Yazira Yusoff

2011-07-13T22:47:00.001+01:00

Salut !!

Right, I'm not sure how many of you know that I've moved to Cheshire more than week ago for my internship but yep, I'm four hours away from London now!!

This should explain why I've been so quiet after exam and Greece - so much of packing ups to do, moving out from the old house as contract expired, storing winter stuff in the warehouse and shipping some stuff back to Malaysia.

Reminds me of balik kampung journey for raya, hehe.

And also saying goodbyes to all my favourite places in London (Basir's house for the karaoke, Harrods for its massive sale, Westfield for its cinema and all the Msian restaurants!!).

Although I think I've been here long enough to survive on pasta and pies, which has reached a plateau now, I still find nothing beats the richness and spiciness and deliciousness of fried kuey teow, nasi lemak and chicken satay.

Nyuumm!! :)

Anyway, moving up north means I need to adjust myself to the new suburban life, the north-west accent and the one-every-hour public transport.

Life here is, of course, very different from the one I'm so used to. I can now understand why some friends who study outside London cannot stand the city for more than two days. They get lost among the swift activities between Londoners catching the train and running into buildings.

There's none of those here! It's so peaceful and calm. You see mums with strollers chatting by the hedge in the evening, old men reading novels on rock chair, and housewives trying to figure out the lawnmower. Just like the relaxed ambiance of Wisteria Lane, sans dramas and back-stabbings. A typical English village, I must say.

Anyway, I'm now living with a lovely lady who is really chatty and she makes me feel at home instantly. Her house is far more comfortable than my previous flat and I'm so glad I'm here. She's been in the village all her life so you can imagine how much information I need to absorb about the new place in a day. She'd start taking out all the booklets, information leaflets and show me internet pages to answer my three-word question, "where is xxx?" (I have a personal tourist guide, at least hehe).

Well, my landlady may have all the bus timetables and guides printed out, but with no bus services on Sundays, they're no use!! I overlooked that fact and came back from London last sunday to no means of transport to go back home. No bus, no taxi, no tube - I ended up walking for 3 miles. So that's not a good experience and definitely something for me to learn about this place.

As for halal meat, I haven't found any shop that sells it yet. However, I've found one halal Indian restaurant 10 miles away.

I've been living on vege as there's not much seafood in the local store. Can you think of any Malaysian vegetarian dish? I only have nasi goreng cina in mind. Plus, I haven't met any Malaysian yet here, and I'm the only intern in the department. So yep, haven't had Msian food for quite awhile now.

*shouting out loud* I need kuey teow goreng!! ThankYouVeryMuch.

Silverstone 2011

2011-07-11T23:16:00.001+01:00

I was at Silverstone last weekend for the Formula One Grand Prix. I don't watch F1 but when anyone watches it, I'd just join in. So, some names are quite familiar and the terms are not total strangers to me either.

Anyway, It was not an ordinary trip (although it was my first F1 ever), but it was one of those days that I'd keep in my memory all my life. I was shortlisted for a one day - yes, just the qualifying day - experience to be among the spectators right above the pit, who receive free earplugs and flowing food. I see them on tele all the time, but last saturday, I was one of them!!

I love how the tag says "A guest of Mercedes GP Petronas", hehe. Makes me feel so important I wanna sleep with it.

Speaking of free flowing food, we were greeted with variety of food as soon as we arrived. I saw people having breakfast and networking at the same time. Me? I was busy stuffing my stomach with salmon and salmon and more salmon, my favourite. Oh, and cakes. I'm still growing, so you can't blame me for being hungry :)

Then we were taken to the pit. Yes, you heard it, THE PIT. It was about an hour before the race, we could see teams assembling the cars.

Our national hero and Malaysia's F3 driver, Jazeman Jaafar was also there. Very nice kid indeed with big dream too. I tried to go close to Ferrari but it was so crowded. One man even whispered "you chose the wrong team love" when he saw my Mercedes tag. Haha.

The best part of the day had to be the viewing gallery, situated at the back of the each team's garage. It's got two rows of seat, with a clear screen overlooking the garage. You'll be given headphone where you can listen to the team conversation. Only a number of people were allowed to visit the viewing gallery and I was lucky!

And while I was down in the gallery, Nico Rosberg came in to change tyres. So cool !! Oh, photography was not allowed sadly.

So I went to the office this morning and told my colleagues about Silverstone. They all thought I went with the Ferrari team. I have totally forgotten about the company. And to be professional, I could only nod.. hehe :) At least Alonso won the race.

And lastly, who is this person on my left??

Lewis Hamilton is on my right.

What Next?

2011-06-30T00:17:00.003+01:00

For some people, SPM was their longest exam period ever. But not for me!! I lived on Maggie and everything instant for about one and a half month and shed a few kilos off the tummy, with ten brain-eating-monsters (or papers) altogether. Crazy, I must say. And.. err, welcome to Imperial to whoever's thinking of coming here? It's been like this for three years, so I'm quite used to it already.

Anyway, soon after I finished exams, I went all out going to every event that was in the city, crashed everyone's house and just tried to visit every inch of London. But the highlight has got to be Britain's Got Talent's 2011 Finalist concert at Wembley Arena. If you know what I'm talking about, Ronan Parke is the bomb! Listening to him took me away to the moon. and Jai McDowall deserves the crown, definitely.

Btw, I didn't watch previous seasons, so I believe I'm not in the position to compare the current winner to the previous ones. You can watch Jai here though. I really love his version of My Immortal, better than the original singer (Evenescence right?).

After BGT, I was in Greece for five days. It was undeniably hot in the country, with temperature reaching 34C on the day we arrived. People were sweating like animals, so were we. Ha Ha. Mind you, we were in a low humidity region of the world, so the scorching summer sun was unbearable.

Does this look familiar to everyone?

(Mamma Mia baby!!!) Eheh.

I'll put up more pictures soon. Toodles and lots of love xx

p/s : I was part of the protest in Athens (albeit very briefly) and it was actually rather peaceful, unlike the nasty scenes shown by media. The Greeks are quite patient, I have to say.

23rd

2011-06-27T21:57:00.001+01:00

aHaaa...

2011-05-30T11:21:00.001+01:00

It's exam period, if you're wondering why.. =|

When Four Seasons Collide

2011-05-04T08:13:00.002+01:00

I don't need an entertainer or a performer to sing "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (link) because everyone in this tiny little world knows it -the lyric- by heart.

It's not a song, it's a hit.

It's been remade, remixed, reproduced over and over again. It's non-absence at almost every wedding reception is gradually killing us all. And what's worse, it's been playing in my head since yesterday.

But the question is : who is the original singer?

My first memory of the song is Heath Ledger (rest in peace) singing merrily on the stadium steps in 10 Things I Hate About You. Then it was in Bridget Jones Diary. Years later, Muse did an awesomely impressive cover version of the song.

But the question remains, who introduced this extraordinary piece to us?

For some reason, it never occurred to me to wiki. But God heard the cries inside and He sent my little friend Laila to bring the answer. When she was in London, we went to watch Jersey Boys.

The documentary-style musical is about a 1960's rock & roll group called The Four Season. We were taken through the different stages of their career path, the ups and downs, and the behind-the-scenes.

One of the group members is Frankie Valli. And as you could've guessed, he's the original singer of the above-mentioned song, when he decided to go solo to boost his career as a singer and to help his problematic friend. Believe it or not, the song was almost never released.

It was the best theatre I've watched by far, ironically. Second to none, not even Les Miserables, not even Phantom of The Opera.

The group consists of four young lads who met in Jersey (hence the name). Their journey to become one of the most successful rock&roll group was no bed of roses. It took them two names, a long list of temporary members and numerous quarrels.

Finally, in the first half of 1970s, the original members of the group gradually dried up.

Anyway, the songs are all so sing-along and catchy, they kept me up all night. The actors were all so good too. At this rate, I can say that one of them is going to be a star one day, or maybe all of them.

o0ooh, did you guys know the song Beggin' by Madcon is originally The Four Season's?

That Crazy Thing We Call Love

2011-05-02T11:55:00.004+01:00

Okay, so I'm a bit late to write about Katie and Willy.

That's because I was quite disappointed that the police decided to block the streets leading to Westmister Abbey and Buckingham Palace an hour before the procession started.

And, they also did the unthinkable - barricading Trafalgar Square.

It looked all safe and delightful on tele, right? With thousands of screaming fans along the streets and the waving flags (oh did you guys spot the gigantic malaysian flag?). The truth is, thousands of more people we denied access to those areas when obviously there were still spaces. Frustrated.

It was actually my fault too as I left home late. But a company decided to hold a phone interview on the very same day as the wedding. Who did that, right?

Anyway, I ended up hurting my neck looking this little screen, courtesy of the cafe's owner.

However, while the officers were ooohh-ing and aahh-ing over Kate's dress, we managed to sneak into Trafalgar Square to watch the service on the big screen.

We even had confetti shower as the couple left the church.

I have to say that to be able to watch the wedding in London is incredibly amazing, and to be part of the historic moment was beyond imaginable.

So, now, enough with all the emotions and let's talk about the wedding.

The Bride looked absolutely stunning on her big day. She had that lovely smile on all the way from the hotel to the church, gracefully hiding the god-knows nervousness she must have had inside.

And I think the veil was perfectly placed on her head, held by the marvellous tiara lent by the Queen.

However, when I first saw the dress, I thought it looked rather simple for a royal wedding. It'd be undeniably splendid for my wedding or yours, but for a wedding viewed by billions of watchers all over the world? The picture of Lady Di's puffy dress with the longest train in the history of royal wedding kept flashing in front of me.

(I love her maid-of-honour's dress though)

But anyway, let's admit it, we all hate her now for taking prince charming off the market and get to don an Alexander McQueen wedding dress. Hehe.

On the other hand, the guys are complaining - why do we girls talk about the dress more than the wedding itself?

Because I can't even think of two genuine sentences to write about The Groom's Irish Guard uniform. Can you? Hehe.

Anyway, I soon learnt that all the simplicity and unpretentiousness embedded in the atmosphere was purposely done to remind people of the future that this wedding took place after an awful economic downturn, and that some of us have not recovered from the devastating impacts yet. They didn't think it's fair to use taxpayers' money to pay for their lavish wedding.

For me, it's more of a reminder of the moment the world took a break from all the chaotic events taking place around us today, from the natural disaster in Asia to the political unrest in the Middle East to the fights in Africa.

Half a day is what we all need to celebrate.

Friendship Dance

2011-04-30T11:12:00.002+01:00

Lately, I haven't been in front of the computer long enough to write.

I've been enjoying the gorgeous weather instead! :)

Malaysia Boleh

2011-04-23T10:16:00.001+01:00

Only in Malaysia,

They are so hilarious I just have to put them here !!

Good Morning, Malaysia :)

First Attempt

2011-04-22T02:36:00.004+01:00

Look who's in the house !!

Hehe, okay not exactly a 'who' but I'm so excited !! Weeheee :)

I whatsapp-ed my sister the photo,

Sister : why are you sending it to me?

Me : because I think it's amazing.

Sister : of course it is, because you bought it from a bakery.

Me : *i'm flattered*

Sister : omg no, that's impossible!!

Thank you, thank you *bow*

I sense escalating sugar level for the next few days.

Think Before You Clean

2011-04-21T00:12:00.000+01:00

They say, never put anything smaller than an elbow into your ears.

And we ask, can we have smaller elbows?

Anyway, being a little girl who defied orders, I went playing with the cotton bud when mum wasn't looking. Of course it looked like cotton candy, but I was no dunce so I thrusted it into my right ear.

I don't remember all this, but mum said blood was oozing out from my ear and I was excited. Okay maybe I wasn't a brainiac after all.

I was quickly brought to the doctor and he said if only I had pushed a little deeper, I could have perforated my eardrum like this.

Looking at this picture scares the hell out of me, man!! I feel so lucky now. God must have loved me too much back then.

Anyway, that's not the end of my love-hate story with cotton buds.

After high school, I got quite obsessed with cleaning my ears that I'd clean them almost every day. Maybe it was the fact that cleaned ears boost my confidence or maybe it was plainly because of the tickling sensation that gradually gives one pure pleasure. I don't know.

However, after years of consistent everyday ear-cleaning, I realised one day that I couldn't hear anything more than a metre away clearly. Sometime I felt like my ears were blocked, the kind of thing u've got when water got trapped inside the ear after swimming.

I've tried everything you could possibly think of - from putting a few drops of water in and hop on one leg to sleeping on one side every night for a month - but nothing worked. So I decided to get my ears checked.

It turned out that there was a massive lump of hard solid earwax in both of my ears! Disgusted enough? Hehe. The doctor explained that using cotton bud apparently pushes some earwax further inside while leaving the outer part spotless. They soon accumulate and when the ear is dry, the chunk hardens.

I was sent to an ENT specialist who asked me to put three drops of olive oil at night for a week and return to syringe the earwax out. Well, when syringe didn't work, he had to vacuum it out !!

Haha! Of course not this type of vacuum.

Anyway, I remember being charged RM180 for the procedure - the most expensive earwax cleaner I've ever paid for. I was also advised to stop using cotton bud and use this instead.

It's got a spatula-like tip to scoop the wax out easily without destroying the tickling sensation. I love using this cleaner, seriously, that sometimes I wish I have a thousand ears.

So guys, while cleaning your ears might be good and hygienic, using cotton bud as a medium could be harmful, to the extent that it can cause deafness. You might want to take extra precaution.

Finally, Instagram time people!! pffft.

Think before you clean :)

Beauty Pageant

2011-04-20T00:50:00.004+01:00

edited

Oh-kay. Pardon me for wandering too far down, but I wonder how does a transsexual cope with the new ehem, private part? A friend told me about sex rearrangement surgery, and I can't shake it off since.

*************

Holy cow!!

Have you guys seen the video of Miss Malaysia Pahang 2010 pageant? It's widely circulating on facebook now and all over the internet.

Fine, I'll put it here. I'm not entirely sure if all of the contestants are cross-dressers or not, but I'm pretty sure some of them are.

When I first saw it, I thought they are all beautiful, walking down the runway so gracefully and confidently in traditional costumes. Of course, a part of me heard the harsh, deep almost masculine voices and felt something was unusual about the pageant, but that part of me chose to give them the benefit of her doubt and just ignore it.

Anyway, the fact that it was held in Malaysia is indeed disturbing. We should realise that the town is talking and the world is looking. Just saying.

My friends started to make jokes about the contest over tea. One even suggested that we have our very first and own drag queen pageant in London.

And I think I've already found a candidate :

Farouq(ah)

I hope he doesn't see this. Haha!!

And no, ladies, he ain't no fruitcake. He was forced to model the hat, the smile and the pose. I guess he nailed it better than me, huh? Such a talented boy.

Flight Deal

2011-04-19T02:45:00.001+01:00

In the midst of planning a summer trip with the girls, I came across an interesting article about Ryanair (Irish version of AirAsia).

It was dated back in 2009 when the boss wanted to let passengers stand during flight so they can squeeze more people in. His proposal was to install what has been described as 'bar stools' and to charge less than seated passengers. It's believed to help cut costs by 20% by flying 50% more people in a single flight.

I personally think it's a brilliant idea that benefits the company itself and also the customers. Honestly, I wouldn't mind standing for an hour in the airplane from London to Dublin, as I've been doing exactly that on the packed bus and tube almost every day.

If the cost of flying does go down, ceteris peribus, I'm sure more people would opt for this means of transportation. I'm no exception!!

Anyway, this is a conceptual 'standing seats' designed by Aviointeriors Group for budget airlines who wish to employ it.

However, everyone knows that flying cheap is equivalent to your gearing up for an intellectual combat with the airlines for their ridiculous charges on almost everything. Priority boarding? Cross. Inflight entertainment? Cross. Airport transfer? Nah. Extra luggage? No thanks.

And your bag ends up appearing in many of your pictures.

What an unsightly view, pfft.

But that's not the worst !!

Once, as I was queueing up to enter the gate, an officer decided to spot check my cabin luggage. I was ordered to put the bag into the metal cage but unfortunately it didn't fit, off by less than an inch. He suggested to just check the so called cabin bag in and pay at the counter.

And the charge for an extra 5kg of bag allowance? A freaking £18.

I hesitantly took the towel out and shove it into the big dustbin at the corner.

Absolute embarrassment.

I'm Letting You Fly

2011-04-17T21:55:00.003+01:00

*Read this post and support Food Cycle*

Tom and Summer

2011-04-15T16:30:00.003+01:00

Summer : I just woke up one day and I knew.

Tom : Knew what?

Summer : What I was never sure of with you.

Summer : I was sitting in a deli and reading Dorian Gray, and a guy comes up to me and asked me about it. And now he's my husband.

Tom : Yeah. And so?

Summer : So.. what if I'd gone to the movies? What if I had gone somewhere else for lunch? What if I'd gotten there ten minutes later? It was- It was meant to be.

p/s - don't force love. It comes when you least expect it :)

Guilty Pleasure

2011-04-14T23:34:00.003+01:00

Spring has finally come!!

The sun shines, and the trees bloom.

No more heater, and no more shivering.

I'm so lovin' it :)

Anyway, BP had just had their first annual general meeting since the deepwater horizon oil spill, thought to be the second biggest after Exxon Valdez (1989) in terms of environmental impacts.

Sadly, after almost a year, fishermen are still unable to do their job close to the gulf of mexico. Many businesses have been closed down, and most families running this seafood business are without stable income. Compensations are still far from reach.

I really feel sorry for them.
(Try watch this and u'll be sorry too)

Thought that might interest you all. Hehe :)

Cold Cash

2011-04-12T23:46:00.000+01:00

At a very young age of twenty three, I feel so blessed to finally have the opportunity to own a property in Knightsbridge, one of the most upscale and posh areas in London.

Nobody would've thought that I'd be able to pay for the house myself, using money from my own account, through persistent hard work.

The bank had been really helpful in every step of the tedious process of acquiring the property. And, after much tolerance and patience, we eventually came to an agreement through

monopoly!!

Haha. Okay that was a lame introduction, but I was so excited after years of monopoly-less life. And seeing the board in front of me a week ago was like seeing an angel from heaven.

Whenever no one was free to play, I used to play it against another player online, but most of the time, they quit before the game ends. Don't ask me why as I've been baffled by this very unacceptable behaviour as well, hehe.

So for a decade, I was left counting the very wee amount of money in my bank account, the only physical cash I have.

Anyway, after years of fasting, I have already forgotten and was unsure of most of the rules. So I asked around.

Question : How to get out of jail?

Answer 1 : Role two dice and get same side on both.

Answer 2 : No! Pay $50 to bail yourself out and miss a round.

Answer 3 : No!! Miss three turns then you can move.

Answer 4 : No no! Just miss one turn.

And the best answer would of course be this,

Just bribe and pay the bank laahh - we're Malaysian waaat. That's what we do.

It's so funny how each of us had different rules when we were kids. I guess the rules were all cooked up every session to make the game more interesting and to give a little emotion in the environment.

Don't tell me your heart doesn't sound like Harley Davidson's engine when you land on that space with a big question mark? Or when you land on another player's super expensive space with four houses and a hotel? Well, I do. Without fail.

Someone just lost big bucks there. Hehe.

Ohh!! We played monopoly at Hamid's house and were actually there to celebrate his birthday. It'd be unfair if I didn't put a picture of birthday boy and his cake.

Anyway, Easter break officially started two weeks ago and I've be procrastinating. Playing games, watching movies, going out.

u.n.h.e.a.l.t.h.y !!

Happy Monopoly, peeps!!

Where to Eat?

2011-04-10T18:04:00.013+01:00

I've been wanting to write about a restaurant which I love dearly called Mango Tree in Belgravia. It's located about five minutes away from Victoria station, a stone's thrown from the Buckingham Palace and just along the main road that you can hardly miss it.

Two weeks ago, UKEC held its flagship event, the careers fair in University College of London. It's a must-go event for all job seekers in the UK, hence you can imagine the massive influx of Malaysian students bombarding London.

It was a pain for us Londoners as we became the entertainer-cum-informant of the week. We put the yellow luminous vest on with Transport for London badge precariously attached to it and started to act the part immediately - answering phone calls for tube information and directions. TfL's decision to suspend several lines did not help either.

However, looking at the bright side, it was also the week where gatherings and catching-up sessions with fellow friends scattered all over the country were made possible. And this is where the my Mango Tree story comes in. Hehe.

I made a reservation at the restaurant for a group of friends in the morning and headed to Euston for an interview. There, I met a couple of other friends and invited them for dinner. So the group grew bigger. A couple of hours later, I've managed to get more people to join, and the group grew even bigger!! And bigger and bigger.

Unfortunately, there was only one picture for that night.

We were all so busy talking and eating that I forgot to snap more.

Anyway, the restaurant offers authentic Thai cuisine with wide selection of dishes. My eyes went gaga looking at the mouth-watering starters, it was hard to choose. However, my favourite would always be the satay. Believe me, our neighbour's satays are more delicious and juicier than the Malaysian ones. I don't recommend the tom yum soup though, as they have made it less spicy to suit Caucasian tongue.

Then the mains include a variety of their famous Pad Thais, fried rice and dishes with rice. Also, there were grilled lobster, roasted chicken and so much more. And the drinks are excellent with funky thai names.

So, whenever you come to London, don't forget to have lunch or dinner at this restaurant. The food are amazing as they serve the finest meat from qualified suppliers combined with highly selected chefs in the kitchen. The warm and relaxing ambient has attracted stars and renowned people, you'll get to see them here every so often.

After the dinner, we all parted and left for different routes. Then, I remembered to take one last group picture (minus half of us). Hehe.

My stomach is making so much noise now writing about food :)

*pictures : Mango Tree website & Google

Something Old, Something Grey

2011-04-04T23:49:00.004+01:00

GREY.HAIR

This has been bothering me. Gahh..!

I've been telling people that ageing is really sexy, and now it got me.

Can I take my words back, please? :)

p/s : I have girl crush on Ivanka Trump. She's so beautiful and not to mention, successful.

In Three Sentences

2011-04-02T23:49:00.002+01:00

I ran away to Cardiff when I was in dire need of a peaceful life after a very busy week. And I was so grateful to be welcomed by very nice people who fed me with unlimited sushi and many rounds of reality show Take Me Out. We talked all night until four o'clock and decided to just cross out everything in the following day's itinerary.

Also that night, my tummy had a tantrum that it made so much noise. And I had a chance to listen to it using a stethoscope!! It was my first time ok and I was so jakun. I felt so cool being the engineer-who-uses-stethoscope and wanted to actually sleep with it. But of course I didn't voice my desire out loud or I'd have been kicked out and slept by the roadside. Hehe.

That night, too, I found out that I am lactose intolerant :( I've always thought it's normal to get stomachache after you have milk.

The one and only Gingerbread Man Coffee in the uk.

However, I still bought coffee before boarding the bus, and was feeling all gassy inside (hehe) and uncomfortable throughout the journey. I'm now accepting the fact that I can't have milk without getting into trouble.. so sad, right?

And I had welshcake too!!

Anyway, it was a really nice and fun trip. I wish I was there longer.

I should go back to studying now :)

Woman of the World

2011-03-30T23:58:00.000+01:00

Tell me how can she not be listed in Forbes' top ten most powerful women?

She's just so amazing.

She leads one of the biggest companies in its industry, breaking the gender barrier of the gruelling men-dominated position. Her wisdom, intelligence and integrity have definitely brought her up the ladder to the ceiling of corporate world.

Watch the above video and I'm sure you wouldn't mind having her as your boss. She's so funny and modest.

Please also tell me you could hear her determination and tenacity in the voice when she told the story about her daughter's class coffees. To me, this lady is a perfect example of "desire to success".

And despite her success, she stays true to her country, her religion and her family.

She's an aspiration.

She's Indra Nooyi, Chairperson and CEO of PepsiCo.

Boo-Yah!!

2011-03-29T01:07:00.002+01:00

I saw this at Waterstone's bookstore today!!

By the staircase! What a clever spot to place a skeleton.

Anyway, not many people know this but I secretly love bookstores. I can literally spend the whole afternoon just looking around for good books at Waterstone's or WHSmith, read a page or two then think for an hour whether to buy it or not.

And, more often than not, I'd find myself sitting on the bench flipping through the book, page by page. Hehe. Can't help it, it's just so relaxing!

I wish I have a section like this in my house.

(oh, I'd like to blame this whole geeky thing on my dad)

Like most other fathers, going out shopping with him means my roaming the shopping mall with the sisters while he "waits" at mph. All we have to do it give him a cue when we're ready to leave. Sometimes we even end up waiting for him, and he'd happily emerge from the bookstore holding two heavy bags of books, pfftt :)

Anyway, while I was wandering around the self help corener, I found a really good book called "59 Seconds : Think a Little, Change a Lot".

And at this time of writing, I'm actually browsing through a few pages of this particular book in my Kindle. Yep! You can get book samples in kindle, to feed you with the gists of the idea presented in the book. Also, it helps you save money just in case you change your mind after a couple of chapters. How convenient, right?

You should get one too! Hurry before the price goes up. Again.

Btw, I really love these two Instagram photos,

Toodles!!

p/s : currently obsessed with Modern Family,

Food + Waste = ?

2011-03-27T23:58:00.002+01:00

Imagine yourself working for a supermarket that promises fresh products only, then you found out that some of the bread aren't that soft anymore or the cookies aren't that crunchy anymore but they are still edible and good, what would you do with these wastes?

I would say, "Give them to us!!"

We at Food Cycle would appreciate every little help.

Last weekend, I went to a Sunday market near Bond Street to collect any leftovers from the morning sales. The people were so generous they gave us two full bags of vegetables, a bag of bread and a box of crisps.

It's so huge like a turkey!

Also, we had a fund-raising activity at Sainsbury's last weekend, where we helped shoppers to bag their purchases!! It may just be me, but I actually find it quite interesting to know what people have in their cart and how much they spend on groceries.

While my hands were busy putting stuff into the bags, my mouth was also busy working. I spent two good hours at the till, trying to convince people to donate to our charity club. The highlight of the night has to be the £20 note a guy handed me to put into our tin. So richhhhhhh .. If only I could do that, pfft.

At this point, I'm sure all of you must be puzzling, "what on earth is this girl crapping?!" hehe. Well, here's my little pitch about Food Cycle to the shoppers ..

"We are a group of students who try to tackle food waste and food poverty problems at the same time. What we're currently doing is we get food wastes from big corporations (for example, we're working with WholeFoods now) and market owners, bring them back, cook and distribute the food to refugee centres around London"

So, anyone interested to join? :)

Btw, this is the definition of food waste according to wikipedia : "any food substance, raw or cooked, which is discarded or intended or required to be discarded"

Love,

Which one are you?

2011-03-26T23:07:00.002Z

One good thing about doing engineering is that we get group projects all year round. Ok, liar obviously. But studying in an international environment means I get to work with people of different cultures, different styles of working and different manner. I've been in groups where mostly are Asians, mostly non-Asians and a mix.

These two conversations I had reflect both of the extremes.

conversation one

person A : i'm leaving now.

me : sure. so what time tomorrow?

person B : is nine ok for everyone?

all : yea.

the next day, the first person showed up at 12 o'clock.

conversation two

person A : it's getting late, let's call it a day.

person B : okay. tomorrow?

me : yea, shall we meet up at ten??

person C : that early?!

me : fine, half ten?

person A : hmm.. okay...

the next morning, everybody was there by 10.30am.

I'm sure you can tell which belongs to which group.

I hate to generalise as it's rather unfair to judge someone by their geographic upbringing, but I also wasn't implying anything bad here. There's always a trade off in every situation; the people who come late are very hardcore - they don't mind working until late night to finish their work, and the people who come early must leave at five every day.

I'm feeling lucky to be able to experience these things.

Anyway, on a different matter, after three years of studying here, I've picked up my most valuable social knowledge. I learned that there are two people in the world; those who rise after a fall, and those who keep falling.

So, which one are you?

Happy Holiday :)

Current Obsession

2011-03-10T23:00:00.000Z

"I'm beautiful in my way,

cause god makes no mistakes,

I'm on the right track,

I was born this way"

Isn't that just so meaningful? Look deeper :)

And this version has been on repeat. So much better than the original, in my opinion. Enjoy

When Opportunity Knocks ..

2011-03-09T21:07:00.002Z

You Open the Door :)

I've been reading a book about how desire, and desire alone, can make you successful and rich. A few pages into this theory, I became a little bit skeptical. A few chapters later, I was able to see the logic behind it after a bunch of examples.

But, without motivations, how far can desire bring you? That, I leave for you all to think.

Anyway, it was Pancake Day yesterday. A very sinful day of ice cream, oreos, succulent fruits and everything sweet.

If you look up in the book or google (as some of you might have done already), Shrove Tuesday as it's originally known is related to Christianity. So, here's a note from the writer : We weren't celebrating, it was just an excuse to get these gentlemen to accompany me to My Old Dutch, whose pancakes have been haunting me for days. It was pure coincidence. Pure. Hehe.

As expected, there was a long queue outside the shop that was visible even at 1km away. And we did exactly the stupidest thing to do at that moment, joined them. Desire, people, desire.

After half an hour, we were inside at the waiting area. I was so hungry and I swear I could hear the guys' belly grumbling while they pretended to be busy with the phones.

Ten minutes of pretending to be so deep into the home decor magazine passed so slowly and finally, a table was cleared. It was time to remove the mask, as monsters we were!!

a minute after ..

The pancakes are so huge that you'd go back a happy man :) If only I could make that big of a pancake, I wouldn't have to wait for this day next year to get them to go again. hMm.. one slice of those is like the size of my whole kitchen ! Minus the big tong sampah at the corner, hehe.

Anyway back to work, now. Back to reality.

Le Soleil

2011-03-06T22:59:00.000Z

If only mornings begin with this ,

artpixie.tumblr.com

I'll be smiling till the stars stop shining.

je me leve de bon matin

Skype

2011-03-04T22:04:00.004Z

Last week, I had a date with these lovely girls.

I just arrived home from work that day when I saw Mila online.

She was so excited to try this new feature on skype, called me numerous times but the video call failed every time. Turned out that my skype was an old version and she forced me to get the new one, as well as the video conference trial.

The last time the four of us were in the same room together was during our Italy trip back in 2008. We're so much older now and no time for each other anymore, hehe.

So, whoever was behind skype's video conference is pure genius!

It was such a short session as everyone had to leave, and we decided to give it another try. Date and time were set and confirmed.

I woke up early on Sunday for our 8am date but nobody was online. By 8.30am, I gave up and went back to sleep.

And, in an attempt to make them feel guilty, I got these.

Skype is not so cool after all :(

The Shoe That Doesn't Fit

2011-02-28T23:52:00.001Z

I received a text message from my mum.

She wanted to buy a handbag.

She couldn't find the bag in malaysia and asked me to get it here.

I was jumping up and down with excitement. Ok, liar.

But, seriously, who doesn't like shopping and spending someone else's money, right? Hehe.

Anyway, I was so caught up with work that I didn't have time to reply her text. When I finally remembered, I apologised and was hoping that she received it.

A good ten minutes passed before my phone beep-ed. Yayayaayy!!

The text sounded like this :

"mama's asleep. did she just say she wants a bag? she's got so many already. how much is it this time?"

HA HA !!

That was my dad, disapproving of a newcomer to the huge collection of bags his wife already owns.

Someone just got busted.

O0ohh, instagram moment, pfftt..

If the shoe doesn't fit, change it.

If a strategy doesn't work, dump it.

Better luck next time, ma?

Cafe au lait

2011-02-23T01:19:00.002Z

Have you ever entered Coffee Bean in Malaysia, found yourself staring at the list of drinks available on the big board behind the counter for minutes but could not make up your mind of what to get?

And also, have you ever walked into a coffee shop and wondered what's the difference between machiato, white coffee and espresso, then just ordered cappuccino or latte when you were finally in front of the cute waiter because you didn't want him to think that you couldn't differentiate between americano and black coffee?

Well, I have to admit that for the past twenty years, I've never been bothered to care!! and ended up getting hot chocolate all the time because we all know it. Right?

However, I was forced to learn about coffee on my first day at work. And after months of making the coffee machine my best friend, I can now forth milk like a pro, forming generous foam for latte and cappuccino especially.

I made this today, hehe. Not too proud.

I'm a coffee girl. (because I always need it to stay awake, boo!)

By the way, I feel so blessed for having a Starbucks next to the bus stop I wait at every morning. Walk in, ask for coffee, swipe the card, take two packets of sugar and leave. Life could've never been easier.

And in the case where the queue is rather long, there are another two Starbucks waiting at the underground station where I take my tube from. Now tell me how can I not be too dependent on coffee.

So dear readers, having talked about the same thing in the six paragraphs above, I feel obliged to educate you with a quick coffee 101. Now put your nerd glasses on, get ready and read away ...

Okay I cheated before. Americano, black coffee and filter coffee are all the same. I wonder who came up with the name americano (duh!!), hehe. Is there any Italiano, Spaino and France-o? Also, why can't we create Malaysia-o? Ah, maybe because we already have Milo and Neslo. Such cool names, kan? Hehe.

Next is cappuccino. This one has three parts : coffee, milk and froth. Each takes up a third of the cup, with coffee being poured in first, and froth the last. A good cappuccino is when the foam sits nicely and the coffee doesn't spill when u gently shake the cup.

I'd like to think of latte as the same thing as cappuccino, only different in the way it's prepared. More milk, less foam and coffee is added last. It's usually served in a tall glass so that you can see the three visible layers. sooo nice :) Anyway, there are actually two types of latte, caffe latte and latte macchiato, but let's not go in too deep.

Espresso is served in the teeny weeny cup which I'm sure you have seen before. It's basically the first extract of the coffee, very strong and concentrated.

Macchiato is essentially espresso with a dash of milk.

So, guys, let's all now go and get ourself a good cup of coffee. The smell is tantalising...

*The reason behind all this is because I don't like making cappuccino !!! But that is, ironically, the one word that permanently resides in everyone's mind and pops up when it's coffee time.

On a separate note,
congratulations to my sister for completing her ACCA.
double congrats to another sister for being pregnant!
I want a boy, please??
triple congrats to me for the good afternoon email I received :)
and finally. Happy Birthday, mama!!

Pick Up a Life

2011-02-22T02:00:00.003Z

I know it's really unfair that I rarely wrote anything for the past few weeks, and now still hope that someone out there actually reads the gibberish I dump in this blog.

Truth be told, I was so busy completing the school project. It was the most difficult and annoying so far. At one point, people were whining that they'd rather do the very tedious and sluggish project we had last year than going through weeks of pain. I was one of the grumbler, hehe.

I literally spent the night at the library until submission the next afternoon, all shabby and zombie-like. Not the most fashionable moment of my life, pffftt.

Actually I wouldn't mind staying back as long as there's Malaysian take-away, weeeheee :)

And it's soo funny that the ladies in my group carry the same exact bag! There was a time when I was ready to go back and accidentally grabbed the wrong bag.

Enough ranting, I'm sure this time next year, we would ~~expectedly~~ hesitantly prefer this project.

On a different matter, Stephen Fry and Frank Skinner had this Walkers' Clash of the Comic advertisement shot at the cafe I work at on Portobello Road. It's the shop with blue window frames.

and the behind the scene video :

Walkers is British most famous crisps, by the way. I've stopped buying walkers a year ago as I realised that I need to cut down the fatty junks I consume. But hey, I'll definitely go to Sainsbury's and get a packet tomorrow :)

A Lovely Day

2011-02-14T20:59:00.002Z

A lovely day on valentine's day :)

Taxi's Waiting

2011-02-12T10:48:00.001Z

I wish there exists an oasis of serenity within this loud bustling city.

by Rickydavid

I need it.

This is what I've been staring at for days, and I know simulation programmes never fail to make someone go crazy (unless if you already are). It's so frustrating when you thought you've already entered the correct codes and specs, but only errors come out. Errors in red are more upsetting, hehe.

Please agree with me?

I found the remedy, btw. Coffee every morning of the week.

It's drizzling, but the day never feels better :)

Love of My Life

2011-02-06T17:03:00.002Z

"Dear God, please please give us back Freddy Mercury and we'll send you Justin Bieber through post".

source : www.starpulse.com

Hehe.

Fine, I was merely three years old when he left the world, but his music stays strong till this day. Please tell me you've heard of the creepy ballad/rock Bohemian Rhapsody song written by this very talented man!! Everybody should've listened to it. But, in case you're still unsure, it's one of the few songs in the world without chorus and has a "bismillah, bismillah" line in the lyric - here!

Anyway, a few weeks ago, I was studying for exam when a friend pulled my arm and dragged me to the music room. She then started playing Queen's Love of My Life with the piano. It was really beautiful and I was drifted deep into the slow and melancholic music.

Now before you read the rest of this entry, try to listen carefully to the lyric first :)

For many people who listen to the song for the first time, it does sound like a typical love song about a heartbroken man. A song about how the girl's decision to leave has impacted him quite seriously, but he's adamant that his love is never ending and will not fade. Sweet, right?

Anyway, Freddie was famous for his flamboyant character on stage and was loved by millions of fans worldwide. In Easter 1987, he was diagnosed with AIDS and the song actually reminded him of the wild life he once enjoyed, also the one that has eventually left him fighting in a fatal battle.

So, regardless of the original intention, it's always up to each individual to interpret a song. And that's why I adore how Freddie articulated his thoughts into words.

Having a go.

Happy Sunday, Loves!!

Forget The World

2011-02-05T10:52:00.002Z

One day, a friend came up to me and complained about my lack-of-update blog. And he was the last person on earth I'd expect to read my rants!

Anyway, if you're wondering why I haven't been blogging for the whole week, blame it on these people. They've been making my room a makeshift refugee camp :)

Look!! One is taking his nap, one has taken over the desk completely and selfishly and the other one has conquered the floor.

It's a very small room I've got here in London, and with three big men inside, it feels even smaller. But they're not always here, you see. It was good to do some catching-ups and well, gossip. Yes! They do that. Hehe.

Actually, it's really hectic at school now and I've been surviving on 'healthy' food specially delivered by Mr McDonald all week. It's been the same food going down my throat every day because what else can I eat besides fillet-o-fish?

Eye bags are my best friend now..

By the way, I'm thinking of starting a new business.. *hMmmmm*

Anyone interested?

Your I-Have-A-Problem Friend

2011-01-30T19:01:00.006Z

Hamid came over to help with work.

And this is what we ended up doing the whole night.

I've never really explored mac's PhotoBooth before.

We tried to set the background to sunset, but it was a flop. See that green thing on the left? That's my towel hanging behind the door. Hehe.

Anyway, after so many failures, we were so frustrated that we decided to go to Paris ... !!!

Haha! Okay, that was lame. I've got mental block now from having too much to think.

Anyway, I just have to say this. He and ainul are the two people in the world who I can never live without. They've been with me through the roller coaster rides, and it's their words that I listen to, even though hamid always fail miserably at relationship advices. Hehe.

And no matter how hard I try to keep secrets from ainul, they always miraculously find their way out through the mouth. Not good, right? Because normally, there's a looooong lecture to follow. Oh wait, it's lectures with an S.

God, you have no idea how it's like to have two best friends who are both very successful and too ambitious. Constant headache, I tell you.

If you know them, I'm sure you'd agree with me when I say that they are amazing and I'm just lucky :)

I know ainul reads this because I haven't talked much to her lately and she can't go to bed without any update from me. She's been stalking me these few days, can u believe it? So, hi stalker, please stop looking at my facebook page every five minutes and revisiting my blog every half an hour. I only write once a day, you know. Haha, I miss you, nonetheless!

And, I also know hamid reads this because I saw my blog in the most-visited-page list. kantoi. *cough, cough* I heard it was payday yesterday.

*Flying kisses to them both*

Your I-have-a-problem friend,

Oohhh Ga Ga

2011-01-27T22:17:00.005Z

"Some women choose to follow men, some women choose to follow their dreams. If you're wondering which way to go, remember that you career will never wake up and tell you it doesn't love you anymore"

-Lady Gaga

In the Middle of Nothingness

2011-01-25T20:58:00.029Z

Ok, the title lies.

I'm actually at the pinnacle of the busiest period and I'm sailing through it like no one's business despite the constant mental fatigue. Give me your one minute and I'm ready to trade my life saving account.

Well, when you work with a handsomely captious person, what else can you do besides being pretentious? It's very challenging, you know. Hehe. You have to be tip-top all the time and no more idling or checking facebook when doing work.

After getting all stressed up, this is how I make myself happy : over indulging in sugar. It was red velvet cake last weekend. heaven.

And I believe I've just committed one of the seven deadly sins, gluttony, die laa like this.. !

Anyway, while I was doing my work in the afternoon, the phone beep-ed. It was an incoming email, which has totally made my day. And I'm sharing it with you guys :)

If you don't understand any of the jokes, just google them. They're all sarcastically funny!!

Dear Noah,

We could have sworn you said the ark wasn't leaving till 5.
Sincerely, Unicorns

Dear Twilight fans,
Please realize that because vampires are dead and have no blood pumping through them, they can never get an erection.
Enjoy fantasizing about that.
Sincerely, Logic

Dear Icebergs,

Sorry to hear about the global warming. Karma's a bitch.

Sincerely, The Titanic

Dear J.K. Rowling,

Your books are entirely unrealistic. I mean, a ginger kid with two friends?
Sincerely, Anonymous

Dear America,
You produced Miley Cyrus. Bieber is your punishment.

Sincerely, Canada

Dear Yahoo,
I've never heard anyone say, "I don't know, let's Yahoo! it..." just saying...
Sincerely, Google

Dear girls who have been dumped,
There are plenty of fish in the sea... Just kidding! They're all dead.
Sincerely, BP

Dear Justin Bieber,
Ariel would really love her voice back.
Sincerely, King Triton

Dear Windshield Wipers,
Can't touch this.
Sincerely, That Little Triangle

Dear Taylor Swift,
If it is of any interest to you, Romeo and Juliet both kill themselves in the end.
Sincerely, Shakespeare

Dear Saturn,
I liked it, so I put a ring on it.
Sincerely, God

Dear Rubik's Cube,
Done!
Sincerely, Colorblind

Dear Santa,
Please tell me how you managed to stop at three Ho's.
Sincerely, Tiger Woods

Dear Martin Luther King Jr.,
I have a dream within a dream within a dream within another dream... What now?
Sincerely, Leonardo DiCaprio

Dear Sleeping Beauty,
I had to join the army, dress up like a man, defeat the hun army and totally save China for my man.

All you had to do was wake up.
Sincerely, Mulan

Dear Fox News,
So far, no news about foxes.
Sincerely, Unimpressed

Dear Sex Educators,
Abstinence is only 99.99% effective.
Sincerely, The Virgin Mary

Dear Toaster,
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn?
Sincerely, Toast

Dear Prince Charming,
You've got some explaining to do!
Sincerely, Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty

And my favourite :

Dear 2010,
So I hear the best rapper is white and the president is black? WTF happened?!
Sincerely, 1985

Thrift - Market - Antique

2011-01-24T00:03:00.001Z

Especially with the low exchange rate now, London is a shopping heaven for designer items.

From Sloane Street to Oxford Street, I see Malaysians carrying their designer purchases and I see loaded Chinese queueing to pay at Selfridges. Oh, don't get me started on the wealthy Arabs taking out cash to pay for Chanel bags. Yes, big cold cash. Some even have their own parking space at Harrods. Crazy indeed !!

Sadly but true, we students can't afford to shop at high-street stores, let alone designer boutiques. So where do we go to, then?

Here! Portobello Road.

Source : Londonmarkets.co.uk

It's very famous for its Saturday market which stretches for about two miles from Notting Hill to Westbourne Grove, and filled with numerous stalls selling from fresh fruits and vegetables to antique collectors' items. There's also a small section at the end of the street for second-hand items.

Back in 1999, Portobello Market was made known to the world through a popular romantic film, Notting Hill. I'm sure everyone knows this, right?

It was the place where Hugh Grant accidentally spilled his drink onto Julia Robert's shirt. It was also the very market he strolled along heartbroken, with Ain't No Sunshine music on the background - this one. One of the sweetest movies I've ever watched :) But pride and prejudice would always remain the best.

Most people come to the market to look for the Travel Bookshop and The Blue Door which were both majorly featured in the film. However, from the stories I heard, the blue door has been taken somewhere else and replaced by a door of different colour, whilst the bookshop's never existed.

I certainly can't verify the stories, though. Hehe.

If you're planning to come here one day, the nearest underground station would be Notting Hill Gate on one end where the market starts with antiques. Or, if you prefer to start the long day with second hand items or fish & chip, get off at Ladbroke Grove instead.

It isn't really a long stretch, but on a crowded and busy saturday, it'd take a bit longer of course.

soo colourful ..

Also, we saw this Bentley. Look at the registration number, oh wait, it's a word !! How cool is that?

Btw, I bet your day won't be complete without a big plate of english breakfast prior to shopping and hunting in the market.

And that's exactly what we had, at my workplace. And yes again, I work at the famous Portobello Road. Weeheeeee ...

And just today, two Brazilian men came asking about the bookshop and door. I could see the frustration in their eyes when I explained that both are no longer there. They gave good tips, though. Hehe.

Feminism

2011-01-22T14:46:00.001Z

I arrived home late yesterday and received a call from a good friend whom I haven't talked to for months. We had a very long catching-up session about each other's lives. After an hour or so, I was ready to say goodbye when he suddenly brought up the topic about current affairs and general awareness.

According to him, women don't need as much general and current affairs knowledge as men do. Or in other words, women just don't care.

I was stunned by that statement and at midnight, he must be seriously trifling with my nerve. So, I asked him to prove that he knows better than me on what's happening in the world currently.

He started : Ok, financially .. the uk .. high inflation rate ... banks .. eurozone crisis .. speculations ..

I know that. checked.

He then continued : In the States .. Arizona killing .. congresswoman Giffords .. rehab .. mentally ill man ..

hey , I know about that too. checked.

Next he explained : China .. Taiwan .. communism .. army .. the Koreas .. pirates ..

And I know those too. checked.

He gave a few more on Malaysia and stopped : That's all I think. All the famous stories you should know.

Then I took over : So mister-I-know-everything, tell me what's happening in Tunisia as we speak. *silence*

I asked again : Or Sudan perhaps, since it's more widely covered. *silence*

Him : Haha, fine. You tell me :) yahoooo!!

Ohhh.. here's another Instgram produce. Gosh, am I an addict now? hehe. At this rate, I'm sure all my photos will look oh-so-nostalgic by the end of next week. I keep converting the pictures in my phone using this application.

Anyway, what my dear friend doesn't know is that I get digital copy of The Times every morning in my Kindle. Oh yes, I have one now and I'm loving it to bits!! It's so light I can read while standing in the crowded tube on my way to school. No more digging up for coins to buy newspaper every day and no more black carbon fingerprints.

Feminism, girls? High five!! :)

By the way, I just found out that the guys at work read my blog. So hi guys!! *waving at them*

It's krghepes

2011-01-20T15:07:00.003Z

Before the exam, I received a text message from a friend.

what do you say to giulia's crepes? she's half french.

me : sounds really good !!

her : ok, six o'clock.

So, after two-and-a-half hour of horror and bad experience in the examination hall (I left my pencil case at home, only left with two blue pens) I was ready to glut myself on food - any food. And then another text came in asking me to bring Nutella.

Perfect. Chocolate was exactly what I needed.

I just found out that it's soo easy to make crepes!! All you need is 500g of flour, 6 eggs, 2 pints of milk and butter - and a jar of marmalade and a pot of nutella to serve six.

Anyway, she was teaching us how to say the name correctly throughout. For someone who speaks french, italian and spanish, of course she has no problem pronouncing it. We had a hard time ohhh !!

So, ladies and gentlemen, the name is kghepe. K-R-PHELGM-E-P. kghrepe.

Well done !! :) Now, give yourself a pat on the back.

By the way, the batter has to be left for about half an hour after mixing to allow the bubbles to settle. Then you can use a flat pan to to cook it, just like pancakes but thinner.

They were really good and delicious! Seriously! We were all busy gorging ourselves that I forgot to take pictures of the ready ones. I don't even remember how they looked like, hehe, but I'm sure it was something like this :

Source : myrecipes.com

Nyummmmy....

I was actually quite surprised that eating crepes alone for dinner could make me full. But I was one satisfied, stuffed, bloated girl when I went back.

dragonflies in my stomach

2011-01-19T10:22:00.001Z

I have exam today.

It's a business paper with essays, definitely not my cup of tea.

Sigh.. Why do engineers have to be so technical?

*my respect today goes to those who can debate and present arguments immaculately

Why ?

2011-01-17T23:18:00.006Z

warning : long wordy posts are rare, but this is one of them. don't blame me if at the very final dot, you realise you've just wasted several minutes of your life. I've warned.

So, lately, I received a lot of questions about the part-time job I'm doing. Oh yes, did I not tell you that I'm working at a cafe? Well, now you know it :)

Anyway, recently, people have been asking why do I want to work. Unlike most of my friends, I still do have to attend lectures every single day and I have coursework continually given to us one after another and I also have exams to sit for. So why do I choose to work, even when my time is awfully limited hmm ... *blank*

I remember my parents' first response, why didn't you tell us if you needed money? oh no no no guys, you have given me more than enough to pay for the rent, buy lunch and dinner, keep me warm all night and also to pay for the err handbags, hehe.

Well.. I may not be born with a silver spoon stuck in my little mouth, but I was also not born penniless or famished. It's suffice to say that for more than twenty years, I've been provided with sufficient food, ample clothing to cover myself, endless love from people surrounding me and also an incredible strength spiritually. I, too, have a mother who perpetually reminds me to be thankful to god for his blessings upon the family. And for those reasons, I am so very grateful and contented.

So, it's not about the money, you see.

I get paid very little, in fact. However, it's never crossed my mind to create a public unrest because money is not the reason I'm willing to serve food for eight hours without rest, or to keep smiling even to the rudest nastiest most inconsiderate customer who comes to buy just a cup of coffee, or to get my hands all dirty cleaning up the place after everyone's left.

I'm not entirely sure how to explain this, either.

On my first day at work, a colleague asked : so why are you here?

And it just came out so suddenly : for all the things I don't get in my engineering classes.

He then walked away from me : right, I bet they don't teach you this *he went straight to a customer standing by the corner, took his order, chatted for about half a minute, made some joke, had a big laugh together and came back with tips, looked at me in the eye with a smile and said, this is home, you know, and they are family*

and, I bet they also don't teach you that *pointing at another colleague who did work so efficiently, moved so swiftly and arranged things so neatly on the counter - like the kind of scene you see in Coyote Ugly*.

or this *he put the menu and the order sheet in my hand, tidied up my apron and pushed me forward towards a lovely elderly couple who just entered the cafe and he whispered with a grin, don't forget to smile* It was my first £!%$/" day!!!

So, I may study at one of the world's top universities that inarguably makes people go wowwww every time I mention the name, but I realise some lessons are just not taught within the lecture theatres and some needs in life are just quenched through different means. And I'm lucky to have seen it sooner.

And because of that, I've always loved a line from Limp Bizkit's song that goes "life is a lesson, you learn it when you're through".

Oh, by the way, that guy on the left dreams of being a model. If you happen to know any modelling agency, please give him a call? I've already told him it's a tough business with lots of men in underwear - just underwear, but he wouldn't listen. Boo! An Italian, 26 and is not interested in women (but has a gf).

On a separate note, I need a camera, please!! Been using my phone all these while.

Colour Me Today

2011-01-16T23:18:00.002Z

In an attempt to colour coordinate my wardrobe,

I ended up getting this.

Disaster!

And I pat myself on the back for passing the not-so-OCD test.

When It's Over

2011-01-13T23:59:00.004Z

For me, last winter break has been wonderful.

I remember being in Malaysia one day and London the next day trying to find ONE money changer in this big busy city that actually keeps Moroccan dirham. It's a rare currency my love I'm sorry we don't have it, was all I got. So frustrating, because I only had less than 24 hours to do it. I literrally went into every money changer along bayswater road and oxford street, but to no avail. We may have them the day after tomorrow, was another common answer. I was already in Africa the following day, having so much fun even without money. Hehe.

Anyway, when break's over, you go back to your normal life. Whether you love it previously or not, that doesn't matter cause life continues.

And now...?

I'm back to lectures

back to reading BOOKS @-@

back to studying for exams!!

and back to work

:)

On a separate matter, I just realised that I haven't started shopping yet, haha, although sales are all over the city.

This is the one thing I love about January. Retailers clearing up their stock, cutting down prices, and this happy little girl skips merrily into the shops. Gee.. I better find some time to shop now.

So.. anybody wants anything? Harrods is having extra 10% off this weekend. *big starry eyes*

O0ohh!! Girls, watch this please - the big pony collection. I've been analysing this video with a girlfriend for weeks, wondering how can these guys pull off the short + suit + bermuda + slipper look ?! Hotness ok.

I was at Ralph Lauren today when I heard One Republic's secrets over the speaker. I smiled to myself, thinking about the happy moments in the video. It just made my day.

The 70's Bottom

2011-01-12T23:10:00.004Z

While he was a young man in his twenties, my father used to be handsome, masculine and fashionable. Why? Because I found a picture of him wearing bell-bottom!! Hip and so in trend oh-kay! Haha. With his big curly hair, old school glasses and a cigarette in one hand, he's got the complete package to woo the layday.

Shessshh.. I bet he was one of those nerdy-yet-naughty type of boy. Hehe.

Bell bottom. Source : Google.com

Nonetheless, my father is still a handsome ~~young~~ man he is today, whom we all love dearly :) But thank god, he doesn't have a son to hand down all the hippie-summer-of-love gene to.

Anyway, looking at the bell-bottom era about thirty years back, I've never really liked this style and has been wondering why is it deemed as the most revolutionary in the fashion industry. To me, the super wide flare is a little bit odd.

But who am I to say such thing and criticise others' interest, right? They might look at today's jeggings like an alien's malfunction wardrobe.

However, a few days ago, I stumbled upon this picture of Yoko Ono, and I have to admit I'm quite impressed with the bell-bottom. She's definitely given a new characteristic to the pants, which I just can't explain what and how. Perhaps it was the john-lennon-peace-protest timing, no?

Source : Google.com

And when I saw bell-bottoms on these celebrities, I became immediately infatuated with the whole super wide downwards pants. I'm totally inspired..... hehe.

Pictures : Google.com

I began hunting high-and-low for this kind of pants. But it was so difficult to find THAT pair of jeans that lengthen my legs, haha!! Cause in my eyes, the wide flare always makes me look shorter, for some reason.

But I finally found this gem by 7 for all mankind, and I'm loving it ! (albeit the huge thigh in the picture)

YAYAYAYY!!!

It still haven't given me the naomi campbell height though (boo!!)

By the way, it's really creative how the celebrities up there pair the jeans with stilettos instead of converse sneakers like it used to be in the 70s. It does make a statement and I'm gonna try it one day (if I have the courage to, hehe). And you will too, right?

Seriously, you guys should all buy one bell-bottom and we can go jalan-jalan together!! :)

The Looong Way Back

2011-01-10T16:07:00.002Z

Confession : I am never good at writing reviews or giving feedback or ratings for that matter cause I tend to say everything nice, sugarcoat the words, and be ready to give three thumbs up if I have enough.

But anyway, please believe me this time when I say Peter Wier's latest film is epic! It's called The Way Back - trailer, and it's based on a (controversial) true event. The story is about a group of prisoners who escaped the brutal gulag prison in Siberia and braved 4000 miles from Himalaya to India, on foot. They went through sunshine, rain, snow and dust storm for months, risking getting caught by the soldiers and recognised by the villagers.

The movie is basically about their journey which started with seven people, each with their own function to the group. However only a few made it to India. It's a mixture of giggles, sorrow, pity and smiles altogether in two hours. One minute you'd be laughing and the next you'd find yourself holding back tears. Then the next couple of minutes, you'd find you heart beating quickly.

Current obsession. Adorable, isn't he?

Having been tortured and taught about survival at obs three weeks ago, and going through the desert while in Morocco last week, I believe I could understand a little bit of their hardship and turmoil. Haha.

So, why wait? Drag you friends to the cinema this weekend :)

Oh, another Instagram produce.. It's soo addictive, I tell you.

Maroc In A Week III

2011-01-09T15:11:00.005Z

Now that we were in Morocco, a trip to the desert was, of course, on top of the priority list. I was excited. We packed our bags and went to bed early.

Day 5 & 6 : Sahara Trip

We were lucky to find a company that offered us good price for our 2D1N excursion to Zagoura, which includes pitstops at Ourzazate and Moroccan ancient fortress known as Kasbah. Ourzazate is a lovely small town located at the beginning of Sahara desert, which is reflected in its name that bears the meaning 'the door of the desert'.

The Kasbah

And we went to Morocco's very own Universal Studio.

Next, the camel ride (that hurt my butt !!). My camel went berserk, going round and round in a circle, while I was on it. Scary! And I was asked to jump down :( haishh..

But first, headgear for Berber women

We spent a night in the desert in a Berber-style tent. There was bonfire at the centre of the campsite, where we all gathered after dinner, watched them playing some traditional instrument and sing along to some berber songs.

In front of the tent

On the way back from Sahara, we stopped by another Kasbah where there are still families residing within the walls. These men were so nice to bring us girls around because the boys were in too much pain after the camel ride.

We went to see one of the men's kitchen, his room, his living room, then they offered us Argan oil massage (which we refused politely hehe) and wanted to exchange facebook emails.

I was so dark after a night in the desert

So yea, if you've been following the last two posts, you'll realise that we've now got two pages of a notebook full of email addresses. Some even left us their phone numbers. Such goody-jolly-boogie-doo these Moroccans are, and now you understand why I love the country so much.

Since it was our final night in Marrakesh, we decided to go to Djemaa El Fna, the most prominent square in the city where you'll find shops selling food, their popular orange juice, story-tellers, snake performances, fortune tellers and street games. The sight and the atmosphere were marvellous.

The next day was our flight back. Before going to the airport, we went to the souk again for the very last time. Boarding the London-bound airplane, we knew deep in our heart that we'd miss Morocco, because of the weather especially and the also people.

We touched down at nine pm, and London was wet and gloomy. It remained dark and depressing for the next 48 hours.. see!! You'll know what I mean if you were here :)

The End

Maroc In A Week II

2011-01-08T11:38:00.004Z

Day 3 : Final day in Fes, en route for Marrakesh

We went to the Souk again in the morning to find souvenirs and trinkets.

This pakcik refused to lower his price to 1/5, but we settled at 1/4 of stated price. Haha. I was getting better at haggling after only a couple of days.

Look look !! Ali Baba!! Hehe. Or perhaps, Aladdin? This is where we bought blankets, table runners and scarfs. Wish I could be Jasmine touring Morocco on flying carpet.

leather

Maroc Telecom

Donkeys were everywhere in the Souk.

The sky was really beautiful, clear azure.

We took the seven-hour train to Marrakesh and met this lady and a man who suggested interesting places we should go in the city. She speaks basic English, and we speak basic Arabic and French. Imagine how difficult it was for her to convey a single message, having to explain it in numerous ways. The coach was quickly filled with questions in four different languages, but we shared two same things : big laughs and high-fives.

Again, we exchanged facebook emails.

Then this man, who works with an international company in Casablanca, joined us. He speaks good English. Finally!! He's a gentleman of wise words who gave us good advices on life, relationship and religion.

Upon arrival in Marrakesh, we had the chance to meet his wife and little son, a cute chubby bubbly young kid. When asked about his age, he answered trois et demie (three and a half). I mean, I would've just answered four when I was young and be proud of it. I adore him too much.

The family offered to send us to our hotel, and that was the end of our third day in the country. We basically spent more time on the train than on land. Tiring indeed, but it was fun meeting these Moroccans. They are nice people with good hearts.

I don't think it'd be a problem surviving in this country, even if you were left stranded in the middle of Sahara alone. The locals would offer helps of every kind, they even treat you better than their own friends.

Day 4 : Marrakesh, the city that gives name to Morocco

Marrakesh is modernised with new buildings, good facilities and busy roads. I was totally in love with Fes that I did not quite enjoy and appreciate the beauty of this city. Since it's economically better and a tourist spot, we could see that the people are a bit cocky. They are still nice, however, but not as friendly as those in small towns.

The sky was nonetheless still breathtaking.

Picture overloaded, I better continue later.

Maroc In A Week I

2011-01-07T23:34:00.003Z

Three months ago, I got this crazy wild idea of backpacking to Morocco alone. Unfortunately, almost everyone was against it as they think this African country is dangerous, so I had to just abandon the whole plan completely. A couple of weeks after that, I found three people who wanted to travel to another continent with me, to run away from Europe and escape the shivering winter cold. We had one whole week of nice weather and amazing food. Also, wonderful people we met throughout the trip.

Morocco is by far the best country I've ever visited and I don't mind going back if given the chance. It might not be the best place to live, but definitely a spot for holiday. I shall let the pictures do the talking hereafter :)

Day 1 : From London to Fes

Our first taxi ride, the night we learned that we have to bargain for everything in Morocco. Even the food and entrance fee.

With the nice and friendly owner of the Riad we stayed at. We tried our bargaining skill that night with this man, and guess what?! He waived the hotel tax on us. I told you, haggling is part of their custom.

The Mint Tea

Couscous and Pastilla

Day 2 : Exploring Fes

Looking at the city from the terrace, at sunrise.

The famous tagine! The sole reason I wanted to go.

Oh, if you ever go to Morocco, snacking on the oranges is a must. They're sweet and different from the oranges in other countries, so the locals claim. But it's true, they ARE diabetic ! Hehe. And also, look carefully at the traditional scale. It's so cool !!

For some obvious reason, this place reminds me profoundly of Ali Baba and the thieves. The alleys, the rows of small shops and the narrow stairs. Kan?

And we got ourselves tattoo!! Henna ink, of course.

These are the kids who brought us around the souk. They're really helpful and amusingly hospitable who exchanged facebook emails with us at the end of the tour.

Later that afternoon, we had the opportunity to perform Jumaah prayer in one of the most famous mosques in the western side of the globe, Mosque Qaraouiyine.

Then we walked around the city

The temperature was in the range of 10C to 15C while we were in Fes. There was sunshine throughout the day, and the weather was just perfect.

Anyway Morocco is a muslim country, with almost 99% of the people are muslims. You'll see people praying on the mat at the corner of the street, in their shop and even next to the dining place. Hence, it's an advantage to

1. be a muslim, for their brotherhood and sisterhood among muslims are quite strong. Tell the shop owners you're a muslim, and they'd reduce the price by almost 50% (provided you know how to haggle).

2. be a student, because more often than not it helps during bargaining times and they'd hopefully give good price if you inform them you're studying and have no extra money to spend. No student card required, haha.

3. know Arabic and French, Moroccans are bilingual with very little ability to speak English. At least learn the numbers and some useful words. Lucky for us, we have both in our group.

I guess I better continue in a new entry. merci.

Off we go again

2010-12-30T09:54:00.001Z

Off to Morocco.

and Happy New Year to all of you :)

29.12.2010

2010-12-29T23:39:00.004Z

It's not cool ok, to arrive at heathrow very early in the morning. The place was like a dead airport. The people at immigration border didn't bother to smile at all. I almost succumbed to the myopic temptation of just yelling at them to wake up! Hehe. Even the tube was not operating yet.

But the best thing about studying abroad and living in a big city is, you have to learn to be independent. Or you'll be left behind.

So, I called up for minicab service and waited for the driver to come. Luckily I had him to update me on things that have been going on in the uk for the past few weeks. It was ironically quite warm when I arrived, unexpectedly of course after the world-shattering news of blizzard and flight interruptions just the week before. But apparently it rained heavily last night, sweeping all the snow off the ground.

I reached home and found this GIRL in my house!!

Sorayaooooo

I was soo excited to go out with her! I unpacked as quickly as possible, and found myself strolling along Old Bond Street within hours, and then Oxford Street, then Bayswater.

Ohh I downloaded a very cool application called Instagram on iPhone and we didn't waste any time. Immediately, our journey of cam-whoring began... haha!

and I'm still too tired now.

Good Night!!

@KLIA

2010-12-28T16:08:00.002Z

I received the sweetest message before I left home. It reads :

"Malaysia is raining, they know you're leaving :( "

Bye!

Malaysia

2010-12-27T17:52:00.000Z

Post OBS :

Dark!!

AND Food

All in a day. I daresay, after OBS, my appreciation for food has rocketed up very high. I've gained four kg in a week, and that is a magic only your home country can do.

As most of you know, my two-week break in Malaysia is over, and I'll be leaving tomorrow night. It's such a short one this time, but I'm so glad I used every minute of it wisely, pleasantly and cheerfully. To the charming young man whom I spent most of the time binge-eating with : you've been wonderful and thanks for listening to my crappy stories, hehe. To the friends whom I didn't get the chance to meet because of the never ending last minute plan cancellations : I'll see you girls next time k? Don't worry, I still love you all *hugs*

Anyway, I guess it's true when they say no matter how far you go, home is where the heart belongs to. I'll never have enough of the food, the people and the heat. But deep down, I also love London :)