Goodbye 2011

So we're at the last few hours of 2011. I'm sitting here, trying to reflect on the year I've had.. and nothing comes to mind.

The only things I could see are regrets, regrets and more regrets.. *sigh*

The biggest regret being that I could not finish my PhD this year.. with that fault placed on my shoulders and mine alone. And still, while thinking it, I still couldn't conjure up any passion for it as I once had. I'm not even sure on how I stand in this field anymore and it scares me. But what terrifies me the most is how I couldn't even force myself to even look at my research and how for the last two months, I haven't even glanced at it, preferring to pretend its not there =(

And thats the biggest! What about the numerous small ones I've had?

..that once in a while, I feel as if I've also lost my passion in teaching? Sometime I go to classes with such a heavy heart, I amazed myself when I could go through the two-hour period of it. Luckily, this feeling doesn't come often.. but still, I'm scared that one day, I won't feel like teaching anymore.. when it was always something I wanted to do since I was a kid. Yeah! I know, most kids say they want to be a teacher just because that was what everyone else wanted (you know, the usual ambitions kids have like policeman, soldier, doctor and so on..) But I actually really wanted to be a teacher since I was a wee kid..

..that for the past two years, I've let myself believe that there might be life after IM, only to have my illusions shattered midway through the year. I've put my heart on my sleeve just to lose it once more and glued all the broken pieces of it, just to see it.. well, you get the picture.

..that I've always been a morning person before, but for this most part of this year, I no longer feel like wanting to go outta bed on most days. I've been like this before, years back when the problem with IM and Abah's new marriage had first surfaced but I managed to get back on my feet after a while and work on my MSc like there was no tomorrow.. but how come I can't seem to be able to do that now?

..that I've always believed in family ties but now.. err, lets not get to that!

..that I seem to also lose my passion in reading. Yes, I know I've bought books this year.. and a lot. But not so much compared to what I used to. And if before, I couldn't wait to finish all those written text, I now have books I've bought 5 months ago but haven't touched.. what has happened to me?!?

..that the money problems arising from the accident would never end! Okay la, I know la it would end, but I had the accident late August and now its very late December but still can't get my budget back together in one piece. I've always had problems from November and December due to the no class-no gaji policy but I usually barely make it by saving a bit each month and stretching my October pay. But after the accident which left me gaji-less for 2 months, and my October pay which I only got half than usual (coz dah abis exam and most students have stopped taking the class since we've already finished the syllabus), I've been feeling like sinking every now and then. Can't wait for the next pay which is mid-January BUT those will go to my 2-month-delayed rent, my barred phone bill, my road tax and car insurance.. aiyaaaa~~

..that I'll once again make the mistake of thinking that all teachers are good, kind-hearted, fatherly bla.. bla.. blaa.. Ok, I personally think that teachers are one of the best people around, but as you know the Malay saying about the setandan pisang mesti ade yg busuk (Hahah.. tetibe malu sbb tak ingt the actual saying =p) I'm still full with hatred whenever I see that particular teacher (as well as the Teacher From Hell I've always had problems with) and I'm always terrified whenever I see him from afar. Though he's stopped trying to call me or sms me, maybe due to the harsh sms I sent him the last time, but he still stalks my class and all that. Grrrr! But I really but I can't help feeling, did I ever do anything to make him think I was that kinda person?! I mean, I'm very sure I treat all male teachers the same way and especially yg tua² la to me are more like ayah². I really don't know =(

Gosh! Reading all those makes me feel so pathetic.. aiyooo~~

Well.. I guess, 2011 hasn't been a good year to me.. or rather, I'm not making any good outta the 365 days Allah gave me for it.

I really hope for a better 2012. That there'd be more ups than downs as opposed to what it feels like this year.. and of course, I wish all that too for my family and all my friends who've been with me through thick and thin.

So I hereby wish..

"Good riddance to you 2011. May I never see you (or rather the likes of you) ever again. As for 2012, let's have a good start and an even greater ending with great big and small moments in between, eh!"

Ok.. confirm! Hahah..

Was about to swith of the computer when I came across this in Fb.. and laughed out loud! Seryes kah ni?!?! Patut la bile tension je, sy potong rambut heheh.. and just so you know, sy ni jarang tau potong rambut. But when I think about it, the last few times I cut it off, mesti mase tu tgh serabut. And I thot I was weird.. rupenye, ramai je heheh..


P/S And menyesal till now coz I DON'T LIKE SHORT HAIR.. rimas! Rambut, sile la panjang balikkkk.. =(

When your girlfriend or wife, who has had long hair since you’ve known her, suddenly decides one day that a nice shoulder length bob would flatter her more, or worse, comes home out of the blue one day with all her hair hacked off, look out. This is probably around the time she’ll stop having sex with you, and probably around the time she’ll start mentioning breaking up, or divorce. At the very least, you should understand that she is going through something very emotional, very unpleasant, and more than likely, something very much related to you.

Because hair, for almost every woman, represents femininity and beauty, and sometimes, therefore, what she thinks of herself.

A woman’s emotions are more closely linked to her hair than to any other part of her.

The Pie Entry

I'd actually done this in May this year and had excitedly taken pictures of the process doing something I haven't done in years. However, the excitement disappeared the very next day when my world suddenly felt like crashing down (Yup! Thats the drama queen in me speaking!).. and continued to deteriorate, making me do things I wish I hadn't done (like cutting my hair too short for my liking)

Well, today is actually one of those days that remind me of what had happened (indirectly la kot.. ke bleh categorize as directly ye?) that has somehow changed my December and though, yes, I'm still upset and feeling like its a bit worse today, I decided to just write about this anyway.

So here's the chicken pie I did those months back.. and I'm actually thinking of making another one since Puga is now no longer a vegetarian after 'membayar her nazar' for the past 9 years ☺

Actually, I'd already bought the pie tins last year but never had the time to really sit down and make a proper pie since I'm the type who likes to make it from scratch, pastry and all. Somehow, I found the time to make it one day.. and to my delight, even all the ingredients were readily available in the kitchen so there was no reason for me to NOT do it kan?

First I made the filling. I just sauteed some onions and then used cut-up chicken thighs I had initially bought for some laksa Sarawak, Shiitake mushrooms, boiled potatoes and mixed vegetables. I seasoned it a bit with some odds and ends I found in the kitchen (mcm menakutkan la pulak bile ckp camtu.. like just mix in ANYTHING I find la plak kan hehe..)..

Then I made the short crust pastry I used to do when I was smaller. Still had to recheck the recipe for the measurement of the ingredients la kan sbb dah ala² lupe skit. I found that I still enjoy making the dough.. its kinda therapeutic, if you know what I mean. Then I rolled it our and 'moulded' it into the pie tin without greasing coz the pastry pun dah kinda ok kan ☺

Ok, I prefer baking the bottom part of the pastry first as my pies usually turn out a bit too 'soft' and oily if I just bake it with the filling trus (though I've seen people bake trus and giler cantik je jadinye.. magic!) so I weighed it down with some kacang hijau. Wanted to find the heavier red beans tp kedai sini takde jual la pulak.

After baking for 15 minutes camtu, I took out the pie tin and used a spoon to scoop out the hot beans. Beans tu memang tak bleh gune dah, even for bubur so I kept it for later use.. kot la nak buat pie lagi kan <--macam rajin!

Then you just isi the filling made earlier ☺

And the next part is the one I don't really like, covering the pie. My problem is, my trimmings mmg tak cantik hahaha.. I just press the pastry together je. When I was smaller, I used to be a bit more rajin. you know, making the trimmings cantik skit. Like covering with plaits ke, the jambul² thingey ke ape ke.. tp beso² ni mcm sgt malas kot.

Then, after the second baking.. tadaaaa~~

Ok la.. Not really the yummiest pie on earth, tp boleh la nak makan and habiskan dengan senang hati.

(Err, ok la, tipu.. sebenonye dah anto ke org sbb tau tak larat nak abiskan sensorg kaaann hehe..)

P/S
Damn.. still feeling upset balik.. haiyaaaa~~

Like I said..

..its different already..

The Bookworm strikes again..?!?

This is a 'basi' kinda entry which I just realized I hadn't updated (as with a few more I just noticed haha.. ape ni Ayu, kate blog ni memoir utk diri sendiri tp cemmane nak ingat sumer bende klau tak mo update blog?!)

Well, a few months ago, when my cousin Dayang got married in Klang, me and Mama along with Iskandar went there la, of course. Usually, I wouldn't have the time to go to kenduris during the school term as I had my 'everyday-except-Sundays classes'. However, due to the accident, I was carless, thus classless and with free time on my hand so when Mama asked if I wanted to go, musti la sy mau ikut!

The kenduri was a blast with almost the whole extended family there (except for Ayah Yeop and Mak Yong). Even my nephews and nieces were all there (except anak Abg Lan la whom would've come klau ade Ayah Yeop ☺) and we had a good time especially when my cousins bullied the DJ towards the end of the kenduri. That night pun we cousins went to Wan Diah's to help with the clean-up and we still had a good time being a family.

The next day, we went to meet Adi and Ana at AmCorp Mall to give them some things (the wedding cake and extra goodies courtesy of Wan Diah and Dayang) and Izati introduced me to BookXcess. In Penang, we only have Popular and what-la-the-name-of-that-bookstore-in-QB? I'm sure we don't even have MPH, though once upon a time ago, we DID have Times and Arthurs Bookstore. Well, this one for the commercial bookstores la, second hand bookstore dah ade yg I baru kenal, courtesy of Shahnaz, the night after the Hard Rock Hotel stay I wrote about months ago *Thanx Shahnaz*

Anyway, my first impression was.. well, I was actually speechless!

True, it wasn't THAT big, but it was full of books. However, it wasn't the number of books that rendered me speechles, it was the PRICES! Giler murah ok.. I could go all crazy in here if I only had the money hahah..

And dalam takde duit tu, I still managed to grab these books..

..with prices are as can be seen. Giler murah kan.. and 3 of those were hardcovers!

There were many more books that I wanted tp my purse gave me a warning by showing how 'slim' it is! Hehe..

Anyway, another unique thing was the receipts. I was confused on why my purchase had this very long recepit. Perli ka? I only bought 5 books (the last book mntk tlg Adi byr kt kaunter coz I was embarrassed to go sekali lagi kat counter) but the recepit was like I had bought so much more.

To my pleasant surprise, the bottom part of the recepit were actually stories/poems sent by people. I was impressed..

..so a few weeks later, after a bout of insomnia, I decided to open the website and send my own entry, just for the sake of sending je pun. Didn't expect anything coz it wasn't anything I had written after deep thought ke ape ke, just something I had thought of outta the blue last year after yet another bout of insomnia and self-pity.

Imagine my surprise and excitement when a few weeks after that, I received an email saying my entry was among the top 4 for that round of selection. Yippie!!! I wrote about it here while the entry I sent can be found here.

And since I was having a hard time then, this small piece of good news felt like the news of the century to me.. and I was smiling like crazy while telling my Adi and Izati about it hehe..

I wasn't sure I could go pick up the prize though but as luck had it, Dr Mail asked if I'd go to the exhibition in KL. Still ,then pun I wasn't expecting much since we were busy but on the last night, Rashid took us there. I was a bit afraid since I hadn't bought the printed email along as I thought we'd be busy doing something else then but they askled for my IC, and voila, the next minute, the envelope containing my prize was in my hand.

True, the prize was only an RM20 book voucher but at BookXcess, that could mean TWO books.. or 10 children books which I regretfully only found after I'd already paid. Hey, they were the Mr Men books, my favourite when I was small tau! Heheh..

Ohh.. I also received a BookXcess bookmark along with this weaved boomark using Pandan leaves <-- Ok, sini sy wat pandai, mentang² la dia tulis Pandanus. The more logical side of me is saying its like daun mengkuang or something sturdier like that. And this was what I got..

Hmm.. So I admit, I was going for quantity here rather than quality kot but in my defense, my current favourite authors books were either out of stock or unavailable (Ohh.. where art thou, Jodi Picoult?) or I already had them. I don't normally go for Ms Steels books (and I now have a stronger reason why since I only kinda like ONE of those two books) ad the ONLY book she had I liked is Johnny Angel, buku dia paling nipis kot. Her other books seem to run around the same issue of org² kaya ditimpa masalah.. kinda like Malay soap operas actually.. oppsss.. I found that The Wedding was also like that I couldn't wait to finish it.. But The Ghost was quite okay la.. <--Hmm, why la both of her books yg I find ok mesti libatkan hantu?!?!


So there, at least ujung² tahun ni, I have something to be happy about, kan ☺

P/S
Ohh.. almost forgot! The adik who was manning the counter, when she noticed me using the voucher, she asked, "Ni Ayu Ikhwani kan?" (Okay, I know la, not my actual name pun) Well, NOT because I'm now a famous author ke ape ke.. but because I was the only Malay yg got the prize haha.. know what she did for me? She kindly made sure that on my receipt was my entry (normally you get them randomly je). Yeay! Mesti la sy nak tp mesti la malu nak saje² mntk kan.. so thanx you adik jage counter BookXcees heheh..

And from my oven, came this..

So there I was on a cold Sunday afternoon, not knowing what to do (not that I didn't have anything to do since dah bape minggu tak sentuh research.. erkkk!)

I was pacing around the house when I realized, I haven't baked for a while. But baking cakes or cookies was a big no-no for me since I never really liked sweet things (except la anything chocolatey) THAT much. I started rummaging through the fridge and cabinets to find whatever ingredients I had in hand and suddenly remembered something.

When I was smaller, Mama used to make scones for breakfast during the weekends. I remember how simple it was and how I loved putting butter on the ones right outta the oven, just to see it melt. Then, I loved jam but for me, scones were best with butter.. especially when hot.

Actually, what triggered this memory was when someone uploaded a picture of scones kot on FB.. or something like that. Besides that, a few years ago we went to Camerom with some of the staff. We had gone to this tea garden where they sold scones like 2 pieces kot camtu, with jam and cream. Guess the price? Dlm RM10 kooooottt..

I was like, ridiculous! Dulu my mum buat cam setengah jam je before breakfast and I KNOW the ingredients cam plain flour, sugar, milk and eggs je kot camtu. Not anything fancy pun nak buh harge mahal cenggitu.

Anyway, back to the present day. I realized I had enough ingredients to make some (and the last time I ate them was like 14 years ago kot?!?!). Ok².. ngaku la, had to check the recipe jugak la since I don't really have THAT good a memory la kan =p

Sure enough, it took tak sampai 15 minutes to mix up the err, dough?!?! I made only half the recipe since I live alone. Kang sape nak abiskan? So I got this much la..

Then I used my fondant cutter to get same-sized bits (Klau Mama yg buat, dia bulat² pakai tgn je.. anak dia tak terre, ok!)

Err.. excuse the messy milk+egg glaze. Dah lame tak glaze bende ni and sgt la the very comot one hehe..

Baking took about another 15 minutes or so and I took the opportunity to make some tea. Mase ni dah perasan of having a very English kinda afternoon tea, indeed, complete with some Earl Grey hehe..

..and tadaaa~~

Ok la, I admit. Giler kene kemas my dining table la kan (sblm tu was full with my books) sbb nak amik gambo nye pasal..

..and yes! I was back to being a child again while I watched the butter melting on my hot scones while savouring the taste of it..

..and I was brought back to reality on why I never attempted to make scones before!

I.DON'T.LIKE.THEM!

I don't hate them la, tapi! When Mama made them, of course la I'd eat them. But unlike my siblings who liked them and who'd finish them while they were still hot, I'd eat only ONE piece, then go to the kitchen to find my trustworthy slice of bread.. boley?

I preferred it when Mama made sausage rolls.. or even the simple ol' french toast actually. Scones were never really my thing. That explains why, while some friends took the opportunity to eat the scones in Cameron the other day, I just didn't seem to mind.. except for the ridiculous price la yg they put!

And thats what happened that afternoon, I only ate ONE! Tp teh nye minum bercawan. Haiyaaaa.. yg lebih tu, sape nak makan?

P/S
That night, decided to eat some for dinner and while we never did this back then, I decided to try scones with cheese+tomatoes and some chicken slices. Kunun wanted to make it 'heavy' enough for dinner and here's the result..

Still, after that, there were still 13 pieces lagik!! Huwaaa.. seryes had to eat it for the whole week pastu tau and only finished the last piece 2 days ago.. aiyooo~~

A Dream and a Song.. related kah?

I had a strange dream last night.. well, as strange as normal dreams go lah. You know how it is.. you start in one place, end up in another. Start with some people and end up with different ones. Well, that was how it started with mine.. and yeah, it was blurry around the edges, as it normally is jugak.

However, as the meaningless dream went along with me transported here and there, I finally found myself in a hall(?) with some students(?) and my friend, Mak Su. We were commenting on this weird food spread that consists of giant cream biscuits(?) and shredded roti canai(?) in plates smaller than a teacup saucer. Then we wanted to perform our Asar(?) prayers so we headed to the toilet but somehow I ended in the gents instead of the ladies.

It was a blur after that but when it came back in focus, I was in the correct(?) place to take my wudhu' along with Mak Su beside me. As she laughed at me and commented on why I was still wearing my name tag (a habit I could never shake off in real life), we suddenly realized the place to take the wudhu' was unisex. I was suddenly wearing a tudung labuh, not unlike the ones I wore at AlMashoor dulu, while trying to take the wudhu' without taking off my hijab (as what we sometimes did in the hostel once).

As I finished, I felt somebody tap my shoulder so I rearranged my hijab neatly and turned around..

..only to find myself face to face with IM!

He didn't seem suprised to see me though I felt, even in my dream, as if my heart had fallen from my chest. Its already 10.51pm now but I can still picture him as I saw in my dream in a red t-shirt (a colour he never wore except towards the end of his MSc after he had laughed at me for ONLY owning black t-shirts and I had retaliate by reminding him that he only owned black, white and grey t-shirts.. yeah²! I know! I'm boring when it came to colours!) When I continued to look at him in disbelief, Mak Su turned to say something to him and then I woke up.

And I was like, "What the.." (Ya, I know, we're supposed to say Alhamdulillah when we wake up as a thankful gesture that God has given us another day to live.. but I was too suprised.. a moment of weakness, perhaps?)

Throughout the day, I've been wondering, what on earth made me dream of him when I haven't even been thinking of him for a long time (except for a few weeks ago when I told my student a bit about him sbb kunun wanted to help him by sharing something with him.. huh! Teacher Ayu tertipu hahah..). In fact, I thought I was already thinking of someone else altogether but somehow, a distant memory must've snaked itself into my subconscious, making its way into my dreams last night and emerged as the image I saw in my dream.

Nway, I tried my best to ignore the question as I knew that dreams are usually forgotten. In fact, I've had dreams that seem so vivid when I just woke up that I could ponder upon it before forcing myself to jgn malas² lambatkan Subuh.. and around Zohor, I've already forgotten about it. But this one seemed to stubbornly engrave itself in my short-term memory.

However, just now, I was listening to some songs on the PC, but when this song came on, I suddenly understood why (maybe la) I dreamt of him last night..

Say Goodbye ~ Katharine McPhee

If I seem distant 

Baby I am 

Words are like scissors in your hands 

And there’s no script to follow 

So I just close my eyes 

That way it won’t hurt so much 

When we say goodbye 

I feel just like an actress 

Up on the stage 

I can’t believe 

What I’m hearing myself say 

And the porch light is my spotlight 

So I play along with this life 

That way it won’t hurt so much 

When we say goodbye 

Did you ever love me? 

Does it even matter? 

Did you even notice the whole world shatter? 

I just want to hold you ‘til you know I’m sorry 

But I just keep it all inside 

That way it won’t hurt so much 

When we say goodbye 

My heart feels like a circus 

It’s too much to take in 

It’s hard to lose love 

But you were my best friend 

So I walk this high wire 

Alone….tonight 

That way it won’t hurt so much 

When we say goodbye 

That way it won’t hurt so much 

When we say goodbye

Actually, I heard this song on a CSI episode last week and just downloaded it coz I kinda like Katharine McPhee now. Hearing this song throughout the week, nothing actually came to mind but somehow today, I realized it has somehow attached itself to my brain.

(Okay then, this is, ignoring the fact that I have a student with the same name as IM, but spelt with an 'SY' instead of an 'SH'.. but I'm choosing to ignore that coz I've taught that boy for 3 weeks now, and if this boy was the reason for it, I'd've sure dreamt about it so much earlier, right?!)

And instead of feeling sadness, I found myself laughing out loud as I found it hilarious somehow.. apekah?

I mean.. what the hell?!?!

I just couldn't believe myself.. ade ke bleh camtu, Ayu oiii?!

I listened to it a few more time just to make sure, and sure enough, this time around, I got some ol' flashbacks.. like hell! Dah seminggu lebih dengar baru today it triggered something ke ape ke, I dunno.. but it felt stupid too.. =(

Okay, now I feel a bit funny pulak..

Nite²

Assalamualaikum

Activity Kutip-Mengutip~~

When I was, ehem, younger, I actually loved going to exhibitions. To me, there was a lot you could learn and see and I'd almost look forward to it (tp senyap² je la sbb takut kene gelak ngan kengkawan yg sentiase rase exhibition tu boring hehe..)

However, as I turn 3216 (again?), I find the interest I once had, deteriorate to an alarming rate. Maybe because I've been to one too many exhibitions or maybe because most exhibitions I go now are usually the same thing over and over again.

So how to keep the interest at bay?!

By activity kutip mengutip lahhhh hehe..

See what I 'kutip' on the Hari UNESCO Malaysia held on the 18th~19th November recently (Okay, I know la not-so-recent.. I'm trying to spring-clean my blog here from the dust gathering in it.. so just amuse me by pretending its VERY recent!)

Gile bnyk kan?! Hehe..

I actually got more than what I've put here, for example, the black non-woven bag tu, we got around 4 each kot (2 on the first day and another 2 on the second day.. boley?) but I'd given some of these giveaways to some friends.. these are the ones I'm keeping.. at least for now la, unless nnt rase nak bg kat sesape.

And yes, we DID get an umbrella from the South-South Information Gateway booth.. umbrella?!?! 1st time kot dpt umbrella.. 

This booth actually gave us the most kot. The mug is also from their booth. We got a pen and note book too along with a keychain and cardholder! Gile kan! When we first realized that booth was giving out so much (one pakcik opened his goody bag in front of us and showed us..) terus je sy and Arep bergegas ke arah booth itu wpun mulenye rase boring nak round² sbb dah 2nd day kan.. Yeah! I know, buruk perangai hahahah..

The 2 giveaways with the white Hari UNESCO sticker was actually prizes for a quiz they had held. One for each day. At first I didn't wanna answer those questions (refer to second paragraph), but when I noticed Yun actually looking for the answers, it felt mcm bes la pulak nak gi carik jawapan haha.. boley? When Nana and Aisyah (Dr Ismail's daughters) saw what we got for the quiz, they wanted one too so I had to help them find the answers which unfortunately wasn't the same set as we had received earlier.. still, they got what they wanted too! Suke je budak 2 org tu ☺

Ohh, the highlighter pun I got two. One mase looking around other booths with Tiqah and the other one mase helping Nana and Aisyah find the answers.. I also got a note book from the same booth, much to Nana's displeasure sbb dia pun nak jugak tp tinggal satu je hehe.. In the end, I got around 5 notebooks kot?!?

The pens were more than those 5 tp sbb dah bg org kan ☺ And paper bags tu tak yah cakap la kan. Also a fridge magnet, some sturdy files I could use, a postcard, some bookmarks laminated with some botanical species from Tasik Chini

And this was only mine, tak kire lagi org lain punye. There were 7 of us kot (me, Rashid, Yun, Tiqah, Son Min, Arif and Azam) and all of us got around the same things each. 1st day of exhibition was at DBP. Pergi kete separa penuh, balik the car was ful with these goody bags je. Same with 2nd day (at Central Market plak), balik tu penuh je with goody bags..

Hehe.. and I actually find it kinda fun! Now I know what to do lain kali pergi exhibition ☺ ☻ ☺

P/S Okay, maybe kot I'm the one yg pelik sbb sblm ni tak penah pun wat keje camni so let me be 'perak' for a while, k 

This December is different..

..yeah! It's certainly gonna be that way..

...

A birthday wish.. belated one, that is!

This is a very late entry, if you ask me. Its to compensate on a late birthday wish to a dear ol' friend of mine..

..and by ol', I actually MEAN old! Hahaha..

Ok.. sgt tak sedar diri memandangkan I'm 8 months older than her hehe..

Sowi Baiii.. You know kan I've NEVER forgotten your birthday.. always nak lawan with Amin sape wish you first. This year of course la I remembered (tho admittedly, awal bulan aritu had to recheck the exact date sbb takut salah) and of course la I wanted to beat Amin to it but my phone was barred.. uwaaaaa~~

Seryes rase tak sedap duduk coz not only can't I use my phone, I was outta internet access so couldn't wish you online jugak. Only arrived home around Maghrib and wrote on your FB was ASAP wpun I knew I was among the last to wish.. Sorry sgt!

But I have to admit how much you made me smile with your text to me about 'waiting' hahahah.. Its things like this that make me NOT wanna forget your birthday tauuuu.. coz I know you appreciate it!

Nway, I found this on FB just now..

..and it reminded me of her so I decided to use it as a tribute to her belated birthday wish ni.

When I was in form 2, Abah was in the PTA committee and as usual, he'd take over the motivational programmes for the exam classes. Being in form 2 meant I still had a year before my PMR but Abah being Abah, forced me to join my seniors in those programmes.

It terrified me as I wasn't exactly someone everyone knew in school.. kang ade yg pandang serong je tgk budak form 2 dlm program tu kan? Besides that, I was a bit too shy and timid so I was dreading the weekend, knowing I'd be all alone.

I told Baizurah about it and was almost in tears as I talked to her. You see, the week before was the first part of the program and I had a bad experience with a senior who wanted to take me under her wing and treated me like a pet.. err, in a way an all-girls school could do and I didn't like it coz after that the senior kept pestering me to be her pet sister and all that. I was horrified! Baizurah just sat there, listened and sympathized but it made me feel better..

..and she surprised me by appearing in the program that weekend!

Only God knew how relieved I was to see her smiling face amidst the (frightening.. er, at least then la!) seniors!

And she sat with me throughout the whole weekend so I wasn't alone (or avoiding that certain senior).. yeay! Made me love her even more!

So here's to one of the special friends whom you can leave for so long (form 4 till after we got our degrees kottt) but pick up right where you left once you meet them again!

Happy birthday, Sentot! <--Jgn harap la sy nak benti panggil awak camtu =p

P/S
In accordance to my chubbiness, I hereby announce that I'm officially cuter than you!

Alkisahnye..

Tersebut kisah seorg cikgu (emphasize on the 'CIK')

Ok laa.. tuko..

Tersebut kisah seorg pendita yang telah setahun menjadi guru pada sekumpulan anak muda yang ingin belajar dan memahirkan diri dalam bidang kira². Setelah tamat pertapaan mereka, mereka bersedia untuk meniggalkan si pendita demi mengejar cita² masing².. akan tetapi, si pendita menghalang mereka untuk sehari lagi, demi memantapkan lagi pertapaan anak² muda tersebut bagi sehari lagi..

Pertapaan terakhir ditentukan pada masa matahari tepat di atas kepala di suatu hari Sabtu yang indah dan permai..

Pagi itu, pendita itu berase sgt letih kerana semalaman tidak dpt tidur. Maka, selepas solat Subuh, si pendita memutuskan untuk menyambung tidur agak tidak terleka semasa pertapaan terakhir bersama anak² guruannya. Namun begitu, tengiang² suara si cilik Nadhirah yang inginkan manisan hasil tangan gurunya buat kali terakhir.

Antara 2 pilihan.. menyambung tidur yg tidak cukup.. atau membuat manisan tersebut dan berharap agak tidak leka dan mengantuk semasa pertapaan?!

Akhirnya si pendita memilih untuk membuat manisannya itu (sambil minum Nescafe bnyk² dan berharap agar tak mengantuk nnt)

Setelah manisannya siap, si pendita bersiap sedia untuk ke kelas. Segala persediaan untuk pertapaan terakhir ini telah dibuat beberapa hari sblmnya dgn harapan ianya dpt memantapkan lagi pemahaman para anak didik nya. Si pendita agak terleka semasa sedang bersiap dan menyedari yg beliau akan terlewat untuk bertemu anak² didiknya, lantas beliau berkejar untuk ke sana..

Malangnya, apabila sampai di tempat pertapaan, si pendita mendapati, tidak ade sorg pun anak didiknya yang ada di situ wpun beliau sendiri telah terlewat sampai.

Sedih bercampur kesal timbul di hati si pendita terutama bila mengenangkan pertapaan terakhir itu adalah hadiah buat anak didiknya, selain dari manisan yang dibuatnya di awal pagi itu..

Dengna langkah lemah, si pendita menuju ke tempat pertapaan dengan harapan terdapat tanda² menunjukkan adanya anak didiknya yang datang. Tiba²..

"Kak Ayu, kelas kak Ayu puluk 12.00 la.. sekarang baru 11.00 lebih.. awat kak Ayu mai awal ni?"

Opppssss..

Heheh.. malu I!!

In the (E)mail today..

Hi Ayu Ikhwani,

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Your receipt story (I wish..) has been selected to be published in BookXcess cash sales receipts. It will be printed on our receipts from 12^th November 2011 until 4^th December 2011. On top of that, you also received RM 20 voucher (valid until 31^st December 2011), Pandanus bookmark and BookXcess Bookmark as a token of appreciation. There are 4 winning entries from our 24th round of selection and your story will be printed on our receipts randomly throughout the period as mentioned earlier.

Kindly reply this email with your particulars (Story title, Full Name, I.C Number and Phone number) for our reference within 3 days starting from 12^th November 2011 until 14^th November 2011. The prize will be invalid for redemption if we do not receive your verification via email together with your details.

The voucher can be redeemed from 15^th November 2011 until 4^th December 2011 at the BookXcess Customer Service counter by presenting a printout of this email and your I.C for verification.

Thank you.

-- 
Regards,
The BookXcess Team
L3-60 Amcorp Mall
18 Persiaran Barat
46050 Petaling Jaya
Selangor.
79560455
http://www.bookxcess.com
http://www.bookxcessblog.com
http://twitter.com/bookxcess
http://www.facebook.com/BookXcess

Stumbled upon this.. err, a few weeks ago..

..and I wanna share it here! ♥

*Okay.. this is a 'main tipu' entry coz my blog dah lame without a new entry hehe..*

Di suatu malam yang tak berape sepi..

..seorang gadis (Err.. klau umoq dah cam ni, bleh kate gadis ke? Hahaha..) sedang duduk dihadapan PC sambil cube membuat keje tertangguh.

Sudah la PhDnye tidak disentuh mahupun dipandang sejak 2-3 minggu kebelakangan ini (mati la ngan PF ni nnt weihhhhh..), keje yg senang-patut-5-minit-dah-siap pun dia blum start buat lagi..

..apehal ni, Ayu?!?!

Hahah..

Ok, mlm ni I only need to

1. REPRINT.. I repeat, REPRINT (bkn kene buat balik pun) the checklist to hand to the students on Friday

2. Make a list of numbers to call for emergency (yg all numbers already in my phone, tinggal nak list je pun)

3. Cari nama for the groups.. cari name je punnnnnnnnnnn.. haiyaaa~~

Was planning to tido awal so bleh bgn awal tomorrow to do these sblm bersiap gi sch, pick up bende² photostat kat Pekaka and finish everything 'sebelum pukul 3'.. tp klau 3.29am pun lum tido, how? Jgn I tak bgn trus esok, sudah la.. nangis kang klau sy sorg je yg lambat.. malu tatau nak letak muke kat ne kooottt..

♪ Lalalalaaa.. ♫ Dok dgr lagu oldies sambil tak bukak any document punnnn ♪

Ok.. nak sambung wat keje.. kunun!

Pantun tak romantik.. tp pada sy, chumel! ☺

Beberapa minggu yang lalu, semasa masih dalam cuti semester dan adik sy, Izati, yang berada di rumah telah menjumpai satu pantun yang pernah sy berikan kepadanya. Pantun ini sebenarnya adalah hasil nukilan kawan sy, Dian dan pada waktu itu, ianya telah mencetuskan penjualan dan belian pantun di laman FB sy beserta YM sy. Sy pernah menulis mengenainya di sini

Rupanya, tindakan adik sy berkongsi semula pantun itu di laman FB nya turut disedari oleh kawan kepada Ikram (juga adik sy) iaitu Sofi (yg sy rasa seperti adik sy juga kerana sentiasa berada dirumah sy tiap kali Ikram pulang hehe..) dan bermulalah jualan dan belian pantun antara adik sy berdua ini.

Bermula dengan pantun indah dari Dian itu:

Sireh ada, pinang pun ada,
Sajalah saya tak letak di tepak,
Kasih ada, sayang pun ada,
Sajalah saya tak beri nampak

Dan dibalas oleh Sofi seperti ini:

Pi The Mines nak tgk wayang,
Bajet nak tgk cite benggali,
Walo x nmpk kasih dan sayang,
Kalo aku dah suka apa pun aku tak pduli

Dan ya, wpun pantun ini menggunakan bahasa pasar, tetapi pada sy, ia nya sgt chumel. Maka, sy telah kumpulkan pantun² dari adik sy berdua ini untuk dikongsi di sini..

Izati: Buah pisang dibuat pengat,
Buah betik jgn plak wat kari,
Kalo sayang jgn gelojoh sangat,
Takut satgi awek tu lari

Sofi : Kaki ayam sepak bola
Kaki minum tak cukup sejaq
Nak lari, lari la
Nnt kita bleh men kejaq2

Izati: Barang lepas usah dikenang,
Kain buruk buat lap lantai,
Tau la dok kat Pulau Pinang,
Nak wat crita hindi lari tepi pantai??

Sofi: Tepi pantai dok santai
Skali kentut bunyi puuuuuuuuuut
Kalo xmo atas pntai
Jom berguling2 atas rumput

Izati: Lawat zoo tgk tenggiling,
Sambil pakai jeans lusuh,
Dok sronok sgt bguling2,
Satgi baju kotoq sapa la nak basuh

Sofi: 2 3 kerbau meracau
Mana nak sama meracau kuda
Baju kotoq xyah risau..
Pencuci bau dynamo kan ada.

Ini pula pantun sy kepada kawan sy Baizurah apabila beliau mengekpresikan kekaguman beliau atas pantun pertama yang disangkakan karya sy =p

Bkn sy yang tanam kacang
Sy lebih suke mkn sayur
Bkn sy tak pandai berjiwang
Tp sy perlu control macho

Dan di jawab oleh Izati haha..

Petang2 goreng cucur,
Cucur dipos berkotak-kotak,
Kalo betul nak control macho,
Nape menjerit bile tgk katak??


Rambut Mek Maggi berketak²
Dibuat rebonding, jadi spaghetti
Bkn sy yg takut katak
Itu keje cik Ayu Ikhwani

Cantik berseri si mawar merah
Menambahkan manis si anak dara
Tidak lah sy pandai bermadah
Sekadar menghibur hari yang lara

Sesiapa ada pantun lagi untuk sy kongsikan?

P/S Izati dan Sofi bkn lah merupakan satu pasangan, harap maklum! Diorg ni mmg suka 'gaduh' je hehe..

Grr.. nak marah pun ade!! Sabo je lah..

I've had my car back with me for more than 2 weeks now.. sepatutnye they (the workshop) had made sure everything was okay la kan.. sepatutnye.. *sigh*

My first impression when I got my car back was: Bisingnye engine dia skrg..

..which I ignored sbb ingt kot dia tuko bnyk sgt bende kan due to the accident. Ye la, the supervisor in-charge had assured me a few days earlier that my car was ready and they only had to make a THOROUGH INSPECTION to makes they had not made any mistakes.

Sungguh naif diriku ini..

Endured the noisy engine which made me cringe sbb rase cam satu taman leh dgr.. okay lagi..

Then a week after, I noticed that whenever I made a turn, there was a noise. Sheesh.. remembered when I once had this problem and they had to change the drive shaft(?) ka apa ka.. cost me RM400++ kot klau tak silap. Tp dlm hati, takkan aritu diorg tak tuko kot?!?!

I had planned to go and check with them but was told by some friends that some workshops have this 'warranty period' (usually 1 week) and since I only noticed this around 10 days after I got my car, I might have to pay for whatever it is they might do to my car.. sheesh! Dah la takde gaji niiiiiii.. bongok laaaa

Tawwakal je laaa..

Then on Tuesday, had to go to kak Nab's house for some briefing on the program we're having at the end of this month. Mule tu ok je, but when I started speeding on the highway, that was this queer noise coming from my left front tyre.. the same one that was bashed in the accident.. ohhh, apekah ini?

Me and Yun tried to see if there was anything (visibly) wrong but couldn't find anything. When we continued our journey, the noise became louder and stranger everytime I speeded that in the end, I drove only 80km/hr on the highway.. agak sabar la jugak kan sy nak bwk slow gitu kat highway hahah..

Then, rezeki turun dari langit.. I had not expected any gaji for this month as I had missed my classes for 2 months (first month due to Ramadhan.. the second due to no car after the accident) but I got a call from the tuition centre saying they had a cheque for me. I'm guessing my students who hadn't paid in the last few months hgad finally manage to pay.. yeay!

Still, I was only expecting around 200~300 only as yg berhutang pun ade la dlm 10~15 org je kot but I got a mild suprise when I saw a cheque for RM700++.. okay, sy tau tak la bnyk mane, but since I wasn't expecting ANYTHING, sgt la terase mcm suke. Mau pulak, I was worried about the condition of my car and really wanted to check it, just in case lambat² kang lagi teruk and my kete kene tahan workshop lagi.. which would lead to me missing my classes again and no gaji gaian plak kang next month klau camtu..

This time I went to my usual mechanic and he showed me the problem.. ok, boleh tak nak marah, my tyre was like hanging by a thread (okay, I'm exagerrating!). Sib baik tak jadi ape² mase going to and from kat Seberang Jaya smlm tu.. and the total cost? RM450.. huwaaaaa~~

So sile kire brape je balance dpt kat sy.. sewa rumah pun tak lepas ni..

Macam sedih tak rase?

My usual mechanic told me to file a report to my insurance company about what the previous workshop had done. He even kept the spare part buruk giler they had used on my car.. tatau la, ade gak perasaan nak buat smlm tp bese la Ayu, malas mengatasi segalenye..

Haishhhh..

On the bright side, tu pun nasib baik ade students byr utang kan.. so AT LEAST I have a bit of money to stretch around. Ce klau tadek langsung, mane nak cari duit byr mechanic smlm?!? Or worse, if I didn't go check my car and something bad happened while I was driving.. naudzubillah!

Anyway: Sesape ade keje kosong yg temporary punye dak?!?!

Then..

IM: Tadi mase sy nye turn, awak tepuk tangan tak untuk sy?

SG: *laughing* Mane ade.. Kiri kanan sy org yg sy tak kenal. Segan la pulak nnt diorg heran tgk sy tetibe je tepuk tangan kan..

IM: *diam*

SG: Kenape?

IM: Hmm.. Tadi mase awak naik, sy rase sy yang tepuk paling kuat kot. Sy nmpk awak dah beratur nak naik, sy siap pakse Din tepuk untuk awak sekali..

SG: *rase bersalah tp nak kaver* Hahah.. abis la Din heran, ape ke he plak dia kene tepuk tgn kat sy..

IM: Sebab awak yg naik..

SG: *diam n sumpah diri sendiri kenape jujur sgt*

IM: *diam jugak*

SG: *semakin diam*

IM: Jadi.. awak memang tak tepuk tgn la untuk sy mase turn sy eh?

SG: Err..

.

.

.
.

.

Damn kete selebah ni.. kantoi plak dok lap mata ni tadi! Siap dibukaknye tingkap plak tu. Buat tatau je, buat tatau.. Cepat la lampu ijau ni, lame sgt plak merah arini..

.

.

.

.

.

But just for the record, I'm sure she was proud of you too.. ='(

6th Challenge ~ A Song That Reminds You of Somewhere

Since I haven't written much in my blog for the past week, thought I'd get this over with hahah <--tipu! sbnrnye sbb tadi wat 500MB boost on my broadband whic expires at 6.00 in the morning nnt so wanna finish it all up hehe..

6th Challenge ~ A Song That Reminds You of Somewhere

Actually, not really 'somewhere' as much as once upon a time ago. This song makes me think of all my girlfriends, but especially my AlMashoor friends (this is where the 'somewhere' pops up) Dunno la why.. but maybe sbb diorg ni lah yg ade di sisi sy at the time I was searching and trying to understand the real ME.

I actually once wrote about this song --> here

So cheers to all of you who have grown up with me and leart all about life together. Love you guys ~ ♥

This One's for The Girls ~ Martina McBride

This one's for all you girls about thirteen

High school canbe so rough, can be so mean

Hold onto, on to your innocence

Stand your ground when everyone's giving in

This one's for the girls

This is for all you girls about twenty-five

In a little apartment, just trying to get by

Living on, on dreams and spaghetti-o's

Wondering where you life is gonna go

This one's for the girls

Who've ever had a broken heart

Who've wished upon a shooting star

You're beautiful the way you are

This one's for the girls

Who love without holding back

Who dream with everything they have

All around the world

This one's for the girls

This is for all you girls about forty-two

Tossing pennies into the Fountain of Youth

Every laugh, laugh line on your face

Made you who you are today

This one's for the girls

Who've ever had a broken heart

Who've wished upon a shooting star

You're beautiful the way you are

This one's for the girls

Who love without holding back

Who dream with everything they have

All around the world

This one's for the girls

Yeah, we're all the same inside (same inside)

From 1 to 99

This one's for the girls

Who've ever had a broken heart

Who've wished upon a shooting star

You're beautiful the way you are

This one's for the girls

Who love without holding back

Who dream with everything they have

All around the world

This one's for the girls

Yeah, this one's for the girls

Welcome home, Precious! ♥

..and finally: YOU'RE HOME!! ♥

Last Friday, I called the workshop regarding my car yang dah berminggu berjauhan dari diriku yang amat memerlukan ini <--Drama? I knowwww.. =p

I had actually called on Tuesday jugak and katenye sedang dlm bilik cat.. tp takkan la berhari nak dicatnye kan, thats why I called on Friday and was told that my car was ready. They only needed to do some testing to make sure they had done a thorough job..

..maka tersengih la sy full with anticipation that I'd get my car petang tu.

Alas.. itu hanye kate² manis Anuar si supervisor workshop itu coz sampai ke petang pun dia tak call suh amik kete.. kecewenye diriku, hanya Tuhan sahaje yang tahu.

The next day we had planned to go to Tepet's kenduri then head to Perlis so I didn't wanna call the workshop.. just in case they DEMAND I go and get my car jugak.. ye la, gatal sgt nak call kaaann heheh..

Ahad tu daku keboringan dirumah.. sambil kecewe tak dpt gi open house umah Hasrul jugek.

Thats why petang tadi I made my mind, nak call jugak².. and the receptionist told me she didn't know anything and could she call me back later..

..haiyaaaa~~

But then, around 4.00pm, she called me and gave me the sweetest news I heard in a long time..

YEAYYYYY!!!

Ape lagi, terus ku call Rashid mintak dia anto kak Ayu dia ke workshop to finally get my car back.. suke tau! And tak benti senyum ☺ ☺ ☺

So.. wpun sgt lah ingin ku mengomplen bahwa kete ku sgt lah bising enginenye sekarang (Seryes bising.. rase cam satu taman leh dengar tau!), but I'm happy. PFK is back with me and I'm no longer alone ☺

Welcome home!

I wish..

I wish I could take a look into your heart..

..just to see who owns it

I wish I'd have a chance explore your mind..

..just to see who fills it

I wish I could take a peek into your soul..

..just to see who colours it

I wish I could take a stroll into your dreams..

..just to see who holds your hand through it

~ Ya Allah.. give me the strength to take care of my own heart ~