My turn now..

Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside

- Christina Aguilera's "Reflections"OST Mulan -

Cilok-ed the following from Nonz...

1. What did you do in 2003 that you'd never done before?

Set up a blog, learnt how to massage people's faces (sape nak try?) watched an HMI show (thanks Doc!) Applied for my masters, actually went through the whole PTD rigmarole , watched musicals at the West End, basically most of the things I'm doing here..

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don't make resolutions at the beginning of a new year..i do it on a weekly basis..whether I keep them is another story, of course..new ones? To be more efficient and to strive to be a perfectionist, and to spend as much time with my loved ones and friends¡Koh, and to look like a million dollars whenever I face the public..haha!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My cousin, who gave birth to an extremely chubby Hannah Ariesha, and my Doraemon-ish friend, Natsuko, who gave birth to Harith Adzfar...

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Not very close, but close to my family..Pak Ngah Tahir

5. What countries did you visit?

Still on a visit, UK :p ..and Germany

6. What would you like to have in 2004 that you lacked in 2003?

The x-factor found in a significant other..muahahahah! a job that gets me up in the morning singing like a lark..tinier waist and smaller butt, and oh yeah, more manageable hair (but I am grateful for what I have tho')...

7. What date from 2003 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Err..none, i think..ooh, maybe the date of the release of The Order Of the Phoenix..bile yer? Oh and 17th Sept, the day I landed here..

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Actually making the decision to be away from family and friends, making the impulsive move to London., at work; got my client to deposit RM15 mill, my first sendiri-dapat client!

9. What was your biggest failure?

Failing my dealers exams..ohh, the horror and shame of it all, and not preparing extra hard for the PTD thingy..

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? '

Well, not an injury or illness, but Im scheduled for a surgery when I come back to Malaysia kelak..dang!

11. What was the best thing you bought? '

Jemima J!! my RM 20 British India dress, and my working shoes..

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Nona, for seeking closure..u go girl! Afti , for getting that kick-ass job, Tina for the wonderfully wonderful decision on the hijab..my brother, for getting that high gpa for his course..(well, except for the Agama subject :p)

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Ooh, lots..most of them mine..:p

14. Where did most of your money go?

Books, books, food, food, junk! Ooh, and contact lenses peripherals..

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

My family's open house on the 1st January 2003, the release of the OOTP, my primary school classmate's reunion (well, any reunions for that matter) the Ally McBeal finale (boohoo!!) , Konsert Akademi Fantasia (final one)..:p

16. What song will always remind you of 2003?

Evanescence's "Bring me to Life"

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder? Heh, no differences whatsoever..i'm happy when I'm happy and I'm sad when I'm sad
ii. thinner or fatter? No differences whatsoever! Grrr..
iii. richer or poorer? Alhamdulillah, rezeki murah and sentiasa ada..

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Hang out with my bestest of best friends, exercise my butt off, eat less, take more chances and do more stuff..ooh, and watched more movies and plays in Malaysia and studied for my dealers exams...

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Being moany and whiny, ooh and pig out!

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

On Christmas day, I was at home, doing nothing..sad kan..

22. Did you fall in love in 2003?

You know, I actually did? Heheheheh...

23. How many one-night stands?

With what? My trusty teddybear? heheheh...

24. What was your favorite TV program?

Ally McBeal, Malcolm in the Middle, Those Afundi shows (haha!), Gilmore Girls..and currently, CSI..

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

I've hated a few, but I've .also made my peace with them..

26. What was the best book you read?

Jemima J, Under the Duvet, Tuesdays with Morrie, Shopaholic, Angela's Ashes, LOTR (book 1 & 2 ) ..

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Dewa! and Josh Groban..

28. What did you want and get?

An education in London! alhamdulillah..

29. What did you want and not get?

To watch LOTR part 2..heheheh...

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

The Italian Job!

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

23 years old, went out with secondary school friends the night before, the next day, just hang round the house and did some gardening with my mom

32.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Money, money, money! Heheheh..perhaps the idea of a significant other..muahahahahaha!.and a better figure!

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2003?

Uncombed hair! It makes my curls stand out more, rather than have a frizzy beehive...hahaaha

34. What kept you sane?

My family :) and my blog

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Ewan McGregor!!! The Osbournes! Lex yummy Luthor..*gasp* Nicholas Saputra!!!!! Urrmm..and, err..Sham Kamikaze..eehehhehe..

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

The stepping down of Tun Dr Mahathir..cant believe I was not there to see it...

37. Who did you miss?

Everyone! And Ally McBeal..

38. Who was the best new person you met?

Not really new, but Dani!! And I miss her soo...oh, and a certain young gentleman who shall remain nameless, but will always have a special place in my heart :)

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2003.

Life is a big experiment..i learnt that if I weigh too much the pros and cons of everything, it might just not turn out how I predicted it to be..and God, will always be there to guide us in whatever we chooses, and for everything we chooses, there's surely going to be some high points and low ones, and it's all up to us to make things happen and work out for us..so, I've learnt to listen to my heart more, and try not to be too fickle ;) .., and that I have WONDERFUL friends that I should never took for granted of..

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year

"Dreams" by Cranberries

Oh, my life is changing everyday,

In every possible way.
And oh, my dreams, it's never quiet as it seems,
Never quiet as it seems.

I know I've felt like this before, but now I'm feeling it even more,
Because it came from you.
And then I open up and see the person falling here is me,
A different way to be.

Ah, la da ah...
La...

I want more imposible to ignore,
Imposible to ignore.
And they'll come true, impossible not to do,
Impossible not to do.

And now I tell you openly, you have my heart so don't hurt me.
You're what I couldn't find.
A totally amazing mind, so understanding and so kind;
You're everything to me.

Oh, my life,
Is changing every day,
In every possible way.

And oh, my dreams,
It's never quiet as it seems,
'Cause you're a dream to me,
Dream to me.

Ah, da, da da da, da, la...

ehhehehe...now, did all that make me sound like a materialistic but fat bimbo? Hope not..i soo like to do all these survey and questionnaires..but this one actually made me look back at 2003 in retrospective..and got me musing on what happened..i even went back to read my archives to see if I've left anything out..:p

on another note, thank you Nonz and Wahiyu for the particular chat session last night..it's nice to note that both of u cared..its either that, or both of u are bored in the office and have nothing else to do but bug me about my predicament..hehehe..well, I bet Wahiyu's bored, cuz that was about the time when we would have ended all major deals..and nonz, I would presume, is really worried? Hahahah..i'm ok here..just not ready or bothered to think about IT at the moment..

yesterday, I went off to Oxford St (again!!!) but this time it was purely out of another intention which is to pass belated kueh rayas for my bestfriend's boyfriend who's here on a short visit..bahulu and batang buruk, half of which made its way into our tummies first..hehehe...met him at Gap, exchange small talk, then I left..err...but masuk kluar a few shops tho..hehehe..but it was good I did, cuz I found my jeans!! Hah! Finally! petite jeans for short, big-bottomed, thick-waisted people that costs much less than what it actually costed! Hah, again!.

don't ask me what I'll be doing on the eve of New Year...makcik dah tua, nak party-party nie, tulang pun dah reput ;) heheheh...will prolly spend the day checking out IKEA..or finishing up my assignments..

Happy New Year peeps...

Oh the harrowing Oxford St Sales and hey, MIsha menang?!

Kembalilah kepadaku
Selamilah jiwa ini yang terluka
Ikatan kita berdua
Sayangilah diri ini
Belailah jiwa nan sepi
Kelayuan... dedaunan keguguran
Dahan-dahan nan kerapuhan
Bunga-bunga cinta... layu di pusara

- Misha Omar’s “Bunga-bunga Cinta”

Berakhirlah penantian setahun oleh peminat-peminat setia muzik di Malaysia..terjawablah sudah persoalan yang membelenggu pemikiran mereka ..siapakah yang bakal dinobatkan sebagai juara pada tahun ini? Berlangsungnya Anugerah Juara Lagu ke-18 (AJL18), di ambang tahun 2003 menyaksikan kemenangan seorang gadis cilik yang masih mentah dalam dunia lagu-lagu balada Melayu, tetapi mempunyai bakat dan suara yang besar dan bakal menggegarkan persada seni Negara kita..Misha Omar telah berjaya membolot anugerah juara kategori balada dan anugerah juara lagu yang menjadi impian finalis-finalis yang telah beradu suara dalam pertarungan sengit di atas pentas Stadium Bukit Jalil malam tadi…airmata kegembiraan kelihatan berlinangan setelah gelaran juara diberikan, beserta jambangan bunga dan piala emas berbentuk treble clef, yang sudah merupakan ikon yang simbolik untuk AJL buat 18 tahun..

Arrghhhh…who am I kidding? I can’t write bahasa berbunga-bunga..there is a reason why I didn’t get an A1 for that subject back in SPM…

Anyhoo..how did u guys find the AJL18 ? Privately, I think it was ok..well, kind of…it could do with a little less of Sarimah’s high-pitched screams, and Aznil could lose the multiple headbands (which he did at the last bit, but I suffered in agony before..)..i’m not going to go into intricate details over what happened throughout the show, because of the poor-quality streaming that TIME provided (ooh, damn you TIME, just when Anwar Zain needed proper scrutinizing by moi)..am I happy with the results? Well, Ezlynn won Pop Rock? Err…big hairdo and orangey outfit? Hmm…personally, I thought Exist’s “Percayakan Siti”with the retro wig and bouncy dancers were more fun and poppish…don’t u think so? Wahida’s “Wassini” with the fire-breathing dancers might look more authentic, if they were to wear something else other than white t-shirts and blue jeans…Misha Omar’s winning ballad “Bunga-Bunga Cinta” was nicely done, which merited her winnings…

Siti, surprisingly, looked funky, and the rapping part was a little cheesy, but, it was something different, other than what I’m normally accustomed to watching whenever Siti comes on the screen…Noraniza Idris did not disappoint by filling up the stage as everyone predicted she would..and who could forget Mas Idayu’s mike-holding stance at the beginning of her song?.oh no, this is sounding more like a review where the reviewer practically slagged off everyone…ok, ok, I think it’s a noble thing for TV3, using the funds they made for charity..it explains the venue of AJL18, which I was kind of against (heh, kalo u against pun, bukannye diaorang will change..hellooo??)

I love the part where all the invited entertainers did their bit..i mean, the vocalist from Metalasia (correct me if I’m wrong here..) and Amok singing to Tiada Lagi Cinta?!! Delicious!! And Ella singing dangdut songs?? When pigs flew! Well, some pigs must have sprouted some wings and did just that, cuz Ella actually sang Rindu and Selamat Jalan Romeo!! And don’t you just love the blue kebaya Siti Sarah wore with the terjongket sarong by Rizalman…?

Ok, enough of AJL18…today is the day where my roommate and I took a much deserved break to watch the show and put our feet up? Why??

Oh, the harrowing, agonizing Boxing Day Sales….

For 2 days in a row, Ainor and me have worn off our shoes tripping up and down Oxford Street, looking for supposed bargains and all that we envisioned we would have gotten…instead, we came away with bags of stuff that we didn’t have any inkling that we would actually be purchasing..gaH!! I don’t think I’ll be eating much next month *sigh*…On Boxing day, we arrived at about 10 a.m., and even then, the pavements were busy..by mid afternoon, the crowd had reached tremendous proportions, and we had to elbow a few people in our pursuits…time flew like nobody’s business that when I glanced at my watch, while queuing up with a handmade Polish glass vase for my mom, it was already 4.30 p.m…! and I thought it was only 2 p.m.! and even then, half the stores weren’t even open! My quest for “petite”jeans proved to be fruitless, as the ones at Dot Perkins weren’t on sale..grr…apa diorang ingat orang-orang pendek nie loaded ke?
Dahlaa Next put up this tantalizing notice with “we’ll be open at 5.00 a.m. on 27th December..” well, suffice to say, I bet there’s gonna be huge crowd the next day…lunch was nearly horrendous as McDonalds was soo crowded that we thought we would have to join the many people squatting down by the buildings, chomping down their burgers…nasib baik dapat tempat…
And I was right…I was not able to purchase another thing I saw for my mom on Boxing Day, and decided to go on the 27th as well…Ainor was tired as she went full-steam and came home with loadsa bags and surrendered to the idea of going again..hehehe…the next morning, she got ready as well, and decided she wanted to come along! Hah! We rushed off, an hour earlier than the day before..and when we arrived at Next (just to see what the big deal is about) we were SWAMPED with the crowd! It was unbelievable!!there were soooo many people and the queue at the counter was snaking its way to the middle of the store..itu baru one floor!! Sheeshh…by midday, when I happened to stand at one point that overlooks the lower part of Oxford Street, I could only see heads moving..and no empty space in between…it was unbelievable..!! we rushed off to Bayswater for lunch as we were looking for fried chicken…and instead got to taste humous and other Arabic food…hmm..interesting..met Afie, Za and their friends, on their way to visit Coventry..
Well, at least I got away with decent stuff, stuff that I need and some on bargain..although, there are still some things missing on the list..but I’ll take a week long break first..maybe my dear cousin from Birmingham might convince me to swim through the crowds again? *hint, hint*…sempat jugaklaa nak merasa the “famous”Boxing Day sales…

On a sad note, my borrowed futon, on which I enjoyed 2 full nights of contented sleep, has been returned to its rightful owner…dang! Now the space under the bunk bed looks empty and forlorn…I guess, I’d have to look for another…however, our room have gone under a reorientation process..it now looks more spacious, neat and contains mostly, our stuff…*happy sigh*…but it was damn tiring , as we had it done the day after we got back from Germany, when our energy level was still low…clean out wardrobe, move wardrobe, cabut mattress from katil, move katil, fall flat on our backs, decided that it was totally wrong, moved back the katil, decided to move the huge bookrack, unloaded the stuff off, move the bookrack and finally put the wardrobe into place….PHEW!!!
And just when I’ve established my comfy spot under the bed, the missing owner of the futon had to turn up and took it away from me…boo hoo….and (on another totally unrelated matter) I missed the screening of My Fair Lady..double boo hoo…

Ooh, but I’ve claimed one pot of gold from the end of a rainbow by watching Amelie…luvverly!

The 2nd installation of Off to Germany...

I don't know what it is
that makes me feel like this
I don't know who you are
but you must be some kind of superstar
coz you got all eyes on you no matter where you are

- Jamelia's "Superstar"-

The next morning, we were supposed to wake up early to catch the 8 a.m. train..unfortunately, our alarm clocks were on London time, which is one hour later..and there we were, terjaga pukul 7.15 a.m. the three of scrambling to get ready…dengan nak gosok baju kurungnye, baju melayunye, tudungnye…comel laa Muhaza and Kak iza pakai baju nikah diorang hehehhe..the Raya gathering was held in Heilbronn, about 45 minutes’ train ride away…we got to Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof early, so we loitered around…and I bought one of their famous butter pretzel..yum! sebelum nak beli pastries, kena panggil translator dulu…certify the ingredients within…

We arrived at Heilbronn train station, and met up with a few other Malay students..along with them are JPA representatives, Cik Saraya and Cik Siti..so, on the bus to the hall where the gathering is held, borak with both of them..they asked us how we found Germany, and I replied that it is such a peaceful place..it is! Of the few places that we visited, we could see that it lacks the hustle and bustle that we are accustomed with..maybe its due to the low density of population kot…its peaceful, it allows you to breath, and it makes u marvel at immaterial things..

The gathering was held at Fachhochschule Heilbronn, University of Applied Science, and was organized by the younger students…apparently, they wanted to elect a new committee as well…so, there were speeches by a few committee members, a short film about Malaysia (the Cuti-cuti Malaysia gazette), and followed by the makan-makan session..the food was great! Serious, not biased this time..there were nasi himpit and kuah kacang, lontong, one of the most aromatic and spicy soto I’ve ever had, assam laksa, a variety of cakes and cookies, among others..yum! they miscalculated the amount of people coming, so there were loads of leftovers…kitorang apa lagi..menapau laa…

While they conducted the election ceremony, me, Ainor and Kak Iza lepaked at the female praying area..met Kak Aishah , a PTD who’s doing her Masters jugak and staying in Stuttgart, and her bouncy daughters..the eldest one is so petah..she kept saying this line in German, and we were like wow, pandai cakap German..then her mom went, lerr, tu die dengar on the train..what it meant was actually, something like, the train is stopping here, please change for whatever…hehhehehe..klakar sgt, macam kalau kat KL, budak German repeat: stesen berikutnya, Masjid Jamek, Masjid Jamek, ..baik and friendly sangat Kak Aishah nie..when she heard that we are actually staying with Kak Iza and Muhaza, she offered us a place to sleep for the night kat her house..we didn’t want to impose, and thanked her..promised to call her whenever we are in Stuttgart…Met a few new people, amongst them Iwa from Mannheim, Gaya, Su Gin, and a few others yang we chatted with, but can’t remember the names..whoops, sorry!

Petang tu, after much deliberating and thinking, we decided to leave Stuttgart for Mannheim..tiba-tiba terasa nak lepak ngan Cik Timah Dhira and Put, and tengok the castle kat Heidelberg…nampaknye, terpaksalaa forgo the trip to another castle (btw, did I mention that there are loadsa castles in Germany? Hehee..), and the famous Mercedes Museum..terkilan jugak si Ainor, F1 fan tu..tapi, nak buat camne, had to choose cuz we only had two days left in Germany …so, dalam train on the way back to Stuttgart, told Muhaza, Kak Iza and Mukhriz of our plans..and they offered us their tickets which provided us free journey till 5.30 a.m. the next morning…sedih gak, sebab tak leh nak lepak lama2, but insya-Allah, there’s always next time..*wink*…tengok-tengok..kena rush dah pulak nak naik train tu…we arrived at Stuttgart at about 7.00 p.m…sampai Esslingen at about 7.15 p.m..and the train that leaves Esslingen to Stuttgart (where we have to take the train to Mannheim) is leaving at about 8.15 p.m…..macam lipas kudung kemas barang! Ehhehe..then dragged our stuff to the bus stop to catch the train..sweet laa pulak si Mukhriz datang nak hantar kitorang..he saw us leaving, and decided to follow..cheh! bukannye nak catch up to tolong angkut beg ke..heheh…The best part is that our train had to change twice! From Stuttgart to Karlsuhe, and from Karlsruhe to Mannheim..expected journey duration, 3 jam! Hari tu, kerja naik train je..and makan…

We made it all in good time..nasib baik dah print out a journey planner , so everything was listed out..and it really helped that the trains arrive on time..kira tak payah nak tanye orang laa, tengok number train, time, and destination…terkilan sikit, sebab the day before ade nampak this puppet marionette kat train station tu and nak beli, tapi hari tu je, tengok dah takde..takpelaa, takde rezeki…boarded the “Kashmir Train”…traveled for about an hour to Karlsruhe..(part sedih, tercicir lipstick and tak leh jumpe..dang! )..sampai Karlsuhe at about 10 something, where we had to wait for approximately 22 minutes for the next train to Mannheim…mase nak turun kat KArlsuhe tu, terconfuse kejap…we were supposed to turun at Karlsuhe Hbf, but we saw Karlsruhe-somethingelse, and when we tried to open the door bile train tu stop, it wouldn't open, and the train moved away from the platform..Shit! Dah terlepas station ke…cube try to look macho, although masa tu panic laa jugak, cuz it was quite late..then tanye this Chinese girl standing there..hehehhe..salah tengok la beb..next stop! Ehhehe.nasib baik, alhamdulillah..

Karlsruhe train platforms at night looks like something out of a war movie..seriously! it’s as if u can hear prisoners or soldiers arriving on trains, and authorities shouting German instructions…I guess its my imagination again :p but the platform is dark,lit only with faraway dim lights, huge and sunyi..sempat laa jugak ambik gambar si Ainor tu..
Alhamdulillah sampai Mannheim near midnight..and kami dengan penuh macho and expertnye, telah board the tram to Rheinau which stopped in front of Dhira’s place…hehehehe…senang je..the best part is, my ticket that I used a few days ago, can be used over and over again! Eheheh, tak boleh actuallynye..you actually have to punch your ticket when you board the tram, and get a new one for your next journey..tapi, err, tak tertangkap lagilaa…:p sampai je rumah diorang, washed up, and tido..flat….

The next day, Dhira and Put took us to Heidelberg which is about 20 minutes away from Mannheim..naik train..lagi…to see the famous Heidelberg castle…well, the journey was worth it! It was a wonderful castle, set atop a hill…woah,penat gile climb the hill..dahlaa they took a short movie of yours truly here panting while climbing the hill they expertly climbed earlier..arrgghh!!! malunye!!! Hahahah..but funny laa gak tengok…ugghh..tingkatkan stamina anda Dalie!

The road to the Heidelberg Castle is paved with cobblestones, and lined with all kinds of interesting stores..there was even a Hard Rock Café and a Starsbuck Café…at the bottom of the hill, ade Xmas market jugak…
The castle is something out of a fairy tale…ade courtyard, ada fountains, ade suits of armours and ancient letters in the exhibition hall..they even have a taman larangan! By then my overactive imagination has visions of prince and princesses running to meet in the garden, lovers strolling in spring, festivals held within the castle ground (ala-ala Ever After gitu)..heheheh…jauh fikir tu..but Put mentioned that there are times when they hold festivals within the castle ground, and everyone turned up in costumes..bestnye!!! i wanna see…some parts of the castles are in ruins and the castle is also in the danger (although, not immediate) of crumbling...after a tour of the castles and more picture taking, turun and jalan-jalan kat Christmas Market, where souvenirs were purchased..i was smitten with this miniature cowbell..why? cuz it reminded me of the hindi movie Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayinge, when Kajol bought a cowbell in Switzerland and was late for her train..hehehe…after that, lepak at Starsbuck Heidelberg, where we took our feet off the ground with a variety of caffeine-induced beverages..yours truly had this toffee nut latte, forgetting that she can’t really digest these kind of drinks, and was rewarded with a mild headache later on..groan….after dinner at home, we sat down to watch..get this…Cinta Kolesterol!!!! Ehheheeh..verdict: hmm, comel pulak tengok si Erra nie gemuk like that..can she stay like that for a little longer?? And yusry, pheww…emo nye..hahaaha..

The next day was our last day in Germany, and I had to go and get some stuff for my mom…so we went to the shops, got the stuff we wanted…ate more pastries, and finally had a lunch of , errm…bird…burung…we didn’t want to know what type of bird we’re eating, so I can’t tell you what it is…can u imagine if u know what type of bird it is, and if it was scrumptiously delicious, you would be smacking your lips whenever you see the bird flying over head??

Btw, nak citer…Germany is BIG on recycling..the dustbin comes with at least 3 different compartments for 3 diferent types of rubbish: paper, glass and waste..oh and plastics.so, it’s a pretty unique looking dustbin…kat sini, when you pay for your groceries, you are also paying for the container..and when its empty, u return the container back for a refund…cool kan? So, these people have the incentive to recycle..everyone recycles here, and everyone carries their own bag for groceries..kalau nak bag, kena bayar..quite interesting laa jugak, sebab dah terbiasa dapat plastic..kat Germany, semuanye masuk bag sendiri…rubbish are segregated to their own kind..and if you want to throw away your old furniture, you just leave it outside your house on certain days, when certain authorities will take them away for you…amazing..i read somewhere that Germany is the only country that didn’t use this certain kind of chemicals in the detergent that acts as a whitener, because it causes pollution…oh, and diorang nie takde second-hand shops (not like London yang ade banyak charity shops) .eheheh..orang German nie kaya2 belaka..

Balik pun rush jugak, cuz we had to catch the second last train to Baden-Baden where the airport is…train leaves at 5.14 p.m., 4.15 baru sampai rumah Dhira, kemas beg (main sumbat je everything in to the bag) pray, makan burung and rush off to the train station to get the tickets…said goodbye to Dhira, ajak die dtg London, so we can bawak diorang jalan2 pulak…

Alhamdulillah, sampai Baden-Baden Airpark dengan selamatnya…sheesh..the airport is really tiny!! Sat on the floor to read while waiting for our 10.00 p.m. flight.masa tunggu kat departure lounge tu, pandang luar..and then nampak tiny white things flying..omigod, its snowing!!! Tapi tak heavily laa..so, sempat jugak dapat rasa snow di German..felt it falling on my face and hair..*sigh* ..dapat jugak rasa on the hair...heheheh...best…mula-mula, keciwa jugak bile sampai Germany and it didn’t snow..weather elok je..siap sunny and rain lagi..the day after we left Stuttgart, Stuttgart pulak snow…cheh…lepas balik London, snow pulak kat Mannheim (ye Dhira?)..Selamat sampai home sweet home at 3 a.m. Tuesday morning….

More on the things I noticed kat Germany nie..their windows! Unlike London, dengan window-window yang berlapis, they only have one lapisan insulated window and there’s this canvas rope at the side, which u use to pull the external blinds…cool! All the houses come with their external blinds..Dhira explained that in summer, it helps when the sun comes up too early, and people still want to sleep in..pastu kan, first time tengok toilet yang lubang die on the opposite side..ooh, and in the public toilet kat Heilbron, the soap dispenser dispenses powdered soap…first time! Oh, and a yummy first time : Landliebe’s Walnut Yoghurt…yum! Too bad masa balik nak beli dah takde..dang!

One thing I’m gonna miss is when these people, if they understood what you’re saying will reply with “Ah soo…”hehehehe..mula2 ingatkan Japanese word..pastu fikir, kuat jugak pengaruh citer-citer Jepun kat sini, cuz everyone says it..rupa2nye memang German phrase..heheheh..malu saje…nie Ainor kat rumah pun dok Ah so, Ah so…

It was a great tiny holiday..thank you soo much to all pihak yang terlibat yang telah menjayakan the trip..Dhira, Put, Muhaza,Kak Iza and Mukhriz..thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Jasa mu tetap dikenang…especially to Dhira and Put, for taking on 2 complete strangers, and providing them with food, shelter, entertainment and really good tours…kalo tak sebab blog nie, tak kite jumpe kan Dhira? And thanks for taking us back after the Stuttgart trip..really appreciate that :) oh yeah, Dhira, kalo salah info here, let me know k? kekadang terlupe :p

Lepas nie ade ura2 nak pergi Prague pulak…sape nak ikut?

Off to Germany...

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight,
We're happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderland

- Billy Gilman's "Winter Wonderland"-

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Ok, my bag is unpacked, dirty clothes in the washing machine, and the whole room has been reorganized..not to mention the kitchen, scrubbed as clean as could be managed by 2 girls..barulaa boleh nak citer…

How to start aa? Mind you, this is gonna be a long entry…ok, the night/morning on which we were supposed to leave for Germany, I was online, checking on Mannheim, where my gracious host, Dhira (ahem..) is staying..slept a bit till 2.30 a.m., then woke up to get ready for the journey..about 3 a.m., we walked out to the bust stop..it was chilly, so nasib baiklaa, the bus came promptly…teringat Ainurul’s advice, jaga2, on the bus at this hour, ramai orang yang mabuk, so jgn laa get into trouble pulak…I pulak,boleh laa ter langgar this big burly guy with lots of piercing on his face (pakai shorts lagi!), with my bag! Hehehe, nasib baik he’s okay with it..

The journey to Victoria Bus Station was allright…tp, we arrived early, and can’’t get on the coach to he airport, cuz our ticket was for the 4.30 a.m. bus..so terpaksalaa tunggu dalam bus depot yg sejuk tu ,..the station was closed and so was the waiting room, so, menggigil jugaklaa kat luar tu…then Ainor tanye, what time are we going to reach Stansted Airport..i told her 6.05…our flight is at 7.00 a.m, anyway…then she checked our tickets..”Dalie, we’re supposed to check in 40 minutes before terbang!!” uh-oh, that means, we only have about 15 minutes to unload our stuff and run like mad to check in and do all the necessary things before getting on the plane! And me being the absent-minded one, still have not changed my pounds to euros!

So, naik coach, slept all the way, sampai je kat Stansted, rushed to the counter, check in bags, and then join the queue at departures…nasib baik sempat..while I was queuing kat check-in tu, sempat notice that there’s someone lying in a sleeping bag by my feet…terkejut sekejap, cuz I just saw a bunch of curly hair and the body..a bit like a corpse actually (nauzubillah..) hehehe..pengaruh csi..oh, btw, by way of explaination, kitorang naik Ryanair, a budget airline (ala-ala Air Asia)..ticket was almost free (only 1p), so bayar taxes je..so, naik kat Stansted, and land in Karlsuhe-Baden (sebab tak boleh nak land in Stuttgart, our initial destination)

Got onto the plane, and fell asleep almost immediately…the flight to Karlsuhe-Baden, Germany, is supposed to take about 1 hour and 15 minutes…when I woke up, Ainor told me that we’ll be landing in 15 minutes, so thought I would get a little bit of a shut eye..apparently Ainor pun tertidor…when I woke up again, we still haven’t landed…check jam, aikk, nie dah more than 15 minutes nie…turns out, they can’t land in Baden!! Sheesh..apparently, due to the weather condition, they can’t land…so, they are going to land in a nearby small airport (in some village)…hence, lebih kurang 1 hour and 45 minutes AFTER the designated arrival time, kitorang cecah bumi Germany nie…we were worried about getting to Baden, as we were off schedule, and Dhira was supposed to meet us at Baden around 1 p.m….nasib baiklaa, they provided coaches to transport us to Baden Airport..hehehhe, yang bestnye, when we landed, this lady from the tarmac, came up the plane to explain the situation...in German…and left…while she was talking, me and Ainor, looked at her macam kitorang nie pahamlaa…after she left, both of us looked at her and Ainor said…I faham the last part je..and I told her, eh I pun…”Danke Schon!” (Thank you!) ..hahahahaha…..nasib baiklaa, we overheard a few ladies explaining in English behind us, so understood jugaklaa what the German lady was trying to say…

We had actually landed in Saarbrocken….in a tiny airport, where the weather is sunny, with no hint of bad weather at all, except for the chill…we thought the bus ride won’t take long…tapinye, sempat jugak laa,tido, bangun, tido, bangun, for about 4 times!!!lamanye!!! along the way, sempat catch glimpses of houses by mountainsides..comel sangat! Very quaint and soo like a picture…even encountered thick frost along the roadside…we finally arrived at Baden Airport at nearly 1p.m...imagine that!...the journey to land kat airport to actually took 6 hours!! Badan makcik pun dah sakit-sakit…Baden-baden was all fogged up! Patutlaa tak boleh nak land, the fog was quite bad actually..sampai je, terus call Dhira..whoops, she’s already at the train station! Explained our situation, and she told us how to get there, so kitorang pun naik laa bus 205 from the airport to get to Baden-Baden Bahnhof ..Banhhof means train station (takpelaa Dhira, show off sikit jerr..hehehe)…bile sampai je train station, nampaklaa, this small, Malay-looking girl,yang sangat comel and menawan (chewah, Dhira kembang!)..itulaa the famous Dhira! Ehehheeh…took a train to Mannheim..the journey was about 30-40 minutes..via “train laju”..Dhira told me that they had a term for the slower and less canggih looking trains, that is “Train Kashmir”hehehe..tapi,takdelaa Kashmir sgt train yang slow tu..

Sampai Mannheim Hauptbahnhof (Mannheim main train station)..then took a tram to Dhira’s place, which is about 10 minutes away…first time naik tram! Dulu naik kat euro Disney, which doesn’t really count…Germany has the most efficient transportation system I’ve ever seen…for example, the tram stops only at its designated stops..so, if u see a stop with the numbers 1, 5, and 7 on it..only these 3 trams will stop there, and in order too! That means, 1 will come first, then followed by 5 and 7…so systematic..and the best part is..they are all right on time! And I mean, on the dot! It got to the point where these people would look up a journey planner, and if their designated train/tram/bus is scheduled to arrived at 5.54 p.m. (katakanlaa..) they’ll actually not go out earlier, and would only go out to the stops very near the arrival time..i mean, in London, if we have the extra time, baiklaa lekas2 tunggu kat bustop tu, in case u catch an early bus, or u might just miss a string of the same busses…! Nak gi rumah Dhira, just take tram number 1 ke arah Rheinau..which was kinda easy to remember (senang nak dtg balik nanti, ehhehe)

Dhira stays with another Malay student Put (short for Putri) in a 2 bedroomed apartment...its really cozy and the rooms are really big! Well, itu kalau nak compare to our tiny room in Clapton…took a tour, got to know them and after a lovely dinner (cooked by Cik Dhira), they took us out to the Weihnaschtsmarkt or the Christmas Market…apparently, Germany , is famous for their Christmas Markets..its a little bit like our Pasar Ramadhan (Param), only more colourful…a bunch of stalls, decorated in festive decorations..made to look like tiny log house with all the festive rimmings, grouped together, with all kinds of things sold..among the predominant stalls are, stalls selling souvenirs such as tiny porcelain castles, stalls selling things made out of glass, such as lanterns, lamps, and all those decorative hanging chimes and chains, loadsa stalls selling food such as sausages (bratwurst?) and other German delicacies, stalls selling spiced wine with small but high, tables outside for customers to drink and hang around…and the best stall, in my opinion, would be the chocolate stalls..omigod!! luvverly!! They have all manners of shapes and sizes of chocolates, with all kinds of filling and chocolate covered fruits (I managed to taste the chocolate-covered strawberries..pretty tame, I know, but it was luvverly! ) and they have chocolates shaped into decorative plaques with seasonal greetings which would look pretty cool on Christmas morning hanging on the walls…too pretty to be eaten, but knowing me..yeah, better not buy it then…Kids are not forgotten as there are mini ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, and even pony rides! At other Christmas Markets, there’s even a mini skating rink, and miniature trains for the kids to ride in…soo cute! After that, Dhira and Put took us to see a bit of their town, where we masuk kluar kedai, comparing prices and all..oh, btw, the pound is slightly larger than the euro :)

We came to Germany with no definite plan actually…we heard that the Malaysian students are organizing a Raya gathering, so kitorang pun sibuk nak ikut…in order to do that, we would have to bergerak to Stuttgart, a larger city, where our housemate, Kak Iza, is staying with her hubby, to tag along with them (kak iza pun dah kirim baju sepasang that we brought along for the Raya gathering) so we had to go before the gathering took place…so, it was a blessing laa that Dhira offered to take us around..kalo tak, we'll prolly be stuck kat Stuttgart je...

So, the next day, Friday, Dhira took us to the train station, belikan kitorang tickets to Stuttgart before rushing off to class with promises to see us at the Raya gathering the next day..initially, they planned to take us to the Heidelberg Castle, tapi she had a class, and we had to get to Stuttgart by that day jugak..so takde rezeki kitorang nak lepak lama2 dengan diorang…

Stuttgart is about 30 minutes away on the fast train..the ICE (pronounced as Eee-Cee-Eh)..one thing I liked about the train is the glass doors separating compartments..how delicious! Glass doors in trains! Sampai je Stuttgart, Kak Iza and Muhaza is already waiting…we deposited our bags in the locker, and took a walk down to the Wiehnaschtsmarkt kat Stuttgart pulak…hehehe..we went into the tourist information centre to collect brochures…hampeh..semuanye dalam bahasa German! Muhaza took us to makan at this Turkish shop..yum! had the meat and cheese pita, and some cold salad,and the deathly-sweet baklava..*shudders*..setahun sekali je boleh makan tu..like my brother would say, potong kaki laa kalau makan tu..

Muhaza stays in the uni halls at Esslingen, about 15 minutes train ride from Stuttgart..from Esslingen Bahnhof, to the halls kena take a bus…the halls are quite nice laa..bilik pun reasonably sized, with lotsa storage space..a first: 1 bathroom, shared by two persons..kira diapit oleh both roomslaa…alaa, macam Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield of the Sweet Valley Twins fame…ehhehe..

Sampai je sana, tengok-tengok, lerrr, kena masak ke? Hehehe..dah dimanjakan di Mannheim, kat Stuttgart kalo nak makan, the ladies laa kena cook..chet…Muhaza ade this other Malay guy friend, Mukhriz..as there are no other Malay girls staying there, malam tu, kitorang bertiga, Kak Iza, Ainor and I tido dalam bilik Muhaza and the guys slept in Mukhriz’s room..hehehe..whoops, kacau pengantin baru laa pulak…

Masak nasi goreng dengan whatever ingredients we could find…pastu makan sambil tengok tv..dapatlaa tengok Fresh Prince in Bel Air, King of Queens, and The Nanny (all together now, in a nasal voice : oh, Mr Sheffield…) in German..tak tau knape, tapi klakar jugak laa…tergelak-gelak jugak laa kitorang, even though tak paham..after that pulak, tengok citer Tiga Abdul and half of Seniman Bujang Lapok..(haa, jaga Cik Salmah..)

Oh btw, nak tau what’s the most overused body language that we used? SMILE…that’s all we did..we smiled ALL the way..ye laa, tak faham the language kan..so, sengih all the way…even when people are actually talking to us..hehehehe..klakar sangat..masa kat the Xmas Market kat Mannheim, this guy tegur Ainor in German, but die tak paham..so she just smiled..bile dengar kat hujung tu ade perkataan Malaysia, she smiled harder..i sambil sengih, sambil pandang Put, “Put, die cakap ape tu??!!!”….the same thing happened in the train station when this lady passed us some biscuits and spoke German to us..sengih je kat die balik…nasib baik Dhira came to the rescue…sometimes we guessed what they’re trying to say, and main belasah je..usually that tactic worked in the trains when people are tyring to get by or trying to sit down..takpun masa kat Starbucks, when this lady spoke German to us sambil indicating the magazines that was on our table..Ainor immediately passed her the mag..chewah, macam faham je…the most overused phrase would be Danke Schon! Agaknye, kalau boleh buat conversation based on only one phrase, kitorang guna je Danke Schon tu…asyik-asyik nak cakap Danke Schon..haha!

Waa..baru 2 hari dah soo panjang…will continue later…nak tengok Thomas Crown Affair pulak….

*hmm…falling in love again…*wink*

Ainurul in da howze!

Kita berlari dan teruskan bernyanyi
Kita buka lebar pelukan mentari
Bila ku terjatuh nanti
Kau siap mengangkat aku lebih tinggi

- Sheila on 7's "Melompat Lebih Tinggi"-

Few things about Christmas on Oxford Street that i saw to my delight:

1. Decorative lights over the whole road.
2. The real-life Santa, sitting in the window of the Disney store, waving at us, with a twinkly smile.
3. The super-duper yummy chocolate fountain in Selfridges..they have this fountain of chocolate fondue spraying out, and these people dipping in marshmallows for us to taste...needless to say, i was one of them among the kids, queuing up with my drool dribbling out..
4. More kids on the street wearing those Santa hats, with the blinking red stars...i want one!!
5.Musical groups playing all kind of instruments on the streets..there was even a family called The Cadgle Family or sumthing, belting out tunes, very much like the JAckson 5 and family..they even have their own cutest version of the young Michael Jackson, with his cute voice and dancing steps...so comel!

btw, Ainurul's in da howze!!!hehehehe...she just arrived with her parents this afternoon for her graduation ceremony tomorrow, and earlier, we met up with her at Oxford St...she went shopping for some stuff, and i got myself a new backpack (which is essential for my trip to Germany)...we went to the Ben & Jerry's stall where we conducted a free promotional campaign for them by slurping their ice-cream and chomping down their waffles dengan penuh semangatnye by the stall..heheheh...before that we went totally ballistic with the digital cameras and started snapping in the middle of the street! heheheh...bestlaa dengan Ainurul nie..i tend to not bother about what people think, whenever i'm with her...thought of going to Trafalgar Square to see the giant christmas tree (ade ke?), but Ainurul was soo tired that we decided to go home...

tomorrow is a full day, cuz i have to pack my stuff for the trip to Germany, change my pounds to euros, buy towels for my mom, go see Ainurul after her grad ceremony, pergi Somerset (this ice-skating rink cuz Ainurul wants to snap some pics), dinner at Bayswater, then home...

then at 3 a.m., will make our way to Victoria Bus Station via the 38..then take the coach to Stansted Airport at 4.30 a.m.....flight is about 7 a.m., and dijangka akan tiba di Karlsruhe-Baden, Germany at about 9 a.m....at about 10.30 a.m., will take the 205 bus to the Baden-BAden Bahnof train station, where we're supposed to wait and meet the famous Dhira...

macam penat tak? oh well, there's a first for everything...Germany is reported to be within the temperatures of -3 degrees and 6 degrees, and is reputed to be snowing...brrr...hope i'll be able to cope with the cold...pray for my safety yer..

oh, btw, the other night, i found something written about myself on someone's journal that made me soo happy that i saved her post for those times when í will be too sad and down for words...its really nice to know that i have that kind of impression on her..i mean, i dunno..does anyone out there really know what i'm like..? do they know my weird mood swings, my petty fussiness and the general topry-turviness of my mind? well, what she wrote literally made me walked on air, and puts a big smile before going to bed....so, Miss A.N, one of the most intriguing and interesting writer i've ever come across, thank you, thank you, thank you!

oh btw, does anyone know anything about bringing home a second hand car from UK? not for me laa...for my housemate, who's interested...and by interested, that means, oh, what the hey! drag me along! if anyone knows anything, let me know aiight...


ona more sober note, i hope that my mind will always be clear, and that i'll always be guided by my faith in Allah....insya-Allah...

i'm not sure if i'll be able to update tomorrow before leaving, so i will leave you with the only German phrase i know, which pretty much sums up my surroundings and condition at his moment, right now....

Guten Morgen!

Happy Holidays!

Snippets from my current sleepless life

And with the early dawn
Moving right along
Couldn't buy a eye full of sleep
And in the aching nights under satellites

- Audioslave's "Show Me How To Live"-

it's not that i'm having sleepless nights..its more like i'm turning into a female owl...my roomate starts sleeping latest by 1.00 a.m., while i'ts common for me to hit the pillows at 3 a.m....it would be ok if i have no classes the next day, but this has been happening for the past few weeks, with me stumbling around early in the morning, getting reasy for class..hence, i prolly only get about 4-5 hours of sleep...hmm, back in those days when i used to W.O.R.K...this would spell out = a very cranky Dalie...here, í can't really be cranky, can i? like, it's not even worth being cranky..let's just get through the day and hope that today will be the day i get my proper shut-eye...

what do i do anyways at night? hmm, surfing the Net, looking up journals is prolly what makes up most of the time..and oh yeah, that'll be the time when my working friends will be in the office, so i'll be having my regular chats with the Nonz and the rest...

lately tho', i've been missing my family a little bit more..so i've taken to calling them up..well, basically i called my mom up almost everyday last week, yesterday, and i'm planning to call her later...ooh, and i missed my sis soo much, that i called her UITM illegal-roomate yesterday morning, while they were still sleeping to ask her to go look for my sis..hehehe..my sister replied with an "Aliaa ngantoo-ookkk..." making the "ngantok" word sound like a six-syllable word..she did perk up tho'when i told her that i've bought her birthday pressie! my sis had loads to tell that i suggested she produce her own blog so she can tell me what's going on with her life...wonder what that would be like? she has poetic tendencies as well..i was rather pleasantly surprised to see one of her "works" in her school magazine..waa, budak kecik nie ade talent jugak rupenye,..

eheheheh...when i called my brother up to look for my sis, he told me that she has gone back to UITM, and proceeded to continue the conversation with a "and anyway, ..bla bla bla" as if we're continuing a long conversation! heheeheh..miss laa tu...anyways, he was telling me about his decision to sambung his degree in Broadcast Media...heh? oh no!!! nak jadi "Tuan Direktor" kah? hmm....could be interesting..right now he's starting some project for his former practical employee, so hopefully everything goes well for him...what was menarik was, that someone suggested him for the project when they were approached earlier for it, so i guess that's good for him too..

had a tiring weekend spent on the well-trodden pavements of Oxford St...hehehehe...i love this place, but i don't have the dough for it tho'...me and Ainor did our surveying for the coming winter sales...man, we were beat! we hit the stores from 12 p.m. till about 7 p.m...Ainor got away with huge bags (kata nak survey aje!!) hahaa, she can't resist, tapi provided justfication for her purchases (don't we all...) moi? just got my sis her sai birthday pressie..why?

well, i have fallen into the "kancah pembelian maya" or loosely translated as my compulsive online purchases! arrgghhh!!! i have now bought a PDA (i know, shoot me! dulu masa supposed yuppie period, tak beli..sekarang dah jadi kind-of-sengkek student, baru terhegeh-hegeh nak beli PDA )..and a collection of books which would complete my collection of books from UK (not!! ) at this current moment, i'm waiting to bid for a certain digital camera on ebay...arrgghh..shoot ebay! shoot amazon!! nasib baik laa i have this thing against buying eatables on the net (sebab takut they've been used..ewww..), kalo tak, toaster pun i nak beli! sheesh..but i am looking for a toaster right now..and a hairdryer with diffuser (for this curlylocks of mine) and a power toothbrush (saje!)..hehehe...this is bad..i don't think i've ever shopped this much at home before..maaa, help!!!!

well, i guess i have to sacrifice oher things then huh? guess that'll be no groceries for about 2 months, and i'll be basically living on bread, butter (ooh, the lovely salted Lurpak butter) and Maggi...dah laa my mom wants me to be on a lookout for certain household items..sheesh...

hmm, what else? ooh, miss neri's and lida's yearly open house *sniffles* ...next year, i'll be a-coming with a vengeance! siap dengan high heels, dangling huge earrings, and a mak datin hairdo, see if i dont!

in the meantime, Maaa, nak makan keropok lekor!!!

p/s: The very best of luck to my best bud Aftotz cuz she's starting work today...i know u can do it! just wow them away with your, ahem, interesting personality..heheheh...buat betul2 tau!!! we're all counting on you!! and i want a report later on your first day aiight!

In the still of the night...

Jangan kau menggodaku (don't try to play me)
Ia bukan memang mudah (for me to call you baby)
So you got a bentley, got a lotta money
Eveery girl's your honey excuse me
I'm not that type of lady

- Camelia featuring Urban Xchange's "Not That Type of Lady"-

urrgghh.....it's 4.52 a.m., and i had just woken up...yesterday night, was up all night polishing my diseertation topic and digging up information for it for the presentation at 10.30 a.m. this morning...i couldn't find much info!! was panicking already!! whylaa,choose that kind of topic?? when u can't find much about it! tulaa, nak sangat yang very focus...haa, padan muke, this is too focused sampai there's nothing much that can be said about it! well, it is a relatively new area..i'm actually looking into the differences between traditional hotels and lifestyle hotels, and comparing brand strategy and looking into to what extent can u brand lifestyle hotels....

mcm simple kan...but i'm telling u, 2 nights in a row on the computer, and i still can't find any journal articles on lifestyle hotels! grr.... so, made do with what i have, itupun like still tunggang terbalik, slept at 4 a.m...and woke up at 9 a.m. to print it, get ready and rush off to school..my heart was beating soo fast, i couldn't even breathe! i was nervous about the presentation cuz i heard horror stories about it...my course leader mentioned nonsense twice to this Asian girl last week..eekk!! takut, takut! i was just hopig that he could see the potential problem in my topic....

wheni arrived in school, found my seminar tutor, Joao, who took me to the designated classroom...along the way he asked me about my presentation and topic..breathlessly (we were climbing to the 3rd floor!), i told him that i was REALLY nervous..and he told me to relax, and that they're all there to help and guide me,yada, yada, yada....i'm pretty grateful, cuz i think he and the course leader has a soft spot for me..hehehhe....he always has this concerned look whenever he asks me if everything's ok with my work...i think it was because of the course i work i did by myself, so he prolly thought i might need extra help....teehee

the presentation went ok...was jumbling my words together..see what happens when u come unprepared Dalie? arrghh!! had moral support from Asrar and Debra tho..AND, my course leader was ok with my topic! yaayy!! he just told me to focus more on the problem, and present it clearly in the proposal..man, that was a big load off my shoulders..stayed till about 2p.m. to listen to other presentations...by then i was feeling pretty hungry, but i didn't want to spend any money buying food in school anymore..nope, nope, gotta save! then went off to see some administrator about my programme next semester, she was out for lunch, hung out at the computer labs for about an hour, saw her and told her about my problems with my programme registration ( i couldn't find the subjects i registered for in my e-records!) , she told me they are there, they're just updating the codes....

went home in the fine rain, had a slight headache due to the uncovered head, sampai rumah, had some bread, butter and soup ( i haven't eaten the whole day! ), check my mails, folded my clothes, lay my bedstuff down, plopped with a new book, tapi, tak sempat baca the first page, and i was out like a light...

woke up when Ainor got home from class at 9.20 p.m....she told me she wanted to watch the new CSI episode she had just downloaded...i said ok, i wanna watch too...then she went to the kitchen to get some food, and i lay down again waiting for her...

next thing i knew, everything was dark, and the hands on the clock showed 4.30 a.m. hehhehehe......terforgot to call my mom, so rushed to call her..alamak! she's in the lrt laa pulak...nie mesti friday afternoon shopping nie....so, here i am, chatting with the Nonz, crunching on leftover Raya cookies and updating....

sakit badan and kepala laa pulak....think i'm gonna go back to bed...hehehhehe...nites!!

Observations, Reflections, Gratitude

Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree, for me
I've been an awful good girl
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

-Marilyn Monroe’s “Santa Baby”-

I’m soo smitten with this song off the Debenham’s Christmas ad, that I downloaded it ! ehehhe…me and Ainor have been humming it all weekend long..but I prefer Britney Spears’ version..more nasal and manja…

Had a good weekend..went to interview 3 more visitors to the Natural History Museum…man, that was a humbling experience…I vow to, insya-Allah, try to accommodate these people on the sidewalks, conducting surveys from now on…people were generally nice, but on the whole, from my observation, I could see that Londoners are more helpful, in that they actually stop to listen to you, even though they are actually in a hurry or their kids are cranky…others like foreigners and tourists tend to wave me away or just plain ignore me..well, the fact that it was chilly, windy and getting dark, didn’t help me either….

I managed to collect data from 3 young people, a girl and 2 guys…I basically targeted young people, jolly looking ones, or those out on a date (well, smiling and clinging hands tend to give ém away), and older people…those 3 poeple I got were not only helpful but very friendly, as they asked me what this survey was about and inquired about my course..

Sunday afternoon was spent shopping for groceries and toiletries…Woolworths are having this 3-for-2 promotion and unfortunately, my self-discipline was on strike… I managed to get away with 2 books and a box of Belgium chocolates…well, the excuse for those 2 books was, that for the whole of Ramadhan, I didn’t even buy a book…so, gimme a break laa..hehehe…the chocolates? Guilty as charged..it didn’t help that earlier that day we had watched an interior decorating programme on the use of CHOCOLATE as a medium for decorating, be it the colour or the actual thing! It was a real attention-grabber..hehehhehe

Got my results for the test I did the other day…well, it was not exactly what I expected, but alhamdulillah, it was alright..its a good thing that it only contributes to 20% of the whole grade..i will now worry about my assignment and finals!! *shudders* well, something put a spring into my steps after that seminar session..as I was leaving, my classmate Rahul came up to me and asked “Dalie, what did u get for the test?” I was like jumping up and down inwardly..hehehe..he remembered my name!! ehhehe, it’s a big deal, cuz no one remembers my name voluntarily or in a passing conversation, but he did! Hehehe..dah laa soo comel! *dreamy* Mere mehboob mere sanam…ehhehehehe….

After that seminar session, went back to my groupmates who were entering our SPSS data at the labs, so helped them out..well, Coura, the only other female groupmate from Senegal, was the one doing it…Alfred (from Ghana) and Saltuk were just hanging round chatting..cheh! got home at about 9…then sat to watch Gilmore Girls with Ainor…

My dear cousin said something interesting on our extremely long phone call on Saturday night…she observed that my writings now reflects a happier and more relaxed me, and I no longer cared what people say…hmm…I never thought of it that way..Do you think so…? Well, the layout of this blog certainly is a much more cheerful one than the previous one…well, actually, I was waiting for the one-year anniversary of “An it’s a rany day..” but, itchy-fingered laa…

Happier? Hmm…well, more clear-minded though….i am happy, but then again, I think I’m an adaptable person (heh, bunyi macam electrical appliances laa pulak)…I used to think that I won’t be able to function well without my family and friends around me…but with the advances of technology, its easy peasy! I mean, I can call up my mom and sis or bro, whenever ( my mom will go, eei, nie ape call lagi nie? Tak habis lagi ke citer? Habis duit nanti! ) heheheh…and it’s always worth it to call up my sis and simultaneously shout MONKEY!!! together..and it’s always a laugh whenever me and my brother chat…and my favorite cousins and friends are always online…so, I’m not really unhappy about the distance…

The clutter that used to be in my mind is gone…not that it was so much of a bother dulu, but it affected my mood usually…I can be really cranky, you know…ahahaha..well, Nonz is familiar with that..when that happens, omigod, rush some food into Dalie!!

Well, I have been doing a lot of thinking since I came here, which is quite convenient, as they are all uninterrupted thoughts….its not that I’m running away from things that are happening back home..its just that, I think, at this point of time in life right now, it is better for me to be away…like a certain older sister of a friend of mine said, lama and jauhnye membawa diri…heheheh…

Anyways, I like writing about happy things, and I like making people laugh….btw, the things (funny, not funny or dumb as they be) that has happened to me in my writings are TRUE …no fabrication of data, slight exaggeration maybe, but all true encounters…don’t worry, IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU TOO *cue darting eyes*…

Thanks Kartina Sobri..btw, this is my cousin people..she’s LUVVERLY! She is also drop-dead GORGEOUS! And she’s a GREAT COOK! And soo pandai….its a wonder that she actually listens to me blabs on the phone, and reads the crap I write…heheheh..thanks dear! I owe u a trip to feed the ducks at Hyde Park *hint, hint*

Oh, btw, my colleague, Dani (HI DANI!!) has recently gave birth to a certain Kamal Hafiz..welcome to the world, kiddo! Can’t wait to meet you! I hope his second name came from the long list of names I submitted to Dani, when she asked for some names suggestion..then I can claim that I helped name her baby! Called her up one morning to have a chat..turns out she was going to “berurut”…whoops….nantilaa Dani, we’ll borak lama2 ok…after your confinement ke, then baru best sikit nak gossip…

And the next best thing that happened was, I got this message from a certain new friend from Germany, who, apparently knew about this blog and knew about my coming trip to Germany…so she offered to help us around there!! Thank you soo much, Dhira!! Hope u don’t mind me inserting your name here..hehehe…

That’s all, folks!

Bombay Dreams...

Shakalaka Baby,
Shakalaka Baby....

- Bombay Dreams -


last night i went to watch the musical "Bombay Dreams" with Huda, SHima and Athirah...hehehe, sekarang ade theatre buddies, bile teringat nak tengok theatre je, teringat muka-muka diorang...well, actually, shima got some 2-for-the-price-of-1 tickets, and asked me and Ainor along..but Ainor couldn't make it cuz she had some important class to go to..so, last week, mase kat Athirah's open house, Ainor told Huda that she can't make it, Athirah overheard, so we ajak-ed her along..and poof! gang theatre dah complete! it is being shown at Victoria Theatre, and they all turned up on time! hehehe..met Huda's future relative, Kak Chik as well....

Bombay DReams was...luvverllyyy!! it was wonderful! well, the fact that we can relate to it as a result of years and years of Saturday afternoon Hindi movies....and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, of course, helps....it tells us of the story of Akaash, a poor boy from the slums in Mumbai, who wants to make it big in Bollywood...and the love story between him and Priya, a film director's daughter, who has dreams of her own, to become a great director in Bollywood and to direct movies that are REAL, none of those love stories with happy endings that her father's famous for...anyways, Akaash met Priya at this Beauty COntest she organized, and wows the crowd away with his impromptu performance...i won't reveal the storyline for fear of spoiling it for those who plans to catch it, but i can assure you, it contains MOST of the familiar criterias that makes a good Hindi movie..oh, trust me....

hehhehehe...i mean, we were laughing soo hard throughout the whole show, and this one lady sitting 2 rows in front of us kept turning back to look at us....whoops! i can't help it! let me just list a few things that warms the cockles of my heart, cuz it reminds me of those Saturday afternoons spent with me mom in front of the TV, watching Hindi movies...

ok, first...all those gestures..oh, you know, the ones that moms do when they see their charming daughter/son..the one that involves both hands moving in a circular motion towards her temple...then there are those words : mere betta, oh foh, sunno...heheheh...yang i tak boleh tahan mula-mula was when the villain came over to visit a fellow villain (who was locked up in prison, wearing those paisley robe, no less!! )..anyways, this villain was wearing a suit, and get this : an overcoat on top of the suit, which just hung over his shoulders with the sleeves hanging out!!! i mean, how Hindi is that??!!!! i was like, bwahhahahahahha.....oh, and the villain is tempang, with an expensive looking walking stick....

then of course, the songs and dances....the songs are familiar...well, the composer is a famous Hindi composer (AR Rahman), and the songs were variations from Taal, Rangeela.....one of the best sequence is the Chaiyya, Chaiyya song (alaa, the one with Shah Rukh Khan singing and dancing on top of the extremely slow-moving train..from the movie Dil Se)..and the most unforgettable "Shakalaka Baby", with the heroin of the song thrusting her breasts over and over again, disrupting the attention of us 4...hehehehe....the lingering glances, the deathly slow moment when the hero and heroine's hands were to meet, those tinkling of fingers down the side of the shoulders and kissing the shoulders, the bittersweet ending...tapi, i was a bit tak puas hati, cuz they seemed to take the fantasy part of a Hindi movie to far..but it was a wonderful show....we even managed to take a picture in the theatre, even though it's actually prohibited! hehehehhehe...

earlier that day, went over to Hackney and managed to get away with a few purchases: a couple of warm tops, a towel, duvet set, and my much-coveted white parka with a bulu2 hood! yaay! sayangnye nak pakai, that its still standing in its plastic cover in my wardrobe..hehehehe...

i came across this wonderful quote somewhere on the Net..if anyone recognizes it, can u please let me know where i can retrieve it? thanks! ..it says something like, be kind, even if people are questioning your intention and saying things against you, be kind anyways....if you are going to succeed, and someone bars your path or climbs over you for their own benefit, suceed anyway...it goes something along those lines..but the lines that means the most to me is

"For in the end, it is all between you and Allah, and not between you and them"

have a blast of a weekend people! :)

My, my, what an unproductive day...

i'm here without you baby
but you're still on my lonely mind
i think about you baby
and i dream about you all the time
i'm here without you baby
but you're still with me in my dreams
and tonight it's only you and me

- 3 Doors Down's "Here Without You" -

let me tell you what an unproductive day i had yesterday...it was so unproductive, that i felt like yanking out my brains and bashing them on the table to knock some sense into it...

Tuesdays are the only days that i don't have any classes, and i reserve it by pampering myself with a walkabout around the tiny patch of London that i know of...well, yesterday's destination was, naturally, to my psychiatrist, Oxford St., for some therapy (*cough, retail, cough*)...i had a few things lined up though..i have to register mself at the Malaysian Student Dept (MSD), so i had to go and made copis of my passport and other documents...

well, the day started unproductively enough...tried to blow dry my hair straight, but only resulted in a big tangly mess...don't come near my hair again, u wretched hairdryer u! then, while packing things into my bag to take along, i had difficulty locating my passport case....arrgh! i was frantic then, turning the room upside down, which was so frustrating, because it reflects how careless i had become after spending only 3 months overseas...

i finally found it, after all that searching, in the zipped pocket of my bag...arrgghh!!! sabar je laa...so,i trotted out to the post office nearby, get those documents photocopied, then took the 38 to Tottenham Court Road...on my way to Marble Arch, i was mentally ticking which shops to visit...*don't have moneylaa, tapinye*.walked to MSD...i was scrutinizing the tiny post on the front door, when the buzzer crackled with a voice that went, "Yes, How may i help you? "...arrgghhh! malunye! how long have they been watching me look like a jakun?? told the voice my intentions, and it told me to push the door..it appeared to be stuck, and i was grunting, and pushing it, while the voice went "kuat lagi, kuat lagi"..and i was nearly shouting "kuat dah nie!!"...

i finally stumbled inside, and grinned sheepishly at the 2 distingushed gentlemen at the counter...the voice belonged to the guardian behind the counter, who introduced me to the two gentlemen, as Encik Hashim and Encik Abdullah, our Education Officers.....ooooo s**t....i just made a fool out of myself in front of these two...they must think, macamane laa budak nie boleh sampai overseas nie??

after exchanging a few pleasantries, they passed me a few brochures, and as i put them in my bag, i realised that my passport was missing from its case...ohhhhhhhhh ssshhhhhhiiiiiiiiitttttttttttt.....................

i must have left it in the post office's photcopy machine....

menyirap darah masa tu...i minta diri, and sprinted to the nearest bus stop...all the while thinking, bodohnye aku, bodohnye aku!!!..then i started praying, please, please God help me...tolonglah hamba mu ini Ya Allah...stopped at one of those red phone booths to call home to see if there's anyone at home i can ask to run along and get my passport....alamak!! nobody angkat-ed! so, hop on the necessary busses, gasping for air, while maintaning this troubled plus dead look on my face....i mean, i dunno, in Malaysia, if u lost ur passport to strangers, it could wind up with another person's face on it with his/her details kan? there are those immigrants in Malaysia, or shrewd businessmen who are involved in that kind of illegal market right?? i was hoping that it would not be the same case here in London, but u might never know...dahlaa the indian guy behind the counter at the post office pagi tadi, sengih2 , tanye if i'm from Sri Lanka or not.....i was like, NOO! alamak, a bit too defensive laa pulak....

i was too busy praying to notice the shops on Oxford St and beyond flashing before my eyes...once i got down at my stop, ran into the Post Office..this time, ade aci pulak belakang counter..in my broken english (sebab nervous and panic), i asked "did u found a passport in here? " while pointing to the photocopy machine...she nodded....

ALHAMDULILLAH...

i was already planning how to contact the proper authorities, where to dig for extra cash to pay for the necessary expenditure, when to tell my parent (when i'm 30 ke 35? )....nasib baik laa aci nie simpan... :)

got home, told Kak Iza what happened, noticed she was making her custard pudding...hmmm...oo, rupenye her hubby is coming down from Germany for the weekend! patutla berseri-seri je...hehehehhe...

after prayers, decided to go to this shop near Hackney to buy a towel (don't ask)...ended up with going into the dressing room 4 times..by the 4th time, the lady handing out the ticket had her eyebrows raised already...when i finally picked my towel, was looking at it sideways and all, i noticed my jacket was covered in fluff from the towel...aarrghhh!!!!

retreated to the corner, trying to brush away as much fluff as possible, while hoping it won't be too noticeable, and cursing the lovely aquamarine towel i picked..heheheh...join the long queue, only to be told at the end of it, that my card is not accepted..i practically shoved my items on to the cahier's face, and walked huffily away..hehehe, serves me right...bank across the street je! but i was too malas to withdraw some cash...

well, the only productive thing that happened yesterday, was i bought some groceries at a minimum price..and that includes some rich tea biscuits with milk chocolate topping AND some lemon viennese whirls..(what forr???!!!) buat tambah berat badan je...n'mind laa..food kan....

oh, and i made myself a dinner of fried fish and vegetables with butter...

unproductive in my sense of words.... :)

Oo, macam nie Raya kat London...

Andaikan kuterbang sebrangi langit ketujuh
Lintasi bintang-bintang
Bagaikan malaikat dengan sayapnya
Kuajak dirimu serta arungi khayalan
Cumbui sang rembulan
Untukmu kupersembahkan nirwana
Setulus cintaku

- Element's "Kupersembahkan Nirwana"-

*stands at the middle of an empty gym (with good acoustics), hand clasped together, back straight, ready and poised to strike, takes a deep breath, open mouth.....

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

till the sound reverberates, bouncing off the walls, ringing and deafening in ears of mortals, scaring the birds and bats away......*

dah abis assignment!!!!

hehehehhe....now, i can finally take off the online msn tag i have "arrghhh...assignment tak abis lagi!" pheeewwwwwww.....what a relief....i refuse to think about it anymore...i know it wasn't my best (most of them never were tho') but i'm just glad to be rid of it...stayed up till 5 a.m trying to finish it up...it didn't help to see friends online whom i have sorely missed due to the virtual inactivity surrounding the Raya season....earlier, on with my dishevelled hair, morning breath, and bleary eyes, i typed busily away, aware that the assessment office has to close at some period of time, but, couldn't help entertaining online friends as well....oh well...i'm just glad to be rid of it..grades? well, i'll leave it to God and the Powers That Be....aminnn.....

btw, how was your raya people?

well....(and u know this is going to be the start of another long entry...alaa, give me a break laa..haven't update for soo long! )...my Raya started on the eve of Syawal, with me coming home to fragrant smells emanating from our tiny kitchen....Ainor was busy stirring her first rendang, which turns out wonderful, btw...i was all excited, jumping up and down, thinking of raye and all...altho' there was this tiny ache in the regions of me 'eart....logged on to Era, and heard the first sounds of the melodious Takbir, which was so soothing and sayu...sebak jap....couldn't wait to call my family, so we stayed up till past midnight to make our calls....at around 8.30 a.m. (Malaysian time) i placed a call to my kampung, and upon hearing my voice, my sister started shrieking and laughing...hehhehe....apparently, the elders have gone out for Raya prayers, and those cousins of mine, are queuing up to use the bathroom at my grandma's house..as expected, no one's ready yet..had a long chat with her, and my favourite cousin, Kak Idah....

the next morning, woke up around 6 a.m., to sounds of Ainor getting ready...jumped up and called kampung again...got to talk to my mom, ucap selamat hari raya, maaf zahir batin (and this is where the voice started to break..hehehhe)...asked about celebrations there, talked to my brother, found out what colour his baju melayu was (red), talked to my sister and cousin again....me, Ainor and Kak Iza were planning to catch the first round of the Raya prayers at Malaysian Hall, so we had to hurry..but not before sampling the rendang, nasi himpit and kuah kacang instant that they had prepared...ummm..yummy...

in our flappy baju kurung and kebayas, braved the chilly morning air, took the 38 to Tottenham Court Road..ramai pulak yang naik bas pagi2 camni..hehehhe..tukar bas sampai ke Marble Arch and walked down to Bryanston Square..at first, we were worried jugak when we saw a bunch of casually dressed Malaysian going the same way....when we arrived at Malaysian Hall...perrgghh....the ultimate Malaysian vogue styles were on parade! hahahah....some of them even wore those transparent2 baju, with strappy sandals! we were like, tak sejuk ke, while silently wishing that we brought along our festive fineries too..hahhahah! well, i wished i did!

we arrived quite late actually, so the first batch of jemaah were in the midst of prayers when we arrive, and we had to wait for the next round...made friends with a Kak Mizah, who's been staying here for almost a year with her husband who works for the Malaysian Tourism Dept...saw a few familiar faces...Teratai and Ferasha, seniors at Sri Aman, looking gorgeous and elegant, no less....met Naz and Alin too...after prayers, went to the park in front of Malaysian Hall for the Raya spread...the food was ok..there were tons of people, a few familiar faces...so took a few pictures here and there after stuffing our faces...met Kak Iza's coursemate, Fendi..met Ajit, Eileen's boyfie, Tuti (ever so gorgeous), Ija, my cousin who's doing her MA in Communications..met Shima (from the Rat Pack outing)..even saw some familliar faces from Uniten, hmmm....stayed there till we were pretty numb, then after Zohor prayers, and another round of picture taking in front of Msian Hall (hehehehe...soo like jakun kan)...we took off to the Malaysian High Commissioner's house in Hampstead, where it was rumoured they'd be serving satay..Kak Iza was hoping to eat satay for Raya, so we were prepared to meredah for the satays...

unfortunately, we got different directions from different people going to the Hi Comm's place..so, we combined all directions, took out the A-Z and proceeded to belasah our way through....went on the wrong route at first...but we took a bus to Finchley where we met a segerombolan of Malaysian going the same way...so, after introducing ourselves, we proceeded to go along with them...unfortunately, we took a different route, which resulted in a mini-hike up the hill where the Hi Comm stays...there was a slight drizzle, but the company was a cheerful one..so it was nice, even though the journey was a long one..the sights of those pretty houses were soothing tho', ehhehe...when we finally arrived at the lovely looking house, a crowd had already gathered....tapi, hampanye kami melihat ketiadaan satay..oh well..while we were having our 2nd Raya makan, Kak Ema came up and hung out with us...turns out that her uncle was there beraya as well, so she was dragged along...we were actually the early ones ( we arrived at about 1.30 p.m.)..by the time we left, the crowd started to trickle in...

we were so tired that the 3 of us slept all the way in the bus home...nasib baik tak termiss our stop...bila sampai home, turns out that we were hungry..again! hehehehe...so, had more nasi himpit, rendang, and kuah kacang....but damn, it was tiring...after the High Comm's place, sempat lagi jalan2 kat Oxford Street, masuk Selfridges, John Lewis, tengok stuff...Ainor sempat beli her wool scarf lagi!

the next day, i was prepared to wish my muslim classmates Eid Mubarak, but none were too be seen..cheh, buat holiday sendiri ye....hehehehe...

on Saturday, Ainor and I went to Kak Yani's place for her small open house...we brought along some tiramisu Ainor made...took the tube to Edgeware (last stop), which was in Zone 5...jauh tu...it was like a totally different place...macam bukan London...so serene, less hectic...not unlike Leicester..hehehe....her house was about 10 minutes from the tube station, so kitorang menapakla, sebab tak familiar with the buses...she stays in this cute, nipis house..seriously, it was soo nipis! turns out that its memanjang ke belakang actually...met her sister, Kak Fariza, and her sister's family..and a group of medic practitioner, ranging from pakar mata to pakar psikologi, all doing their specialisation studies in London...waaa, kagum, kagum...

Kak Yani is this incredible cook!!! soo sedap! her cheesecake was soo amazing that we felt our tiramisu was an embarassment to us! ahhaha...stayed for about 2 hours, listening to them chat, eating, took pictures...after prayers..we left....

my junior in school, Athirah, is staying in London with her brothers...she finished her biomedic degree at Kings College, and is now working as a research assistant...she also invited me to her place, on the same Saturday, for a little open house...so, after Kak Yani's place, we made our way to Holland Park Avenue where her flat is...before that, bought some biscuits for buah tangan...

Holland Park Avenue is this posh area...we were basically gawking at the houses there..(nasib baik dah mlm, hehehe)...Athirah's 2-bedroom flat is gorgeous..lovely and cozy...met her equally nice and friendly brothers...toured the flat, met another junior, Jane Ng..(afti, ingat tak? pianist extraordinaire) who's studying music at the Royal School of Music...

the food was nice...but what amazed me was that they prepared it themselves! i was like, nie dah boleh kahwin nie, cuz the spread was quite good..(sheesh, byk betul describe pasal food, now u know where the chunkiness came from) there was lemang! barulaa dapat makan lemang....the desert consisted of a strawberry cheesecake, brownies, some chocolate balls, and kuih talam...waaa..so talented....

met the same crowd i saw at Msian Hall..met Huda and Shima again...everyone was interconnected..i guess that happens when you're in a different place..you tend to know and see the same familiar faces...we left at about 8 p.m...as i had to continue with my assignment yang tergendala..

so that was my first Raya abroad....don't think its gonna happen again...its too emotionally draining for me :p

but an experience nonetheless :)