In all honesty class, I think you're...

WTH did I just spew out in class just now? OMG... those kids are doomed. They're gonna graduate as hobos kust because I couldn't differentiate 'alliteration' and 'assonance'. I'm a lousy lecturer!

I'm gonna go hide under the blanket now.

The time has cometh!!

OMG! OMG! I'm finally that guy!! Well... not literally but I'm a lecturer now!! OMG! OMG!!

.........

......

...

OMG!! I'm soo gonna screw up my students.

Bangsawan "Musang Berjanggut"

I made it to the 'Musang Berjanggut' premiere all on my own! Woot! Woot! Ok, maybe a small feat to most people but to someone who has lousy sense of direction this is truly a deed worth celebrating. I didn't even get lost. Not even once. Am so proud! *pats self on the back*

'Musang Berjanggut' was definitely entertaining but definitely not as grand or as well rehearsed as 'Batu Belah Batu Bertangkup' which is a terrible shame really. That show truly had potential. It was kinda draggy and the in between performances were really bleargh! But again... I marvel at these people's eye for props and details. The makeup = superb. Props = amazing. If only I had that kind of budget back in my theater days. The things I would do... the things I would do *sigh*

I took the liberty of taking some pictures to help with what I'm writing but seeing how crappy the pics turned out I don't know if it'll help at all. So I stopped halfway through the show. But do enjoy whatever pictures I took (if you can, that is).

The King's Palace. A truly magnificient scene. The costumes... the props... SUPERB!!

1st Interval: Siti Nurhaliza song. Forgot the title but this gal did it justice. But the dancers... eeuurrgghhh... lose the costumes. T-A-C-K-Y!

The prince's quest for the gal with marriage material. But instead he found this "betina". Demeaning to ladies everywhere? Totally. Does anybody care? Not a one.

Junior performers doing the 'zapin'. They weren't the best dancers in the world but you just can't help but go aww at their cuteness. I just love the girl's costumes.

This fella is Haziq from one of the AF seasons. I know he doesn't look it in the picture but if you squint your left eye and tilt your head 2 inches to the right you can totally see that its him.


This is when the prince finally meets his non-betina girlfriend, Dang Sri Arif Laksana.

So yeah... after this guy I just gave up. 1.) The show was getting kinda boring. 2.) I was hungry as hell. 3.) My battery was dangerouly close to giving up on me. But nothing much was missed. The play ends with the infamous scene of the king and ministers being fooled by the beautiful Dang Sri Arif Laksana and eventually leading up to the scene where the "musang berjanggut" was revealed.

One thing I must say is that malaysian theater has totally lifted its censorship bar since sexual entendres were blatant throughout the entire show despite the presence of kids under the age of 12. Awkward much?

But I think I'm totally hooked on bangsawan. I'm looking forward to Panggung Bandaraya's lineup for bangsawan shows next year. New year's resolution no. 212: Be a regular at bangsawan shows. Kak Ani, IIU's current drama teacher, will be proud.

7 "Deadly" Scenes... maybe not so deadly.

How would you feel watching a sex scene, LIVE, with your teenage sister by your side?

AWKWARD!!

But kudos to the cast and crew of the "Seven Deadly Scenes" play, recently staged in KLPac. Certainly helped set my expectations and mood way up there when audiences were bombarded with full-on tongue action, moans and groans and kamasutra pose number 361 (I think) right in the very first scene. Thank God the Malaysian censory board has not reached the theatre scene just yet.

So was the play good? Oh-kay laa...

Was it worth paying rm25 just to see it? Oh-kay laa...

Would I go see it again? No.

So the "Seven Deadly Scenes" was a good show. Entertaining even. But to tell you the truth, it was kinda old. Most of the scenes were pretty predictable and I ended up picking on stupid mundane details of the play instead of focusing on the storyline. As the show's director/ producer/ script writer, you certainly do not want your audience thinking about the actress not shaving her legs rather than the plot of the show. *Seriously, actors wearing skirts should always shave their legs!*

And I totally didn't get the scene depicting sloth. The actors certainly portrayed sloth but what the scene was about? No clue. Seriously, 3 literature majors couldn't figure out that scene at all. If anybody can explain to me what's the significance of the frantic thundering on the door, the rope pulling and the eerie, erratic laughter and sobs were all about I'd greatly appreciate it.

And what's with the overly emphasized Manglish? Totally annoying if you ask me. But then again, drama and theater is all about over-exxageration. But if you see a Chinese girl wincing at the over-usage of "ya lor" and "maa" at the end of EVERY sentence, then you wonder if those extra syllables are actually worth it.

But don't get me wrong. I don't hate the show. On the contrary I enjoyed certain scenes especially greed and pride. And NO I'm not saying this because I'm biased towards Shamir, who's a close personal friend of mine who happens to be acting acting in both scenes. It was a coincidence. I totally didn't know he was in it. Okay... Fine!! I knew he was in it. And yes, I maybe a little biased. But he's the best actor in that show and you know it.

So would I recommend the show to you? Yeah... but only if you manage to get your hands on a student card and get an rm10 discount on the tickets. I'm evil, I know. I'm the eighth deadly sin :P

Tag Time

*surfer dude style* I got tagged, Yeahh... I got tagged.

Azreen, my hair-pulling shoe-addict friend, has passed me the torch so now I shall endure the "larian obor" and play the game.

And the rules are...

• List 7 facts about yourself on your blog


• Tell 7 unspectacular quirks about yourself as well (How can this be possible when my life is nothing but spectacular? :P)


• Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs


• Link the person who tagged you


• Leave a comment for each blogger
  

Seems simple enough. So... on your marks. Ready? Set. Go!!

7 Facts About Me

1. I'm a major control-freak. Luckily it comes and goes. So if you see me acting like an OCD tyrannical dictator... run.


2. I'm totally in love with cats. I am content spending a whole weekend mooching around with my furry feline companions. They're cool y'all.


3. I have small feet - size 4/5. They're totally unproportionate with the rest of my body. So if you see me spread-eagled on the floor or have bandaged ankles... go figure.


4. I have tiny eyes. Again, they're totally unproportionate with my face. When I laugh, my eyeballs disappear. Literally.
   


5. I have a claw for my left middle finger. It has proven to be useful in extremely itchy situations.
   


6. I heart cute Jap boys. They're skinny, have weird hair and looks far to feminine to be male but they rock my world.
   

7. I'm hemophobic. I fear blood. And no I don't faint every month during my monthlies.

7 unspectacular quirks

1. Creepy crawlies totally creep me out. Even the mere thought of them would send me into huge spasms of geli-ness.

2. All things cheesy make me go whee! Current craves = Coffee Bean's bagel and cream cheese.

3. I detest those alarms that goes beep! beep! beep! at shop entrances. They always give out false alarms and the next thing you know you're slammed against the wall by burly security men all for a box of toothpaste the cashier forgot to ring up.

4. When I'm extremely nervous my right leg would twitch like mad. I have no idea why but it can be extremely annoying to those whose seat is right in front of mine in assemblies.

5. I like checking out girls' makeup. So if I stare at you too long. Be flattered. It means I think you're makeup is fantastic not because I want to date you.

6. Touching animal movies will trigger the crybaby in me. Whale Rider totally dehydrated me.

7. If I start speaking in a British accent, just knock me in the head. I may be in my show-off mode.

So now cometh tagging time! And the lucky winners are...

• Zetty - rawr!
  
• Elyna - this should be interesting :)
  
• Firah - will this be filled with Hollywood goss? ;)
  
• Midge - eh mana blog you ye?
  
• Alia - Kpop filled facts?
  
• Mrs. Intan Suhana - pictures have to be included ye ;)
  
• Apple - tulis ye, jangan tak tulis.
  

So go people... get tagging!

OMG!! DUCK!! It's a SHOE!!

A truly spectacular close to end an amazing year. Now nobody will forget 2008.

Amy swimming. Muahahahaha!!

Awww... my baby sis is now a guppy. Muahahaha! A day in Amy's swimming adventures.

Amy is braving the deep-end here. I think red & white life preservers becomes her. She should wear it always. LoL!

Amy learning the breaststroke. How cute!

So yeah... my baby sis is finally learning how to swim. *sob* She's growing up so fast *sob* It was like just yesterday when I nursed her back to health from dengue. Time really flies...

Bye Bye Mama...

9.45 pm

She steps forward bravely. I watched from afar, worried by how small and frail she looked. The urge to run forward and protect her enveloped my entire being.

But God was kind. He protects those who are worthy. And she was. With every step she took, help seems to come her way. Heavy burdens lifted. Her path lay before her free of any obstacles.

She turns and smile sweetly. The smile calmed me in a way that no words ever could. I smiled back. With that smile I told her that all will be well. That we'll all be waiting for her return. With that she turns and disappeared amidst the calming whiteness.

10.00 pm

God was indeed kind that night. With every drop of the rain, no one felt the discomfort of pressing bodies. Gone were the heat of the afternoon sun. But the droplets of rain carried a different blessing for me. A blessing that was very much needed.

I turned to the skies and let the cold wetness wash away all traces of fear. The fear that the smile I just saw could perhaps be the last one she would ever give me.

Islam and Its Oddities

What a week! Who'd knew that one day I'd wake up to a day where a harmless exercise regime is considered harmful to a Muslim's aqidah and one of the world's most renowned alleged pedophile embraces Islam. What in the world will happen next?


So yeah... Yoga is banned in Malaysia. Why? Simply because the National Fatwa Council claims that Yoga has elements of Hinduism and prolonged practice will corrupt Muslim spirituality. Say whaaat??!!

Of all the moral problems going rampant in today's society, this is what the fatwa council were debating about? Talk about misplaced priorities. What happened to the issues of rempits, drugs, free sex and all the whatnots? They're more worried about an exercise regime?

You know why non-Muslims tend to view Islam and Muslims with wariness and caution? It's because of situations like this. Some Muslims' minds are getting more and more narrow minded that they fail to see the benefits that they can glean from certain practices that other religions and societies introduced.

Why are the National Fatwa council treating Malay Muslims like they're mindless drones that have no mind whatsoever? Why is it that they feel the need to control the behaviours of people? Sure Yoga originated from Hinduism as a practice to attain inner peace, however in the modern context people do not practice yoga for religious purposes any longer. It is a tried and tested practice designed to promote health and well-being to its practitioners. Now I'm no expert on Islam but doesn't Islam promote the adaptation of certain knowledge if it brings benefits to the ummah. Wouldn't Islam want followers who are healthy and not buzzed out on stress?

So many why's yet we're not given much when it comes to answers.

Next on our bizzare happenings of the week is Wacko Jacko converting to Islam. Although this rumour is still not 100% confirmed, lets just sat that it is. Now as a Muslim, any newcomer in Islam is supposed to be welcomed with open arms. And as happy as I am that the King of Pop has finally found hidayah and has decided to embrace Islam, one just can't help but feel a little skeptical on this move. And those open arms are probably not opened as wide as they should be.

Why the skepticism when all Muslims should be joyous on finally bringing about a high profile figure into its embrace? Well... maybe because this high-profile character has so much bad rep that not only it wont bring Islam into a better light but these people now have more ammo to make fun of the religion. Try googling "Michael Jackson converts to Islam" and you'll know what I mean. One person actually preferred Islam to be associated with terrorism rather than see Islam ridiculed and humiliated with all the Jacko jokes.

But to put a positive light into the dubious matter, perhaps Jacko has really seen the light and is now embarking upon the right path. Perhaps with his conversion, Jacko will change his ways and no longer be "Wacko Jacko". I guess only time will tell now.

KL's Latest Newcomers

Let's welcome these newcomers in town!! Woohoo!!

Finally more affordable makeup choices for all makeup aficianados in Malaysia. Make way for Rimmel and Majolica Majorca, now available at selected Watsons outlet all over the country. For those who have been hankering after Shiseido products and held back after seeing the price tags then hold back no more! Majolica Majorca is a low-end sub brand under Shiseido. First launched in Japan and now it has found its way all the way to our shores.


Why you'd like the products?

1. The cases are really cute!
2. They're quality product
3. They're affordable!

I have personally tried their mascara and its superb. But word of caution for those who are not into waterproof mascara. When these people say waterproof, they mean waterproof. Other waterproof mascaras would usually come off if I washed my face with facial wash but this one must be taken off with a makeup remover. So good news for those major party-goers who needs their mascara to stay put throughout the night.


I've yet to try out their other products but you betcha that I'm gonna do so in the future. Here's the price list for some of their stuff.


Lash Bone Mascara Base - RM45.90
Lash Enamel Glamour Neo - RM45.90
Majolook Trick On Eyeshadow palette - RM53.90
Majolook (Luminoustic) palette - RM49.90
Neo Automatic Liner - RM42.90
Jeweling Pencil - RM26.90
Rouge Majex - RM33.90
Honey Pump Gloss - RM17.90
Shadow Customize - RM20.90
Frozen Splash Eyes - RM29.90
Cheek Customize - RM29.90 Customize Case (for eyeshadows or cheek) - RM20.90
Skin Remaker Foundation refill - RM55.90 Case - RM24.90
Skin Lingerie (OD Control) makeup base - RM39.90
Pressed Fantasia 24H Face Powder refill - RM35.90 case - RM24.90

Just one snag about this brand... for some products, I really hate the fact that we have to pay seperately for the makeup casing. For example powder foundation, most people wouldn't really mind forking out RM55.90 but only if it comes with the casing. I'm sure most people would definitely think twice to pay RM80.80 for the powder foundation. Coz if it were me, I might as well save up another RM20 or so and get myself a MAC.




Rimmel is definitely another cool brand that has just reached our shores. Hailing all the way from London, this brand is offering us Malaysians with a variety of cool, hard edged affordable cosmetics. With Kate Moss as the brand's ambassador, the makeup displays which can be found in most Watson outlets is definitely eye-catching.

With all the makeup stuff that I've been purchasing lately, I have yet to try out anything from Rimmels in particular but a good friend of mine is raving about their pencil liner and lipgloss. So until I've personally tried out their stuff, I'm not say much about it. But one thing that delights me for sure though, ITS CHEAP!!

Okay this brand may not fall into the same category as the first two brands mentioned, it being more in the high-end category but hey a newcomer is still a newcomer. This newcomer is actually a local brand but gathers its items from various sources all over the world mainly Italy and Germany.

I was enthralled by their magazine ad so I decided to check out their new outlet in Midvalley. Simply put I was stunned by how cool the whole place looked. I've always been a sucker for black decor so yeah the store alone had me hooked. But still... my biasness for black decor put aside, the products itself were really good.

I decided to play around with their powders and lipglosses and was quite impressed. However, playing around with them does not equate to true testing so one of these days I'm gonna get me one of their products and truly see if they're not just all hype.

So here they are, the new girls in town. I'm betting there'll be more newcomers in the future (Sephora perhaps *fingers crossed*) but for now these gals are the talk of the town .Don't hesitate to check them out and do let me know how you like them. Ciao!

Guyliner?!!

This is dedicated to all of you all metrosexual and image conscious males out there. But it comes with a question... were you all as squirmy and as uncomfortable as this guy when you first put on your makeup? If you were then you guys were hilarious!!

*LMAO* Wasn't that hilarious or what?!!

p.s. The guy is cute though :P

Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion pt. 2

Since I love my Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion so much, I just had to find out ways to maximise the usage. Yes... I am a cheapskate but heck I'm paying good money for it.

So lo and behold!! I found this really great video on how to save up on the stuff. Check it out!

Yippee!! There's actually loads more gunk in that tiny bottle. So now all I need to do is find those lipgloss pens.

Hmm... why do I feel like this is easier said than done?

Macbeth at ASWARA

Aah... Macbeth. Probably one of the more renowned plays of Shakespeare's works. All that talk about power, ambition and murder is enough to make anyone's hair stand on end. If it doesn't, then the blast of air-conditioning in the theater hall would ensure that for you. I don't know why but theater halls tend to always be extremely cold.

Anyways, no literature student can go through life and not know about the notorious uncle-killing nephew with his beautiful & ambitious yet cold-hearted wife. So when ASWARA students decided to stage this particular play I was like "Cool!". I havent seen a staging of Shakespeare's work in ages so to actually see one staged in Bahasa Melayu would definitely be interesting. To make things even more interesting, my cousin Nazzim is playing the part of McDuff, the guy who ends up beheading Macbeth.

I must admit that I was a little skeptical about the idea of the play being Bahasa Melayu. I mean the whole play is complicated enough being in English, but to translate it into Malay and do it justice? Hmm... that was definitely the question going through my head. But I've definitely learnt to never underestimate the power of the Malay language. The translation was amazingly done. Kudos to Ahmad Yatim for succesfully capturing the essence of the entire play and at the same time showcasing the beauty of the Malay language. I was enthralled from beginning to end. There were words that I heard that night which I never thought existed. Two thumbs up to the writer.

As for the play itself, the ASWARA students were definitely in their element. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were cast perfectly and they were totally believable and the rest of the cast were simply icing on the cake. Nazzim (McDuff) beheaded Macbeth beautifully at the end but the goriness of the scene was so intense people just can't help but laugh. Not saying that the scene was funny, but you know, once in an uncomfortable situation laughter always diffuses the mood.

The only thing that I didn't get was why their costumes were smudged up and dirtied. It just doesn't make sense to me. But if the ASWARA folks interpreted these people living in a state of dishevellement and shabbyness even as royalty, then so be it.

All in all it was an enjoyable play. Although I managed to get in for free the rm5 ticket would definitely have been money well spent.

Muzikal "Batu Belah Batu Bertangkup", Panggung Bandaraya KL

For a theater enthusiast, I am ashamed to admit that I have never attended a single bangsawan theater (a popular urban theater mixing music, acting and dancing). So when a friend invited me to attend this show I was like YEAY!! Finally, I get to see what a bangsawan show is actually like.

To my suprise, I think nearly everybody else in KL was thinking the same thing. My friends and I showed up at Panggung Bandaraya to a waiting area jam-packed with people. And as soon as the doors were open people made a bee-line to find seats. We were lucky. We managed to grab the last 4 seats that were left. I had to reserve a seat for a friend who was unfortunately late due to traffic, and during all that time people were hungrily eyeing the empty seat next to me and I could practically see the thoughts that were in their heads "It's not fair! I was here first. That bee-yotch should not reserve seats for latecomers!!"

Back to the play, the show was about the infamous suicidal mother who killed herself just because her hungry kids ate the last bits of fish eggs that she secretly kept for herself. So the play continued off after the suicidal mom threw herself into the gaping rock mouth. Fortunately she managed to regain her senses when she died and vowed to eternally be their guardian and will come to their aid if ever her kids were in a pickle.

So after being abandoned by their mother, Pekan and Melur grew up under the care of Nenek Kebayan, who coincidentally was the Princessof Kerayong's nurse. While Pekan and the Princess Mayang Mengurai secretly knotted their love affair, the King of Kerayong decided to hold a cock fight competition to search for prince for the Princess. The winner of the competition will have the princess's hand in marriage. The Princess, however asks Pekan to disguise himself as a prince, enter the competition and is assured victory by using poison on the cock's talons. Then tragedy begins, when Raja Jayeng Indera Sakti, the loser in the competition, takes revenge.

When tragedy struck, Melur remembering her mom's last dying words took her brother and his bride to the rock and managed to save their lives. And true to fairy-tale style endings, everybody then lived happily ever after.

All in all, the show was amazing. Me being the "bling-bling" sort of person just couldn't take my eyes off the costumes, props and makeup. They were superb!! The stage was amazingly done. Kudos to the stage manager and crew. And as for the costumes... WOW!! It was perfect to the very last detail. The whole performance was Istana Budaya worthy. And oh yeah the acting was really good too ;P

What made the show interesting was the mini shows in between scene changes. I think I was entertained by all sort of old-skool entertainment they could think of; the cha-cha, little kids dancing the twist, zapin anak ayam etc. It was so cool. Certainly beats having to wait in the dark while waiting for the crew to move stuff around.

I must say that my first bangsawan experience was an extremely enjoyable and memorable one. Made even more so by my bunch of friends who managed to over-analyse the whole cock fight competition - He who has the biggest and strongest "cock" gets the girl (get it?) So throughout the entire cock fight scene all 4 of us couldn't stop giggling. Trust literature grads to see things that aren't really there.

So yeah, I think bangsawan is definitely for me. Panggung Bandaraya will be having another bangsawan teater next month, titled "Musang Berjanggut". I for one wont miss it for the world.

Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion

Usually I'm not a believer in the "extras" that so-called makeup experts like to pawn on us. It's bad enough that your makeup bag is already bursting at the seams with all the necessary basics that you need but to add on more stuff just because it helps you to do this and that... it's simply abominable!!

But sometimes... you find yourself pleasantly suprised. Amazed even. That was the situation that I found myself when first experienced the effects of Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

This primer potion from Urban Decay, a low-end line from Sephora, is listed among the top 10 cult favourites for makeup. Makeup artists all swear by this. It's the miracle cure for creased eyeshadow and guarantees intense colours and long-lasting shadow usage.

I found out about this little gem after watching various youtube makeup artists using it before they start their demonstrations and true enough, their eye colours were simply amazing. So with Google at hand, and all the information necessary I was 70% convinced that this was a must-have item. Setbacks abound... It's nowhere to be found in the South East Asia region and to actually get my hands on it a credit card must be at hand. *sigh*

But God took pity on lil ol' me and an online friend sent a vial all the way from the States, FREE OF CHARGE!! I think God just couldn't watch me embarass myself further with my increasingly horrible eye-makeup. So now I am a proud owner of Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion!!

To appease the 30% inside me that still thinks it's all hype, I gave it a little test. I wanted to see if the eyeshadow that has always given me creasing problems in the past would cease to do so after I've used the product. And the verdict...

IT WORKED!!

No more creasing and the colour was fab!! I am so convinved and Urban Decay has officially gotten itself another fan. So in the future, when I run out of this magnificient product would I go through the trouble of international shipping (you know that Sephora ain't coming to our shores anytime soon) and the whopping exchange rate (its USD16, once converted will cost me RM56 minus shipping)?

HELL YEAH!!

Some extras are totally worth the trouble. But before I have to go through all that trouble, frugality shall be my middle name and prayer will be my best friend. I'll be praying to God almighty to suddenly make the Spehora CEO to open up a branch right here in Malaysia. Or at the very least Singapore. Please God please!!

The Return of the Prodigal Blogger

I'M BACK!!

Yes... yes... I'm guilty for blog neglection but I do have a life outside the cyber realm you know. Since I no longer confine myself to my humble abode in Ipoh I am now free to roam the city of KL and make up for lost time.

So what have I been doing?

Bumming around in my new apartment in between sessions of work and thesis finalisation.

Hahaha... totally not the active "making-up-for-lost-time" activity that you would expect eh? But no worries... things have been picking up lately ever since I submitted my thesis (yeay!!) So I've been to several plays, watched some movies, checked out some cool new eateries, hung out with bunches of friends and my most favourite activityof them all... a whole load of shopping.

So yeah... there's loads of stuff to write about. But don't groan just yet. I'm not gonna bore you with all the boring and mundane details. I'll just pick out the best bits and concentrate on that. I do have a life to get back to as I'm sure... so do you ;)

So stick around!

Happy Eid to Muslims everywhere...

I dedicate this post to all my friends, my family and to all who knows me. All I ask is for forgiveness for any mistakes, either big or small, that I may have done unto you. May this Eid bring you joy and happiness and a fresh start towards a life that is blessed by God. Amin...

Help Me!!

I think I've witnessed and experienced more drama in the last 2 weeks to last me an entire lifetime. What is it with people and their need to save so much money that they're willing to forgo comfort and a little bit of privacy just to live like sardines crammed in a can. *sigh*

And now because of the vast majority that feels this way... I now have to endure living like this for god knows how long.
Somebody... please have mercy on me and save me from this fate...

Japan Goodies (pt 1)

Snail Mail!! And big packages at that! I LOVE snail mail! In this day and age of digital technology and electronics snail mail is getting more and more obscure. But me being a firm believer of handwritten letters and stamps still stick to the traditional way of communication. In fact, I still have a snail mail pen pal from Germany who has been communicating with me for the past 12 years. But I'm digressing here... after days of worrying and fretting over the apartment issues it was fantastic to see a huge package delivered to us from our sister in Japan. Aah... the perks of having a sibling overseas. LoL

So here are the few titbits that she gave us. Some figurines of Japanese characters. Most of them were figures of couples in wedding garbs but I especially like this one. It's of a cat eating a watermelon while cooling itself in front of a fan. All the figurines are adorable and they all come with their own backdrop which is pretty cool. I just wished that I could read the kanji descriptions of the figurines to actually figure out what they're all about.


My sis sent loads of stuff but they're mostly the same things to be distributed to the rest of the family. Mum got herself a genuine handmade Japanese teapot made by the mother of one of my sister's friends. And also a handmade cup that she made herself. I must say that my sister has talent in pottery making.



Other stuff included were little knick knacks like keychain and a handpainted Japanese fan and some plush toys for the kiddies. But according to Yuni that's not all that she sent. Apparently there's another box that's coming our way! Yippee!! Yuni is certainly making us love her more and more ;P So once the second boz has arrived I shall commence with Japan goodies part 2 (",)V

I miss you dear sister...

I think she looks just like the Japanese kiddies

This is truly a cliched shot but beautiful nonetheless.

It's been a little over 5 months since my younger sister Yuni stepped unto the plane and headed for the country of the setting sun, Japan. For the next 3 years she'll be a resident of Tokyo, pursuing a Master's degree in Japanese-English Translation.

Nothing can describe how proud I am of my little sister and how much I, surprisingly, miss her. I say suprisingly coz whenever we got together there was always some sort of argument or another. We were like water and oil... as much as you try to mix us up we can never mesh. Safe to say that to avoid arguments we tend to keep out of each other's way.

Seems like distance has brought us closer. We now talk regularly through YM and exchange news and pictures at regular intervals. Once in a while we'll get cool packages with the Japanese postmarks. And once in awhile we'll pack a box of goodies and send them her way. A far cry from the relationship that we used to have when we were living in the same house. But I believe that the change that distance has brought to our relationship will be permanent and I look forward to having my sister back here, together with me in the same country.

Ramadhan is here and for the second time in my life another member of the family is missing. But thank god this time the absence is only temporary. Looking at my mum happily planning our 'buka puasa' menu I suddenly realise that she is missing having her kids all together. Somehow I see the significance of us eating together at the same table for all our meals. It makes my heart ache to have to move out to start my own life but I know that I can't postpone the inevitable any longer. I need to move on to the next phase of my life.

But back to my dear sister Yuni, we're glad that she is safe and sound and having fun living in a strange land. Ramadhan without her is strange but it must be much harder for her to fast when no one around you is not. To prepare your 'buka puasa' dish on your own and eating alone is truly a sad thing indeed but I'm hoping that she is coping with what her oversea student identity entails. For sure it's gonna be hard for all of us come Syawal but thank goodness for digital technology. For now, we'll have to make do with pictures and videos as a substitute of what we are missing.

So here's a shout out to my dear sister Yuni, who's all the way in Tokyo. We all miss you... and we're always thinking about you!! Selamat Berpuasa!!

Glad to know my lil sis is having fun :)

FEMALE ROOMMATES WANTED ~Putra Villa~

As you all can probably tell from my last post I got screwed over by some girls so now I'm in dire need of new housemates. I found myself another apartment in the same apartment complex so if anybody is looking for a place to live then maybe this is the place for you.

Brand New Condo Putra villa ~Good location~

*Master room & Middle room available

*water heater, k.cabinet, fan

*Near IIUM , TAR College

*near Terminal Putra LRT station (5 min walking distance)

*Bus service to Genting highland

*swimming pool, Gym Room, Mini Market, restaurant

*24 hours security

*Parking available

*rental Master room RM550, Middle room RM 450 (both rooms can comfortably fit 2 people)

*available for October

I've personally seen the place and its great. Its spacious and the environment is great. You can also save up a lot on transport too if you're work place is close by any Putra LRT station. If you're interested then do contact me via email lishaznia@gmail.com. I dont feel right letting the whole world know my mobile number ;)

When it rains... it pours!

Talk about being screwed... I got it big time today! And not the sexual kind either.

In a matter of an hour I lost potential housemates, a place to live and now my well-organised living plan for the rest of the year due to some selfish bitches who just couldn't make up their minds! Screw the fact that its fasting month... I'm pissed!! Pissed at the owner for wanting an extra rm100 for some lousy fans and some kitchen cabinets. But more so pissed at these selfish bitches for wanting to hold on to a prime apartment even though they're still not sure if they even wanna live there!

Gawd!! F*** you people!! Hope you die and rot in that apartment.

Ramadhan... a month of "excesses"?

Welcome O' holy month of Ramadhan. A month of goodwill and blessing. Of peace and serenity and of freedom and abstinence. The last bit was a bit contradictory there but its true nonetheless. For a whole month all Muslims and believers are free from the evil clutches of the devil and any naughty doings or bad deeds are blameable to no other but yourself. But we ain't totally free. No no no no no... it is throughout this holy month of Ramadhan that we Muslims are given our biggest test. Abstinence of spending. Yeap thats right... every year during Ramadhan Malaysian Muslims are guilty of overspending. Temptation proves itself to be powerful thing indeed and it comes in many shapes and sizes. But througout Ramadhan its ultimate guise is the Ramadhan Bazaar.

Although... in a way fasting folks actually dont stand a chance against the irresistable pull of the bazaar. I mean how can a hungry person withstand the allure of all that food. Especially those exotic cuisines that seems to be synonymous with Ramadhan and Hari Raya like the 'bubur lambuk' and 'rendang'. Suddenly there goes your will power and you NEED to buy that tasty titbit and that mouthwatering snack. Come Maghrib you wonder how your stomach is gonna fit all that food. tsk... tsk... tsk... thats temptation for you.

Temptation does not limit itself to merely the consumers. Lets talk about the businessmen. Why is it all of a sudden the price of a measly fried chicken shoots up from rm2 per piece to rm3? The chicken piece doesn't seem to be any bigger... nor is the recipe any different. What's that you say? Oil prices went up? But didn't it go down again just a few weeks back? hmm... curiouser and curiouser. Moving along to the next stall the mystery deepens. The prices are the same, yet the meal looks like it has been cut in half. tsk... tsk... tsk... how much of a profit margin are we talking about here?

Closer and closer to Syawal temptation's magic grow steadily stronger. Malls are bursting at the seams with people and somehow everyone and everything seems to be spanking new. New clothes, new curtains, new car, new furniture... the list goes on.

Somehow all these "excesses" seem to be part and parcel of Ramadhan and Hari Raya. It's the Malaysian culture, take that away then Ramadhan and Hari Raya will never be the same. So out with the "excesses"? I say nah! Coz the fun part is after Hari Raya itself. Look around and you'll see the true drama actually beginning. So stay tuned for the aftermath of raya. The drama of widening girths and thinning finances". It should be one heck of a show ;)

One day... One day...

In the hopes of perhaps owning my own shisha bottle anywhere in the near future, I have kept this video at hand. That "near future" was uttered about a year ago. *sigh*

Going at upwards of RM150 for a decent bottle, I think I'll shelf that "need" of mine to farther along in the near future. But I'm not letting go of that dream yet. Someday I will own my own bottle!!

Red Earth All-in-One Concealer Kit

My latest purchase (or should I say splurge)... Red Earth's All-in-One Concealer Kit RM55.

If you're skin is anything like mine (oily, temperamental, will break out at a moment's notice) then you will definitely appreciate this little kit. Sometimes even concealers need a little help.

At RM55 the kit definitely beats buying the separate bottles of corrective concealers and whatnots which can range from RM25 to RM100 per bottle. Plus... what if your face decide to grace you with different kinds of problems like blemishes, dark circles and redness all in one go? I for one do not believe in lugging too many products around when I'm on the move so this kit rocks! Plus the compact looks cool so its another excuse to whip it out whenever you can.

So far I've only needed to use the pink and the yellow corrector together with the creamy concealer. I'm pretty happy with the results but I'm waiting to give this baby the ultimate test soon... out all day in the hot blistering sun. Okay maybe not in the blistering sun, probably an air-conditioned mall or something but longevity is the key to a product's great results.

Next item I have my eye on is Red Earth's Eye Perfection Primer (RM45). It is a base meant to prolong eyeshadow's staying power and prevents them from creasing. Since Urban Decay's Eye Primer Potion (the ultimate eye makeup base) will not be in Malaysian shores anytime soon I've been scouring pretty much most cosmetic brands for a substitute and I came across this item in Sasa's summer sale catalogue. Online reviews from users have been pretty harsh but users are 50-50 concerning this product. Hence I shall try it out when the opportunity comes. I'm still waiting for my Urban Decay's Eye Primer Potion to arrive *please let it be soon!* but once I'm done with that, this little baby will definitely be at the top of my to-buy list.

Selamat Pengantin Baru ♥Azreen Zaharin & Saniboey Ismail♥

Congratulations

Azreen & Saniboey

16th August 2008

Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end.
Author Unknown

Skinfood Apple Liquid Eyeliner

I have hit the motherload!! After numerous purchases of crappy liquid eyeliner that just makes me look like various species of pandas and raccoon... I have finally found the best liquid eyeliner ever!!

Waterproof... CHECK!
Smudgeproof... CHECK!
Liquid smoothness... CHECK!
Colour vivacity... CHECK!
Easy-to-handle brush... CHECK!
Compact packaging... CHECK!
Affordable price... CHECK! *it's only RM25.50. bargain!!*

I am so sticking with this eyeliner until kingdom come!

Oh and check out their mascara too. Simply divine. The best I've used to date. There's 2 types
1.) Chestnut Lengthening Mascara
2.) Mini Curl Mascara.

I've tried the first and its perfect for those who'd wanna lengthen their lashes and yet wanna keep their lashes look as natural as possible. Just remember to curl your lashes first though. Will check out the second one as soon as my current mascara is done. Mascara is also selling at RM25.5o. Don't you love this company or what?!

Neutral Makeup for People Wearing Glasses

Finally!! Panacea (Lauren) * my fave makeup artist* has replied to my request to do a simple everyday look for people who wears glasses. Check it out...

Contrary to what I believed... people who wears glasses aren't supposed to wear shimmers! Oh woe is me. I'm a shimmer and glitter type of gal. But at least lining my eyes is okay. I dont think I can go without eyeliner now that I've finally mastered the use of liquid eyeliner :P

Update: I have new glasses. Its purple. It was an impulsive decision in an attempt to make myself look younger and cool. I dont know if I managed it. Lemme know...

RESULTS!! M&M Cru vs ACDC on Teen Choice Awards 2008

The Online Dance Battle *LIVE*

Wow... they're actually going live. No contest on who's actually gonna win this thing. *shrugs*

The meaning of LOVE

What does love mean?

A group of professionals posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds and the answers that they got were much deeper than anyone could have imagined:

‘When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.’
Billy - age 4

‘Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.’
Karl - age 5

‘Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.’
Danny - age 7

‘If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,’
Nikka - age 6

‘Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.’
Noelle - age 7

‘My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.’
Clare - age 6

‘Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.’
Mary Ann - age 4

‘You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.’
Jessica - age 8

And the final one:
The answer that touched everyone was from a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, ‘Nothing, I just helped him cry’

How to Make easy English Trifle

Made this today. Thought I'd share the how to...

Things You’ll Need:

• 1 pound cake (pre-made or freshly baked)/ swiss rolls
  
• 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
• 3 cups custard
• 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberry / 1 large can fruit cocktail
  
• 1/2 cup strawberry preserves/ flavoured jelly
  
• Large glass bowl

Step1

Prepare the bowl. Line the bowl with slices of pound cake.

Step2

Brush strawberry preserves onto the cake and set aside. If using jelly, jelly mix must be prepared beforehand. Melt sugar with some water and moisten cake with the sugar water. You can also substitute the sugar water with syrup from the can of fruit cocktail. After the jelly you have prepared hardens scoop it in thin layers onto the cake.

Step3

Spoon one layer of strawberries or fruit cocktail (make sure it is evenly spread out), and then 1/3 of cold custard on top of it.

Step4

Add more cake layers and repeat step 2.

Step5

Repeat step 3.

Step6

Create as many layers as you wish.

Step7

Top final layer with 1/3 of cold custard, chopped strawberries or fruit followed by whipped cream.

Step8

Leave to set in refrigerator. Serve cold.

Women's Rules

Men are like...

The Craziness that is English...

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins were not invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies, while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce, and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So, one moose, 2 meese? One index, two indices? Is cheese the plural of choose?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

In what language do people recite at a play, and play at a recital?

Ship by truck, and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? Park on driveways and drive on parkways? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another?

When a house burns up, it burns down. You fill in a form by filling it out, and an alarm clock goes off by going on.

When the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it.

Happy Birthday, Aimee!

Aimee is now 17 years old!! My lil Sis aint so little no more.
I love you Aimee!!

Also a shout out to my rawr-riffic pal, ~Zetty Amny Zainal Abidin~
She's also celebrating her birthday today and the lucky lass is now 25!!
woot! woot!

To all Malaysian political leaders!!

Dedicated to the Malaysian Political Scene

(Please do not sing this to the tune of the song... some of the word don't fit. Read it as a poem ;P)

Where have all the good men gone?
what's happening to our PM?
Where's the street-wise politicians?
To fight the rising odds
Would there be another Tunku
That'll cater to all our needs

We need a leader
We're holding out for a leader 'til the next elections
He's gotta be firm
And he's gotta be smart
And he'd better not stick things up the butt
We need a leader
We're holding out for a leader thats not covered in mud
He's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life
larger than life

Somewhere after the elections
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
Was a country living in peace
no bombed model, no bribery,
no politicians who were somehow always in heat

We need a leader
We're waiting for a leader that'll know what is right
who'll know what is wrong
who's not in it for the cash
who wont go skulking in the night
we need a leader
we're holding out for a leader who'll fight right
who knows what to stand for
we're hoping it's gonna be soon
we're hoping he'll be larger than life
Larger than life

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
we pray that there's someone somewhere
who is indeed he (or she ;>)

Through the wind and the chill and the rain
And the storm and the flood
we know he'll try to fix all these things
and once again make the nation proud

A Message from ACDC to M&M Cru

I'm getting more ice cream...

Stresses of having tresses

Don't you just hate scissor-happy hairdressers? You tell them to snip off 1cm and they turn around and snip off an inch. @#$%!! *mumble grumble* You yell at them for not listening to you and they yell right back saying I had damagaed ends *mumble grumble some more* Well if I did have damaged ends TELL ME ABOUT THEM BEFORE CHOPPING OFF MY HAIR!!

Whew!! Well now thats out of the way I can get back to talking about my hair *pats newly shortened tresses*. Yes, as much as I hate the hairdresser I undeniably do have some damaged hair ends. it is the result of a not thought through hair experiment. I said it once but I'll say it again... Asians do NOT look good in with blonde hair! I repeat... Asians do NOT look good with blonde hair!! No matter if you're Malaysian. Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Indian etc. etc... blonde hair is a no-no. Take it from a person who had to endure blonde-ness for an entire week. Even after a year of hair growth and a whole bottle of blue-black hair dye, my hair-y blonde mistake still shows. I'm blaming it all on my dumb blonde moment.

As a punishment for making my hair suffer so much peroxide, I now have a problem of dry ends but with oily scalp. Please don't tell me to chop off all the dry ends because I am already doing that. Although gradually. I want to grow out my hair so chopping it off is not an option. It's already half way down my back so I'm pretty happy *lovingly strokes hair (o_O)V* After months of struggle and wasted money on hair products, I have found my solution!! All it takes is 3 simple products.

PRODUCT 1: SHAMPOO
After months of searching for the right shampoo for oily scalp that does not dry out hair, I have finally found the motherload!! Clear's anti-dandruff shampoo for oily scalp!! Although I don't have dandruff I figured I had nothing to lose from trying it. I might even prevent dandruff from forming. And it works!! I don't even need to use much. After a vigorous shampooing my hair came out all oil free but soft and silky. And this I used without a conditioner. I am loving it! No tangles. Dry ends are manageable and soft and less hair loss. Woohoo! I am sticking with this shampoo for a long time.



STEP 2: CONDITIONER
Everytime I step into a hair salon all I would hear from the hairdresser is "Your ends so dry one... you need to use more conditioner. If not I just chop off for you lor." Enough with the chopping people! You hairdressers get a kick from chopping off people's hair is it? Anyways, to look for a good conditioner for a person with oily scalp is not easy. It needs to be moisturising enough for your hair to be soft and manageable but no too moisturising that you'll look like you just poured a whole bottle of hair oil on your head mere hours after you shampooed you hair. So my perfect solution is... Tresseme light moisturising conditioner!! Its exactly what I needed. Just dab on a fair amount at the ends of your hair (stay away from the scalp, people) and voila! Lovely, soft manageable hair. It only sells in bottles of 500ml so it lasts longer. The one that I'm using is light moisturising but there's different kinds of moisturisers designed for various hair types. You can guarantee its quality because Tresseme is the official haircare product provider for Project Runway! How fierce!

STEP 3: LEAVE-In CONDITIONER
This product is actually not a must-have but I feel its important to be added in the list. For times when you wanna go out and wants to make sure your hair is all glorious, then leave-in conditioners are the way to go. I've tried various over the counter brands like Pantene, Sunsilk, Rejoice etc. etc but none of them works. So I went a little upscale and found... The Natural Source. Definitely pricey for a leave-in conditioner but money well spent. All you need to do is spray it on evenly on hair (again, stay away from the scalp people) and hurray! Lovely hair!




So these 3 combinations are my ultimate weapons for my hair care. Don't know if it'll work for you guys but it certainly works for me! No harm in trying eh?

I LOVE MY HAIR!!

Laptop Pimping

After being thoroughly bored at looking at my extremely macho looking laptop I finally pimped it up! Its still in the works as I plan to find some bling! to pimp it up further. But this is how it looks so far...




So just a lil more bling on the butterfly outside and my macho looking laptop shall be macho no more!