Testing 2nd app

Hee. Bother you. Both apps look nice. Byes, good night. Wake up to a lovely Monday. May Allah bless. :)

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Testing

This was posted from my HTC Legend. I've installed the app for some time but never cared to give it a go. Let's see how it is. Hello there! :D

My Joyride.

When there's a good read, and I'm in the car, I call it a joyride. That's my joyride, what's yours? Putrajaya to spend the evening!

Tidur dalam pasu. PASU.

Can you see that?

Can you SEE that?

Boleh buat baja! I think the plant certainly loves the heat from its body. And the kitty definitely loves the cool bed the plant (and its home) provided.

I think I wanna try. Hey,gimme a pot. Quick! No no, not that. Bigger.

Here, another exclusive up-close picture of that adorable creature sleeping. For you. I hope it makes your day,as much as it makes mine. :) p/s: Tgk hidung die. Agak-agak,masuk tak tanah tu dlm hidung die bila die bernafas?

Salam!

THAT THING IS NO CLAY! P[art]hew!: 1

Ever heard of the terracota soldiers? Nope, that's not what I want to tell you about terday!

Salam.

Well if you've heard of that; I bet you must've heard of this too. Terrarium. It seems that every word that ends with -rium has got something to do with glass. But what's this terrarium? Certainly not an aquarium, you!

That's where I have my three pride and joy playing around in. -Anyone with a suggestion for names? Please?



If an aquarium is a most common sight, terrarium however; is less common. On the contrary, I assure you that it excites you more! That's because you don't only keep fish the way you would in aquariums, but small plants also have their home nicely side by side with the little fishies!

The purpose of having terrariums are mainly to express your love for nature; since the art is to imitate different kinds of natural settings you see around you according to your own taste; only a lot more-well, smaller and cuuuuuter! ;)


All you need for a kick start is just a container (plastic or glass, your choice. Okay, let me help you choose. Kids around? PLASTIC.) and some good knowledge on making terrariums. Oh you can browse through the net, go Youtube, Google and Wiki 'terrarium', hit 'search, and voila. Watching videos helps a lot, you know? So do spend some time out of the bookstore and enjoy!

Once you've obtained some general ideas on how terrariums should look like, choose your favourite natural setting- it can be rain forest, dessert, coastal areas, you name it-and start working on the materials. If you choose to imitate the dessert, you might need loads of sand and small plants that match- now this is where things go a bit more serious-make sure you've studied the types of plants that go well with the type of setting you have in mind, because if the plants don't fit in the new habitat you give 'em, you might as well lose them all (I mean the plants would simply die) with the amount of bucks you've spent too and I bet, that'd be a real frustration. And yes, there surely is another point;

be patient.

The key to enjoying this hobby is the time you spend to feed your imagination. The more time you allow yourself to have, the better the result would turn out to be. Logically so, for haste will only kill your brainchild. I myself did three modifications, each time saying "if only I'd not been so impatient for the final result.." You see, modifications are alright, it's just that each will cause you more complicated process. If you're doing it because you feel like it; then it would be perfectly splendid, but if you're doing it for the same reason as mine-impatience-you might experience difficulty or more serious, ruin something inside. (please remember to remove your little pets from the container before continuing your modifications) Oh I did remove mine, no fishies hurt okay?


And lucky mine isn't too big a container. And it's glass. Because there are no kids around. If there were, it would be myself.


Starters, do start with a medium sized container, not too desperately small nor ambitiously huge, for managing a terrarium is no easy job! Too small would hinder you from playing with your ideas for there's not enough space for plants and animals while too big a size would take more time to be completed and managed for amateurs. So? A size you think brilliant for your ability, I'd say.


Psst. There's a post in draft, it's about cooking. You'll wait for it won't you? And I have more to tell you about my new terrarium, do stick around. I'll be serving you tea when you come back again! (That's when I got my works done,) I'll hear the doorbell. :)


My warm wishes!

Azlan Shah: "I want to see how much they've grown..."

Perhatian: Azlan Shah ni adalah rakan saya di USM Pulau Pinang tau, jangan silap identiti pulak! :)

Salam.


Kali terakhir jumpa adalah pada tahun 2006. Lepas empat tahun, akhirnya semua dapat peluang jumpa kembali.

"Upload la gambar, I want to see how much they've grown," kata kawan saya ni tadi. Ha'ah,macam iklan Calci-Yum pulak kan, haha! Sayang, Azlan Shah dan beberapa kawan-kawan lain tak dapat datang...



Eh, ke mana?



19 Jun 2010. Lepas solat Zohor, telefon dah mula berdering-dering. Aduih...nak kena jemput si Kimi, Ili dan Za'eh dekat sekolah ni, janji pukul 2 petang nak gerak. Ni dah 1.40 petang dah!


***

Baru beberapa-rasanya dua-hari lepas, terlanggar anak kucing. Oh bukan salah saya, itu pun menangis sambil bawa kereta sebab itu kali pertama langgar makhluk halus-bukan, makhluk bernyawa. Nak jadi cerita, masa kereta tengah meluncur dari simpang (penurun bukit) ke bulatan UKM, seekor anak kucing tiba-tiba melintas-melompat sebenarnya, dari celah-celah pokok hiasan atas bulatan terus ke lorong sebelah dalam, betul-betul kurang dua saat depan kereta. Yang sempat nampak cuma kelibatnya yang warna putih tu. Tak, bukan hantu. Anak kucing la. Ya, waktu tu malam, nak jemput Ayah lepas bawak Ibu jalan-jalan di Alamanda. Habis rapat ke lantai brek ditekan, tinggal tak tarik brek tangan je,-kalau tarik mau Tokyo Drift dekat situ- tapi ajalnya dah ditentukan Allah dan cuma bunyi 'dup' sedikit untuk buat saya tahu yang anak kucing tu tetap nahas terkena tayar. "Allahuakbar, kena." Itu je yang mampu saya cakap. Tak tahulah, tapi rasanya sikit saja, sebab bila saya undurkan kereta ke belakang, yang jelas cuma sikit tompok hitam pada badannya, mungkin terkena minyak masa di bawah kereta, dan kakinya menendang-nendang angin, sakit; dah tentu. Saya keluar untuk tengok keadaannya, kalau-kalau boleh dibawa ke klinik. Tapi beberapa langkah menghampiri anak kucing malang tu, jelaslah matanya berair dan lehernya seolah terkehel dan nampak sedikit-saya tak pasti sebab cuma disuluh lampu kereta-sama ada darah atau dagingnya yang terkeluar sedikit dari luka di lehernya. Maaf, tak bermaksud nak buat pembaca rasa tak selesa. Beberapa detik kemudian, anak kucing tu berhenti menendang. Saya pandang Ibu dalam kereta dan gelengkan kepala. Ibu kata angkatlah kucing tu letak tepi jalan, tapi saya cukup takut. Saya pun tak tau. Rasanya saya yang langgar hingga dia mati tapi hakikatnya kata Ibu-itu dah ajalnya, dia melintas tepat pada masa untuk dilanggar kerana itu ajalnya.

Apapun tetap menangis sambil pandu kereta pulang. Kali pertama kena benda begitu, tentulah.

***

Balik pada cerita tadi. Haha, mesti awak dah terlupa cerita apa asalnya kan! Ibu pun pesan, memandu hati-hati. Ok bu InsyaAllah, saya kata. Dalam hati saya ingat, jangan laju dan jangan lambat juga. Geng dah tunggu. Dalam perjalanan ke JESS (sekolah lama masa mude dulu) Nana telefon pulak, ajak konvoi mula dari rumahnya sebab baki makanan pagi tadi banyak, nak bawak sikit ke Wetland Putrajaya. Yang penting nak jemput yang tiga tu dekat sekolah dulu. Sampai di sekolah, nampak le deme dah letih termenung dekat pondok bas depan sekolah tu. Wah...dah ada pondok bas ye sekolahku sekarang. Maju! Dulu mana ada, tapi yang dulu tu la seronok tunggu Ayah jemput sambil duduk merata-rata tengah panas tu. Nostalgia. Walaupun sekarang sekolah dah jauh cantik dari dulu dan lebih banyak kemudahan prasarananya (eche!) tapi yang tak ada dulu itulah banyak kenangan... :) Nampak je Optimus hitam saya melompat ribena bertiga tu. Datang-datang deme dah serbu bonet dulu.

"Weh weh weh, bonet penuh, korang pegang  boleh tak barang-barang tu?"
"Boleh boleh!"

Ili bagi salam dulu. Bila semua dah masuk, Kimi terus bukak cerita. (Memang itu kerja Kimi,harap maklum)

Zaeh: "Awak tau tak tadi Rosyam Nor tengok kitorang!" (dalam satu nafas, ini soalan ke pernyataan?)
Saya: "Rosyam Nor..? Hahha. Yang betul ke yang tipu..."
Kimi: "Eh yang betul la!"

Lepas tu tiba-tiba riuh "Kan ke dia duduk sini?!" dan "Ha'ah dia duk sini kan" dan "Jalan 3 eh?"

Baru saya teringat. Oh ya. Betul la. Suka sangat la tu. -_-

"Kimi,dia tu dah kawin la."

***

Lepas bersalam-salaman (eh eh macam kenduri pulak!) dengan kawan-kawan yang dah lama tak jumpa, kereta hitam saya dan Getz kuning Tinie pun bergerak meninggalkan perkarangan rumah Nana. Getz kuning Tinie ada Nana dan Amni, Saga hitam saya pula ada geng kami berempat dengan tapowe-tapowe, pinggan-mangkuk, spaghetti, sandwich tuna, kek, buah, aiskrim Milo (saya tak tahu ada orang bawak ais krim Milo), cawan, sudu, segala inderaloka adalah pendek kata!

"Eh kau kata kau nak dengar cerita kan?"
"Ha'ah, cerita Jebon (hantu dekat kampus Kimi di Kuantan) dengan cerita monyet." (macam yang dijanjikan tempoh hari)

Kimi pun apa lagi mulalah bercerita..

"...malam tu dia study, tingkap dia bukak sikit. Pastu tiba-tiba tingkap yang sebelah tu terbukak luas macam ada angin tiup, (ade orang nyampuk, angin tiup kot) tapi takde angin,"

"MAKCIK KARIPAP!!!"

"HEI awak ni janganlah ingatkan cerita tu, takut la!!"

Hahahaha! Seronok sungguh menyakat budak-budak ni! Tau tak, Makcik Karipap memang popular zaman di Matrik dulu, bahkan punye la hebat Makcik Karipap ni, dalam satu malam beliau boleh merentas negeri untuk jual karipapnya. Yang spesel bukan apa, budak-budak yang lapar tengah study malam-malam tak payah turun ke kafe beli makanan. Kafe mana bukak pukul 2, 3 pagi kan. Makcik Karipap ada jual karipap, ikut tingkap je boleh beli. Senang kan? Tak kiralah awak duduk tingkat berapa, Makcik Karipap naik. Um, terbang. Muahahahahaha........


***


Raihan, Syaza, Najat dah tunggu dekat sana. Pukul 3 konvoi kami bergerak, pukul berapa sampainya tak tahu. Seronok punya pasal terlupa tengok jam. Tak boleh kira pun, sebab pusing-pusing keliling Alamanda lagi, semua co-pilot punya kerja la ni.

"Kimi ko sembang je lebih, kata co-pilot nak duduk depan!"
"Hehehe..aku tak bawak peta!" (jadi itu alasan dia nak duduk belakang rupenye..?)
"Ha sekarang, co-pilot tak kire la yang duduk depan ke, belakang ke, atas ke, tengok jalan cepat,"

Dah puas, bukan, penat ronda-ronda, co-pilot-co-pilot pun angkat telefon mintak bantuan Raihan yang ada dalam Alamanda untuk tunjuk arah. Tiga-tiga bercakap dalam waktu yang sama, saya hentikan kereta dan beritahu Tinie yang dah penat dari tadi mengekor yang kita ni sekarang tunggu Raihan. Senang.

"Ko nampak tak kereta aku sekarang, aku keluar dari traffic light ni,"
"Aku nampak, kereta kancil warna biru gelap,"
"Tak tak, aku Kancil warna purple" (geng dalam kereta semua dah tengok kiri kanan)
"Aik? Serius aku tak nampak Kancil warna purple we. Kat mana ko ni???"
"Ko caye la kat aku, aku nampak korang...ha jalan je straight.."
"Ha yela yela," saya pusing belakang. "Korang nampak tak Kancil warna purple?"

***

Raihan tunggu di bahu jalan, Najat terpaksa keluar dan tunggu tepi kereta, buat aksi ala-ala circuit girls Sepang tu. Betul, memang die berdiri macam tu. Najat, Najat...

Lega, sampai pun akhirnya. Rupa-rupanya Kancil purple tu warna Indigo. Patutlah dari jauh nampak macam biru gelap. Dari dekat memang nampak biru-ungu. Alahai...jenuhlah mencari Raihan. Hahaha...

Tak jauh perjalanan, sampai jugak ke tempat dituju... Taman Wetlands Putrajaya. Humh, bukannya susah pun, cuma bila ikut jalan yang tak biasa, semua hilang arah. Apapun terima kasih co-pilot semua, dan Raihan satu kereta jugak. Alhamdulillah semua selamat sampai.



Sampai je di pondok (ada banyak pondok siap dengan meja dan tempat duduk yang selesa, sesuai untuk berkelah) semua yang ada; Raihan, Syaza, Najat (Kancil PURPLE); saya, Ili, Kimi, Za'eh (Saga) dan Tinie, Nana, Amni (Getz) pun mula susun barang makanan atas meja. Masa itulah baru perasan, amboi hai, barang makanan lagi banyak dari orang dah nih!

Tak lama duduk, sampai la orang penting. Ketua Tingkatan...

Pssst. Komen Syaza di Facebook: Pa'an nampak macam bapak bawak makanan untuk anak-anaknya. Hahaha! Betul ke? Saya rasa...hehe.

Oh ya kawan-kawan, Azlan Shah kirim salam. "La, hari ni yek korang Reunion? Aku tak dapat datang," katanya. "Takpela kau upload gambar, I want to see how much they've grown."

:)

Azlan, tengok la kitorang makin tinggi tak? Saya tanya.

***

Kalau ikutkan rancangan yang dah disusun Kimi, (kali pertama ni Geng F1 jadi jawatankuasa Reunion) patutnya kami nak berkelah di Taman Wetlands, lepas tu naik cruise tasik dan pegi Taman Botani. Akhir sekali solat Asar di Masjid yang baru dirasmikan tempoh hari, Masjid Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. Ala, Masjid Besi tu..? Tapi...

Semua tu tak jadi. Yang jadinya cuma berkelah di Wetlands saja. Tahu kenapa? Mula pukul 3.30 petang, sampai pukul 6 petang semua tak puas melepas rindu dan masa rasanya terlalu cepat berlalu, cukup untuk makan (selagi mahu sebab banyak sungguh) dan berborak menanyakan masing-masing belajar di mana sekarang, itu dan ini.

"Aku rasa aku dari tadi makan," saya kata pada Amni

"Aku pun makan jugak," balasnya. Memang, puas merasa makanan yang dibawa semua orang. Lagipun, itulah yang istimewa. Kami tak pegi ke tempat hebat-hebat atau makan mahal-mahal walaupun ini kali pertama jumpa semula sejak kali terakhir berborak lepas kertas akhir SPM 2006 dulu. Kami berpakat, (mesej-mesej di Facebook) bawak makanan sikit sorang. Emh, bukannya sikit, banyak jadinya. Nanti tengok gambar ya. Rasa kasih-sayang masih utuh dalam hati setiap seorangya untuk satu sama lain. Ada yang siap masak sendiri untuk kawan-kawan rasa, ada juga yang tempah manisan istimewa untuk reunion ni. Untuk segalanya, terima kasih kawan-kawan. Dan oh ya, semua bawak kamera, tak kira kamera telefon atau kamera...kameralah, haha! Jadinya aktiviti utama hari itu bukan berkelah, pergi Taman Botani dan naik cruise; tapi berborak, menyakat satu dengan yang lain, makan, tangkap gambar, dan makan lagi sampai tak larat dah. Rupanya ada kawan dari kelas sebelah, Cendekia, dah bertunang. Habis semuanya riuh, siapa, siapa?

Tahniah Fatihy dan Nasyrah, semoga sentiasa dirahmati Allah, amin.. Manis sungguh Nasyrah, memang dari dulu pun memang manis orangnya! :)

Lepas tu mulalah. Hm, lepas ni siapa? Dia, dia! Tunding sana-sini. Saya pun sama, tunding kawan saya. Haha.

***

Hampir pukul 6 petang, semua dah mula sibuk tangkap gambar kenangan (makanan pun terpaksa dibiar lebih kurang 10 minit setiap satu untuk ditangkap gambarnya sampailah saya kata, kenapa semua kagum tangkap gambar sampai tak ingat nak makan, barulah makan..)

Ha, beratur nak suap meh! Cream puff Pa'an buat ni! Gambar dari Nonene!

Macam-macam gaya adalah. Budak-budak ni... Kami satu geng pun, si Kimi jenuh mengambik gambo makanan dalam pinggang saya. Gambo saya? Lepas tu pulak!

Sedar-sedar hari dah lewat petang. Kami berat hati nak berpisah, jadi seorang dua pun mula ingatkan, kita patut mula bergerak pulang. Nanti lewat sampai Bandar Baru Bangi. Kancil dan Getz singgah Alamanda, Pa'an balik seorang (kesian kali ni cuma dia sorang wakil kawan-kawan lelaki yang lain) dan kami satu geng teruskan rancangan asal, solat di Masjid Besi.

Ingat cerita terlanggar anak kucing? Ada guna rupanya kejadian tu. Masa bertolak dari Taman Wetlands menuju ke Putra Perdana, ada sebuah Savvy merah meluru dari persimpangan kiri menghala ke arah...Putra Perdana...tapi arahnya pelik sedikit. Lencongannya terlampau tajam, masa belajar dulu sepatutnya kereta yang keluar dari simpang tak boleh tiba-tiba masuk ke lorong lurus, kecuali selepas isyarat diberi 7 saat sebelum membelok masuk. Tapi pemandu ini mungkin ada urusan kecemasan yang begitu mendesak hingga dia meluru melintasi tiga lorong, ke arah...MUNCUNG KERETA KAMI. Memandangkan sudut belokannya begitu besar, keretanya memang meluru tepat ke arah kami dan nasib baiklah untuk pemandu itu, kereta lain agak jauh darinya jadi dia tidak dihentam. Tapi kami yang akan dihentamnya, jika saya tak sempat mengelak. Hangit bau tayar saya kerana disagat atas tar, semata-mata nak mengelak dari dihentamnya. Ili, Kimi dan Za'eh masing-masing nampak, tapi senyap kerana terkejut. Alhamdulillah deme pun macho-macho semuanya dan tak panik. Lepas itu barulah Za'eh tanya macam mana saya elak sebab dia takut dan tutup mata, tak nak tengok. (Hehe. Takut, takut jugak..) Melihatkan keadaannya yang memang seperti mahu merempuh dan tanpa rasa bersalah terus memecut laju itu, tanpa sedar saya hon dengan kuat kerana tindakan kurang wajarnya itu. Nyaris nahas empat orang dibuatnya. Tak baik buat begitu. Kadang-kadang kita memandu hati-hati pun boleh jadi mangsa, sebab ada pemandu begini. Berkali-kali saya minta maaf pada Ili, Kimi dan Za'eh yang tersentap ke depan akibat inersia (Fizik pulak) dari insiden itu, dan kata mereka tak apa, awak dah elak. Alhamdulillah Allah masih lindungi kami masa itu. Jadi beringat-ingatlah masa memandu ya, jangan jadi macam orang ini dan jangan juga terkena dengan orang-orang sepertinya.

Sebab itu kot saya terlanggar anak kucing. Ada hikmahnya, supaya saya tak terkejut sangat kali kedua. Alhamdulillah...

***

Keadaan tenang semula. Sekarang kita nak cari Masjid Besi. Eh, dekat mana masjid tu ya? Hujung-hujung kan? Jalan terus tapi masih tak nampak.

Eh yeke ni korang? Saya tanya. Rasanya kita dah terlepas kot, kata si Za'eh. Mana ada, tak nampak pun lagi, yang lain menyampuk. Karang kita pusing ya, saya kata.

Jalan agak lengang, iyalah hari pun Sabtu, tak ada orang sibuk pulang dari pejabat, jadi kami pun bergerak perlahan-lahan sambil terintai-intai. Bukan intai orang, intai jalan nak masuk ke masjid ya! Awak tengok kanan, awak tengok kiri. Eh! Mana ada kiri...kanan la,

Nampak papan tanda, 'LALUAN MASUK UNTUK PELAWAT'. Ha, jom kita masuk sini nak?

Jumpa pun..! Suasana sekitarnya begitu cantik, tambah pula masa matahari dah mula terbenam. Sama juga di dalam, rasa begitu tenang. Pada saya, reka bentuk masjid yang moden tetapi sederhana itu menjadikan tumpuan tidak lari semasa menunaikan solat, dan dalam masa yang sama binannya yang terbuka menimbulkan rasa hamppir dengan elemen alam semulajadi ciptaan Allah di sekeliling bangunan masjid yang indah ini. Tulisan khat pada kaca tumpah di atas hamparan permaidani merah samar apabila disimbah cahaya matahari yang sedang terbenam menunggu malam. Cukup damai rasanya... Za'eh kata, Masjid Besi tak ada pendingin hawa. Saya tanya, tak panaskah? Tak rupanya, hasil binaan terbukanya itu angin bebas memasuki segenap ruang masjid.

Eh eh. Dalam lif tentulah ada pendingin hawa..! :)

Selepas solat, kami ambik kesempatan untuk tangkap gambar lagi. Ummi Za'eh nak datang jemput di depan masjid, jadi bila Umminya tiba kami berslam dengan Umminya selepas Ili berikan kami masing-masing cenderahati dari Glasgow, tempat dia belajar sekarang. Terima kasih Ili! Kata Ummi Za'eh, semua dah anak dara, yelah, lama dah tak jumpa! Masa sekolah dulu rupa ribena-ribena lagi semuanya. Ha, bawak la kereta dulu, Makcik nak tengok, kata Ummi Za'eh. Petang itu kami tinggalkan Za'eh dengan keluarganya di perkarangan Masjid Besi. Rasa-rasanya Za'eh merasa la solat Maghrib di situ lagi kot!

Saya tangkap gambar Za'eh tangkap gambar. 
Yang memantul bangunan depan tu bukan lantai, air kolam. Ingatkan lantai.
Nasib baik tak lari ke situ, jawabnya...cebuish.

Dari kiri Ili, Kimi, Za'eh.

Dari kiri Ili, saya, Za'eh.

Antara gambar paling cantik yang ditangkap oleh Kimi hari tu.

 

Pemandangan matahari terbenam di perkarangan masjid, antara gambar boleh tahan yang saya amik pulak.

 
Dah tinggal bertiga saja dalam kereta. Kami pun bukak cerita baru, macam-macam lagilah sambil Ili ambil gambar jambatan dan tempat lain yang cantik-cantik. Masuk saja lebuh raya, saya pandu laju sedikit supaya sempat sampai sebelum malam ke Bandar Baru Bangi...

***

Mula-mula hantar Ili, sebab rumah Ili paling dekat. Berhenti depan rumah, macam selalu mesti peluk kuat-kuat dan pesan macam-macam. Ini dah macam adik-beradik saya. Lepas tu hantar Kimi pulak, banyak bersembang pasal bonggol jalan yang dah mula pudar warnanya dan kurang jelas kelihatan pada waktu malam sebegini. Benda yang kelip-kelip atas jalan tu pun dah tak ada, (bukan dulu ada?) Entah la. :)

Alahai, tengok. Nyaris lupa nak tunjuk gambo makanan... Ni!

 Coklat yang Raihan tempah.

Dari kiri Nana, Za'eh, Ili, Kimi, Amni. Iklan gigikah??

 
Makan! Meja depan dari kiri: Nana, Syaza, Amni, Najat, Pa'an. Belakang dari kiri: Kimi, Za'eh, Ili, saya, Raihan.

 Pa'an, Tinie, Najat, Amni, Raihan, Nene, Syaza, Za'eh, saya, Ili. (pusingan jam) Gambar oleh Kimi.

Makanan lagi. Oh ni bukan semuanya...banyak lagi tak muat atas meja.





Bersyukur negara kita ni aman, alhamdulillah..sebab itu kita masih dapat nikmati saat-saat begini.

Tak ada huru-hara hingga nikmat kebahagiaan direnggut dalam satu dua saat sahaja. Alhamdulillah juga Allah peliharakan kawan-kawan saya ini, rapat hubungannya hingga bertahun-tahun. semoga hubungan ini tetap teguh walau apa sekalipun dugaannya. Kawan sebegini susah dicari, dan hilangnya susah diganti.

*Terima kasih Izzati Kamal, Ili Sya dan Norliyana Kay untuk gambar! Nanti belanja eskem Milo Ili! Eh silap. ;D 


Sayang semuanya.

April Magic.

Salam.

It was my dentist who told me to get back home for another session of dental treatment. No my tooth aren't decaying. They're steel. :D Two clues. RM 40 flew as well as my heart, I've been hoping for a break too. It's quite too much of assignments and no rest, that seemed.

I had to take leave on Friday for I will only reach New Bangi City by 5.00 am in the morning after 7 exhausting hours of ride on the KPB express bus. Well I guess this time it's a new bus that the design was all different from other KPB buses, and that its interior was to me; brilliant. The seat felt larger and more comfortable too.

Ouh, I did not promote the company, did I? Ter-!

And speaking of the day I travelled back, it was actually 15th April night, which was my dearest mother's birthday. And there I was, bearing endless boredom, carrying with me fortunately only two medium sized bags, one backpack and a handbag.

My first time going alone though it's my second year staying abroad. It's only Penang anyhow, but still, it is away from home.

I stood reflecting how my younger days with my mother were like. I used to make her presents from things I found in the house. Nope, it's not that I don't have the chance to buy one, it's only for the joy of it. I bet you know how it is. It was a pure satisfaction of presenting her gifts I made on my own. One I could remember, and one she loves most was a keychain. But as time goes by I find that the air has changed. Hardly a chance was there for me to make gifts for her. I started buying her presents when I was in secondary and it continued. Even so, she never complained. Anything would do, even if it was a small one. What mattered was, she told me; that I keep her in my memory and strive for my own success. I kept a dream of buying her a house and a car ever since.

March. I was walking around a mall and saw a necklace with a rose shaped pendant. So beautiful it was, to me. I wanted to surprise her with the necklace for her birthday which was a month away. And it's always a pity despite it all, and almost an irony, when my surprises never could be called surprise after all. She always manage to figure it out, accidentally. Yeah a million times I've sighed. She told me that I must not buy her a necklace, that it would definitely shoot down my budget by hundreds of bucks. Spirits UNlifted, I cancelled the plan.

Weeks passed until it's about two weeks more to go. I had given up my earlier plan and so as clear as it could be, a substitute needed to be figured out as soon as possible. Clueless, I took the most foolish decision of asking mother what she had in her mind for a gift.

Guess what.

NIL.

Pal, I should've known that it was redundant to go and ask her. But hey, I had no idea! And it turned out to be that asking her was of no use at all, since her answer was "a sincere prayer would be best,"

Yes of course, but I insisted. Our telephone conversation went on, often I tried to deviate the topic to find out if there was something she desired for her birthday and...

VOILA! Finally came the answer.

She recalled of how much she treasured those gifts I had for her when I was little.

Queensbay to the rescue!

The final product was a card I made my own, trying hard to bring her back those memories of all those beads I used to turn into gifts when I was little! (C'mon, as you grow older the present must elevate its value too! I enjoyed challenging myself to hunt down for materials of good quality while maintaining a limited amount of  ka-ching! *$$*

But I think I failed to. Alright,alright! I did.)

Apart of it all, the greatest love would only show from a sincere prayer to the one who has troubled herself most; nothing could ever repay her kindness; not a single thing on Earth but His blessings..May you be blessed with happiness and guidance,always. Amin.

Without you I could never be where I am, I could never possibly live.

I taught you tempe, you gave me sushi.

Ikan kering???

Meat? *shook*

Can it be...sushi?

Yeah, sushi!

Salam.

Another Saturday, and we let our hearts make our minds up and our feet carry our outlines, out of the gate with crouching warnings of coming rain. Hey, it has been almost three weeks of near-drought here on the island, and in my twitter I posted that the Sun blessed Penang with a bit more heat compared to other territories across the country. I have to not to mind being sun-tanned. I am, 60%.


Lucky that I brought my umbrella.


In 10 minutes we were sitting on the twin metal bars of the bus stop, enjoying the breeze and the drowsiness of waiting for a Rapid to stop and give us a lift all the way to QB. Three weeks peeked inside our rooms, said hi, and gave us a full load of sack with seeds to plant. I mean full load of assignments to start running with. And driving with. Yeah, fieldwork. I love it.

But nights of staying up and sleeping late turned me more and more panda day by day, so we thought that it'd be good to give ourselves some treat for the indisputable commitment in getting the jobs running. So without any scent of allowance in our accounts and plenty of coins (for the bus ride), we turned our heads to the mall, where we can have some exercises for the feet as well as the eyes, but not the hands. Mind me.

The ride was so comfortable these girls fell asleep. Pelangi Malam and Nadia, from left.

Okay, so I got them captured and we reached QB. I was hungry, told Wida.


"Nak x ak ajaq hang mkn sushi?"


I curved my lips in a declining manner, it spelled 'NOOOO...!!'

For real, I never tasted sushi before. The last time I had a close encounter with the delicacy was during my visit to Malacca in a school trip-that was eight years ago, when I was 13. I'm catching train #21 this year, so that makes it eight years ago. The group of boys who grabbed a taste of sushis in Mahkota Parade yelled near the bus; and it went like this:


"THAT'LL BE THE LAST TIME I'D EVER GO NEAR A SUSHI!!!"


-which made me vow not to touch one.

But you see, fellows, as we grow older, we get braver. Please, do not get me wrong, I mean positive ballon d'essais. Like savouring a sushi. I have been curling against it because the boys made me believe that it taste awful. But c'mon, why not give it a try? By the way, I don't know what type of sushi did they swallowed, and I don't even know if they were just teasing the others so that we won't go near. Realizing that I had pointed out reasons relevant to the present time, here I made a deal with Wida.

"Em..blh x cmni,ak rs skt, pastu klu ak x blh, ak bg ko. Blh x?"

"Boleh," was her confident reply. Together with a convincing nod. Yeah, she didn't mind. We drink from each other's container so-the deal was fine.

What I had in mind was not to bite the food, it'd certainly be impolite to do so should I came unable to consume it. Considering, and half considering, we agreed to the deal in three seconds. Deal.

I followed her into Jusco, where I thought sushi lovers would call it heaven of sushis. There, Wida showed me around, pointed me several different types of sushis-this and that, here and there-that's were I saw interesting ones like this one below;

Lotus shaped, plus cucumber and if I'm not mistaken crabs, (I'm a beginner who hardly recognize without the help of my addicted friend Wida,)

...and finally picked one out of the thirty times dozens of them sushis! I picked out 'grilled salmon' which appealed to my eyes as a favourable start for I still can't take raw fish down my throat, I'm yet to fit myself into it.

Wida got herself a complete, simple meal of sushi which combined rice, unagi, egg and veges inside the cute red polystyrene container;



...and I got myself a cute grilled salmon sushi-wrapped together in the seaweed was salmon+lemon topped rice-which cost me RM 1.00. Aw can you just believe it? I never thought that there's such food priced RM 1.00! There was the time when Nasi Lemak cost us RM 1.00, but that was way long ago, so long ago I was still a non-stop babbling little child running up and down the house making noises and playing around. That was long ago. If we are to find another stall that sells Nasi Lemak for RM 1.00, I'd cry the tears of joy.

Okay, this is why. The allowance isn't in yet. So I became a super saver. I am Mr. Eugene Krabs now! :)

The sushi. Obvious to be my first experience. What I did was killing the time, and unsure of a reason why I should anyway. No one would eat my sushi until I got a bit of it, made a deal.

This is the sauce. Soy sauce plus wasabi. Wait whaaaat? W-a-s-a-b-i...?

"Alamak," I said to Wida, pointing to the green thing she pressed out of a packet. "Tu wasabi kan?"

"Ha'ah,"


There you go...

But I took it a challenge to myself, and it'd be a shame to back off then. I said okay, dipped a bit of the sushi into the sauce, put it into my mouth and........







...ah.




"Cemane rase die?"


I was silent.

The other three in front of me stared and analyzed my expression.


"Ok," I started to giggle.

"Nape muke Hystrix lain?" asked Su.

"Rase mcm petrol!"


I laughed of the weird taste, which I didn't expect. How would it turn to taste like car's fuel?? Supposed to be hot, but it wasn't! It tasted like, like...


Petrol!


Uh, fine.


Wida laughed hard at the awkwardness I exhibited by the look on my face, but it didn't matter! I tasted sushi and it's not that awful really! It just gave you a bit of fusion, take it an alternative to daily meal in campus, shall we?

THIS, is the person responsible for making me challenge myself. Wida the sushi lover! ;)

Me, still standing after the challenge.

Good time together, from left; Pelangi Malam, Nadia, Su, Wida, and me.

Near the entrance. QB decorated its central court with the theme of Retro CNY, which I find very attractive.

Too bad I failed to snap a view of the main stage, depicting a 70's post independence Malayan town because there was this break dance battle of the same retro concept. Too crowded, yet it is a splendid idea! The trishaw at the entrance, the one behind Wida in the earlier photo's one of the attraction. At 8, we're already waiting for the bus to campus.



"Ak ajo ko mkn tempe, ko ajo ak mkn sushi ye?"

"Hehe!"

I nod my head upon saying that I had a wonderful time indeed. I hope they did too! :)

-Here this post on sushi ends.-

***

01:57 a.m.

(What's this fire drill all about? I was about to finish my last sentence and sleep, but the alarm sent everyone out the room looking blur. Except me, the midnight blogger. Went out in my black jacket, looked down to the parking area to see no one gathering for roll call or anything irrelevant at this dead of night and...nothing. Back to my room to add a little bit more to this post as a closure. Earlier there were screams, the allowance is in, said Waniey, and now fire alarm. For nothing. Who played with it?)

Now I'm going to sleep, with the hope not to hear anything more but my alarm tone in a few hours time, hope so!

So good day pal, rise and shine, for tomorrow is today! :D



p/s: Yeah. We'll see if it's true that the allowance's in next morning. Good thing. Wida and me really need a good night sleep now, we'll be driving around to schools tomorrow for the field work, together with Jujue and Nadia. May He ease us for this first task, amin! Best wishes to you too! ;)

Some of us TESOL 3-ian Chalkies. From left; Thoyba, Jujue (in blue kurung), Papa Pipi (in black), Pyan, Hystrix (farthest in purple), Lara, Fiqah, Diba (far right) and Mama Natrah. The best shot for the day. Credit for Diela, the photographer and everyone, for pose ideas. <3>

2009 Precious Re-cap!

Salam.

It was not until the holidays, did I find myself getting more into life. Yes, it's holiday, that's lively! So what I had during the holidays was nothing other than joyous moments with dear parent and friends who dropped by the city.

2009 waved us goodbye,but it's memories don't. Here's mine,a special re-cap on the year end sale! Oh I mean,holiday. :)


1. A visit to Muzium Negara with ayah and ibu.

There was this ASEAN exhibition, alongside with the 'Magis Rimba' if I remember correctly, which were both good stuffs to pay some close gaze at.

Here are some photos I shot covering the ASEAN exhibition, enjoy!

Philippines. This is a replica of the kingdom's magical yet mysterious cock, a representation of the governance.

Thailand. A piece from the country, here's a bird cage of bamboo. Notice the pagoda and dragons motive on the top of the structure. A wonderful piece of traditional arts.

Indonesia. Where legends lie, these three keris are some of many those told over centuries. It was such an opportunity to have a close view of these.

Brunei. Coming along from the country, antique pieces with splendid craftsmanship.

Malaysia, our own, with the giant rebana ubi used during the '98 Commonwealth Games.

All the 10 flags of the member countries, and the ASEAN flag.

A map showing the countries of ASEAN.

What's that?

It's emping padi,pal! :)

Salam,and good day fellows,

This is yet another favourite snack among my family members,including myself. Emping padi is common to the Northerners (if the word delivered what I mean well,thank you),Southerners,Easterners,Westerners,Southeasterners,and the list goes on rolling out of my window....in short-wherever you find paddy. Preparing this snack too,takes the simplest steps ever required. (Other than boiling water,certainly.)

Here we go!
First,the main ingredient..what's that? The paddy flakes.

Cook the flakes (WITHOUT oil) in the pan until it turns brownish.

When we finish roasting the flakes,it'll look like this.

Ready? Not yet...there's more!

In a separate bowl meanwhile;

A bowl of grated co-co-nut, (what's with the spelling?)

Add in some sugar and salt...

Kacau..(bukan kacau orang ye!) Gaul. Ha,baru betul...hehe!

Put in the flakes that you've roasted...

Gaul lagi...

Tadaa..!

And...it's ready! Aw don't you lick the screen,please!

Ready,emping padi!

It is best served warm with coffee... Try it when you have the time to,alright!

My best regards,and have a great day!