Music that inspires me

1. Top of The World - The Carpenters
2. Before The Next Teardrop Falls - Freddie Fender
3. Hotel California - The Eagles
4. Casablanca - Bertie Higgins
5. Widuri - Broery Marantika
6. Quando Quando - Engelbert Humperdinck
   
7. Green Green Grass of Home - Tom Jones
   
8. Words - Bee Gees
9. Oh Carol - Paul Anka
10. Yesterday - The Beatles
11. By the Rivers of Babylon - Boney M.
12. Hingga Akhir Nanti/Jika Kau Bercinta Lagi/Andainya Aku Pergi Dulu - Alleycats
13. Regresas A Ami - Il Divo
14. Yue Liang Tai Biao Wo Te Xing (The Moon Represents My Heart) - Teresa Teng
15. Milik Siapakah Gadis Ini - Sudirman
16. Wajah Rahsia Hati - Sheila Majid/Ogy Ahmad Daud
17. To All The Girls I've Loved Before - Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson
18. Humko Humise Churaa Lo OST Mohabbatein - Lata Mangeshkar & Udit Narayan
19. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai - Lata Mangeshkar & Udit Narayan
20. Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx/Byran Adams
21. Where Is The Love - Black Eyed Peas
22. 25 Minutes/Sleeping Child/Paint My Love - Michael Learns to Rock
23. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - The Platters
    
24. Are You Lonesome Tonight/Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley
25. Unforgettable- Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole
26. Que Sera Sera - Connie Francis
27. Terima Kasih -Awie
28. Isabella - Search
29. Suratan atau Kebetulan - Kenny, Remy & Martin
    
30. Nyanyian Serambi - Ramli Sarip
    

I know all of the above songs by hard, lyrics and all. Each of them reminds me of something or certain places or someone. So, if I were to be judged through all the songs that I like, what could be said about me? One thing's for sure, I'm a sentimental slob.. And I'm not so young at heart though I may be young at age..I can't stand listening to songs that are indecipherable to me, be it the lyrics or melody. I can't stand 'noisy' songs which to me is like slurred speech, sung by people with speech disorder. That's just my opinion but I have nothing against the genre of music, afterall I still listen to The Black Eyed Peas which makes good music with good messages to boot.

Ten of Life's Simple Pleasures

I should really thank my blog mentor and sifu, ChanLilian for tagging me with this one. I had wanted to blog on the same thing and perhaps even tag people with it. But I guess my thoughts were capable of echoing their way into our 5xmom's house and into her thoughts hence her beating me to it. LOL. Great minds think alike, they say. hehe..
So, here goes nothing...

1) Taiwanese pearl Milk Tea from Uncle Jimmy (really calms my wrecked nerves!)
2) rich dark, fine chocolates especially when I'm PMSing
3) my 2 cuddly kitties to play with
4) the glimmer and sparkle in my students' eyes each time they thoroughly grasp the concept of something I teach them and use the things I teach in their sms'es and e-mails to me
5) the heady smell of caramel and vanilla everythings (think popcorn,soft pretzels withdips,ice-cream, custard)
6) good and sound advice from my dear ones (my family, my best'est' friend (MJ) in the whole wide world and my Ustaz)
7) when all my normally tight clothes are loose
8) really good concealers especially after days of sleeplessness
9) new magazines to read every beginning of the month
10) good blogs I look forward to reading and coming home to

Hmm... The problem now is, *drumroll* whom to tag this with? Care to tag yourself?

Back to Campus Life for moi!

Yesterday and today saw me milling about my uni as I had gone there to see my professor after having taken two semesters off to concentrate on work. I could tell he was glad I chose to continue with my masters. He even offered me a job which I have gladly taken up without any hesitation! And boy, do I miss studying! Above all, I've never missed my uni so much! As I was treading my way towards my faculty, the familiar sights of the campus really made me realise there is really no place else I'd rather be. (apart from home, of course). I've spent five years here now.. Went in to do my degree in 2001 and graduated in 2004, then proceeded directly thereafter with my masters. The only difference is that I'm all alone now compared to my degree years when my buddies (coursemates) were around. And being alone sometimes sucks. It sucks even more when there's no one around to remind me about the deadline of some projects or to exchange notes with or to make me feel like a smart-ass. (I miss you, Dolly and Kok Hin!) But of course, I have to look on the brighter 'sights' (pun intended) of things. Well, literally, there are many at my uni. Bright sights, I mean. Take a look at these photos and you'll know what I mean.
I remember when i was nine or so, I was watching this malay movie called 'Ali Setan' starring Ogy Ahmad Daud and Azmil Mustapha and the film was shot at USM. Since then, I had wanted to go to USM as it all looked so beautiful to me and USM personified university life for me. Easier said, as a child, I dreamt of growing up and becoming Ogy in Ali Setan! hahaha.. Too bad for me, I didn't find any Alis in my five years of being there...Only Setans! LOL.


Me in graduation robe back in 2004.. muka control.. hehehe

Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra where the grand hall (where I received my scroll la) and lecture halls are housed.

The stairway to my faculty... Isn't it lovely?

.
My faculty... Pusat pengajian Ilmu Kemanusiaan.. Supposed to make us all more humane there.. hehehe..

I'll post more pics of my uni as there are so many sights of it to fall in love with...

I'm REALLY lucky to have chinese blood flowing in ma veins

Every certain time of each year, my Mom will bring these little parcels home for the whole family to enjoy (She has a long time friend who makes them religiously each year since I could remember). I don't know what they signify (hmm.. I can't be THAT ignorant, can I? hehehe) but the most important thing is, they're really delicious with a capital D! hehehe.. D is for 'dumpling' and that's what they're called in English. In Chinese (Hokkien) , they're called 'chang'.
It's like a parcel of surprise as the lotus leaf that's used to wrap the glutinuous rice promises fillings such as lotus seed, candle nuts, meat (sometimes chicken, sometimes pork...think really oily, fatty meat), black-eyed peas, salted egg yolk and what have you. Sometimes, there are ones with the peanut filling (the white coloured grain one) which is my favourite! yummyyyyy!!!




See? I'm so blessed to be partially Chinese as we get to eat everything every festivity has to offer.. and there are many!

Interview Hoax!

From the Desk of Maximillian Lam.

HP Malaysia Sdn Bhd - LPR Marketing (282141-M)

Dear Nurzalanah,

Thank you for filling up the online questionnaire. We are pleased to announce that your application is in fact a “match” to the “profile” of the types of positions which are available. I wish to meet up with you personally which is why you are not being contacted by my secretary but by me in person.

We need Part Time & Full Time candidates to work in our “WELLNESS & HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION” for the following positions:

· Customer Care Services

· Customer Support

· Recruitment

· Promotion & Team Building

· Training & Coaching

(Approximately 1 out of 50 resumes are selected to meet us personally)

Our interviews schedules are as follows:

· Tuesday to Friday - 11.00 am OR 12.30pm

· Wednesday evening - 8.30 pm AND

· Saturday afternoon - 3.30 pm

The above interviews will take place in KLCC areas – addresses will be disclosed to you when you Call choosing your interview schedule with me. After the confirmation, please come on time and be in smart business attire. Bring pen and paper along as you may have questions during the interview which we will be happy to cover at the end, before our final round of selection. PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL.

Please call - Monday to Friday 10.00 am – 6.00 pm.

Tel: 017 2329 348

Yours sincerely,

Maximillian Lam.

soleilina says: well, fuck u, Maximillian Lam!

I got the above in my mail through my subscription to Jobstreet. So I called 'Maximillian' (even the name's all fake and all wrong) Who in their right mind would name themselves 'Maximillian"?! And the Max fler told me to go for an interview at Evergreen Laurel Hotel instead as i'm based in Penang. So I did as told, to be smartly attired and be on time at 8.30 p.m. It turned out that the 'interview' was actually some product launch of a multilevel marketing company and we were supposed to be 'interviewed' to be the distributors/agents. What a total waste of time! I'll NEVER NEVER be part of some MLM bullshit!

>

Good laksa and bubur kacang

The other day, my friend and I were driving around town contemplating what to have for tea. Well, at that time, I wasn't really into the high protein diet yet though I was still watching it. hehehe.. Neway, we ended up at one of our favourite spots for afternoon tea, behind Gama supermarket. That place is famous for its 'bubur kacang' (mungbean broth) and yummy laksa. So there I was debating with myself whether 'bubur kacang' was diet-friendly or otherwise. LOL. This place has been around since I was a school-going kid as I have fond memories of stopping by there with mom to eat after she came to fetch me up from school. A bowl of 'bubur' (a choice of bubur gandum, bubur kacang hijau and bubur pulut hitam) costs 80 sen while the laksa is RM2, i think. I did take some photos of all the buburs, but they didn't turn out nicely as I wasn't in the mood to snap. I was only in the mood to snap up my bubur la!

Mamak doing his stuff

Laksa

My Mom's Fish 'n' Chips (peas?)

Yes! I'm showing off!! Tadaaaaa!! Why show off? Well, it's because the probability of seeing a shooting star is higher than the probability of tasting my mom's cooking. She's so damn malas to cook! I really owe it to my brother's homecoming for the hols as my mom is cooking more often now. See the below pic.. she saw this Kylie Kwong show on t.v. and she was making this dish of fish and chips and that spurred her to make the same thing. And so I was sent on a Tesco trip to get the dory fish.
It's the best fish and chips (or rather fish and peas) I've ever eaten! Very very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I could actually hear the "krruup! krrupp!" sound when I bit into the fish! Since my brother and I are on the high protein diet where fries and chips are a big no-no, we replaced them with peas (piss!) instead. LOL. But it was yummy all the same..


Recipe
Ingredients:
3-4 dory fish fillet, seasoned with salt and pepper
oil for deep frying

batter:
1 1/2 cup flour
half a tin of beer (YES! beer!!!)
10-15 ice cubes
(just stir lightly, leaving the lumps as they will make the fish crispier)

method:
just dip the fish in the batter and off it goes into the very hot oil! fry till golden brown.. and voila!!
*serve with a dollop of tartar sauce

I like doggies.. SO??

I don't care what people say.. I just love dogs! I don't understand what my religion holds against them.. They are still creations of God! duh!! I don't get it.. what's the rationale behind the 'dogs are haraam (forbidden) thing'? In case anyone is wondering why this post, well, it's because I have been receiving uncountable e-mails asking me if I was a muslim and if so, how then could I be touching/holding a dog?
I feel extremely blessed to have been brought up in a very liberal and tolerant environment especially when I have a multitude of culture and religion all blended into my background. I do whatever I think is good and right for myself as long as I don't hurt others.. So what if I touch dogs? I'm the one answerable, not anyone else!
Sometimes it just amuses me when I see some tudung-clad women scream on top of their lungs at the sight of dogs near them but these are the same tudung-clad women whom I see steaming up a car behind some dark alley, ******** and ***ing some ********* that are worse than touching dogs! bahhh..... So, what's the difference?
I'll touch all the dogs all I want, regardless of what some people might have to say.. so there!!





This was my reply to some skeptics out there:
I come from a mixed parentage background yang tak kuat sangat pegangan agama and I do not want to be hypocritical. However I still do not neglect my religion in terms of knowledge and practise. Well, senang cakap macam ni la..Everything in Islam ada logiknya.. Kalau Islam melarang orang buat sesuatu mesti ader sebab musabab nyer kan? Contoh paling baik ialah minum benda yang memabukkan. Tapi dalam Al-Quran tak pulak disebutkan minuman jenis apa but kita sebagai manusia buat tafsiran ikut pelbagai rujukan seperti hadis dan sunnah dan disimpulkan bahawa kita mesti jauhi benda yang memudaratkan manusia sebab jika kita mabuk dan hilang pertimbangan, apa2 saja boleh terjadi termasuklah perkara2 yang mengaibkan kita sendiri dan orang lain. Saya pernah berjumpa dengan orang yang apabila ternampak anjing, lari bertempiaran kerana katanya anjing itu haram dalam Islam. Tapi pada masa yang sama, dia juga meneguk arak! Di manakah justifikasi itu? Saya bukan nak memburukkan sesiapa tapi dalam hal ini, saya rasa saya dikurniakan Allah akal dan fikiran dan tahu membezakan baik dan buruk. Saya tidak bisa mengikut kata-kata orang yang merasakan dirinya begitu bijaksana dan maha mengetahui hanya kerana orang lain juga mengatakan demikian walhal tidak tahu membaca sepatah pun Al-Quran apatah lagi memahami dan menghayati isi kandungannya? Ramai yang tidak tahu-menahu perkara sebenar tetapi terus membuat kesimpulan sesuatu benda itu haram hanya kerana orang lain turut mengatakan demikian. Jika kita melihat sesuatu itu sebagai buruk, maka buruklah ia dan sebaliknya.
Sekurang-kurangnya saya tidak mabuk dek kerana memegang anjing dan mebuat perkara2 yang mengaibkan diri dan keluarga.Memegang atau menyentuh anjing juga tidak akan membuatkan saya mengandung anak luar nikah dan membuang anak yang tidak berdosa itu. Saya sayang semua makhluk kerana semuanya ciptaan Allah yang maha Esa. Saya melihat anjing sama seperti makhluk yang lain. Jika dibela dan tidak terurus (tidak mandi dan sebagainya) tentulah kotor dan berbau. sama juga seperti kucing mahupun manusia. Adakalanya manusia itu ada yang lebih berbau lagi daripada anjing. Zaman yang serba canggih dan moden ini, semua orang semkin mantap dari segi ekonomi dan boleh bawa binatang peliharaan mereka ke klinik haiwan, spa haiwan dan bermacam-macam lagi untuk membersihkan apa yang patut. Islam kan ikut aliran zaman...

No animal has been cursed in any way. Animals are referred to in many instances in the Qu¡¦ran. In Surah Kahf, mention is made of the companions of the Cave and their dog. (Surah18: 18-22)

We would love for Allah to bestow His mercy upon us, so let¡¦s show mercy and compassion to all His creation. This will also give non-Muslims a true reflection of Islam.

Sesungguhnya semua yang diseru dalam Islam adalah untuk tujuan kebaikan dan memberikan kesenangan kepada umatnya, bukan menyusahkan atau menyeksa.

I hope this clears it for you.

Have a nice day!

i'm freeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As of today, I'm as free as a bird!! Hoorahhhhhhhhhh!!! I quit my job!! yayyyyyyyyyyy!!! Still love to teach though, just don't fancy teaching at that place which was leeching me of my time, energy and I didn't even get a single sen of my salary! WTF!

To the beach, to the beach...

holiday brunch and copycat!

Happy Wesak day, everyone! I wish everyday could be Labour Day or Wesak Day or something.. it just feels so liberating, without having to think of work or cracking my head trying to think about stuff at work.. blehhh... Neway, I woke up today at around 10-ish to a whirring head. Too much sleep, I guess.. hehehe.. Been my second day at home and I'm pampering myself with loads of make-up sleep. The first thing Mom told me was to eat brunch. dang! Brunch was made up of the leftover and reheated nasi kunyit (tumeric infused glutinuous rice normally eaten on auspicious occasions), chicken curry and mutton korma. Well, not quite a good choice for dieters, but considering it's Mom's cooking which almost never happens unless the situation really calls for it (like when there's a do or something or when she's in one of her productive moods in the kitchen but I can't say she's creative or innovative at it as she normally plays it safe by cooking up the norms but her cooking is still good in the traditional sense). How good? hmm... good enough to have people clamouring all the way from KL and Singapore to 'tapau' some home for their family..

The way I like it.. all mixed up!

Lucy, the mengada-ngada girl sleeping in my unmade bed.. She hopped into it right after I got up.. Talk about copycat!


zzzzz....... jangan kacau! lights off, please!

mmmppphhhhh...

What's this? guess??? it's the most yummylicious thing on earth and it's the greatest comfort food of all time.. where to find it? Restorante Little Italy, of course! Chef Vialli smsed me to pick it up as he made it today.. so thoughtful of him.. :)

what's in my bag?

Hmm... I try to keep it minimal with the content of my bag.. It's the usual stuff of wallet, scrunchy, keys, mobile and make-up (in case of emergency). If I wake up late, then I won't put my face on at home and do it in the privacy of my office..The most important thing for me (make-up) is my concealer as I look like a panda without it, with those dark circles around my eye area. I've used nearly all brands there are for concealers. But the best for me has to be Bobbi Brown. It's not like I think it's good because of the name of the brand or anything but it really is! I only trust Bobbi Brown when it comes to concealers. For other stuff like mascara and eye/lip pencil, I don't bother so much... The mascara is a great eye-opener too as it's an instant facelift and takes away the puffy look. Does wonders! They say diamonds are a girl's bestfriend.. Well, for me it isn't. It's mascara!

clockwise from left: loose powder, lipgloss, hair serum, eye and lip liners, eye concealer, mascara and gel blusher ( the best in the world to me)


I have a fetish for bags. hehehe.. But these are the ones I normally use....

Mom-daughter day out

Had this for dinner today... hehehe.. diet friendly, eh? It's some lemon chicken wrap with salsa. quite yummy...

Mom came to fetch me after work today and we headed for Gurney for yet another mother-daughter outing and the compulsory food splurge. hehehe... This time, we went to two places. Our first stop was Dome and the other one was Kim Gary. We both have the same taste in food and pretty much everything else except for colours. She likes bright, screaming-out colours (like reds, shocking pinks and the like) whereas I prefer subtle hues. While I was picking at my food, Mom jokingly said something which left me pondering. Hmmm... I couldn't help but agree with her. She told me should I choose to get married one day, choose someone who could provide for me more than she could (at least provide me with all the yummy and expensive food like Mom does) and to not settle for second best just because everyone else is doing it (get married lah!). She also told me that every parent only wants the best for their children and she could never see me suffer or compromise my own happiness for someone else's. This, I have to agree with Mom.

Mom had the chicken pot-pie but I forgot to snap it and the carrot cake (my fav!) was supposed to be dessert. Nearly died trying to ward off the temptation but I had a few tiny morsels.

Had this 'Mango Snow Mountain' at Kim Gary. Lousy if you ask me. And it costs RM6.50! bahhhh!!! Mom had some spicy soupy noodle which was OK.

Yummy Dessert

Traffic Light a.k.a Thab Tim Khrob

I was fighting hard with myself not to succumb to the temptation of this yummy dessert. For those who frequent Thai restaurants, then this needs no introduction. It's Thab Tim Khrob, a Thai dessert made from coconut milk, pandan or screwpine leaf-infused syrup, water chestnut (coated with tapioca flour) and slivers of jackfruit or nangka served with shaved ice. The only difference with this one is the the addition of cendol noodle thrown in to create the 'burst of colours' effect. The colour combination reminded me of a traffic light hence the name and it's got stuck eversince! hehehe...
If I didn't eat it, then how did I take a photo of it? Well, I'm helping this very nice and friendly auntie whom I've recently befriended put up pictures of desserts sold at her stall .
She used to only sell cendol and ais kacang and the usual fresh fruit juices and the occasional 'tang yen' , this traffic light and the most recent one, honeydew sago (upon my request and tutelage. LOL). She told me business was picking up because of new additions and I had encouraged her to make them more frequently to create variety. I noticed that she had placed a sample packet of 'tang yen' on the drinks dispenser to indicate that it was available for the day. as for the traffic light and honeydew sago, the same way couldn't be done as they will spoil in no time due to the. I thought it was quite cumbersome to ask each and everyone each time they ordered something from her stall. I hope this works well for her and may the orders keep pouring in. ;)

of Lucy and Lilies

Please meet Lucy.. She's the watchdog and pet of the college where I'm teaching. She's also the apple many people's eyes especially Uncle Sam, the owner of Sam's Cleaning Services which is in charge of upkeeping the place. She was playing hide and seek with him when I snapped her. As if the short hedge could cover her big *ss.. LOL! Cute eh? I just love dogs! I think they are more loyal than some people.. hehehe... Don't care what people say, I just adore doggies!

Caught sight of these pretty pink lilies
near the drain at college when I was photographing Lucy.. I have a thing for lilies, especially white ones.. The state government might want to consider planting prettier flowers like this kind by the roadside instead of chicken sh*t flowers (marigold) LOL.. bahhh! what was i thinking? Knowing our people, they would be plucked in no time by people with itchy hands...

OOoops...

Blew my diet today on this...


uwaaaaaa..... Saw this at the Batu Lanchang hawker centre and I totally forgot I was on a diet and went to order one. This is actually honeydew sago, a type of dessert made from coconut milk, sugar syrup, honeydew and sago. Good to eat on a hot day like today. Not fattening? yeah, right!

I should have given the mug of coffee I had just now a miss for the caffeine has rubbed off, costing me my sleep now.
I lay in bed trying to pacify myself to sleep with all the new magazines but I only grew more alert. Instead, vivid images of my beloved late grandma kept flashing by before me and I was transported back in time when we used to spend many good times together in the living room of our then house at Datuk Keramat. I was a little girl all over again, sitting beside her in her usual spot on the sofa idling the hot afternoons away, sometimes over video games or just plain grandma-grand daughter talking. Her unmistakable voice seemed to reverberate in my ears and I thought I heard her talking to me. It was as though she was there with me, her ever knowing and reassuring smile carved on her lips, enveloping me in a sense of security all over again like what her presence once had given me and so many others. For she whom many of us affectionately referred to as 'Mummy' was a true matriach in many respects.
It's been almost two years since she left us but it felt like only yesterday when the whole family had gone out for lunch or dinner or other get-togethers. Sure, like all other families, we did have our share of feuds and rows but it didn't take long before we made up and be merry again. It is like yesterday when I last saw grandma going about her usual routine but with a detectable hint of exhaustion. How I wish I had talked to her more. How I wish I had spent more time with her instead of allowing trivial matters like studies and other problems to work me up. Nobody saw it coming. I can't say I've really gotten over grandma's death as sometimes I wake up from sleep half expecting to hear her voice booming over the phone asking me about my well-being and studies. Sometimes, during my visits to my grand aunt's place where she used to live, I could almost see her sitting snugly with one leg curled inwards on the sofa facing the entrance, a smile playing on her lips, greeting my arrival. I can still feel her presence sometimes. Like tonight.
Maybe I'll write more about my beloved grandma one day when I can finally sit down and be able to write all about her, about our fond memories together without the tears blurring my eyes.