial makeup, and so happened I was supposed to attend a wedding dinner. No better timing there, right? Lepas makeup boleh trus attend wedding!

Dah la mula2 I heard the lady said RM30, but when I was about to pay it actually cost me RM70. Not that I mind paying RM70, in fact I am glad to have forked RM70 out of my pocket, for I do not want to look like what I looked like right after the trial makeup - on my wedding day! (hmm, I think the sentence structure is a bit pusing2).

This is the lipcolor applied on me lips:

What's with the fluorescent color, dude?

And how my eyes were done:

Errr...I am not auditioning for Zainal Abidin's "Hijau" videoclip, thank u!

While I looked at my face in horror, Ide was dozing off on the comfy couch at the salon. When he woke up, he didn't look shocked (this guy can keep his cool, I admit it) but rather, looked at me in pity. Yes, pity. Can it be worse than that? But after a while, he seems to enjoy having walked beside a rodeo clown.

Driving on our way home, he held his palm out to me. Being in a foul mood I was like, "What you want?". Him - "Can I have a cotton candy, please?". Grrrr!!!!!

At his house, he called his Mom to see the outcome. His Mom pun macam kesian ja tengok keadaan my face :(

In the end, I was late at the wedding dinner, cuz it took me a long time to tenyeh2 my face to get rid of the makeup. The morning after, I found a pimple on my face :(

To cut the story short, I think I have found the one. Based on my friends' opinions, I couldn't go wrong with this makeup artist. The work is good and the rate is slightly lower than the top ranking prof. makeup artists.

Haih...can I just not wear any makeup at all?

2 in 1

It is decided that we are going to have both nikah and sanding ceremony in 1 day. And mind you, my sanding ceremony is not dinnertime, but rather, lunchtime.

This is because we plan to have the akad nikah at the masjid in the morning, and prefer to keep it as simple as possible. So it is totally not worth the money to have 40+ rombongan on the guy's side from Taiping (the grandma's house) and to spend on accommodation (we are looking at service apartments, and the rental rate in Penang is not that cheap...and need to book 10 rooms at least). Not to mention the nitty gritty things that the rombongan has to think about, e.g. lunch, dinner and breakfast for that day...these small2 things if add up can be rather costly on them, and on us as well.

And plus, the guy's side prefer to have everything settled all in 1 day.

The question is, will I be able to pull it off? This means we have to kick off the akad nikah ceremony as early as 9am, or the earlier, the better. 8.30am maybe? My dad said tak pernah orang buat awal-awal macam tu. On the other hand, my friends said buat aja even though tak pernah dibuat orang. If not how to make it in time for the lunch reception?

Hope everything will go on smoothly...even the slightest delay is going to affect the sanding ceremony...I'm praying hard so everything will go on as planned...insha Allah.

Cards, etc.

Ordered the invitation cards last Saturday. Another major item striked off the To-Do list. Oh, I am not that creative to design my own wedding card. But then again, I suppose given the time I could if I try hard enough. Hehe. I just want a hassle-free process of producing wedding invitations, that's all. And so I went to a shop in Pertama Complex (PC) with FIL and MIL-to be and Ide, inspired by this:

I lost the link of this pic, but a huge credit to the shop/photographer. The design screams simple and sweet, don't you think so? Am learning to tie a neat and pretty ribbon as per above, with YouTube it's not that difficult, really.

I am not sure how many shops there are in PC that cater for wedding invi cards but I bumped into 2 shops. The first one is a well-known shop but the SA was very sombong and wasn't very entertaining and was busy folding her paper bags while answering my questions in single syllables. No free stuffs offered either (hey I'm all about finding good bargain there is!).

2nd shop is a floor above the 1st one. The lady was very kind and sweet and most of all, patient. I was rather fussy, asking this and that, and pin-pointed so many cards that we have a lot of cards spread on the table. And me being rather fickle-minded, could not make a firm decision until the very last minute. The SA sabar aja layan my kerenah, smiling all the way.

And she threw in a free bunting and printed envelopes too! All at a very, very good price which is way below my budget.

Now am waiting for the first draft to come in...

1st Dress Fitting...

Not sure of this pic's link, but isn't the lace pretty? *swoons*

I was in KL last weekend with the mission to get the wedding invitation cards out of my To-Do list. Also to attend a friend's wedding (now that I am getting married, I would want to attend all the weddings there is).

Oh, I also went for the first fitting on the dress to be worn during the majlis bertandang in KL. I like it very much!! I went to visit the butik for the first time couple of months ago and I showed her the design that I would like her to make for me, and promised to come back some time after raya for her to take my measurement.

Then mana tau when I went to the butik, the lady took out the dress - a cream colored songket with gold lace (the theme is go traditional for majlis bertandang) which is 90% ready only to sew the beads on the lace. I raked my mind and thought hard whether I had my measurement taken on my first visit? Then the lady said during the first visit she agak-agak my size, and came up with that dress according to the design that I presented upon her. Wah. Not sure, is it a good thing or a bad thing? That she agak-agak my size? But weirdly enough, the dress sort-of fit me perfectly like a glove. Just a few alterations to be made on the wrists and waist.

OK la tu kak, next month I come again to see the final outcome. Anyway I really respect this lady, she is so professional and patient, a pleasant person to deal with. On my first visit I thought she would be a bit arrogant cuz I always see her advert in the monthly Pengantin mag... but I thought wrong! And she charges reasonable price too, I mean, really reasonable.

My dress on my side of the reception? Errr...bought the lace at Euro Moda in KL, now am about to buy the lining and my target is to send it to the tailor here in Penang by this weekend! Can't stand the panic whenever I think about my dress! Just want to get it out of the way and get it over and done with.

It's a negative

Went for my HIV screening test today. Lucky I dropped in today as they accept people for the tests on Mondays and Wednesdays only, from 2pm onwards (pls bear in mind different government clinics/ hospitals has different rulings on the timing, best to call up and check beforehand). I went to the Klinik Kesihatan Sg Dua, Penang.

Being the kiasu Penangite that I am, I arrived at the clinic at 1.50pm. Waited 10 minutes until the clinic reopens for the afternoon session.

Thanks for my kiasuness - I am the first one in line for the test! Hahaha.

I hate being in hospitals, clinics, etc. I hate the sight of blood, needles, sick patients, those health-related posters on the wall. But have to drag myself for that prick on my finger so that I can get married. Adoi. Sakit gak la. Yea I know, I am mengada-ngada :P

Now waiting for Ide to settle the checklist for his application e.g. surat akuan bujang and whatnots...then only I can proceed with mine...then baru boleh kahwin!

Ribbons

Source taken from here

I want to make pretty ribbons like the picture above as a simple decoration for my doorgift boxes. I bought ribbons made from organza material. Tapi...kenapa lah tangan ni keras betul nak dilentuk-lentukkan, habis senget benget my ribbons dan terkeluar habis benang dia :( gotta try again I suppose...

So much for wanting to put a "personal touch" on my wedding doorgifts....haha~!

Ticked!

Clue

The doorgift for the guests is off the To-Do list! What a huge relief. I was in Ipoh yesterday with Mom to attend a friend's wedding whom I shared most of our wedding preparation process together over the past few months...lega now dah lepas dah pun, congrats Puan Ida! :D

There were suggestions for me to go down to Ipoh, along the Jalan Kuala Kangsar to look for cheap doorgifts...so sambil menyelam minum air. So apart from attending Ida's beautiful wedding, sambil2 mencari doorgift for my reception.

There were several shops which sell doorgifts at competitive prices...the prices do vary from one shop to the other. So my advice is to browse through several shops before buying. Even if beza 10sen-20 sen but then if you multiply it by 600 or 1,000 pcs? A huge difference we're talking about here.

Jalan punya jalan, at the last shop that we made a stop at had what we thought was suitable to give away to the guests as a gift. Well, at least my mom thought so. I was initially a bit against the idea - it was almost similar to what my future MIL is giving away to her guests for the guy's reception. But the price was too good to ignore! And it suits my theme perfectly. And mom was saying that it's OK, it's 2 sets of different guests altogether, as far as Penang and KL. Emm...*Aunty, jangan marah tau!*

Map for wedding invitation - done! But it looks a bit complicated :-S

Dress for my reception - next item on the list! (Yes you read this right - I have no idea how my reception dress is going to look like, and my wedding is in 2-odd months)

When the cat is out of the bag...

Finally, I told the management at the firm I'm currently working that I am walking down the isle. Before this I am so worried that people would know, maybe because then it was still too early to spill the beans. But now is about the right time to tell, mostly because I plan to transfer to the firm's branch in KL, and the process might need the role of the management in it, at a certain level. And the process takes time too. Plus, a few people advised me to alert the management soon.

And it's only fair for them to know, as they are the one doing the human resource planning.

And so I have voiced out my intention to leave in January (hopefully my request to transfer to KL is successful *praying hard*). The Director whom I spoke to, kindly asked me to consider extending for a couple of weeks in January due to a certain client that I will be working on. Oh well, I have considered that prior to walking into her room. So I said OK.

So, betui ka ni nak keja audit kat KL? Dulu mati2 tak mau continue audit dah. So, apa dah jadi ni? Hmm actually, honestly, I like audit. The process, documentation, the pressure, everything. I like being occupied with things to do on my hands. Rather than membuat kerja2 yg tiada adrenaline rush. Trust me, being unassigned for a few weeks now, I realise that LLB (Look Like Busy) is a tough thing to do. More like Look Like Bored.

Not to mention, it is so hard to get a job anywhere else at this moment. Furthermore, I might be promoted to Senior Associate, insha Allah if God forbids. Working at an audit firm is quite a challenge (people say so), let alone staying in one. I might as well reap the benefits, having come this far.

Anyway, the Director asked if it is OK for her to tell the rest of the management of my piece of good news. I smiled and nodded. Do I have a choice? :) At least she sort of looked genuinely happy for me.

I'm Rockin'

I got my rock and I absolutely love it to bits! And I have my Dear to thank for! *hugs* I love it because it fulfills the criterias I'm looking for as per the 4Cs- Carat, Colour, Cut and Clarity. Thanks to the nationwide Mega Sale, we managed to grab it at a really affordable price :) I chose a 4-prong to house the diamond, though I read somewhere that 6 prongs will bring out the round brilliant cut, but since my diamond is not that big (but I love it anyway), 6 prongs will only make it smaller :( maybe my next diamond la kot, kan Dear? Hehe.

Oh ya, we both also had the ring engraved dengan kata-kata cinta... Sangat poyo but I love it! Hehe.

This is me tgh melihat nombor surat beranak diamond saya :P

And my Dear bought it on his birthday, too! **Happy Birthday Dear** Rasa guilty sangat2, it was his birthday and I have yet to buy him a present cuz sangat2 tak sempat and could not find the opportunity, and plus he splashed on my ring, and he also treated himself on his birthday dinner! Hahaha. Why did it happen? Looong story. But the most important thing is, I am so going to make it all up to him the next time I'm in KL :D Dah la dia demam pulak time tu...actually still demam sampai ke hari ni...tapi nasib baik la bukan H1N1 *doa banyak-banyak*.

My next mission is, to find him his ring. Aaaa... Masih dok fikir2 nak beli ring jenis apa kat dia... Suasa? Platinum? Any other options? Rasa macam dua ni saja yang orang selalu beli...

Working, Running...and A Death

This week is one of those rare weekends where I have to dedicate my time for work.

With a bottle of water to keep me hydrated and a good scenery out the window, get set, go! * I threw in a Chelsea bear as a prop ;) *

Normally my weekends are filled by reading good books, watch TV, read the Sunday newspapers, surfing, going out with mom/bro/sis, eat out, shopping, etc. I want my normal weekend back!

Also, earlier today I ran a 6.5km PSDC Charity Marathon. And I finished it in 55mins! Not bad hor....for someone who doesn't train that consistently? Hehe. And that includes about 10mins walking here and there...pancit lah wei...Though I respect those people who can run all the way till the finishing line. Mula2 memang malas nak bangun pagi, I woke up at 5.55am and heard slight thunder far away, I fervently wish it would rain so I would have a valid reason not to go :P But then my friend, Bing sent me a text: -

"Arise my champion! The time is nigh to show thy powess strength and be known in the running field of PSDC. When thou art near, give thine call unto me"

Tu dia. Amik hang. Macam Shakespeare pulak ajak aku bermarathon. Tak sampai hati nak PPK, he and some members of the team have always been motivating and supporting me to run, and to improve my running. Which reminds me, I have yet to register to be a member of the team M!racle M!ler. Ho ho.

Anyway, to keep myself motivated, I targeted a few people ahead of me. I aimed to take over that particular person, and once you took over him/her, set another target of a person ahead of you. That what keeps me going. And there are people whom you can't seem to take over, make him/her as your inspiration to keep moving. And remember, you could also be an inspiration to the people behind you.

My next marathon? Penang Bridge half marathon 26km. Boleh ka ni? Insha-Allah. Bila lagi nak berlari2 di atas jambatan tanpa gangguan kenderaan? The bridge will be closed especially for you tau!

And today I learnt the news of the death of the multi award-winning film director, Yasmin Ahmad. On Thursday she was admitted due to a stroke and haemorrhage, and was in a coma until the last moments of her life. Mari kita sama-sama sedekahkan Al-Fatihah untuk Allahyarhamah. I adore her movies, and her Petronas commercial adverts have always been very touching. She is a great storyteller. I couldn't think of any other people in the entertainment industry who could promote racial unity such as she. Semoga roh-mu dicucuri rahmat, Amin.

PS: Happy Birthday to two of my good girlfriends; Erlina and Shuhada! Semoga dipanjangkan umur dan dimurahkan rezeki selalu, insha-Allah. **HuGs & KiSsEs**

What To Look Forward To?

Since my wedding preparation is going nowhere, I don't have much to update here. And there is nothing really interesting going on in my life at the moment...that I decided to cheer myself up to look forward to the anticipated events in the near future: -

- Brother's engagement - 31st July '09
Ni tak tau la boleh pi ka tak ni...cuz this week I am in a super duper rush (not to mention big) job under managers yang suka meng"stress" and mem"press" orang. I would love to go, but then I don't think I am able to get away on Friday...huwa...nak pi Kelantan...then can survey2 barang kat Rantau Panjang tu orang cakap wedding favours are dirt cheap there...betul ke?

- Ina's wedding - 2 August '09
Insha-Allah I will be attending Ina's wedding, since I RSVP-ed a Yes. I have a feeling this will be a beautiful wedding, since all her wedding vendors gempak2 gila okay! Congrats dear!

- Zamirah's wedding - 8th August '09
Another gorgeous wedding to attend...plus I am so looking forward to meet up with the gurls! Pinky, Aimy, etc; Insha-Allah if they are attending. Gossips lagi! :D And Pinky, you promised to show me the invi card designs. FYI, Pinky is volunteering to design my wedding invi cards since she is too free (Shell mmg mcm tu ke babe?). I am excited since it'll be cool to have some personal touch in your wedding invi, tu pun Insha-Allah kalau plan menjadi la kan :) Err babe, wedding cake pun haritu you cakap nak buatkan, kan? Apa cerita eh? Last2 I buat pulut kuning je la kot hahaha.

- Bang Ide's birthday - 8th August '09
I know you will hate the idea of a surprise birthday celebration, so awal2 I bgtau kat sini no surprise OK! So as usual we'll go out for a nice dinner *tiap-tiap tahun macam tu, boring kan* Tapi takpa, it's the company that matters, kan!

- Ida's wedding - tak ingat tarikh
Sorry Ida I tak ingat tarikh wedding you!! Tu la u kena bagi I kad cepat2 ;p but I know it's a few days after raya hehe. Sudah sekian lama asyik ber"Sametime" dan ber"YM" about our wedding preparations (since both of us are getting married this year), now is the time to reap the fruits (erm...apakah?!). I know your wedding pasti gojes babe!

Wah, my calendar is so full of events, kalah calendar of a photographer nih hehe. Well there are a few more events but these are the highlights kot, at least in the next 1 mth.

And of course, the herald of the holy month of Ramadhan! Tak sabar rasanya nak tunggu ketibaan bulan yg mulia ni. Harap2 time tu my job not so hectic, so that dapat pergi solat Tarawikh *doa banyak-banyak* Insha-Allah. Talking abt Ramadhan, ada lagi 1 hari nak ganti!! Caiyok caiyok!

And Erlina, you coming over to Penang anytime soon? I am lonely here please cheer my days up with nasik kandar and jalan2 at the malls!

Anyone else who wants to fill up my boring, lonely, sad days over here up North?

Mari Beryoga

With Denise Austin, the exercise guru who has probably tried all sorts of exercises ever existed and excels at them

Thanks to my crazy and demanding job, I don't have so much time to go for my outdoor run lately. So I decided to really get serious on exercising indoors by doing yoga. You can really sweat from doing yoga you know~!

Quote: "Yoga amalan kesihatan yang diperkenalkan sekitar sejak 3,300 sebelum masihi dikatakan dapat membantu melambatkan proses penuaan, mengurangkan risiko kencing manis, darah tinggi, lelah dan penyakit berkaitan jantung".

Normally I do my yoga routines with the help of Youtube videos but the duration of the videos are rather short e.g. 8-9 mins only. There are longer duration videos but not the type of routines that I am looking for. This DVD is what I have been looking for: -

- Total Body Toning
- Lean Legs
- Flat Abs

Tapi yoga bukankah difatwakan sebagai haram? To me, if you simply do the exercises without chanting the mantras, it is perfectly fine. Come on, every morning you wake up from your sleep, you do stretch don't you? It is a form of yoga as well. Stretching your muscles when warming up for your exercises have a bit of yoga elements in them. Just hold on tight to your intention which is to improve your health and general well-being, insha Allah you will be fine.

4++ months saje lagi untuk menjadi kurus! Mari sama-sama kita melipatkan badan menjadi pretzel!

I Heart Mega Sale!

Saw a poster like this somewhere arnd the Jetty area on my way to my training last week:

Sempat fikir..."Penang ada Metrojaya ke"?

I was so excited! The whole week I could not really concentrate on my training. Even planned to skip a day to check out the sale on its first day...but so not worth losing my annual CPD (Continuing Professional Development) hours (I guess I am a pretty sensible gal ;p ). Definitely not gonna jeopardise me accountancy membership for a sale.

I do not really put on hopes too much on the clothings, perfumes or cosmetics at this sale. Maybe a wallet and belt set (for his hantaran, thus I can check the box) or a bed sheet/ comforter set for the wedding. So I went yesterday (Saturday) and excited to see that the items that I wanted are really on a good bargain! *Yay* (Not the wallet and belt set though).

So I made up my mind on the bedsheet set that I like, and made a mental note to return the day after. I saw the cashier queue, mak aih...tak sanggup aku nak tunggu turn, queue punya lah panjang OK.

So today, before 11am I sudah terpacak depan pintu. Dan membeli comforter set itu. Dan juga mendapatkan sebijik bantal percuma. *Yay again*

Sneak peek of the comforter set:

*I Heart This*

Pardon me for the low-quality pic, my lousy phone cam definitely doesn't do justice to the light brown-goldish hue.

It is made of silk but with cotton inner lining so that you will feel comfortable, I guess? The black decoration is velvet kut. Initially I wanted to go for cream-colored cotton comforter set (something English-ish) but then I do not want to spend so much on room deco. Therefore in my case now, most of the detailings and attention would come from the comforter set, I suppose? Less is always more (sigh, everyone swears by this statement nowadays). Apa pun dah beli *takmau fikir apa-apa dah*

Oh, I also managed to get the wallet and belt set (check!), but at a different location. Thanks to the nationwide Mega Sale Carnival, I do not have to burn a hole in my pocket!

KL Here I Come

...actually I was back from KL already. And this entry comes in late :D

I went to KL in order to fulfil a wedding invitation by a friend, Nora. The thought of meeting up good friends plus gossipping session, the 4-hour bus trip to and fro seems trivial. Oh, in KL also boleh saya berdating dengan tunang saya, Bang Ide :D

Too bad I did not take any pictures at the wedding (FYI, I don't own a camera other than a lousy 1.3megapixel phone cam). But it was a nice and lovely wedding, I especially like the soothing gamelan performance. Macam mana nak pi sewa gamelan nye orang ni ye? Bear in mind my reception will be in Penang...so far I have never seen any wedding reception with a gamelan performance kat Penang ni...boria ada lah :P Macam menarik saje kalau ada persembahan gamelan ni kan? Back at home I straight away downloaded some gamelan mp3. Hm maybe I can just play these mp3 rather than hire these people? *Hajah Bakhil mode*

Oh and I am so happy to go dating with Bang Ide :B

Makan banyak = happy!

We tried to do something fruitful of my visit, like went to survey for my wedding ring...but I was like in no mood for ring hunting now. But there was this really sweet ring at D&P, the design is so similar to Tiffany's dengan harga yg bukan mcm Tiffany's. Sangat cantik! Lebih kurang macam ni lah design dia...

Tapi nak survey lagi lah...

Anyway, below are some pictures from our foodie session :D Pardon me for the low qual pics ;)

Spaghetti meatballs dengan meatball yg lebih besar dari mulut Bang Ide


A very fulfilling fist-sized meatball, with a pasta portion to match

I so heart Italiannies >:D<

Bad news is, on my way back from KL my manager called with work queries enough to spoil not only my short 3-day KL trip, but at least for another month :(

You got that laugh lines?

The only consistent thing I have been doing in the span of 5 months with regards to the preparation of my wedding is to go for facial treatments.

Heavenly!

Even though I love the pampering I get at the beauty spa, I sometimes dread having to go there - the extraction process is always a painful experience for me (katanya my blackheads and whiteheads ni sgt degil picit2 pun x mau keluar) and I would come out of the spa with my spotty face looking like I'm ready to spread chicken pox to the people around me. But it's for my own good, rite?

OK I'm out for a facial! Toodles!

For Him

Rasa-rasanya, OK tak kalau groom pakai baju macam kat atas ni? Nak pakai tuxedo macam tak sesuai saja di tengah2 hari buta? Tuxedo kalau tak kena tailor yang OK ada nampak macam baju choir sekolah je kan...FYI we don't plan to go for traditional attire for my side of the reception, as the groom's side will. Pics are taken from here and here.

Apakah pendapat kalian?

Can I Say Checked?

I am almost to get these items out of my worrying mind: -

1) Pelamin, red carpet, pillars, arch
2) Baju akad & accessories
3) Baju sanding & accessories
4) Meja beradab

Once I finalize terms and conditions with the planner.

Lega hati cheq. Next!

Of Jaya Shopping Centre

A wedding-unrelated entry. I'm sure most of you have known about the collapse of the Jaya Shopping Centre in PJ few days back, of which to date has killed 7 people.

Jaya was opened to the public more than 3 decades ago. It definitely plays a significant role in the lives of the people in PJ, and non-PJ too.

And like them, Jaya has a very special place in my heart, at that short period of time in my life, June - December 2000.

It was the first time me ever being so far away from home in Penang, to pursue my tertiary education; Jaya was the place I seek refuge. I would go alone to the shopping centre, look at the things me and my family would always shop back home, just to comfort my silent cry of homesickness.

Facing the harsh reality of the world tanpa keluarga di sisi. Makan, basuh baju, kemas bilik, semua kena buat sendiri. Time tu jugak la nak kena buat kawan, trying to bond with people, study benda2 baru and in English pulak. Nak call parents guna handphone pulak sangat mahal. Public phone, panjang aja queue nya.

Jaya was also the place that me and my first few uni friends would hang out after class and on weekends, friends whom I hold dear right until today.

It was the place which witnessed my first "blind date" with a guy which was also my first date ever. It was sweet and memorable, and the guy was damn cute! (Nota buat Encik Ide: Sila tutup mata anda apabila membaca ayat terakhir itu heee)

So many other memories associated with Jaya but the above are the momentous ones. It is sad that I could not go back to the place and reminisce them...

It's so hot in here

I temporarily stopped surveying things for my wedding cuz:

1) Penang has been so hot of late, it's like a heatwave...
2) Run out of promising bridal boutiques to visit...

So I only have been surveying online, in the comfort of the air-conditioning. Please God make it rain even for a day!

Kursus Kahwin - Check!

Check ke checked ha? Pls correct my grammar kay, thanks! :D

Last weekend saya telah menghadirkan diri saya ke kursus kawin bersama Encik Ide, kat Pusat Bandar Damansara. A good friend of mine pernah pi kursus kahwin kat sini. Katanya very convenient, parking free, can just walk-in tak payah nak register2 bagai. Ustaz2 pun boleh tahan lawaknya, so saya menggagahkan jua diri ini mengheret Encik Ide. Tu la kan nak pergi berdua la konon-kononnya. Semedang tgh cuti 2 minggu ni, baik buat sesuatu perkembangan yg agak besar untuk persiapan perkahwinan bulan 12 nanti. Wah skema nya hihi.

To me, pusat kursus kahwin tu quite good lah. Parking je tepi jalan or basement tak payah nak jalan jauh2. Di tengah2 deretan kedai2 seperti 7 Eleven, KFC, Secret Recipe, Kenny Rogers, Giant dan sebagainya. Kalau ngantuk2 leh turun 7 Eleven beli Slurpee. Yum! So sesiapa berminat silalah klik kat link di perenggan di atas. Even though you all haven't planned on getting married just yet, baik pi je dulu. One Ustaz was telling that the Majlis Agama Islam or something like it is planning on extending the duration of the pre-marital course to 3D2N ke apa, siap dengan Qiyamullail semua. Which is even better, ye la siapa di antara you all ni pernah berqiyamullail (bangun malam, bukan bangun malam tengok bola OK!!).

Kosnya murah saja, RM80 p/person. :) Ajak la geng2 yg belum pernah hadir kursus kawin then you all pegi together2. Boleh gelak kat lawak2 Ustaz2 tu bersama-sama.

To me, the Ustaz2 kat sana semua OK2. They don't make it too formal, if not for sure we'd all be nodding off. Cuma ada this one Ustaz who was lecturing on the "Kesihatan" module, he was elaborating on the food pyramid for like, 40minutes! Semua jenis buah-buahan tempatan dia nak komen: manggis, durian, betik, pisang, etc. I think we were all exposed to that food pyramid since we were like, what? 12? Tak perlu la kot nak komen panjang2 kot Ustaz, pasal benda2 yg semua org dah tahu. Lebih bagus kalau dia ceramah pasal health for expecting mothers, babies, just to name a few.

Apa pun, dah selesai dah pun kursus. Which reminds me, sijil belum amik!! FYI, sijil siap 2 hari selepas kursus. Cepat kan!

Venue Confirmed!!

I changed the venue of my wedding reception! I am so lucky to get the only available date in Dec! But it is a day later that what we planned, tapi tak kesah la, I sooo want the hall! Hatiku jatuh chinta buat kali ke-2...(ke?!)

Lihatlah dewanku ini: -

Setia Pearl Island Grand Ballroom (pic is courtesy of Husaini)

Mula2 I dah book this one dewan at K0mpleks Masyarakat Penyayang more than a year ago. But lama kelamaan I think the hall is a bit rundown and buruk, the flooring tu mcm nak menangis I tgk pun ada...to decorate such a hall I think it requires more $$$. This dewan yg I baru book is a bit more expensive (sikit je tak banyak ;p) but I don't think I will spend more on the deco and such.

My mind is so full of ideas!!!

Budget Newsflash!

I am rather proud of my achievement today! Finally I have prepared my wedding budget today! Yay! To those out there, a wedding budget is important to ensure that you have sufficient savings or fund to support your white lace dreams. If you are from a well-to-do family whom parents are more than willing to use their extravagant funds, then you might not need a budget. If not, larat ke nak tanggung hutang bank sampai bertahun-tahun lamanya akibat amik personal loan sebab nak kawin punya pasal?

But I am just a normal girl from a normal family who is dreaming of a slightly abnormal wedding, so I have to put pen to paper how much my abnormal wedding will cost me.

A bit more than I expected!! So, harus berusaha mencari bargain!! Wish me luck! :))

What is it that I want?

The problem with me is, I don't know what I want. My wedding is approx. 7 months away but I just don't know where to start. I have been visiting bridal boutiqes around Penang and Kedah, get their quotations and package prices, but that's it lah. I mean, the people at the bridal boutiques would be asking me what is my theme? I would be like, "Huh? You mean color theme or some other theme? Tah lah saya pun tak tau apa theme saya". It definitely helps if you visit those boutiques knowing what you want in your mind.

Modern style? Contemporary style? Classic and traditional style? English style? Boleh tak nak campur2? Rojak aja laa...nama pun dok Penang kan ho ho. But 1 thing I know I want is I don't want color yang striking2 bright2 segala. Biru, hijau, merah, kuning...I don't want...to me a perfect wedding dress should be white/off white/cream in colour. But then no offense, there are people out there who love the colourful dresses. Kadang2 masa pi bridal boutiqes tu pun macam nak pakai aje warna2 yg sweet mcm purple or pink etc. Cantik sangat!! Tapi...ish...jenuh nak ingatkan diri ini agar kembali ke landasan sebenar.

Sorang kakak kat bridal boutique yg agak terkenal kat SP telah mengingatkan aku "jangan nanti kawin tak dak theme...pening kepala". Ya la, baju ala2 English style, pelamin ala2 Minang style, then main lagu keroncong. Hancusss....

But then pikiaq pi, pikiaq mai, aku rasa I will go for modern and contemporary la kot (ke sama ja dua2 theme tu? Huhu). Cuz I know masa reception nanti nak main English love songs...pls takmau Hindustan or dangdut okeh (my Mak dok suggest lagu Hindustan plak dahhh and she is dead serious, harusku hentikan niat dia itu).

Next entry I will write about butik2 yg telah kuterjah so far. Not much of good news la I tell you...

Sekian, dari saya yang berselera besar tapi budget ciput.

Masuk gear!

Aku rasa my blog ni akan bertukar menjadi my wedding preparation blog...lately I have been visiting blog2 bakal2 pengantin, and cara depa dok cerita pasal wedding preparation depa ni membuatkan aku rasa teruja nak sharing pasal wedding preparation aku jugak... (mostly dipengaruhi oleh Cik Sharina Khalid yang bakal melangsungkan perkahwinannya bulan 8 nanti...seronoknya!!! I am so excited for her OK!!)

Honestly speaking, aku ni boleh la dikatakan pengantin yang berangan2 tinggi nak majlis macam selebriti, tapi budget nya ciput aje...(sob sob tu la sapa suruh jadi auditor cabuk je) tapi I believe that if you prepare earlier, tak kelam kabut dan last minute, you are able to get what you want with a fraction of the cost. Betui tak?

Memang la orang perempuan ni angan2 mmg tinggi, nak kawin terbayang2 nak jadi macam princess, Cinderella la Snow White la bagai. Tapi as you grow older, you realize that with money, everything is possible. Tapi kalau budget tak mengizinkan, nak buat macam mana? (again, menyalahkan profesion diri ini sebagai seorang auditor cabuk). I think it is more meaningful if your wedding has your own "touch". Bagi yang terror bab2 seni ni maybe bulih la nak buat hantaran sendiri kan, or on the doorgifts tu at least tolong tampal2 bunga ke deco ke apa. Adakah saya ini seorang yang berseni?? As per Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston punya lyric "There can be miracle, when you believe...." Ecehhh...

So, from now on most probably most of my entries will be about my wedding preparation. Kalau rajin nak menulis la...(again, auditor cabuk is very busy ok). Lepas ni nak letak the countdown tu laa kat this blog. Right now dah nak tidur, maybe tomorrow I'll do it :D

When it's dark and sunny...

Well if you ask me what is my favourite time of the day, I would say afternoon and night. I love to spend a good hot sunny afternoon at the house, when it's all quiet except for the chirping of the birds (tak sure pulak burung apa yg lepak time-time Zohor ni), rustling of the leaves, faint rumming sound of school buses doing their afternoon rounds of picking/dropping off school students, bunyi lesung sambal belacan jiran sebelah rumah all blend in together. And I'll be in my room with the windows open, reading a good book. Heavenly! The perfect time is 12-4. Wish I can spend more afternoons at home, instead of working in the office...

At night, I find it very peaceful to work/read/anything serenaded by the tunes from the 80s and 90s. Normally Mix FM would be the radio station that I would tune in to la. Ever since my schooling days, I would study late into the nights with the radio on low volume. And normally I would get sentimental and emotional, time ni la nak fikir fasal masa-masa lampau dan jugak masa depan. A good time to think and to plan.

What's your favourite time of the day?

The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell - ABC News

I don't know if anyone of you here has heard of Susan Boyle. She auditioned for this year's British Got Talent and was featured in the 1st round in one of Britain's most popular reality TV shows.

Well, before she sang, both the audience and the judges were very sarcastic towards her, I guess it is because her unpolished appearance which was off-putting, and her awkwardness. I think all of the audience were against her. Some even rolled their eyes when she said that she wanted to be a professional singer. But once she started to sing - I think she has the most beautiful voice ever...it just goes out and touches your heart when she sang "I Dreamed A Dream", featured in a hit musical Les Miserables. (ps: I've seen the musical Les Miserables but can't remember the song, hehe).

Click here to see Susan's audition. It's viewed by millions of people, the number is going up day by day.

Needless to say, she received standing ovation from the audience who were clearly in awe of her performance and she garnered yes-votes from all the 3 judges.

The thing about Susan Boyle is, you really would not expect that she possesses such talent, judging from her outlook itself. To me, she looks like those elderly village ladies whom you can see pushing trolleys at the weekend market. Someone whom you would never give a second look at. Well, she is a 40-something year old woman from some unknown village in Scotland...

The saying never judge a book by its cover, it is so true... To quote Susan when asked about the audience's reactions before she started singing, "Modern society is too quick to judge people on their appearances. There is not much you can do about it; it is the way they think; it is the way they are. But maybe this could teach them a lesson, or set an example." You taught me a lesson, Susan.

But today I read in the newspaper, some sick-minded j@ck@$$es are trying to get a bid to film her losing her virginity! It's outrageous! She portrays the image of innocence and pureness, I just don't understand how some people are so sick to come up with this, or even think of it!

What has the world has gotten to? Rasa nak demam bila baca kisah-kisah macam ni...

Is it karma?

I just realised...there is only one blog entry for the month of April...padahal this month tak la busy mana sangat...since I am assigned under a super-efficient Manager...sampai terasa diri ini bagaikan lempeng dipress2 dan disqueeze2. But it's OK. Once you settle everything about an assignment, there is no need to worry about a thing. No need to dread that "EY Penang" caller ID on your phone screen if you are on a field work. Hehe :p

Anyway just want to share with you all an incident that happened to me yesterday. Not much of an "incident" la, more like a happening kot.

OK normally if I am in my office in EY (FYI as an auditor there are 2 possible places that an auditor could be on a working day; in the office or at the client's place). So trying my best to be a good Muslim normally I will perform my prayers at a surau situated at an adjacent hotel (mengada betul tak nak solat kat office, but then again, my office tak disediakan surau yea : ).

Back to my story, yesterday I performed my afternoon prayer during lunchtime (yes I do not go out for lunch to eat, no geng to eat lunch with so I bring home-packed lunch everyday. Some people may think it as pathetic but I like to think of myself trying to be healthy, at the same time, saving money :D ). Normally I would wait until approx. 15 minutes to the evening prayer time, and that's when I perform my afternoon and evening prayer at the same time. But yesterday I planned to go back sharp at 5.30pm, so still enough time to pray at home.

But it was almost 6.30pm that I could at last pack my bag and leave the office. On my way to my car, I was torn into two. Nak solat dulu ke baru balik? Another voice inside me (syaitan la tu) said balik je la dulu, sempat ni sejam baru masuk Maghrib. A drive back home took about 20mins. It was a 50-50 kind of feeling, which then turned into 70-30 as I got nearer to my car.

I got into my car. Slot the keys in the ignition. Tada. Cannot start! Inside me I know this would happen. It happened to me before. There were instances when I delayed my prayers, something would happen.

There was this one time when I was studying in UiTM in Shah Alam, a friend asked for a favor to drive her to a shop (she was carless, I was the one with the car). Azan baru berkumandang, I told myself, takpe la, balik dari kedai baru nak solat. Just as I drove out of the uni main entrance, a car came out of nowhere and bang into my front. Quite a bad damage, so to settle everything langsung tinggal Zohor, Asar, and if I'm not mistaken, Maghrib as well.

Despite what happen, I feel thankful to the God. He never fails to remind me the importance of menjaga waktu solat. It is me who always forget and taking things lightly. Astaghfirullahalazim. Lepas ni aku berazam nak cuba solat secepat mungkin sebaik masuk waktu.

Back to yesterday's incident, akhirnya my car dapat dihidupkan. Sempat balik rumah nak solat Asar. Even so, I am ashamed of myself... -.-

Have you guys ever experienced such thing?