AULD LANG SYNE ! ( Remembering EB...)

December 31st 2006
Budaiya

AULD LANG SYNE
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o’ lang syne!

Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne,
We’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

We two have run about the hillsides
And pulled the daisies fine,
But we have wandered many a weary foot
For auld lang syne !

We two have paddled (waded) in the stream
From noon until dinner time,
But seas between us broad have roared
Since auld lang syne !

And there is a hand, my trusty friend,
And give us a hand of yours,
And we will take a goodwill draught (of ale)
For auld lang syne !

And surely you will pay for your pint,
And surely I will pay for mine!
And we will take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne !

GOOD BYE to 2006


... and to all my friends ...
Wishing you in your busy life

1: TIME FOR RELAXATION


2: GOOD SLEEP


3: GOOD HEALTH WITH EXERCISE


4: SOMEONE TO DANCE WITH


5: ... A BIT OF ADVENTURE


6: GOOD LOOKS


7: BUT MOST OF ALL ...
I WISH YOU LOTS OF BEAR HUGS


8: AND THE COMFORT OF REAL LOVE
MANY BLESSINGS ...

MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE LOVE TO SHARE,
HEALTH TO SPARE AND FRIENDS THAT CARE !

Have a Prosperous New Year 2007 !

Hari Raya Aidil Adha 1427

December 30th 2006
Budaiya

Its Hari Raya Aidil Adha today. The spirit, the mood, the atmosphere, the ambience are not there, I feel it is just like any other day.I missed hearing the takbir, and I missed the Raya goodies and most of all I missed celebrating it with my family.

This morning I woke up to not a pleasant news about Saddam's execution. Life for a life ?
Then "life" seems so cheap? Someone can decide when and how someone should die.Clearly it was done on purpose.It would change how we would remember Eid from on. It would go down in history and change a lot of perspectives. Lets not forget who is "winning" in this war. The big power has managed and succeeded in creating civil war among the Muslims. We are Muslims and we pray to the same GOD. It is sad to see some power trying to divide and disunite us.

So, it has been a quiet day, reflecting on the year that was and wondering what the new year would bring.

December 29th 2006

December 29th 2006
Budaiya

The friday started off very nicely. Bright sunny morning and windy. We had a nice lunch courtesy of the cook who decided to cook a special lunch, some kind of vegetable pulao and egg curry.
Nice change from the daily chicken curry.
My weekly walk was nice too, since the weather was wonderful, but I felt that the wind was a bit strong and it helped to push me to walk faster.
After 4pm the sky started to turn grey and its getting dark very fast.
I get a good view of the world outside from my window. This is where my thoughts often wanders to the past and to the future. What it had been and what it could be.
I enjoy these moments alone looking at the world passing by.
It must have been "love"... but its over now !

An Afterthought

December 28th 2006
Budaiya

Has anyone faced any "afterthoughts" situation ?

Overheard this morning ...

"Hi... we are having a gift exchange..."
"Why was I not informed yesterday ? How could I simply get a gift..now...at this moment ?
"No problem...just get anything...anything at all"
"You should have informed me earlier...at least yesterday"
"Sorry, I forgot to inform you.."
"Well...just count me out...theres no way I can get a gift at this hour...I am no Doraemon"

Moral of the story...
Judging from the few gifts that was placed on the table, they had been making arrangements much earlier.
Either it was not well received...or they need more gift items.
Perhaps they suddenly felt...OOPPSSS..I left some people out..!
It could be a blunder on the organiser's side or they had done it on purpose.

It is not proper to invite someone at the last minute. That person may feel that he/she is the second choice or as a replacement.
Unless it is an open invitation...where a memo should have been emailed out or paste it on the notice board.

And in that case the organiser can safely say..."I have put a memo on the notice board, you may have missed it"

Anyway... without any prejudice or malice... to each her own.
Have a wonderful weekend.

Year end mood .......

December 27th 2006
Budaiya

In four days we would be saying goodbye to 2006.I have mixed feelings about the year that has been.But suffice to say that I am glad its going leave us soon.

It has been lazy days eversince the Christmas holiday, no one is in working mood. Everyone is talking about the next 9 days long weekend given to the public sector. We in the private sectors are not so lucky.
It doesnt make much difference to us, since we have to work throughout the holidays.

So what am I thinking now ?
I have been thinking about all the nice dishes to cook for Eid celebration, cookies, cakes and desserts. The electric oven that I bought has been sitting like a white elephant. I used it a couple of times, to bake a cake and bread pudding.
Been researching recipes to try and those mouth watering dishes are really tempting but "laziness" seemed to overrides everything else. I ended up "tapau-ing" food from the office kitchen.

The only nice things that happened was the post Chrismas sales. I did treat myself to a few items at bargain prices. When I couldnt decide on the colour, I took one of each..!
Crazy but true.

On the first day of Christmas

December 25th 2006
Budaiya

It is Christmas day, but we are in the office as usual. Not that I am complaining since I am not celebrating. Those colleagues who are celebrating Christmas are given a day off. It is very quiet today since a lot of people are not in. The only sound that could be heard now are from the carpentry sides. Work still have to go on for the next show.
I am looking forward to the next weekend with a long holiday to celebrate Eid and New Year.
Yesterday we celebrated one of the colleague's birthday, and we had plenty of cakes and I think I had enough sugar suppply for a week.All the cakes were overly sweet and specially the Christmas cake that came a thick sugar frosting.

Most of our clients offices are closed for the year end celebration and would only be back next year. The best thing is that we have 3 special occassions within the week, Christmas, Eid and New Year. Well..lets enjoy the day offs since we dont have that many public holidays here. And on top of that we work 6 days a week and sometimes 7 days a week.

The weather looks good and I hope it continues to be without any more rain. I had enough of rain for the year.

An old favourite

I used to like this song, But it was sung by another singer Dian Piashesha.
It is about one who is still holding on to her love. She would give her all and everything just to be with him.

Looking back ... was it love ?
Or just being stupid ?

" LIFE is like riding a bicycle,
You dont fall of
Unless you want to stop peddling "

Thus "LIFE" is all about CHOICE. The choice that we make and be prepared to live with it.As long as you put your head on your shoulder, you will be alright.

Christmas is here again

December 23rd 2006
Budaiya

I didnt put up a Christmas tree this year. I guess with all the wet and rainy days, has dampened my Xmas spirit a bit.
Still this morning I played my favourite Xmas songs by Boney M. And memories flew back to a time when some of those people were in my life.
Xmas always brings back memories of "L" whom has gone out of my life, since I left for Singapore. There were moments when you just cant erase from your mind.
We were having dinner just before he left to do his masters, and it was Xmas time. So it was natural that they were playing Xmas songs in the background. That was a special moment, in love and about to miss his presence in my life.
From then on I would play Xmas songs when Xmas comes, which led to another funny incident. There was a group of guys/gals carolling in the neighbourhood. When they heard me playing the Xmas songs, they stopped over,I came out out onto my balcony and saw them, carolling inf front of my gate.That was beautiful.
Those were the days when I was sharing with a few housemates in Damansara. Everyone has gone their own ways, doing very well in life no doubt.

Christmas in Singapore were celebrated differently. End of the year was normally a time to shop and shop and feast on food and the Orchard Road light up.

And now in Bahrain, its totally different. Quiet and it was not even a public holiday.
But we often have our own Xmas eve off day since mostly everyone is in Xmas mood.

Time is changing.We move on. Live for the day. Enjoy each moment of your life.

Farewell Dinner

December 21st 2006
Budaiya

Tonight we had dinner at Beijing Restaurant to bid farewell to a colleague who was leaving for LA. Dinner invitation was for 7pm but the guests only come after 8pm. Some of us who arrived on time were quite hungry and it wasnt so pleasant when we had to wait. One table was overly loud and made me wonder, where has dinner etiquette gone to ?
I left early, soon after dinner since I wasnt in the mood to listen to the karaoke. Moreover my hair and clothes were reeking with cigarettes smell. Uuurrgghh...
Enough for one night. Bid the couple thank you and we left. Back to the comfort zone of my quiet room. Tomorrow I must have my retail theraphy...!

What a week

December 21st 2006
Budaiya

What a week it has been. What with all the rains during the long weekend. Water dripping from the ceiling and water seeping in from the floor.
The old buildings here are not equipped for rainy days. There is no drainage and the plumbing systems is terrible. They are either non existent or choked. The landlords dont care. They only know how to collect the rents.
A friend who came over for a visit has gone home to Singapore. Just a coincidence that the very evening she were to fly home, there was a road block for the funeral of Shaik Abdulamir AlJamri. So we were diverted,traffic was slowed down and she was so stressed, if she would missed her flight. Judging from the turn outs, he must have been a very respected and highly regarded person. May he rest in peace and Allah Bless his soul. Amen.
The cold weather too is creating a lot of sickness around. Colleagues and friends are coming up with flu. And I need to go and buy that heater before I freeze.

Camels day out

December 18th 2006
Budaiya

The first day with the sun shining, even though it was not that warm, it was still a blessing.
We were on the way to Alosra when we saw a herd of camels grazing in the open ground opposite. There were a few families with kids already there taking pictures. Notice the SAR Grand Mosque in the background ? Perhaps there were a hundred of them having an outing that morning. It is always a pleasure and joy to see all these camels when they come out in a big herd.

Thoughts 1

Looking out of my window
I see the grey skies
the sandy field that turned to a lake
And the quiet evening
and lonely moments

my thoughts fly... to a distant land
my mind wonder
where could you be ?
did u ever pass by and look at the same lake ?
did u ever remember me ?

its gloomy
its cold
its sad

Oh well...its another year again
why cant I just move on ?
why cant I just forget ?

oh no...
yesterday
while getting lost
passing by those familiar places
I remember us
when we used to drive around

hey girl...
wake up
hes gone
he doesnt even care
he doesnt even remember

ammoontie
dec 17th 2006
5.23pm

the puddle that turned to a lake .......

Reminiscence

December 17th 2006
Budaiya

It rained almost the whole day today. Made my weekly sambal tumis, I only cook this particular dish once a week and that has to be on an off day.
I use this paste as a chilli base and I would need to add just the seafood, meat, egg or just anything to the chilli.
Met up with My Singaporean lady friends for tea yesterday evening. The tea, hot chocolate, coffee and cakes were perfect compliment to the rainy day outside. Conversations flo freely with ease since we discovered a lot of common grounds to chat about.
We talked about a lot on families and about life itself.We didnt realise it was almost 2 hrs.The rain never stop, the coffee shop was leaking and wet and dripping all over.

So how do you tell a friend or give her a hint that her husband is straying ?
How do you define "straying"
How much should you get involve in someone else's family ?
Is it the right thing to do ?
Where is the cross line ?
Should you rock the boat ?
Should you pretend that you do not know, do not hear, do not see ?
Should you let the husband get away with cheating the wife ?
How do you define "cheating"
What is the tolerance level ?

In the end I chose to zip it and pray that he would realise his mistakes and not continue with all the negative activities.
What you dont know, doesnt hurt. But once you knew that someone cheated on you, the hurt would bleed your soul. You can never replace a lost trust.

Saturday 16th

December 16 2006
Budaiya

Woke up to a wet morning with the day looking so gloomy.Perfect weekend to stay in with a good book.
We went out to dinner last night since someone wanted to have japanese food. Had teppanyaki, miso soup and sushi. The seafood and vege were ok but the chicken was too saltish to our liking. So all the chicken were left out on our plates.Not a surprise since the teppanyaki chef was not japanese...! I guess they are so used to cooking with lots of soya sauce, fish sauce, shrimp paste, salt in all their dishes.
After dinner we went to have coffee at another place. We were sitting outdoor but unfortunately there was a group of bikers and cars been making their rounds every 5 minutes or so making a hell lot of noise perhaps to show off. I guess some people enjoy this kind of cheap thrills. We found it irritating.

Good morning Sunshine

December 15th 2006
Budaiya

A beautiful friday I should say since there was a sun shining in the early morning. I was hopeful that it would be a good day without rain. It is my friday ritual as usual, laundry, cleaning the balcony after the recent rain messed it up and cooking a nice lunch. We had a SP fish curry and I ate so much that I ended up with a stomach ache.
Took my "Friday walk" and it was really pleasant since the weather was nice and cool. During these walks, I always let my thoughts wondering about those that are dear and close to my hearts, those that are far and near, alive or have gone from my live physically or literally.
A dear friend came over to visit her hubby and we had some catching up done and one of the nights we had dinner at our Boss house. He cooked laksa lemak and prawn noodles, wantan and curry chicken. Fried banana with sorbet for dessert and green tea with basil drinks. It was a wonderful dinner considering the fact we missed Singapore food.

You cannot milk a male cow

December 13th 2006
Budaiya


Met up with a designer yesterday, after a long while. He only come to see us when he needed something very extremely urgent to do. We are sort of a SWAT team. We only get called at the last minute to save a situation.
But it is understandable since we have been working with him for a long time. He is very creative, influential and I regard him higly in terms of his design and ideas. He has a high presentation skills, that makes one listen and most of the time Clients would accept his ideas on the spot.
He is already there making a name for himself. I guess it helps a lot when one is good looking and charming.

Anyway, project talks aside, he mentioned something funny yesterday...

" You cannot milk a male cow "

It depends on how you interprete it.

# Means you cannot get something from a wrong source.
# Means you have to be smart in whatever you are doing.
# Means you need not to waste your time doing something impossible.
# Means ... if you cannot differentiate a male and female cow...
how could you produce a good design ?
# Either the male cow would love you for all your massaging or get kicked in the butt... good luck !

Well..anyway it was always hilarious whenever he comes to our office.

Meeting the Minister

December 10th 2006
Budaiya

I just came home from attending a function at the Ritz Carlton,hosted by the Singapore Embassy in Riyadh with the Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mr Zainal Abidin Rasheed and his entourage.The turn out was quite good and I met with a number of new friends too. We realised that there are a lot of Singaporeans in Bahrain now. H.E The Ambassador was suggesting that we set up a club here, which is actually a very good idea. Julia is already taking the first step to set up a website. Another red dot !
We met a couple of old colleagues and had a bit of polite catching up done. The food was good, I specially love the sushi and the dessert was so cute ! By 'cute' I meant it was nicely presented, forget the taste !
The Minister was pleased to learn that there are a lot of Singaporeans here, working as consultants, having their own bussiness and of course my Boss is the one who has been here the longest. We have grown to love the space and working pace here.
It was a nice evening, meeting some new people and hopefully we can get together again soon.

Good to be back

December 8th 2006
Budaiya

I was away in Abu Dhabi for the past 9 days and was not able to be online, and I missed quite a bit on the blog world. We were doing some stands for the Gastech exhibition in Abu Dhabi. So it was like 8am to early mornings working hours.Was very tiring but it was all good in the end. Not that it was without any incidents, there were plenty and it has thought me a lot. Infact for a first timer, I have been thrown into the deep end of the pool and was expected to swim and float. There had been moments and occassions when I was almost drowned, but there had been some hands that pulled me up to the surface again, of which I was very grateful. I thank you William and Jacque who had bailed me out. There were some stupid mistakes happening and I learned that there are people with working attitudes and I had to bear the consequences.Nevertheless I had to take it in my strides and hopefully I should be able to do a better job next time. I had wanted to have a 'flawless' jobs done but was not able to achieve it. I was saddened by all the stupid mistakes that had taken place and as usual the clients are always right and we are not to argue on site, but to try our best to remedy the situations.
Abu Dhabi is nice place, it is clean and has a lot of greeneries along the way.
The traffics are more manageable and the taxi services are reliable and you dont need to huggle about taxi fares like in Manama and for that matter at the airport.It just happened that it was the National Day celebration in Abu Dhabi, so the city was lighted up beautifully,it was like in fairyland. I didnt have much time to explore the city though, but hopefully I will be able to visit Abu Dhabi again.
I came home yesterday evening and was greeted by a heavy downpour. This morning it started off rather nicely, no rain and I have a big task ahead to clean up my terrace and a huge laundry to do.
Anyway it feels good to be back home again. Nothing beats the comfort of your own place, no matter what. And for now Bahrain is home !

PS: Saw a few delegates and visitors from Malaysia at the show, but they were all ...( you know what ! ) I know they are Malaysians from the names on their badges. Mostly from oil companies, shipping...for which I dont need to mention names.
( Eh... megah ke dapat attend conference ? )

My Day .......

December 7th 2006
Budaiya

December seventh is my favourite day.

Rainy day on a sunday .......

November 26th 2006
Budaiya

I was delighted when it finally rain in Bahrain last week. Everyone was raving about the rain. Everybody welcomed the rain and the cooler weather.
However yesterday, it rained again but this time it was nothing to celebrate about.
Unfortunately it was the day we were hoping it wouldnt rain. But it did and it poured heavily last night.
We were doing the trailer loadings, supposedly 16 trailers on their way to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. And we were caught in the drizzles that continued to be a downpour that flooded the place.
Rain or no rain, the loadings gotta be done and the trailers need to go on their merry way. Hopefully they will be on a safe journey to their destinations. Insyaallah.

This morning I noticed the road infront of my house was crawling with cars, people on their way to work. Oh boy am I lucky I dont need to go into town today..!

Well that reminds me, since we were asking for a cool weather and the exclusive rainfall, God has granted our wishes..!
There you go..your favourite rainfall. God always grant us our wishes one way or another. Sometimes it is a Blessing in disguise.
My balcony was wet, which gives me another task to clean it up.
A colleague's room was dripping, and all the furniture, carpet, tv and radio were wet. The place that we are staying in is an old building and its leaking everywhere. It was okay in the summer months so nobody take any heeds to repair the damage. The plumbing system is atrocious. The building owner couldnt even bother to rectify the problems. She only like to collect the rents. So when the sink wouldnt work, you try to repair it yourself, you cant wait for her, help would not come from her side.
When the A/C doesnt work, you call the service people and pay out of your pocket, or you will be sitting in an oven.
The only consolation that we have here is "convenience", it is close by to the office. We just need to walk a few steps.
Well..you cant have it all..when you lack the funds..! So we make do with the best of what we have.
May God Bless those that have a good hearts and intentions..!

November 25th 2006
Budaiya

Yesterday was a nice day off. The weather was cool and my friday walk to Jawad was very pleasant. I always enjoy this walk once a week at least, gives me time to relax and enjoy a time alone.

I gave up on the pigeon story, and decided to get the help of one of the guy here to help me clean up a bit and seal the window opening with a piece of slatted wood panel. That should keep the pigeons out.
When I cleaned up the place, I discovered some boxes that have been covered by dust and poops and put them out. But unfortunately the owner of the boxes and water bottle was not happy that I put the stuff out.
She said..." Why did you throw my stuff away..without telling me ? "...in a very stern voice.
I didnt throw your decorated boxes away, I was just merely putting them outside. How do I clean the filthy store without taking your dirty boxes out ?
Hey woman... you should at least say thank you to us for cleaning the space.
Since you are also using the area and you dont care to keep it clean. I just dont understand how she can stand the smell and the filth in that area. She uses it as a pantry area, with her electric kettle, microwave and rice cooker. Now at least the place looks cleaner. Second phase will be done after I come back from my trip. That will be a permanent seal to the window opening and sterilizing the place. The carpet will have to be replaced.

Its such a pity when people say..."What can I do ?"... when there is a lot of ways and means to do things. It just needs a bit of thoughts and a feeling of responsibility and time management.

Since he was and still is acting to be so busy, I have done his job. He will definitely and conveniently forget that he had to clean up the place.
We shall see what the next act will be like.

Today is ...
Election Day in Bahrain.
Loading day for 6 trailers.

And hopefully the rest of the day will be pleasant as well.
Feel like making "bubur kacang" and serve it with glutinous rice.

Dear Pigeons......

November 22nd 2006
Budaiya

The weather has changed for the better, which means it is cooler now even in the afternoon. Walking around at the souq yesterday was pleasant and I even end up buying some hot samosas on the way home.
The evenings are much cooler and if you go out, you may need a shawl. A walk along the beach would be just fantastic at this time of the year.
But all is not well, when I found out that my heater broke down yesterday.
And on top of that I have been battling it with "someone' over the issue of pigeons who had decided to move in and started roosting in the nook at the air condition unit. Seems that the whole family are there, in that cosy fourth floor bird apartment. I could hear their sound, the father, mother and babies. They were so happy flapping their their feathers and I could soon manage to make a feather pillow and have a pillow fight with this 'someone"
What irks me the most is that this "someone" couldnt care less, about the condition of our living space. By unblocking the cover to the A/C opening, would only invite all the birds to start nesting and building up their signature. He was not supposed to use the A/C unit, since it had been closed.But because they needed to use the room, he must turn on the A/C. I had told him that he needed to put a barrier so that the birds wouldnt start nesting. He said..what can I do..we are so busy...wait..wait..wait...
after this show....after that show...this...that...and I am getting impatient.

Firstly the place is very dirty now.
Secondly the smell is overwhelming.
Thirdly it is very unhygienic and unhealthy having the pigeons apartment right next to our rooms.
I guess, just because he doesnt stay there, he doesnt care. Why should he ?
It doesnt affect him the least.

How I wish, we could educate him,that the the pigeon droppings carry bacteria and can cause a few serious illness.

Public health - pigeons carry a range of diseases, some of which may be transmitted to humans if droppings contaminate food stuffs. For this reason their presence cannot be tolerated in and around food premises. They also carry mites which can cause skin disease and dust from their feathers can cause respiratory problems.

Illnesses and problems linked with pigeons include:

Psittacosis - a flu like illness which can cause death in vulnerable people
Meningitis - rare, but one causative agent is commonly found in pigeon nests
Salmonella - diarrhoea, vomiting and in extreme cases septicaemia and possibly death
Skin diseases
Insects - including mites and fleas
Attraction to rats
Aggravated chest problems and asthma
Histoplasmosis - a respiratory illness caused by a fungus that thrives among the droppings
Occupiers of buildings have a duty to minimise the risk to the health and safety of staff and visitors, from the hazards caused by pigeons.

The most effective way of keeping pigeons away from buildings is to deny them access to enter or use the building as a nesting or roosting site.

P.S: Some people believe that birds, if they come to your garden, they are bringing good luck. But I guess its not with pigeons. I dont mind if the birds flew by, stop for a while,take a dip in the bird bath, but please dont leave your signature behind.

Chained messages

November 19th 2006
Budaiya

Early this morning I received a SMS from a friend. A chain message that requires you to send back to 9 other people asap and you will receive some good news tomorrow. If you dont send them out you will get some bad news.
Are you superstitious? How do you feel when you get such messages in your emails or sms ?
Sometimes I get irritated. Eventhough we are not supposed to be superstitious, that we must believe in GOD, it somehow affect you and you start scrambling to send the mantra out. Less the unfortunate happens.
No prizes for guessing I did forward the message out to 9 other people.
I pray that GOD will protect me. Insyaallah.
The reason why I did send the messages out is because it carries a good meaning and I wanted to share it with the others.

And this is another one of those that I received in my email.
Some thoughts that I would like to share here.

I N S T R U C T I O N S F O R L I F E

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements
involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three R’s:
.Respect for self,
.Respect for others and
.Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a
wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate
steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and
think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for
your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the
current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your
love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order
to get it.

19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.


Well...we'll see what tomorrow brings...!


Whats for dinner ?
Beef patties and potatoes with cheese and freshly ground pepper.
Yumm...O

It rained...

November 17th 2006
Budaiya

A nice friday for a change. Woke up to a moody morning and looked like it was about to rain. I am always looking forward to a rainy day, I guess I miss the rain. It was almost... never rains in Bahrain.
Rainy days always brings back nostalgic moments, especially the fresh smell of green grass after a rain. It is nice when you are indoors, watching the rain falling down, washing your window panes.
I remember a time when I was in a train on a rainy day, with my favourite song "words dont come easy"...playing in the piped music system. Somehow that moment of my journey stuck in my mind till now.

Another moment in time was when I was sharing an umbrella with someone, caught up in a heavy downpour at the Lake Gardens. That time we were poor still, both of us just started work and could not afford to buy a car yet. We were soaked to the skin but being "in love" made it all so much fun. And later he bought a car and soon we parted ways.

And there were times when it rained heavily at home and the padi fields would get flooded and it looked like a sea of brown water.Like a whole river of tea with milk. Sometimes it was flooding the whole area and you have to wade in the water. But my house is on a hilly area so it was never a big problem, only the ground was wet and the gooey earth got stuck on to your japanese slippers.

We always carry an umbrella wherever we go. The weather was really unpredictable, it is sunny and rainy all the year round. So whenever I buy a handbag, there must be room enough for a 3 fold umbrella.

So whenever the sky is looking grey we can anticipate some drizzles. Even Mecca suddenly rained out of the blue at the end of last Ramadhan.
Rain is always seen as a Blessing. It washes all the dirts and let the parched ground have something to drink.
So I am looking forward to a cool evening, curling up on my couch with a hot mug of tea, watching my favourite tv shows.
I hope it will drizzles again tomorrow...

Words to inspire you...
Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

Take a moment and count how many friends that you have that are willing to walk or take the bus with you...?
Chances are, they will hitch another ride when your limo broke down.
You are only good enough when they can benefit from you.

Is it thursday today... ?

November 16th 2006
Budaiya

I actually forgot what day it is today. Been hectic rushing out for last minute things and its beginning to give me a headache.
Today I observed some chain reactions here, I mean when someone has been given a high dosage of why he did not deliver, he in turn started to bark at everyone within his vicinity. Things have actually been boiling, like a lava waiting to erupt. So today he went flying about doing his job.
Funny though, his good friends are the ones who complained about his lack of performance. Those people whose mouths that he fed, with all his special gourmet cookings. Perhaps he didnt know that there are double headed snakes lurking all over the place.

My headache is getting worse, I need to get my comfort food fast.

Bling Bling is over ...

November 12th 2006
Budaiya

Yesterday was the last day of the bling bling exhibition. The crowd came in full force in the evening and there was a long queue at the entrance.
Lucky this year the show went on without an incident. There were securities everywhere both in uniforms and non uniform. Security camera was fixed in every stand and security personnel were mingling with the exhibitors and visitors. On top of that policemen with guns were also all over the place, guarding all points of entry.
We are glad that it is finally over and can move on to the next projects.
And hopefully we get to pay back all the lost sleeps since the past two weeks. My legs would surely welcome a good massage and my stomach and taste buds would be happy for a new diet.
My eyes were feasting on those beautiful creations, for jewellery design has always been my passion but was not able to pursue the field. It was just amazing.
Hong Kong pavilion was the most crowded, as always had been every year.
No matter where they are located, the crowd would find them. It has always been a crowd puller, I guess due to the nice designs, mostly diamonds and white gold and the price was rather affordable to all walks of life.



A small gift from one of the exhibitor, a scarf in my favourite mauve colour.

Jewellery Arabia 06

November 8th 2006
Budaiya

Its that time of the year again when all the glitter is back.
The biggest jewellery show was opened here yesterday by the Prime Minister.
As usual there are exquiste jewellery and watches that blinded the eyes.
You see diamonds everywhere. You see the rich and all their entourage.
Outside the exhibition hall you can see a luxury car show, with chauffers waiting patiently.
You see beautiful models showing off the jewellery.
And for us mere mortals it is enough just to ogle at the gems in the showcases.
All those hardwork and extra hours during the build up have finally paid off, when you look at the finished products of your stands. And in a couple of days, you will see them being teared down and the hall will be empty and quiet again.

An interesting story that I would like to share here is by observing one of the exhibitor.He had a huge banner almost the height from the ceiling to the floor.He brought in a crane to fix the banner and covering the front part of the biggest exhibitor in the hall. We were just observing the drama, knowing very well that he has to reposition the banner later on. He then proceeded to set up his display counter, pardon me, but they look more like candy showcases...!
On the morning of the show opening,our people were vacuuming the gangway carpet and he expected us to clean up his stand. When our people did not vacuum his stand he shouted with all the foul language that he was brought up with. He then started to throw out all the rubbish and dirts from his stand on to the gangway that we have cleaned. Can you imagine the scenario
of an elderly man in coat and tie, throwing tantrum ! Everybody were looking and enjoying the free show.
The points that certain exhibitors did not want to understand is that whoever the contractor that set up his stand has to clean the stands that they built. We only clean the general area.
But on the other hand if he had been a gentleman and spoke in plain simple english with a little word of "please", we would have vacuumed his stand.

Moral of the story ... a smile...a simple "please"...would probably get you a much needed assistance. And never to look down on anybody just because of their nationalty and skin colour.

The one thing that I have learned from doing this show is to exercise tolerance, keeping my cool, and try to be nice to everyone.

Does it break your heart .......?

October 28th 2006
Budaiya

DOES IT BREAK YOUR HEART .......?

Does it break your heart when you created something for yourself and in the end someone else takes your place ?

Does this happen to anyone...or is it me...only me that is having a tough luck in this world ?

Many many moons back, we decided to share our lives, in sickness and in health and all those sweet nothings.We went looking for a new house and found one that was suitable to his needs. He needed a studio to house all his sounds equipments, so a house with a basement was priority. A simple brick house with a big compound and an apple tree in the back yard was what we decided upon. He spruced up the house, gave it a new coat of paint and did a bit of renovation, adding a bathroom and a bigger closet.
As what had been known, we can only plan but God executes it.
Things happened and I found out about the existence of a third party and called it quits. It was hard and painful.
Painful to see what should be rightfully yours, suddenly changed hands.
Suddenly someone else moved in and take over what you have worked before.
And I was left with nothing but a feeling of lost and rejection.
Up till today, at the back of my mind I am still thinking that the place belongs to me, and I should have been the one having a flower garden in the summer months. It is a rerun of a battered movie of me and my new family.
It should me beside him sitting on the swing on the back deck enjoying quiet moments in the autumn of our lives.

Back to the present.......
And now I am watching someone else taking over my place again. She and her followers are of course laughing with glee. It breaks my heart yet once again to see someone else sitting at my place.
How I wish I have the ability to be like a chameleon and be able to put on a fake smile and carry on without any feelings of remorse.

They say that all these trials and tribulations will make aperson stronger. God will not present you with anything unless he knew that you can handle it. And when you are down and out, you will remember God and it will make you closer to Him.

ps:
There is always a rainbow after a rain.
Lets wait for that rainbow.......shall we ?

My new hope

October 26th 2006
Budaiya

Today is the fourth day of Eid, and I am still up at the wee hours of the morning just like in Ramadhan, when we wake up for syahur. I guess the body is already attuned and it will take a few more days to get back to the normal cycle.
The celebration is still there till the end of the month. But for me, works started on the second day of Eid. I had a fair bit to catch up. I was actually a bit under the weather and a few extra hours of rest was wonderful specially when the medication made you drowsy.

I had a little suprise in my email on tuesday morning. Along with the Hari Raya greetings, was attached a very meaningful song. Beautiful lyrics and wonderful musics. That really made my day... thanks again... you know who you are...who sent me the song. The song made me feel alive again, it gives me hope and sort of pointing me to the direction that I have been meaning to take. Insyaallah.

There are times...in our lives when we have gone off-course, took a wrong turn,
missed a direction and got lost. It is never too late to turn back.

First of Syawal 1427H

Cahaya Syawal

The first ray of Syawal 1427H. Ramadhan is gone and it certainly brought tears to a lot of people. Nevertheless Syawal is here, let us rejoice and pray that we will meet again with next Ramadhan.
Here I would like to wish Eid Mubarak to everyone who celebrates the joyous occasion.
With special thoughts of those dear beloved that had left me from this world, and those that had left my life in search of greener pastures.

Eid celebration here is not as happy and merry, probably because we are away from home and there are no relatives here to celebrate with. It is a little bit quiet and on top of that I am not feeling very well. So after taking my medication, I was just resting at home and spent some time chatting.
My colleagues cooked a few nice dishes but I have no appetite to eat, I ended up having vegetable soup for lunch.
Earlier on I had cooked some beef rendang,nasi impit, and bake a chocolate cake.

And I have these two daily regular visitors perched outside my windows.
Even the birds have a partner...!

May we all be Blessed thewhole year through till we see the next Ramadhan and Hope that what I had dreamt will come true. Amen !

To whom it may concern...!

Quack...Quack...Quack...

You gave me fever

October 17th 2006
Budaiya

The headache that I was having a couple of days back am now almost giving me a fever. It is not helping when someone is stressing you with some issues. Huge issues. I couldnt concentrate in my work and that is not healthy.
It is suppossed to be a merry occassion to celebrate Eid in six days time. But what I feel is a complete emptiness...like a void... all things stood still. Not a drift. Not a sound.
And he said... use this experience as a lesson...!

... Everything happened for a reason...!
That sure was calming balm to my wounded soul. I just need to pacify myself that, believe in the Almighty, since he loved all his ummah.As long as we remember Him, and be grateful for all that he has bestowed upon us.

Which reminds me of the song 'fever' by Boney M

Never know how much I love you
Never know how much I care
When you put your arms around me
I get a fever, that's so hard to bear

You give me fever, when you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever, in the morning
Fever all through the night

Sun lights up the daytime
Moon lights up the night
I light up when you call my name
And I know I'm gonna treat you right

You give me fever, when you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever, in the morning
Fever all through the night

Everybody gots the fever [Should be "Everybody's got..."]
That is something you all know
Fever isn't such a new thing
Fever started long ago

Romeo loved Juliet
Juliet, she felt the same
When he put his arms around her
He said "Julie Baby, You're my flame"

Thou givest fever, when he kisseth
Fever with thy flaming youth
Fever, I'm afire
Fever, yeah I burn for thou

Captain Smith and Pocahontas
Had a very very mad affair
When her Daddy tried to kill him
She said, "Daddy, Oh, Don't you dare!"

You give me fever [Should be "He gives me fever"]
With his kisses
Fever when he holds me tight
Fever, I'm his Misses
Daddy, won't you treat him right?

Now you've listened to my story
Here's a point that I have made
Chicks were born to give you fever
Be it Fahrenheit or Centigrade

They give you Fever, when you kiss them
Fever, if you live, you learn
Fever, 'till you sizzle
What a lovely way to burn

They give you Fever, when you kiss them
Fever, if you live and learn
Fever, 'til you sizzle
What a lovely way to burn

What a lovely way to burn (they give you fever)
What a lovely way to burn (they give you fever)
What a lovely way to burn (they give you fever)
What a lovely way to burn (they give you fever)
What a lovely way to burn (they give you fever)
What a lovely way to burn
What a lovely way to burn


PS:
On a sweet note, a colleague came by and brought some kuih
for iftar, a traditional sweet dessert, made of glutinous rice topped with a layer
of custard, gula melaka,coconut milk and durian paste...!
Now that is special.

Not a beautiful sunday anymore

October 15th 2006
Budaiya

I used to love sundays, since I was young. On sunday my late father and brother would be home. Mother always cook something special and it was always good when everyone was home.
But now sunday is just another working day. Friday has taken over sunday. Sunday has lost its magical touch.

And this sunday I have been having a severe headache. It started last night and I was feeling really bad. It was a similar feeling that I had sometime back when I was losing someone. Its just another two ships passing by at night, both going in the opposite directions in time for sunrise the next morning.
Dejavu.
Knowing that you are going to lose something is not a good feeling. No matter what you do, its gone again. Opportunity only knocks on your door once. And if you dont open that door, it will never come knocking again. It saddened me no end, but I have to accept it. Just another its not meant to be kinda thing.
And yet...why do I feel so sad ? Why do I keep thinking about it ? Why did I let go ?

PS:
Try this tea drink with basil seeds. They have a few varieties, green tea with basil seeds and honey with basil seeds. It is cooling and the basil seeds reminded me of 'sirap with selasih' drinks we used to have during ramadhan.

Bread pudding

October 13th 2006
Budaiya

This is the third friday for ramadhan. Its quiet in the homefront, apart from doing my usual household chores, I managed to try making my first bread pudding using my newly bought oven. It didnt turn out very well...I think I overcooked it. But it is still edible. So I promised myself that I am going to bake some cookies for Eid.

PS:
And to my dismay I found out that I have nothing much to talk to a friend today.
One of those days again I supposed.
Funny though, you feel that you missed a person, but you have nothing to say.
He kept saying that he could read whats in my heart and in my mind but will not disclosed it to me.
Am I that transparent ? Did I let the cat out of the bag again ?
Nah..he was just pulling my leg.

Happy Birthday to EB.......wherever you are

October 11th 2006
Budaiya

The eleventh of october

Someone is celebrating a birthday today.
Someone who decided to just disappear without a trace...
Let alone a goodbye,
Without a reason.
Without a word.

It was the New Year Eve of 2004.
The last time I heard his voice.
The last message that I had from him.

My phone calls were unanswered.
My messages were not returned.
My emails were not replied.

And I knew he was not dead.

His photos grazed the magazine pages.
His names appear somewhere as the webmaster
His car parked at his office building
His harley vrooming into the desert
And he was not alone.......

Almost 3 years now.
The hurt is less painful
The wound has healed
But the scar still remains.......
Years go by,
Memories stay
As near and dear as yesterday.

Yet the memories are still haunting my mind
The places we used to go
The walks on the beach
Just gazing at the far horizons
Those bright lights at the causeway
Those wonderful moments...

Its like everytime ... everywhere
Theres not a spot when I didnt think of you.......

We had some good years together
And I'd like to remember those
With a little sadness
With a little smile



EULOGY FOR EB
Like the summer's rain
And pearl of morning dew
Never to be found again
Someone as dear as you


HAPPY BIRTHDAY EB.......!
Still missed, still loved, and ever dear.
Memories in my heart today
Mean more than words can ever say.

Down memory lane of my Alma Mater

October 10th 2006
Budaiya

Down memory lane of my Alma Mater

I was thinking about my old school yesterday and went online hoping to find something.
I was lucky that they have a website now and I was able to view some pictures of my beloved school.
That school hold a dear place in my heart, and I shall never forget all the years that I have spent there. Six years in all.
It was my first experience to be away from home, getting into the routine of a full boarding school and it has thought me a great deal about life, especially being "independent".And I am thankful, for it has shaped me into the person that I am now.

The photographs brought back lots of memories and I feel kind of sad in a way. Nostalgic perhaps. Looking at the school compound, where we used to have evening walks just before the bell rings for dinner. The prep hours, the dining hall, the dormitories, the classrooms.......

Only then I found out that I had missed their 50th anniversary celebration on 1st july 2006.

Deep down in my heart I had always have the intention of visiting the school again. Perhaps I would be able to do that the next time I am in JB. I missed all my friends, all of which we have lost contact since years ago.
I wonder where are they now...
It would be good if we could meet up again.

15th day of Ramadhan

October 7th 2006
Budaiya

Today is the 15th day of Ramadhan.

Nothing special for dinner this evening, just plain rice with chicken with potatoes in coconut milk, fried fish and some vegetables on the side. No dessert today except for some figs and dates.
There was a full moon to keep me company and it was so beautiful, like a big lighted ball in the vast sky.

While having my iftar just now, I saw a special evening programme on tv, all about Ramadhan and how it is being celebrated in Muslim countries.
It is a Malaysian programme and everday I try not to miss it, since I could still catch a glimpse of my country. But today, it shows the Eid celebration, on the first day of Aidil Fitri. The "takbir" really touched my heart, and suddenly I felt so homesick and lonely and I feel like going home to celebrate Eid with my family. I really missed the Aidil Fitri celebration.

Unknowingly tears were streaming down my face when I heard the takbir. The sadness keeps coming back, the nostalgia keep pouring in.Luckily no one was around.
For the whole night I was and still am feeling sad with all the memories keep coming back.

Do we forgive and forget ?

October 7th 2006
Budaiya

Do we forgive and forget ?

NO and NO.
I have always tried to reflect on my not being able to forgive and forget that easily.
Someone did say that to forgive is the best way to come to terms with the situation and move on.
Only time may be able to make you remember less or unless otherwise alzheimer would do it perfectly.

How could we forget if we had been hurt badly ?
And sometimes it is traumatizing and may affect someones future.
Worst still it could turn someone to be hostile and be psychologically affected.

Anyway, my point here is when someone shoot out some bad and damaging remarks towards you that may be tarnishing your reputation. How could we simply forgive this ? Let alone forget.

God has given you the creativity and ability to do certain works.
But at the same time God is able to take it all back in a split second.

What if the backpain that you are having gets more severe and you would be paralysed and confined to a wheel chair.

What if you are not able to make use of your hands to hold the mouse to draw again ?

What if....... what if.......
The thing is that nothing lasts forever. You have got to make the best of situation while it lasts.
Today you may be able to brag about your capabilities and talents. In your very own eyes you are talented, and you have your followers who followed you with a blindfold and earplugs, without a question that they look up to you because you were their teacher before. Cant blame them since they are very patriotic and defensive of their countryman.

So we shall see....... this is not the end of the saga yet.
What goes round will come around. Enjoy the view at the top while you are there.
For one day you will come down and all you can do is just looking up but you could not go up again.

Moral of the story is to stay humble and be thankful to whatever God has blessed us with. There is no need to shoot poison arrows to anyone.
For whatever you send, will definitely come back you.

Someone said that God has a SPP, that is Standard Package Procedure.
You would see the results of whatever you do in no time. Be it good or bad.

Being the Holy month of Ramadhan, I asked for your forgiveness and guidance.

My expired peanut sauce

October 6th 2006
Budaiya

A nice and windy day here,for a change and it is getting cooler. The so called winter is finally on the way.
I had the opportunity to sleep in for a bit, missed my syahur eventhough the alarm clock was set to 3pm.
I just couldnt wake up. Anyway i still managed to continue with my fasting, but the bad news is that I can feel my body is being deprived of the 8 glasses of water. My lips started cracking and an ulcer is bothering me. It is so painful that I find it difficult to eat.
I was searching for dessert recipes to cook for iftar,
but end up not cooking at all. Just managed to prepare some soup, my version of minestrone soup. With whatever is left in my larder. Not bad.
I have always love soups.
I had put in some meat, carrots, potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes and lots of oregano and pepper.

While cleaning my larder, I found some expired food items... now could I still use them ? They still looks good. No moulds.
It would be such a waste to throw them out.
My eyes are always bigger than my stomach, when buying food items. I thought I would have time to cook this and that, but in the end the packages stood silently in the cupboard.I feel sad if I have to throw them.
Next time I should tell myself and remember not to 'overbuy'...buy only the items that I want to cook at that moment.
Sigh.

Meeting an old friend

October 5th 2006
Budaiya

My trip to Doha was good and fruitful. Spent the whole morning till 1pm sorting out the work related stuff and in the evening, met up with an old friend. It was so nice seeing her again after more than a year. I last saw her Singapore last july. From the look of it she is doing well in Doha, but she still have that "loneliness" and missing the family bugs. We met for iftar and as usual we can never finish talking and catching up on each other's life.
The iftar buffet was really a great temptation, but how much can one eat after a long day of fasting.Among all those nicely presented food, I still prefer the good old minestrone soup, eaten with some bread and herb butter.

What surprises me most was that the hotel's restaurant in Doha is open during ramadhan...!!!
And anyone can just walk in and eat.

Yesterday was .......

September 30th 2006
Budaiya

Yesterday was.......
a lazy friday
but I spent a good deal of it chatting with a friend.
The internet connection was playing up again and it was slow
to even open up a page, and we would lose connection intermittently.
Anyway, I managed to cook something for iftar.
I have been thinking about making the glutinous rice balls for a while and
decided to try them yesterday. Luckily they turned out okay and the chocolate filling was really nice.Normally the traditional recipes would use red beans or green beans paste, coconut or just brown sugar.
For dinner i had rice with prawns sambal, fried chicken wings, egg and vege salads.
The apricot juice was a bit too sweet for my liking.
And as usual, my favourite tea to round it off.

That was yesterday.
But this morning,on the way to the office, I am bracing myself for a hard day ahead.