Ponderings, musings, mindless chatter, sleep-deprived drivel ...

mine? maybe not ...

2008-12-02T13:03:00.002+08:00

ever heard of this?

"what there is should belong to those who are good for it"

i guess i'm just not good for it ... *shrugs*

breathe ...

2008-04-09T18:16:00.001+08:00

09/04/2008 17:02:02 V to M: EVERY BREATH I TAKE YOU ARE WITH ME

....

rat race

2008-03-30T23:05:00.002+08:00

tomorrow marks the end of march, and tomorrow will also mark a new beginning. tomorrow i will re-enter the rat race. am i excited? sure. what's not to be eager about? imagine the many exhilarating experiences waiting for me. think about all the new people i'm going to meet, places i'm going to go to and stuff i'm going to get myself into. the anticipation almost makes me pee in my panties. heh.

... and yet, a small, thoroughly obstinate part of me is somehow trying to resist this new development. it is, in small, cunning ways, trying to douse cold water all over the excitement and in effect, its making me dread going back to work. i don't know. maybe when i quit my last job 13 months ago (yes, it has been that long heh), i thought i've passed the finish line and that the only thing i'd do henceforth would have nothing to do with working with and for strangers. i thought i would be doing something worthwhile, something i've been longing for for a long time, something for my own little family. its rather depressing, to say the least, so i hope, when i get up tomorrow morning, i can shake this feeling off and start this new rat race of mine with a bang.

on your mark, get set, go ...

*deep breaths*

the white wolf pounces

2008-02-29T16:19:00.003+08:00

i'm proud of you, darling!

and since today is feb 29, there's something i'd like to ask you ....

aşkım, benimle evlenir misin??

;-)

F.M.I.A

2008-01-01T20:58:00.001+08:00

... is short for "for my immediate action" heh.

forget about my wistful wants, needs and wishes. i've thought of a few things that needed my IMMEDIATE action, so here goes;

(please take note that this list was made up by my conscience, who did all that without consulting me first. GRRR!)

get off your ever-expanding butt and start working out again, for God's sakes, and stop making stupid excuses to get out of it, like your dog ate your gym shoes, or something, you sneaky liar! everyone knows your dog only exists in your little imaginary world.
stop eating junk food and you can start by putting down that HUGE slice of sinfully luscious triple chocolate cake. yes spit out what's already in your mouth too, you big, fat glutton!
get a freaking job, you lazy layabout. and i mean a REAL one, that pays REAL money, not like the last one that paid monopoly money, that you happily used to pay for that bag of cheetos (geez, junk food again!?) and got you busted 'cos DUH! they're not real money. God, can't you tell the difference anymore?
get married already ... and *censored to protect the innocent* (no you really REALLY don't wanna know what had transpired in that conversation).
do something to your hair, woman. its a freaking living rainforest, complete with scaly and furry wild animals. its so out of control, i've even seen packs of pygmies running around naked in there somewhere.

uhmmm anything else? no? ... ok i'll get started then. in that order.

;-)

wants, needs and wishes

2007-12-31T20:14:00.000+08:00

superficially, i'm pretty crippled without photoshop *, so yeah, that's what i want in 2008. realistically, what i really want is a few more dollops of patience.

i'm very lonely without him, so yeah, that's what i need in 2008.

i'm still disillusioned with alot of things, so yeah, i wish somehow i'd know what i'm supposed to do/be doing, especially in 2008.

... but really, all i want is peace in the world (do i sound like a beauty queen? teehee!), and what i need is more love for everyone and what i wish for is happiness and direction.

too much to ask? i hope not ...

currently, i'm filled with gratitude for all the goodness, blessings and glad tidings Allah has given me. alhamdulillah!

have a good year, dear friends.

* when my pc crashed a few months ago, my poor photoshop 7 got swallowed by the evil blue screen 'o death monster. *sigh*

doğum günün kutlu olsun

2007-12-13T14:19:00.000+08:00

doğum günün kutlu olsun, aşkım

seni çok seviyorum

seni çok özledim

happy 3Xth, my love!

older but twice hotter than ever!

;-)

be safe, my darling!

2007-10-18T16:39:00.000+08:00

i just found out that he is currently placed in a highly dangerous and volatile situation. he is right now, at the border between turkey and northern iraq and he will be commanding a team of military doctors and medical personnel to assist and treat soldiers, should a cross-border offensive be launched against the separatist kurdish rebels, the PKK (kurdistan workers' party). the PKK has recently launched a series of hit-and-run attacks from bases in northern iraqi mountains, most recently 2 sundays ago, when a land mine exploded in southeastern Sirnak province (about 15 miles from the iraqi border), killing 13 turkish soldiers (the highest death tolls in recent years). yesterday, the turkish parliament approved a motion authorizing the government to order the military to conduct a cross-border operation into northern Iraq to crack down on the outlawed terrorists.

days before this motion was passed, all army personnel, active and reserve, have been put on standby or sent to the northern iraq border. even though he's not an active member anymore, he will be in the reserve till he's 46. he told me he has been sent there since last saturday. he was supposed to call me on friday when they celebrated seker bayrami (eid-ul-fitri) but he didn't and i didn't hear from him till today. he said he'd probably be there for a few days or a week. it will all depend on whether the troops will move into iraq. in the meantime, he will try to call me as often as he could.

i'm speechless ...

i'm upset, worried and anxious.

how would you feel if you were me?

please pray for his safety. that's the best thing we can do now. thank you.

aşkım, seni seviyorum hemde çok. seni çok özledim. kendine iyi bak. take care my love, i love you.

me and you (brighter than sunshine)

2007-09-04T15:44:00.000+08:00

I didn't have the strength to fight

Suddenly you seemed so right

Me and you

What a feeling

*******************************

Love will remain a mystery
But give me your hand and you will see
Your heart is keeping time with me

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
It's brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine
And it's brighter than sunshine ...

i "hennaed" an innocent cake!

2007-07-10T13:48:00.000+08:00

last thursday, ayu (simplycupcakes) made a proposition i couldn't refuse. she asked me to decorate her cake (covered with white fondant) with arabic/moroccan patterns. how can i say no to that? heh. anyhoos, i decided to do a rather simple and basic moroccan pattern so that the pattern will stand out nicely, even from afar. ayu then decorated the top of the cake with fresh red roses and 2 plump, white feather plumes.

the final setup looks gorgeous! the cake is perched atop the highest tier of a 4 tier stand, surrounded by cute cupcakes with white frosting and little red hearts. as always, another beautiful masterpiece by the talented ayu!

nice? i think so too! hehe!

note: for the record, i just did the icing on the white cake. all cupcakes and cake was made by ayu of simplycupcakes.multiply.com

o.n.e

2007-07-08T08:07:00.000+08:00

one wish

one hope

one love

one, one day ...

soon, insya Allah.

happy first, sevgilim

here's to many more to come!

aşkım,

i love you

saya cinta padamu

ich leibe dich

te amore

jet'aime

seni seviyorum hemde çok

more than meets the eye

2007-07-02T20:03:00.000+08:00

i can’t remember the last time i cried at the movies, but i know it wasn’t over some mushy rich-girl-meets-poor-boy-family-hates-boy-do-all-they-can-to-separate-them-but-they-stuck-through-thick-and-thin-boy-does-something-heroic-family-indebted-finally-gives-their-blessings-everyone-lived-happily-ever-after kind of chick flicks. heh. no thankfully i’m able to differentiate between screen and real. thankfully i’m not THAT psychotic. haha. sorry bollywood fans out there. someone even said i have a heart of stone cos i didn’t cry after watching one famous bollywood movie. duh! come on!! unless you think you’re the actors and actresses, how can you be that affected??

however, today i cried at the movies. i was so moved, my heart beat really fast, the hair on my arms raised on their ends and tears rolled down my face. eh no no no, i have a heart of stone remember? it wasn’t cos the guy left the chick for another guy, hyukhyuk. it wasn’t even a mushy love story. God, i hate them so no i won’t be caught dead watching a silly chick flick. heh. go on, throw tomatoes at me (they are good for my skin hehe!).

from the title of my post, i think most would know which movie i caught today. yes, TRANSFORMERS, ROBOTS IN DISGUISE! i remember watching the cartoon when i was a young girl (ya lor, once upon a time, i was a young girl heh). i have an older brother so yes i get to watch boy cartoons. huh?? who the f**k is barbie? heh.

so, why did i cry? is it cos bumblebee lost his legs in an explosion? or cos megatron got cubed? heh. ok, you have to watch the show to know what i mean.

let me tell you, i wept at the sheer amount of superduperkickass animation and robotic/mechanical technology portrayed in the movie. yes, i am 100%, a true blue animation and robotic geek. i’ve always been VERY piqued and interested in physics and how things work.

as a terribly novice but inspiring animator (yes i’d like to be a good 3D animator), i could only imagine and wonder how many million sleepless man-hour the guys at dreamworks had to sacrifice to make the movie. well, first they have to build ALL the models from scratch (building a 3D model is fun but a pain in the butt ok), then animating them frame by frame, one tiny movement at a time. phew! like i said, i could only imagine. i read they took a gazillion hours (ok i exaggerate) to render the frames. boy, when i did my animation course, i became insane after just 4 hours of rendering (a 5 second clip heh). i wish i could learn from these people. the way they make robots transform to vehicles and vice versa is spectacular beyond description. i was in awe. i spent most of the movie going WHOA! eyes wide with child-like amazement, and lower jaw perpetually on the floor.

anyhoos, go catch it if you can, whether or not you’re a transformers fan. the animation and astonishing amount of technology put into creating these beautiful and technologically advanced aliens are just too mind-blowing to miss. take my word for it. i ain’t one who’d get mushy over some movie. i only wish that megatron has more screen time. isn’t he the most powerful and evil of the lot?

my favourite? it’s a toss up between optimus prime and bumblebee. prime is kind and fatherly, but bumblebee is bright, playful and loyal. i'll go with bumblebee, that's just the kind of man, i mean robot i'd like to have around me. heh.

note: i used to know someone who is so obsessed with the transformers that he'd write stories based on the characters. that's how i was kept updated about them.

hybrid

2007-06-06T09:39:00.000+08:00

saya cinta padamu hemde çok!!

ummm ... turkish-malay, anyone??

;-)

aşkım, beni çok mutlu ediyorsun

bridal henna bookings!!

2007-05-29T16:33:00.000+08:00

ANNOUNCEMENT!

i'm currently available for bridal henna bookings for JUNE, JULY and AUGUST 2007 ONLY. so if you haven't found a henna artist for your big day, email me asap.

firestarter

2007-05-24T13:10:00.001+08:00

yes, i did go to the gym yesterday. and i'm feeling a little sore now. i spent 35 minutes on the treadmill going up and down steep hills, alternating between briskwalking, running and jogging, and at the end of it, burned 200 calories. sigh. from the way i was sweating (buckets, i tell ya!) i thought i had burned alot more than that. after that (with shaky knees), i did my usual routine on the weight machines. by the time i was done, my knees were like jelly. all in the name of health (and vanity). heh.

unrepentent, i head to the stationary bikes. i started pedalling briskly, reaching 100 rpm (revolutions per minute) and maintained that speed. sweat started pouring down my face again, and my heart was pumping wildly. after a few minutes, i felt fatigue. telling myself i need to burn more calories, i kept pedalling. have you ever been in a position when you're working out and you're hanging on to the very last inch of your strength, and all your muscles are screaming in pain, and all that you see is a blurry patch, and your throat is parched, and your heart is pumping so fast and your head feels like exploding and all you wanna do is give up and stop? well, that was what i felt, but salvation came in the form of prodigy, via the firestarter, through my trusty ipod, and that was all the boost i needed to just keep pedalling until i reach my goal. and not just that, i actually kept pedalling till the end of the song, a good extra 5 mins! phew and boy! never underestimate the power of motivational songs. heh. i cycled over 15km yesterday. wow.

it helps too that everytime i hear that song, it reminds me of that scene in the charlie's angels movie where the angels were fighting that creepy guy (who rips off their hair to sniff at it) who also played george "i'm your density" mcfly. i dunno why but i like how that song and that scene give me an adrenaline rush.

oh and yes, i DO have a folder of songs in my ipod called "workout". so what's in your workout songlist? let's share! i'll start!

* jewel's top ten workout songs *

firestarter - prodigy (obvious reasons)
this ain't a scene, it's an arms race - fall out boy (i LOVE this song!!)
the distance - cake (great for running)
sexyback - justin timberlake (yeah! i'm bringin' sexy back!)
don't phunk with my heart - black eyed peas (fun song!)
return of the tres - delinquent habits (great for abs routine)
brim full of asha - cornershop (fun, flighty song)
crazy in love - beyonce (shake that bootay!)
hot in here - nelly (so hot, it hurts)
arabic bellydancing routine - unidentified artiste (gelek-gelek. hehe!)

yes i know, it's a strange collection of varied styles and genre, but that's just me. i'm strange like that. heh.

health is wealth

2007-05-22T14:14:00.000+08:00

cliched but true. that's one of my late father's favourite phrases though, and i like it.

anyways, i need to get back to the gym, pronto. like, soon! like, tomorrow. yeah, sooner the better. last week was really weird for me. i've been a bit out of sorts so i didn't even step out of the house for six days (yes, horrors!), much less gone to the gym. then i was plagued by a bout of stomach flu over the weekend, which rendered me lifeless and tired (for practically spending the whole of sunday in the urmm ... detoxification chamber. heh). yeah i miss going to the gym. never mind that the morning crowd is usually made up of a gaggle of aunties and ah-sohs, i like working out as the sun is starting to rise and life is just starting outside and most normal people are trudging grudgingly into their offices. heh. working out makes me happy. heck working out is better than working. hyuk hyuk hyuk. endorphins, come to momma!

oklah, tomorrow i go to the gym k? no more excuses.

oh and you ... it's lovely to have you back. çok mutluyum! i have missed you so! seni çok özledim!

chris rocks!

2007-05-17T13:18:00.000+08:00

i've spent many sleepless nights watching them at work. i would stare in wonder at the amount of talent they have and the effortless way they practise their art. as an (aspiring) artist, i have great respect for such amazing talent. regardless that their artform is not what i would advocate nor promote, pure and raw talent seized the day, and for that, i'm in awe.

my favourite?

chris garver's da man ... he rocks!

(don't bother looking him up if you don't know who he is)

oh ... and you ... i miss you. come back soon.

"Yesterday I saw the sun shinin',
And the leaves were fallin' down softly,
My cold hands needed a warm, warm touch,
And I was thinkin' about you."

you and me

2007-04-13T20:25:00.000+08:00

"and it's you and me in the summertime

we'll be hand in hand down in the park

with a squeeze and a sigh and that twinkle in your eye

and all the sunshine banishes the dark

and it's you I need in the summertime

as I turn my white skin red

two peas from the same pod yes we are

or have I read too much fiction?

is this how it happens?"

love will come through, it's just waiting for you.

seni çok seviyorum

more magic words!

2007-04-04T10:50:00.000+08:00

"raporu aldım. dediğim tarihte orada olacağım"

i can barely contain my excitement!! ;-)

ER

2007-03-29T10:12:00.000+08:00

for the past 2 months i've been hooked on watching reruns of E.R. (for the uninitiated, it's a medical drama revolving around doctors and nurses in an emergency room in a fictitious hospital in chicago). it's now showing, everyday, on the hallmark channel. and it starts at midnight. so without fail, at the stroke of midnight, i'll park myself in front of the idiot-box to ogle at dr doug ross (young george clooney, y'all! WOOT!), and immerse myself into the magical world of cute but strung-up doctors, efficient but gossipy nurses and blood, gore and death. what an exciting place the ER is.

yes i know the show first came out in 1994. yes i know that i'm 13 years behind. and yes i can hear my fellow mcdreamy-fans clucking away like chickens in the background. don't worry, i still love grey's anatomy and hottie mcdreamy, but ER is addictive as hell. seriously, i now fully understand why its one of the longest-running medical drama series to date. i now totally comprehend why this highly-acclaimed show has won a host of awards over the years, including a record 21 emmys from a staggering 108 nominations. perhaps george clooney had something to do with it, but really, the show packs serious punch with witty and interesting storylines, a great ensemble of actors and the always orgasmic (to me, at least) medical jargons. yeah yeah, i know, i'm weird. heh.

anyhoos, a pal of mine told me i seriously need to get a life, when i told her about my latest addiction. she said, and i quote, wow you actually tune in to the hallmark channel? you need a life. heh. yeah yeah, i know alot of shows on that channel are either has-beens or c-grades, but who cares? ER is as good as it gets, and as long as i'm waiting for grey's third season to finally air here, i might as well get cuddly with some hot docs on ER.

aşkım, you're superman, babes!! seni çok seviyorum!

"baby, love will come through, it's just waiting for you ... "

magic words

2007-03-27T09:34:00.000+08:00

and the words of the day are ...

ORAYA GELEBİLİRİM

music to my ears!

teşekkur ederim ... seni çok seviyorum, aşkım

sevgim sonsuza kadar sürecek!

s.i.x

2007-03-19T17:44:00.000+08:00

six weird things about me? sure, why not? heh. do take note that some, none or all of the things listed below may or may not be true, and may or may not be written strictly tongue in cheek. however they are there for my own sick entertainment and my perverse need to see shocked expressions on people's faces. don't worry, feel free to make your own wild speculations. i'm pretty sure you won't get struck by lightning tomorrow for doing that. heh.

1) i sniff at my food before i eat it
2) i eat babies (yes i sniff at them before i eat them too)
3) i have a few imaginary friends (yes they live in my imaginary world)
4) i'm extremely intelligent (beyond belief)
5) i have the attention span of a dead gnat
6) i'm an elf

ok dah ...

what next?

2007-03-19T15:18:00.000+08:00

waiting sucks ...

yes, i know, i'm not the world's most patient person.

*sigh*

************

"And it's open

For distraction

You found all the words you need

Well I found nothing

I just grumble

'cause I don't know what I feel

The moral to the story goes

Never leave your heart

Never leave your heart ... alone"

************

"The moral to the story goes

Never leave your heart

In a box

Locked up

With cold cold ice

Never leave your heart ...

Never leave your heart ... alone"

tremors

2007-03-06T19:47:00.000+08:00

tremors were felt today in singapore at approximately 11:50am, and i thought i was just having another low blood pressure moment (yes i get them sometimes). even though i was seated, i swayed a little in my seat, the room seem to be shaking gently and i felt a little dizzy. it happened for a few seconds, but enough to make me aware that something bigger than tremors has happened somewhere. true enough, news spread like wildfire of an earthquake of 6.6 on the richter scale has rocked padang, sumatra. the epicentre of the earthquake is just 430km away from singapore. incidently i've been to padang (my father was born in sumatra and i have relatives there) and i love that place. a second round of tremors hit again about 2 hours later, from the aftershocks, but i didn't feel them from where i am. i heard that people were evacuated from some buildings. i live on the twelfth floor of an apartment building. i can't imagine what would happen to us if an earthquake would hit singapore. i don't even want to imagine. i know it would be devastating. how frail is our life? we have nothing against nature. none at all. i thank Allah everyday for my life, alhamdulillah.

in other news, this is my second last pictureless post before i complete moby's little challenge. apparently i'm the slowest turtle in the race. heh. to be honest, i've been posting pictureless for sometime, so it should be pretty easy for me, and i have quite a bit of fodder for new entries. the hard part is to actually sit down and write them. yeah, that's my problem, i am a huge procrastinator, add a dash of anal-retentive streak and you get no entries. perhaps this is just an excuse, maybe i'm just lazy (that's true too!). whatever it is, i told moby that i will complete this challenge, so i will. and uhh, i will post another entry tomorrow. heh.

askim, seni seviyorum hemde cok. sizinle olmak istiyorum. sevgilim, bana don! seni cok ozledim.

heart to heart (kalp kalba)

2007-03-04T18:26:00.000+08:00

here we are
staring straight into tomorrow's eyes
what do you see?
can you see the same as me?

we hold hands
we'd take walks and talk and laugh about things
i tell you what
this could be the way that everyday was meant to be

i don't wanna go
i don't wanna stay one night or one day
so i'll stay the rest of my life
i don't wanna leave
i don't wanna be one night or one day
so i'll stay for the rest of my life

how about that?
waking up every morning with me
spend our time
drinking coffee, speaking softly as the days go by

i don't wanna go
i don't wanna stay one night or one day
but i'll stay the rest of my life
i don't wanna leave
but i don't wanna be one night or one day
so i'll stay for the rest of my life

*************************************

sana kalbimi versem
ona seninki gibi bakar misin?

oi! gullit!!

2007-03-03T15:54:00.000+08:00

if you don't know who ruud gullit is, then damn, you're so young! heh. anyway just to humour the clueless and oblivious, gullit is one of football's greatest greats. he was a famous and talented dutch midfielder who enjoyed his heyday in the 80's and 90's. i don't feel compelled to write his life story here so if you're THAT interested to know more, go ahead and google. "so what's the point of even mentioning him then?" you might ponder. and i would reply, the gist of this entry is simply, his hair.

"huh?? 'sup with his hair??" i'm guessing you'd then ask.

ok let me tell you a story. last thursday i got to know this nice lady and boy, does she have the most beautiful, curly hair i've seen. yeah i know, people with curly hair wish they had straight hair and vice versa and you probably think i have straight hair for saying her curly hair is beautiful, but i don't, my hair is wavy-curly. on good days, its wavy in a teasingly sexy way and on bad days, it looks "a-bomb-exploded-on-my-head", birdnest crazy. and yes, it's static too. it has a life of its own and would usually just ignore that i exist. diva personality, if you ask me.

"so urmmm, i still don't get it. what's your point again?" you'd probably demand.

this lady's hair, let's call her R, is naturally curly and its beautiful. it reminds me of my youth (heh) when i had that kind of curls in my hair. they looked like telephone wires, tight, cockscrew curls. get my drift? yeah i love that kind of curl. i think it's beautiful. and this brings me to the REAL point of this entry and why i mentioned ruud gullit earlier. back when i was in school (light years ago, haha), the boys, whenever they saw me, would call out, "OI! GULLIT!!!" simply because my telephone-wire curly hair, according to them, looked like gullit's hair, which i'd like to highlight, was not exactly curly, but dreadlocked. the nickname stayed with me till the day i graduated. i guess i kinda enjoyed being called that by the boys. i'd rather be named after a football great, than an instant noodle brand (maggi, anyone?).

ok i'm glad this is a pictureless entry, cos i can't/won't post photos of my gullit hair. heh. it's a shame that my hair is not that kind of curly anymore, cos i thought it was beautiful. nevermind that on some days i looked like a captain caveman incarnate (if you don't know who captain caveman is, damn, you're TOO young for me!), i still love it cos it made the boys call me, OI GULLIT! heh. boy, the things that make me happy. what a strange puppy i am. heh.

true love waits

2007-02-28T10:10:00.000+08:00

this is a real story, as recounted by the great-grandson himself. a truly touching love story. one that transcends the boundaries of patience and true love. and in it, is a lesson that touches my heart so profoundly, because it's the one thing that i have yet to grasp in the true sense of the word. may Allah grant me the mother of all patience. amiin!

"this is a story about my great-grandfather. he was sent to fight in the dardanelles during the first world war. dardanelles is on the other side of the bosphorus, a narrow channel in northwestern turkey that connects istanbul to the aegean sea. it connects the aegean sea to the sea of marmara. we lost 250,000 people there, and so did the enemies. miraculously, my great-granddad managed to come out of that war alive. he was then taken to yemen to fight the british army. he was captured there and was sent to england as a POW, to a place called gosport. i've been there, this town is now known as "turk town" because alot of the POWs continued living there after the war. my great-granddad lived there for seven years. all that time, nobody knew if he was alive or dead. after seven years, he went back to his village and found my great-grandmom still there, waiting for him. she could have assumed that he had died and gotten remarried but she didn't and she waited for him. she knew deep in her heart that he was still alive and he would come back for her, so she waited for him. my grandmother only saw her father for the first time when she was seven years old, she was born when my great-granddad was away at war. now my great-grandparents are buried together, their graves side by side, in the village. i will always visit them whenever i go there, and insya Allah, i will take you there too. i know sometimes its hard, but remember that patience always pays back. true love waits, just have faith."

thank you, for the lesson. i WILL try my best. may Allah help me.

seni cok seviyorum!

dr amir and mr hyde

2007-02-24T22:21:00.000+08:00

eversince he got acquainted with a certain dr mcdreamy (*ahem* MY dr mcdreamy, not the one on GA. heh), my wombat of a nephew would tell us that he's DR AMIR, although sometimes he'd also tell us he wants to be a builder like B-O-B (spells BOB!). so to encourage the little critter, this excited aunty got the little wombat a toy doctor set from toys 'r us. it has a stethoscope, a syringe, a thermometer, a plastic scalpel, scissors, bandage, medicine bottles and even a little plastic tag to prove to everyone that you're indeed a real doctor. heh. cute stuff. dr amir's mother has been telling me that when he plays doctor, he'd "treat" her using a toothbrush, his moisturiser and of all things, telon oil. apparently dr amir believes the telon oil is the mother of all medications. whooooo!

two days ago, when i was on the phone with dr amir, i told him that his favourite doctor uncle is not well (he was down with a flu), and what is he going to do about that. when he heard that (as narrated by his mother) he scampered off to get his doctor set. a few seconds later, a very amusing and thoroughly hilarious conversation ensued between me and him. please take note that this is a real phone conversation.

dr amir: wak intang (that's what he calls me, duh!) please breathe.

dr's mom aka nurse: he has his stethoscope on

me: oh ok (starts to take deep breaths, in and out)

dr amir: not so loud, wak intang!

me: ???

dr amir: wak intang, please open your mouth

me: but doctor, i'm fine, i'm not the one who is sick

dr amir: wak intang, please open your mouth, wak intang

me: *sigh* (opens mouth and says AHHHHHHH)

- silence -

me: errr, doctor? is everything ok? am i alright?

nurse: he's cutting something using his scalpel

me: oooh do i need a surgery then, doctor? what are you cutting?

dr amir: onions!

me: ??????

nurse: LOL!!

me: *sigh* ... okaaayy ... get well soon, onion.

nurse: now he's using the scissors.

me: oooh are you cutting up the bandage for me??

dr amir: i cut wak intang's hair

me: *speechless*

nurse: LOL LOL!!

dr amir: wak intang i give you injection, wak intang

me: ok, what did you inject me with?

dr amir: peanut butter

me: ............

nurse: LOL!! how much, dr?

dr amir: one dollar, fifty cents

geee dr amir, i guess i wasn't really expecting a nice gourmet dinner and a haircut as part of your "treatment". heh. then again, i thought it would be free of charge since i WAS the one who got you that doctor set.

but its ok babes, you can do whatever you like to me, who knows, you might be one helluva fine doctor one day, insya Allah. that is, if you don't turn out to be another unkle jamie oliver/david rocco/bob blumer ... or bob the builder.

challenging the opid!

2007-02-22T10:33:00.000+08:00

heh. damn i'm good with words or what?

*ahem*, i've decided to take up his challenge to post seven pictureless entries consecutively for the next 14 days, just to prove that ...

1) there is always something to blog about. people always say they got nothing to blog about, etc.
2) you don't need pics to blog
3) blogging without pics enhances your creativity

ok he made those up on the fly. for an old geezer, he sure is fast with his brains. heh.

i know i can do this cos i've been so lazy downloading/editing/uploading/sharing my photos and have been posting pictureless for sometime now. peasy lemon easy squeezy. so here's my first pictureless entry of the challenge and yeah i should be able to do six more before the 14 days are up. piece of cake. heh.

today i'm gonna talk about my new toy ([tongue firmly in cheek] i know, it's very common for bloggers to brag about their worldly possessions. heh). it was supposed to be a birthday present (no i didn't just have a birthday, i meant my last birthday, in july 2006, but thanks for getting all excited! heh.) but apparently the present-giver thought i don't fancy that particular thing and got me another present instead. ok, i love the second present (its a canon photo printer, y'all! woot!) but i'd be brain dead and have been living under a rock all this while to actually NOT fancy the first gift. in fact, i've been lusting for that thing for ages! yeah lusting, like with rabid-dog frothing in my mouth, salivating kind of lusting. ja know whut i mean??

you must be wondering what is this thing i've been lusting for right?? you can't wait to know what it is right? RIGHT? no? NO?? sheesh. i'm gonna tell you anyway. heh. it's an opid, eh i mean ipod, y'all!!! WOOT!

yes, i've recently gotten my grubby hands on a beautiful 5G 30gb ipod, courtesy of my brudder. he decided to give it to me anyway since i kept whining on how beautiful and sexy it is and how i'd love to have one of my own. hehe. yeah yeah i can be quite a whiner, so what?

pictures, you ask? AHA! you almost got me there. heh sorry folks, no photos of it for now. but sheesh, you guys know how an ipod look like right? it's the same lah. heh.

dah tu jer ... pointless entry, but a pictureless one, nonetheless.

do you agree?

2007-02-03T20:37:00.000+08:00

just 'cos

both of us love this song.

that's all

;-)

razisan gel, benimle

"if you agree, then come with me"

feb is gonna be fab!

2007-02-02T13:03:00.000+08:00

ahem!

just an announcement.

i'm open for bridal henna bookings for FEBRUARY and MARCH 2007 ONLY. so if you haven't found a henna artist for your big day, email me asap.

in other news, feb is starting off pretty fab for me so far, alhamdulillah. in all honesty, january ended on a rather melancholic note 'cos it was also the end of a relationship that lasted longer than my previous love affairs (ummm ... with people, heh). i seriously didn't expect it to go down that way (not that i expected a big display of fireworks or anything), but well, that's life, i guess, you can't always get what you want. it was pretty sad to let go of something that has been a big part of my life for the past 6 years and 7 months, but you know how it works, in order to get to the next chapter, you just have to turn the page. and turned it i did. life goes on and for whatever you've given up on, there will always be something (hopefully MUCH better) waiting for you, insya Allah. for now, i'm gonna kick back and chill and enjoy this newfound freedom, and just let Allah lead my life to wherever He wants it to go. Allah knows best!

so ummm back to my announcement, quick quick! get in touch with me, ladies! heh.

mehndi cake?

2007-01-16T21:06:00.000+08:00

how cool is this? now why didn't i think of this before? eh waitaminit, i DID think of it, i'm just not a baker. *ahem!* well if any baker would like me to decorate their cakes this way, call me. 1800-MHND-NUT ... heh.

* photo used with permission from rightful owner, artisteyecakes.com

contact: nicole kokotilo

"The Original Canadian Mehndi Cake Artist"

The Artist's Eye, Cakes and Occasions By Design

phone: 604-421-CAKE (2253)

in other random news, i have 2 (read: TWO) hugeass pimples on my face, right smack on my right cheek, to be exact. *sigh*. when will this madness ever end?

note: nope, i didn't bake the cake in the photo. nope, i didn't henna it either. yes, i do think its kickass awesome. nope, i don't think any real henna (read: lawsonia inermis) was used to decorate that cake. yes, i suspect that they actually used red icing. nope, i dunno how you can order one for your wedding. yes, i know some people who do wedding cupcakes. yes, i'll give you their contact info if you ask nicely. nope, i don't think i can pay for you. yes, i do have a credit card. nope, i don't think i should let you have it. yes, i *AM* a nice person. nope, i'm not an idiot either. yes, i do think it's a lovely cake. nope, i didn't bake that cake in the photo.

okaaaaaaayyyyy ...

didja know?

2007-01-14T22:02:00.000+08:00

istanbul was constantinople

now it's istanbul, not constantinople

been a long time gone, old constantinople

still it's turkish delight on a moonlit night

take me back to constantinople

no you can't go back to constantinople

now it's istanbul, not constantinople

why did constantinople get the works?

that's nobody's business but the Turks ...

heh, too right!

*dreaming of turkish delights*

uhhh sorry?

2007-01-11T09:49:00.000+08:00

hello everyone! i hope everybody had a good start to 2007. as evident in my last post, i care this much *points to an ant scrambling all over table* about "celebrating" the start of another gregorian calendar, so do excuse the lack of cheery "happy new year!" greetings in this blog *grins*.

uhhh, no, i'm not grumpy ... PMS-y maybe, but definitely NOT grumpy. hehe!

well anyway *ahem* i've been getting alot of enquiries about bridal henna and i apologise for being slow with my replies. there were rampant talks that i've fallen off the face of earth, but, that's not true, people! heh heh. don't believe anything you hear from the grapevines *nods sagely*

anyhoos, i just want to make it official (again), at this point, i'm still UNABLE to take NEW bridal henna appointments. this is due to personal reasons, and not, as rumours would have it, because i'm snooty and/or choosy and/or retiring (GASP!!! NO! not that one!). believe me, this is a VERY difficult thing for me to do 'cos i love henna and i love hennaing brides, but oh well, a girl gotta do what a girl gotta do.

i'm sorry to confuse some people with my post in december, where i wrote that i've started hennaing again. let me correct that. those appointments were made way WAY in advance and i was just fulfilling them. i only wrote i've "started" hennaing again because of the break i had during ramadan and syawal. urgh, written words can be twisted is such ugly ways sometimes and i admit my error of not proofreading my posts first.

i can't say for sure if this is a permanent or temporary thing. only Allah knows at this point. i wish i have a more definitive answer to this, but i don't. if you need a really good henna artist for your big day, i have a few recommendations. they are honest, good and talented people and i know each and every one of them personally. naturally, being the henna junkie (with an anal-retentive streak) that i am, i look only for the best, so do trust my judgement on this.

email me if you want their contacts. i'd be happy to oblige :-).

hunhh?!

2007-01-08T22:01:00.002+08:00

ohhh ...

hello, 2007

*shrugs*

oh and you, welcome back.

alhamdulillah!

seni cok ozledim.

you've been missed ...

totally and sorely ...

don't go away anymore, ok? please?

happy day!

2006-12-13T09:01:00.000+08:00

still at it

2006-12-05T12:18:00.000+08:00

yes, i'm still working out (woot!) and still high on endorphins (woot woot!). i'm into my second week of power90 and feeling alot better than last week. thanks to many years of rigorous athletic training, my body eases into the routine pretty quickly, alhamdulillah. other than the occasional cranky back pain, all is good and a-ok in flab-land! woot!

speaking of getting on a high and the occasional cranky back pain, i've started henna-ing again. ahhh nothing beats the lovely scent of the wonderfully refreshing eucalyptus wafting through the air, direct from my potent and dangerous henna cones *chuckles*. to be brutally honest, i rather enjoyed my 3 months of "henna holiday". it's kinda liberating not to think of mixing henna, making cones, going to strange homes, meeting new people, bent over for a couple of hours furiously henna-ing away, and err well, you get my drift. maybe i'm getting too old for this. heh. *slaps self* boy, that sounded funny right after i typed it.

seriously, i love henna to death and it makes me happy to henna brides-to-be and make them go all "oohhh" and "wow" and "i can't stop looking at my hands!". hehehe, yes i know, cheap thrills like those float my boat, and why not? i'm happy if they are happy. *flexes muscles*. but i realised that i was getting quite a burnt out from henna-ing week after week after week non-stop for the past year, so the break was totally godsend. ok before anyone gets into a hissy-fit and starts chasing me with pitchforks (for sounding ungrateful), i wasn't complaining, in fact, i'm totally grateful for the opportunity to beautify these beautiful girls. so thank you, alhamdulillah!

now, i wasn't planning on doing this, and i don't need to explain anything to those not in the know, but i do need to apologise, to all my november brides. ladies, i'm sorry for the inconvenience, and i thank you for your understanding. i wish i could've met all of you but we can only plan, the rest is up to Allah. what was supposed to happen didn't happen at that time, but insya Allah, the plan is still going on, albeit postponed. i also appreciate if you could continue keeping what you know about it under wraps, until an appropriate time comes along for its unveiling, insya Allah.

if you don't know what i'm on about, please cease making any speculations, assumptions, contemplations, suppositions, suspicions, ruminations, presumptions, yadayadayada, about the whats, whos, whens, wheres and hows. and no, before anyone starts thinking i'm perasan feeling superstar (padahal nobody actually cares about my boring ole life *chuckles*), i'm not. i'm just an invisible speck of a blogger in the vast blogosphere who is fully aware that as long as my blog is being seen, there will be someone who'd actually want to know more. oh and for the record, NO i'm not telling, not even if you asked nicely (in other words, don't ask). teehee. yes, in case you haven't noticed yet, i love secrets and i can keep them really well, so get over it. if you know something of it (or *think* you know), i do appreciate your trustworthiness by keeping mum. urgh, i can be such a diva PITA sometimes. hehe.

ok, maybe i'll post some nice and new henna photos in my next entry. ummm ... whenever THAT'S gonna happen *giggles*. in the meantime, saglik dileklerimle!

high on endorphins

2006-11-28T22:52:00.000+08:00

i've started exercising with tony again. yes i'm gonna give it another shot and i'm not gonna stop till i complete all 90 days of it, so help me God.

i am SOOOO in pain right now, you wouldn't believe it. but as the old adage goes, "no pain, no gain" eh? yeah ok, but at this moment my muscles, heck, my whole body is cursing me like a filthy sailor. the start is always painful, but once the happy hormones (aka endorphins) hit you like a tonne of bricks, the feeling is nothing short of awesome. really. you gotta try it sometimes.

so be patient my little (harhar fat, flabby and lazy more like it) body, everything will be alright. soon. i promise.

gee if endorphins can be bottled, i'd buy it by the truckloads.

no shit.

on another note, my entries (and i) have been totally morose lately and seriously i've had about enough of all that moping around, so thank God for endorphins (and other loVely things, of course). bring it on!

gorusmek uzere~

today has been okay

2006-11-20T22:03:00.000+08:00

friends tell me it's spring
my windows show the same
without you here the seasons pass me by
i know you were not new
that loved like me and you
all the same i miss you
today has been ok ...

wind has burned your skin
the lovely air so thin
the salty water's underneath your feet
no one's gone in vain
here is where you'll stay
'cause life has been insane but
today has been ok
today has been ok ...

thank you, Allah :-)

strange and beautiful

2006-11-14T22:42:00.000+08:00

patience is truly a virtue

"sometimes the last thing you want comes in first

sometimes the first thing you want never comes

but i know, that waiting is all you can do

sometimes ..."

if Allah wills it, it will happen

alhamdulillah!

fat? who, me? naahhh ...

2006-10-05T14:50:00.000+08:00

~ mr amir's smart-alecky moment ~

me: amir, you're fat!

amir: nooooo *cheeky smile*

me: who's fat then?

amir: mama! *giggles*

amir's mama: *rolls eyes*

(note: amir's mama is NOT fat. not even close.)

me: amir's fat too!

amir: amir's not fat cos amir's a BOY!

uhhh ... yeah ok, glad you got that all figured out, buddy. heh.

mr amir, all growed up and weaned off (tekmilk)

mr amir's favourite builder!

edge of the ocean

2006-10-02T11:15:00.000+08:00

There's a place I dream about
Where the sun never goes out

And the sky is deep and blue

Won't you take me there with you

Ohhh, we can begin again

Shed our skin, let the sun shine in

At the edge of the ocean

We can start over again

There's a world I've always known

Somewhere far away from home

When I close my eyes I see

All the space and mystery

Ohhh, we can begin again

Shed our skin, let the sun shine in

At the edge of the ocean

We can start over again

wahlan wa sahlan ya ramadan al-mubarak!

2006-09-23T21:23:00.000+08:00

wishing one and all a most blessed ramadan.

may our fast and good deeds be accepted by Allah, and may He grant us good health, sincere hearts, physical, emotional and psychological strength and may our iman be strong and steadfast. amiin!

[2:185] "Ramadan is the month during which the Quran was revealed, providing guidance for the people, clear teachings, and the statute book. Those of you who witness this month shall fast therein. Those who are ill or traveling may substitute the same number of other days. GOD wishes for you convenience, not hardship, that you may fulfill your obligations, and to glorify GOD for guiding you, and to express your appreciation."

Gorusmek uzere!

2006-08-17T17:53:00.000+08:00

ok, i truly hate to do this, but i have to ... so here goes ...

to all my future clients, i apologise that i won't be able to take anymore bridal henna bookings until further notice.

if you're looking for a fantastic henna artist, i'd strongly recommend the following people. i've worked with them and seen their work and all i can say is, i'm honoured to ever been in their company, they are good, honest people and their work rocks my socks. so go ahead and contact them ok? i've made them promise not to bite any of you. really. and please don't bite them either ok?

redherring
lezard
bulan
hennamomma

to those who've emailed your enquiries to me, i apologise for my inability to respond in a timely manner. seriously, this is totally uncharacteristic of me. you WILL hear from me soon.

in the meantime, take care of yourselves and enjoy your life!

Saglik dileklerimle!

Hoscakal!

my henna mojo's back

2006-08-01T21:29:00.000+08:00

for the longest time, i thought i've lost my henna mojo. sorry to disappoint all our secret (and blatant) admirers *unabashed smirk* out there but we, henna artists are humans too. no seriously, it's true! it's not a myth. we are mere mortals, not, as suspected by many generations of clever and mad, murderous scientists, magical and powerful beings from the 13th planet from the vulcan solar system (ok so obviously i totally made that up, i'm creative whaaat ... har dee har har).

just like all humans we also go through bouts of artist blocks, stunted creativity and sometimes along the way, we could even lose our henna mojo. that last scenario, no good and respected henna artist would wish even on his/her mortal enemy, 'cos it's the worst. yep, when you've lost your henna mojo, inspiration goes awry, handiwork becomes amateurish and frustration mounts to dangerously suicidal levels. seriously ... stop sniggering, it happens! remember what i just told you??

altogether now ...

henna artists are humans too ...

that's right ...

so, for the longest time, i thought i've lost my henna mojo. see, i was doing the same patterns over and over again. the same flower would appear repeatedly on different brides-to-be. the same little squiggles would make their way onto their fingers and toes. it was enough to drive me insane. and once in awhile salvation would come in the form of a resourceful bride-to-be who has found a pretty henna photo on the 'net and wanted that pattern on her, instead of the boring old stuff in my gallery. with a hungry and evil glint in my eyes, i'd rub my hands in glee, cackle sinisterly like a hen with a flu and proceed to fervently re-create said pretty henna pattern with much pomp and fanfare (yeah, i'm very dramatic like that). but alas, such resourceful brides-to-be are few and far between, so i don't get alot of chance to make like the flu-ish hen too much. sigh and melancholy ...

in the pursuit to find the answers (and my mojo back), i did the next best thing ... i went for a soul-searching trip, a pilgrimage of sorts, roller-blading from one end of east coast park (a beach in singapore, for the uninitiated) to the other. i was nearly at the halfway mark (who said i actually made it to the other end? heh), when i realised that angry blisters have started to form on my feetsies. as i cursed under my breath (i DO NOT like blisters, especially on my pretty feetsies. nuh-uh!), i took my skates off, kicked them to death for hurting me, then promptly gathered them lovingly into my arms and offered apologies in the form of revered kisses (they are expensive leh), then carrying them carefully over my shoulders, walked into the one with the golden arches (i like their strawberry milkshake. have you tried it? it's good, really). after finishing a nice, cool, fat-laden cup of strawberry milkshake, i drunkardly asked the girl at the counter to hit me with another (she stared at me in bewilderment before sliding the cup clumsily to me) and reflected sagely at the sorry state of affairs of my lost mojo. sigh and melancholy ...

as i take a long, brain-freeze inducing sip of the milkshake, i instantly pressed my fingers to my temple, eyes bulging! (have you ever had a brain freeze?? it'll make you clutch your head in a jiffy!) and then it hit me! my heart was empty! heh, how could i be so clueless?? i was, the owner of a lonely, loveless heart (stares into the horizon as the song plays like a crazy tune in head). i took a minute to defrost my brains (brain freeze, remember?), shook my head violently (an irritating insect was flying around it) and decided there and then, that perhaps i could get my mojo back, if i could just fill my heart with ... loVe.

and as if it was destined to answer my prayers, loVe came back into my life (and heart) and brought along with it, yep, you've guessed it (how smart you all are, my loyal, ardent admirers!!) my MOJO! and with wonderful loVe and a song in my heart, and a renewed and revived MOJO, i hereby present ...

seriously i am so in love with my new mojo, it's full of loVe, inspiration and creativity, and i thank Allah fervently for bringing balance back into my life and making me happy and creative again. and most certainly i thank YOU, my sexy ursus maritimus for the loVe. tesekkurler!

*spreads happy germs around*

V is for ... loVe ...

2006-07-17T19:58:00.000+08:00

... and the answer to that question is ... YES! ...

... perhaps i'm finally starting to understand what happiness is ...
thank you, Allah ...

... i promise You i will learn from the mistakes ...

********************************

when you try your best, but you don't succeed

when you get what you want, but not what you need

when you feel so tired, but you can't sleep

stuck in reverse

and the tears come streaming down your face

when you lose something you can't replace

when you love someone, but it goes to waste

could it be worse?

lights will guide you home

and ignite your bones

and i will try to fix you

high up above or down below

when you're too in love to let it go

but if you never try you'll never know

just what you're worth

lights will guide you home

and ignite your bones

and i will try to fix you

********************************

... and fixed me You did ...

gangster's paradise

2006-06-13T17:44:00.000+08:00

heh, bet you didn't know that ... ;-) ...

the next time you lost your way and bump into a MOB of kangaroos, don't stop for directions, just walk away ... fast!

i spik bad malay ...

2006-05-04T17:14:00.000+08:00

*ahem*

contrary to popular beliefs, i'm not (usually) a bitter, angry, angsty, foul-mouthed little monster. in fact, i am *almost* always jovial, giggly and good-natured. betol, gua tak bedek. people who know me, go on and vouch for me, although i don't need convincing myself. heh. i only have 2 pet peeves. people who question my singlehood (cos they are rotten little busybodies), and people who judge me because of it (cos they are pompous and self-indulgent). and for that, i will bite their heads off. nope, i'm not kidding. so it's better to avoid those topics completely unless you are TRULY concerned and you want to help. you've been warned ;-) ...

alrighty then, onwards to happier things ...

i've abandoned this HENNA blog for way too long and i do have like a gajillion photos to upload and flaunt (heh) and stories to share but well, life happens. anyhoos, i will *try* to post all henna photos from january till now on my multiply in the next couple of days, so watch out for them, k? i've been trying different and totally beautiful styles and i'm just blown away by the results. i'm glad the brides love them too, alhamdulillah :-).

here's a beautiful pattern by a friend of mine, who is a talented henna artist from UK, kiran sahib. i just LOVE her style and am trying hard to replicate them in what i hope, my own style. still got a long way to go. thanks to the beautiful and gentle lina for choosing this pattern. i have to admit that i nearly lose my sanity doing it cos the pattern, albeit beautiful, was a b*tch to draw ON BOTH HANDS. trying to get it symmetrical and consistent on both hands almost drive me nuts! i was a fire-breathing dragon at the end of it but hey, i love the challenge so, thank you!

in other news, if you wanna hear me stumble all over my malay (i spik him bad, dat malay) and babble on and on like a rabid parrot, tune in to RSI TODAY at 1840H and the repeat telecast at 2340H (click on "dengar siaran kami" during the stipulated times). try to ignore the painfully terrible malay k? oh and before anyone get into a hysterical hissy fit about my bad malay, a disclaimer: i'm happy to be malay and i *try* to speak the language often and no, i'm not ashamed to speak malay at any time. sadly, i'm just not very proficient in it. 'kay?

aiks?? kena lagiiiii?? (english: damn i can't believe my luck!)

2006-04-24T10:56:00.000+08:00

hmmmm ... just when i thought i was snugly wrapped up in my warm, happy and "everything is good, don't worry" safety coccoon ... some imbecile would spring out of the stinky, vomit-inducing depths of hell (or wherever stinking place they came from) and say something totally out of line, stupid and sungguhmenyakitkanhati (hurtful) ... absolutely unprovoked and unnecessarily ...

PPFFFTTTTT!!!! eh, why can't you just stay in that pus-filled hole where you belong???

imbecile to me: so you're a spinster .....

SPINSTER, eh??

here's the definition of spinster from dictionary.com

3 entries found for spinster.

spin-ster (spnstr) n.

1) A woman who has remained SINGLE beyond the conventional age for marrying.
2) A SINGLE woman.
3) A person whose occupation is spinning.

keywords: WOMAN, SINGLE, BEYOND CONVENTIONAL AGE FOR MARRYING ...

do i belong to any of the above definition?

lessee now ... i'm definitely not #3, unless all this time i didn't know that i'm a spider masquerading as a woman or a famous deejay in a hiphop club. *scratches #3 from list*

ahhh ok ... perhaps they think i'm #2 (A SINGLE woman), so i'm a spinster eh? we'll get back to #2 in a bit, now let's talk about #1. how old do you have to be before you go beyond the conventional marriable age? i'll turn 33 in july (insya Allah). is 33 over and beyond the so-called conventional age? ok, maybe to many very backwards malays, 33 is too old to be unmarried *rolls eyes* geez i just have so much disdain for the way the malays view this! GRRR! so that's WHY i was branded a spinster (no prizes in guessing the race of the imbecile *pssst, he's malay, btw*). but really, if age is an issue, could someone tell me how old does one have to be before she's condemned to be "beyond the conventional age for marrying"? go on, humour me, i'm so eager to know (not!). now, don't expect me to wait for the answer with bated breath cos as far as i'm concerned, i'm still in the game. eh, i'm still young whattt ... i still can roller blade hokay ... heh. go me! *scratches #1 from list*

ok, now back to #2. how the heck do you know if i'm single or not? do you know anything about me or did you just assume that if a woman is not married, then she's single? i won't voluntarily offer information about my private life to all and sundry but if you'd have asked me (nicely), then you'd probably know more than what this blog would reveal. but NOOOOOOO, it's more fun to make your own deductions, right? you meet a woman, you find out she's over 30 and unmarried, and in a flash you see the words "spinster, old maid and anak dara tua" doing the tango in your pathetically shallow mind. and of course you HAVE TO tell her that she's a spinster, right? i mean, apparently she's oblivious to that fact. besides it would do the world and mankind a hell lot of good, wouldn't it? gosh, think of all the people, animals and plants saved by your quick wit and ingenuity! YAY! good going there, imbecile. your good deed of the year. bravo! *extra helpings of sarcasm sauce, yum yum!* *scratches #2 from list*

soooo in conclusion, i'm NOT single, i WANT to get married and aunt flo STILL visits me. now, do you still think i've earned the right to that title? heh .... go on, humour me some more. i'm in a good mood today ...

why people would give their 2 cents worth of stupidity when they don't even know me is beyond me. god, just leave me alone, ok? and oh, i always try to practise what my mama told me when i was younger, "if you have nothing good to say, then don't bloody say anything" (my mom didn't actually say "bloody", i added it cos i'm foul that way. heh). damnit, that's gold! why can't anyone understand that? it's simple enough even for idiots right??

ok, enough ... i'm done talking to imbeciles ...

out of the blue and into the sun

2006-03-12T18:13:00.000+08:00

i've decided to stop moping and moaning about the current events in my life and get out of the blue for a bit. hello, mr sun! the sweat machine that i am found myself withering quickly under the blazing, glorious sun. it was a lovely day to be out, and for a moment i felt the chronic depression i've been feeling for the past few weeks (years?) slowly dissipating.

the last time i did inline skating was when the dinosaurs still roamed the earth. aye, yonkers ago. but no problem, it's like cycling right? i mean, after that first fall, you'll get better and better right? yeaaahhh ... easy squeezy lemon peasy ... dum dee doo ...

btw, i didn't just fall on my perky butt seconds before the above pic was taken. i couldn't possibly capture a perfect photo moment like that, what with trying to balance and all, right? i was on the grass cos i just put my skates on and was getting ready to get on my feet (which i successfully did, HOKAY??). heh. t'was scary, to be honest, but after a few rounds of "walking" on grass, i eventually went to the pavement to practise "walking" some more. eh, not skating like a pro yet lah. and not on the skating/cycling trail either. i don't want to make a fool of myself, do i?

*imagine someone trying to balance herself on a set of wheels, flapping her arms madly like a bird with the flu*

not a nice picture, eh? *grimace*

but my colleague (who had kindly agreed to coach us) said that i would be skating like the wind (yes people, like the wind, WHOOSH!) in about 4 weeks time. this, provided that we "train" (heh, like going for competition, like that, hor?) at least 2 - 3 times a week. now, where can i find time in my ever-busy schedule to do that??

oh btw, the big numero ocho on the skates represents my amazonian feet size. didn't they say 8 is a lucky number? i tend to agree.

*****************************************************

... Oh no, not I ...

I will survive

As long as I know how to love I know I'll be alive

I've got all my life to live

I've got all my love to give

I will survive

yeah, yeah ...

- cake (fashion nugget)

*****************************************************

enough of crying ...

2006-03-01T16:19:00.000+08:00

i need some sleep

I need some sleep

It can't go on like this

I tried counting sheep

But there's one I always miss

Everyone says I'm getting down too low

Everyone says you just gotta let it go

You just gotta let it go

I need some sleep

Time to put the old horse down

I'm in too deep

And the wheels keep spinning 'round

Everyone says I'm getting' down too low

Everyone says you just gotta let it go

You just gotta let it go

henna in motion

2006-02-15T21:54:00.000+08:00

doing anything this weekend? how about getting some henna-lovin'?

i'll be here ....

*taken from the NAC website*

Roots In Motion - Pulsating Rhythms of Ethnic & Alternative Percussion

Date : 18 Feb 2006 (Saturday)
Time : 4.30 to 6.30pm (Concert starts at 5.30pm)
Venue : Tiong Bahru Plaza

This concert will feature the inaugural performance of "Boom-O-Rang", Singapore's latest percussion ensemble showcasing a variety of improvised percussion instruments made from pipes, water barrels and boxes. Together with high energy bhangra and vibrant multi-ethnic dances, the performance will culminate with resounding fusion of ethnic percussion playing western tunes.

Have a first hand experience in playing the improvised percussion that will be on display and take part in fun craft demonstrations such as wax-resist painting, caricature, henna painting and bead making.

so please come. say hello when you see me. i promise not to bite ... too hard

*grins*

c is for cupcakes!

2006-02-05T18:12:00.000+08:00

this entry is dedicated totally to .... yep, you guessed it right ... CUPCAKES!

everytime i see photos of her cupcakes, i'd salivate greedily (i'd also sometimes do that for no reason at all too) and lust excitedly for them.

and one can see why ... her cupcakes are just ...

delightfully delicious and dainty little darlings!

they are gorgeous to look at and even more gorgeous to eat. heh.

i know alot of people say they are just too pretty to be eaten but me, i just HAD to taste them. i'll always have the memory of their "beauty" in photos but i don't get to eat them all the time, do i? logical, nu? heh.

anyhoos, thank you, my dear for accepting my last minute order. we all just love them!

get ready to drooooool ...

see more of her wonderful work here. last i checked, she doesn't bite. on the contrary, she's a sweetheart. go get your cupcakes today!

emerging from obscurity ...

2006-01-23T10:08:00.000+08:00

... eh, i'm here all this time ...

just been VERY busy

i hate being so busy that i don't even have time to pee

hmmm ...

that doesn't sound right ...

alrighty, i'll be back once "busy" decides to take a holiday on me.

and it can very well be soon

*grins*

*slithers back into obscurity*

moe

2005-12-29T11:34:00.000+08:00

my first foray into the wonderful world of 3D modelling and animation.

.... presenting ....

MOE the daredevil mollusk of the Subterranean Underworld

(name courtesy of adam)

tell me you think he's cute, do. especially his googly eyes. and please don't say he looks gay in pink. he's a sensitive soul, he is. but he's a daredevil mollusk and he's always out there to protect the innocent! yes ... very daredevil-like, eh?

just a few more photos of moe here

i can see youuuuu!

2005-12-26T09:31:00.000+08:00

this is amir

he is my nephew

he is also known as the adorable one

or in other words, wombat

i love my nephew very much

he makes me laugh as much as i do him

we have chemistry, me and him

i would sing, dance and do really silly stuff

when i normally WOULDN'T otherwise

especially in public

but i do it anyway

cos i love my neffy-poo

and as blasphemous as it sounds, i'd sacrifice my adult dignity

just so that i'd see a beautiful smile on his face

and his cute dimples winking happily at me

i would

sacrifice

God forsaken

adult

dignity

(waitaminit, i have that??? heh)

let's just say

he reminds me of how fun life can be

and that it's ok to be a kid again ... sometimes

Thank God for children!

Alhamdulillah!

amir's new trick

disclaimer: no diapers or pajamas were hurt in the taking of the above photo ;-)

thank you!!

2005-12-20T14:15:00.000+08:00

phew! i've just uploaded all henna photos onto multiply. with barely 2 more weeks till 2006, the henna season is (sadly) coming to an end. *sigh*

BUT, it's been fun. it's been good, ALL good *grins*. i'm esctatic to have met all you beautiful and charming ladies. thank you so much for trusting me and my henna cone. we (my cone and i, that is) are honoured to be a part of your special day. i wish for all of you, everlasting love, happiness and excitement in your marriage, and may it be full of laughter, little ones and barakah. amiin!

enjoy the photos!

November brides

December brides

now i'm back to watching my toenails grow ... and counting cracks on the wall ... and sorting paper clips by colour, size and metallic shine ... and figuring out why the chicken crosses the road ... and pondering the existence of the mighty, super-intelligent killer gnat ... and wondering if i remembered to unplug the iron this morning .... and ... hmmmm ....

i have to go home!

LOOKIT!!!

2005-12-13T11:49:00.000+08:00

LOOK LOOK LOOK!!! you gotta LOOK!!

my feetsies are hennaed!!!

henna makes my feetsies happy!

happy feetsies make me happy!

happy, happy me!

*hennaed feet do a retarded kind of jig*

i have a ton of bridal henna photos waiting to be uploaded so watch this space for updates!

YAY! i love my hennaed feetsies!

nov in summary

2005-11-30T17:41:00.000+08:00

gosh, only 2 posts in november (this one makes 3)? heh. i'm a big, fat slacker. granted november has been an exciting month, but i'm glad to move over to december. why? cos december is a happy *ka-ching* month *hint hint mudge nudge wink wink*.

well lesseeee, shall i summarise my november? why not? heh.

first, there was eid. oh ok, i've talked about that already. sorry no photos of my eid celebration, only of amir the adorable. take it or take it. heh.

then there's this thing i did called crossfire paintball. read all about it here. don't be lazy lah, please don't make me explain. i'm a big, fat slacker, remember? how was paintball? it was fun, in an exhilarating way. the damn helmet was a bane to my running and breathing, but i survived. we barely spent 5 minutes in the enclosure. oh and take this, our team was psyched (yes, there was a pep talk before the horn was sounded) to hunt for cannibals and kill them. how cannibalistic. luckily we need not skin and eat them. heh. i don't think i have a taste for human flesh. ok, i know, very euww, let's move along.

i look hot in that or what?? eh??! or what?!?

then there was that "boy who lived". i saw goblet of fire and fell in love with voldermort. really. seriously. good 'ole moldy voldy is grotesquely beautiful. ralph fiennes IS voldermort. he is perfect as voldermort. and i've effectively crossed over to the dark side. hey, i even have a dark mark to prove it. nyeh! don't believe me, right? i ain't kidding, y'know.

welcome to the dark side!

i'd like to talk more about the film but i only have another 5 minutes before i have to go so ... maybe next time (read: never). heh. big, fat slacker, people.

the best part of november? HENNA SEASON of course! tis the season to be married pak bing pak bing pak bing pak bing pak BINGGGGG! heheh. don't worry, i know you're scared, but i'm mostly harmless. honest! so lesseeee, so far, i've done hmmmm ... 6 brides. woohoo! eucalyptus overdrive. i'm lovin' it. i've uploaded the henna photos here. so go on, click that link. you won't be disappointed.

is that all? yep, i guess it is. sorry, toldja my life is boring. as boring as boring can be.

see ya in december! i mean tomorrow ... heh heh.

wombat in red

2005-11-18T12:49:00.000+08:00

here ya go. a photo of the adorable one in his red baju kurung. i wasn't kidding when i said it's fire engine red.

heh.

he had lots of fun visiting the oldies and playing with the young 'uns.

he was charming, playful and VERY friendly.

what a beautiful child he is. but i'm biased of course.

have a great weekend everyone.
tomorrow i'm going to play crossfire paintball.

oh how fun. i can hardly wait.

heh.

amir & jack-jack on a red bubble sofa

amir's eid

2005-11-09T12:37:00.000+08:00

the adorable one donned a cute white thobe (that we got for him in makkah) for eid prayers at the masjid. he looked so cute in it, with his abah's white kufi on his head, that the moment he entered the prayer hall, everyone started pointing and cooing. *chuckles*. that's my darling neffy-poo for ya!

anyhoos, the adorable one did not enjoy eid too much cos he suddenly ran a high temperature in the late afternoon and was sent to a&e for outpatient treatment. poor babe's been hit by a viral infection. doc (quack) instructed parents to keep him away from crowds for at least 5 days. which means, no eid visiting for the babe and his parents *sigh*. there goes our plans to show him off in his cute, 'lil fire engine red baju kurung *sigh*.

it's ok baby, this weekend you can *really* start your eid celebrations. heh. eid mubarak, little wombat!

let's play ball! do you like my arabic get-up?

henna gig of the year!

2005-10-28T09:47:00.000+08:00

heh heh ... the title is kinda pompous, eh? well, forgive me, but i'm VERY excited about it. the little poster on the left has been up for about a month now and i hope that most people would've noticed the details by now (henna, photograph and artwork by my talented pardner, the redherring).

i'm totally psyched about this gig so here is my plug for it. come on, it's so important and BIG that it deserves it's very own post! *chuckles*

30 - 31 oct & 1 nov (sun, mon & tues)

11am - 5pm (while artists last ... heh)

58 bussorah st, second floor

(near masjid sultan, unit above WARDAH books)

patterns start at $5

enquiries: hennaphiles@yahoo.com

henna artists:

jewel, redherring, bulan & lezard

i do hope to see ALL of you there! bring your friends, cousins, sisters, mothers, daughters and ANYONE else who loves henna (we don't mind either if you wanna come by to just hang out with us ... we don't bite .... sumpah!). and from the bottom of my heart, i appreciate if you could just spread this along to everyone else (may Allah bless you!).

WE ARE SO LOOKING FORWARD TO MEET ALL OF YOU!!!

damn, if that's not an excited puppy, i dunno what is.

in case i don't have time to blog again, here's wishing everyone a wonderful EID MUBARAK. may our fast and ibadahs be accepted by Him and our sins forgiven. amiin!

selamat hari raya, maaf zahir dan batin from jewel and family!

fantastic arab language course

2005-10-19T14:06:00.001+08:00

Al-Markaz The Centre for Arabic Language, Culture & Trade is offering a course on BASIC CONVERSATIONAL MODERN STANDARD ARABIC (LEVEL 1)

About the course

This twelve-week course aims to provide participants with the basic linguistic foundation in Modern Standard Arabic.

This is a highly interactive course that engages students in Arabic conversational activities to enrich their vocabulary and understanding of the use of the language.

Course Facilitator (Zuraimi Bin Naharudin)

Zuraimi received his education in the Arabic language in Syria and Egypt. He holds a Diploma in Arabic Language and a Certificate in the Teaching of Arabic from Cairo University.

Course Intakes

Batch A: Beginning Sat, 12 Nov 05 (10.00am - 12.30pm)

Batch B: Beginning Fri, 23 Dec 05 (7.30pm - 10.00pm)

Batch C: Beginning Mon, 6 Feb 06 (7.30pm - 10.00pm)

Batch D: Beginning Sun, 26 Mar 06 (10.00am - 12.30pm)

Registration

Please email us at registration@al-markaz.biz. Please indicate the batch that you have selected. Please leave us your name and contact details so that we can respond to confirm your registration.

Course Duration

The course spans 12 weeks with one 2.5 hr-session each week.

Course Fees

One-time registration and book fee of $20
$65 monthly payment for three months

Classes will be held at:

Al-Markaz
The Centre for Arabic Language, Culture & Trade
58 Bussorah Street S(199474)
2nd Floor (above Wardah Books)

For enquiries, please email us at:
enquiries@al-markaz

red red henna

2005-10-07T09:11:00.000+08:00

i found out 2 days ago that her wedding photos are finally posted online. i asked her if i could ... ummm ... "borrow" (aka siphon) her beautifully taken henna photos and put them up on my online gallery. her wedding photos are excellent. they were afterall taken by a very experienced photojournalist from Berita Harian (local malay daily newspaper). oh, she's a reporter from the same paper, btw.

i met her back in april, at her cousin's wedding. they both look so alike, its scary. very exquisite baby doll prettiness. anyways, here's one of the henna photos. gosh, photos like these make me look good. *ahem* i mean, make MY WORK look good. heh.

thank you soraya dear for the lovely company and the gorgeous photos.

ahlan wa sahlan ya ramadhan al-mubarak

2005-10-04T14:23:00.000+08:00

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious)."

(Quran, al-baqarah 2:183)

(Fasting) for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (i.e. an old man, etc.), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a poor person (for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you if only you know." (Quran, al-baqarah 2:184)

"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan), he must fast that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number (of days which one did not fast must be made up) from other days. Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him" (Quran, al-baqarah 2:185)

"There has come to you Ramadaan, a blessed month, in which Allah has made it obligatory to fast. During it the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hellfire are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained. In it is a night (Laylatul-Qadr) which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of its good truly has been deprived." [An-Nasaa'ee, authenticated in Takhreej al-Mishkaat]

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "Whoever establishes prayers during the nights of Ramadan faithfully out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not for showing off), all his past sins will be forgiven."

ahlan wa sahlan ya ramadhan al-mubarak!

wishing one and all a blessed ramadhan, may Allah give us patience, health and iman to perform it and may our ibadahs be accepted by Him. amiiin!

miss me?

2005-09-26T17:58:00.000+08:00

no i did not fall off the face of earth. just been depressingly busy ...

rushed mini-project deadline

favourite uncle passed away

mugged for exams

attended a wedding

yes, in that order ...

anyways, i've been tagged by three people so i shall be a good sport and participate (well, a bit of humour can't hurt, eh?)

so here we go, three random facts about me ...

1) i'm a blardy SPG (so shoot me)

2) i once won third prize in a beauty contest (don't ask)

3) i am a direct descendent of javanese royalty

(paternal gramma was from kraton ... not krayon hor)

no, i will not tag anyone else

and no, i SHALL NOT discuss the above any further ...

i feel suffocated ... need fresh air ...

15 days more

2005-09-19T10:06:00.000+08:00

we had a blast at the "roots in motion" gig last saturday. those who came and supported us, THANK YOU!! it was lovely meeting all of you (you know who you are!). those who couldn't make it, fret not. insya Allah we'll be organising a 3 day henna gig sometime end of ramadhan. more details will be announced closer to the date. we'll be happy to see more of you then.

today is the 15th of syaaban. this means that in 15 days time, we'll be welcoming ramadhan al-mubarak. here's wishing everyone a happy nisfu syaaban. let's make a doa that we will get to experience another ramadhan yet again, and that we can accomplish our fast in good health and the best of iman. Amiin!

last friday, i hennaed myself. i can't remember the last time i did that. i've just been too busy hennaing brides-to-be that i didn't even think of beautifying myself. i've been staring at a beautiful pattern for the past few weeks. it's a nick cartier original. nick is a talented and accomplished henna artist in boston, usa. he does one of the most beautiful and precise henna-work i've ever seen. his work has often inspired me to be more creative and imaginative with henna, and more often than not, released me from any kind of "artist block" (and i often get that). so, here's to nick. i know i didn't do justice to the pattern, but i tried my best.

right after application (paste still on the skin)

6 hours after paste removal (the morning after)

more than 24 hours after paste removal

roots in motion

2005-09-15T15:09:00.000+08:00

what: roots in motion

where: lot 1 shoppers' mall, near choa chu kang mrt station

(look out for big white tentage)

when: saturday, sept 17, 2005 (4:30 - 6:30pm)

who: the hennaphiles (me and her lah, DUH!)

errr ... doing henna lah (duh!)

why: cos we are cool (heh!)

so, come on by this saturday k? otherwise be boring and stay at home.

don't forget to say hi when you're there. we won't bite. scouts honour! *grins*.

new babe in town

2005-09-14T09:54:00.000+08:00

my best friend of 26 years has given birth to her third babe.

a boy.

his two sisters are esctatic.

i guess that completes the picture for them. i wonder if she'll have more.

anyways, R&R, congrats! i'll see you guys soon, insya Allah.

in the meantime, i've been sick, busy and a little melancholic (what? again?). i'll henna one more bride this week, then no more. exams next week. and soon ramadan will be here again. i can't wait. i love ramadan. i wish i could spend it somewhere else. anywhere but here. i wish i could go back there. i miss that place. insya Allah, insya Allah.

krayon henna

2005-09-09T11:38:00.000+08:00

i really hope you both like the henna. enjoy your hols, babe!

oh, and the feeling's mutual, sweetie. i really like you too! heehee!

ahlan wa sahlan!

2005-09-06T10:51:00.000+08:00

the last time someone stopped me in my tracks and spoke to me in rapid-fire arabic, i was totally dumbstruck. i was in makkah. the land of the arabs. and i didn't know enough arabic to save my life. nope, i couldn't even say, "i don't understand arabic" to that lady. i just shook my head and she swept away in frustration. i remember how arab-speaking women in the masjid would initiate a conversation with me. they don't speak a word of english. i don't speak arabic. sometimes they'd show a hint of irritation but most of them would just pat me on the shoulder, hold up their hands and exclaim "Alhamdulillah!". perhaps showing gratitude to Allah for being there, no matter what language we can or cannot speak.

i'll always remember a "conversation" i had with an elderly syrian lady. she had asked me if i spoke any arabic. strangely i understood her so i shook my head. i then said, "english". she shook her head. heh. i wasn't asking her, i was telling her. i think she then asked if i was alone. my mom was in the row behind us. i said "La" (that's no in arabic) and pointed to my mom and said "Ummi" (mother). "Aaahhhhh!" she said, her face lighting up. she then asked a few more questions, out of which i could only understand "where are you from?" cos she was making gestures of airplane flying. when i said "singapore", she smiled, pointed to herself and announced, "suria" (syria). she then pointed to the ring on my finger and asked (i presumed) if i was married. i shook my head and she smiled, put her hands up and recited something in arabic. i really hope she was making a doa that i'll be married soon. amiin! heh. what i didn't realise is, my mom had been watching us all that time and she told me afterwards that we were both gesturing wildly. she knew that we had trouble understanding each other. haha! (macam ayam dengan itik berbual)

when i returned, i enrolled in an arabic course by al-markaz. i believe i posted about it here sometime in june. anyways, it's been a couple of months into the course and i find it very effective. at least now i can understand, write and converse (albeit haltingly) in arabic. hey, i can even understand the mu'alim (teacher) when he rattles off in arabic. but i believe the best part of this course is it's the closest arabic you can get to quranic arabic. insya Allah, as you progress with the course, your understanding of the Quran will improve as well. baby steps, baby steps ...

anyhoos, they will be starting a new round of the course again soon. please see below for details.

****************************************************

Al-Markaz The Centre for Arabic Language, Culture & Trade is offering a course on Conversational Modern Standard Arabic (Level 1)

About the course
This twelve-week course aims to provide participants with the basic linguistic foundation in Modern Standard Arabic.

This is a highly interactive course that engages students in Arabic conversational activities to enrich their vocabulary and understanding of the use of the language.

At the end of the course, the participants will be equipped with the ability to speak basic conversational Arabic fluently.

Course Facilitator (Zuraimi Bin Naharudin)
Zuraimi received his education in the Arabic language both in Damascus, Syria & Cairo, Egypt. He holds a Diploma in the Arabic language and a Certificate in the teaching of Arabic from Cairo University.

Course Duration / Time
Once a week x 12 weeks
Saturdays, 10.00am to 12.30pm
Beginning 10th Sept 2005

Delivery Mode
Arabic & English
Pre-requisite
Able to read simple Arabic

Course Fees
$65 monthly payment for three months
One-time registration and book fee of $20

Course will be held at:
Al-Markaz LLP
The Centre for Arabic Language, Culture & Trade
58, Bussorah Street
2nd Floor (above Wardah Books)
Near Masjid Sultan

For enquiries / registration
call Zuraimi: 8112 7976 or email zuraimi@al-markaz.biz

accidentally "famous"

2005-09-02T17:38:00.000+08:00

gorgeous girl?

she's not me ...

but the henna is definitely by me

it's an "ayu", a very popular pattern

thanks to ezayu who inspired me to design that

now who's more famous?

jewel or the ayu?

*winks*

september 2005 issue of manja's special bridal edition

i'm really sorry for being so forgetful but if you're her, could you contact me?

redherring, thanks for the heads up. good eye, babe!

monster-to-be

2005-09-01T09:39:00.000+08:00

chiclets: 14 (including a small molar) ... and counting

yep, i think he's about ready to be a monster now

watch this space for his initiation ...

i luv my neffy-poo! *huggles*

O2 anyone?

2005-08-22T14:47:00.000+08:00

a fat lot of good a bit of retail therapy can do to a person. i've been a little melancholic for sometime over a few personal matters (we shall NOT go into that, nosirree!) and that sentiment is clearly evident in the previous entry (so dramamama right? urgh!). but life is such. full of ups and downs, highs and lows. what is life without trials and tribulations? thank Allah we have Him to turn back to all the time. unlike humans, He does not abandon us. Alhamdulillah! these trials and tribulations are only there to make us a better person, a better muslim, insya Allah.

anyways, i'm truly touched by all your comments. thank you for cheering me up and making me realise that we should count our blessings more than bitch about our woes. *big virtual hug all around*

ok *ahem* back to retail therapy. dum dee doo ...

eversince i received that letter with a "golden ticket", nope not to willy wonka's chocolate factory (tho i wish it was!), i've been flitting in and out of M1 shops to stare, survey and ponder on all the latest handphone models. yes, MY golden ticket is a $500 handset upgrade voucher (YIPPEEDAY!). because i'm such a prized customer of M1, i will receive a golden ticket every year. GO ME!

i can't seem to decide if i should stay true to nokia, or venture out to other brands. i've heard raving reviews of this and that brand and model, but i'm as fickle as a bee in a garden of blooming flowers. i simply could not make up my mind. it doesn't help that i'm super anal-retentive. ok, i need a phone that can play FM radio. hmmm, if it doubles up as an mp3 player, all the better! oh wait, that one has an mp3 player but no FM radio. and WHOA! this one has a 2 megapixel camera! waitaminit, i have a new 5 megapixel digicam, so i don't really need that feature. oh and i need one with bluetooth and the all those other fancy thingamajigs. ARGH! decisions, decisions.

but no fear, i didn't drive myself crazy. i finally settled on something. i guess i like it cos it's different. sometimes different is good. and hey, it's white! didja know that white is the new black? it has a huge screen (great for myopic old geezers like me). it has everything else that i needed and more. the best part? i'll get it for nothing. zero. nada. zilch. kosong. i was sold. and after many many weeks, i finally made up my mind. i have in my possession, the O2 xphone IIm. say hello, everyone!

miss understood

2005-08-17T11:06:00.000+08:00

i have a problem ...

i have proof that my communications skill is totally f**ked up

what else explains why i'm being misunderstood all the time?

why else do people often think i meant other than what i really meant?

often, right after i said or did something, the reactions from people left me totally bewildered, stupefied, dumbstruck ....

cos they'd tell me that i've hurt their feelings

that i've been insensitive ...

and that i've been callous, rude, severe ...

... heartless, cruel, merciless, vicious ...

i'd look at them in desperation, and with pleading eyes i'd valiantly assure them that i didn't mean to be hurtful

i'd explain what i REALLY meant

i'd apologise profusely

i'd tell them they've misunderstood

no no no ...

i don't have any reason to hurt anyone

none at all

but their minds are made up

and i feel horrendous for being a f**ked up communicator

it's a totally pathetic situation

cos i seriously don't have malice or spite in my heart

i may not be the kindest, gentlest person around

but i don't have any reason to hurt anyone

none at all

if i did, i'm sorry

i'm sorry to have hurt you ... intentionally or otherwise

please be patient with me

i have f**ked up communications skills

but i will do better

i promise

otherwise, i'd just shut up and retreat into oblivion

so please excuse me if i was silent for sometime

i just don't want to cause any harm

i don't wish to cause any hurt

don't wanna be misunderstood

the ewok walks!

2005-08-11T08:47:00.000+08:00

the ewok doesn't need his "walker" (see pic for reference) anymore cos the ewok can now walk (albeit gingerly and carefully) unassisted! HURRAH!

hear ye, hear ye! it all happened before yours truly's eyes on sunday, aug 7, 2005 at approximately 7:45pm. and of course the totally blur like sotong (read: bimbotic) aunty (aka MOI) didn't realised that he was walking until a few seconds later ... DUH! shall not go into the details but boy, after i got my wits together, i was so speechlessly happy. and yep, i got it on tape. YIPPEE!

congrats my darling neffy-poo! wak loves you muchly! *bites amir's dimpled cheeks*

oh and the cap'n caveman reincarnate just had his 3rd haircut and is now a proud owner of 14 (read: FOURTEEN!) chiclets. you're doin' good baby!

that dark rain cloud

2005-08-04T11:16:00.000+08:00

i was on my way to work this morning, talking to him on the phone and minding my own business, when i looked up to the sky (seems to be quite a habit these days) and what did i see? huge, dark rain cloud formations! in an instant, out came the camera again and snap-a-snapping i happily went.

one particular BIG, dark cloud caught my attention and i think it's cute cos it's full of rain and more interestingly, it's playing peek-a-boo with the sun (or the other way around). heh. oh, and it followed me to work. heehee!

if you're crazy about clouds as i am, click here for more photos ... (teehee!)

******************************

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The supplications of three persons are accepted, and there is no doubt concerning their acceptance: the supplication of a father, of a traveller, and of one who is wronged.' (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, and Tirmizhi, with a sound chain of transmitters)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said, "The supplications of three persons are not rejected: the supplication of a fasting person at the time of breaking fast, of a just ruler, and of a person who is wronged. Allah causes their supplications to rise above the clouds, and gates of heaven are opened for them, and God says, 'By My Majesty, I will help you, even it be after a while'." (Reported by Tirmizhi with a sound chain of authorities)

*stares in awe at clouds*

fluffy clouds and charlie chickadees

2005-08-02T16:44:00.000+08:00

it's august already?? YIKES!

*nervous twitch*

where did july go? i love july! july please come back ...

ok, i guess i can get used to august for awhile *sigh*. i kinda like the clouds in august ...

speaking of clouds, i was on my way home yesterday and i happened to look up and i saw beautiful cloud formations against a really gorgeous blue sky. i dunno about you, but i haven't seen a nice blue sky for awhile (or maybe i was too busy being cooped up in the stinking office). anyways anyhoos, i whipped out the ever-ready olympus and started snapping. nice eh? melikes! i have this thing for clouds. i could spend all day lying on the grass (provided there are no ants and other creepy crawlies!) just staring at them. i love the contrast between the fluffy whiteness against the royal blue. i love making shapes out of them. the best cloud formation i've seen are the ones in indonesia and australia. the skies in madinah and makkah are almost always devoid of clouds (maybe because of the really hot weather) but the skies in madinah are the most beautiful blue *sigh*.

ok i'm sure by now people would think i'm a total nutcase ... but seriously, go here for seriously kickass cloud photos. gorgeous stuff!

on other exciting news (heh), i found a packet of chickadees. ok i didn't FIND it, i actually bought it .... with real money ...heh. hey, i found charlie chickadees!!! i mean, i don't even remember the last time i ate that stuff. of course i had to buy it! ... with real money! ... heh.

ok, does anyone still remember the jingle for chickadees??

bring it on! heh.

i'm just a boring ole hennamaniac

2005-07-29T17:21:00.000+08:00

whaddya expect from a henna blog? photos of britney spears navel ring? no chance! heh ...

hokay, here's my henna story for the day ...

a lovely bride-to-be (henceforth known as S) booked me to do her bridal henna last night. i know, i know, nothing out of the ordinary. so blardy what, right? monday night she sms'd me asking if i could also do bridal henna for her sister-in-law (henceforth known as SIL, only cos the genius who is me forgot to ask for her name ... duh!). anyways, anyhoos (are you guys still here?? heh ... gawd, this is boring story!), i got to do HENNA on 2 brides on the same night and a pair of full hands on the other SIL (yes, i forgot to get her name too .. duh!), and i did it all in less than 4 hours! i'm like wow ... how did i do that?

errr ... what's the purpose of this story? ummm ... i guess i just proved to everyone that i'm the world's most boastful braggart.

*hangs head in shame*

if you guys are still here, i've got photos here

*shuffles off*

henna and such

2005-07-22T16:03:00.000+08:00

no, i'm not in comatose or dead ... yet. heh. i've just been lazy about updating. there are many things i'd like to blog about tho. exciting events to reminisce, people to thank and love, photos to show ... but laziness kicks in and WHAM ... nothing happens (heh, did you expect something big and shiny after that WHAM?). i'm at the last few pages of the half-blood prince but i've been taking my time reading it. seriously, my heart is not in it at all. i dunno what will happen to harry now that "he" is dead (yes it's a man).

*sigh*

such much .... as a friend would say ...

in other less depressing news, i had the honour of hennaing a nice lady last week, and since i've been the world's biggest slacker, here are the pics, albeit a week late. as some would say, better late than never, eh?

more photos can be found here

i've recently acquired a new toy (my most extravagant yet for 2005). a red hot olympus mju-digital500. everytime i learn something new about it, i fall deeper and deeper in love. no doubt it's just an idiot-proof, point-n-shoot camera. nothing fancy or schmancy about it but it's one cool contraption. suffice to say, i'll be busy getting more and more acquainted with it. maybe in the near future, i'll be good enough for a DSLR? heh, who knows. i took some shots using its super macro function and came up with some pretty interesting results. not the best, i'm sure. but hey, aren't we all learning everyday? take a peek here. don't worry, no donut or cactus were hurt in the process. hyuk hyuk hyuk.

oh and i have to say a big THANK YOU to all of you who've been so kind and generous to me the past week (you gals know who you are!). i thoroughly enjoy the company, the prezzies, the smses, the cards, the emails and everything else! thank you, thank you, THANK YOU ... from the bottom of my heart. i'm blessed with wonderful friends. jazakallah khair.

humbly yours ...

he who must not be ....

2005-07-18T09:23:00.000+08:00

i spent my weekend with two boys ...

him ...

and him ...

naturally i enjoyed the company of the latter more than the former ...

i'm a little peeved that rowling has to kill yet another main character ...

the only reason why i'm not done reading this book (if i read it the way i read the other books, i would've been done in less than 24 hours tops), is cos i KNEW who died this time (HAD to flip to the last pages ... resistance is FUTILE!). and because i knew, my interest in the book dissolved rapidly.

why oh why did she have to kill him!? isn't it enough that sirius is gone? adam and i suspect that she's probably into death and depair and misery at the mo' ...

bleah ...

i'm sure i'll be done with this book before the day is over ...

sabr and shukr

2005-07-11T12:42:00.000+08:00

if there were 2 things that i asked for, more than anything else in the world when i was there, was that Allah make me a person who is sabr (patient) and shukr (thankful). for i am, more often than not, hasty and ungrateful.

Abu Suhayb ibn Sinaan narrated that the Prophet said: "How amazing is the case of the believer; there is good for him in everything, and this characteristic is exclusively for him alone. If he experiences something pleasant, he is thankful, and that is good for him; and if he comes across some diversity, he is patient, and that is good for him." [Muslim]

Of the two tasks the Prophet sets here (patience or thankfulness), being thankful is perhaps the more difficult of the two when, oftentimes, a Muslim who attains some worldly gain and then attributes his success to his own abilities, or to luck, just forgets altogether the One who bestowed it upon him. That is the catch to any form of triumph. Indeed Allah says that:

"Most men are not thankful." [Surat Yusuf 12:38]

Recognising that it is Allah who has blessed us with all these things is a cause for an increase, whereas forgetting Allah will not stop any gain, but it will result in a recompense in the Hereafter, as Allah says:

"If you are thankful I will add more (favors) unto you; but if you show ingratitude truly My punishment is terrible indeed." [Surat Ibrahim 14:7]

may Allah make us all sabr and shukr .... amin!

one of the ibadahs there that totally humbled me was the sa'i (walking 7 times to and from mount safa and mount marwah). the distance between safa and marwah is about 2 furlongs (approx 400m). before i left, i thought it would be easy. it's just walking from one place to another, right? pretty easy for a strong, healthy woman like me. but i underestimated the power of that ibadah and the first time i did it, i emerged from it shaking like a leaf. i was knocked out for a few hours due to sheer exhaustion. i am weak, Allah is Great. and He showed me that we should never be arrogant. everything that we have is from Allah and we are nothing without Him. Masya Allah.

i'm still missing you .... i long for the day i can be with you again ...

... no words to describe ....

2005-06-23T03:25:00.000+08:00

.... i miss You intensely ....

i long for the peace and calm that i could find only with You

... my heart aches

i weep in silence ...

i promise, i'll be back there again .... soon ... insya Allah ...

ya Allah, thank you for your Mercy and Grace ...

ya Allah, thank you for the privilege ...

ya Allah, please take me there again ...

all my bags are packed ...

2005-06-08T23:11:00.000+08:00

... and i'm ready to go ...

will be gone for a bit, but i'll be back ...

see you guys in a couple of weeks.

in the meantime, if you're interested to learn basic conversational arabic, read on! (even if you're not interested, do pass this info along, jazakallah khair!)

******************************

Al-Markaz Centre for Arabic Language & Culture is offering a course on Conversational Modern Standard Arabic (Level 1)

About the course
This twelve-week course aims to provide participants with the foundation and ability to converse in basic Arabic.

This is a highly interactive course that engages students in Arabic conversational activities that will enrich their vocabulary and understanding of the use of the language.

At the end of the course, the participants will be equipped with the ability to speak basic conversational Arabic fluently.

Course Facilitator (Zuraimi Bin Naharudin)

Zuraimi received his education in the Arabic language both in Damascus, Syria & Cairo, Egypt. He holds a Diploma in the Arabic language and a Certificate in the teaching of Arabic from Cairo University.

Course Duration / Time

Once a week x 12 weeks

Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays

7.30pm to 10.00pm

Beginning 4th, 6th & 8th July 2005

Delivery Mode

Arabic & English

Pre-requisite

Able to read simple Arabic

Course Fees
$65 monthly payment for three months
One-time registration and book fee of $20

Course will be held at:
Al-Markaz Pte. Ltd.
58, Bussorah Street
2nd Floor (above Wardah Books)
Near Masjid Sultan

For enquiries / registration
call Zuraimi: 8112 7976

b is for busy ... h is for henna (what else??)

2005-06-03T02:47:00.000+08:00

busy, busy, busy

henna, henna, henna

busy, busy, busy

henna, henna, henna and more henna!

t'was wonderful meeting all of you lovely ladies

thank you for letting me be a part of your special day

congratulations and best wishes to you and your loved ones.

love, happiness, laughter!

i've got henna photos
go see!

in other news, amir turned one on may 14, 2005, alhamdulillah!

i love my neffy-poo!

ewoks bathe in a pail, nu?

*phew*

i'm exhausted

... and now i have to pack ...

see y'all soon!

salam ...

true friends

2005-05-12T10:00:00.000+08:00

true friends bring out the best in each other. oh how true, how true!

thank you babe for being a great and TRUE friend!

"the glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship"

- ralph waldo emerson

oh, and the great news in the previous entry is puny news, really. i tend to exaggerate sometimes. heh. what was it? i passed my exams. alhamdulillah!
onwards to the final 3 modules! i'm jumping with joy ... yeah right ...

harrruummmpphhhh!

alhamdulillah!

2005-05-10T17:00:00.000+08:00

just received great news, alhamdulillah!

how about a little treat?
sure! why not? heh.

* picture courtesy of benjerry.com

countdown to ONE!

2005-05-02T11:03:00.000+08:00

he crawls around like a frantic millipede. he has seven (read: 7) chiclet teeth. he has had three (read: 3) haircuts in the past 11 months and two weeks. he guffaws like a lumberjack. he shakes his butt to music like john travolta. he burps like a real man. he claps his hands with passion. he thinks his "wak" (aka aunty aka me) is his dancing bear. he loves to play with his football. he is loving and passionate. he babbles non-stop in his own brand of cutesy baby talk. and he will turn one in two weeks time.

time flies when you're having fun. the past year has been a wonderfully bittersweet experience watching this little critter grow. from just a mere bump on his mama's tummy, to the little guy i've grown to love so passionately now. he never failed to put a smile on my face. the mere sight of him turns me with a gooey mess of a cooing idiot. the silly and embarassing things i'd do just to invoke excited claps and hoots of baby mirth. yep, he has me wrapped around his cute little tiny finger. i am, indeed, his dancing bear ....

*sigh*

the wonders of babies. subhanallah. as i await the day that i will finally join the ranks of motherhood (insya Allah), i'd just embrace this miracle in the form of my darling nephew for now. insya Allah one day i'll taste the sweetness of having one (or a few) of my own.

oh before i forget, he can now say these words: mama, papa and Allah .....

masya Allah!!

harquus

2005-04-25T00:50:00.000+08:00

for a long time i've been thinking alot about doing harquus on myself (and others) just for the heck of it. i think harquus is beautiful and sexy in its own unique way. for the uninitiated, harquus is the word to describe traditional black facial ornamentation and markings commonly practiced by women in north africa and the middle east. it can refer to both tattooing and skin painting. for more info on harquus, go to harquus.com.

anyways, after some interesting discussions with the redherring, my henna partner-in-crime, i went out and purchased a bottle of (bloody expensive) waterproof liquid eyeliner (maybelline in black) and did an experiment. but first, i trawled harquus.com and the internet for some patterns. i then drew out about six patterns on paper, did up my eyes (for effects), used an eyeliner pencil to first draw out the pattern (as a guide and for symmetry), and finally drew using the liquid eyeliner. it was hard cos i had to work fast and could not afford mistakes. at the end of it, my heavily mascara-ed eyes were teary from unblinking concentration. i must say that i'm pretty pleased with the results! i think it's awfully beautiful and sexy, no? heh.

i guess if i were to walk down the street looking like that, men would flock to me like bees to honey. heh. damn, i feel beautiful and sexy.

*smirk*

now if i could find more "willing" victims to practise on, i wonder who'd volunteer.

*scratch chin thoughtfully*

i was born with eyebags and dark rings .... so??

the eyeliner glides on smoothly and dries up quickly, even on my super-oily skin. once dried, the colour stayed quite pristine and didn't smear or smudge (tho i would assume it will if you rub your forehead vigorously against a durian). removal is easy with any makeup remover. i hope i don't sound presumptuous when i say that harquus goes perfectly with a hijab. very arabic-que, no? oooohhh, i'm loving this! watch this space for more of it!

oh why harquus you ask? cos the patterns of harquus, tattooing, and henna often mirror each other, and were intended to enhance each other. am i not a hennamaniac? uh huh ...

pattern adapted from the works of catherine cartright-jones, harquus.com.

a beautiful wedding at the ritz carlton

2005-04-21T11:26:00.000+08:00

uber gorgeous bride. uber dashing groom. superb food. wonderful ambience. pretty decor. beautiful gown. smart suit. happy smiles. fantastic entertainment. old friends. new friends. lovely gifts from dubai. sweet lilies. ooohh, and magnificent view from the suite.

congratulations to raihan and azim. may Allah bless your marriage and may you find love and happiness with each other in this world and the hereafter. amiin!

click rai's hennaed hands for more photos

oh and i also did this henna on her back. another back job for my portfolio! thanks babe!

friday hadiths

2005-04-15T10:54:00.000+08:00

i came across these beautiful hadiths and would like to share them. have a great weekend everyone.

*****************************

abu hurairah narrated that the messenger of Allah said :

"let him who believes in Allah and the last day either speak good or keep silent, and let him who believes in Allah and the last day be generous to his neighbour, and let him who believes in Allah and the last day be generous to his guest."
(related by bukhari and muslim)

*****************************

on the authority of abu dhar jundub bin junadah, and muadh bin jabal that the messenger of Allah said :

"fear Allah wherever you are, and follow up a bad deed with a good one and it will wipe it out, and behave well towards people."
(narrated by at-tirmithi)

*****************************

on the authority of abu hurairah, who said: the messenger of Allah said:

"part of someone's being a good muslim is his leaving alone that which does not concern him."

(narrated by at-tirmithi and others)

*****************************

on the authority of abu'd darda, who said: the messenger of Allah said:

"on the day of judgement what will weigh more heavily in favour of the believer will be his good morals. God abhors those who indulge in shameless talk and use indecent language"

(narrated by at-tirmidhi)

*****************************

on the authority of bahz ibn hakim, who said: the messenger of Allah said:

"it is ruinous for a man to tell lies so that others may laugh. it is ruinous for him, it is ruinous for him."

(narrated by at-tirmidhi)

*****************************

on the authority of wathilah, who said: the messenger of Allah said:

"do not rejoice in the misfortune of your brother for God may show him compassion but create difficulties for you"
(narrated by at-tirmidhi)

*****************************

on the authority of abu hurairah, who said: the messenger of Allah said:

"the most perfect of believers in point of faith is he who is best in manners"
(narrated by abu dawud)

*****************************

on the authority of anas ibn malik, who said: the messenger of Allah said:

"none of you (truly) believe until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself"
(narrated by bukhari)

*****************************

on the authority of abu hurairah, who said: the messenger of Allah said:

"a person once said to the prophet, o messenger of God, a certain woman is said to offer salah, observe fast and give alms generously. but she hurts her neighbours by the way she speaks. the prophet replied, she will go to hell.
then the man said, o messenger of God, a certain other woman says fewer prayers, keeps fewer fast voluntarily and offers little in way of alms. she only gives a few pieces of cheese. but she never hurts her neighbours with her speech. the prophet replied, she will enter paradise"
(narrated by ahmad ibn hanbal)

feeling fickle

2005-04-13T17:58:00.000+08:00

I can't decide ... yet again ....

those who own these cammies (or know anything about them), could you contribute your worthy 2 cents please?

*feeling shutterbug*

bliss is ...

2005-04-12T16:05:00.000+08:00

lying here with you

listening to the rain

smiling just to see the smile upon your face

these are the moments i thank God that i'm alive

these are the moments i'll remember all my life

i found all i've waited for

and i could not ask for more

looking in your eyes

seeing all i need

everything you are is everything to me

these are the moments

i know heaven must exist

these are the moments i know all i need is this

i have all i've waited for

and i could not ask for more

i could not ask for more than this time together

i could not ask for more than this time with you

every prayer has been answered

every dream i have's come true

and right here in this moment is right where i'm meant to be

here with you here with me

i could not ask for more than the love you give me

cos it's all i've waited for

and i could not ask for more

i'm back!

2005-04-10T07:39:00.000+08:00

thank you, my dearest friends for your wonderful and encouraging comments on my last entry. i'm sorry for being a little on the slow side with replying. exams invaded my life last week (hence the brief hiatus) and then work decided to take a little revenge on me. the mountain of work that greeted me on tuesday was nothing short of awesome and i was only out of the office for 4 damn days! heh. still, it warms my heart when i see the kind of response i get from that totally "sewer-mouthed" entry. i do apologise for the language (cos good and proper girls shouldn't cuss yadda yadda yadda) but the content is honest and heartfelt. i've totally lost it with those narrow-minded people. i told a friend that i'm done being diplomatic and nice. the next idiot who even mentions anything that has the words resembling marriage/wedding/husband/when and the likes, is so gonna get a mouthful of flavourful french from me (or the finger. heh). i'm absolutely serious about that last part of the entry. those people should stay away from me.

anyways, herda, HuS, aliyah, NuRaudha, mystique, ms mumbles, red, bulan, salha, nahuya, princess, diana hairul, rouge, lynn maharet, missyzee, raihan, bee-na, teatea, muliati, hana-is-not-a-smug-married (heh), mrsbeki, roxywahine, dolyah, jetaime, crazycookie, syidzz and everyone else who read and sympathised, here's a BIG HUG from me! thank you for rocking my world!

hokay, now that i'm back to being cheerful and wacky again, i've got some stuff to share. firstly, yep what else but henna! i get to meet some truly amazing people last week and i had an enjoyable time discussing with one about being an "old maid" in singapore (the bride-to-be is a year older than me so she understood my angst). if you're reading this, yes i'm talking about you, my dear. heh. in any case, i think the malay community did not do her justice when it happily berated her for being unmarried for a long time. she is beautiful, intelligent, good-natured, humble, successful and has a good heart. talking to her openly about our shared feelings was probably one of the highlights of my life last week. especially since i was still smarting from the words of that insensitive fool. babe, i hope you'll have a wonderful and happy life with the man of your dreams! do stay in touch, ya?

where was i? ah yes .... henna! here are some pics. oh i have to say that i just love it when a bride chooses a design concept and tells me to run with it. i'd look at her with googly-eyed adoration and try my darnedest to create a brand-new masterpiece. anyways, she loves it and i love her for letting me do something different.

cool chick, cool apartment, breathtaking view from the window

i love the feet pattern!

this is what i did the week before. love the stain colour!!

the "ayu" pattern is vair popular!

the henna complements her pretty red dress!

ooooh and i have to mention the secret and sacred "project s" that i did with this one awesome chick. methinks she is the epitome of "the good wife". imagine this, its HER birthday, but her HUBBY is getting a treat! heh. thank you for letting me do it for you, babe. despite the initial concerns, i surprised myself with how quickly and easily i did that henna. and nope, using an eyeliner to draw the pattern out first is NOT cheating. it's still freehand drawing, isn't it? heh.

a secret and sacred "project s". i had fun!

let's play old maid

2005-04-02T17:46:00.000+08:00

* warning: slightly explicit language. read at own discretion *

i would not crawl out from under my comfy rock for anything (well maybe a pint of ben&jerry's ice cream), but i made an exception this time cos i'm feeling supremely pissed. why? i'll tell you ...

cos some people can be a royal pain in the ass sometimes ...

what? are they now handing out awards for blatant rudeness and insensitivity or something? do one get brownie points for being a totally disrespectful son of a bitch? i guess some think it's fashionable to put people down and strip them bare of any dignity and respect. then again some would stupidly assume that being an ignorant and mean-spirited moron endears them to others. seriously these people just need a really hard kick in their ass. only then would their brains move back to the original position and discover their true function: to think, not just regulate flatulence.

anyways, i digress. i needed an outlet to vent. the cause of my ire is really about the stupidity and ignorance of our (malay) community in general. here's a scenario ...

a woman is over 30, comes from a reasonably respectable family, is chaste, dresses modestly, has a good job and of generally good character/behaviour. on face value, people would think, there goes a nice, respectable girl. but find out that she's unmarried, and BOOM suddenly she doesn't deserve respect and love from people. is she less human because she's not somebody's wife? does it make it ok to ridicule her by calling her an "anak dara tua" (old maid)? is that reason enough why she should be humiliated and made to feel small? i guess some like to feel justified about being a smug-married (no matter how unhappy they are). so they put (pathetic?) unmarrieds down by resorting to such name-callings or stoopid, unprovoked, unwarranted questions/statements ...

"you're still not married? don't wait too long or nobody would want you"
malay - "belom kawin? jangan tunggu lama2, nanti takde orang nak"

"you're over 30 and unmarried? hey i know some desperate old men looking for second wives"
malay - "eh dah tua gini pon belom kawin? cik kenal ramai orang2 tua carik bini nombor 2, nak tak?"

"you're getting older, not younger. what are you trying to do? preserve yourself into a crinkly pickle?"
malay - "awak tu makin tua, bukan makin muda. kenapa tak kawin2? nak tunggu kerepot macam jeruk ke?"

"why are you not married? haven't found the right man or are you too choosy?"
malay - "kenapa belom kawin2 lagi? belom jumpa yang sesuai ke awak yang memilih sangat?"

"women over 30 will lose their "value". people would pay peanuts to marry you"
malay - "orang pompan ni kalau umur dah lebih 30, saham jatuh. nanti hantaran $1 je. kah kah kah"

"i know another girl just like you! over 30 and unmarried. no boyfriend some more. that's an old maid for you. haha!"
malay - "eh kawan saya satu ni pon dah tua belom kawin2. takde boifren lagi! tu lagi satu anak dara tua! haha!"

har har har .... go ahead, have a field day of mirth at my expense. i bet you're feeling extremely proud of your f--king brusque humour. what makes you think you're better than me cos you're married and i'm not? f--king imbeciles.

i'm so immuned by the incessant "when are you getting married?" question that it doesn't bother me anymore. i would be more bothered by a flea attacking my neighbour's dog. my automatic reaction would be a nonchalant shrug and a casual "it will happen when it happens, i leave it to God". it doesn't matter to me that people still don't get it. i'm not the least affected that people fail to remember that marriage is in the hands of God. so go ahead and ask that question every time you see me, i won't bite your head off and spit it into the nearest septic tank. it'd only reflect what an insolent barbarian you are. marriage is like death, you don't know when it's gonna happen. morbid comparison, i know but that's a fact. Allah is the best of planners. aren't muslims supposed to believe in qada and qadar? so how the f--king hell could i answer that question then? i'm not freaking married yet cos it's NOT time. or malays would say "belum ada jodoh". get that through your thick skull or did you ask that question just to be a class act ignoramus? f--king assholes.

seriously, if the smug-marrieds are so tormented by the fact that i'm not married, why don't they just leave me alone? isn't it easier to pretend that i don't even exist than wonder and ponder the reason of my bachelourhood? it's astonishing that i could be minding my own business, happy to be invisible and inconspicuous and suddenly some halfwit would just shoot an arrow to my ass, totally unprovoked. i mean, really, i'm flabbergasted. what did i do to you? i don't give two hoots why the f--k you're married so why do you care why i'm not? stop being so f--king pompous. so you're married and you're happy. woohoo, go you. have a good life. i don't f--king care, really.

i really don't know which is worse ...
1) have jealous wives giving me the evil eye cos their psychotic imagination envisioned me as a "husband snatcher" (i must be totally demented to want your f--king husband when there are so many yummylicious single men out there to choose from. f--king bitch)
OR
2) have married men annouce to the world that i'm a pathetic "anak dara tua" (i'd rather be a pathetic andartu than be married to men like you, f--king moron).

i don't see much difference between these 2 evils, really.

to smug-marrieds who don't know what to do with your hands/spouses, do me a favour. stay the f--k away from me. f--k off. FUCK OFF. i mean it.

*crawls back under rock*

time to hibernate!

2005-03-26T16:15:00.000+08:00

well it's that time of the year again (it happens at least twice for me). yep, i'll be on a short hiatus but no worries, i'll be back after april 4, insya Allah. and nope, as much as i'd like say that i'm going for a sweet (turkish?) vacation, it's not that at all.

*sigh* ... one can only hope.

henna business goes on as normal although i won't be available from June 7 - June 25. do check out my hennaphile partner, theredherring cos she does kickass henna too. GMAIL for rates and other *henna* enquiries (don't ask me where your pet tortoise is, cos i wouldn't know and that would put me back on the medication that i've successfully did without for the past 3 days). i assure you that as long as i'm not zonked out or in comatose, i'd reply to your emails promptly, scouts honour!

in the meantime, here are some photos of my latest henna self-indulgence and bridal henna. tomorrow i have a date with amir the adorable. now, that SHOULD be fun! take care peeps.

be good, stay healthy, smile always and CONSTANT VIGILANCE!

.... jewel, out ...

taken by my trusty N6230, bad photo but lovely colour!

her palms, lovely and dark!

do not belittle sins

2005-03-23T17:55:00.000+08:00

how many times have we committed a "minor" sin and thought nothing of it? did we feel remorseful? did we even think of repenting? or did we just brush it off like an irritating fly? a dear friend sent me the article below and after reading it, i feel fear and shame. for i am (hopefully, "was" soon) one of the people who thought nothing of committing a minor sin. do read the article, it's a little long but please persevere to read it till the end. may Allah bestow His Mercy upon us, strengthen our faith and protect us from evil and harm, amiin.

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Do Not Belittle Sins *

By Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjid
March 08, 2005

If we say that sins are dangerous, then belittling sins and taking them lightly is more dangerous than sinning itself. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned us against taking sins lightly because, doing so, sins will become an inherent habit in us and we will have no problem insisting on them. This will lead the person to be categorized as a pervert (fasiq) and will lead him in the end to be subject to Allah's severe punishment, which will overtake him at anytime.

Allah has made repentance obligatory saying, [O ye who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance] (At-Tahrim 9:8), and He has granted us time to repent until the Scribes register the sin in our names. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The Scribe on the left hand delays registering the sin of a Muslim for six hours. If he repents (within these six hours), and seeks Allah’s forgiveness, they drop if off. If he doesn't, they write is down as a single sin." That is the first respite. The second respite, even if the sin is registered, is until the appearance of death before our eyes. (If we repent sincerely before that hour, it is taken off the records then).

But the problem with most people is that they do not estimate the majesty of the Lord as they should. They disobey Him in many ways, day and night. Adding insult to injury, they take many sins lightly and claim that such sins are minor and thus of no great harm. In consequence, they stare freely at pictures of women in magazines or on television. Some of them, when told about the sin of it, go a step further and inquire amusedly, "OK, what's the magnitude of the sin involved? Is it a major or minor one?"

Compare this attitude with that of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Anas said to one of his followers, "You imagine certain sins to be more insignificant than a straw. But at the time of the Prophet we used to count them among those that can destroy a man." Ibn Mas'ud said, "A believer treats a sin as if it is a mountain over his head that may fall on him any moment; whereas a dissolute (fajir) looks at them as a fly that perked on his nose and he waived it away with his hand."

Will these people then learn something from the above, and from the hadith of the Prophet that says, "Beware of the minor sins. For the example of the minor sins is like that of a group of travellers who broke their journey in a valley. Then one of them brought in a straw. Another came up with another (and a third with one more) until with their collection they were able to gather enough to cook their food. Remember! If a man is held for questioning (on the Day of Judgment) for his minor sins, surely they will destroy him." In another version he is reported to have said: "Beware of minor sins. For they add on until they destroy the man."

Scholars say that when minor sins are committed without any remorse, without the fear of Allah, and accompanied by contempt, there is fear they will be counted as major sins. To those who belittle their sins, we say, "Do not look at the sins if they are small or big. Look at Him in Whose defiance you are committing them."

Still for all sinners, the doors are opened, for Allah says, [Tell My slaves: that I am very Forgiving, very Kind] (Al-Hijr 15:49).

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* Based on an article in "I Want to Repent, But ..." by Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjid. Online version: I Want to Repent, But ...

1, 2, 3, 4!

2005-03-21T19:44:00.000+08:00

the first time i saw her photo, she was just 3 months old. her mama had asked me to draw a portrait of her. i couldn't refuse, i was already mesmerised by her pretty face and groovy hair. that was back in 2001.

today she turns 4. beautiful, precocious, friendly, delightful, irresistible, funny, super-duper cute! a real gem of a charmer. so very like her lovely mama.

happy birthday, darling iman *kisses*

as dark as it gets

2005-03-16T00:10:00.000+08:00

i love the colour. it's so deliciously dark! then again, she's so lovely and fair. and like most malay girls, her skin is nice and warm. henna loves heat. hotter=darker stains. bring on the heat!

she loves it, she's happy. i'm happy that she's happy. and i love it cos she does and it makes her happy. heh.

enjoy the piccys. fabulous photos taken by husbandnwife tagteam, izadnhana. thank you!!

henna from mecca for cappings, indian henna for patterns.

let's go moroccan!

2005-03-11T11:46:00.000+08:00

she wanted something simple. she uses her hands alot for work, you see. i can imagine how a pair of heavily hennaed hands would hypnotise a class of youngsters and totally distract them. she even showed me a sample pattern that she fancied. simple, viney stuff. oh, and she didn't want any on her feet, except the traditional cappings on the digits. i wondered if i could hypnotise her into doing something more "bridal". forget the simple, viney stuff! let's go all the way, baybeh! but i didn't have to do any hypnotising. she took one look at my portfolio and fell in love with the moroccan patterns ... and changed her mind. YAHOO! so i drew a quick moroccan pattern specially for her and well, the rest is history.

i'd like to say more, but i'm kinda busy now, so let's just let the pictures do the talking. enjoy!

oh, these lovely photos were taken by the good people of izadnhana. kudos!

she loves the pattern, YAY!!

hey, i even convinced her to do some stuff on her feet. heh!