a woman's life

Yang Best di Barat (UK)

2009-12-20T10:56:00.009Z

Saya takde tujuan nak mengagung-agungkan UK ni. Cuma nak berkongsi tentang kelebihan-kelebihan yang ada di sini. Next posting will be on Apa yang JELIK di BARAT pulak. Fairlah kan?

A-Kemudahan-kemudahan di pasaraya.
Kalau kita pergi ke mana-mana pasaraya-pasaraya besar di UK ni, seperti ASDA, TESCO, dan MORRISONS yg besarnya ala-ala besar CARREFOUR di Malaysia tu; kita dpt lihat macam-macam kemudahan disediakan untuk pengguna.

Kemudahan membuat bayaran sendiri: Kalau kita malas nak beratur, kita boleh pergi ke mesin seperti dalam gbr di bawah ni untuk buat bayaran sendiri. Boleh guna tunai atau boleh guna kad debit/credit. Mudahkan? :)
Self-service
Perbandingan harga dengan pesaing

Kerusi bermotor & bertroli untuk atuk, nenek: Bila tengok ni teringat saya pada Tok saya yg selalu sakit-sakit lutut dan kalau berjalan kena slow-slow. Jadi kemudahan begini memudahkan para atuk dan nenek untuk bershopping barang keperluan mereka.
Untuk atuk & nenek

Kerusi roda bertroli untuk orang istimewa: Kat sini orang-orang istimewa pun mendapat layanan yang adil. Baguskan?

Beg-beg kitar semula: Beg-beg ini bukan percuma. Tapi harganya pun tak adalah mahal sangat. Lagipun kita boleh pakai, pakai, pakai dan pakai sampailah koyak. Menengokkan materialnya, rasanya beg ni boleh bertahan lama :)

B- Rancangan untuk kanak-kanak
Walaupun saya belum punya anak, perkara ni jadi perhatian saya sebab semasa di Malaysia, saya sangat anti dengan rancangan TOM TOM BAK. Kononnya untuk mencungkil bakat kanak-kanak. Bakat apa yang nak dicungkil tu? Bakat menggedikkah? Saya pernah sekali tertengok, kebetulan ada kawan datang ke rumah dan membawa bersama adiknya dan mereka mahu menonton TOM TOM BAK. Sedih hati saya melihatkan seorang kanak-kanak perempuan berpakaian seperti Shakira dan menyanyi lagu Shakira juga, tergelek-gelek di atas pentas. Para ibu bapa yang turut sama menonton dalam rancangan itu bersorak-sorak. Malah ada kaum ibu yang bersorak tu memakai tudung. What the hell is wrong with you people??? Don't you know who Shakira is? Don't you know what kind danger you are exposing your children to?

Di UK ni, untuk kanak-kanak ada channel khas, CBeebies namanya. Rancangan-rancangan yang disiarkan di CBeebies ni boleh dikatakan semuanya untuk membentuk minda kanak-kanak. Juga untuk kanak-kanak explore tentang arts, kreativiti dan sebagainya. Budak-budakkan suka melukis, bermain dengan warna. Saya rasa sekarang sudah tak ada rancangan sebegini di Malaysia, atau saya yang ketinggalan zaman?

Teringat saya zaman kanak-kanak dulu, ada rancangan Cumi&Ciki, dalam awal 1980-an. Bagus rancangan ni, seperti rancangan di CBeebies juga ada segment untuk kraftangan. Buat yang tak pernah dengar tentang Cumi&Ciki ni, boleh baca di sini--> Cumi & Ciki

C-Pengangkutan awam yang teratur.
Saya suka naik bas di sini. Yang tak sukanya cuma bila ada penumpang bawa anjing mereka naik bas sama. Argghh... Di setiap tempat menunggu bas, ada disediakan jadual bas. Jadi kita boleh tahu bas seterusnya akan sampai jam berapa dan bas itu akan sampai tepat pada masanya. Kecuali kalau ada kerja-kerja pembaikan jalan, barulah bas terlambat 3-4 minit. Kalau di Malaysia? Hemm... Boleh tidur kot sambil menunggu bas.

D-Pekerja kedai yang peramah.
OK, untuk ini saya lebih prefer pekerja kedai di US. Kalau di US, kita rasa kita sebagai pembeli memang dihargai. Kalau kita kelihatan seperti lost je dalam kedai tu, nanti mesti ada pekerja kedai yg datang tanya "Are you OK? Do you need any help?"
Bila tiba masa kita nak bayar kat cashier tu, mereka akan tanya lagi, "Do you find everything you need?"
Bila kita dah siap bayar, mereka akan cakap, "Have a nice day."
Di Malaysia, yang saya perasan, pekerja-pekerja di McDonalds yang punya attitude ceria terhadap pelanggan. Saya tahu nanti ada yang kata, McDonalds tu menyokong Yahudi. Saya tak mahu menyentuh tentang itu di sini. Untuk penerangan yang lebih berilmu dari saya, boleh refer kat sini--> Dadah Yang Satu Ini dan Facebook: Antara Pro dan Kontra
Di UK ni tak semua kedai macam tu. Ada jugak pekerja kedai yang ala-ala pekerja kedai di Malaysia, muka masam seperti cuka *sigh*.

E) Majlis Perbandaran/Daerah yang bertanggungjawab.
Di UK, tanggungjawab Majlis Perbandaran bukan hanya untuk kutip sampah je. Majlis Perbandaran kat sini siap ada offer kursus-kursus kemahiran untuk rakyat. Kursus-kursus tu pun memang ngetop gitu, seperti belajar guna kamera Digital SLR, belajar mendekorasi kek dan macam-macam. Ini semua untuk peningkatan diri penduduk-penduduk kat sini. Baguskan? Bila agaknya kita boleh bermimpi atau berangan tentang perkara yang serupa dari Majlis Perbandaran kita di Malaysia?

Salji & Sales di bulan Disember

2009-12-18T09:11:00.012Z

Salji pertama di bulan Disember. Seingat saya, hari ni kali pertama saya dapat merasai salji di bulan Disember. Even when I was in the US, snow came in late Mac and April.

Our backside yard

Dan bulan Disember di sini penuh dengan SALES!!!

Kasut Clark idamanku... Idamanlah sebab kasut Clark di sini ala2 kasut BATA di Malaysia ;)

Dan jualan murah untuk kebanyakkan perfume spt Calvin Klein, Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, PRADA, Gucci, Davidoff.. melambaklah...
Dan lagi...

Trip to Birmingham & CT scan

2009-12-18T07:20:00.018Z

Dalam perjalanan ke Birmingham~GPS kami suruh ikut jalan ni. Jalan pintas rasanya.

Nasib baik jalan pintas ni pendek je, kalau tak takut jugak sebab sunyi je. Kalau nak berjalan, kena bawa peta juga, tak boleh bergantung pada GPS 100%.

Dah masuk highway semula.

Kami ke Birmingham pada Hari Raya Haji yang lepas. Tujuannya untuk mengambil CT (computed tomography) scan filem yang kawan saya tolong bawakan dari Malaysia. Sebelum berlepas ke UK awal tahun ini, kami dah pack semua barang dan hantar balik ke kampung. Dua hari sebelum berlepas, saya pergi berjumpa Dr. Murali (doktor yang bertanggungjawab untuk pembedahan dan rawatan kemoterapi saya) untuk follow-up yang terakhir sebelum ke UK, katanya saya perlu bawa CT scan filem tu ke UK untuk dibuat perbandingan dengan CT scan filem yg akan saya buat bulan Disember ini. Hari ni baru nak buat appointment untuk jumpa doktor untuk buat appointment CT scan. Saya sibuk sangat dua minggu lepas membuat correction untuk 1st year PhD report saya tu. Alhamdulillah semalam dah hantar, rasa seperti hilang beban digalas.

Melalui ladang biri-biri, tak nampak clear biri-biri yang montel-montel belaka itu.

Masih dlm perjalanan ke Birmingham,baru 3pm rasanya waktu ni, tp hari dah mula gelap.

Jujurnya saya tak suka buat CT scan ni. CT scan ni lebih kurang X-ray juga. Bezanya CT scan ni ambil cross-sectional image badan kita i.e gambar diambil secara melintang.

Sebelum badan kita dilalukan dalam tiub (macam terowong) yg ada pancaran x-ray tu, kita perlu minum air yang dipanggil contrast, saya dah tak ingat berapa ml. Kalau di Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) air contrast tu warnanya oren. Ingat lagi seorang nurse tu melawak, katanya, "Minum ye air oren tu sampai habis." Hemm..rasanya tidaklah seperti rasa air oren Sunquick atau air oren Marigold. Rasanya tak sedap langsung :( Tujuan minum air yg disebut contrast tu ialah supaya bila image dari badan kita diambil, organ badan dan tumor dapat dibezakan.

Inilah sebotol minuman contrast yang perlu dihabiskan. That's me beside the bottle. Gambar ni diambil semasa CT scan kedua di HKL.

Lepas dah minum air contrast tu, kita kena pakai pakaian hospital yg ada tali-tali ikat kat belakang tu. Pakaian lain suma kena tanggal. Pastu nurse akan cucuk satu tiub kecil i.e intravenous (IV) line ke saluran darah kat tangan kita. Tiub tu gunanya untuk menyalurkan sejenis contrast lain dalam badan kita. Contrast yang ini akan disalurkan semasa badan kita melalui terowong tu. Ingat lagi kali pertama diCT scan, saya menjerit sebab contrast tu dialirkan terlalu laju dan bila masuk ke salur darah sakitnya hanya Allah yang tahu. Mungkin technician atau jururawat yang mengoperasikan IV line tu belum biasa kot. Geram pun ada, nak menangis pun ada. Kali kedua diCT scan, Alhamdulillah, smooth je contrast tu masuk ke salur darah saya.

Selepas tu, kita ditinggalkan sorang-sorang dalam bilik CT scan tu. Lab technician dan jururawat masuk ke bilik yang berhadapan dan meneruskan operasi meng'CT scan' badan kita menerusi tingkap kaca. Walaupun dah 2 kali melalui pengalaman CT scan ni, saya tetap ada rasa seriau. Seriau sebab takut contrast yang masuk dalam salur darah tu menyakitkan saya.

Di sini ada maklumat lanjut tentang bagaimana ovarian cancer di diagnosis.

Dalam perjalanan pulang ke Newcastle, singgah di R&R mana ntah, beli kopi COSTA :)

Mandom

2009-12-11T16:23:00.007Z

Padang kedua yang saya rentas untuk sampai ke rumah. Nun kat hujung tu salah satunya ialah rumah sewa kami.

Masuk je bulan November, waktu siang semakin pendek. Dalam kul 4 tu dah masuk waktu solat Maghrib dan dalam kul 6 dah masuk Isyak. Dengan waktu malam yang panjang dan sejuk ni, aktiviti yang paling menarik tentulah tidur. Hahaha...

kesian burung ni menahan kesejukan- Nov 09

Sekarang ni cuaca bertambah sejuk. Saya dan suami dah mula sakit-sakit tekak. Kena cepat-cepat kulum madu (macam makan gula-gula tu) untuk elakkan dapat batuk. Dahlah cuaca kat luar sejuk, dalam rumah pun sama, kecuali kalau kami sanggup pasang heater 24-7. Nak on heater sepanjang masa tu boleh, yang takutnya bila tiba masa nak bayar bil nanti. Hah! Boleh pitam rasanya.

Inilah design rumah zaman Victoria. Waktu ni jam 4.30pm, dah gelap sebenarnya. Cerah dengan cahaya lampu jalan.

Rumah yang kami sewa tu rasanya wujud sejak zaman Victoria kot, dengan lantai kayu yang jongkat jangkit, single-glazed window, aduh! nak masuk ke dapur waktu pagi tu rasanya kalau boleh mahu berlari sepantas Peter dalam cite Heroes tu. Ada masanya saya siap pakai topi winter dalam rumah sebab bila sejuk-sejuk ni kepala jadi pening.

Di luar bangunan Chemical Engineering (Mertz Court), kabus tebal @ 4.30pm.

Pagi tadi cuaca dah jatuh sehingga -4C. Kabus tebal sampai penglihatan hanya boleh nampak setakat 3-4 meter saja. Dengar-dengarnya kali ini winter lebih sejuk sebab summer baru-baru ni cuaca OK je. Tak macam sebelum ni, summer selalu hujan. Ada timbal balik di situ. Kalau cuaca musim summer tak panas & asyik hujan saja, cuaca waktu winter tak adalah jadi seeeejuuuuk sangat. Taaaapi kalau cuaca musim summer best i.e. kurang hujan dan cuaca ala2 dalam bilik ber'air-cond' kat Malaysia (18-20C), cuaca waktu winter memang sejuk & tak best jadinya. Heemm...
Harap-harapnya janganlah demam atau batuk teruk seperti awal Januari hari tu.

A Blessing in disguise {cont...}

2007-07-13T07:19:00.003+01:00

It all started on that April Friday afternoon. It's almost 5.30 p.m. I was on my way to the tuition center where I tutor Add Maths and Physics to the Form 5 students. I stopped at the DIY shop to buy something when suddenly I feel something trickling down my thighs. At first I thought I have accidently wetting my sarong. But when I looked down at the floor I saw spots of red fresh BLOOD!!! There's nothing else in my mind other than the thought that " Uh..uh...I AM PREGNANT" and now I might have MISCARRIAGED!

Thank Allah there's a clinic nearby. I ran through the heavy rain ( it was raining heavily at that time) . YES! After the standard pregnancy test done, its confirmed that I am pregnant.

On doctor's suggestion, I went to a maternity clinic the next day for a scan. Knowing you are pregnant to a woman who wants children should be 1 of the happiest moment in their life. Sadly not so for me. Yes, true I am happy that I am pregnant. But after the scan was done, and the nice lady doctor told me that I have some sort of a lump on the left side of my womb is not something I wanna hear. She said that my womb looks like I am 5 months pregnant where I am actually just 5 weeks pregnant! She had to referred me to a hospital where there are more up-to-date facilities/specialists. I will be going to see the specialist on Monday.

A blessing in disguise

2007-07-06T09:20:00.003+01:00

July 2, 2007: I went for my 2nd chemotherapy with my beloved husband. We have to go in the afternoon because the gynaecology-oncology clinic will only received my chemo medicine from the radiotherapy unit that afternoon. Going for chemo is like going for a picnic for us. We prepare the fruits and juicess to bring along. My husband insisted on bringing some bread just in case I feel hungry. I think next time I 'll bring some 'asam' along.. :)

Asam Pedas Melaka

2009-12-08T17:54:00.007Z

Asam pedas yang kami masak :)

Saya memang dari kecil lagi suka makan asam pedas. Asam pedas yang biasa keluarga saya masak simple je. Tumis bawang merah yang ditumbuk bersama dengan cili kering yang telah dimesin tu sampai garing (bukan hangus ye!), kemudian masukkan perahan air asam jawa, ikan kembung, garam, gula dan daun kesum.

Sewaktu suami dan saya ke Melaka pada hujung tahun 2007, konon-kononnya honeymoonlah, we didn't have a proper honeymoon anyway~ tak kisahlah yang penting bahagia :) ,kami sampai waktu senja. Lepas solat maghrib, keluar jalan-jalan cari makan, jalan kaki je dari hotel. Yang pertama kami jumpa Pizza Hut, kemudian KFC. Aiseh, takkan jalan jauh-jauh ke Melaka nak makan benda-benda ni semuakan. Balik semula ke hotel untuk naik kereta dan meneruskan pencarian kedai makan. Tak jauh dari hotel yang nama apa ntah tu, kami ternampak banyak kereta parkir kat tepi satu gerai ni. Gerai kayu je. Bukan restoran batu dan simen pun. We decide to give it a shot. Ternampak satu van yang parkir di situ, tertulis di badan van tu "ASAM PEDAS POWER."

Memang betullah POWER asam pedas kat situ. Sampai sekarang ni kalau teringat, kecur air liur saya. Kalau tuan puan pergi ke Melaka, cubalah makan kat situ. Letaknya gerai ni berhadapan dengan Perigi Hang Li Po.

Puas saya menyelak-nyelak lama-laman resepi di internet ni, akhirnya berjumpa juga dengan asam pedas Melaka idaman kami. Voila! Memang sedaplah. Worth your effort menumis tau! Dalam resepi asal tu pun katanya dia tengok kat internet tapi kat mana ntah. Dah banyak kali buat asam pedas ni, asik tak berkesempatan je nak kongsi kat sini.

Bahan kisar:
1 labu bawang besar
5 biji bawang merah
3 ulas bawang putih
4-5 sudu besar cili kering yg telah dimesin (sukatan cili kering mesin ini sebenarnya bergantung pada kepedasan cili kering anda)
1 inci halia
1 inci kunyit hidup
1 sd besar jintan manis
1/2 sd teh lada hitam

Bahan tumis :
1 labu bawang besar dihiris halus
1/2 sd teh biji sawi
1/2 sd teh halba
Segenggam daun kari (leraikan)

Bahan-bahan lain:
4 keping ikan tenggiri atau ikan tuna (dibersihkan)
10 sudu besar minyak masak untuk menumis *kalau tak yakin, letak sikit dulu, sewaktu menumis nanti kalau nampak minyak sikit tapi bahan untuk tumisan banyak, boleh tambah masa tu.
3 sd besar asam jawa campurkan dengan ¾ cawan air
1.5 liter air
2-3 biji tomato - potong 4
10 biji bendi *optional
2 tangkai bunga kantan - dipecahkan *di UK ni tak jumpa lagi bunga kantan, jadi saya tak letak pun.
Garam dan gula secukup rasa

Note: saya sebenarnya tak ikut sangat sukatan ni. saya agak-agak saja bergantung pada sebanyak mana ikan yg saya nak masak. Utilize your intuition ;)

sewaktu masih dalam periuk ;)

Cara:
Panaskan periuk dan masukkan minyak. Tumis bawang hiris hingga kuning dan masukkan bahan tumis yg lain, biarkan naik bau.

Masukkan bahan kisar dan garam, tumis hingga pecah minyak. Masukkan air asam jawa dan kacau sebentar hingga naik minyak. Masukkan ikan dan sebatikan bersama bunga kantan.

Masukkan air dan bahan lain kecuali tomato. Tutup dan biar renih pada api kecil hingga mula pekat dan masukkan tomato. Biarkan beberapa mnit baru diangkat.

Al-Fatihah untuknya

2009-12-08T11:11:00.006Z

Pagi Selasa lepas, jam 3 pagi, sewaktu suami dan saya sedang nyenyak tidur, handphone suami berdering. Dalam mamai-mamai terjaga dari tidur tu, sedikit sebanyak saya dapat menangkap perbualan suami.

Suami: Berita? Berita apa?...
Hati saya mula terfikir adakah ayah mertua saya... But I shut that possibility down.
Suami: Tapi ayah ada appointment dengan doktorkan esok?
Hati saya berbisik lega. Alhamdulillah ayah sihat.

Sampai sekarang saya masih tak dapat pinpoint bila suami saya memberitahu saya tentang berita sedih pemergian ayah mertua saya itu. Right after he hung the phone atau ketika kami bangun untuk solat Subuh pagi itu.

Sebenarnya untuk tempoh beberapa hari selepas itu, saya masih seperti tidak percaya ayah mertua saya telah pergi menyahut panggilan Ilahi. Mungkin kerana keadaan suami saya yang tenang. Cuma ketika-ketika tertentu dia tampak sedikit sugul. Jujurnya saya tidak tahu bagaimana untuk menghadapi keadaan seperti ini. Ini pertama kali ahli keluarga terdekat saya pergi.

Saya teringat kali pertama berjumpa ayah mertua saya. Saya tak tahu apa yang nak dibualkan. I end up keep asking him whether he wanted me to get him another cup of coffee or tea. Dan Allahyarham ayah mertua saya menolak sebabnya beliau tidak boleh minum banyak (bladder problem).

Beberapa hari selepas pemergian ayah mertua, saya bertanya kepada suami.
"Abang, ada ke terlintas dalam hati atau fikiran Abang, Abang tak dapat jumpa Ayah sebab ikut Dilla ke sini?"
Saya bimbang kalau-kalau suami ada rasa hati sebegitu terhadap saya. Walaupun dalam hati saya yakin kebimbangan saya itu tidak berasas tapi saya fikir tak salah untuk saya bertanya.
"Kalau kita kat Malaysia pun, tak semestinya Abang dapat jumpa Ayah..."

Kalau dulu sesi tadarus kami lebih kepada untuk menamatkan semua surah di dalam Al-Quran, sekarang sesi tadarus kami digantikan dengan bacaan surah Yasin untuk disedekahkan kepada Allahyarham dan juga kepada ahli-ahli keluarga lain yang telah tiada. Tak apalah,mungkin ini satu motivasi untuk kami supaya memperbanyakkan bacaan Al-Quran.

At my wits end

2009-11-24T19:01:00.007Z

This is how I feel since yesterday. Keep staring at my screen and hoping I get an idea.

For two hours yesterday I sat down with Dr. R while he explained to me about the background of the data which I used for my research. He is the one responsible for generating all the spectral data. You might think that I should have known the inside out of my research by now. Well, I. AM. NOT. While I sat there listening and asking few questions, I felt like my brain has gone to information overload state. I felt like it soaked and soaked the explaination he offered. But now, I can't even decipher what I learned yesterday. I know my understanding of what I learned yesterday stucks somewhere in my brain. I just need to let it break free. It really irritates me to feel like this. So you see, my romance with my PhD is not all hearts and roses.

I need to incorprate some of the information that I got from Dr. R into the introduction part of my report. I haven't got my full report back from my supervisor except for the introduction part. My Oh! My, they want me to elaborate more on the objectives, contribution and novelty of my research. My report is due this Friday. YES! This Friday. And I'm just at my wits end to even add a word into that introduction section. Now I feel like crying and going to bed and not wake up until my introduction section magically writes itself.

Rabbi yassir wala tu a'ssir,
Rabbi atnim bil khoir

Doodle Stiching -Gila Kraf II

2009-11-19T11:46:00.014Z

my 1st try, no tracing whatsoever, just do as I go. ~ tengoklah senget benget tu

my 2nd try ~luruslah sikit sebab lukis paten sebelum stitch.
doodle stitch 1: @ both bottom corners of my fleece curtain~this is my own idea, no pattern at all :)
*click on the picture to see the type of stitch used*

I don't know what's gotten into me lately. I'm wasting my time looking at sewing blogs. Then I start planning in my head. Yeah! List of things I wanna sew. The list goes on and on. I want to make:

- tote bag& groceries bag.

- diaper bag from oil cloth(just in case if I do get pregnant next year)

- some dress for me ( I've bought a really nice shirt-dress & I like the way it feels when I wore it. I had my sister sent it to me from Malaysia. The postage costs more than the dress itself! So annoying! Thing is I can't seem to find a decent shirt-dress with a decent price here in UK. And that's like super duper annoying! Hence I think I better copy my favorite dress pattern and try to make one for myself. )

-baby changing mat, baby bib & other baby things (they look so cute & I do want to be a hip mummy so I kind of neeeed those things. Crazy me!)

I can't really jot down the list you see -Oh! I already have- because I don't even have a sewing machine. My hands are itching to sew something. Anything. Not that I am a sewist but I like sewing actually, hand sewing more like it. What I don't like is the list in my head won't go away.

I've already discussed with my husband that I plan to buy a used and cheap sewing machine. Cheap is the operative word here. I've searched E-bay and found none to my liking. My husband, a wise man he is, asks me to wait and save for a better sewing machine. Sure I can save but I don't know when I am going to be able to buy the kind of sewing machine he is talking about. The one which can do embroidery and has that little computer thing attached to it so you can download a pattern straight into the sewing machine. Hmmm....

So for now, to appease my cravings for sewing, I have to resort to doodle stitching and some other hand needle works/craft. I'm currently doodle stitching on our fleece curtain. I also have strings of crochet which I want to turn into a bag. And I have meters of vinyl cloth which I plan to make dinner set bags out of it. Made one before but my measurements screwed up somewhere so the bag does not close properly. I promised a friend I'll put up my dinner set bag picture here but I have to say 'NO' now as it doesn't turn out the way I picture it should.

doodle stitch 2: @ the middle of our fleece curtain.

~I saw a cross sticth picture in the internet, like it, so I sort of using that picture as guideline. But all the stitches used here are my own idea.
close up on the windows
*click on the picture to see the type of stitch used*

Oh! The house is not 100% done. I have yet to put some lingering plants on the brown fences (not seen in this picture) and probably couple of butterflies.

happy stitching!

Nasi Daging Lembu Sedap

2009-03-25T06:15:00.007Z

Saya & suami sekarang ni rajin mencuba resepi-resepi baru. Maklumlah duduk jauh dari deretan gerai-gerai tomyam,nasi goreng, mee hoon sup di Malaysia. Dulu pun rajin juga, cuma tak serajin sekarang. Kat sini tiap-tiap hari kena masak. Oh! Bukan setakat setiap hari, tapi perlu masak sekurang-kurangnya 2 kali. Sama ada sarapan/lunch + lunch/dinner. Lagipun saya bawa bekal makanan ke sekolah. Memang kebanyakkan Melayu di sini pun buat begitu. Kalau sekali sekala nak makan di luar tu bolehlah, harga pun berpatutan, 5 pound lebih untuk sepinggan nasi beriyani yang boleh dikongsi makan berdua. Cuma kalau tiap-tiap hari tu jadi dah tak berpatutan lagi belanjanya. Tambahan pula, manalah larat nak makan di luar setiap hari, bosan jugakan.

Dua minggu lepas, saya mencuba resepi yang saya dapat dari website New Zealand Lamb Recipes. Saya dah olah resepi tu ikut sesuka hati saya memandangkan kami di sini tak punya New Zealand lamb(mungkin Che'a & Kak Ema orang yang sangat sesuai untuk cuba resepi-resepi kat website tu). Nama sebenar resepi ni ialah 'Kambing dan Nasi Ekspres'. Memandangkan waktu nak memasak tu saya cuma punya daging lembu & tidak punya beras ekspres, jadilah resepi saya namanya 'Nasi Daging Lembu Sedap'.

Bahan-bahan:
(Maaf ye saya tak sukat sangat semasa memasak, cuma agak-agak saja sukatan untuk makan berdua)

Minyak zaitun untuk menumis
Daging lembu yang di hiris nipis(2 genggam tangan buka ye,letak banyak kalau suka makan lauk)
6-7 ulas bawang putih ditumbuk
Tomato puri
4 biji buah tomato saiz sedang(dipotong 8)
Buah zaitun dihiris nipis(20-30 biji, saya guna buah zaitun hijau yg dah dibuang biji, i.e pitted olives)
2 batang celery
Beras(saya letak 3 pot untuk kami berdua)
Air untuk memasak 3 pot nasi(dikurangkan 1/3)
Daun pasli dihiris (1 genggam)
Garam & gula secukup rasa

Cara:

1- Panaskan minyak zaitun dalam kuali. Masukkan daging dan masak sehingga daging tu nampak kekuningan i.e dah masak.
2-Masukkan bawang putih yang telah ditumbuk.
3-Masukkan tomato puri & hirisan tomato segar. Kacau rata.
4-Masukkan hirisan buah zaitun, beras,air, garam, gula & daun pasli.Kacau rata & tutup kuali. Masak dengan api sederhana.
5-Sesekali buka tutup kuali dan balik-balikkan nasi. Masak sehingga air kering. Tapi jangan sampai hangus! :D

Nota kaki:
1-Elakkan dari terlebih air, nanti nasi jadi agak lembik. Saya letak air macam biasa, jadi nasi tu terlembik sikit. Sikit je, tapi malu ditegur suami saya :P
Sebab tu perlu kurangkan sedikit air berbanding kita masak nasi biasa guna rice cooker.

2-Boleh tambah sayur lain seperti lobak merah, brokoli, bunga kobis & kacang pis. Ikut suka ler..

Geordie dan Slangnya

2009-11-16T18:58:00.005Z

Coming to Newcastle, UK in one way or another has made me realize that there is probably no correct way to pronounce English words. Grammatically, yes there are rules and guidelines that you have to follow. But pronounciation wise, A-ah, if you live in Newcastle or in Scotland, where the accent are quite thick, the pronounciation of some words are completeley off base. People from Newcastle upon Tyne is known as Geordie. (Kalau kat Malaysia, orang negeri sembilan kita panggil orang noghori). Hence their slang is known as Geordie slang/ Geordie dialect. Watch this L'oreal advert featuring Cheryl Cole to hear how does Geordie slang sounds.
(Note: Cheryl Cole is a celebrity in UK. She's from Newcastle).

I even found this website which provides Geordie slang dictionary.

On another note, not everyone who lives in the UK speaks English. If you go to Wales, they talk in a complete different language. Its not English. It's called Cymraeg -according to a source from Britannia. Err.. I don't know how to pronounce that.

Took this picture when I visited Wales last June. At Snowdon, Wales. See the words on the right hand side, try to pronounce that!

Gila Kraf

2009-11-16T13:26:00.024Z

Kelmarin hari Sabtu, suami dan saya pergi ke Boundary Mill Shiremoor. Kononnya kami nak check out harga pinggan mangkuk keluaran Portmeirion, tapi bila tiba kat situ, salesgirl tu cakap diorg dah tak jual Portmeirion. Aiseh... terpaksalah kami pergi ke Stoke-On-Trent yg jauh itu kalau nak beli serving dishes Portmeirion yg cantik meletop tu. Itupun kalau ada sales, kalau tak 'Portmeirion Dalam Anganku' sajalah jawabnya.
Note: Stoke-On-Trent: kawasan perindustrian pinggan-mangkuk (pottery) di UK.

Satu perkara yang sangat best kat Boundary Mill Shiremoor ni ialah harga barang-barang kraftangannya. BEST SANGAT-SANGAT!!! Dengan designer papernya, designer ribbonnya, stickers, kerta-kertas yg bermacam gaya; ada kertas yg ada effect baldu, kertas yang boleh dihaluskan macam kita gosok papan dengan kertas pasir tu. Memang bermacam-macam. Oh! By designer paper I mean Laura Ashley's papers, Amy Butler's Papers & other top designers. Kebiasaannya kertas-kertas yg didesign oleh mereka ni sangat mahal. Jadi kalau saja-saja nak keronyok-keronyok, minta ampun maaf. Kalau sesiapa yang suka buat kad, kotak & kraf-kraf menggunakan kertas, Arts&Crafts section kat sini memang heaven.

Melambak pilihan, sampai tak terpilih. Cuma duit je batasannya.

Yummylicious designers' papers.

How I wish I can have all these stickers...

Hah! Kertas khas untuk boys pun ada :P

The Laura Ashely Collection (yg kat atas tu yg ada velvet effect tu)... delicious!

Saya betul-betul tak keruan memilih. Kalau ikut hati memang saya nak borong kertas-kertas yang cantik-cantik tu. Tengok kertas pun saya dah rasa bahagia. Tapi memandangkan 2 minggu lepas kami dah ke kedai bernama Hobbycraft dan saya pun beli sejilid designer paper, saya terpaksa menahan nafsu bershopping ini. Sadis! Demi untuk memuaskan hati, saya beli jugak stikers yg sangat comel, ada guli-guli kecil dalam stikers tu. Yummy!

Stickers that I bought. Sooo cute...

Batuk Orang Lidi

2009-11-04T08:40:00.004Z

Ini bukan gambar lukisan anak siapa-siapa. Ini hasil lukisan doktor yang saya jumpa minggu lepas. Masuk minggu ni dah 3 minggu saya batuk. Elok je macam nak sembuh batuk semula bila cuaca bertambah sejuk.

Minggu lepas selepas melihat saya menderita batuk, suami ajak (ala-ala paksa) saya ke klinik. Saya sebenarnya malas nak pergi klinik di UK ni ( di UK kami panggil GP-General Practitioner). Satu sebab je saya suka pergi GP. Kat GP ada banyak majalah hiburan&fesyen yang saya boleh selak-selak sambil tunggu giliran. Hahaha...

Awal tahun ni masa winter hari tu, saya pernah batuk teruk jugak. Jumpa doktor yg saya panggil doktor berjimat (Dr. J). Kenapa saya panggil dia Dr. Jimat? Sebabnya bila jumpa Dr. J, bukannya dia nak bagi prescription utk beli ubat. Lepas cek pernafasan saya dan pastikan saya tak ada asma, dia mula cerita pasal sejarah batuk. Siap dengan analogi pulak tu.

Katanya, batuk tu umpama penjahat. Bila penjahat datang menyerang tekak kita, antibodi dalam badan kita akan bertindak sebagai polis untuk menangkap penjahat-penjahat tu. Polis akan menang akhirnya walaupun mengambil masa.

Kata Dr. J lagi, "Your cough will heal itself. Take grandma's medicine. If you still want to buy cough syrup, don't buy it at the pharmacies. Go to ASDA, TESCO. Get the cheap one. They are the same."

Bawak bersabar jelah saya ni. Jadi minggu lepas tu bila suami nak bawa ke GP saya berat hati nak pergi. Kot-kot dapat Dr. J. Hemm... bila tiba giliran saya jumpa doktor, saya tengok nama yang terpampang kat depan pintu tu 'Dr. J'. Arrghh... rasa macam nak balik je. Tak yah jumpa pun tak apa. Buang masa je. Tapi saya masuk jugak. Seperti dulu jugak, cerita dia, nasihat dia, sama je. Cuma kali ni, saya minta hasil lukisan dia tu untuk share dengan korang.

Edit: Amalan tradisional untuk mengubati sakit tekak atau batuk:

1- Campurkan perahan lemon atau limau nipis (1/3-1/2) dgn sesudu madu dan air suam. Kacau & minum.

2- Larutkan 1/4 sudu garam dgn air suam. Kumur2 atau lebih tepatnya 'gargle' dgn air tersebut.

3- Larutkan pes asam jawa di dalam air suam. Campurkan sedikit gula batu. Minum.

You are A Worrier

2009-11-04T10:10:00.013Z

-Pokok yg sangat cantik dekat Postgrad School Office. Bangunan Coklat tu tingkat bawahnya ialah Masjid Newcastle University-

I went to see both of my supervisors last Friday to submit the draft of my 1st year report. Thing is my report is very 'COMOT'. 'Comot' because I haven't list down my references, I haven't write up my abstract, some of the figures are incomplete i.e. no legend, and mostly because I have not finished writing on one topic-Principal Component Analysis (PCA). And yes, my grammar is everywhere. Huh!

I actually sent an e-mail to my supervisors the day before asking if I can postpone the submission date. She asked me to submit whatever I have at the moment. Hence the submission of the 'comot'report.

When my supervisors skimmed through my report, I was actually quite nervous and dreaded to hear their comments. Not that they are mean or anything. They are always nice, friendly and supportive to me. The first comments from both of them were:

SP1: You're a worrier.
Sp2: I don't agree. She's a TOTAL worrier.
~I am relieve to hear that actually :)

SP2: Nor, what are you trying to do? Finish your PhD in record time?
~WOW! That's a compliment. I was beaming inside but still worried that I have a lot of reading and understanding and simulation to do.

Me: I just have a scholarship for 3 years plus 6 months extension.
~I can apply for another 6 months extension after the 1st extension but the 2nd extension is without cost of living scholarship. I've walked that route before (during my master) and I am not going to take it again.

SP1: Well, what are you gonna do during your final year?
~I just smile and keep quiet. I'd like to say 'I'll go travel around Europe but that sounds dope isn't it? As if I have the mean to do that.

SP2: How long do you need the extension?
Me: I don't have much except the PCA and its case study to write up.
SP2: Alright, I'll e-mail the postgrad office and ask for 2 weeks extension.
~Actually, I wish for a month extension. But I don't want to propose something hideous like that won't I? Takpelah, 2 minggu pun cukup je sebenarnya. Bak kata Ani, "Kalau dapat sebulan tu, 2 minggu menjahit, 2 minggu lagi buat keje. Oh, yes! I've a new hobby, embroidering. Will share on that in my later post.

-The same tree as above-

I'm sharing this not because I'm proud of myself. Seriously, I don't feel proud at all. There are number of reasons why I stop myself from feeling 'on cloud nine'.
1- ANYTHING, I mean ANYTHING can happen along this journey. I pray to Allah for a smooth sailing.
2- If in the future I might have to apply for an extension due to whatever reasons, and some people might say something like, "Itulah dulu riak sangat". Even though I don't feel 'riak' at all.
3- I bear the responsibility of coming here with a background as a lecturer in a Malaysia's university. My supervisors are well informed about my background so if I don't give the best of impressions to them, what's left?

I'm just happy -well, extremely happy if I must say- that both of my supervisors appreciate my efforts and they like my work. Above all, I learn a very insightful lesson.

1- I want to be a better, nicer and supportive lecturer to my students (postgrad students' supervisor as well) when I go back home, just like both of my supervisors.
2- Praises can motivate people. When my supervisors praised my effort, I was delighted and am determine to perform much much better. So, I'll probably utilizing on this psychology technique on my students (and my children when I have them).
3- I hope to stay humble when appropriate. Well, there are situations where we need to give some attitude right? Hahaha...

Most importantly, I need to keep praying for Allah's guidance and help throughout my journey of PhD and journey of life. Also I have to keep praying so that my supervisors will stay supportive and nice to me.

Not to forget, my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who leaves constructive and supportive comments on my Shut The H*** UP post. I know thank you is not enough. May Allah bless us all.

Summer's gone, Autumn's here... Daylight Saving Time

2009-10-25T15:19:00.020Z

Clear sky during summer @ Seaham, Newcastle

Pagi tadi bila bangun tidur, saya terus tengok jam. Pukul 5.30am waktu itu. Dalam kepala dah teringat, 'Eh!Hari ni kena tukar jarum jam pada standard time. Maknanya sekarang dah pukul berapa ye? 6.30 atau 4.30 pagi ni?'

Dalam keadaan kepala saya masih weng akibat makan ubat batuk semalam, saya cek World Clock Time di iphone saya. Pada World Clock website tertulis 5.30am. 'Eh! Betul ke World Clock ni?.'

Tak ada beza dengan jam iphone saya pun. Saya cek pula handphone suami, tercatat waktu 6.30am. 'Haa...jam Abang ni betul rasanya, mesti dia dah ubah sebelum dia masuk tidur semalam', fikir saya.

(Padahal sebenarnya suami saya tak tukar pun jam hp dia & dia tak set pun supaya jam tu automatically bertukar bila Daylight Saving Time. Hemm... Kiranya jam hp suami tu salahlah. Ishh...) Saya pun betulkan setting waktu pada iphone i.e saya jadikan waktu 6.30am seperti pada jam suami. Kemudian bergegas amik wudhuk dan kejutkan suami untuk solat Subuh. Yelah, matahari terbit jam 6.56am, maunya boleh terkedek-kedek nak menunaikan solatkan.

Lorong jalan kaki yang saya lalu waktu pulang dari school. Dah merahkan daun pokok tu?

Lepas Subuh, saya makan ubat batuk dan tidur semula. Suami pun sama juga. Bangun semula dalam pukul 10.00am~ini waktu yg tertera pada iphone. Buka laptop, jam di laptop menunjukkan pukul 9.00am. 'Eh! Salah ni', fikir saya.

Nak tukar tak boleh sebab laptop yg saya pakai ni laptop school (supervisor beli dengan duit grant), jadi saya tak boleh memandai nak download atau tukar apa2 software kat laptop ni. Saya cek lagi sekali pada website World Clock. Website World Clock menunjukkan jam pukul 9.00am sama seperti jam pada laptop. Aduuuhhh!!! Pening. Pening macam bila dengar lagu duet Ezlyn& M. Daud Kilau tu.

View dari tempat letak beskal Robinson Library, Newcastle University Dah kuning daun-daun ni, ada yg dah luruh pun :(

Kemudian saya chatting dengan member kamceng saya Ani di YM. Saya tanya Ani, 'Sekarang ni pukul berapa?' Sebab saya tersangat confuse, dah berapa kali saya cek waktu kat website World Clock tu, waktunya masih serupa dengan waktu sebelum saya tukar waktu di iphone saya pagi tadi. Kata Ani, 'Kul 11.40am Dilla'. Eh! 11.40 ke 12.40 ni? Confusenya. 'Dilla, tak yah tukar jam kat laptop & handphone, dia bertukar sendiri.', tambah Ani lagi.

Saya pun cek la setting iphone saya. Alahai.. rupanya saya dah setkan supaya waktu bertukar automatically bila tiba Daylight Saving Time. Kiranya pagi tadi masa saya bangun tu, waktu sebenar di UK memang pun pukul 5.30am seperti yang saya lihat. Tak perlu saya tukar-tukar lagi waktu kat iphone& laptop tu. Dahlah tak perlu tukar, tukar-tukar pulak salah tukar. Kalau ye pun saya nak tukar kedudukan jarum jam(terhad kepada jam2 yg tak mampu bertukar secara otomatik) , saya perlu tukar dari 5.30am kepada 4.30am, bukannya dari 5.30am kepada 6.30am seperti yg saya lakukan. Isshhh.. Entah apa-apa betullah saya ni.

Masa duduk di US dulu memang dah observe DST ni. Tapi dah lebih 10 tahun, dah lupa saya jadinya. Jadinya, bermula hari ni, waktu kami di UK dan 8o lebih negara lain ke belakang 1 jam. Pada waktu 0200 semalam, jam perlu diputarkan kembali ke waktu 0100. Macam back in time gitu. Jadi sekarang perbezaan waktu antara UK dengan Malaysia, kembali kepada 8 jam ( UK lewat 8 jam dari Malaysia). Nanti bila tiba bulan Mac, waktu perlu dipercepatkan 1 jam pulak. Inilah yang dinamakan Daylight Saving Time. Sebabnya bila tiba musim panas, waktu siang jadi panjang. Jadi demi untuk tak membazir tenaga cahaya dari matahari, jarum jam dipercepatkan. Waktu solat pun semakin rapat dan cepat sekarang. Subuh between 0500 to 0700, Zuhur jam 1150, Asar: +-1400, Maghrib masih lagi around 1645 dan Isyak dalam 1830. Tunggu jelah winter nanti bila Maghrib seawal 1540 gitu. Huhuhu.. sejuk tak terkata. Suasana luar rumah yg 'murung'. Memanglah asyik nak berselimut je jadinya.

Summer's gone... Autumn's here... Winter's closing in...

Bila Nak Kawin???

2007-08-15T04:19:00.002+01:00

Tak tahu nak katergorikan apa yg saya tulis ni sebagai apa. Bole kata puisi la kot. Puisi ni saya tulis dah lama. Masa saya bujang lagi. Ingat lagi masa tu orang-orang keliling ni sibuk bebenor menanyakan saya bila nak kawin. Family saya cool jek. Orang-orang yg tak de kena mengena pulak yg menyibuk sangat. Jadi, terhasillah puisi ni. Saya pernah post puisi ni kat satu forum masa tu i.e. 3-4 tahun lepas. Yang bestnya baru-baru ni, saya dapat pulak forwarded email puisi ni. Kalau jual dulu, dah bole putar2 duit agaknya sekarang. He..he..he..

Bila nak kawin???
Di sini orang bertanya
Di sana orang menyoal
Tak kira teman mahu kenalan
Asyik-asyik itu je yang jadi bualan
Begitulah nasib orang bujang
Tak kira lelaki mahupun perempuan

Bila nak kawin???
Keluarga pun dah mula risau
Si teruna… emak bimbang jadi bujang terlajak
Si dara… ayah takut bergelar andalusia

Bila nak kawin???
Jiran turut sama menumpang tanya
Bila dijawab jodoh belum ada
Kata mereka, kita kenalah usaha
Mandi bunga salah satu caranya
Tak pun mandi ais boleh dicuba ( hee..hee.. ni cadangan pelik kawan saya)

Bila nak kawin???
Aduuuhh…aku disoal lagi
Kawin??? Nak kawin dengan sapa?
Calon pun takde…
Hah!!! Awak tu memilih sangat agaknya
Ewah-ewah sedap sungguh mulut berkata

Bila nak kawin???
Akan ku kawin jam-jam ni juga ( haa…haa…haa)
Andai memilih suami semudah bershopping di pasar malam
Atau semudah membeli VCD cetak rompak
Atau sesenang memakan twisties….

Bila nak kawin???
Aaahhh…sungguh aku bosan
Banyak yang lain boleh jadi persoalan
Kenapa asyik itu yang dihadapkan
Apa kita nak heran
Lambat cepatnya jodoh, Allah yang tentukan…

Bila nak kawin???
Pada yang masih bujang
Biarkanlah mereka terus bertanya
Usah ditunggu letih mulut mereka (Takkan letihnya sampai bebila..)
Kalau ada jodoh…
Insya-Allah takkan ke mana…

Bila nak kawin???
Pada yang asyik menanya
Usah dirisaukan jodoh orang
Jaga masjid sendiri agar tidak goyang
Lain orang lain rezekinya
Syukurlah dengan apa yang kita ada…

Seven Steps to Get Out of Debt

2008-10-25T05:04:00.007+01:00

I know it's a not very good time to talk about getting out of our debt. What with the inflation rising high, unsure of tomorrow economy stability and lots of other things.

However, I'd still like to share this information which I found at oprah.com These steps were suggested by financial expert Dave Ramsey.

1-Save $1,000 Cash as a Starter Emergency Fund
Money magazine says that 78 percent of us will have a major negative event in a given 10-year period of time. Life happens, so be ready. Stop everything and focus. Twist and wring out the budget, work extra hours, sell something, or have a garage sale, but quickly get your $1,000.

2- Pay Off All Your Debt Using the Debt Snowball
List all your debts (except the house) in order of smallest payoff balance to largest. Then pay the minimum payment to stay current on all the debts except the smallest. Every dollar you can find from anywhere in your budget goes toward the smallest debt until it is paid. Once the smallest is paid, the payment from that debt is added to the next smallest debt. When debt number two is paid off, you attack three, and so on.

3-Finish the Emergency Fund
A fully funded emergency fund covers three to six months of expenses. When the big stuff happens, like the job layoff or the blown car engine, you can't depend on credit cards. If you use debt to cover emergencies, you have backtracked. A strong foundation in your financial house includes the big savings account, which will be used just for emergencies.

4- Invest 15 Percent of Your Income in Retirement
The rule is simple: Invest 15 percent of before-tax gross income annually toward retirement. Make the most of your 401K at work especially if your company matches. Invest in a diverse portfolio of mutual funds with a good track record. And put the rest of the 15 percent into a Roth IRA.
Note:In our case as Malaysians, this is the same as investing in our KWSP. However, the recent news about RM5 billion taken out of our KWSP as a loan to an unknown company called Valuecap is indeed very disturbing. Refer to perakexpress.com

5- Save for College
When you save for your child's college tuition, you must make at least seven percent per year on your investment to keep up with inflation increases. I suggest funding college with an Educational Savings Account funded in a growth stock mutual fund. The ESA grows tax free when used for higher education.
Note: Again, the ESA is for Americans. My suggestion is we just need to do some research about the most profitable education fund available in Malaysia. Err.. definitely not the PTPTN.

6- Pay Off Your Home Mortgage
Put all of the intensity and financial power you put toward your debt snowball to pay your house off as quickly as possible. Imagine how good the grass will feel under your feet when it's paid for. Without a house payment you have control of your greatest wealth-building tool—your income.

7- Build Wealth
Here's the payoff. After all your hard work you have finally gained control of your most powerful wealth-building tool and it is yours to do with as you will. You have all this financial muscle, so now you should do something intentional with it. Have fun, invest and give.

FEAR being the NEXT PREY?

2009-07-14T15:49:00.008+01:00

Back in 1990s, there was this film titled Jurassics Park (JP). At that time I don't know what's the hype is all about. I can't remember whether I watched JP at the movie theater or through TV tube. The only thing I remember is I don't understand why the fuss over JP. I mean no disrespect to Steven Spielberg directing talent but I don't feel JP is a great movie.

Then late last year, I discover Michael Crichton's novels. I was browsing through the novels at IIUM library and out of curiosity I picked his book, Disclosure. It is about:

A brutal struggle in the cutthroat computer industry; a shattering psychological game of cat and mouse; an accusation of sexual harassment that threatens to derail a brilliant career...this is the electrifying core of Disclosure. At the center: Tom Sanders, an up-and-coming executive with DigiCom in Seattle, a man whose corporate future is certain. Until: after a closed-door meeting with his new boss -- a woman who was his lover ten years before, a woman who has been promoted to the position he expected to have -- he is accused of sexually harassing her. Now he finds himself trapped between what he knows to be true and what he knows others will assume to be the truth. And, as he uncovers an electronic trail into the company's secrets, he begins to grasp just how cynical and manipulative an abuse of truth has actually occurred...

Then I got to know that he is the writer of the JP novel. Plus he is also the scriptwriter of ER, the most popular TV series back in late 1990s which I was one of its millions fans. His in depth knowledge about science and the way he interweave it with his storyline plus his style of writing get me hooked. Since then I've been searching and reading his novels.

The latest in my collection are Next, State Of Fear and Prey. I'm reading the latter at the moment, I've finished the previous two novels few months ago. I encourage you to read these novels. If you are interested in biotechnology, Next is a must read. Not just these novels offer us new perspectives about what's going on in our world but much more. As a researcher, I'm at awe Michael Crichton's extensive research for each of his novels.

However, through his novel Next, I have a feeling that he views human being as part of the animals clan. I might be wrong but if I'm right it is an unacceptable view. Anyway, if you have a chance, try to get hold of his novels. If you love science, I believe you'll fall in love with his novels.

DUIT! DUIT! DUIT!

2008-09-12T04:30:00.008+01:00

Wah! minggu depan kakitangan kerajaan akan dapat separuh bonus. Rasa-rasanya cukup ke?
Kalau ikutkan, duit ni banyak macam mana pun susah nak kata CUKUP kan?

Apa pun, aku bukan nak cite pasal bonus. Tapi nak cite pasal DUIT. Bukan nak menasihat cuma nak berkongsi cerita.

Pernah tak bila korang keluarkan duit, katalah RM500. Beberapa hari lepas tu, kira-kira tinggal berapa je duit yg ada dalam dompet. Selebihnya tak tau pergi mana. Puas la backtrack semua perbelanjaan, masih ada beberapa puluh ringgit yang tak tau dibelanjakan untuk apa.

Cite pasal duit ni, bukan apa. Cuma aku pernah satu waktu dulu GAGAL MERANCANG DENGAN BAIK, yg mana membawa akibat yg teruk jugak la.

Bila aku kahwin, aku fikir menjadi kewajipan untuk merancang kewangan dengan baik. Tambahan pulak, bab-bab menyimpan suami aku serahkan pada aku (dan simpan masuk akaun aku, hehehe). Jadi aku tak boleh lagi buat macam waktu aku bujang. Menyimpan dengan niat untuk beli sesuatu. Contohnya beli corset BEAUTIFUL *sigh*. Bukan tak boleh menyimpan dengan niat nak beli sesuatu, cuma dulu aku tak membahagikan akaun simpanan tu kepada simpanan untuk beli barang, simpanan untuk hari tua, dll.

Mula-mula nak merancang kewangan ni memang agak sukar. Tapi selepas beberapa bulan, aku rasa seronok merancang dan melaksanakan perancangan aku tu. Yang paling penting, aku sentiasa berwaspada dalam berbelanja. Dah takde kejadian aku tak ingat duit aku pergi mana. Malah yang terjadi ialah 'Eh! Ni duit dari mana'. Hehehe.. Walaupun duit dari mana tu cuma setakat RM10 atau RM20, tapi bermakna :)

Setiap bulan seminggu sebelum gaji aku akan buat perancangan. Lepas tu aku print dan letak dalam dompet. Tapi tidaklah sampai beli gula-gula 50posen pun aku catat. TIDAK!!! Aku tak catat perbelanjaan aku. Aku cuma pastikan perbelanjaan aku terkawal dan berada dalam margin yang aku dah rancang tu. Kat bawah ni contoh perancangan kewangan aku.

monthly budget - Upload a Document to Scribd

Kawan adik aku kata, susahlah hidup berpandukan budget. Hidup tak bebas. Hidup hanya sekali, jadi jangan membelenggu diri. Aku dah belajar dari kesilapan dulu. Kita hidup ni bila-bila masa ALLAH boleh tarik nikmat yang diberi. Jadi lebih baik merancang semasa senang kan. Tak gitu?

Pada aku, aku bukan hidup berpandukan budget. Yang aku buat tu ialah perancangan. Contohnya, aku dah allocated RM300 untuk LEISURE (i.e. makan kat restoran, tengok wayang, beli novel). Alih-alih bil elektrik aku banyak pulak bulan tu. Maka, aku akan pinjam dari akaun LEISURE untuk top-up bayar bil elektrik; dan aku kenalah kurangkan aktiviti bersuka-sukaan untuk bulan tu. Lebih kurang gitulah cara aku.

Minggu lepas, aku ada menonton Oprah. Guest speaker- SUZE ORMAN. Suze ni financial planner. Rupa-rupanya apa yang aku buat selama ni, iaitu merancang perbelanjaan, ialah antara beberapa perkara yang si Suze ni bincangkan dalam buku dia THE 9 STEPS TO FINANCIAL FREEDOM.

Lain kali aku diskus isi buku Suze ni. Bagus buku ni. Membuka mata aku tentang banyak perkara tentang DUIT KITA yang selama ni kita buat dek je.

From This Moment On...

2008-03-18T07:36:00.010Z

Last Monday is my very first anniversary. I can hardly believe that we've been married for already a year. It might not seems much to others who've been married longer than I am, but to someone who has once decided not to marry at all, YES!!! it does mean a lot! :)

Right from the 1st time I heard this song- From This Moment On from Shania Twain- I've decided that it'll be the song that I'll dedicate to the person who's gonna be my husband. At that time, somewhere in 1997-1999, I haven't even have a boyfriend yet. It took me almost 10 years to find the right person to dedicate this meaningful song to. Hope you'll enjoy the song as much as I do.

"From This Moment On"

(I do swear that I'll always be there.
I'd give anything and everything and I will always care.
Through weakness and strength, happiness and sorrow,
for better for worse, I will love you with
every beat of my heart.)
From this moment life has begun
From this moment you are the one
Right beside you is where I belong
From this moment on

From this moment I have been blessed
I live only for your happiness
And for your love I'd give my last breath
From this moment on

I give my hand to you with all my heart
Can't wait to live my life with you, can't wait to start
You and I will never be apart
My dreams came true because of you

From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing I wouldn't give
From this moment on

You're the reason I believe in love
And you're the answer to my prayers from up above
All we need is just the two of us
My dreams came true because of you

From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing I wouldn't give
From this moment
I will love you as long as I live
From this moment on

Perlu Kamu

2008-03-17T10:23:00.003Z

Such a lovely song.. but I don't really like both of the singers :|
Perlu Kamu by Ajai& Krisdayanti

When U look in the Eyes

2008-05-06T08:40:00.003+01:00

I love this song. Especially the part of lyrics which I've highlighted :)

"When You Look Me In The Eyes" by JONAS BROTHERS

If the heart is always searching,
Can you ever find a home?
I've been looking for that someone,
I'll never make it on my own
Dreams can't take the place of loving you,
There's gotta be a million reasons why it's true.

When you look me in the eyes,
And tell me that you love me.
Everything's alright,
When you're right here by my side.
When you look me in the eyes,
I catch a glimpse of heaven.
I find my paradise,
When you look me in the eyes.

How long will I be waiting,
To be with you again
Gonna tell you that I love you,
In the best way that I can.
I can't take a day without you here,
You're the light that makes my darkness disappear.

When you look me in the eyes,
And tell me that you love me.
Everything's alright,
When you're right here by my side.
When you look me in the eyes,
I catch a glimpse of heaven.
I find my paradise,
When you look me in the eyes.

More and more, I start to realize,
I can reach my tomorrow,
I can hold my head up high,
And it's all because you're by my side.

When you look me in the eyes,
And tell me that you love me.
Everything's alright,
When you're right here by my side.
When I hold you in my arms,
I know that it's forever.
I just gotta let you know,
I never wanna let you go.

When you look me in the eyes.

And tell me that you love me.
Everything's alright,
When you're right here by my side.
When you look me in the eyes,
I catch a glimpse of heaven.
I find my paradise,
When you look me in the eyes.
Oh

Akademi Nasyid

2008-09-07T09:53:00.005+01:00

Ada sesiapa yang tengok final Akademi Nasyid?

Walaupun ada beberapa episod yg aku tertinggal, tp kemerduan suara Azhan yang jadik juara tu memang tak boleh nak dipertikaikan. Nasib baik la tak masuk AF, kalau tak, Mawi pun dia boleh pukul habis. Masa minggu pertama tengok Akademi Nasyid ni pun dah suka suara Azhan ni.

Tengok je lah video ni. Aris Ariwatan pun ala-ala tergugat gitu. Dia orang duet lagu Permaidani. Menusuk kalbu beb!

Among my favorite months..

2008-04-30T10:11:00.005+01:00

Mid April to Mid June every year is among the time I am waiting for. It is the time for NBA Playoffs. I know some people might not understand what is so great about basketball compared to soccer.
Great things about basketball are the fast movement from one end to the other, the techniques in the offensive and defensive moves, and the tactics used in the play. Most of all, if your team down 5 points with 30 seconds left, you can still win the game. Fantastics isn't it?
I have few teams I'm rooting for. How can that be possible? Well, if I root for just one team and they get eliminated early in the playoff, then I don't have any team to root for :D. I know it sounds funny. Because what if any two of my favorite teams match each other up? I'll usually go for the underdogs.
Anyhow, I'm quite upset today because one of my favorite teams-the Phoenix Suns (actually the Phoenix Suns is the top in my list)got eliminated in the playoffs first round series. And worst, they got beaten by the San Antonio Spurs which I hate so much.
I feel very upset now. Feel like crying. Huhuhuu...

Among my favorite players:
Steve Nash (short but very talented)

Chauncey Billups(not so black 'black guy' who's know how to lead his team)

Kevin Garnett (he's so black like arang but no one can stop his aggressiveness in the court)