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Dear Penang,

I don’t know you very well, yet I know you have all the things I love.

You have beaches, water sports, great food and historical sites.

It suits my heart’s content. You’ve almost got all the things Malacca has, apart from the delicious Jiki.

Yet, isn’t it ironic how much I hate you right now?

And all the things you are doing.

Or would things change if I were there.

Or someone were here.

Would that probably change our view of the island which has everything I love?

Apart from the 4-hour drive trip.

Or a one-hour flight, which costs RM200 at least.

It’s a biased opinion, so please don’t be offended.

I just wish Penang didn’t do this to us.

idiot

On a lighter note, Little Miss Idiot did not bring her camera along to Dinie’s wedding. She carried it the entire Saturday, up Bukit Tunku to meet Anak Boss along with Mamita and Abu, and down to Subang to meet up with Izza for a great heart-to-heart session, yet she took not even one measly photo.

Turns out that all the camwhore wanted out of her weekend was a good time with good friends, which is certainly achievable without having to take too many photos.

But I still do smack myself silly on the head for not bringing the goddamned gadget to Sheraton on Friday (what the hell was I thinking???). The bride was absolutely lovely; the groom dashing! The dais stunning. The entrance made me go all romantic because it is just too pretty for words to describe. The food scrumptious, and the company... people I wouldn’t trade for the world.

Now, it would be great if someone could float Penang Island to at least Port Klang.

what if?

“My whole life was about her”

“What if her whole life wasn’t all about me?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the heed of my trusted bookworms, I took The Pact off the shelves and started reading. Like I said before, JP’s books are such page-turners it’s highly impossible not to get immersed into the stories that she tells.

This particular read, was a very emotional one. It’s a love story; just not a very typical one. I mean, really, what are the lengths that you are willing to go for your loved ones? Would you really go to the extent of killing him/her just because you know that that would make them happy?

Would you really have the heart to watch them take their lives away despite not knowing why they wanted to do it in the first place?

Or would you be scared to not help them do it because you’d rather you knew they were doing it rather than to find out from someone else some other time, when you weren’t there with the person that you love?

This book has moved me so much; I’ve still got lumps forming at my throat, willing me to cry my heart out. It’s more than a love story. It’s a story of how the simplest of things that people take for granted could affect other people more than others. It’s about how people assume that some things are the best for others when they don’t really know for sure. It’s about a myriad of dilemmas you might have to go through just because. It’s a tale of the many confusions you never thought possible to exist.

And most importantly, it’s about the extent of one’s love... and his wondering whether it was all unrequited after all...

I’d gladly tell you what happened, but I won’t.

All I can say is that you should read it... and that you shouldn’t rush through the facts. Just imagine yourself to be in all the shoes of the characters... and you’ll find yourself shedding tears sooner than you can stop it...

cheese!

We’ve been taught a particular system; all 3 of us. But it’s not because our parents are encouraging us to be debt-ridden people. It’s just that they’d prefer us to make debts with them rather than run to other people for money. So, whenever any of us need something which cost more than we can afford, we run to MBF (Mama Babah Finance, literally).

Prior to this “loan” I have with MBF right now, I’ve never taken up any other loan. This loan; I took it up as a celebration to my “almost-dapat-kerja” status. Because when I took it up with my mom, I remember my dad asking, “awak dah dapat kerja eh dah boleh buat hutang?”.... like erk. No, I was just sitting for my first Final Exam paper at that time, but what the heck.

Point is, my loan cost RM 700 (and no interest). I’ve paid RM200 so far so that means I have another RM500 bahagi RM 50 sama dengan lagi 10 bulan nak bayar. When I took up that loan, all I thought about was that I was going to graduate so I wanted to take lots of photos with my friends as final memories of us together.

I did fully utilise it then, taking silly pictures of everything and nothing (sebagai contoh bunga-bungaan di Baiduri which I miss) and also pictures of Padang Shah Alam, books, etc. etc.

Now that we’ve all started working, I feel like everyone’s just over that “camwhore” period. No one takes photos of events anymore as if no one’s allowed to do it or something. I mean like, I like taking photos but I can’t be taking “camwhore-alone” photos all the time, right? I have the camera with me 24/7 but I hardly use it.

Tomorrow, I have a Hari Raya do at my office.

I don’t know if you’re my officemate and reading this or not. You might be someone at IAD, Prosecution or Drafting.

Tomorrow, like many other days, I’m bringing my camera to work.

Tomorrow, please let’s camwhore, regardless of which Division you’re in because I miss smiling into the camera despite my eyebags yang menjadi-jadi.

And during the wedding at night, please let’s take lots of pictures everyone, okay?

Let’s make my RM 700 worth la, can?

p.s: this blog has now beaten my previous blog's amount of entries!

you got understand or not?

Here’s the thing. On a daily basis (well, almost) I hear one Tom, Dick or/and Harry talk about the importance of bringing the Race Relations Act into existence. Sometimes, I wonder if they even know what the contents are that makes them say with utmost conviction (and confidence) that such Act is necessary.

Honestly, do you really, really know what’s to be put into it, and how it’s going to function?

Since we don’t have that Act, it’s obvious that we will look for a model Act to base our research and drafting on. After all, that’s what we all do. When there’s no local precedent, we look elsewhere because that’s the next best thing to do.

So, if you’ve had enough sense, you would have downloaded the Race Relations Act of the UK ot India (if ada), and realize that there are 80 provisions in the Act and no less than 5 schedules appended to it. I’ve had it for 2 weeks now but I’ve yet finish browsing through the sections.

What I can deduce from the little reading I’ve managed is that this Act will be an extension of Article 8 of our FC. What people don’t understand is that when someone breaches a fundamental liberty, one applies in the constitutional court ( just like applications for Habeas Corpus (which by the way has never succeeded) ) and one may not necessarily get the remedy they think they ought to get.

I think some people are deluded into thinking that when a person discriminates against another, the discriminator will be thrown into prison or punished with a hefty fine or something along those lines.

What they don’t realize is that the Race Relations Act merely lists down what is considered as discrimination under the eyes of law.

Tell me, do you seriously really want something as serious as the law to regulate your relationship with any Chong, Ahmad and Muthu friends of yours?

I think its just common sense really. All a matter of conscience.

Or maybe, just maybe, sense is not so common anymore. And maybe being conscientious is just a god-given trait which not many choose to practice.

atau mungkin, research saya juga terlalu superficial untuk saya memberi komen terlalu awal?

disclaimer: this is not an academic piece to be quoted.

Knots

Things are a little slow here in the office, not that I’m complaining. I can’t really get my mind around the fact that I’m working at the moment and it’s just so difficult to get up again and start kicking into gear.

It sure was a whole lot easier to get back to Shah Alam to study for final exams back then.

Not much has happened since Raya. I honestly think that it’s the age that’s contributing to this lack of excitement for Raya.

But on a lighter note, a good friend is getting married this weekend and I’m thrilled because… well, she’s one of the few close UiTM friends I have who’s tying the knot (already)! I’m hoping I can get off work soon enough to make it to her Akad tomorrow because to me… that’s the most heartwarming yet nerve-wrecking part (as if I dah pernah je?) but I know that that’s the truth and also, it’ll be fun to see that life-changing ceremony which could never be captured well enough to beat what happens live.

Aaah. What does it feel like to get married, ey? Is it as exciting as the preparations, or even better? Honestly, what does it feel like to finally know you’re going to spend your entire life with this one person? I can’t imagine what she feels right now, when I’m getting jitters thinking about something that’s not (and don’t know when is) happening to me.

Good luck, dear!

I’m sure you’ve wrapped your mind around this idea for so long already that you are more than ready!

Okay, who’s next?

after all

Here’s a question I have to pose out of the necessity to feed my mind’s curiosity. But honestly, I mean well and no offense to anyone at all. At all. Okay? Please don't take offense.

I was going through my teenage cousin’s Myspace and browsing through the pictures she took in class. She goes to a co-ad school, so naturally, there are pictures of hormonally challenged boys in it. Some girls were commenting on a particular boy and they were going all gugugagagugugaga over this boy. Me? I winced at the sight of this “drop-dead-gorgeous” “knight in shining armour”.

All freckled, dark (read: burnt, not tanned), pimple-ish complete with baby fat, how can anyone, anyone at all be all smitten with him?

Okay, I’m not being fair, maybe love is blind.

After all, I once owned a boyfriend whom my mother first thought was a drug addict with a beehive as a head.

Okay, I’ll stop blogging about this now. I just realised that I too, had taken the road not taken (read: dated weird partners) so I’m obviously not in the position to tell anyone not to date “freckled, dark (read: burnt, not tanned), pimple-ish complete with baby fat” boys.

Love, might be blind as we think after all, aye?

Eid Mubarak

ramai kan family saya :)

My attempts in writing anything festive about Raya have not succeeded. This is I think my 5^th draft. Let’s hope I succeed this time round. Ahaha. These are among the “perks” of being drugged. It simply takes away whatever little creativity I have left... hmmp. Yes, I was drugged. Paracetamol, antibiotics and the yellow pills were my best friends this Raya.

But Alhamdulillah, despite all them drugs I had to shove down my throat, my spirits and appetite (especially) were not at all dampened. Ketupat, rendang, soto, kuih; you name it, I ate them all. Even if I had to lug around my heavy head and glazy eyes around from house to house.

2 things are different this time around.

Number one: my knight and shining armour was not home to celebrate with us. It was a bit sad. Okay, it was alot sad. He’s like the rock out of us 3 and he’s in Adelaide studying. Although we did send him matching green baju melayu, sampin and the whole get-up, it will never be the same without him. I’m sure my family (my dad especially) feels the same way too...

Number two: being all grown up is no fun because we are sidelined where duit raya is concerned. I did my round of salam like always, but only received “selamat hari raya” and no green sampul. I sat at sides, watching, while turning green with envy as the little kiddies gleefully ripped open their green sampul to reveal the yummy money inside.

Luckily this time around, I’m not alone, since Aie (my eldest cousin) has also started working and no longer entitled to receive duit raya. So, since he was really kesian with me, he gave me one green sampul, which he prepared for the younger kiddies. Terima kasih Aie :). Terubat hati saya. Hihi.

On the second day, I did receive some (okay, 2 green sampul sahaja) out of the pity of some of my uncles and aunties who couldn’t stand seeing me sitting at one corner looking at the kids count their money. Well, the “perks” of growing up. We’ve all got to move on sooner or later, right?

All in all, this year’s Raya was better than I anticipated. Thanks to our younger cousins whose spirits were never dampened, not even for a second come rain or shine, which made it highly impossible for us not to be roped into the festive mood.

how can anyone NOT be in the festive mood with superheroes like these, ha?

and curious little girls like her, who love to admire K.Nisa's shoes. hehe.

And though I didn’t manage to message everyone in my contact list, I hope some of you, if not all would read this and know that I’m wishing you Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir dan Batin. From the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry if I’ve written anything here, or said anything in person, which has hurt any of you in any way at all. I hope that I will be forgiven.

hugs to one and to all :)

Thank you to all those well wishers, who messaged and called me (oh, yes, I got my phone back!).

Let the open houses begin!

p.s: my house is open all the time. please come in swamps, I really wouldn’t mind :)