What's cooking, baybee?

I wanna run through the halls of my high school
I wanna scream at the
Top of my lungs
I just found out there's no such thing
as the real world
Just a lie you've got to rise above

- John Mayer's "No Such Thing" -


last week i cooked two different dishes that i have never prepared before...albeit, they are just variations of other well-known *senang* recipes, but i'm glad that i gave it a try..at least, its something other than sambal ikan bilis/udang/telur, nasi goreng orange *the colour, according to Ainor is orange*, cheese omellete, tomyam sejam, oh, and the occasional meehoon/maggi goreng..this time i made fried rice ala belacan with green chilli paste..and twisty pasta bake with mature cheddar topping...that turned out ok, as well..

i think throughout the year, well the 9 months of me being here, i have improved in that sense..no longer do i seem clueless in the kitchen, and i now actually know what to do when it comes to the action of cooking :p back home, i don't cook *oh, what a great self-advertisement kan*..well, my mom insists on cooking and besides, i'm such a klutz that she keeps me away from the stove whenever she can..but, man, is it an insecurity booster..going back to my grandma's place and everyone would be busy in the kitchen, all seem to know their role and where they're supposed to be, and there i stood, at the edge of it all, not even sure where to start..

growing up, i think i have made attempts at cooking..the fried rice back then was a triumph, i think, judging by how the bowl would be cleaned out by my brother, but then again, budak tu makan everything..hmm...my late grandfather taught me how to boil rice, when he took care of us, so that was something i did know..other than that, cooking was limited to helping my mom chop up stuff, and stirring..itu pun kena marah, cuz the klutz i am, stil managed to make a mess...but i did manage a few attempts at some dishes...

i guess i was inspired back then by what i read..once, i read this kiddy book about this girl who made ice lollies out of jam, and ape ntah *can't remember, but i remember the jam part*, and it turned out fabulous laa..so, ape lagi...i rummaged around my mom's kitchen, but finding nothing much, i concocted something that includes jam...haha..cam ape je..i left it in the fridge to freeze, but it looked too disgusting, so i left it there...then my mom came up to me saying, eh, u don't want to makan aa? semacam je bau die :p

then there's the brownie attempt...i bought my mom Chef Wan's recipe book for Mother's Day, but it remains with other women magazines in the living room..so, while salivating over some of the pictures, i decided to make some chocolate-fudge-brownie-cake thing...which turned out really weird..but edible...then again, i was the only one who finished it up...

once, i attempted baked macaroni for the family, and it turned out ok..they ate it for lunch! the repeated performance for a good friend's potluck party, yielded an ok result, but, as one of her aunts commented, "ade jumpe kulit telur dalam Dalilah punye macaroni.."....gah!!

back in school, one incident that prolly was the reason why i stay away from the stove, was in Form 2 *ala, during those KH times*..and my partner, this chinese girl named Christina, was not a bad cook la..so, i thought, pheww, that's easy for me..unfortunately, during our KH practical exam, and we were supposed to prepare a meal, so we decided on Kuehtiow Goreng, she was in charge of the whole thing..and i mean, the whole thing...i don't even remember what i did..all i remembered was, she ordered me around, telling me to put the wok on the stove, and all, of which i was ok with *heck, die yang terrer, i'm just following the orders to pass!*...so, while i was hovering over her, panicking *walaupun tak buat amende*, she was like, omigod, the kuali panas already, put oil, put oil! so i curah-ed some oil into the wok..and the smoking hot kuali, in contact with the oil, gave out a big flame..sheeshhh! i was practically screaming....but everyone buat donno je..oh well, not enough drama to sound the fire alarm then hehehhe...

and tomorrow, we're supposed to help cook in a neighbour's place for a kenduri she's having...all my insecurities are floating to the top...ye gad, i don't even know this lady...i don't make regular acquaintances with her...this is the first time i'll be in her house, let alone her kitchen..and, to top all that, i'm expected to help cook....

help...

p/s: i'm actually compiling a portfolio of "pictures to be shown to potential Mak Mertuas"...what prompted me was, somehow, i had images of an aunt, with glittery bangles, selendang, and heavy makeup showing my picture to a complete stranger, saying, haa, nie laa die anak sulung Puan Rohayah...just like in Hindi movies *sejak bile laa pulak my life cam Hindi movies nie??!!*..and if that happens, i would want to be prepared kan? :p

I would have given you all of my heart..


'Cause you were made for me
Somehow I'll make you see
How happy you make me

I can't live this life
Without you by my side
I need you to survive

So stay with me
You look in my eyes and I'm screaming inside that I'm sorry.

- Evanescense's "Forgive Me" -


i wonder why i sometimes subconsciously categorize my friends....

there are those whom i can call up anytime, and chat at length about almost anything under the sun...this category of people have sat and listened to me patiently all these years, and they know that whenever i call them, i have something to tell, or that i just want to know what's up with them...they are not my best friends, but great friends, who takes the time to catch up with one another...

then there are those people, whom i'm actually very, very close with..whom i can call, and practically say nothing, hence increasing the phone bills..these are the select few, whom i've gotten so comfortable with, that we can just talk about nothing, and sometimes remain in a comfortable silent...my best friends prolly fall under this, although, there are a few others who are also eligible here...

however, there are friends, whom i do better with chatting on the phone, and some, only when we meet up for a chat, and some only online...

there are also some of my friends whom i share a better phone-friendship than we have as buddies who hang out with each other....

then there are those, who i can never do phone calls with, and will have to meet up in order to catch up...well, this may be cause we talk too much, that phone conversations will not suffice...

then, sadly, there are those who graduated from being phone-buddies of mine, to just being a friend, whom i see once in a year, and will not have much to talk about anymore...

over the weekend, i chatted at some length with a buddy of mine, whom have been a friend since those pre-puberty days...she was, i would say, my comfort friend...back then, she would be the only one i turn to for gossips and sharing..but we were never "best friends"..merely, buddies who've shared tons of memories...i used to call her up almost everyday, and talk nonsense..and all these years, i find keeping in touch not as easy as it used to be, but a phone call to her, would generate the warmth of a friendship that is as close as it used to be..and now, being online with her, is just like those phonecalls back when we were growing up..

online friends made me laugh and smiled during the weekend..i wish that i'm confident of the fact that if the conversation is not online, it would still elicit the same results..

its funny how sometimes, i do better at chatting with friends online, typing away my thoughts, instead of voicing them out loud..i wonder why that is? do i feel insecure at the fact that i may not be able to come up with interesting things to talk about, that i need the security and the shield of the Internet/cyberspace to keep a conversation going? am i actually not comfortable in my own skin? why do i worry about that? they are my friends right, there should be things to be said to each other right? unfortunately, i don't think so...and admittedly, i'm sad to think that i think that way...

i think the reason why i prefer online conversations with certain friends, is because to me, it seems to erase akwardness...there's no uncomfortable pauses, in between which we try to grasp any manner of things to be talked about...and for me, it's when i don't see the other person's face turning from being interested to just plain bored..

i wonder if all these categorizing is actually helping to achieve anything..at the end of the day, what's important is, how much we trust a friend, how much we've shared, laughed, and cried over, how easy it is for us to turn to them for just about anything, and how they are always there, no matter what...

maybe i'm just guilty of the fact that i have not been in touch with a certain someone...

p/s: Eng-err-land won again!
p/p/s: why do i even bother? *dumb*

England won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So she said what's the problem baby
What's the problem I don't know
Well maybe I'm in love (love)
Think about it every time
I think about it
Can't stop thinking 'bout it

How much longer will it take to cure this
Just to cure it cause I can't ignore it if it's love (love)
Makes me wanna turn around and face me but I don't know nothing 'bout love

Come on, come on
Turn a little faster
Come on, come on
The world will follow after
Come on, come on
Cause everybody's after love

- Counting Crow's "Accidentally in Love" OST Shrek2 -


woohoo!! it was worth the race back home after grocery shopping in Asda, mid-afternoon, after no intention whatsoever to shop, hence, did not bring customary backpack to carry all the stuff home..then *tak sedar diri* loaded up on nachos, dips and a big bottle of Vanilla Coke, not to mention a heavy jar of pasta sauce and a tub of yoghurt, and carrying them round in flimsy plastic bags yang dah carik2, into curtains superstore, and factory outlet.... the curtains warehouse was because Ainor wanted to get new curtains for the room, as our curtains sangatlaa the very sad...she thought she bought the most perfect pair at Edinburgh's carboot, at only 1 pound! but it was too short..so, there she was, deciding on the measurements and mentally checking her bank balance, with me going, cepatla, cepatlaa, diselang-seli with ru sure u want to buy this? we only have a few more months to go!!hehehhe..orang tu tgh decide, i just had to go confuse her even more..when she finally decided, after so lama, they told us they ran out of the ones that we want!! sabar jelaa...that's a sign laa tu, i jokingly tell her..we'll just have to survive with the sorry-xcuse-we-have-as-curtains-yang-patut-jadi-saprah-je for the next few months then..

but we managed to get home in time for prayers, before plonking my butt in front of the telly...of course, to watch the England vs. Switzerland game..

hehhehe...as this cik kak puts it..nasib baik menang! although, i didn't have any jersey or any pics to commemorate this afternoon's game, but my butt has semi-permanent imprints of the carpet beneath it...although, the game was worth it...3-0...i didn;t expect that..then again, i'm new at this, cannot laa predict anything kan..i was just hoping England would win so dpt points...and they did, thanks to Rooney and Gerrard....man of the moment betullaa, Rooney nie...

the France vs Croatia game also had me jumping up and down..well, as much jumping as i could laa from my sitting position, hehe...shee, i was a little dissappointed with France...and i thought Croatia's quite terror..hehe...well, next monday's game between England and Croatia is another reason to stay put on the designated spot on my carpet again...go England!

besides, its nice to gloat ngan my brother, who doesn't support England..ooh, and now i have gotten myself a mic (a cool-looking one attached to a headphone, time kasih :D ), then we had our normal bashing-each-other conversation online...cool! i'm hoping to reduce my phone bill by chatting to my mom online, cuz most of the credit goes to calling her up, and talking bout nonsense..e.g: maa, pakai baju warna ape? hari nie puasa tak? how's the kebun? how's the neighbour? (whom, btw, i have not chatted with before) masak ape hari nie? makan ape malam tadi? where did u guys have dinner last saturday night? buat ape tu? u get my drift....

gripe of the day: i don't understand all these people on Friendster who doesn't know me and just sends anonymous messages...baiklaa u gi usha awek yang u kenal kan?? hehhehe..gee, i'm mean...*sigh*

p/s: i think Hakkan Yakin, from Switzerland, has the STRAIGHTEST hair i've ever seen on a guy...teknik rebonding ke? heehhehe... :p

and when i yearn for...

Dan bila akupun rindu pada nyamannya kecupmu
Pada hangatnya tawamu
Kudendangkan dengan gitar lagu-lagu kesayangan
Sambil kuingat indah wajahmu

- Sheila on 7's "Tunggu Aku Di Jakarta" -


i didn't managed to catch either game today, not Latvia vs. Czech Republic, nor GErmany vs. NEtherlands..i was plonked in front of the telly for the first game, but the lure of snoozing my afternoon away was more tempting...as for the other game, well, there's CSI and Bollywood Star to reckon with..so, no match there, hehe...altho', we were flicking between channels to catch all three simultaneously, and i did manage to catch Van Nistelrooij's score-levelling goal, during the highlights on BBC...*clap, clap some more*..it was kinda heart-stopping for a bit, but waa...anyhoo, that reminds me: i miss Bollywood! i miss watching Hindi movies, Shah Rukh khan's smile, hehe, all the dances, the cheesy script and plot..*sigh*..think i'm gonna get my people to bring my Hindi vcds over..(never mind that i'm leaving for home in less than 5 months away * Insya-Allah*, a thought that brings tingles right down to my toes)...

and the best news of the day is: my most favourite person in the whole entire universe is due to arrive next Sunday! *grins all the way* oh, and congratulations to a certain friend who's going on a year-long adventure next year *winks* i wish you all the best, and u definitely deserve it dear..just let me know if u need anything aiight...another set of congratulations to Liz and Awoi, who finally tied the knot last week..the pictures were lovely Nonz, you guys looked great, and the pengantins looked so berseri-seri, Awoi included ehehhe..comellaa...pasangan petite yang sgt cute, cam main2 je, especially with the tengkolok, keris, tiara, and veil..and the house is gorgeous *sigh*..sangat romantic *snicker*...well, that's another Uniten couple down, anymore to go?

oh yeah, if Zrett is reading this, Zrett, that was one of our best trip ever! please don't think that you didn't took us around enough! it was most lovely, i can assure you..btw, pics from the trip can be found here...however, those does not include pics from the second day we were in Scotland, when me and Ainor joined the Timberbush tours to visit the Scottish Highlands, including Glencoe, Fort Williams, Loch Ness, and a tiny bit of Inverness....there are hundreds of lochs in Scotland, and the view most of the way is breathtaking..unfortunately, we missed some, cuz the rhythmic coach journey causes the eyelids to fall, turning us into snoring tourists...but in between wink, i managed to catch William Wallace's monument...loverly! we also took a boat ride on Loch Ness, and like many other thousands visitors to the loch, did not manage to locate Nessie, the Loch NEss monster..*duhh!!!*...hehehhe..but the murky water, with visibility of only about 10 feet, did suggest a more sinister being other than the lake..

and thanks for taking us to the carboot on SUnday..believe me, nothing can beat the 10p bargain of a book i got there, and i managed to get away with 3! plus 4 cutesy teapots to start a collection with *nie sumer KAk Zie's pasal*, and Ainor got away with a fairy-tale-ish 3-way mirror, and curtains which costs 1 pound, but unfortunately, is too short for our windows...darn! well, we have new, flowery saprah now, teehee..

sure enough, two things that never fails to make an appearnce every time we're off somewhere happens, which makes me think that we're jinxed..jinxed, i tell ya! firstly: Waiting: in Germany, the waiting happened when we were travelling to BAden-Baden, and instead of a 3-hour odd journey, turned into a journey of more than 5 hours..in Manchester, waiting in the coach on the motorway during long queues, narrowly missing the FRIENDS finale, and finally in Scotland, on our tour, on a lonely road by Loch Ness yang tak pernah ade any sensasi, or anything remotely happening happens on it, we encountered an accident, which caused a very long wait..the type that had us both sleeping, waking up, sleeping again, waking up to say "tak gerak lagi ke?!", and gaze longingly out to the lake...

secondly, Running: haa, nie paling best, running is a normal part of many students' trips to anywhere, us, obviously included...in Germany, when we realized that we only had few minutes between checking in and boarding, run we did...in MAnchester, oklaa, relax sikit, takde lari2, but in Scotland, run we did, again..to catch the train, dragging Zrett along..hehhehe, pucat dah muka Ainor, when 15 minutes before the train leaves, we're still in the bus trundling oh-not-so-fast through the streets of Edinburgh...any bets for more running and waiting on our next trip to Ireland? place them right now!

A colourful character from the Scotland trip: The mat salleh, who was walking towards us on the Royal MIle, getting close enough to my side, to say "Apa Khabar Sayang" in this typical British accent, y'know, the ones P. Ramlee used in LAbu LAbi when he was "Tuan MAjistret"...haha, priceless!

*gulps* discussion with the supervisor tomorrow...*breath in, breath out* you can do this....

Italy and Denmark...seri!

Everyone falls in love sometime
Sometimes it's wrong
And sometimes it's right
For every win
Someone must fail
But there comes a point when
When we exhale (yeah, yeah, say)
Shoop, Shoop, Shoop
Shoo Be Doop Shoop Shoop (yeah)
Shoo Be Doop Shoop Shoop...

- Whitney Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" OST Waiting to Exhale -

i'm warming up to euro 2004 la nampaknye..today's game between Italy and Denmark, had me waiting in anticipation (never mind that i was just switching the tv on to watch Ready, Steady, Cook..but ITv had the game on :p )..my personal comment: great game! i thought that Denmark played a neat and agressive game, and made brave attempts at scoring a goal..which resulted in a few yellow cards being thrown around..their goalie was also pretty good at menepis-ing Totti's free kicks....Italy on the hand, fuhh, waa, *clap,clap* Buffon (betul ke spelling nie? Idlan, don't cringe kalo salah!) sangattlaa terror in saving all Denmark's valiant attempts...fuyyoo...sangat tabik spring! although, it wouldn't hurt if they scored a goal or two hehe...and what's this i heard about a rusuhan in london as a result from yesterday's game? hmm, not that i know of, and certainly not around my area (which is one of London's ghetto)..we're decent people here..maybe those rowdy crowds from Croydon kot..hehe..

the cousin's here again..we took her out to dinner at Khan's, where i overate, yet again...*sigh*..oh well, bile lagi nak makan kan? later, we whiled away the time before subuh listening to songs on my playlists, while digging around for songs from Waiting to Exhale and Boomerang...

and today i've discovered the joys of washing the back of your neck while taking your wudhu...refreshing!

p/s: i soo want a mike to chat with people on YM..i found that talking alone while the other party types back is not so much fun..no wonder my brother keeps bugging me to get my own set of mike and headphones..its a little bit like talking to an answerphone for the very first time...really, really weird....anyone nak donate mike tak??

England-1, France-2...!!

We're here and now, but will we ever be again
'Cause I have found
All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade
Away again

- Fuel's "Shimmer" -

Highlights of the weekend:

- The start of Euro 2004: England vs. France.: I m not a footie freak, but i vow to watch a match between England and other countries..unfortunately, i missed England's game by ooh, about 80 minutes..!! so, watched the rest of the game, in anticipation that hey, England scored 1 goal, mungkinkah besok cuti?? *macam kat Malaysia pulak*..but, surprises of surprise, as the game extended into its extra 3 minutes, France managed to hold its own with Zinedine Zidane scoring 2 goals for them..woohoo! ok, ok, i know i'm supposed to support my the country i'm staying in * refer Anuar's blog, but i find myself cheering for France towards the end of the game, before they scored any goals..and found myself whooping at the clean shot Zidane took...waaa, best jugak tengok bola nie yer...heheheh...

- Roses. : Well, the reason i missed a major chunk of the game was because of the mini excursion us girls took to Regents Park in search of rose patches..and boy, did we found them! masses and masses of roses in gorgeous patches of vibrant colours...*subhanallah* sangat lawa...Ainor's classmate, Elena, this Russian girl, took us round, she stays nearby so she goes quite often to the park..she even recognizes the black swans and sorta charts their growth! the 4 of us, me, Ainor, Ita, and my cousin Tina were oohing-aahing over the blooms, with cute names like Cleopatra, Rexy-Rex(i think), and loads more..the place was overflowing with hundreds of different species of roses, and of course, we couldn't resist taking pictures at almost every bush..Kuch Kuch Hota Hai poses included...lovely!

- The tiny reunion. : Roses also brought to mind the tiny reunion i had with a former Standard 6 Ros *ros! how fitting!* survivor...Ismail, was my classmate, who left Subang after std 6 to go to Sri Cempaka, and then left for the Uk at the age of 15 and have been here ever since...i managed to obtain his contacts, and after his medic exams he decided to meet up..i was kinda apprehensive about meeting up, cuz i couldn't imagine how he turned out...all i had was this vision of him back in std 6, with his metal-framed specs, prefects uniform, and a kinda know-it-all expression..haha! but it was all good...met him at London's St Pancras train station ( he's staying in Leicester), and after all the exclaimations (me going: omigod, omigod!, him going: u still look the same!), we went to look for the rose patch that my cousin saw in Hyde PArk...found them, and they were lovely as well...walked round Hyde Park..then had Japanese for lunch near Leicester Sq (Zipangu Restaurant), and Haagen Dazs for desert..then we split, and me and him went to Goodge St for prayers, and then hung out at Cafe Nero, me with my tea and him with his strong coffee...it was nice catching up on things...it'll be even more fun if the whole gang was there...oh well, i can always organize somthing later heheheh...

- Portobello Market. : me and the cousin went to visit this kinda-famous Notting Hill market, and wore ourselves out walking up and down...then had lunch at the Malaysian restaurant, MAkan there...Tina apparently met the owner's daughter in Turkey, when she went over with her mom over Easter...so, we meet up with her, Fatihah namanye..really, really nice and bouncy girl! the food was nice, i had nasi campur with sambal terung and gulai padang ayam..yums! we exchanged contacts and chatted for a bit..she even treated us desert! ooh, and she's a Hindi fan too...! haha....Lin, that's how i knew about the Hindi movie kt Empire :p

- To top it all of, the voice conversation i had with this dude/doll/talented pianist : It was nice of you to layan me for a while, and thanks for the compliments :) if i nak kerja Astro nanti, i'll use ur name for reference k? hehehhe..and u have to think up of a better dedication next time...:p btw, those songs were lovely, looking forward to hearing more...and sorry for not being able to think up of anything intelligent to say...my mind works at a much slower pace especially on Sunday afternoons :p

Monday beckons...work calls...ooh, Italy tomorrow!

Ye olde Scotland....

aku pulang...
tanpa dendam
kuterima.. kekalahanku

aku pulang...
tanpa dendam
kusalurkan.. kemenanganmu

- Sheila on 7's "Berhenti Berharap" -

here i am, updating this blog of mine *pats blog on head fondly*, with the cool, night breeze whispering through the open window, inches away from this busy, clacking keyboard...hmm, how shall i start my entry today, she ponders while slowly sipping her tap water from an oversized Starbucks London city mug...

well, from the beginning of course....

i think creatures who stay up late at night tend to be weirder than others,moi included, which might explain the intro..besides, i'm recovering from a dreadful, lungs-busting, throat-rasping, tummy-contracting, bout of cough that leaves people inching away from me after every few seconds or so...*sigh* but i'm getting better now, insya-Allah, so apologies to those who had to endure my coughs, especially at nights when they are at their very best, showcasing their melodious tunes, and competing among each other to see who could keep Dalie awake for the longest period...which could be used as an excuse to the weng-ness of the mind..

other than that, it was *alhamdulillah* another great week *grins* it started off with watching my favorite hero on screen, hehehe...Harry Potter and the Prisoner from Azkaban..*sigh* got aa Malay guys who looks exactly like that?? especially those arms, those arms..*drool* regardless of the age factor (which is, btw, approximately 10 years), he is still the dish of the day! Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Radcliffe, how come laa i don't bump into you even though i stay in London, and went to the Scottish Highlands where you filmed scenes from your movies? is there a conspiracy against us???? the movie was great, although, well, of course, to each his/her own, and the ones which i imagined was err differentlaa kan, but it was satisfying...watched it at Shepherd's Bush after meeting Athirah at her place for the last time, before she flies back to Malaysia..she borrowed my Japanese cds and we went to collect it, and langkah kanan, sampled her tiramisu...

but, had major fun with Idlan and Lin on Thursday when we all met up for dinner...i admit, i was a bit nervous about meeting these two, *don't know why laa kan* but as the meeting progressed over egg fried rice and roast duck, soba noodles, hainanese roasted chicken rice, and some shrimp concoction, and the easy chats and laughing over pictures, i was able to swallow all my keseganan *terrible, incurable disease i have* and just...lepak....bestlaa!!! we should do it more often *over-enthusiastic grin* who would have thought the THE Idlan would be like THAT??? hey, i mean that in a good way ok...and Lin is just the sweetest...best, best! which reminds me, i need to rush off and buy 2 new books as a result of this outing, hehehe...thanks Lin for pinjaming us your room the other day, can we count on you to be around kalau nak tumpang semayang again? heheheh...

btw, Idlan, thanks for the info about the bit before entering Scotland, and indeed it was beautiful...breathtaking gitu...glad we were awake when we saw it..the thing was, leaving home at 4 p.m., does not leave us much time to sleep properly...and moi, of course, left her packing till the last minute...so,as soon as we got on the train, we fell asleep...but we did managed to take a picture in front of the Platform 9 3/4 before boarding our own train..finally! in conjunction gitu with the latest movie and all...the train ride was about 5 hours from London to Edinburgh, passing York, Durham, and Newcastle among others...i managed to catch a glimpse of these places in between winks...damn, it was comfortable...regardless of how i must have looked like snoring away...

Scotland is beautiful...no other words to describe it..its soo beautiful, and green and sooo...lapang...we found out later that Scotland's population is only about 5 million people...that's like KL!! we stayed at Ainor's ex-schoolmate's place in Edinburgh, Zrett namanye, kecik and manis sangat orangnye, and sooo sekepala! ehhehehe...she's a postgraduate student studying Artificial Intelligence at Edinburgh Uni....took us on a walking tour the minute we stepped on Edinburgh's grounds..we went to the gardens at Princes St, then climbed up the hill to Edinburgh Castle, down the Royal Mile to Dynamic Earth, then walked along the Arthur's Seat to a lake, and finally to Hollyrood Palace...that was a lot of places covered on foot with heavy backpacks on our backs! but it was worth it...it was lovely, green, peaceful..she pointed out where the MTV Europe party was held, BBC Scotland, old forts and monuments, and explained that in Scotland, hiking up the hills is a norm and they do it quite often, and not so much on sight-seeing in town, but it was easy to see why...Arthur's Seat is an ideal hiking haunt, sampai makcik nie haa yang tak pernah nak envision concept hiking nie pun boleh nak imagine herself hiking..oooh, the horrors!...needless to say, memang bergambar sakanla the first day...the people in Scotland that we met on the streets and everywhere else gave us such a great first impression as most of them smiled at us..i was caught off guard at first, and turned around to see if their friend/spouse/love interest was standing behind me...but there wasn't anyone!! i commented to Zrett,"Zrett, baiklaa orang2 Scotland nie, u memang dah train diorang betul2." heheheh..it was really nice...its a little bit like stepping back into time looking at the buldings as they preserved most of the old structures...oh yeah, we even managed to snap a pic with this William Wallace lookalike near the Edinburgh Castle, of course, for a small fee for leukemia patients...we didn't enter the castle, as the fee was quite err pricey, so we just hung around outside and snap pics with the guards in their kilts, all the while praying, janganlaa diorang lift their kilts up! and being nosy us, managed to get through an area which they blocked to tourists, to get a better view as the backgrounds to our pics..well, until one of the kilted ones came and told us off :p

Zrett stays on the top floor of this detached house, and as she brought us through the front, she told us that her garden is not in a good condition..when we arrived at her garden, our jaws dropped open..it was soo gorgeous! flowers blooming, well-kept grass, ivy on the wall, ala-ala Secret Garden gitu...hello??? tak lawanyer!! that spot became our background for all the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai poses..heheheh...Zrett stays with two other postgraduate, Watai and Huda..nice people..

actually can go on, but i'm kinda sleepy..besides, all i've done these past few weeks was pack, unpack, and then pack up again..i thought that after Scotland, there'll be no more packing, but then cousin dearest was not feeling well, and the day after we arrived back in London, i had to pack my trusty backpack a.k.a. beg sekolahku again to stay with her for a couple of days..this entry is written after unpacking, yet again, and finally loading the washing machine with the laundry...tomorrow, plan nak gi Portobello Market...

another non-related thingy-whingy..i've just watched Buli for the second time...and laughed at most of the jokes...and i think Afdlin Shauki is just the comel-est...what's wrong with me?! why am i attracted to chubby, round-faced guys, with no hair like Afdlin Shauki *cute la tu, cute la tu* and underaged wizard wannabee a.k.a. Daniel Radcliffe *sigh*?? why can't i be normal and fantasized about Brad Pitt's butt in Troy (which, just for the record, i have not watched) yang telah digembar-gemburkan by a certain relative of mine like other normal people?? why, why???!!!

*imaginary audience throws imaginery botol kicap on stage* ooi, gi tido laaa.....

I'm a whale, hear me..spout water?

To see you when I wake up
Is a gift I didn't think could be real
To know that you feel the same as I do
Is a three-fold utopian dream

You do something to me that I can't explain
So would I be out of line if I said
I miss you?

- Incubus's "I MIss You" -



i feel so bloated, and i'm down with a minor flu..my throat hurts, my nose is blocked and my head weighs a little more than it should.uggh, i hate being sick :(

other than that...i had a great weekend in Manchester (MAnchestah!)! it started slow..as in the verry long and verry slow minicab ride to Heathrow on Thursday evening to send Kak mOonie off..dahlaa i had to sit next to the driver, who had errm, overactive sweat ducts? yeah, i had my window open the whole journey...the traffic was bad, and he had to take some shortcut through ealing and acton, which did not make things better..we arrived approximately 2 hours later..the bus ride to Victoria on Friday afternoon was almost as bad...our bus to Manchester was leaving at 1.30 p.m., and we thought leaving an hour earlier, would give us enough time..but, nasib baik we left about an hour and a half earlier..cuz there was this nincompoop who parked his car by the roadside in the tiny streets of Clapton, and got us stuck there for nearly 10 minutes! not to mention, the polite bus driver who was driving really sloww...Ainor was like, karang i drive je bus nie kang...but we managed to make it in good time,despite all the the running in my boots..ouch! to make matters worse, there were several queues on the motorway..gah! tensi gue! bangun, tido, bangun, tido..still there! sheesh..it was a good thing we had the magazine to browse through, and i have my new book "The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)" to finish..btw, that book's really good! thanks for the recommendation people! nak add drama, when we stopped at the rest and relax area (rawat dan rehat, hehehe..), we were hungry, and could not make up our minds on what to eat...when we finally did, we settled on this Vegetarian Carpenter's Pie (don't ask me what it is, cuz i don't know) and it was panas!! we burnt our tongues with the first bite, and then we realised that the drivers are finished with their coffees and cigarettes, and are preparing to leave..so we had to jam the pie into our throats, burning and all...gah!

pheww..arrived at Manchester about an hour later than scheduled...met Kak Awanis, who took us home in a cab (nak rush sebab nak catch FRIENDS' finale)...we got to her semi-detached house (yang sangat lawa), and she started preparing dinner for us...met her housemates, Lida (1st year Econs), Enab (2nd year engineering), and my senior in Sri Aman, Hazirah@Kak Zie (Phd in err lupe..gah!)..had dinner while watching the final episode of FRIENDS....so sad! kalo tengok sorang2, i would have cried my eyes out...dang! i can't believe its over! anyhoo, later, met their friend, yang sangat comel and chubby, and sangat best to hang out with..KAk Ita (Phd in IT and Construction) yang dah habis with her thesis, and just waiting to go back..hung round with them, while watching the new Big Brother...it was really nice hanging out with them, cuz they're all friendly, and damn funny! Kak Zie even knew my colleague, so Jejak KAsih sekejap...btw, they have like the most amazing collection of tiny cottages, bells, and decorative teapots...its amazing...i was like, nie kalau bukak coffee shop or cafe best nie, buat decor..hehehe..

the next day, after a breakfast of yummy cekodok pisang, Kak Awanis took us to..where else? Old Trafford :) tak sah kalo kitorang tak gi...took the stadium tour, and later browse the gift shop...it was great! i shall not say anything much, sebab i'm a sleeping fan (fan yang tak kaji and watch all the game :p ) but it was damn cool! got away with souvenirs for my brother, and tons of pictures..oh yeah, once in the changing room, and we were all seated, the tour guide told us where each player seats, and when he pointed to the seat where Ryan Giggs usually duduk, the boy in that seat nearly leaped in excitement..heheh..comellaa....

then Kak ita and Enab picked us up in her car, and took us to Salford Quays..there's a mall there, and we had lunch while watching movie trailers on the mini screen provided..played games in the arcade (hehe), then went to the shops..KAk Awanis was like, if i knew korang suke shopping, I would have taken u guys tempat lain! MAnchester is a mini shopping haven! ade byk outlets :p soo geram...i was broke due to the Spanish sojourn, but it didn't stop me from acquiring a few items...when the shops are all closed, we took pictures by the lake, and Kak Ita pointed out which spots were the major spots in the Commonwealth Games..got home, then KAk Awanis prepared yummy Meehoon Hailam..yums! tengok Big Brother sampai jerit2 again, but got to bed early cuz we're catching an early bus to Liverpool the next morning...

Liverpool in the morning is quite...dead...hehhehe...we were walking down the streets all by ourselves, trying to locate Albert Docks by Lake MArsey where the Beatles Story (BEatles exhibition) is at..finally found it..but we got there early, and the place isn't open yet! so, more pictures at the docks, berlatarbelakangkan the scenic view and all the kapals...i spotted the yellow submarine structure across Albert Docks..haha..tu kena amik gambar tu...

the Beatles' Story is really interesting..it traces back to when they first started out, up till the point when they finally broke up...so, there were school pictures, birth certificates, and other momentoes from their youth...then there was an exact replica of the club where they used to perform and got discovered, that was really cool! of course, old Beatles songs were played thorughout, and they even have this section dedicated to their fans..several tv screens depicts the screaming fans back in those days, siap ade yang pengsan2..well, i would have been one of them laa kot :p...it was really great..a must-see...unfortunately, it rained after that, and we took shelter in one of the many cafes along the docks...after it stops raining, we went into the Marsey Museum..what we didn't know was that it was huge museum spanning 5 floors! mak...besarnye..we didn't manage to see all the exhibitions, but we did see the Slavery Gallery (about the slaves and the slave trade), the Immigrants to the NEw World , where we found ourselves at a long and dark corridor with no one in sight (they were trying to recreate the ambience of what those immigrants faced then), so we waited for this MAt Salleh couple to go by, then we followed closely behind..hehehhe...gelak je diorang...but we did manage to catch the tiny gallery of Palaces on the Seas, which includes the Titanic and the Lucitanis...there were bits and pieces of history on display there, including a letter that Molly Brown (Titanic survivor) wrote to her mother...

later we made our way to Liverpool FC...but, due to kesetiaan to Man Utd (haha!) , like so tak sampai hati nak beli ape2...seriously! but,i wanted the paper bag, so, after much thinking, i bought the LFC chocolates..ehhehe...just to get the bright red plastic bag..then more photos followed...got back to the city center..walked around for a bit..got some sandwiches at Tescos, and makan while watching the crowd passing by...as we made our way back to the bus station to, we stopped near one square nie, and took more pictures, and KAk Awanis met a few friends..so, borak2, and we thought they were gonna give us a lift back to Manchester..heheh..unfortunately, they just got to Liverpool, and prolly will go back later, so we trudged back to the bus station to wait for our bus...but nak dibuat cerita, we missed our bus sebab sibuk berborak...and we had to wait for the next one, in an hour's time! we were like soo spent, and just sat there, kepenatan, menunggu bas...later on the bus, Ainor amused herself with listening to a couple of Liverpudlian ladies chatting behind us..."ade special tunelaa, the way diorang cakap" ...got home, lepak in front of the tv with KAk Zie and Kak Ita again while watching Swordfish...then went up to KAk Zie's room, and both us ex-amanian had a leisurely chat about things..bestnye jumpe senior, heheh :)

unfortunately, the next day, AInor wasn't feeling very well, so we left their home a little later than we planned..but it was allright, cuz after a yummylicious breakfast of nasi lemak, who could move, i ask you?? baiklaa i tengok BEyonce shakes her butt off in the concert screened on telly in conjunction with the Bank Holiday..besides, i had the company of a few MAlay tabloid magazines such as URTV, Hai, and Media to quench my thirst for homeland dirt..haha! when we finally left the house, after loads of thanks and promises to come back, and more pictures, KAk Awanis took us to Manchester Uni to take more pictures *shy* soo lawa...and then to town...Ainor was looking for a Starbucks MAnchester City Mug but no such luck, tak jumpe..so pusing2 town, before leaving on our 4.30 p.m. bus back to London...baik betul KAk Awanis, she waited till the bus left, and waved us off.as a matter of fact, she was the perfect host, soo baik, friendly, sangat best! hilang all my keseganan..hehehe...

it was a great weekend..looking forward to more! now, if only i can get my butt to move from this chair *sigh*...