Jot Book

Movie Melayu Paling Crap Yang Pernah Aku Tengok.

2011-03-07T11:06:00.025+08:00

...And that's saying something.

WARNING: BAHASA ROJAK COMING RIGHT UP!

Hari tu I was watching Cuti-Cuti Cinta, sebuah filem arahan Ahmad Idham, starring these two:

Thanks for the pic, nst.

It came out in cinemas last October, I think, so it's a bit late to be talking about it now, but I'm pretty sure they're currently showing it on TV, so I'm not that late.

The movie's supposed to be a romantic comedy, but it fails on so many levels.

First of all, romantic comedies are supposed to be funny. I don't think I cracked a single smile throughout the entire movie. And no, I'm not uptight. Anyone who knows me IRL knows I laugh quite a bit too much. So there. The jokes in Cuti-Cuti Cinta are lame and basi, and rely mostly on stereotypes.

Me, watching Cuti-Cuti Cinta.

Secondly, romantic comedies are supposed to be romantic.

[SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!]

Nora Danish's character, Eeva, is supposed to be a spoiled brat from KL who merajuks big time and runs off to a hotel by a beach because her fiance is a jerk. When she arrives at the hotel, she makes a big fuss out of everything, and we spend quite a bit of time watching her whine and complain. Along comes Farid Kamil's character, Omar, a housekeeper at the hotel. He's supposed to be the hero. He's a Gary Stu type guy- budak kampung yang kononnya baik dan pandai dan humble (which explains why he's in housekeeping), and (I assume he's supposed to be) handsome.

Kampung boy meets bratty girl from the city, the two get stuck on an island, argue consistently, and then !SUDDENLY! they fall in love with each other.

Quickest, most unbelievable relationship yang dijalin dalam sebuah movie. Ever.

[END OF SPOILER!!!!!!!!!]

I've watched quite a lot of Malay movies, but never have I felt compelled to write an entire blog post about any of them, no matter how bad they were. But the rubbishness of Cuti-Cuti Cinta has riled me up so much, it has moved me to write. I haven't written anything on this blog for a whole month, and Cuti-Cuti Cinta has forced me out of my hiding place. Oh yes, it's that bad.

So why am I being so emotional, you ask?

Oh, I'll tell you why.

Omar and Eeva do not get along with each other. The dude's a goody-two-shoes (that's how the director wants you to see him, anyway), and the girl's annoying and insufferable. At one point in the movie, Omar gets fed up with Eeva's constant whining and complaining.

Eeva: [insert annoying lines here about how it's Omar's fault they're stuck on this dreadful island]
Omar: Ko nak aku tampar ko? (raises hand)
Eeva: Ko berani? Tampar lah!

And believe it not, Omar slaps her.

Twice.

Hard.

With totally unrelated bouncy comedy music playing in the background.

As Eeva stomps off angrily, Omar suddenly makes a roaring sound (imitating a tiger, I suppose) to scare Eeva, and Eeva, being a typical Malay drama heroine yang weak dan bimbotic, gets so shocked, she turns around and hurries over back to Omar and, bak kata my sister Anisah, 'collapses into his warm, powerful wife-beating arms.'

No, seriously, watch it yourself in the video below. The scene starts at around 4:37.

WHAT.

THE.

And there I was, absolutely shocked. I made Firdaus watch that bit and he was shocked, too. Mouth fell agape and everything.

Oh, but that's not all.

Few scenes later, and Omar and Eeva are arguing again.

Omar: Ko ingat ko cantik? (Looks at Eeva's chest) Apa tu? Nasi lemak 50 sen!
Eeva: Itu sudah melampau! (slaps Omar)

And guess what? Omar slaps her back really hard, and then bites her hand. And there's that stupid happy music in the background again.

At that point, I was absolutely enraged.

What civilized man would ever lay a hand on a woman like that? And this is supposed to be the likable hero?! Sure, Eeva's as annoying as an itchy scab you can't scratch, but annoying behaviour does not warrant a slap across the face. If I were Eeva, I'd probably have killed him in his sleep. Ok, maybe not, but I wouldn't have stayed within a mile from that guy. I'd have attempted to get off the island without him. I'd rather die from drowning than get beaten to death by some abuser! Oh, but I've yet to see a heroine dalam filem Melayu yang boleh save her own butt.

So you can imagine how horrified and angry I was after that when all of a sudden, after having one conversation with Omar, Eeva actually starts warming up to her abuser (Stockholm Syndrome, maybe, says Anisah), and after spending some time back in KL, she decides to leave her fiance and run back to that hotel by the beach in order to be with Omar.

End of movie.

WHAT WAS THAT I DONT EVEN

***

If you were to judge the movie based on what I've written here, you'd think it was a psychological drama/thriller about how abuse victims express adulation and develop positive feelings towards their captors. But no. It's supposed to be a romantic comedy.

Thankfully, I'm not the only one complaining about this movie. I searched online to see if anyone else felt what I felt, and found out that Mangga Online questioned the quality of the movie, too.

Ahmad Idham was quick to defend himself:

Kualiti itu subjektif. [...] Saya gunakan kamera high definition (HD) untuk mendapatkan kualiti terbaik. Saya sudah arahkan 20 lebih filem dan semuanya hit mencecah kutipan lebih daripada RM2 juta. Kualiti bagaimana yang dimaksudkan? Anda katakan filem saya tiada kualiti, namun kutipan yang dicatat menyatakan sebaliknya.

Excuse the F word.

Err, yeah, Ahmad Idham. Grasping at straws, much? That 2004 Catwoman movie earned millions more than any of your movies ever did. But no amount of money it earned or HD cameras they used made it any less crap.

What I don't get is how they can be let off for not only making such a bad movie, but for making a bad movie where the hero physically abuses the heroine. We're supposed to be okay with that?! Do they WANT people to think hitting other people's fine? What were they thinking? I assume they weren't thinking at all.

I can accept one man being completely and utterly clueless, but the fact that a whole team of people working on the movie were stupid enough to even get involved is just mindblowingly unbelievable.

Really.

Ahmad Idham also added:

Sebenarnya filem yang ringan lebih sukar untuk dibuat berbanding filem berat. Dan kita harus tengok lenggok filem dan permintaan penonton kerana perjalanan industri memang begitu.

If you're just gonna make movies berdasarkan permintaan penonton sahaja instead of being innovative and creating movies that are new and fresh, then we'd end up with a bunch of movies that are all the same (which explains why filem-filem hantu are being churned out every single flipping month).

Local filmmakers need to stop assuming that their audience is stupid. Any layman can tell that many local filmmakers are too scared to take risks so they end up relying on the same old simple formulas to make money. This just proves that they assume audiences will lap up anything the studios spit out.

Really. We're not all stupid. In fact, I'm pretty sure there are millions more smart people than there are ones yang malas nak guna otak. There's a reason why The King's Speech reigned supreme at this year's Academy Awards. Why it beat big-budget hits like Avatar and Inception. The movie had soul, intelligence, wit, and emotion. Malaysian filmmakers need to learn that it takes more than just millions of dollars worth of HD cameras, special effects and pretty/handsome actors in order to make a hit. Those don't mean a thing when you haven't got a compelling, smart story in the first place. So go on and take some risks. Come up with something that intelligent people can enjoy. And because intelligent people make up the majority of the Malaysian population, the amount of money that comes rolling in may very well surprise you.

You Probably Don't Care, But...

2011-01-09T22:30:00.005+08:00

Andrew: *Grabs Ben's hand* Dude, Aisya's got tickets for our show!
Ben: Excellent...

I was at The Curve early Saturday morning, wandering around looking for Rock Corner, hoping hard the tickets for MGMT's show weren't sold out yet, even though they had only started selling them an hour before I got there...

I had seriously contemplated going there waaaaaay early in the morning. To camp outside The Curve, to be the first one to get the tickets. That's how much I love MGMT. Don't judge me. Oh, and I had to get a pair of tickets for a friend, too, so if the tickets got sold out before I got there, I'd be the only one to blame.

Anywho, I was there, wandering around, looking for Rock Corner when suddenly, I heard Andrew's distinct voice echoing around the mall.

'Yeah it feels like someone's missing!'

Twas music to my ears. No, seriously, as soon as I was in the general vicinity of the record store, that most repetitive, loud chorus bit of the song came on, like they were calling for me. THEY WERE CALLING FOR ME, OKAYS. :|

I followed the music until I found the store, purchased two pairs of tickets, and walked out. Funny thing is, as soon as I left the store, they turned the music way down, so it was hardly audible once I was outside the store. Ah, so I have MGMT karma. Eheheh.

I hung around the store for a few minutes though, to check out some new CDs... and to see if anyone else was getting any tickets. There were a few people who went in to buy them after me, and to my relief, I didn't see any poseur hipster types... Call me judgmental all you want, but I can't stand poseur hipster types...

So anyway. MGMT WEI! They're only like one of my favouritest favourite band ever! Some of you may remember back in 2008/9 when I had their song 'Kids' as my caller ringtone, much to everyone's dismay. Muahah. And this past week, I've already had two dreams about them. Ye, memang aku gila. And now I have tickets! To see them live!

To. See. Them. Live!

Nasib baik I went early, cuz the early bird tickets were sold out by the second day.

Coincidentally, about a month before they announced their gig here, my partner and I were discussing which bands were the least likely to come to Malaysia, and he was all 'MGMT would NEVER come here!' He probably has, like, reverse MGMT karma. Hah! Hahah! Hahahahah!

So yeah. Squeeeeeee!

Love and kittens!

"Your English Sucks..."

2010-12-28T22:22:00.002+08:00

"...So don't even try".

Have you ever had anyone say that to you via anonymous comments, anonymous hatemail, etc?

I went out with two lovely girl friends the other day, and we talked about how so many university students these days have very poor command of English. The two of them are tutors, so yeah, they would know. Even if you weren't a teacher, you'd probably still have a rough idea of how bad the situation really is.

Thing is, how can we expect people who have less than perfect command of the language to try and speak English with confidence when you've got a large number of anonymous jerks sitting impatiently in their seats in front of their computers, waiting for that moment where you fumble and make grammatical errors so they can obnoxiously say to you, 'YOUR ENGLISH TERUK GILA, SAYANG. TULIS JE LAH DALAM BAHASA MELAYU. KITA KAN MELAYU'.

I'm not a fan of extremely bad grammar either, but everyone makes mistakes. At least the person's trying, and that's better than just giving up or not making any effort at all.

So if you've ever had anyone comment in your blog, (usually) using all caps lock, telling you to stop writing in English because your English is less than perfect, tell them- in English, mind you- to simply STFU.

---

There was this awesome little comic in the papers the other day. I can't find it any more so I can't show it to you in its original form, but I'll just roughly demonstrate it for you...

A: University graduates are failing to get good jobs because they don't know how to present themselves, have low self-confidence, and, most importantly, are not good at English.

B: How come when the government decided to have Maths and Science be taught in English, everyone made a giant fuss about it, but when our graduates fail to secure jobs because they've got poor English, no one bats an eyelid?

Exactamundo.

It's obviously a massive problem that needs to be fixed.
Obviously something needs to change.

---

I know I'm trying to stop hatin', but this next person I'm going to tell you about was just asking for it.

I was scrolling through my facebook homepage when I spotted this status:

Kelakar tgk status org. they would rather updating themselves every single minute and foremost ada yg letak status in english n rase bgus tp xsdar grammar tunggang trbalik.

Oh, the irony!

I still love you though, dear facebook friend...

Lots of love!

Demons of Doubt

2010-10-30T02:37:00.002+08:00

Usually it's a small, nagging voice in your head, saying 'you're crap'.

At other times, it's a giant floating head with a massive mouth, screaming:

And every once in a while, it's a real person saying things to make you feel bad just so they look good.

Can I just roll up into a tiny little ball and hide in a little box tucked away in a little corner in the middle of nowhere please?

Kthxbye.

Acceptance.

2010-10-14T01:02:00.008+08:00

There's this questionnaire meme thing that's been going around for a while now. It's about what kind of guy/girl you're into. A lot of gedik answers have given by some people who have answered, but one person caught my attention when she answered one of the questions very rationally.

The question?

[Do you want him/her to] accept you the way you are?

Her answer?

[...]I think he should at least have the decency to tell me what I could do to become a better person. I doubt that I'd find a guy I would completely be OK with at our first meeting, and I'd definitely tell him to his face (nicely) if he's not right at the second or third, so I'd expect the same from him. Nobody's perfect, and I don't think anyone on earth is named Nobody.

Nani, that's why I like you.

I agree wholeheartedly with what she said. Most other people just answer, 'yes, he must accept me for who I am!', even when they're the most awful, horrible, unpleasant person in the world.

Accepting someone for who they are means knowing they are flawed, loving those special flaws that make them unique, but also helping to change the flaws that are negative and harmful, in order for both of them to be better people.

Nani's right. Nobody's perfect, but we should all strive to be the best we can be. :)

And here's something I stole from a friend, (who I'm pretty sure stole it from Desperate Housewives! :P) who posted this in his facebook status. I think it's very relevant to what I've been discussing with a certain someone recently.

Happiness- it's something everyone searches for. Some are sure they'll find it once they've moved back home. Some think they'll find it by making a new friend. Some hope to find it once they've defeated the competition.

Then there are those who stop searching for happiness, because they look up one day to discover it was right there in front of them all of the time.

Lots of love,

from Me.

Advocacy Group Decries PETA's Inhumane Treatment Of Women

2010-10-09T00:38:00.007+08:00

I love this video, I really do.

(Those of you reading from facebook, head on over to my blog to watch the video.)

For those of you who don't really get it, The Onion is an American news satire organization. So everyone in this video is acting, except those naked models posing for PETA.

That video is supposed to be satirizing PETA; it's supposed to be a joke, but there's too much truth in it to be funny.

If you know me, you'd know I'm an animal lover. I am all for the ethical treatment of animals.

I know PETA has good intentions. The problem is they're sending out their message in a sick and twisted way. They want people to respect animals, but at the same time, they're disrespecting women everywhere by exploiting female bodies, using them in sexually provocative ways in order to garner attention. It's hypocritical. It doesn't make sense.

'I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur', they say in their posters, right underneath photos of naked women covering their bits with vegetables/bunnies/cardboard signs. I don't quite understand the logic behind these ads. They are targeted to women, right? Are women supposed to fall for this? It looks like something out of a pervy boys' magazine.

No, really, I don't get it.

That bit in the video, the part where PETA supposedly sends their "response"?

We have no intention of changing our tactics until every last animal on the planet is given more respect than women.

It's hilarious, but I can't help feeling a bit sad, too. It's just too close to the truth.

Here's our very own Amber Chia doing her bit for PETA last year, dressed in... well. Nothing.

Is it even necessary for her to be naked?

Exactly.

Sometimes I feel like we're still stuck in that old society where young women were treated as nothing more than pretty little things for other people to look at and lust over...

---

PETA have come up with some good stuff though. Here's an eye-opening video featuring Stella McCartney.

I couldn't even bear to watch some parts of this video.

If you haven't already, stop supporting labels that have fur in their clothes. If enough people stop buying, they'd stop producing.

Much love,

from Me.

Resolution.

2010-10-03T00:06:00.004+08:00

I know the new year's about 3 whole months away, but resolutions can be made every day, right?

So I hereby resolve to be a nicer person, to not let my snarky side take over whenever I see something I find annoying, and to try and be more aware of how my emotions sometimes affect my actions. I vow to be more 'berhemah' (bak kata my partner in life... :P), and to be an all-round nicer person. Even if that makes me less interesting to those who love a good b*tching session. Heh.

---

On a somewhat related note...

In one of those late night SMS girly-girl conversations, my Rojak sister Saraa said:

"No matter how highly-educated people are, no matter how much they are trained to think critically, they will still somehow make poor choices and bad judgments, all because they choose to follow their emotions".

It's true. Sometimes you stick with an awful, awful person because you're scared of being alone. Sometimes you go against your own principles because you want to be accepted by other people. Sometimes you say something stupid even if you know better because somehow, someone else has managed to control you.

Sad.

Here's to using both our hearts and our brains.

Lots of love,

from Me.

PS: Happy birthday to KakAsma, the eldest Shurfa sister. :) We love you, and we all miss you! ♥ ♥ ♥

It's All Just Sweet Talk.

2010-09-27T16:11:00.010+08:00

I despise with all my heart and soul this song by Bruno Mars.

Ok, so I don't hate the song as much by itself. It's cheesy as heck and mildly annoying, but it's not as awful as, say, Akon's vulgar and trashy I Wanna Make Love (Right Now Na Na Na) or Usher's Love In This Club. But after watching the video and reading some of the comments left by viewers, the song got a place in my Songs I'd Never Play If I Had My Own Radio Show list.

The lyrics to the song are made out of nothing but compliments for the woman Mr. Mars is serenading, which would be perfectly fine to me... If it was NOT just superficial crap like these precious lines:

Her eyes make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair falls perfectly without her trying

She's so beautiful
And I tell her every day

When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are

Her lips I could kiss them all day if she'd let me
Her laugh, she hates but I think its so sexy

And that's pretty much the gist of the song. He thinks his lady friend is gorgeous, she's got nice eyes, great hair, kissable lips...

Bla bla barf.

Wow. Way to make a girl feel like you care THAT much about her looks, Mr. Mars. And to add insult to injury, in the video, the singer's singing to some Hot Young Thang with conventional good looks, and who probably gets complimented for her looks all the time. Bruno Mars could have brought a whole new meaning to the song by putting people of all different shapes and sizes in the video (cheesy too, I know, like that Dove ad, or Michael Jackson's Black or White video, but the song's already cheesy to begin with, so it wouldn't really hurt to have a bit more cheese added...). So thanks to the video, the song really ends up being superficial trite.

Reading comments left by female viewers also annoyed me.

"Oh, I wish my boyfriend would sing this to me!"

"I would love a boy like bruno mars , he seems like the type who's really sensitive and all perfect ♥"

"This has to be the sweetest song I've ever heard! I heard it on the radio while straighting [sic] my hair and I was all "omfg this is amazing! I want a guy like that!" But yeah, my fave song right now :)"

"I swear, if boys would tell me something like this, I'll melt."

Oh girls, please gather yourselves. Just because a guy calls you pretty, it doesn't mean he loves you. It could (often) just mean he wants to get in your pants. Stop falling head over heels in love over some boy just because he knows how to sweet talk. Stop being so desperate and stop relying on boys to call you pretty in order to actually have a sense of worth.

Maybe I'm just bitter. Maybe I'm just a cynical old prune. But honest to God, I only feel this way because I think so many girls place so much emphasis on their looks and what boys think of their looks. So many girls rely too much on their looks to get what they want in life, and it's girls like these who are so afraid of aging, of getting wrinkles, because they think when their looks fade, they'd have nothing else to fall back on. But the truth is, we can have so much more to fall back on.

Mary Wollstonecraft was way ahead of her time in the 1700s when she wrote about how women needed to stop obsessing over decorating themselves merely for the pleasure of men, as at the time, the main way to get a husband was to look pretty and know how to entertain them through singing and dancing. Wollstonecraft emphasised that women needed to equip themselves with knowledge, with education, so that men would treat them as equals, and so that marriage between men and women could be built upon a foundation of intelligence and friendship instead of short-lived lust.

Four for you, Mary Wollstonecraft. You go, Mary Wollstonecraft.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought about the Bruno Mars song this way. Spotted this on youtube:

"Bruno has a great voice but I'm just not liking this song. Way too cheesy and I feel like he only likes her for her looks."

Thank you!

Lots of love,

from Me.

ps: Oh and here's another great one:
"I'd be like, 'fool, why the f*** did you just ruin my tape?'"

Randomness # 6

2010-09-20T23:05:00.012+08:00

In today's episode of Randomness...

Jupiter!

*Geeks out*

Isn't she magnificent?

I've never seen a more glorious Great Red Spot...

Since Pluto got kicked out of the Solar System, Jupiter's officially my favourite planet. I like Saturn, but she's a bit too much of a conventional beauty...

Uranus is pretty, too. I like her wonkiness.

So anyway, NASA reports that Jupiter will be really close to the Earth today and tomorrow, and we'll be able to see her without any visual aids for about a month. The next time this will happen again will be in the year 2022. I've been looking outside, but so far, all I see are rainclouds and... Well, just rainclouds.

According to our ever so accurate Mingguan Malaysia newspaper, Jupiter will be 592 kilometers away from Earth.

592 kilometers. That would be like, what, two hours away by plane?

I swear man, every single time I read Utusan Malaysia or Berita Harian, I turn into a Grammar Nazi and I can't help but complain to my siblings about the horrendous amount of spelling errors there are sprinkled all over the pages. Where are the editors? I mean, they can't even get names of movies right. How many times do I have to see the name 'Harry Porter' published in a local paper before someone gets fired?

Anyway. 592km away, eh? If that were true, this is what it would look like:

Image is to scale.
(Minus the little black space in between the two planets.
I have bad photoshop skills!)

Le sigh.

Oh, and NASA also says that Uranus will be making a special appearance, and Mercury will cameo, too! Triple woOts!

So I know some of you are probably thinking I'm such a nerd for being over-excited about some planets, but really, looking at planets, the night sky, the stars, the moon... Always makes me feel so tiny, so insignificant. It's just a reminder of how great and how amazing God is. A reminder of our little place in the big picture.

Lots of love,

from Me.

PS: Earlier this week I spotted this comment on youtube: "Why is Ms. Universe always from planet Earth?" Cute.

---

September 24th update!

I finally got to see the planet with my own two eyes... I actually did see it on the first night, but I thought it was a regular star, so I didn't really pay attention. But after other people uploaded videos of their sightings up on youtube, I realised I was looking at the same thing.

So I went out tonight and took photos! The camera I used isn't really good at capturing objects millions of miles away, so we'll have to settle with these blurry images...

It looks like a star, except it doesn't twinkle. It's a bit bigger than usual stars. A steady dot of bright white light. Through my binoculars (because I don't have a telescope!), it looks a bit reddish.

Yeah, Jupiter's that Y-shaped thing...
I have shaky hands whenever I take photos!
The moon's not looking too bad, either!

Oh yeah, and happy equinox, everyone! This year's second equinox is marked by a full moon, the first time since 1991. :D

See you again soon!

Superheroines! Part Three: Aqua

2010-08-16T15:05:00.007+08:00

Name: Aqua

Place of Origin: The darkest, deepest point of the Mariana Trench.

Superpowers: Can control the element of water, thus has the power to command oceans and rivers. Can create the most calm lakes and the most violent tsunamis, whirlpools and rainstorms. May be responsible for the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle.

Other specialties: Can navigate underwater using echolation, which is also used to communicate with other underwater creatures. Can swim at very high speeds.

Physical attributes: Amphibious. Possession of both lungs and gills (the latter of which are situated on both sides of her face) allow Aqua to breathe underwater and in air. Webbed hands and feet aid Aqua in swimming. Aerodynamic internal and external organs help her swim at high speed. Her most noticeable physical features are her scales that cover 80% of her body, capable of producing layers of mucous to help her swim fast.

Known for: Her sensitivity. Aqua is the most sensitive and the most empathetic of the Elements, and is more inclined to use her diplomatic skills rather than physical strength to solve problems. Is most likely to form deep emotional ties with all creatures that surround her.

I showed the drawing to my siblings and some of the comments that came up were, 'wow, thunder thighs!', 'weird hair!', and, 'she looks like someone...'

Well, dear siblings, the thunder thighs are made out of big, strong muscles (all the better to swim with!); I purposely made the hair look a bit like a cross between the umbrella section of squids and the tentacles of octopuses to make her look more marine-like. Plus, her hair's capable of jet propulsion!; and if she looks a bit familiar to some of you, I'll tell you who I based her look on.

Hello, handsome.
Shut up, he does NOT look like an insect!

Thane Krios, my handsome broody sensitive boyfr... I mean, the Drell assassin from Mass Effect 2. Which is the most perfect game ever, might I add.

If he reminds you of something else, it's probably because you're thinking of this:

Muse's The Resistance album cover:
totally looks like Thane Krios.

And if you're asking where else you've heard me mention the name Thane before, it's because I named this:

Thane Jericho Ollie.
Yeah I totally ambik kesempatan to introduce you to this sexy thing. :P

---

Back on topic:

If you're more into manga-style art, take a look at Nani Othman's pretty interpretation of Aqua! Check it here. Awesome sauce*! Seriously. I am honoured to have you draw Aqua, Nani. Thank you. :D

---

So that leaves only one more Element left to introduce to you. Stay tuned for Ignis!

But seriously, I really have to get back to working on my dissertation. See you soon!

Lots of love,

from Me.

*Awesome sauce n. The pure refined essence of awesome.

The Notebooks

2010-07-27T20:31:00.006+08:00

I'm such a hoarder of notebooks.

It's like an addiction.

Writing using pen and paper seems to be on its way to becoming a lost art in this digital age (OMG we're in 2010! Sounds so futuristic... "Notebooks? Aren't those, like, mini-laptops?"), so I get ridiculously delighted every time I get a free notebook or whenever someone gives me a diary as a present. There's nothing handier than a little notebook when you're struck by an inspiration bolt without any computers and electricity around...

Just a few notebooks in the collection...
From circa 2001-2009

I have separate notebooks for diary entries, blog entry drafts, songs and poems, but I still needed another one to record abstract, spur-of-the-moment inspirations and ideas in. (Even though I do already have an empty one. Which I think is still too pretty for me to write in.)

The notebook that's too pretty for me to actually write in. Sayang kot!

So I was embarrassingly a bit too happy the other day when I found a little notebook in the conference kit given to us participants of the Found in Translation conference I attended last weekend. The notebook was the perfect size! Small enough to fit into my smallest handbag and thick enough to last me at least until the end of the year! It was a bit on the plain side, though. Hardly inspiring at all.

Before...

So as soon as I got home, I took out my wrapping paper collection (I also hoard pretty wrapping papers! :shame:) and wrapped the ugliness away! Lo and behold!

After!

I'm happy with how that turned out. A bit too happy. Now I feel like writing in it would be like defacing it. Urgh, what is wrong with me.

Anyway.

Lots of love,

from Me.

This Void...

2010-07-20T01:34:00.002+08:00

...between us.

So tense it seems solid.

Like a steel wall, covered in ice.

Icy glares.

Cold smiles.

Biting remarks.

Bitter expressions.

Was what I felt before real warmth,

or did we just get used to the cold?

Superheroines! Part Two: Terra

2010-06-18T11:55:00.005+08:00

As promised, here's the second of The Four Elements!

Name: Terra
Place of Origin: 150km under the Sahara Desert.
Superpowers: Can shift the planet's tectonic plates, causing devastating earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, etc.; possesses ability to uproot and control the movement of all types of plants.
Other specialties: Can run at 200km/h without ever getting fatigued; can communicate with plants and animals.
Physical attributes: Scaly skin protects Terra from extreme temperatures; cold-blooded.
Known for: Her calm demeanor. Terra is grounded and down-to-earth, but once angered, her powers can literally move mountains. She is a natural leader, stern and wise.

Part 3 coming soon!

Actually, I might have to redraw Aer. I'm not happy with how she turned out in the last post... So til next time!

Lots of love,

from Me.

Superheroines!

2010-06-11T12:00:00.007+08:00

When I was about 9-10 years old, KakAmnah created a band of superheroes known as The Zodiacs, and she got my eldest sister, (and the one who is most talented at drawing,) KakAsma to draw the concept art. Each member of the group represented an astrological sign. I can't remember what exactly their superpowers were, but I'm guessing Libra had a super sense of justice, Scorpio had deadly stinging abilities, and Sagittarius was something like DC's Green Arrow. Maybe. I can't remember.

I thought the whole idea was so cool, so I set to work creating my own gang of superheroes. First I had The Planets, because I used to be fascinated with all things that had to do with astronomy.

Circa 1996.

Pluto was my favourite planet, so I drew her the most. But aside from kicking alien butt, I never came up with any ideas on what superpowers to give them, and having to draw 9 different characters would be too hard, so I gave up.

I was reading one of Papa's encyclopaedias on Matter, and I came across a page with medieval artwork of the four elements -Earth, Air, Water and Fire- in human form. That's what inspired me to create a group of Superheroines known as:

The Four Elements.

From left: Ignis (Fire), Aqua (Water), Terra (Earth), Aer (Air).
Circa 1997.
Hence the fugliness.

Yesterday night I felt a bit nostalgic, so I decided to draw an updated version of The Four Elements. My comic-geek brother Firdaus came in and we started talking about what kind of story I should give them, even if I wasn't ever going to start writing a comic book. He inspired me so much with his idea, I decided I should blog about it.

DISCLAIMER: Story contains complete and utter bullsyirik like most superhero stories do. But it's all for good fun!

It is the year 2040. Planet Earth is overpopulated, and its resources are on the brink of exhaustion. Human beings are obsessed with material wealth, for nations that own the most have the most power. Thus, machines that mass produce anything and everything take up most of the planet's space, emitting all kinds of dangerous forms of pollution, just to keep human beings satisfied.

Massive, tall structures made of bricks and cement that reach thousands of miles high serve as homes and offices for these human beings, and they occupy 95% of the Earth's surface. Plans to build cities underground have already been made.

There is no room left for the original inhabitants of the Earth.

No room for nature.

No room for life.

***

So from the earth sprang four fully grown creatures:

From the scorching heat of the Earth’s core came Ignis—Fire.

From the darkest, deepest point of the Mariana Trench came Aqua—Water.

From just under the Karman Line, the boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and outer space came Aer – Air

And from within dark, majestic tunnels and caves built under the Earth’s crust came Terra—Earth.

These creatures were forced to appear on the Earth’s surface in order to put a stop to the human beings and their slow murdering of Mother Earth.

Unfortunately, human beings turned a deaf ear to their initial warnings, thus they disregarded the soft approach.

Instead, with their ability to manipulate matter, they now use brute force, cunning, dangerous superpowers and violence.

They are feared by all.

They are The Four Elements.

Cheesy as heck, right? Haha! But believe me, before I turned them into antiheroes, they were even cheesier.

So here we have the first of the Four Elements:

Name: Aer
Place of Origin: The Karman Line
Superpowers: Possesses ability to alter and control weather.
Other specialties: Can fly at the speed of sound; invisibility.
Known for: Her mood swings. Can be extremely calm one moment, and completely mental the next. Unpredictable, like the weather.

The drawing proves I still need to study the human anatomy more. I don't usually try drawing humans realistically, so I think I need to practice drawing muscles and different poses more to make them look more powerful.

So anyway, now that one out of four of the girls have been unleashed, you'll have to stay tuned for more of The Four Elements while I practice drawing... :P

Lots of love,

from Me.

Ok, fine. Let's write a blog post!

2010-06-09T11:21:00.006+08:00

I haven't written in ages, I know. I don't really know what's causing the writers block. I can't use the 'I have exams and assignments to prepare!' excuse any more, because, Alhamdulillah, I'm over that part of the MA journey. Now I have a dissertation to start writing. Scary, I know.

Ok, let's list out the reasons why I've been MIA for so long:

I am plain lazy. I prefer my private life to be private these days. My internet connection is slow. I'm too addicted to the Sims 3 (Ambitions just came out!). I am wondering what to do next. As the Kelantanese would say, 'kawe sibuk berdeghak'. I just applied for a job. I am enjoying my (bak kata Stephanie) self-declared holiday a bit too much.

I've turned into more of a reader than a writer, recently. I don't know, I guess with so much going on in the world that's so much more important (like the oil spills and the Gaza issue), I felt writing in my blog about myself and all the other trivial stuff I usually blog about just seems so selfish.

So there you have it. A short update.

I actually have this desire to write scathing critiques of all things crap that surround me (like Malaysian tabloids or whatever the hell Utusan Melayu's 'Pancaindera' section is supposed to be, or Mizz Nina's song, whatever it's called), but, I think I may have mellowed down and I really can't be bothered to have conversations with anyone online at the moment. Maybe later?

So in the meantime, here are some photos.

KakAmnah's akad nikah from last March:

Newlyweds.

Shurfa sisters
(Minus Aida. Dunno where she went).

Ok, I admit we all do look a bit similar in this photo.
Where's Firdaus?

Singapore and Johor:

Danga Bay. I don't know why I'm smiling so widely, either. Must be the photographer. :P

Orchard Road.

Ok, that's enough. Malas nak upload banyak-banyak. If I'm rajin I might post up pictures of the wedding reception.

Anyway, my parents balik kampung, so now's the best time to experiment in the kitchen. It's nasi goreng this afternoon. Wish me luck!

Til next time!

Lots of love

from Me.

Procrastin-X!

2010-05-24T10:06:00.002+08:00

Weird how I stumbled across this website TWICE in one day, linked by two completely different people on two completely different websites...

Anyway, here's to all the grad school people.

We are not alone!

Seriously. I think that accurately sums up how I felt in the past few months...

Lots of love,

from Me!

If Only...

2010-04-27T16:03:00.002+08:00

Been having this song stuck in my head for the past three days after I dug the Bangles' CD out from my dad's old CD collection. Haven't listened to this in at least ten years!

Going down to Liverpool to do absolutely nothing sounds so appealing.

The Bangles were my favourite band when I was around 7 years old. (When I wasn't pretending to be Kiki Dee and Elton John,) I used to pretend that I was part of the Bangles as I bashed away at our old keyboard...

I only ever saw one photo of the band when I was a kid and it was the one on the album leaf. And based on that one photo, I used to think the bassist was so beautiful! Now that I've actually seen their videos after all these years, I actually know that she's really pretty... Heh. :D

And yes, that is Spock in the video. :D

ANYWAY.

Let's get down to studying again. Exam in three days time.

See ya.

Oh wait. How do you like the blog's new background? It's part of a bigger picture that's supposed to be a visual representation of something else I'm working on... Which you shall see/hear one day...

;)

The Finish Line

2010-04-18T04:05:00.007+08:00

...So near!

I don't know whether I should be feeling sad or happy.

I feel like I've spent such a long time studying in UM.

My years as an undergraduate sailed by fairly easily. Then, without even properly noticing that three years had already passed, I graduated.

Not really knowing what I was putting myself into, I went straight back to school as soon as I had completed my final exams. It made sense, as it's something I should naturally be doing on my way to actually getting the job I want. But this fourth year, what with all the high expectations, multiple deadlines, feeling like I should be somewhere else doing something else, more expectations, and lots and lots of wracking my brains out... This year just felt too long.

I don't think anyone's ever seen me go through so many mood swings as I have these past five months, and I apologize to those who had to witness them! There were times when I hated myself for not fulfilling my own expectations, for comparing myself to other people, for failing to do something extraordinary already. There were times when I felt so trapped, like I had been sucked into this dark hole where I couldn't really do anything except just dwell on negativity. And then I'd hate myself for doing that, too.

I know my course mates who have stood by (or sat next to) me for the past four years may feel the same, and I need to acknowledge now how thankful I am that I have these wonderful, intelligent, beautiful people with me. I've mentioned it before in a previous post, but I honestly don't think I could have gone through all this and still remain sane without them. They may not know this, but they've helped me get over all those dark, negative thoughts I had about myself.

I guess all those difficult bits are all part and parcel of being an MA student, so I shouldn't really be complaining. But I sure am proud of everyone who has survived.

And here's a congratulations to you, dear friends who have been riding this same slow ship across uncharted waters for the past 4 years with me! For staying sane, for working your asses off and excelling, for surviving, and for being all-round wonderful to silly old me...

I still don't know whether I'm sad or happy that lectures and coursework are finally over (because while deadlines, stress and expectations can turn my brain completely topsy-turvy, the adrenaline rush, the challenges, the literature, and that feeling I get when I'm writing an essay and ideas and words just rush out spontaneously are what keep my mind moving, and that's what I absolutely live for!)...

But I do know that I'll miss you to bits! ♥

(Steph, hope you don't mind my stealing your photo!
That's a lot of tired-looking faces, by the way.
Photo taken on the last day of the sem.)

(Another stolen photo... Thanks, Steph!)

And who knows? I might just find myself going in for another round of studying after I've completed this one. Hahah. I must be a masochist. We'll see.

Lots of love.

ps: We've still got our final exams, though! We can do this!
pps: Oh yeah, and we've got our dissertations to start, too! I hope writing it will be a pleasant experience!

Hiatus

2010-03-22T18:55:00.006+08:00

I'm spending too much time with Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath and Julia Kristeva to blog properly. So I'll see you another time!

Oh yeah, Stephanie, I don't think I'd ever be able to do it without you and Yen Yen. ;)

ps: Selamat Pengantin Baru to Kak Amnah Shurfa and Abg Mohd Nadzrin. :D

---

23rd March 2010 Update!

It's been a year since Anisah, Awi, Rudy, Felicia and I went to this:

The high-pitched screaming and out-of-tune singing may or may not be from me and Anisah... Lol.

Lots of love!

Randomness #5

2010-03-12T01:14:00.012+08:00

In today's episode of Randomness...

This is so what happens to me all the time.

I told you we'd be best friends if we ever met!

Lots of love,
from Me.

ps: I won't be updating with anything substantial for a while. Bear with me as I complete my assignments and get ready for KakAmnah's wedding!

Comic by K. Beaton.

Randomness #4

2010-02-16T20:36:00.006+08:00

In today's episode of Randomness...

Stuff we did yesterday!

1. Had a long drive through KL and Selangor. Because we like long drives.

2. Went to a strawberry farm thing.

3. Had dinner at IKEA with two of my favourite boys, Awi and Ali, because they have the best meatballs ever.

In case that didn't sound very right: IKEA has the best meatballs ever.

And now I need to get out of holiday mode. Back to work, Aisya!

Oh yeah, Awi, if you're reading this, thank you. Thanks for reminding me that I am capable of overcoming stress, and that I just needed a moment to just breathe.

Lots of love,

from Me.

Random Drawing of the Day #2

2010-02-10T22:57:00.008+08:00

I don't usually do fan art, but I haven't been feeling inspired by anything for a while now, so this'll do.

Guess who?

50 stars for whoever guesses correctly! Haha.

Sorry for the bad quality. I had to take a photo of the drawing using a phone because the scanner's plug has been missing since last year, and I think Anisah took the proper camera with her to UIA... The drawing looks better on paper. And on paper, her left eye looks less freakish. Meh.

My mother is always my toughest critic. She says the girl in the drawing looks stiff. Boo! That's okay, though, because I love my Mama.

---

Ironically, after my last post about happiness and all that jazz, I fell into a bout of mild depression caused by stress and worrying and feeling like I'm moving forward in life at a snail's pace. I suppose it has everything to do with pursuing a Master's degree full-time. While most people my age are already steadily climbing their career ladders, I feel like my time may never come. Of course I'm being silly, though. Mama tells me I'll get there soon, and studying now instead of later is much easier and more convenient.

Thanks to those who have stood by me and given me much needed pep-talks! I know I'm not alone. :D

Lots of love,

from Me.

Update: Yep, the first three people to comment on this post got it right! It is indeed Pocahontas. :D

Untitled #2

2010-01-20T00:16:00.007+08:00

You know how sometimes some people go,

'Ah, my high school years were the best years of my life...'

'Aye, my years as an undergraduate were the happiest years ever...'?

If someone asked me when my best and happiest time in life was, I'd have to say

The present.

I honest to God am happy where I am now.

Thank you, dear family.

Thank you, dear friends.

Thank you, dear.

Alhamdulillah.

Lots of love,

from Me.

A Dreamer's Dream

2010-01-08T13:31:00.005+08:00

The other night I had a wonderful, profound dream about insecurities and the uncertainties we have about how good we are at what we do... It involved Chris Martin (don't roll your eyes! Keep reading, please) coming over to my house, and instead of hyperventilating and dying at the sight of him and his glowing gorgeousness, I instead acted very cool, and we chatted like we knew each other from some past life or something...

So anyway, I mentioned to DreamChris about how I very often swing from one extreme to another: One minute when I'm drawing or writing a song or a poem or an essay or a story, I very arrogantly think I might be in the process of producing something so wonderfully fantastic. Then the next minute, once I complete the piece I had been working on, I always genuinely believe that I had just wasted so much time working on a particularly foul piece of poop.

DreamChris told me that the only way to truly know if you work is worthy of public attention is to actually make it public. Writers looking to get published get a literary agent. Musicians looking to sell a hit record send their demos in to a record label. Those not looking for fame and fortune can disclose their materials to a smaller audience who, say, read their blog. Sure, you can let your bestfriend have a look at your work, but unless they're the brutally honest type, they're bound to pad their comments to cushion any blows they might throw you. But nothing beats unbiased, honest criticism, and the only way you can get that is to let those less close to you in on your super secret documents/audio files etc.

"You are your own worst critic, so you're bound to scrutinize your own work and try to erase any flaw, no matter how small, from it in order to avoid the possibility of having the public point out those flaws," said DreamChris, sitting cross-legged on our living-room sofa. "Because nothing bruises your ego more than someone saying what you've poured all your blood, sweat and tears into making is simply quite rubbish. But then you realise that there's no way in this side of reality can you erase all the flaws in your work, because that would mean you're aiming for flawless perfection, and there's no such thing as flawless perfection. And then you get angry at yourself for still wanting something unachievable. And then you inevitably give up and let your work hang out in some limbo called 'What If Land'."

What If Land. DreamChris was right. What's the point of repeatedly asking yourself, 'what if?'

What if that short story you wrote that's now lying under your bed somewhere is actually a literary masterpiece?
What if that epic poem you bravely attempted to write but is now stashed shamefully in your socks drawer is truly... epic?
What if that song you wrote and recorded, but rejected for being too lo-fi and cheesy could actually be a soaring work of genius?
What if you had what it takes to get that dream job you've always dreamed of getting, but you let your fear and insecurities get the better of you?

Just so you know, though, I draw, write and record for myself. These activities are my creative outlets, and nothing's more satisfying than getting an abstract idea I've had floating in my mind and turning it into something concrete. I rarely have the desire to do it for anyone else (unless it's a gift for a loved one or something...). But still, there are moments when I want to share my creations with other people, but fear gets the better of me every time.

"If you never try, you never know," said DreamChris, quoting his own song, Fix You. (Oh, NOW I get why Chris is in this dream. Haha!) "And if your work is truly crap, at least you'll receive some constructive criticism so you'll know how to improve."

I had already expressed on someone else's blog what DreamChris pointed out to me before I actually had the dream, but I decided to write this blog entry as a reminder to myself. My dreams sometimes have the weird ability to open my eyes and make me aware of what I didn't realise I was even feeling.

I'm sick of being uncertain. Sick of asking, "is this song I just wrote actually good, or is it all in my head?"
Sick of wondering, "is this story truly crap, or is it all in my head?"

So yeah. That's my resolution, I guess. To stop being so insecure about my own abilities and just... let go. In other words, and at the risk of sounding like a motivational poster (see pic below), believe in myself more. I'm promising myself to reveal something different I've worked on. I just need a bit more time!

Oh yeah, and the dream ended with me and my family standing in the front-and-centre VIP section at an intimate Coldplay show. Best dream ever.

Lots of love,

from Me.

ps: Happy birthday, Awi! You're the best! Love you lots.

Oh, Hello, 2010.

2010-01-01T00:38:00.001+08:00

What? Resolutions?

Oh yeah. Same ones as last year. But to the power of ten.

:D

Happy new year,

from Me.

Random Drawing of the Day

2009-12-29T20:24:00.005+08:00

"Out, damn'd spot! out, I say!" - Lady Macbeth has a bad face day.

The other day, my dear friend and course mate expressed something I had been thinking about ever since I finished my first semester as an MA student. I can't remember the exact words, but the gist of it is:

Being an MA student, which requires us to write about a million academic essays each semester, really wrings out every little bit of creativity in you.

By the time our first break rolled in, I was a walking zombie; a soulless shell filled only with caffeine and bad, bad carbs. It didn't really feel very good.

So this new semester, to avoid ending up like a mayat bergerak, I shall promise myself that I shall doodle or sketch or write anything (non-academic) everyday just to get my creative juices flowing. Who cares if it ends up crap.

Lots of love,

from Me.

ps: Happy New Semester!

It's How You Look at It.

2009-12-16T15:54:00.009+08:00

There was this one time when a friend, lets call him A, commented on another friend, who I shall call B.

A said to me, 'B is so outgoing and friendly and awesome.'

'That's true,' I said to him, nodding my head in agreement. 'She's such a lovable people-person...'

'But she's fake,' said A all of a sudden. When he noticed that my jaw was hanging open in astonishment, he added, 'She puts on that happy-go-lucky mask to hide her miserable background. Her family's a mess, and she's got no boyfriend...'

And I was all like, 'you gotta be kidding me, dude. You disgust me.'

Just because B looks happy despite having problems, it doesn't mean she's a phony. Everyone has problems. You most definitely do, and I most definitely do. That woman who lives on the other side of the street could be married to a philandering man, and that guy who you bumped into at the supermarket the other day may be thinking of suicide. Heck, that hot chick who married the Datuk may be having problems with her mother-in-law, and while that problem doesn't beat the suicidal guys' life-threatening one, it's still a problem, and it's hers.

But there are two things you can do in life when it comes to your problems: You either dwell on them and wallow in your own sadness and expect people to sympathise with you, or you deal with it and accept that problems are what makes you stronger and shapes you into a better person.

There was this one time another friend of mine, let's call her C, was trying to tell me a problem she had that was haunting her since she was a kid, and another friend, D, joined us. D's presence made her clam up, and so D got all sour and said to C:
'Why are you telling Aisya, and not me? Aisya wouldn't understand -- Her life's too perfect.'

Okay, Mr D, first of all, a) my life ain't perfect. I've had to deal with a lot of things from an early age, so shut it; and b) the difference between you and I is that I don't wallow in the drama and expect people to give me special treatment just because I'm going through a pile of sad poo, and you do, and that's why my life may appear to be perfect to you.

So at the risk of sounding preachy, let me just remind you that everyone has problems. How you deal with those obstacles determines how happy you are.

And I don't think B is a phony. I think she just knows how to handle her problems really, really well. And she is awesome. :D You, on the other hand, Mr A, just probably love it when other people have problems that are worse than yours. Misery loves company, after all.

Lots of love,

from Me.

The Exhibit!

2009-12-07T15:34:00.009+08:00

So as the more avid Coldplay fans may know, Coldplay have set up an exhibition room on their website, coldplay.com, where they choose one piece of artwork everyday to be displayed for a day. Before the whole room was launched, I received an email from the person in charge of it, aptly named The Curator, who invited anyone interested to send their artwork in... I was bored, so I uploaded a piece I had saved in my pc, not really expecting anything to happen...

That was about a month ago.

Earlier today, I logged into twitter and noticed a couple of twitterers congratulating me... I was all like, 'whut?' before I surfed over to coldplay.com and saw that my 'art' was pasted right there. On the front page. And then I screamed. I haven't screamed in like ten years.

So here it is. Many of you may have probably already seen it...

Anyway, head over to their website to see it closer, in all it's Coldplay surroundings... I think it looks nice there. Heehee. If you're lucky and you go to their website TODAY (like, right now, on the date that this blog entry is published), then you'll see it on the frontpage, where it'll stay for the whole day. If you're there after today, then head over to this address: http://coldplay.com/exhib.php?id=29.

Here's some other info bout the exhibition room:

November 19, 2009 - submitted by Julia, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle,
Could you ask the Curator if it is difficult to pick a new piece of art to show each day? Also, could you ask how many pieces are sent in each day? Thank you

The Oracle replies:

I asked... in the 2 weeks since the room opened its virtual doors there have been 2868 submissions so that's a little over 200 per day. And apparently it's very difficult because the standard is very high. It can't be harder than selecting questions here but anyway...

AND, according to bitrebels.com,

Exhibits have been shown off on the front page of the Coldplay website, and will be displayed in the studio for band members to see. Now, due to its unprecedented success, the Exhibit Room is opening its doors to new exhibits seven days a week...

Really? Displayed in the studio? Wowzers!

What a good day today has been. I kept telling Awi that today on the way home from work. I just had that feeling all day... Arrived at work early, my students were lovely, my Awi was lovely, and my art! On display! On coldplay.com! And my first ever MA exam results! Happynya! :D

Lots of looove,
from Me.

ps: Sorry for the excessive mencapub-ing. HAHA. Takpe, sekali-sekala.
pps: I have girlified my blog. Lets see if this background sticks...

Loud Monologue.

2009-11-17T19:47:00.004+08:00

I turn 23 on Thursday, and what better birthday present could a girl like me wish for than to have a meteor shower rain down from the heavens on the final morning of my 22nd year?

Yep, I'll be waking up really early for the Leonid meteor shower that's happening at around 5am-ish tomorrow morning. Ah, jiwang me.

*sigh*

Oh yes, I've been busy with work lately, that's why there's been a lack of updates.

I'm currently teaching linguistics part-time at the Centre for Foundation Studies, IIUM all the way down in Nilai. I love the job, even though waking up really early every morning in time to catch the 7am bus from PJ feels a bit like trying to get myself out of a deep pit of quicksand... But once I meet the class, their little sweet faces make me feel like I'm really gonna miss them when this stint's over. :(

I've also just finished my first exams as an MA student, and to be totally honest with you, I have no idea how the lecturers will feel about my answers... What if they don't feel anything at all about my answers? Oh, that would be the worst thing ever!

Anyway, speaking of jiwang, I don't know what's come over me. Been feeling very soppy recently. I think it may have something to do with Mr. Rochester, who I've fallen in love with since I watched the 2006 adaptation of Jane Eyre. 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice, eat your heart out. I heard Stephenie Meyer based her sparkly gay vampire on Rochester, but I know she failed miserably. FACT. Anway, you need to watch Jane Eyre.. But don't if you're the depressed type who might feel inadequate without a male partner... Toby Stephens is so fetching... *sigh*

That's enough of my loud monologues for now.

Lots of love,
from Me.

Hark, a Vagrant!

2009-10-29T22:22:00.002+08:00

Some unknown person posted this up on the bulletin board outside the room where my classes are held, and I think it's genius. (click on the image to see the larger version)

Honestly, man. Witty history comics are made of pure epic win. I'm addicted to this stuff. I think if I had as much creative juice in me as this artist, I'd probably be doing the same thing, too!

Here's another one with the adorable Bronte sisters. Check out the book they're reading!

There's one about Mary Shelley, her hubby and the dashing Lord Byron, but it's a bit inappropriate for my blog... Check it out here (search for Shelley in the long list)! Byron, oh Byron. He reminds me of Chuck Bass for some reason...

These next two are just a few of my favourites...

If I met this artist, we'd probably end up being best friends or something. Or I'd probably hate her for drawing things I wish I could've come up with first...

And last but not least:

Word.

Lots of love,

from Me.

From last February.

2009-10-15T11:47:00.003+08:00

ink, watercolour, pencil crayons.

The Oracle Knows Everything, Y'all.

2009-10-03T01:04:00.009+08:00

WARNING: This post has elements of embarassing fangirliness. BUT it also contains an important message for people who don't know how to read music. Like me. We are the musically illiterate.

I was watching last week's episode of The South Bank Show, which was specifically about Coldplay (watch it, if you're even remotely interested in them. Or if you don't give a crap about the band, watch it for the handsomeness that takes the shape of Guy Berryman).

There was one bit in the show where Chris describes how he wrote their hypnotically addictive Clocks, and he mentions how he was just randomly playing with different notes, and that he can't read music.

Wait, what? Chris Martin, the pianist for a band who are famous for their piano-driven rock, can't read music?

Of course I was gutted.

Here I was all year, racking my brains out trying to understand how the hell to read music, because ever since I was a skinny little kid in primary school, it was my sole ambition to be Elton John. So anyway, these past few months ever since I bought Juno, my keyboard, I've been borrowing books on how to read music. Ashli gave me a few books he used when he was like, what, ten? Yeah, I've been reading books for ten year olds. But despite the long hours everyday trying to memorize where the notes on the pages fall on the keyboard, I still did not get it.

I finally decided to just give up, and just settle with knowing how to play by ear even if it meant never being able to play really really really well like Chopin. And Elton John.

So when I heard Chris tell the world he couldn't read music, my heart skipped a beat, and all my hope was restored. Just to make sure he wasn't BS-ing like he usually does, I decided to pay The Oracle a visit.

Ten minutes after I posted a question for her, she answers me (and that's amazing since some people wait for months to get their questions answered, and some people never get a reply.)

Yay! My name! On their official site!

(Thank you, Rudy, for smsing me and alerting me about this)

Click here if you can't read this

That's just some of the amazing Coldplay karma I've been receiving all week. Let's list them out.

1) I finally got to see The South Bank Show.
2) Chris Martin restored my hope and has taught me that while I suck at reading notes, I do have the chance to be just as great a player as he is. [/cheesiness].
3) The Oracle answered me.

But let's not forget the most amazing Coldplay-related thing that happened to me this week. Min, a friend from Singapore who has an immense amount of Coldplay Karma herself (she's met the band who knows how many times already?), sent a copy of LeftRightLeftRightLeft (Coldplay's live album only given out at their concerts) to me. I can't thank her enough. I haven't used the CD player in my hifi in ages (thanks to mp3 players and phones and computers), but as soon as I had the CD in my hands, I connected at least 4 speakers to the hifi and put the thing on LOUD, reenacting the whole concert experience in my mind. If you've been listening to LRLRL on earphones all this time, I advise you to use massive speakers instead. It's intense.

...

*basks in ray of happiness*

...

Back to the original point of this post: So you don't have to know how to read music to be a pianist for, like, one of the biggest bands in the world right now. And there I was believing I'm just really slow and maybe even a bit of a retard for not knowing how to read those darned notes no matter how long I stared at the exercise books... There is hope! I should totally form a band now. ROJAK, where are you?

Lots of love,

from Me.

p.s: Totally forgot Dave Grohl from The Foo Fighters can't read notes, either! Yay, we have something in common!

p.p.s: As you might have noticed, my updates will be less frequent these days, as assignments are piling up and final exams are just around the corner. Byebye life. :(

Graduation (Friends Forever)

2009-09-08T04:02:00.012+08:00

Yeah, I just named a blog post after that song. That really cheesy Vitamin C one. Don't pretend you don't know it.

:P

I haven't been updating this blog for quite some time now due to... ehemlazinesscough, but I thought I'd share with you some photos of us celebrating in our graduation robes, just about a week after the graduation ceremony.

English Lit Grads.
From left: Me, Yen Yen, Stephanie, Renuga, Vandana.

The view's definitely less scary from behind the desk.

The cheesy pose. Bak kata Mr. Jeyam as he took his position in between
Vandana and Stephanie: 'Ew, gross'.

The artsy-fartsy shot
(which turned out beautiful!).

With Charity.

With Dr. Otto.
'I feel like I'm being more photographed than the Pope these days...'

The English Seminar Room:
Where 98% of our English classes took place.

With Kak Ros, who decided she wanted us to be
models for a brochure or something like that...

The 'Wajib Shot'.

We had to stop traffic about
a million times for this shot.

Clockwise from 11 o'clock:
Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Lala, Po.

Steph, I love how we look in this one, too. :D

The Abbey Road shot.

Oh man. I can still hear the loud BEEP BEEP BEEP of the traffic light when I look at this one.
MAKE IT STOP!!!

Hanging out at the Dataran Sastera.

Thanks a million to Benjamin Ong who took these photos. I don't think I would've posed in the most embarrassing ways if you hadn't directed me.

And a special thank you to Yen Yen, who organised the whole shoot and uploaded all the photos up on facebook.

And of course, to Stephanie, Vandana and Renuga, for making it. Love you girls!

Lots of love, love and love,

from AEA060010.

Untitled #1

2009-08-18T20:21:00.008+08:00

Sometimes a person hates another person with such passion only because the former can see traits she hates about herself in the latter...

An Incident

2009-08-09T16:12:00.005+08:00

One time, there was this girl who needed my shoulder to whine on. She sent me an SMS. I was bored, so I layaned her.

SilverTopaz (Bukan nama sebenar): Aisya, kenapa dia (some guy who dumped her, who happened to be my friend) buat macam tu kat saya?

Aisya: Look, maybe you two just weren't meant for each other. :-/ If someone doesn't like you, you can't force them to like you.

SilverTopaz: Tapi dia pernah cakap dia sayang I tau. Kenapa dia buat macam tu?

I rolled my eyes.

Aisya: Saya tak tahu kenapa dia buat macam tu. Maybe you should ask him yourself.

SilverTopaz: Boleh tak you tolong tanya dia? I takut.

I sighed.

Aisya: Okay, I seriously think you should ask him yourself. I'm going to meet him tomorrow. You can join us if you want.

SilverTopaz: Okay. Saya akan join korang. Nak jumpa mana?

Aisya: Midvalley.

Message sent.

Then my phone rang. It was Ashli.

'Hey, woman,' he greeted me with his nasal but pleasantly sexy voice.

'Ash. I'm in the middle of SMSing SilverTopaz,' I told him, getting ready for his all-too-honest opinion about the girl.

'Oh GOD,' he blurted. 'That annoying twerp.'

'Yeah I know. Hey, I've just received another SMS from her.'

'Oh okay. I'll call you later. Byesie byes, luv!'

I looked into my inbox.

SilverTopaz: Awak. Saya rasa saya tak nak jumpa koranglah esok. Saya malu. Kbye.

What the heck, man. This girl completely wasted my time. Already annoyed by the whole patheticness of the whole situation (yes, I can be pretty heartless at times), I needed to SMS Ashli to let off some steam.

Aisya: OMG she is SOOOO ANNOYING. I swear, man. What a COMPLETE waste of time!

Message Sent.

Ten minutes later, I got another SMS from SilverTopaz.

SilverTopaz: I think you salah hantar SMS. I'm sorry for being annoying. Kbye.

You know the moral of the story.

My First Handmade Tote!

2009-07-24T11:52:00.005+08:00

I got sick of holding my folder in my hands everyday, so I decided a big tote bag would do me some good.

Professional designers have taken advantage of the Green Trend by selling over-priced totes to replace the plastic bag, and I think that's just silly. RM100+ for a tote? Puh-lease! I could make one so for under RM30.

So I went to Nilai last Sunday and bought a meter of a really cute printed fabric.

I went home, and sewed all night...

... And continued the next morning.

Here's what I ended up with!

The photo doesn't do the printed design any justice, really.

Aida begged to borrow it to take to school, so I let her have it for the week. She came back home that evening and said three of her friends want one too. 8-O

Having people be willing to pay for something I make? Awesomeness to the power of ten.

Dunno when I'll have the time to sit in front of the sewing machine again though... But I promise I'll start soon.

Lots of love,

from Me.

ps: Thanks to Syahirah Suhaimi for telling me where to look for nice fabrics! We had loads of fun at Jelita.

Strawberry Swing is too cute.

2009-07-20T10:10:00.007+08:00

Yes, Strawberry Swing finally gets its own video. And it's an awesomely cute one, too.

Cuter than Life in Technicolor ii.

And it's gonna be played in Odeon Cinemas in the UK.

Dang. I always wanted to hear a full Coldplay song in a cinema.

Well anyway here it is.

Click me!

No one's allowed to post the entire vid anywhere else on the net, so here's a short trailer if you need further convincing to be bothered enough to click the link above. ;)

Now I can't decide whether The Scientist is still my favourite Coldplay video!

Lots of love,

from Me.

:)

I Haven't Been Here in Ages!

2009-07-09T22:16:00.002+08:00

I am still very much alive, though. ;)

I managed to write a really negative review of Transformers 2, but I haven't completed it cuz I'm bogged down with work and I still need to sort out a few things regarding my Masters and all...

During the break I had since May, I finally got down to putting music to some lyrics I wrote, and I'm contemplating on whether I should put the songs up on my blog...

I'm not much of a lyricist (I can write some really cheesy lines), and my voice doesn't really suit the kind of music I write, so... Hmm... Maybe I'll get my little sister Aida to sing for me. Not exactly Feist, (:P) but she's got the childlike vocals that would better suit my music... My voice is a bit nasal and boring. Hehe.

So yeah. To post, or not to post?

Lots of love,

from Me.

You're Not Any Different

2009-06-15T14:35:00.002+08:00

I was subtitling a show yesterday which I shall not name because I'd get in trouble if some biggies from work find out... :P

The episode won't be aired on TV, though, because it's actually an old episode that's being submitted as an entry for the Asian Television Awards...

Well anyhu, I'm not writing this post to criticise the show or to attack non-hijabis. I'm just here to rant about the host and an annoying Malay actress who shall not be named, and maybe other people who are like the host and the annoying Malay actress.

It was my first time watching this particular show, and while it's supposed to appeal to teens, I just found it completely annoying. Wait, am I even a teenager anymore? Apa-apalah. So anyway, yes, the show did provide viewers with some useful tips about gadgets and road safety, and the male hosts were funny at times. But the girls are so damn gedik and not likeable langsung.

So there was this part where one of the girl hosts went shopping for her Eid attire at Masjid India with a Malay teen actress, and they were talking about all the pretty pretty baju kebayas and baju kurungs. They then came to a rack of selendangs and were all, 'Eh! This can be worn as headscarves!' Then they proceeded to sort of wrap the material loosely around their orangutan-coloured hair, being especially careful not to cover the front part of the hair just above their foreheads.

Then they did something that made me just moan in pain and roll my eyes in utter annoyance.

'Eh, kita macam pelarian lah!' said one of the girls, and batted her eyelashes.
'Anak Palestin mana ni?' said the other in mock distress.

Punyalah gedik.

First of all, didn't they realise that a majority of the women around them were wearing hijabs? Were they really trapped in their own ignorant world, where hijabs are only worn by refugees from Palestine?

Maybe I'm overreacting, but this type of gedik behaviour and judement of hijabis pushes all my wrong buttons.

There was another segment in the show where they showed three of the hosts visit a Muslim village in Cambodia. The female host went to a madrasah where kids and teens go to learn about Islam and read the Qur'an. So, to 'fit in', I suppose, the host put on a hijab, not realising she looked completely ridiculous as she chose to toss the fabric over her hair and leave her bangs on display. You know. Mak Datin style.

What was that about? All the other kids who were reading the Qur'an behind her had all their hair covered, but this grown up, fully baligh host couldn't do the same? If you're gonna pakai the tudung, pakailah betul-betul, cuz it's just embarassing when kids around you are doing a better job of covering their privates...

Anisah said, 'I guess she just wants to show off her own ignorance.'

I agree.

'This is what teenagers in the kampung watch,' my friend said, 'and this is what the urban teens show them.'

What a nightmare.

Why, when it comes to producing shows for teens, does the media choose to show off the gedik, superficial side of Malaysia most of the time? Why do they choose to celebrate those who come from the minor group of urbanites who, judging from their comments and antics, don't usually mix around with those from different backgrounds? Instead, they pick stuck-up brats and snobs who don't know what it's like to come from average Malay families that make up the majority of the Malaysian population.

And this is what teens who watch TV are fed with.

I completely hate that Hotlink ad they show on 8TV:

'What's cool amongst teens these days? Hot tunes, cars and fashion.'

Those aren't the exact words, but that's pretty much the gist of the ad. Is that all that's hot amongst teens? Hmm. Kesiannya. And the kids are being influenced by this type of lifestyle. Believe me, I see it all the time, everyday. Teenagers all over KL, wearing the same type of outfits being promoted all over TV. Listening to the same music, talking about the same things, attending the same events...

8TV, when it first started out, used to claim it dared to be different. Gary, the IT Geek character, was a likeable bloke who was different from the usual sluts and pimps we're usually made to watch.

But now, 8TV is unfortunately too Western-wannabe to have its own identity. Gary disappeared ages ago and has now been replaced with some conventionally hott people who aren't really that interesting to watch after the first 3 minutes.

And the locally-made shows aren't all that 'different' after all. There was 5 Jingga, which was about cheerleaders (wth), and Gol & Gincu, which was so full of hidden motives and messages from SIS... I haven't been watching the newer shows, though, so I can't comment on them, really. But the ads for those shows seem so poyo. Malaslah aku nak layan.

I wonder when things'll change. Most of the youth I know are not snobs or brats. They are humble, intelligent people who mix around with people from all sorts of different backgrounds, and they care about more than just music, fashion and cars. They write stuff in their blogs that can open up eyes and minds. There's more to life than the latest trends. When will the media start to come up with stuff for these real teenagers?

Dear friends who will all be graduating in the very near future, I hope we will do something with the education we received and start making a real difference. Let's not join the herds of people walking around like zombies, following the same shallow trends.

Lots of love,

from Me.

Wah, panjangnya my rant.

A Thousand Splendid Kites

2009-06-08T11:04:00.006+08:00

Spent yesterday evening at a park somewhere near the Batu Caves, where kite enthusiasts go to play...

As usual, I always forget to bring a proper camera, so I had to resort to using my phone, which is half broken. The display screen of my phone is half white, so upon uploading the photos to my pc, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they they were rather nice...

I might go there again next week and try flying a kite myself.

Next thing on my To-Do list? Float away on a hot air balloon...

Get Yourself Off the Floor!

2009-05-29T17:27:00.002+08:00

Darling, you are a smart, attractive, funny woman. Why let that go to waste because one jerk mistreated you? Okay, yeah, there was that other ex of yours from last year… And the one from high school…

But seriously, I don’t know how many times I have to repeat this before you can finally understand this, but honey, stop depending on other people to make you happy! It’s this clingy, dependant attitude that pushes people away. It’s your jealousy that scares them off.

Now I know you’re gonna say I’m not qualified to say anything because I’ve never had my heart broken, but I do know what it’s like to be in a relationship, and I know exactly what pushes people away.

First and foremost, do something about that jealous streak of yours. They were right when they said that the reason you get jealous of other girls is because you’re insecure. You think those other girls are prettier than you, cleverer than you, wittier than you…

And this in turn makes you clingy. You think that once a guy falls for you, you’ve hit jackpot, and now you must never let him get out of your sight lest he accidently looks at another girl and finds her better than you. Why should he be with Frumpy when he could be with Fluffy? And if he leaves, your life is over because no one will ever fall for you because you’re such a loser. Well that’s what you think, anyway.

This sort of attitude consumes you from the inside. The only reason why you’re unattractive is because you let that entire negative attitude take over you. No one likes to be around those who are eternally pessimistic and self-conscious, so learn to love yourself.

When he dumps you, (and he will if you’re permanently moody and possessive,) don’t spend an entire year thinking about suicide and pain killers and crying your eyes out whenever Ne-Yo’s So Sick of Love Songs gets played. Use that time instead to start loving yourself. To learn that no one is responsible for making you happy except yourself.

You’re not ugly. There’s no such thing. Don’t believe me? Okay, I know for a FACT that some people find Michael Jackson totally sexay in his current state. You and I may think he looks like what the Grim Reaper may look like underneath the hood, but there are those who appreciate that kind of… face. I’m not saying I think you look like Michael Jackson, though…

And you may think you have zero talent in anything, but those heart-wrenching blog posts you write prove that you have a knack in writing. That bubbly personality that seems to shine when you’re in love should be allowed to come out even when you’re flying solo. And that can only happen when you can find happiness within yourself, without the help of some bloke who wasn’t even in your life when you had happier moments before romantic relationships were introduced to you. Wow, can you believe that? You are capable of being happy without being someone else’s girlfriend!

Come on, girl. Let’s get up off the floor, off our sorry behinds and start living. You’ll feel much better, and other people will want to be with you. And those boys who come trailing after you in the future? They’re just the icing on the cake.

Lots of love,

From Me.

ps: If you think this is directed towards you, it's probably because it is. ;)

I'm Am Now Officially a Twit

2009-05-25T11:12:00.004+08:00

Thanks to Guy Berryman.

Damnit, I thought I'd be able to stay away...

Let's see how long I'll last on this wagon!

Lots of love

from twitter.com/aisyashurfa

That's Sew Cool.

2009-05-17T12:46:00.006+08:00

Let's begin this post with a family update! KakAmnah telah dirisik oleh Abang Yeng's family so the wedding kompangs will be heard very soon. :D

Shurfa #3, #4, dan #5.

*GULP*. I'm next in line.

So anyway...

My cooking may taste like burnt poop (or not taste of anything at all!) and I'm not exactly the best at cleaning and tidying up rooms, but -- get ready for this -- this undomestic clutz can sew!

My messy Creativity Desk.

During my final sem in UM, I had to sew a lot of stuff for our drama production, and while I was armed with only the basic knowledge on how to operate my mama's sewing machine and darn needles, I managed to create an 18 feet long backdrop (or was it 18 meters? All I remember is sewing something so long, I felt like it would never end!), various screens and little coin pouches. And when I was done with all that, I felt a great sense of accomplishment. Because I thought I was useless at doing anything useful. Hehe.

Since I have no more classes to go to, and a full-time job isn't what I'm looking for as I'll be doing my Masters, insyaallah, in July, I've been occupied with creating things. I've recorded a bunch of crappy songs, helped around in the kitchen, and let loose the seamstress in me. :B

And here's what I've created!

It's a shirred top which fits both me and my skinny 13 year old sister Aida even though my own measurements were used. And I'm like 10 times meatier than Aida. Shirred tops are so the shiz.

But Aida wanted one of her own so I'm in the process of making one for her. Here's the work in progress.

So that's pretty much all I wanted to share with you today. I'm just pretty chuffed at what I've managed to create. :D I might attempt to make sexy boxers next, and maybe even a mini dress for Umairah. Hee! Sewing is so addictive.

Titchy pillow I made a few months ago...

Lots of love,

from Me.

I'll Miss All of You

2009-05-06T16:03:00.004+08:00

Which English Lit Chick is for you?
From left: Stephanie, Yen Yen, Me and Vandana.

Yesterday, we finally finished our final finals paper.

And while I'm feeling like I could run for miles and miles till I run out of road, there's a part of me that wants to curl up into a ball and bawl my eyes out cuz I'll miss (some) of the people I've met and made friends with in UM.

I'm sure I'll still be able to meet some of them in the near future, but it's the thought of losing some of them forever that makes me wanna... promote the fanatical use of facebook (friendster is so 90's, haha) and advertise the idea of blogging to those who haven't already started one yet. ;)

Keep in touch, darlings, and don't be so malu malu to invite each other out. That reminds me. We still need to go out for ice cream!

Lots of love,

from AEA060010.

Randomness #3: We Love Hijab

2009-05-03T21:22:00.005+08:00

In today's episode of Randomness...

I love this website! It's hip, it's cool, it's pretty, and it's Islamic!

We Love Hijab!

Click the link for some fashion ideas and some enlightenment.

If beautiful American Muslim women can wear the hijab loud and proud, then why can't we? ;)

Here's one of the many cool articles from the site.

Hijab 101

7 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WEAR THAT OUTFIT

1. Am I following my understanding of hijab as best as I can?

There are so many different opinions about what hijab is and what it is not. Some Muslim women only wear black, some Muslim women cover their faces, some Muslim women wear specific regional styles of clothing, and some Muslim women mix it all together. Whatever you choose to wear, as a Muslimah, you are responsible for finding out what Allah expects of you. My beliefs of how we have to dress are clearly presented on this website, but you have to do your own research. Ask Allah for guidance and then follow what you understand hijab to be to the best of your ability. As long as your intentions and actions are good, Allah will be pleased with you, inshallah. And that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?

2. Am I trying to make someone jealous or envious of me by wearing this?

We’ve all heard of the phrase “dress to impress”, but some women take this concept too far. It’s one thing to make sure that you look good for, perhaps, a job interview. (You don’t want to show up in tattered, old jeans do you?) But, it’s another thing to be completely arrogant in what you wear.

If you’re the type of girl who dresses up just to go to the grocery store (I’m guilty of this and actually, I recommend it!), you probably don’t dress that way out of arrogance. For me, it’s about how I feel about myself. When I dress up, I feel confident, presentable, and pretty - Allah loves beauty and there’s nothing wrong with feeling it!

On the other hand, you have women who dress up only when they’re going to be around certain other women. Many of us are guilty of doing this at one time or another. Only you know what your intentions are, so be mindful of them. Dress to make yourself feel good and be careful not to be a Show-Off.

3. Is my clothing tight?

Some people would have you believe that wearing a big, black abaya will completely conceal your curves at all times. Well, what happens when the wind blows your abaya to the right while you’re walking to the left? Sometimes, your shape will accidentally be revealed and no matter how many layers of clothes you pile on, you simply cannot disguise a healthy booty or a big chest! That said, you still need to be mindful of how tight your clothing is so that in ordinary situations (when the wind is not blowing your clothing all over the place), you’re covered properly.

A few things to think about: If you had to stretch your shirt over your chest just to button it up, your shirt is too tight. If you can clearly define the shape of your body when standing still in front of the mirror, your clothes are too tight. If you broke a sweat trying to put those pants on, they’re way too tight! There are a few other things to look for when trying to figure out whether or not your clothes are tight, but they’re all pretty obvious… When in doubt, check yourself out in the mirror again!

4. Is my clothing see-through?

What girl doesn’t love a frilly, lacy bra that’s worthy of a Victoria’s Secret runway show? I know that I love them, but I also know that I need to keep them to myself (and my hubby of course!). Transparency is a big fashion trend for Spring 2008. You’ll be seeing sheer tops, jackets, and pants all over the place, but those things are definitely not fit for Muslimahs. We all know that layering comes with the territory when you’re a Muslim woman, so if you find that whatever you’re wearing is a bit see-through, just throw on something opaque (like a t-shirt) underneath of it and you’ll be good to go!

5. Is what I’m wearing extravagant?

We already spoke about the fact that Muslim women shouldn’t dress up just to impress other people, but that rule is based on your intentions. Extravagance is a bit more difficult to define because what’s extravagant to me might not be extravagant to another Muslimah.

What does the word “extravagant” mean? One of the definitions of the word “extravagant” is that it is something that is excessive and unreasonable. For example, wearing a wedding gown on your wedding day is great! But, wearing your wedding gown outside on any other day is extravagant. You get the idea, right?

A few tips: If your entire outfit is shimmery, glittery, sparkly, and beaded, it might be a little extravagant. If you have jewelry on every single part of your body (rings on all 10 fingers, bangles up to your elbows, and a huge nose ring), it might be a little extravagant. If you’re abaya is trailing behind you like the train of a wedding gown, it might be a little extravagant. Ok, now I’ll admit that those 3 examples may have been a little extravagant themselves, but you get the idea! If you just can’t figure out whether or not your attire is a bit too much, take off some of your jewelry, or take off one of your decorative items and replace it with something that’s more simple in style.

6. Is my hair completely covered?

We’re all friends here right? So, let’s be real with each other. If you’re going to cover your hair, you probably should cover all of it. No bangs are allowed. No deliberate baby hairs plastered to your forehead with hair gel. And please, none of that half-scarf-on half-scarf-off stuff. With all of the lovely hijab pins out there, it’s unfathomable that a Muslimah can’t keep her scarf on properly. If you don’t believe that we have to cover our hair in the first place, well then I guess you’re excused. But, if you’re going to wear hijab, you should try your best to wear it correctly.

7. Is my chest covered?

Cleavage and headscarves just do not go together. It just doesn’t look right, you know? I’m not trying to give you an Islamic history lesson here, but… To my understanding, back in Prophet Muhammad’s (s.a.w.) time, women (both Muslims and non-Muslims) wore headscarves that hung down behind their backs (click here for an idea of what that scarf style looks like). They also wore garments that looked similar to a man’s ihram (click here for an example). These garments left the women’s cleavages and upper skin exposed. Allah revealed verse 24:31 in the Qur’an to address this issue, stating that Muslim women should “…draw their veils over their bosoms…” So, this is pretty clear. If your top doesn’t cover your entire chest area, or if your shirt is really tight on your chest, just be sure that your hijab hangs down low enough to give you the proper coverage.

So that concludes my little list. I hope that I haven’t offended you and I hope that you enjoyed reading it. If you did, please invite other Muslimahs to come and read it as well. As always, I look forward to reading your comments on this article and if you have anything to add to the list, please post it up in the comments!

xoxo Kima

---

Have a look through the site, sisters. Have fun!

Lots of love,

from Me.

If You Love Me, Then You Should Accept the Fact That…

2009-05-01T14:16:00.005+08:00

That what? That you have anger management problems? That you emotionally abuse me? That you have extreme jealousy issues? That you can be a total jerk to me and I should accept you for who you are (ie a jerk)?

Pft.

Just because you’re in a relationship with someone (be it a romantic or platonic one) it doesn’t mean you have the right to disrespect each other and then say sorry the next day or be mad at the person on the receiving end for not being able to put up with your nonsense.

What’s that you said? She should be able to accept you the way you are? Dude, jerkish attitudes shouldn’t be accepted by anyone. Not even by your own mother, never mind anyone else outside your family!

We all know the sappy stuff people say in those cheesy rom-com movies:

‘If you loved me, you would put up with me…’

‘I love you for your flaws…’

Awww. That’s so sweet.

But darling, real life ain’t the movies. If a girl accepted a guy for his abusive behavior, she’d only end up being a victim of abuse again and again and again. If a guy accepts the fact that his girl’s a green-eyed monster who’s always accusing him of cheating on her every time he receives a text message from another girl, then he should be ready to spend his lifetime not talking to anyone of the opposite sex, because if he does, then he’ll have to keep defending himself and feel guilty all the time for doing something he never actually did. How emotionally exhausting!

Face it. Your jealousy doesn’t prove how much you love someone— it’ll only drive that person away. You can’t expect your best friend to just lie down and let you stomp all over them whenever you feel like having emotional outbursts, and then call them a bad friend when they won’t put up with you. Your insecurities may seem endearing at first, but when you let them rule you, you’ll end up fulfilling your own paranoid prophecies.

Sure, such behavior can be acceptable the first time (except abusive behavior, of course. Girl, if that guy so much as raises his hand to hit you, then you must walk away), but if this is the tenth time you feel disappointed by a certain way your partner/friend’s been treating you, then it’s about time you set things straight. Be more assertive and stand up for yourself. You can lend support, but you can’t let other people make you miserable.

And if you’ve been pissing your friend/partner off with your crappy behavior, please fix that attitude. If you truly loved someone, you wouldn’t want to hurt them.

'Thanks for letting me walk all over you when I was feeling PMS-y yesterday!'
'Oh, it's fine. What are friends for, after all?'

Chris Martin Totally Waved at Us.

2009-03-27T15:32:00.010+08:00

(Ok this photo's not taken in Singapore but I wanted to show you the butterfly confetti.
I now have a bunch of them in my bedroom!)

I screamed and sang my heart and lungs and thorax out last Monday when Coldplay performed at the Singapore Indoor Stadium for around 10,000 people (me, Anisah, and Awi included).

The journey to Singapore was not hassle-free. A bit of stress and tension was involved, but at 8pm, when we finally arrived at the venue, I realised all the crap and nonsense was worth it.

I can't even begin to describe to you how magical the whole experience was. I'm just going to leave you with photos and a few videos. Unfortunately, my photos are still in my camera, but I don't have a card reader. So I'm taking photos taken by other people and posting them here. :)

Refresh SlideShow

They appeared onstage playing with sparklers. Sparklers! I was, by that time, going absolutely bonkers.

Okay, I swear man, Chris totally waved at me and Anisah during In My Place. He was looking up at our direction for a few seconds and Anisah and I waved our arms off frantically, leaning forward from the rails like we might just fall over before Chris returned the gesture. Chris' wave can be seen in the video above at 2.23. You see, we were standing at the banisters (you can see the banisters in the video when the person recording the vid turns the camera around after Chris waves) and there weren't many people in that corner we were standing in. So I guess the both of us were in plain sight from the stage. We did stand out somewhat thanks to our headscarves, so, you disbelievers of my story, please just let me believe Chris waved at us! Lol.

Yeah. Here's In My Place from a closer angle. Watch the wave at around 1.43. Pause it at that second and I'm telling ya, he's so looking up at us. Haha!

The band sparked a surge of jealousy in many of us when they proceeded to perform at a section at the back of the stadium AMONGST a bunch of lucky audience members! Those lucky sonofaguns behind the band got to stare the band's asses. And the people at the front got to receive, to quote Chris, the band's 'sweat and spit and nonsense'.
DAYUMM.

Aren't Jonny, Guy and Will just the sweetest?

But I was too happy to be jealous for long. The band asked us to do The Mexican Coldwave, which is basically a Mexican wave but done in the dark and with our phones. I went a step further and used my camera, too. :)

The video above is a montage of short clips of every song performed that night. I can even spot me and Anisah in it! :D

I think the best songs they performed that night were the more epic tunes. You know, the ones that are just meant to be played live with thousands of people singing along. The ones that make you feel like you can take flight and just float around in the air. Last Monday's best songs were Death and All His Friends, Politik, Life in Technicolor i & ii, 42, aaaand Fix You. And I completely teared up when they started Death and All His Friends. And Fix You, of course.

After Death and All His Friends, the band bowed and left the stage, only to come back a few minutes later for an encore. They performed their final 2 songs, The Scientist (which brought a lump to my throat because it's my absolute favourite song that made me want to marry Chris when I first heard it) and Life in Technicolor ii, which is just the best song ever to end the night with.

After the band left the stage for the last time and the audience began exiting the stadium, me and my group jumped the barriers and went down to the pit where I collected a whole bunch of butterfly confetti to take home with me. Yes. I risked getting shot by security guards for the precious confetti. O_o They are now stashed away in a very secret place in my room.

A few of my favourite butterflies.

---

On the journey home, we listened to my Coldplay albums to refresh the memory of the night before, and I got all emotional in the car. Aww...

When I grow up, I'm so going to be a Coldplay roadie so I can attend every single Coldplay concert, hand the boys their instruments and mop Coldplay sweat from the stage.

Thanks to Anisah for being my Coldplay-loving sister, Rudy for being my favourite Coldplayer, Felicia and her sisters for all the fuss you guys had to go through and making this plan work out, and of course, to my Awi for being the best boyfriend in the world and putting up with my Coldplay obsession.

Awi, we went to a Coldplay concert together! That has always been... like... our lifelong ambition! And Anisah: SQUEEEEEEE!

Lots of love, from Me.

ps: I'll put up my own photos soon when Anisah comes back with her laptop. :) I have vids, too, but you'll have to put up with my crap singing voice if you're gonna watch them!
pps: The whole of this week for me basically revolved around stages and performances. I still haven't told you about the staging of the play I'm involved in!

Clicky Here
Click the above link to see the Coldplay puppets at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore.

Clicky Here.
Click the above link for The Star's review of the concert.

UPDATED

Here are a few photos taken from my camera! :D

Posing proudly with the butterflies.

Violet Hill.

Confetti shower during Lovers in Japan.

A few seconds before he totally waved at us... :P

Life in Technicolor ii

UHU...huhuhuhu...

2009-03-21T23:01:00.003+08:00

I'm going to Singapore this Monday to see Coldplay! WOOOOOO!!!! The boys better be prepared for this one crazy, obsessed fanatic!

But that's not what this blog post is about, people.

Boys and girls, I'm here to tell you about the play I'm involved in.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you:

I'm not acting, unfortunately (for those who were expecting to have a wicked time laughing at some bad acting!), but I have been putting a lot of time and energy into making axes, bathtubs, giant needles and all sorts of other random stuff with Jaron and Yen Yen. We are the Set and Props team, see.

(Me, being silly in the homemade bathtub.)

So do come if you're in the mood for a night of artsy fartsy-ness, cringes and laughter!

And if you don't come, watch out. I'll mengamuk big time with my axe.

Tickets can be bought from me, or you can purchase them at the venue on the days of performances (Wednesday and Thursday).

Comments, criticisms and all out bashing of the play will be welcomed with open arms. :)

Lots of love,

from Me.

ps: COLDPLAAAAAAAAAY.
pps: Does sniffing UHU glue actually make you high? Because I've been high for the past week and I don't know if it's the glue or the people involved in the play. ;)

And The Truth Is...

2009-03-18T00:57:00.005+08:00

See?

Not even bright colours, ridiculous polka dots and stripes can make this feeling go away.

Lots of love, love and love.

ps: Oh wait. I forgot what I was going to say...

pps: Oh, now I remember. Mixtape on sidebar has been updated. :D

Wait... I Won?

2009-03-05T18:29:00.002+08:00

Click here.

My name's somewhere in the middle of the list.

How could I have won and not know it?

That's just silly.

Where's my prize then?

*slaps forehead*

Oh My GAAAWD Dies

2009-02-10T18:16:00.005+08:00

Those of you who have been following the Sunburst Festival issue would know that the organizers have been acting like crap. For those of you who don't know what's going on, let me fill you in.

Last Friday, the organizers finally officially announced the list of performers for the 12-hour long festival. NERD will be coming (and I don't give a care in the world for them), and so will Russian Winters (whoever they are). A whole bunch of local groups and a few from Singapore and Indonesia are also on the list.

Then...

...drumrolls please...

...they announced that Coldplay are yet to be confirmed.

POO.

WTH?

How can they announce something officially when the lineup isn't even confirmed? Probably some dirty business ploy to get people rushing for the RM200+ tickets. The selling of early bird tickets that cost RM130 (or some amount similar to that) ended yesterday, so I'm guessing the organizers are going to announce that Coldplay will be coming (assuming that they ARE) any time soon, now that tickets are sold at full price.

And if they don't come to KL, do not despair, dear disappointed fans.

Yesterday night, Coldplay announced that on the 23rd of March, they'll be coming over to Singapore to delight us with a night of magical music.

So forget the Sunburst drama.

Go get yourself a passport, save some money, and join me on my trip to see Coldplay!

WOOHOO!

Lots of love,

from Me.

ps: WARNING: I'm in, like, ecstatic mode right now. In case I don't snap out of this mode until about a month after I see Coldplay in concert, please just bear with me.

:)

----

Update: 16/2/09

I bought the tickets. I'm happy, but I'm sad because:

1. I was only allowed to buy 4 tickets. I had to buy the tickets one by one, because there were limited seats available. After I had bought the 4th, there were none left, so none for a friend I had really wanted to be there with me.

2. Because of the crappy Sistic ticketing system, there was no way we could've got seats next to each other. I actually have a lot to say about the crappy system. First of all, like any other normal ticketing systems, they should've reserved the seats we picked for at least 10 minutes after we pick them. After the 1o minutes are up, then they should release the seats again. But NO, Sistic didn't do that. Seats were randomly given to other people when I had already picked mine. When I arrived at their office, there were at least 30 places left. It was actually a risk for me to pick seats one by one (and I had to do that because they wouldn't pick random seats at the same time) because at any moment, seats could've been sold out.

3. You'd think authorised agents would have more priority over those who make telephone bookings or online ones... Nope. Going to sistic's authorised agents only means you get them to fill in all the forms you could've done yourself online. The only difference is you pay through cash when you're with the agent. I know part of the reason why loads of seats got sold right under my very eyes was because the agent took ages filling forms with my details (talk about SLOW TYPING!). AND the agent in charge of the sistic desk wasn't in. So other less experienced employees had to fill in his spot.

GAH.

I may come back with a happier update later.

Umairah

2009-02-07T10:46:00.008+08:00

Remember this?

Well here's the sambungan to that story.

Kak Zimah finally gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on the 5th of February, 2009.

Everyone, say hello to Umairah!

She's so pretty. Look at that head full of lustrous black hair and that cute nose! I can tell she'll be breaking a lot of hearts in the future. :)

Ali sayaaaang Umairah.

Congratulations to Kak Zimah and Abang Majid! You two have made a perfect, perfect baby. :D

Lots of love, hugsh, and plenty of cuddles,

from Cik Sah!

Meet Juno.

2009-01-25T02:38:00.005+08:00

Finally.

FINALLY.

Finally, after all these years of yearning and longing and pining, I have purchased it.

Today I went a bit crazy with my money and spontaneously bought what I've been wanting since I was in Form 4 (that was when the one Papa bought in the early 90's died on me).

I bought me a keyboard.

Ladies and gentlemen, here'e Juno.

(I couldn't find the digital camera so I had to use my phone to take these piccies.)

Juno in her new home.

Juno's birth certificate.

Now I can finally add some trippy synth sounds to my demos and become a rock legend. Muahah. No, not really.

Oh, and here's an unnamed electric guitar I'm babysitting tonight. Somehow I don't desire playing it. Electric guitars just aren't compatible with me.

---

Anywho, yesterday I did a cover of Life in Technicolor... I might just post it up here if I manage to do surgery on my voice to make it sound less nasal. Meh.

Lots of love,

from Me.

Now My Feet Won't Touch the Ground :)

2009-01-21T18:14:00.002+08:00

Gah. This is too cute to talk about, so I'll just leave you to it.

Lots of love,

from Aisya.

Do Unto Others...

2009-01-15T17:40:00.003+08:00

Heidi had accompanied his friend to some part-time job interviews a few days ago at Mid Valley, only for the both of them to end up disappointed. Not because the friend didn't get a job, but because of some really backwards attitudes of some people living in this... *cough* 'country of racial harmony'.

Posted up at various shop windows were little pieces of papers stating:

SALES ASSISTANTS WANTED:
Chinese only

Heidi and his friend had walked into one of the shops and asked if there were any vacancies, only to be coldly dismissed for not being the desired race.

WHAT the HECK is this?

I seriously don't understand.

What has a person's race got to do with anything sales related? What, a Melayu bloke can't be as helpful to customers? An Indian woman can't sell? What if anyone who's not Chinese but looked like one walked in and asked for a job? Will she be dismissed once she shows them her ic? What if a non-Chinese person walked in and started speaking Mandarin or Cantonese? Would he/she still be ignored?

This is just stupid. It's horribly, horribly wrong.

I'm not just saying this because I'm not Chinese; I'm saying this because I've never supported anything that's racist, even if my own race got the benefits from such nonsense (eg. the UiTM students involved in last year's UiTM issue really got on my nerves).

Man, imagine we were living in the States, and you see signs on shop windows stating:

Vacancies. Whites only.

Like it was the pre-Civil Rights Movement era or something.

Man, you bigots would totally get your asses sued.

Ugh.

Ah, I've I Been Expecting You, 2009...

2009-01-01T15:43:00.006+08:00

But I don't know what to expect from you.

Here I am, sitting in front of the pc, sipping on a cup of coffee. The coffee is super strong. I need it that way-- thinking about the year ahead makes me nervous, and the caffeine is like a brain massage that cures headaches and gets me all delirious.

All I know about 2009 is that the first half of the year will be spent in uni, making the most of the few months of being an undergraduate I have left. Thinking about what happens after the final exams, though, only conjures up vague, blurry images of mortar boards, scrolls, robes, interviews, airplanes, distant countries... and after that, it's pretty much impossible to tell.

Let's take it one day at a time.

It's quite frightening, thinking about life as an open book. But at the same time, I can't wait to start writing new chapters, meet new characters, and visit new settings.

I hope, though, that the older and recurring characters from the past chapters stay with me to the end.

Happy 2009.

Lots of love,

from Me.

Au Revoir!

2008-12-29T21:07:00.010+08:00

*Sniff*

We had a real good run, O' Sem Break. I'll miss you!

We traveled to Genting (and slept together).

We went jamming (and totally butchered Hey Jude to bits and pieces. Forgive us).

Attended a wedding (with the boyfriend's family. Yes. It was mighty awkward at times).

Spent quality time out with the sisters.

Bonded with Rojak (and went totally loopy).

Lunched with the girls (and talked about girly stuff).

Raided tombs.

Wasted no time being apart (:

Went to IKEA three times for the currypuffs (and free coke refills).

Taught Ali how to walk.

Bought a new diary (which is too pretty for me to actually write in).

Apart from that, we went trotting all over KL til my foot broke out in blisters, binged on chick lit, ate McD's at Saraa and Ashli's place just because, put on weight, celebrated my birthday 3 times, translated crappy TV3 dramas, did some gardening, and lazed about doing nothing.

So now it's back to school we go!

Lots of love,

from Me.

Final Sem, Here I Come!

2008-12-18T01:24:00.003+08:00

So after finally getting my exam results, that feeling of being motivated kicks in again. Just a few more months before I graduate, and HELL, I'M PLANNING TO GO OUT WITH A BANG!

A bang so loud, it might just leave a permanent mark. (That reminds me: Heidi and I still have to come up with how we're gonna leave 'Aisya and Heidi wuz here' marks in UM without getting arrested or caught by the UM Patrol guys who drive around in what look like police cars from a circus.)

Sure, I say that all the time when a new sem peeks its little head around the corner, but this time I mean it. Final anythings always get me in the mood for some over-the-top everything.

Let me just use this space to join hands with Steph, Yen Yen, Heidi, Vandu, Renu, Jaron. Here's to a fantastic, wicked, amazing Final Sem!

---

But we've still got a couple of weeks left before that starts. So lets spend these last few days doing, like, whatever to our heart's content.

Lots of love,

from Me.

Notes to self: -Beli cat warna biru and start painting the walls already.
- Bersyukur dengan apa yang ada.

Note to some nosy parker sonofagun who likes to watch me suffer and spread lies about me: Get a life.

Sweetness in Solitude

2008-11-30T01:07:00.006+08:00

In case you haven't noticed, I've changed my blog template... Those of you with slower connection may have to wait a bit for it to load though... Tis pretty, no? Yes, it is. It's so pretty, I just have to stare at it all day. It's so pretty, I can't get over it. It's so pretty, it has inspired me to draw.

So here's my latest drawing, hot off the... er... pressure from the pressing of my pens...

I've also updated my Buku Seni. You can find the link in the sidebar, under the Aisya's Been Hogging Cyberspace bit. :) (If you're reading from facebook, you may have to visit aisyashurfa.blogspot.com). Advertisement over.

Lots of love,

From Me.

I Am Permanently High...

2008-11-27T15:45:00.020+08:00

...When I am with Rojak, my favouritest non-biological sisters ever. Seriously, who needs LSD when they're around? They're so colourful, non-logical, and they leave you feeling euphoric.

I can never top Pei Ling's blog entry about this latest outing cuz it left me in stitches, so I'll just steal some bits off her account of the birthday afterparty. :D

Lubna's arrival at The Curve before us was a Christmas Miracle. She's usually the one who comes last. Yet, while we were waiting outside Starbucks for Lubna to give us a clue about where she was, Saz and Peils had a small discussion.

Saz: Lubna's never on time . . . *receives SMS from Lubs* She's already waiting at Starbucks. Since 10.30
Peils: Whut? Serious? O.o
Saz: She probably camped here overnight
Peils: Ikea, hell yeah
Saz: And had meatballs for breakfast at Ikea
Peils: Hotdogs. . .
*detailed discussion on Ikea's hotdog not included here*
Saz: She's probably still sleeping . . . you know, Ikea's comfy beds
Peils: Lolz

So while we were waiting for Lubna, we spotted a rather risque Christmas decoration at the Centre Court in the mall. Ok. So I was the one who spotted it. Yes. I have a dirty mind.

(Spotted: Giraffe bits hanging loose.)

So, being a bunch of twisted muppets like we always are when we're together, Tex, Peils and Saz decided to provide photos for the porn novel Peils is in the middle of writing.

(In this photo: Peils and Horny Giraffe.)

(Above: Saraa, giving Horny Giraffe a good time.)

Lubna still hadn't said a word, so we decided to go to the atm to get some money out. But after discovering that I only had RM40 left in my account, we all returned to Starbucks, where we found Lubna. Who was waiting there all that time while we looked at topiary-animal porn.

So, with the five of us finally reunited, it was time for lunch. It was up to us to decide where to eat, and since we spent ages deciding on a place where we're ALL happy to eat at, Saraa and Lubna began to lose their patience.

'Forget democracy!' screamed Saraa.
'Use autocracy!' Lubna declared.

So me and Tex settled for Vivo. Mainly because we were already standing outside the restaurant, and I was tired. Hehe.

So after a delicious lunch which consisted of pizzas, pasta, bbq chicken, gossip and catch-up (ketchup, catching up, gettit? Lmao, I crack myself up), we couldn't resist a bit of camwhoring.

(Hotness combined.)

(Now we know why Tex sleeps in pictures - Peils.)

(We couldn't resist the cheesy hand photo ala the Planeteers/Power Rangers.)

Then we went bowling. Lubna totally pwned all of us after stating that she sucks at bowling, Saz was on a mission to suck, Tex and I called each other crap because apparently it made us better at bowling, and Peils' technique of bowling from between her legs was surprisingly the only technique that allowed her to hit a strike...

(Doh!)

(Tex executes Peils' Bowling Between Legs Technique.)

(Lubna, pretending she doesn't know how to bowl before she totally hits a strike.)

(Me, bowling with much grace and elegance. NOT.)

(Saraa, completing the mission to Suck.)

And then Peils pretended to be a paparazzi, completely violating our privacy by taking PAPARAZZI IN YOUR FACES photos. She managed to take a photo of just ONE celeb, though.

(Nobody.)

(Nobody.)

(Nobody.)

(HOLY MAC, IT'S HUGH GRANT!!! OMG LOLZ.)

After much sucking and laughter and coke, we went for some ice cream at Baskin&Robbins, and Tex, who's nearly as avid a fan of Tomb Raider as I am, asked me how Underworld is, so we got into a detailed discussion about Lara Croft's ass.

Taken from Peils' blog:
Tex and Pai discussed about the latest Lara Croft game and Pai described (in detail O.o) Lara Croft's ass in black leather tights: firm, squeaky, round, wobbly, supple, moist . . . (TMI yo!) And there was something about the part where Lara Croft was climbing the wall and spreading her legs like an acrobat in air and you will get an eyeful O.o . . .

Before it was time to go, we just HAD to have another session of camwhoring.

(That Korean writing up there reads: Forever. Because Peils is cheesy like that.)

Sigh. All too soon, it was time for us to part... But before we left, me and Peils couldn't stop ourselves...

And we all lived happily ever after.

Except Saraa. She's scarred for life.

Fin.

---

The night before:

Belated birthday dinner at Delicious with Wee Wee Poo Poo.

(Aisya turns 1.)

And with that, my Birthday Week sadly ends...

Thanks for being with me, people! It was definitely a memorable week. :D

Lots of love,

from Me.

Hey, Girlfriend!

2008-11-24T03:04:00.006+08:00

Had a great lunch with Steph, Yen Yen and Vandu today at an Indian restaurant. We indulged in girl talk, gossip, and good stuff over food that was just as hot and spicy as the stuff we talked about.

(Us, before the dental braces and my girth expansion.)

One thing I'm never prepared for is the stares we get whenever we're together as a group. People don't just glance at us, they actually ogle. I think I caught a guy at the restaurant actually staring with his mouth open.

It's probably because:

a) We are the epitome of that cheesy tagline, Malaysia, Truly Asian;

or

b) Steph is much too hott, Yen Yen is too cute to be true, Vandana should be in a Bollywood movie, and the sight of me makes them go, 'WTF is she doing in this gang of hotties?'. So they keep staring to figure out the answer.

Nyehehe.

Lots of love,

from Me.

ps: ROJAK on Tuesday. It's a date!

Where Do I Begin?

2008-11-23T00:05:00.010+08:00

I actually have so much to say, but alas, there's just not enough time...

...Because I'm too busy being overwhelmed at how great my birthweek has been so far.

(Yeah, I'm surprised all 6 of us fit in there, too...)

First of all, there was that Genting trip with the loverly course mates. I'm so doomed. I've fallen in love with all of them, with their own individual quirks and weirdnesses (ooh, better put that in the dictionary). So, now that the final sem is rearing its head around the corner, I'm dreading that moment when we all have to part ways! :( Lets make the most of these final few months!

(Yenners, this is my favourite photo too! Genting Trip photos courtesy of Yen Yen.)

Then there's the fact that Tomb Raider Underworld came out on the 21st. Only I got it on my birthday, because Jaron is a miracle worker. So now I'm busy raiding tombs in Thailand, which explains why I've been missing in the realms of the Cyberworld...

(This one needs no caption.)

And yesterday, Coldplay's Prospekt's March EP was finally unleashed unto the world. I have only these words to say about it: AWESOMENESS PACKED IN BODACITY. (Except that bit where Jay Z comes in. That was just a WTH moment for me...)

(This one doesn't need a caption, either.)

To add more succulence into the picture, The Killers released their latest album, Day & Age a day before my birthday. I haven't listened to it yet, but their first single, Human, is right up there in the Stuff Made of Amazingness Department.

(Ooh, pretty cover artwork.)

Life is good. And it's nice to be surrounded by good stuff and good people. It certainly relieves the pangs of not having a certain Special Someone be around on my birthday.

That reminds me. Bowling and ice cream, Lubna. I don't care how much you've expanded.

Now, excuse me while I go kill some panther poachers in Mexico.

Lots of love,

from Me.

Ps: Lubna. The meme you tagged me with. *Slaps own forehead.* I've filled it in, but it's too embarassing to post!

It's that time we've all been waiting for!

2008-11-05T14:26:00.005+08:00

'Tis the season to:

1. Order three mugs of coffee and not have the person behind the counter judge you;

2. Decorate the floors of your room with piles of papers;

3. Not do housechores and NOT feel guilty about it;

4. Dress like a hobo and get away with it;

5. Ditch the mascara and eyeliner, since dark circles around eyes are suddenly obtained naturally.

6. Go completely nuts at various random intervals and NOT feel weird about it.

... You don't expect me to go all the way up to #10, do you? I have no time. I need to study.

(Above: Honey, draping herself all over my notes.)

Happy Exams Season!

Lots of love,

from Me.

Randomness #2

2008-10-29T23:07:00.004+08:00

In today's episode of Randomness...

Feast your eyes!

Yummy.

From Me.

Ps: Where's me drummer? I miss him.

Pieces of What

2008-10-21T15:49:00.005+08:00

So our Journalism course is finally over. I think all of us have endured 14 weeks of stinging criticism and slap-in-face feedbacks with admirable strength, and I applaud everyone on the team, and thank the lecturer for being kinder than I expected him to be with me. :)

Now that assignments are 95% complete and this is the final week of the semester, I can finally sit down and think about my personal life.

I lost a friend in around April. She was my closest friend, I think, and since we stopped contacting each other due to some dramatic misunderstandings, there was a big void where she used to be in my life.

In September, she sent me text messages and apologized, and as much as I wanted to be friends with her again, I don't know if things can ever get back to how they used to be.

So, tonight, I'm gonna make a move to find out.

I'm gonna contact her.

I can't throw our 7 years worth of friendship away, so I'll try to salvage whatever is left between the both of us.

---

Now, on sillier note, here's a videoclip I made a few months ago after having a chat with my sisters about how some girls in my brother's school fancy the pants off my brother. I made this video in jest. It's a bit disturbing, but I dedicate it to the fangirls.

Muahaha.

In case you were wondering, the song's called What If, performed by Firdaus, with me on the keyboard and providing backup vocals. We're so nerdy, it's embarrassing.

---

Lots of love

From Me.

A Call For Help

2008-10-13T18:30:00.005+08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, please please please go to the UM Post and COMMENT, pretty please.

Our final results depend on you. Yes you. Don't you now feel very important?

Heehee.

---

On the other side of the spectrum...

Ali turned 1 on the 11th of October!

Ali, on the eve of his birthday

After a year of being alive, Ali is still the cutest baby in the world (no offence to other babies).

Lots of love,

From Ali's Cik Sah.

Randomness #1

2008-10-03T16:44:00.005+08:00

Ooh. I think I'm gonna start a new series for this blog, called Randomness, where if I have absolutely nothing insightful to post but still crave posting, then I just post total random, self indulgent pieces of nothingness.

---

So in today's episode of Randomness...

I give you my favourite spot in my room (that's not the obvious bed):

The Creative Corner.

This photo was taken after an orgasmic morning session of song recording. The keyboard is now back at Ashli's house where it belongs, so Jarny the Guitar does feel a bit lonely. Ash, if you're reading this, tell your keyboard we miss making tinkly music with it.

Lots of love,

from Me and Jarny Depp.

Lost!

2008-09-27T12:37:00.002+08:00

So there's a new Coldplay single out, and it's one of my favourite tunes of the album!

I would like to share the Coldplay love with you, so here's Lost!, especially for you!

Watch it, and be prepared to take flight...

...because that's exactly how this song makes me feel... Like maybe if I flap my arms fast enough I might just take off...

Enough about me.

Just in case you haven't noticed, the song in the video is actually played live. And it's even better than the squeaky clean album version! I think I've fallen in love again.

Chris' dance moves are freakier than ever. And even though I prefer his sexy piano moves, I still think he's pretty darn adorrrrable.

Lots of Coldplay love,

from Me.

This Is How Being Uninspired Makes Me Feel:

2008-09-13T09:45:00.004+08:00

Like an unintelligent, incomprehensible, thickhead bozo with Attention Deficit Disorder.

My lecturer made us watch a film about some guy named Dick who went up to the mountains in Alaska and lived 37 years up there alone. Then he told us to write a feature article about the geezer. Now, I have nothing but admiration for this Dick guy, but WRITING AN INTERESTING ARTICLE ABOUT HIM IS THE TOUGHEST THING I'VE HAD TO ENCOUNTER SINCE THE TIME I HAD TO JUMP DOWN FROM THE ATTIC TO THE LADDER WHICH WAS ABOUT A FEET TOO SHORT...

Oh, look. I digress. Stupid ADD.

So instead of writing a 'colourful' article like my lecturer wants me to, I end up writing a few sentences before going online to search for relatively unheard of bands and downloading their music. And then when I listen to these bands' brilliant music, I feel inspired. To start a band. And then I go off to bash on my guitar and write cheesy music that actually sounded really good in my head.

This is a hopeless case.

I have to force myself to write this article, and if I fail to write a colourful article, then I must be brave to face my lecturer's comments about it.

---

In case you were wondering what music I've been downloading, here's a few:

1. Mobius Band - 'Hallie'
Hallie - Mobius Band
2. MGMT - 'Time to Pretend'
Time to Pretend - MGMT
3. Barcelona - 'It's About Time'
ITS ABOUT TIME - Barcelona

And I threw in a bit of Andrew Bird, Carly Simon (!), Feist, and Weezer's Buddy Holly in the mix, too.

Download away, people. You won't regret.

Lots of love,

from Me.

ps: I've updated my Mixtape Sidebar, so have a listen if you want some new refreshing music! (The newer ones are at the top of the list.)

Aisya's Series of Unfortunate Events

2008-08-29T19:39:00.003+08:00

I made a very VERY stupid mistake a few days ago and I regret it.

I said something very foolish at the spur of the moment to someone I care about and acted very out-of-character, probably due to PMS. I got what I asked for though, and let me tell you, the whole 24 hours after that felt like an entire season of 24, that show starring Kiefer Sutherland. Lots and lotsa drama and running around. And someone yang tak berkenaan langsung pun tiba-tiba nangis. Awww... *hugs to her*

I shall never say something without thinking about the consequences ever again.

However, what happened kinda made things better, too...

---

In yesterday's 20th Century Brit Lit tutorial class, I spoke about a line of T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land like a woman on drugs or something. I had no idea what the heck I was talking about, and I bet you anything the lecturer now thinks I'm a fool. *smacks forehead* And now I can never redeem myself with her because another lecturer's taking over next week!

However, I shall do my utter best to write a kick-ass term paper and hopefully that'll make things better.

---

Ramadan is just around the river bend, so I'd like to wish everyone selamat menyambut bulan yang mulia ini. By the end of this month, I will hopefully have gotten over the nasty habit of speaking without censoring my mouth (and hands. I've recently been having spack-attacks online and writing quite offensive comments to people who just push all my wrong buttons).
By the end of this month, insyaallah, I will be a better Muslim, thus a better human being.

Lots of love,

from Me.

The UM Post is Posted!

2008-08-22T20:16:00.003+08:00

So get cracking and click the banner for the news, people!

It looks a bit sparse at the mo, but rest assured, more articles will be coming your way soon.

:)

Oh yeah, comments, criticisms and hatemail are always welcome.

Lots of love

from Me and the rest from the United Media Press.

Girl Makes 5 Jingga Comment: Online Drama Ensues.

2008-08-18T17:04:00.008+08:00

Post removed because it was messy, and you can read it here.

Now All I Need is a License.

2008-08-12T13:44:00.008+08:00

So we were bored, and I had at least an hour left before my Journalism class.

'Heidi. you dah nak balik ke?' I asked Heidi, who was dropping me off to class.

'Yelah. Habis tu, you nak buat apa?'

The most wild, adventurous, wicked, extreme idea popped into my head.

'I nak drive!' I exlaimed excitedly, then shrunk back into my seat, anticipating Heidi's negative reaction.

It never came. The negative reaction, I mean. Instead, Heidi looked dead excited.

'Ah, jom!' he replied excitedly, and stopped his car. 'Tukar tempat.'

I was shocked, and I couldn't believe my ears. Heidi's letting ME drive his car? He knows I can't even walk in a straight line without bumping into things, and he's letting me handle his vehicle?! His Myvi, pulak tu!

But I didn't ask a lot of questions. When rezeki tu datang, you gotta attack it and never let it go.
You see, I had bugged Awi to teach me how to drive since forever. He has agreed, but the lessons have yet to be held. Sometimes he lets me handle the steering wheel from the front passenger seat though, just to make me happy. I've bugged Ezuan too, but he's always finding excuses not to let me sit in his car's drivers seat. Which is wise of him to do, I guess.

Tapi belum cuba, belum tahu, right?

I jumped into the driver's seat of Heidi's car, and he gave me the bare essential instructions on how to move the car and make it stop. Once the lesson was over, that car was ROLLING babeh! At around 2km/h.

Heidi didn't let me go any faster, but as he gained more confidence in me when he realised I have a natural talent at reverse parking and... uh... normal way parking, he let me go a bit faster. Just a BIT faster. But two seconds later, Heidi was already screaming that I was going too fast.

Dang.

So anyway, I drove around the new arts faculty building 3 times and practiced parking loads of times. I even drove past Ezuan's car, and bumped into it a bit. No, not really. But just as I wanted to venture out into the big wide main roads of UM, the one hour was over. Good thing, though, I don't even know the rules of the road yet!

So, ladies and gentlemen, when I grow up, I wanna be an F1 driver.

Only thing I need to worry about now is how I'm gonna fit into one of those race cars.

Lots of summonses probably will come my way

from the UM patrol to Me.

---

ps: Mr Looi is a fantastic actor. Except he sounds Indian when he's pretending to be a man from China.

Note to Self:

2008-08-09T21:16:00.003+08:00

Had a fantastic, magical, amazing, wonderful, brilliant top outing with my Rojak sisters today.

Think about this day whenever I feel the slightest bit down.

From me to me.

ps: Congratulations again to Teck Fann! Love you, dear!

A Note!

2008-08-01T13:41:00.006+08:00

I won't be updating this blog as often any more...

...But don't fret! (Yes, I am so vain, I actually believe there will be people who will fret at this news!)

The UM semester is entering its 5th week, so classes are in full swing and assignments are coming in by the lorry load!

I'm currently taking a Journalism course, and we students involved are required to publish a newsletter. The newsletter we're publishing will be online, and I'm handling the site. SO, ladies and gentlemen, as I will be more occupied with that site, this one will be going on holiday for a while. :)

The newlsetter will be properly up and running hopefully by the end of August, so expect big things ahead! It's supposed to be primarily for and about the students of Universiti Malaya, so our editorial board welcomes articles from other students interested in getting their voices heard and writings published!

Go on! I'm sure everyone's got something to say about our UM, so don't let those thoughts go to waste! I'm currently working on a fashion article and a news report about the free book-giveaways held recently at the UM library.

If you've got ideas or suggestions, do express them to me, either through this blog, but preferably to this email adress: www.um_post.yahoo.com. Any articles you wish to submit can be sent to this same email adress!

Students from other universities and colleges are also welcome to write in!

Oh, and don't worry if you think you're a crappy writer! Our talented Editorial Board can make even a three-sentence note into a full-length article if your writings have a point worth exploring!

We'll be waiting.

Lots of love, from Me. :)

Shopping.

2008-07-14T20:27:00.007+08:00

GROAN.

I desperately need to go shopping for clothes.

Contrary to what you may believe, I absolutely hate shopping for clothes. I'm a very picky consumer, see, and I would never buy something I don't truly love, so shopping expeditions with me can literally be a major pain in the gluteus maximus.

I hate unreasonably overpriced items; I despise exploitative capitalist labels; I prefer to stay well away from things people on the bandwagon are wearing; I never buy stuff that have the brand names displayed for all to see; and I am against unreasonably overpriced items. Oh, I mentioned that one already?

I just feel like it's a complete waste of money to buy, say, a RM300 top from M&S or a RM400 COACH bag when so much more can be done with that amount of money. I just don't think spending so much cash on something just for the sake of looking like a million dollars or so that you can show off to other people is worth it. Purchasing overpriced items only to show them off to other people doesn't exactly make you look like a considerate person either, especially now, when millions are suffering enough due to the inflation. And let's not forget that a lot of high end labels still manufacture their overpriced items at sweatshops in Asia, so basically, we're overpaying these companies that don't even fairly pay our own Asian people, which only contributes to making the gap between the rich and the poor even larger.

I won't deny that the quality of products from high-end labels are good, but... the quality of rip-offs from Petaling Street are great, too. Not that I support rip-offs. But heck, my label-less bag I bought 2 and a half years ago in a shop somewhere in Ikano which I still use to take to UM with me every day is still in great condition! And I must mention that the one-year-old Polo bag I sometimes use (which actually belongs to my sister) is already beginning to peel, and the straps are hanging by a thread (pun intended).

So yeah. Shopping is a pain. I usually window shop around a whole mall before I come back to the first shop I enter and purchasing one item there. And if I find nothing worth buying, then I go home with a throbbing headache and blisters on the balls of my feet.

So. Who wants to teman me on my shopping expedition? I went round OU last week and found nothing, so my next destination is probably MidValley. Siapa nak ikut?

Lots of love,
from Me.

ps: I love bazaars. Now THERE's a place where you can find rare gems!

One More Year to Go!

2008-07-06T19:30:00.006+08:00

Holy moly guacamole.

I'm a final year student starting tomorrow.

How did time go by that fast? No, seriously. I've only just gotten used to the horrid green paint job of our Fakulti Sastera Cafe, and now I'm a senior? No way!!!

My New Sem Resolutions.

1. I will be more enthusiastic in class.

2. I will not complain about having to wake up so early.

3. I will not skip classes just because I'm feeling a bit malas.

4. I will stay away from dodgy-looking food available in cafes.

5. I will hug coursemates more often. (Except the guys. Tough luck, boys. ROFLMAO.)

And here's a very pretty montage of the English Lit majors who will be graduating by next year, insyaallah. Don't we all look so fierce? :P (montage by Yen Yen)

Yeah. We all do look very fierce. Rawr.

Lots of hugs and kisses,

from Me.

An Announcement

2008-07-02T12:29:00.002+08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, today, I would proudly like to announce that

KakZimah and Abang Majid Hafiz are preggers.

Yep.

There's a bun in that oven. A treasure in the safe. A seed in that pot. A bookmark in their book. A fetus in that womb.

So here's me, saying congratulations to the happy couple. CONGRATS! :)

I've been all maternal with my first nephew, Aliuddin Azfar, who has now become just the sweetest little tike, and I'm just about ready to be an aunt to another kid.
SO BRING IT ON! Woo!

(above: Ali processes the thought about a new cousin.)

Lots of party poppers popped,

by Me.

I Wonder What Mrs. Potts is Gonna Look Like

2008-06-26T11:38:00.006+08:00

My favouritest movie everrr is totally Beauty and the Beast. Ok, so I have a bad habit of calling anything I love 'my favouritest movie/song/book everrr', but this movie is definitely on my list of the Bestest of the Best Movies of All Time.

Which is why I'm sure you'd understand if I yelled:

YABADABADOOooOOooOO!!!

at random moments in public, because I'm going to be watching Beauty and the Beast: The Broadway Musical this Friday.

YABADABADOOOoooOOOoooO!!!

Oh, the joy!

Sure, call me a nerd if you want, but I take pride at the fact that I have memorised nearly every word uttered by the characters in the Bestest Best Disney movie everrr, own at least 3 albums that include the Beauty and the Beast Soundtrack, and think that Beast is a frickin hunk. Until he turned human, that is.

I am so excited about this, I think I might cry. Heck, I'd probably start crying tears of joy as soon as I step into the KLCC Convention Centre (which is where it'll be held).

I'm just gonna do this one more time: YABADABA....DOOOOoooOOOooOO!!!

---

Oh yeah, the MTV Asia Awards will be held on August the 2nd at Genting Highlands this year. I wouldn't care less about it any other time, but if Coldplay are going, then so am I, and no one, not even a barricade of soldiers, can stop me. I've been punching a punch bag for the past month, and if my muscles haven't shrunk yet by August the 2nd, then you shouldn't get in my way.

So. Anyone know how I can get tickets? :P

Lots of endorphines

From Me

to you.

I Was About to Buy a Gun and Start a War

2008-06-24T14:02:00.006+08:00

YES!

Finally. FINALLY, after nearly a week since its international release (the wait almost caused me to go out of character: I had violent thoughts about buying a gun and starting a war against EMI Malaysia due to the long delay!), I have finally found the album. I'm not even gonna mention the name of the album, cuz I'm sure you all know what I'm on about. In 2005, the day X&Y came out was a day of much hostility. Read more about it here.

Yesterday, Dot and I were on more... friendly terms, so instead of running about like a mad woman like I did 3 years ago just to be one of the first people in Malaysia to purchase the album, I allowed Dot to enter the record store before me. And I allowed him to purchase the album before I did. And I didn't even have to purchase the album, for he purchased it for me.

Bless!

(above: the album jacket, sleeve, and booklet)

I wish I hadn't downloaded the leaked album on the 6th of June! The quality of the songs on the CD is about ten thousand times better than the downloaded ones. The music is more crisp, more sharp, and every sound, from the faintest of the vocalist's breathing to the tiniest detail of Eno's sonic landscape can be heard. Even Anisah, my sister who I believe must be half deaf due to having noise-cancelling earphones stuffed into her ears nearly 20 hours a day, noticed sounds she hadn't heard before.

For people who only ever download music from the net, most probably illegally (like I do!), that's a really good reason for why you should buy CDs instead. You'll be surprised at how many differences there are between 252kbps to 1411 kbps. :)

Lots of love,

from Me.

The Tale of Too Many Exes

2008-06-20T02:04:00.002+08:00

I know a few people, both guys and girls, who parade the fact that they have multiple numbers of exes.

Some lines quoted from them:

'Weh, ex-ex-girlfriend (thats plural for ex-girlfriend) aku semua cun-cun belaka...' - Serial Dumpee #1, said in a very sleazy manner.

'To all my exes out there, please don't tell your current girlfriends who I am, because I don't want those b*tches knowing who they're receiving their hand-me-downs from...' - Serial Dumpee #2, said in a very b*tchy shoutout on friendster, next to a very slutty, cleavage-full shot of herself.

I find it hard to fathom why these two people are proud of having had a large number of exes. Perhaps they want to tell the world that they are desireable to more than just one person? The truth of the matter, dear Serial Dumpees, is that:

a) There is something seriously wrong with you, that you can't stay in a relationship for long before your partner bolts off for dear life, (for example, I can safely say that Serial Dumpee #1 is a complete sleaze bag, and no girl who prizes her dignity would want that; and Serial Dumpee #2 looks like she just ended her streetwalking shift, that no real good guy would walk with her without feeling embarassed for her) or;

b) You have no idea what the heck you want in a partner. All I can say here, then, is stop throwing yourself into relationships at the drop of a hat, start living life and stop looking for someone to attach yourself to.

I know a very sensible bloke who has regretted having a relationship with this one crazy girl, who he has now broken up with (thank God). He admits that when he had committed himself to her, he was 'very, very immature and stupid.' And now he's happily in a serious relationship to a girl he hopes to (and most likely will, I bet ya!) marry.

Therefore, stop entering the world of relationships just to add another ex onto your shelf of exes, because people who have good sense will not be impressed. They'll only believe that you're always 'very, very immature and stupid'.

Review: Viva la Vida or Death And All His Friends - A Breath of Fresh Air

2008-06-12T14:08:00.007+08:00

By Aisya Shurfa

It's hard to be a music critic who has to write about Coldplay music without sounding like a complete moron, it really is. You either hate them with all the organs in your body like Andy Gill does, or you mildly dislike them with a slight dislike that usually evokes images of upturned noses and eyes cast downwards. Or you think Coldplay are for sissies. And all those feelings are usually spurred by the fact that Coldplay are huge, they sell albums by the millions, they don't include any profanity or loud, bashing metal guitars in their music, and Chris Martin is married to Gwyneth Paltrow. What does all this spell? P-O-P-U-L-A-R-I-T-Y and M-A-I-N-S-T-R-E-A-M. And we all know how uncool it is to like something that’s popular and mainstream.

So I, being a person who doesn't give a rat's anal orifice about being regarded 'cool' (the cool people in Malaysia listen to classical music, the Top 40, or jazz), have decided to review the new Coldplay album, Viva la Vida or Death And All His Friends, as a backlash to all the halfwits who have written piles of manure that, by some unbelieveable twist of logic, have been passed as music reviews. You should avoid reading the earlier reviews of the album, by the way, as they were written by journalists who had attended a 'listening party' held by EMI in their efforts to avoid the album from getting leaked online the way it would if the media gets hold of a copy for reviewing purposes. That idea was complete trite, however, since you CANNOT possibly judge songs thoroughly just by taking one listen to them. Unless you’re reviewing the Spice Girls, or, say, The Tweenies. Coldplay DO make more complex music than you think (let's ignore the repetitive X&Y, and take another listen to Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head). Let's push all the unnecessary bits and bobs of trivia out of the question, and take a look at Coldplay from a musical aspect, since, well, they are a band, if you haven't noticed.

Oh, and whatever piece of information that you know about me and my opinion of Coldplay? Let's try to forget them, at least just for this article, oui?

The album begins with Life in Technicolor, an instrumental opener that fades in mildly, sounding a bit like something from your Microsoft Windows sound theme, thanks to Brian Eno, who helped produce the album. It also brings to mind Athlete's second album opener, In Between 2 States, except Life in Technicolor is so much more. More dynamic, more soaring,
more oomph, thanks to Will Champion's drum beats. A burst of twangy guitars and tabla beats suddenly explode into the scene before the song reaches it's climax with more subtle electronic and synthtastic sounds backed by Chris singing an upbeat repetition of 'woaaaah's. Just as you're about to get up feel the urge to take flight, the song then fades out and suddenly Chris, accompanied by strange, eerie synth noises, starts singing in a low register, muttering lyrics about witches, nighttimes, curses and other dark beings in Cemeteries of London. Around 45 seconds in, the song is swaggering and in full swing, with a catchy bass line, acoustic flamenco-style guitar strums, and hand claps you cannot ignore. Now you can get up and dance to the 'la la la' chant, chanted by Martin and a ghostly choir that gave me chills the first time I listened. And the second time. And the third. In fact, one week after putting the album on repeat, I still get those chills.

And you instantly notice this 'change' that Coldplay have so often mentioned when talking about their newest set of songs. This change, I must mention, which has already been criticised by the media for not being completely radical, is not so in-your-face-so-hard-it's-left-a-bruise, but it's definitely a step forward, which is great, since Coldplay DO have their own sound, just as U2 have their sound, and Radiohead have their sound, and the damn Arctic Monkeys have their sound. So I have absolutely no inkling of an idea why critics condemn Coldplay for sounding similar in all of their past 3 outings, and even in this latest one. What did they expect? Coldplay to turn into Metallica, or, God forbid, start playing jazz? There are no aggravating falsetto vocals that so many people would prefer screeching cats to, there are no larger-than-life pretentious over-echoed typical stadium anthems which were what X&Y was mostly about, and they've returned to the more organic, earthy sounds that made Parachutes such a big, critically acclaimed hit.

One of the changes that I have to mention, since it involves (or does not involve, to be more accurate) what Coldplay are probably most famous for is that this album does not contain any of those power ballads. Nope. No Fix Yous, no The Scientists, no Warning Signs. While the warm blanket that was The Scientist will be sorely missed, and no matter how much you want Martin to sing about how he'd 'bleed (himself) dry' for you, there's no return of that yearning love song all you sentimental ones wept to. In fact, in Viva la Vida, the closest Coldplay get to creating a song that sounds like Fix You and The Scientist combined is Lost!, even if it is only for its resonant Fix You-like church organs and The Scientist-like verse-chorus-verse structure. Otherwise it's a leap away from those favourites. Delicious, upbeat tabla beats drum along the whole song, and those infectious handclaps reappear here, too.

After the organs of Lost! fade away, Chris reverts back to his low vocal register as he sings 'those who are dead are not dead/they're just really in my head'. The track's called 42, and it's the most radically different of all the Coldplay song out there. It begins with Chris' eerie vocals and soft piano with mournfoul orchestral strings. As you begin to wonder when this radical difference is going to start, around 2:30 minutes into the song, the song takes a complete 90-degrees turn, and the mournful eerieness turns into a heavy, instrumental piece that could easily be mistaken for a (-and you knew this comparison would come!) Radiohead tune. Jon Buckland's signature soaring, The Edge-esque guitar playing style is no where to be heard-- Instead, you get something that sounds like a beat-up old robot trying to speak as it rises from a pile of robot carcasses. Amazing. Just as you're about to pick your jaw up off the floor, the song flips around another 90 degrees and suddenly, you get an Arcade Fire-style tune that sounds a tad bit country. And those handclaps. Fantastic. The song then ends with a reflection of the beginning, and that ties up the song very neatly.

Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love, which is actually two completely different songs, follow suit. I'm not too sure about the title, but Lovers is a sparkling, radio-friendly tune that's very reminiscent of U2's City of Blinding Lights. It's a shiny, sing-alongable pop tune.

For those who have missed having Coldplay minus all the synths and computers and machines and lyrics about outer space, you'd probably have a soft spot for Reign of Love, which has Chris singing delicately to you over the soft sounds of the piano. This song could easily belong in a collection of Parachutes B-sides, and it's beautiful in its simplicity.

In Yes, Martin sings in a very low register we've never heard before, so there's something new again. This number is strong in (what I believe is) Turkish influences that bring to my mind those Turkish twirling dancers. While the song is good, with its echoing violins and guitars, it doesn't really stand out for me. Somehow, it just doesn't fit in with the flow of the record. Chinese Sleep Chant, a hidden track, follows Yes, and while many love this one for sounding a lot like the earlier Coldplay (Moses, A Whisper, Daylight, and Crests of Waves), I don't particularly like this one. I can't point my finger on why, though. I love the earlier Coldplay, and one of my favourite elements of their music is Buckland's glistening, soaring guitars which are very apparent in this tune, yet somehow, I always press the skip button when it comes on. I find it annoying that we're not supposed to know what Chris is singing about in his falsetto voice, which is drowned by the loud, instruments. Ah, I think I've managed to put my finger on it. Falsetto + Incomprehensible lyrics = :(

Viva la Vida (the song) is a grand cinematic piece that could fit in nicely in (gasp!) an Enya album. But I love it! Sounding like a piece of upbeat classical music from the 19th century with a modern twist, this song evokes images of French revolutionaries, the Bastille, Napoleon Bonaparte, rolling hills and period dramas, without being over the top or cheesy. Buckland's guitar and Will Champion's drum kit are replaced with layers of sweeping violins, timpanis, bells and chimes. The lyrics about Jerusalem bells, Roman cavalries, St Peter and ruling the world are very vibrant, and are proof that Martin is indeed a good songwriter-- something he didn't really show in the very vague X&Y.

Violet Hill, Coldplay's first single that's only just started to get played on local Malaysian radio as I write this, is described best by Champion: 'We really tried to make it sound like this great big machine that was slightly knackered. Something that's slow and grinding'. Perfect imagery, Champion. With elements of politics, soldiers and snow-covered hills in the lyrics, the music itself reflects its subject matter. There's a slow, marching beat to it, bringing to mind a troop of marching soldiers on a battlefield. Excellent. Oh, and Guy Berryman's sexy bass lines are grooviest here.

When Strawberry Swing starts to play, you might begin to wonder whether someone had replaced your Coldplay record with a Music from the Andes CD, or (even though this song is described by many as having African influences) an album filled with Sarawakian music. Then Martin comes in with the vocals, and halfway through the song, the underlying beat of African drums and Eastern guitars are joined by synths and strong acoustic guitar strums, while Martin sings 'without you it's a waste of time'. Lovely.

The final track, Death and All His Friends, begins quietly, like a lullaby accompanied by tinkling pianos and a bit of Buckland's shimmery, soothing guitars. You might begin to believe that this is another Amsterdam, and it is reminiscent of Everything's Not Lost, but Death is far less predictable. In the same way that 42 makes right-angle turns, Death makes those turns, too. The lullaby ends, and scrumptuous heavy pianos come in with more of Berryman's sexy bass, and Buckland enters with crunchy guitars, and Champion starts drumming away in a faster tempo. Then, the song takes another unexpected turn and transforms beautifully into a soaring crescendo that, in a way, reminds me of the last bit of Politik. The whole band then sings together in a beautiful chorus, much like how they did in Fix You, and this is probably the most climatic, standout moment throughout the whole album. It literally took my breath away.

The album does not end here, however. The sonic soundscapes from Life in Technicolor fades in again, and I had to check my playlist to see if I had put the album on loop by accident. I didn't. I was listening to the album closing The Escapist, which mirrors Life in Technicolor like an album bookend, but with lyrics, and much, much simpler. Martin's final words are 'in the end we lie awake/and we dream of making our escape'. And as he hums soothingly along with the dreamy music, the song floats away. I was on top of a cloud by the end of this one.

So Coldplay have proven, with in the very brief and compact Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, that they have more to offer than power ballads, stadium anthems and the typical verse-chorus-verse structure in their songs. This latest outing is full of shocking turns, explorations of more ethnic music and organic sounds. Coldplay have given their sound a breath of fresh air which will please the older fans, and may convert those who think Coldplay only ever repeat themselves. They've come back bolder and better. I only wish this album was a bit longer.

Score: 8.9/10

To those who think that the hijab is a symbol of oppression...

2008-05-11T23:43:00.000+08:00

...then think again.

For the majority of Muslim women who believe that covering the aurah, (which includes the hair as well as other parts of the body apart from the hands, face and feet) taking off the hijab and revealing their hair to those who aren't allowed to see would be as humiliating and just as bad for them as it would be for non-Muslims and Muslims who don't believe in the hijab (but still believe in modesty) to be forced to get naked in public. Because to the hijab-wearing Muslim woman, the hair is just as equal a private part as the more conventional, universally agreed-upon private parts- like women's breasts, for example, and the genitalia.

How would you feel if you were forced to expose your bits to the world?

In France, Turkey and Tunisia, the hijab is banned from government buildings, schools and universities, because, among other reasons, they believe that the head covering is oppressive to women, and that such religious symbols are 'conspicuous'.

Ah, but here's my question. What do you call banning a person from expressing his/her religious beliefs? Oh, wait. I know.

It's called Opression.

I smell the strong stench of hypocrisy.

Aren't freedom of religion and freedom of expression fundamental human rights today?
-

So heck, yeah, getting a hijab-wearing Muslim woman to reveal her hair is oppressive, as it steals the woman's right to express her religious beliefs and stand for what she believes in.

Now you imagine being forced to bare your most cherished privates in public. Not very nice, is it?

From Me.

ANOTHER Mad Coincidence.

2008-04-28T23:32:00.000+08:00

Note: The author of this entry was under the influence of about 5 litres of caffeine when she wrote this. Do NOT worry. She is now fine, and is tucked soundly in bed.

---

Dear readers.

So I was doing a bit of research about Romantic writers the other day for my 19th Century Literature course, and the first site I stumbled upon online was the wikipedia entry for Romanticism.

So I scrolled to the bit about Arts and Literature, and spotted a painting on the right by Eugene Delacroix, entitled Liberty Leading the People. I thought, 'wow. That woman looks like she can kick some serious ass. And she's wearing a heavy-looking dress, too...'

Then I moved on to the wikipedia entry on Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, since I'll be writing about her in my exam. And, hey, whaddaya know, that same painting is on display there, too.

---

Today, after not visiting the Coldplay site for many weeks, I decided to go there again just to catch up with the latest news. To my utter surprise, I discovered that on this exact day, the site has gone through a complete makeover, and the coverart for the album has finally been revealed.

And here's what it looks like.

Well I'll be darned! IT'S FLIPPIN' DELACROIX'S PAINTING, FOR FLIPS SAKE!!!

Now if that's not a sign that Coldplay and I were just MEANT to be together, then I never writ, nor Coldplay ever made music. :P

---

Ok, this total spak-attack must be caused by the side-effects of too much caffeine in the mugs of black tea and Pepsi Twist I gulped down prior to my American Lit exam. Which was held at 8.15pm, out of all the 24 hours in the day. I feel dizzy. Must get into bed.

Lots of swirley eyed smiley faces,

from Me.

Update on 29th April 2008: I have listened to the new single, Violet Hill, after much anticipation in the whole Coldplaying universe... And I must say, it's amazing.

No, I'm not just saying that cuz I love Coldplay. It truly sounds more like the kind of heavier, harder type of music I've been listening to lately. I was very much afraid they'd come up with a repeat of X&Y, A Rush of Blood or Parachutes, but judging by this song alone, they have totally come up with something new, yet distinctively Coldplay. It's departed from the X&Y commercial sound, and is more earthy-sounding. :) Glad it's not a ballad, but I've fallen in love with the soft piano bit near the end. Amazing. For all those interested, the single is now available for download at coldplay.com for free til next week. <3

ps: I listened to the live debut airing over on bbc1 radio, which is a radio station you should start listening to if you're tired of the trash played on our local stations that pollute our airwaves by repeating the same 5 songs by Usher, Rihanna, Simple Plan, Soulja Boy and all the other crapsoes every hour.

The State of my Brain.

2008-04-20T23:30:00.000+08:00

Have you ever felt like your brain just turned into, like... warm slurpee?

Like a giant evil raven has its talons gripped firmly on your head, tapped a hole into your skull, turned your brains into mushy goo with its beak and is now sucking your creative juices out?

Yeah, that's how I feel. Like my brain has become nothing more than grey squishy matter incapable of producing anything intelligent or creative.

This is what ALWAYS happens just before exams.

Gah.

ps: Good luck, people!

Mad Coincidence.

2008-03-21T23:25:00.000+08:00

Two weeks ago, my Renaissance Lit lecturer asked the class if we knew who Frida Kahlo was, and I answered, 'she's a Mexican artist'.

And now, two weeks later, Chris Martin of Coldplay reveals that their new album, coming out in June, is called Viva La Vida, words quoted from a painting by Frida, which means Long Live Life.

I think me and Coldplay were just destined for each other.

*insanity stroke*

(above: Frida and her amazing eyebrows)

Lots of loopy smiles,

From Me.

Capturing Moments... I Think.

2008-02-27T23:23:00.000+08:00

I attended a Creative Writing class just for fun during the first week of this sem just to fill up 1 out of the 5-hour gap between my classes on Mondays, and man did I LOL during the whole one hour.

Mr Leonard Jeyam, who has taken over Dr Ashraf (who taught me this same subject two sems ago and has now left for Cyprus *sob!*), taught the class how to write haikus, something I've never understood nor attempted to write. Many of the students wrote hilarious haikus. Some where rude, some were shocking, some were provocative, and some were just plain beautiful. As much as I'd love to, I don't think I'm allowed to publish any of the haikus here due to the fact that they're not mine, but I have attemped to create my own haikus-- short poems that are supposed to 'capture a moment', says Mr. Leonard.

I don't know if my haikus qualify being called actual haikus, but ah, if it 'captures a moment', consists of 2-3 lines, and is about 17 syllables long, then it's a haiku to me.

So here goes. A collection of haikus about the loverly mates I spend most of my days with in UM.

---

The Heidi Haiku.

A golden MyVi stops by.
A dazzling smile.
'Good morning!'

---

The Caricaturist.

Sitting behind the wheel.
Tree behind the car.
BUMP.

---

Y2Leong.

Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!
Door opens.
Yen Yen has arrived.

---

V for Vandana.

Tall, dark, beautiful
Walks into the room.
Others whisper and stare.

---

About Shijie.

An innocent smile, then
A spicy, stinging comment.
Everyone laughs.

---

The Beast.

He smiles.
Girls swoon.
I barf.

---

Siti Ber.

Left right left right left
her feet in rhythmic motion
she jogs one more round.

---

Renu(g/k)a.

She holds onto her bag
Tightly, but still
SNATCH!

---

Jaron.

She eats in slow motion.
Poke. Bite. Chew. Swallow.
He chuckles quietly.

---

There. I think that's enough small mounds of crap for today.

Lots of bursts
of short sentences,
from Me.

High School Drama Should Stay in High School.

2008-01-18T23:18:00.000+08:00

It's amazing how people never really change much from the Nightmarish Days of High School.

I met a few people from my old high school a few weeks back and the same dramas from those days of yore still haunt most of us.

Tales of exes and past b*itch fights and hatred were still in our thoughts. Evil looks were exchanged, and conversations reeked of subliminal and double meanings.

Half the people invited didn't turn up, most probably due to the fact that hard feelings were still as hard as ever, and some were still licking their wounds from the lashes they received a few years ago...

It sucks, really, how some of us can't get over the crap that WE ALL had to go through a FEW YEARS AGO. I'm rather guilty of it myself, actually. I went through two whole years of paranoia and remorse over past experiences, and it affected me and other people around me in a negative way for the longest time. Man, I had some serious excess baggage!

But one thing I've learned to do since around two months ago is to just let it all go. The past is the past. What happened in high school shouldn't affect us now, since (and we have to admit this, people) we were all pretty immature back then.

Relationships were formed without much thought; rumours and lies were spread to cover up envy -- envy over another guys' good grades, another girl's popularity with the boys, another guy's 'relationship' with another girl, another girl's attractiveness; and so on and so forth. Pretty stupid, when you think about it now, isn't it?

Above: What happened in high school.

So my advice, dear friends, is to stop treating what we went through in our silly, dramatic pasts as if they're still relevant today. Because they're not. We were young and hormonal, naive and sometimes plain stupid. Come on. I admit I was. A bit. Hahaha. But seriously. We're all much more mature and intelligent now, and much less hormonal, aren't we? Letting those horrors affect us now won't get us anywhere or give us anything except bad nightmares and disturbing flashbacks, so why not try rebuilding our relationships? We might just find that the best friends we never had have been with us all along. :)

Lots of love,

from Me.

Happy Birthday...

2008-01-06T23:14:00.001+08:00

...To Awi!!!

Lots of love, love and love,

from Aisya Shurfa :)

I Want to Complain...

2007-12-12T23:10:00.000+08:00

...about the toilets in Midvalley Megamall.

Damn them toilets!

I hate bidets. Bidets should not have been invented. Bidets should be banned!

I mean, what the heck? I don't understand how we're supposed to use the toilets in Midvalley. The water pressure from the bidets are too low. So what are we supposed to do? Cup the water with our hands and splash away? Or do we have to, like, sit as far back on the loo as possible till the water washes us clean? That's gross! :(

Same goes for the cangkung-type loos. Even drinking fountains can shoot water out higher than those Midvalley bidets.

I am in much distress.

----

On to a more happier note, the word 'w00t' has been voted Merriam-Webster's word of 2007. Which is weird, because I thought I had made up that word in 2004. Perasannya saya. Except my word is spelt 'woOt', and uttered in a high pitch with the muscles above the upper lip kept stiff.

Oh well.

2007 is drawing to a close. I better start reflecting on the year and see how far I've come this time!

Lots of love and woOts!

from Me. :)

I miss...

2007-12-06T23:06:00.001+08:00

...all my smelly chums from UM...

...my hott Rojak sisters: Saraa, Teck Fann, Lubna, Pei Ling!

...and the weirdos from my old Arts 2 class back in Form 6.

*HUGSSSSSSSSSSS!!!*

Barf

2007-11-29T22:54:00.003+08:00

The problem with voicing out your opinions is that you're bound to get yourself some enemies.

There are those who'll either applaud you in support, or write you hatemail and crazy blog entries and wage a war against you.

Now, I'm not going to let the crazy haters stop me from speaking my mind on issues I feel I need to talk about. I don't know about you, but I'd rather be the brave girl who dares to take a risk than the stupid one who has no opinions of her own and just follows the norms of society even though what might be a norm could also be the silliest, most ridiculous thing in the world.

Now, I was reading a bunch of bulletins the other day and came across one from a girl who said she was sick of looking the way she looks. She yearned to be thin, like all the models she's probably seen on TV and in contradicting beauty and fashion magazines. She said she had to be thin in order to work in the media, an industry which places much importance on beauty. She said she's tired of gaining weight even though she never even eats that much in the first place. The next thing she said just pushed all my wrong buttons.

She said she wanted to be bulimic.

Now who in their right mind would say such a thing? You're right. No one!

I have two things to say.

First of all, bulimia is a serious illness that you don't wanna fall into unless you're willing to risk your life to be skinny. And if you're willing to risk your life, then you're one desperate sick child, and you need to see a therapist really fast before you stick your finger down your throat and have your gut end up down the loo.

Second of all, why conform to what society thinks is beautiful? Why torture yourself to fit into what people expect you to look like? Are you seriously that shallow and insecure of yourself that the only way to be happy is by having other people be satisfied with how you look? Get real! You won't ever be happy that way! You'll only be a slave to other people, and you'll constantly be ruled over what they think. And that comment about how you gotta be thin to get a job in the media? Being thin's not gonna guarantee you do a better job.

Get over the thin equals beautiful obsession. It's unhealthy, and you've been brainwashed by popular culture. The one where everyone looks the same, dresses the same, and sounds the same.

I'm not advocating obesity and thrashing thinness, though, don't get me wrong. I'm against anything done and taken in excess. So if you're overweight and you wanna lose weight, then do it the healthy way. Excercise. Control your diet.

Do it for your health. Not for other people. And do it the right way. Throwing up after you eat will only make things worse.

Lots of green lettuce,

from Me.

In a Relationship? Take Heed.

2007-11-10T22:50:00.000+08:00

How to be an annoying couple online.

1. Take about a hundred photos of you two together and post them up on friendster, so that people the world over know that you two are as close to each other as a pair of siamese twins are. The 100 other photos which are a bit ruder should be kept under the Private Photos Section if you don't want your parents/teachers/lecturers stumbling upon them.

2. Write a blog, spilling the beans on every private corner of your relationship to the world.

When you have an argument, write ahout it on your blog!

When you make up, write about in on your blog!

When you feel like you miss your other half, make sure you make it known to everyone that you miss your darling's voice, hands, eyes, lips, and other undisclosed parts, internal and external.

When you break up, write an entry about how angry you are, then once everyone's read it and you are dealing with the feeling of regret that's grasping you by the neck, delete the whole blog off the face of the cyberworld.

3. Make sure you keep writing testimonials to your other half with the words 'I', 'Love', and 'You' every once in a while so that your other half's profile page may ALWAYS, I repeat, ALWAYS have at least 3 testimonials from you at any given time.
Oh, and make sure you snap a photo of yourself and post that in a testimonial too, lest people forget that you're his/her boyfriend/girlfriend.

4. Make sure your profile provides enough information about the relationship you're in. For example:

Occupation: My Boyfriend's Girlfriend. (Or vice-versa).

Affiliations: I am attached to My Boyfriend / Girlfriend.

Hobbies and Interests: Watching TV, (INSERT SIGNIFICANT
OTHER'S NAME HERE), sleeping, chatting, (INSERT SIGNIFICANT OTHER'S NAME HERE TOO), playing football, listening to the radio. I preferably like doing all of the above things with my (INSERT SIGNIFICANT OTHER'S NAME HERE ONE LAST TIME).

Favorite Movies: Any movies watched with my girlfriend/boyfriend.

Who I would like to meet: (INSERT SIGNIFICANT OTHER'S NAME HERE)

Your 'About Me' section must include information about how you love and fancy your other half, and how you two met, as well as what qualities you love about him/her. Extra points if your 'About Me' is written by your other half.

If you follow the above steps closely, you're well on your way to being the sweetest, most vomit-inducing couple in the world.

Lots of love,
from a very annoyed Me.
ps: Moderation.

Get Real

2007-11-08T22:44:00.000+08:00

My sister Anisah had written a blog entry called 'A Guide for Guys: What to avoid when trying to win over the girl you like', and she made a few points relevant for the 'single man desperate to change his status'. However, there was one point missing, so I decided to write this to add to the list.

If you're a single guy and you're interested in getting a woman, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, list down the kind of women you fancy.

For example, a guy named Rahul Lothario wants a girl. Here's what he writes on his blog/friendster profile/myspace:

I want a woman who has endless legs, washboard abs, long wavy brown hair and bee stung lips. She must be well-groomed and confident of her looks.

She must be athletic, and she must work out by doing yoga and weightlifting and pilates and yogalates and situps everyday. She must not, however, look like She-Hulk.

She has to have a wicked sense of humour and be intellectual and must have read at least five Literature Greats by Leo Tolstoy, Shakespeare, Chaucer, and the likes.

She must be....

You get my drift.

Now, unless you're James Bond, you cannot demand for such a woman, for such drop-dead gorgeous, intelligent fembots hardly exist in real life. Yes, Bond Women are not real, you know. Sorry to burst your bubble, love.

And mind you, the points listed above are super shallow. There's so much more to a woman apart from her looks, and what she's read, so stop listing out the qualities you're after, cuz you'll end up disappointed, and women you're after end up offended. Needless to say, you end up looking like a right piece of JERK, and even if you are one, it's not something you should make so obvious if it's women you're after.

WE ARE NOT OBJECTS, nor are we DOGS COMPETING IN A DOG SHOW who need judges ticking off and giving points for the qualities we do and do not have.

A woman loves a man who loves a woman who's REAL. :)

There you go.

Lots of love for unshallow men and real women,

from Me.

The Boy With No Name Who Had to Wear Pink

2007-10-22T22:37:00.001+08:00

So yeah. Since my last update, I've become an aunty. Mak Teh, I am now called. Except the 'Mak' makes me feel so old. So it's Cik Teh. Yeah. Suddenly, all maternal instincts I never knew I had has come out in all its glory.

Well anyway, enough about me, it's my first nephew that should be wrapped in his cute little pink blankie and placed into the spotlight!

(top: I told them not to look like a lesbian couple, but would they listen? Noooo.)

Aliuddin Azfar came into the world on the 11th of October, 2007 with quite a bang. We were all expecting to welcome a baby girl, since that was what the doctors had been telling us ever since KakAsma did the ultrasounds, but a phone call from KakAsma on the date of birth resulted with Mama bursting out into a shriek of a laugh when she revealed that the doctors got it wrong, and that the baby had a dangly part. (Is that how you spell dangly? As in something that dangles?)

So the poor baby, who the happy parents were planning to name Naimah, ended up nameless and having to wear all the pink clothes that were bought for him. Kesian. Lets hope this doesn't psychologically twist him. Nasib baik the baby basket is blue.

He was nameless for about three days, and the whole family and our friends, who would just love to get to name a baby, were kept busy during that period spitting out all sorts of names, from Yussof to Muszaphar (heheh) to Benyamin to Jeffri (!) to Qassim to Marmaduke (which is even more nonsensical than Jeffri).

In the end, the father, Abang Faiz, and KakAsma took matters into their own hands and named the little tike Aliuddin Azfar. :)

Since requests for official press head shots of the cute little baby boy were made, here you go! Drool all you want, all you people who go ga-ga over baby pics (I'm looking at you, Lubna and Babu Jee)!

Bless! He's got his daddy's nose! And he's got dimples! Honestly, I've seen a lot of new born babies, but this one has GOT to be the cutest! :)

Ok. I've GOT to stop staring at him.

Lotsh of love for Azfar,

from Cik Teh. :)

A Reminder

2007-10-05T22:33:00.000+08:00

Ever wondered what it would be like to lose the person you love most?

Close your eyes. Imagine living a life without the person you hold dearest.

Parents.

A sister.

A brother.

Your spouse.

Your friend.

Your partner.

I can't imagine this world without mama. There would be a vast void in life if I were left

without her loving, kind smile; her wise, soothing words; her unconditional love; her dedication towards her family; her unrelenting strength in enduring the many challenges we have had to face as a family.

Today, I'd like to tell those people who occupy the deepest space in my heart that I love them dearly, and that I am grateful for their existence.

Maybe you should take the time to appreciate those who you love, too. Take time out from your busy schedule to acknowledge the ones who have given you a reason to hope, to live life with joy. The ones who keep your secrets and never turn against you, the ones who make your eyes sparkle, and the ones who make you laugh your heart out.

The ones who make you feel wanted, and the ones who make a difference.

No one lives forever, and you could be losing a person who means the most to you at any moment, without a warning.

Lots of love.

From Me.

Jot Book

Movie Melayu Paling Crap Yang Pernah Aku Tengok.

You Probably Don't Care, But...

"Your English Sucks..."

Demons of Doubt

Acceptance.

Advocacy Group Decries PETA's Inhumane Treatment Of Women

Resolution.

It's All Just Sweet Talk.

Randomness # 6

Superheroines! Part Three: Aqua

The Notebooks

This Void...

Superheroines! Part Two: Terra

Superheroines!

Ok, fine. Let's write a blog post!

Procrastin-X!

If Only...

The Finish Line

Hiatus

Randomness #5

Randomness #4

Random Drawing of the Day #2

Untitled #2

A Dreamer's Dream

Oh, Hello, 2010.

Random Drawing of the Day

It's How You Look at It.

The Exhibit!

Loud Monologue.

Hark, a Vagrant!

From last February.

The Oracle Knows Everything, Y'all.

Graduation (Friends Forever)

Untitled #1

An Incident

My First Handmade Tote!

Strawberry Swing is too cute.

I Haven't Been Here in Ages!

You're Not Any Different

A Thousand Splendid Kites

Get Yourself Off the Floor!

I'm Am Now Officially a Twit

That's Sew Cool.

I'll Miss All of You

Randomness #3: We Love Hijab

Hijab 101

If You Love Me, Then You Should Accept the Fact That…

Chris Martin Totally Waved at Us.

UHU...huhuhuhu...

And The Truth Is...

Wait... I Won?

Oh My GAAAWD *Dies*

Umairah

Meet Juno.

Now My Feet Won't Touch the Ground :)

Do Unto Others...

Ah, I've I Been Expecting You, 2009...

Au Revoir!

Final Sem, Here I Come!

Sweetness in Solitude

I Am Permanently High...

Hey, Girlfriend!

Where Do I Begin?

It's that time we've all been waiting for!

Randomness #2

Pieces of What

A Call For Help

Randomness #1

Lost!

This Is How Being Uninspired Makes Me Feel:

Aisya's Series of Unfortunate Events

The UM Post is Posted!

Girl Makes 5 Jingga Comment: Online Drama Ensues.

Now All I Need is a License.

Note to Self:

A Note!

Shopping.

One More Year to Go!

An Announcement

Oh My GAAAWD Dies