30 September 2008

2 weeks ago Linda's sister gave birth to a healthy 4 kilograms baby girl named Nur Shafy Kashif. Interesting name too. Whatever happen to normal sounding name like Temah, Gayah, Kelsom or Zairin? Just kidding! Of course they're free to name their kids whatever they want lor. Who am I to complain?
Maybe it's because of the c-section or their mom's milk, both girls looked set to grow into two really healthy kids. This is her first child, Nur Shafy Hani aged just over a year old but definitely much bigger than Adam already.

29 September 2008

After spending the night in Pasir Mas today I'm back in Tanah Merah, my wife's hometown. Final 2 days before Raya. This time of the year I usually avoid going to town, any town - be it KL, Tanah Merah or Pasir Mas because there surely will be jams. Crazy traffic jams. As everybody from out of town arrive and go about at the same time, the usually peaceful and placid tiny town like Tanah Merah or Pasir Mas will be buzzing with activities.
Also when everybody comes back driving their own cars, traffic would swell up to 3 times the normal volume. Only during the Raya times can you see traffic jams in Pasir Mas or Tanah Merah. Other times you can have a picnic* in the middle of the road.
Today though, I have no choice but to go to Tanah Merah town because I have to buy a songkok (a traditional Malay headgear). Don't know what happened to my old one. Driving the car is simply out of the question (unless I wanna brave the traffic) so I borrowed my FIL kapchai and ride to town with Linda and Adam.
As always, Adam still become the center of attraction although not as much as last year because this year he's got some rivalry from Mia and his two cousins. Oh have I told you about my new niece? Stay tuned!

* Okay I'm kidding, most of the time it's not that deserted there.

28 September 2008

Yea yea balik kampung!
We started off early in the morning in anticipation of any traffic jam caused by the balik kampung rush. Fortunately they were none because the road was clear all the way to Pasir Mas. I think everybody has plenty of time to go back this year because Hari Raya is next Wednesday and people had started returning since Friday or even earlier.
We stopped twice, one in Raub and another in Gua Musang. Like I said, the road was clear save for a few places where people slow down to watch those accidents.
Since this year we will be celebrating the 1st of Syawal in Tanah Merah, I took this opportunity to go back to Pasir Mas first. I took the Machang-Salor-Pasir Mas route which proved to be a HUGE mistake because there was a super-massive traffic jam just before the Pasir Mas-Salor bridge. One hour for the 5 kilometer stretch. Next time remember to use the regular Machang-Tanah Merah-Pasir Mas road.
My Uncle Din and family arrived a day earlier while my mom and two other siblings Faiz and Izni arrived at around the same time as us. It was Lina's turn to go back to Johor Bharu this year so she won't be around this time. I had a really delicious ayam percik for dinner but too bad my grandma didn't cook enough rice for everyone. Oh well.

27 September 2008

Fernando Torres handed Liverpool fans all over the world with an early Raya present tonight after blasting two goals into the Toffees net. Seriously, I was worried that this match is going to be a repeat result like we had against Stoke City last week when The Reds still fail to find the net after the hour mark. Thankfully it was not to be because Torres connected beautifully with Keane to score the opener and effectively ending his 'goal drought'. This is the beginning of great things to come, trust me.
Tonight we finished packing most of our stuff for tomorrow's journey back home. Our next door neighbor to the right had already gone home earlier this evening. They moved in there like 3 months ago but only today that I found out their names. So to Nazlian and Madihah, have a safe journey home ya!

Linda didn't feel really well today hence she didn't make it to work. Still we shall stick to our plan of going back tomorrow. I need my rest. I've already informed several of my immediate neighbors of our departure. To all the thieving scumbags whose thinking of breaking into my house again forget it. We don't have anything of value anymore in there.

26 September 2008

Ahhh, last day of work. Since tomorrow we will all be starting our Raya holidays, the guys decided not to enter the office to work and just hang out on the sidewalk he he (just kidding Boss!). Last day or not, I've loads to do today and it is definitely work as usual for me.
We plan to balik kampung on Sunday because Linda still has to go to work tomorrow. That's still quite okay la considering somebody have to work on Monday some more ha ha! We've bought all our Raya clothings by today. Linda finally found a white baju Melayu for Adam at Masjid Jamek this evening. She also bought herself another baju kurung but felt terribly guilty afterwards. There-there, it's okay darling. Now I have an excuse to jolly sakan myself he he.

25 September 2008

Today my family and I went to buka puasa at Tesco Extra in Taman Midah, Cheras. We need to get some groceries. I had a decent paprik chicken rice for dinner at the food court followed by half a dozen Big Apple donuts.
Big Apple donuts is a newbie in the local franchise scene but already it has outlets all over the country. Similar to Dunkin Donuts, this bumi-owned franchise sold only donuts and several types of coffee (such as latte and cappuccino) although no sandwiches. First impression: compared to Dunkin Donuts, Big Apple is quite okay-lah. It tastes different and the fillings is simply yummy. The topping though was a little bit to sweet for my liking. Nevertheless you should try them for yourself to find out. The one with the white topping and the middle one with peanut butter is my favorite. And oh yeah you should definitely check out the durian filled donut. Totally wicked!

Thank God, our prayers were answered. We found out all our Raya leaves were approved today. Now we can finally play for our holidays in peace. Thanks Boss! Selamat Hari Raya too you too.Remember to come back home for Raya ya.

24 September 2008

Everybody's favorite TV series, Heroes is back today. Too bad you guys can't watch it here yet cause it's only aired in the U.S and Canada. Lucky for me my Astro dish also doubles as inter-continental satellite receiver so I can watch Canadian TV programs at home.

Okay-okay I confess. I downloaded it from Pirate Bay he he.
Being the first episode of the new season this episode certainly brought more question than answers. Why didn't Sylar eat Claire's brain like he always does? Where does he gets the power to heal himself like that? Who's the girl in red who ran into Hiro's office? What's that super secret formula is all about? Why do they make Suresh gain super-human abilities? Next thing you know everybody will have super powers and the world will be run over by freaks. Then it's not gonna be fun anymore.

22 September 2008

We got a holiday for Raya or not that is the question. While most of the people in other department in my office can safely plan their Raya plans or buy their bus/train tickets, my dept is left wondering whether we can go back for Raya, go back the eve of Raya or cannot go back at all. It's like a big question mark the size of a giant hot air balloon hanging over my head. If it's decided that we can't go back this Raya so be it. Just tell us in advance and not 2 days before Raya or something like that. Hmmm.
Like always, I got my regular buka puasa fix from this pasar ramadan in Equine. Like last week I had nasi lemak, samosa and sugar cane juice again. Today Linda had some laksa at Mid Valley for buka puasa. (Eh puasa ke? :)

21 September 2008

私の良い友人AをBと数日前に我々のエグゼクティブディレクターの奇妙な行動について教えてくれました。ある日、彼は事務所に来て急に書き込みしたり、任意のブログを読む誰もいないオフィスで警告している。たぶん彼は筋金入りのUMNO / BN男のは、おそらく彼は私のブログを知った、彼は彼が何を考えているようなものではありません。彼は精神的なのかもしれない。とにかく彼は誰にも報告して読み取りやオフィスでブログを書く我々のシステム管理者を求めています。のようなsのことを行うには、他よりも優れたものを持っていません。ばかなやつ。

彼はめったに事務所に(のように月に1,2回)し、突然彼はこのように夢中になるものですか?わかんないどのような会社に貢献。私は彼の給料と、すべてのものを知っている兆候が、彼は誰かが重要なために、すべての関連するのだ。彼の塩相当する任意の長さだけ動作しませんが検閲を知っておいてください。もし我々のすぐ外やオフィスで自宅でやるつもりだブログを読むことはできません。

20 September 2008

Like all those poor sole at this particular Auto Finance branch, my wife had to work as usual today. That leaves me no choice but to look of the kids, sigh. Lucky for me though, today I went to hang my mom's place so she took turns to take care of the kids with me while I sleep.
Later in the afternoon we went to pick up Linda at her office and then we went to my uncle's place in Kota Damansara for buka puasa. Auntie Anum cooked a delicious dinner consisting of beef soup, kerapu fish and ayam percik among others. Linda should stay with her for a month and learn how to cook all those delicious meal he he.

Today we let my mom know about our plan of buying a house. Actually we're not planning to apply for a loan or anything until next year but already my mom started like freaking out about it. She's worried that we might live far-far away from her. Oh mom, Kinrara is not exactly a land far-far away. Plus we didn't really made up our mind yet.

19 September 2008

Call myself lucky. The last day of the week and I had to go to Puncak Alam. It's a long drive on a hot day and there's a tonne of work to do. They had a new Satellite A office up there on the hills. It's a make shift one at block 14 on the ground floor at one of the student hostel. Since the place is still under construction, there's no air-cond, no fan, no toilet but plenty of mosquitoes and dusts. Lucky for me I only stayed there for just under 2 hours. Those guys had to work there 5 - 6 days a week.
My left arm hurts pretty badly this evening probably because of too much heavy lifting and driving. Sometimes I wish my life is a simple as those cats over there. No care in the world.

18 September 2008

Nothing special to report today. Work, work, work from morning till evening. Now that I don't go to Seri Mutiara anymore, the pasar ramadan in Taman Equine has become my new regular haunt. For buka puasa today we had nasi lemak fried with spices, some samosa and a jug of ice cool sugar cane juice, best!

Today we are going to play name this place game.
The place is lush and green and not too far away from where I live. My mother though lives just next door to this place.
I had several bitter-sweet memories with this place.
Any ideas yet? Here's a clue: people come here to study (and some to fool around).
I think this little statue is self explanatory.

16 September 2008

September 16 comes and goes by with err nothing. Nothing but some more promises and empty rhetorics. I want to believe (and I still am) that he will succeed with the take over but after today he simply has to come up with a little bit more concrete evidence. Action talks, bullshit walks. If he's waiting to see Bodowi then forget it. The former said it loud and clear today that he won't layan you. We want to see some affirmative actions and we want it NOW! I'll give you another couple of days more and after that I won't care anymore.

Anyway it's my turn to catch a cold and fever today. I'm tired and drowsy with this runny nose and all and I can't take my meds because of the fasting month. That sucks.

I think our practical students didn't get enough jobs to do around the office. See them clowning around with my camera here. Anybody job got to do can come and see me so I can arrange for these girls to do it he he.

15 September 2008

For the past few weeks I've been babbling to my friends and family that Anwar and PR is going to take over the country by 16 September. Tomorrow, if nothing happens somebody will have his foot in his mouth (i.e me). But I'm sure something important is definitely gonna happen tomorrow. I have no idea what but deep inside I hold a strong belief that Anwar will succeed. When and how is another story.
Besides he said it himself tonight (and for the umpteenth time) that he has got the numbers. I don't think anybody would be foolish enough to brag something like that if they're not really truly sure. Tomorrow will be a new dawn for Malaysia. These are exciting (and nervous) times for this country. I pray that everything will go well and no untoward incident would happen. Amin.

14 September 2008

I think this morning is the first time that I my sahur menu tasted really good. It was just an ordinary chicken soup but add some pounded chili, it was simply marvelous.
Later on we went to Jusco at Equine Park nearby to buy some Raya clothes for Linda and the kids. We met my mom and my sister there who happened to be shopping there as well. My sister is very pregnant with her 2nd child. Her 1st child Hairi there is just slightly a year old.

My MIL stayed overnight at our place yesterday and for buka she cooked a sumptuous nasi kerabu meal with help from wifey dearest. It's not as good as Kak Na's (sorry dears) but it's fairly acceptable. Plus it's been ages since I had anything from back home since Kak Na and co didn't operate during the fasting month. I was dozing off peacefully in the afternoon until Linda woke me up telling that her sister is about to give birth to her second child. I quickly get dressed and drove to Kajang bus station to get a ticket for my MIL. Being a weekend and all we couldn't find any tickets there so after berbuka we ran to Pudu bus station to get a ticket there instead. Luckily we managed to grab the last bus to Manjung tonight departing at 10:30 PM. Like her first child, my sister had another c-section at a private clinic up there in Manjung. Obviously she's gonna need all the help and care from her mother. Anyway congratulations to you guys for your second daughter. Maybe we'll come visit next weekend or something he he.

13 September 2008

We went to Sungai Buloh today to pick up my mother in law and went for berbuka at her brother's place in Subang. Only after buka puasa I remembered that the big match between Liverpool and the Mancs is about to start in 10 minutes time. Oh shite. My MIL would certainly want to stay there for some time and I just can't just leave like that after eating. In the end I thought I'm not gonna miss it for the world and we quickly say goodbye after performing our Maghrib prayers. Sorry folks, bad timing.
It took me 38 minutes to get home to Seri Kembangan from Subang. Even then I missed the entire first half but luckily we were tied 1 all with the Devils. 8 minutes from time, Ryan Babel struck the winner for our first victory in 4 years. For all the rushing and speeding, totally worth it.

11 September 2008

Today several of my colleagues and I went to KLIA to send off our boss whose going to Mecca to perform the umrah.
He will be going with his wife whose company sponsored the trip.
Let us pray for the safety of both of them and may the go and return safe and sound. And oh yeah thanks for the bonus boss!

To the rest of my colleague who didn't get a bonus, just be patient okay? I was in your shoes too 2 years ago and it sure did sucks seeing everybody else enjoying their bonus. Who knows theres something in store for you guys too?

We stopped going to Seri Mutiara for know. The food started to suck and the place is dirty.

9 September 2008

I travelled around 200 kilometers today. Nevertheless my legs and knees felt so tired it was as if I drove double that amount. Seri Kembangan - Serdang - Jalan P. Ramlee - Bukit Damansara - Petaling Jaya - Shah Alam - Glenmarie and finally Jalan Pudu.
For our final task for the day, Abang Din and I went to Jalan Pudu to pick up some name cards and forms from a printing shop there. That area is like the printing capital of Malaysia. You can find a few dozen printing shop of all sizes situated in a 3 kilometers radius. After driving the whole day I thought it was gonna be a brief stop there but how wrong I was. The towkay (owner) didn't finish cutting up our name cards yet when we get there so we waited for another hour while he carefully cut and pack our orders. However you can blame him entirely cause he's got like a gazillion orders to meet and we just have to wait for our turn. First come first serve.

Oh my poor-poor legs.

8 September 2008

While waiting at the roadside next to Jalan P. Ramlee today, I get to watch people eating at this restaurant next to me. I've tried beef and rib steak at a few hotels before and they were good. But I bet this Argentine steak should taste even better. However I doubt this steakhouse is halal. Besides I can see the liquor bottle stacked neatly behind the bar. I wish somebody would make a halal Argentine steakhouse.
Even the fake cow standing outside looked so tempting. Fasting + waiting next to a steakhouse is a bad combination.

7 September 2008

Have you sent Raya cards to your friends and family? I did, today. Last Raya I did get a few cards but they're mostly from my clients. None from my friends. Yeah so sad. But then again I didn't send out any to anyone so serves me right he he.

6 September 2008

This evening I went to pick up Linda at work and head to Sungai Buloh to see my mother in law. Her job takes her to Sungai Buloh now.
We went for buka puasa at a restaurant somewhere in Kampung Melayu Sungai Buloh. I had tom yam among others. My conclusion: only a Thai national (or anyone who lives near the border) can make a good tom yam.

5 September 2009

Good news everyone! Well at least to everyone who works at my company and had been confirmed (i.e: over 6 months). There will be a very pleasant surprise come next Wednesday. Just wait and see :)

A really hectic day for me today. I ran to KL and Subang today with Bujal to do our chores. In the afternoon, we went out again to Seri Kembangan town to bank in something really-really important. I barely have time to do my mileage claim and apply for my Hari Raya leave. The evil Bujal said I had to go back on Raya's eve this year because I had to stay back on the last 2 days of puasa. How wicked is that? Nevertheless, I filled up the leave form anyway because anything and everything will be decided by The Management not Mohd Rizal Isamil. :P

3 September 2008

Last week I didn't go to Puncak Alam at all because of the workshop. Today I'm supposed to attend the last workshop of the series but I skipped it because I have some urgent matter to do in Subang and Puncak Alam that cannot wait.

This university project in Puncak Alam is almost finished now. The first intake should start some time early next year. I don't mean to brag but I can claim I helped to build this he he. Let's hope the open it to all Malaysians regardless of race in the future. It's very huge anyway and there's plenty of room for everybody.

For buka puasa I don't know why but I had a sudden craving for perut tembusu satay (cow's stomach). So today I brought my family to eat at Medan Sate Kajang. It was super-delicious (the tembusu satay). Too bad it cost RM1.80 per stick so we just ordered 4. The rest were the usual chicken and meat satay. Yum-yum.

Alterchart m#11

01 Kau pijak hatiku - Hujan

02 Singapura - Kuala Lumpur - The Times

03 Molek - Elyana

04 Kutunggu jandamu - Irwansyah

05 Mantera beradu - Malique feat M. Nasir

06 A.E.I.O.U - Eliza & Ahli Fiqir

07 Pari-pari di bawah angin - Meet Uncle Hussain

08 Tak bisa memiliki - Samsons

09 Baiknya - Ada Band

10 DugaanNya - Hujan

2 September 2008

I finally get to renew my GDL license today. You have no idea what I've been trough to get this license renewed. Actually my license expired last week so I went to the JPJ office in Putrajaya meaning to get it renewed. That's when they told me they don't layan license renewal and minor-minor stuff like that there. So I head to the Jusco and UPM post office and both of them told me I have to renew my license at a state JPJ office. That day I had to attend this workshop and it didn't finish until 5 in the afternoon so there's no chance for me to go to any JPJ office. So today only do I get to run to Padang Jawa to get a new license. Sigh.
For me, I don't mind going through all those hassle to get my license renewed because I need it to go to work everyday. For other people though I'm not so sure. First the company decided they won't pay for this license so you have to use your own money to pay for the clinic and the license fee. Then you have to go all the way to JPJ because you can't renew this license at any post office like you normally do with your normal license. I don't think my colleagues would go through all those trouble unless, they're told to do so. 35 ringgit may not be much but then again, I have no other use for this license except for work. Hmmm.
Today I get to berbuka with my wife and kids at Seri Mutiara restaurant. Linda gets to go back at 5:45 PM today instead of the usual 7:15 or 8:15 PM. The bad news is she had to do overtime until 7:00 PM starting tomorrow until Raya. Then again, what else is new?

1 September 2008

Today is the first day of fasting in Malaysia and many parts of the world. Here I would like to salute all Muslim mothers for their selflessness and sacrifice in waking up as early as 4:00 in the morning to cook sahur (early breakfast) for their family. It took great diligence and strength to be able to do that.

Last night I slept late after staying up to watch that Liverpool game. Yes the one where we had a goalless draw with Aston Villa. Damn it Torres, why you have to go and injure yourself like that? That's the problem with Liverpool FC nowadays I think. We rely on one striker too much. And when he's gone we're simply toothless.

Today I woke up around 2-ish in the afternoon. Around 4 o'clock we went to Jusco nearby because Linda wants to shop for her bag, groceries and stuff. For buka puasa (breaking of fast) today we had a home-cooked ayam percik. Although it is not as good as what my aunty Yati made but it's pretty acceptable lah. Anyway since I'm famished already I finished everything. Happy fasting people.