My Family Bluez

something to share.. a reminder of my beloved Sasi

2009-06-11T20:41:00.003+08:00

The Longest Night: Saying Goodbye to My Beloved Pet

Jo Ann Beard takes her beloved friend on a final journey.

By Jo Ann Beard

Something happened to her while she was eating, or right afterward. She began turning in circles and couldn't stop. In my kitchen, in my car, and then in an examining room at the vet's office. I sat on the floor with her while the vet stood leaning against the wall, watching us. I was crying, but he ignored that.

"You indicated once," he said, looking through the file, "that we should let you know when it might be time."

It wasn't time.

"It looks like a brain abnormality, something that's grown, or shifted. We might wait a day or so to see what happens. But if this doesn't stop…" He paused.

"Sheba, stop," I said, and held her. She looked like Lady from Lady and the Tramp, only old; she was 15.

It was like putting your hand on a spinning top; as soon as I let go, she began turning again. We used to call her Top Dog, because she liked to sleep stretched out on our old black Lab, her head settled on his head, both of their eyes closed. Once, many years ago, the Lab had gotten carefully to his feet, made his way to the kitchen where my husband was cooking, and accepted a treat, all without disturbing the sleeping puppy draped over his neck. The Lab lived to be 15, too. The marriage, 14.

I took my hands away to button my jacket, and she turned blindly for a moment on the gleaming linoleum, then bumped into the single leg of the examining table.

"It might be time," the vet said, putting his foot out to stop her. Except for those neon running shoes, he was completely nondescript, like an actor you aren't sure why is in the movie until the very end, when he turns out to be the killer.

At home, it didn't get any better or any worse, Sheba following herself, nose to tail, around and around in a circle while I tried to keep her steady. My neighbor came over for a few minutes and watched, her eyes round and nervous. "This doesn't look hopeful," the neighbor finally said.

It was dark by then, and I was kneeling on my living room floor in lamplight, holding her and then letting her turn, holding her and then letting her turn. It was winter, but the neighbor was wearing flip-flops.

"Aren't your feet cold?" I asked her.

"Yes," she said, and went home.

We were used to being alone. Our house was small and dark, set into a hillside, but we had a stone fireplace and built-in bookshelves and a screened porch overlooking a blue lake, our own dock, certain seabirds that didn't seem like they belonged there, so we chased them away each morning, or rather one of us did, while the other stood on a giant ornate piece of driftwood and drank coffee in her sunglasses, even though nobody needed sunglasses in Ithaca.

We had brought more or less nothing from our previous life—a few pictures, some ceramic bowls, a Turkish rug that we hardly noticed in our old, big Iowa house but that became in the new house a focal point, the last remnant of what used to be. Sheba began urinating on it sometime around midnight, in a series of dark rings overlapping and intersecting one another. By 1 o'clock it was my turn, and I ran to the bathroom and came back to find her spun into a corner and stuck there, bumping against the baseboard.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre.

"Sheba," I said.

The falcon cannot hear the falconer.

"Sheba," I said, holding her face in my hands. She looked back blindly and I saw suddenly that the vet was right, something had grown or shifted, blocking her in there all alone.

I always knew I'd have to live without her someday, I just didn't know it would be tomorrow. Things fall apart. Here in the safe silence of Ithaca, I had forgotten that.

So we stayed awake all of her last night, waiting for the vet's office to open, in the living room on the Turkish rug, in the kitchen next to her food bowl, and finally on the bed, pushed into the corner, my body between her and the edge. At some point I couldn't help it and let my eyes close, and when I did, it felt like I was turning, too, our lives unraveling like a skein of yarn stretched from Ithaca back to Iowa. I see my husband patting his chest and holding out his arms, Sheba jumping into them. I see the Lab, wearing her like a bonnet on his head. I see her running under the seabirds as they fly along the shore. Don't leave yet, I say to my husband, who leaves. "Don't leave yet," I say aloud in the darkness of the bedroom.

She used to sleep at the foot of the bed, and at first light, first twitch, would crawl sleepily up to my pillow, so that when I opened my eyes she was what I saw. The aging dog-actress face: still the dark eyes, still the long glamorous ears. Don't leave yet. If I let go of her she moves in wider and wider circles, getting close to the edge. Come back, little Sheba. We're both close to the edge now, peering over it into the great metaphorical beyond.

And then dawn arrives, and then it's 8, and I begin to move forward, into it, without thinking. I carry her down to the water and let her stand on the shore, the birds wheeling and making their noises. In Iowa she ran into a cornfield once and didn't come out for a long time, and when she did she seemed thoughtful. The Lab once went on a garbage run and afterward threw up what looked like a whole birthday cake, candles and all. I carry her back up the hill and the neighbor runs out of her house, half dressed for work, and opens the car door for me.

"Is it time?" she asks me.

"Not yet," I tell her.

All the way across town, driving and holding her in the passenger seat with one hand, I think to myself, Don't think. All the way from Iowa to Ithaca, 800 miles, she stood in the backseat on the rolled-up rug, her chin on my shoulder, and watched the landscape roll by. I feel her humming against my hand, trying to turn and then we're turning, we're in the parking lot, we're here.

It's time.

2008...

2009-01-05T23:02:00.009+08:00

2008...

- move to Matane, Qc
- realised how lonely life is without family and close friends
- adopted Sasi and Dada
- met few friends
- got in touch with long lost aunt in USA
- saw moose, black bear.. close enough to say Boo!
- finally decided to dry those tears and learn French
- survived a year of marriage
- celebrated Eid as husband and wife for the 1st time
- cried during Eid
- celebrated Christmas with husband for 1st time
- he cried.. hehehe

and 2009 came....

CHEERS...to love and peace... :)

Salam Aidilfitri....

2008-09-29T22:35:00.003+08:00

Specially For My Beloved Family (All of them), Friends and Everyone Out There..

Selamat Hari Raya
Maaf Zahir Batin..

Eid Mubarak!

Till we meet again soon...

With much love, tears and hugs..
Idah, Lars, Sasi, Dada

Al-Jawaher - Ku Pohon Restu Ayah dan Bonda

2008-09-22T23:40:00.001+08:00

Listening to all these songs, making me miss home, especially mum, sis, kids... i miss singing out loud all these songs....

Duhai bonda duhai ayahanda
Dengarlah rayuan anakanda
Yang jauh di mata…

Tanpa ku sedari airmata ku mengalir
Terdengar ayat suci seruan takbir
Betapa daku gembira dekat di samping keluarga
Di pagi mulia hari raya

Kan ku sujud di kakimu bila kita bertemu
Kan ku cium tangan mu ku pohon restu
Oh maafkan daku kesalahan diri ku

Walau jauh di mata namun kau tak dapat ku lupa
Doa ku sepanjang masa agar kau bahagia
Ku pohon restu dari mu oh ayah dan ibu
Agar tercapai cita ku membela nasib mu

Kan ku sujud di kakimu bila kita bertemu
Kan ku cium tangan mu ku pohon restu
Oh maafkan daku kesalahan diri ku

Kesalahan diri ku…

Happy Birthday Ilhan!!!

2008-09-11T18:58:00.003+08:00

Happy Birthday to my one and only nephew... (for now)... Ilhan!!!
You are 4 now.... May God Bless You With Lots of Love, Health and
Many Happy Things In Life...
May You Grow Up To Be The Best That You Can Be (good things, of course..!! )

Hope you like the cake and gifts from me your one and only Mami and Uncle Lars...
We love you!!!!

Hugs and kisses...

Have A Blessed Ramadhan

2008-09-01T06:24:00.004+08:00

This is my first time being away from family and love ones...
It's a new beginning to start Ramadhan as wife in a foreign town where the only Muslims would be me and Lars... hence, taking it as an adventure and something brand new...

I miss waking up, arguing with mum and sis, saying water is enough, i can eat breaking fast later at dusk... :D

To all my love ones, I am missing you terribly, but memories will never fade.. its emotional, but my prayers will always be with you all...
See you when we meet...

Have a Blessed Ramadhan... May Allah Bless Your Fast and Answer All Our Prayers...
With much love and hugs from me and Lars...

And not to forget my aunt... she's in a foreign land but near to me.. :)

Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful Of Sunshine

2008-08-28T23:40:00.001+08:00

I am officially working today.. helping out Lars..:D

and sooo.. this video clip is for everyone.... especially to few people (you know who you are.. thank you for the messages and blog! *wink*)

PS> Mam Dah, stop dancing and singing to this song on my blog!!!!! :D

when cats wrestle.....

2008-08-19T22:06:00.002+08:00

Being a home-bound housewife in a foreign non-speaking English small part of the world is never easy, and I say, you either turn into a lunatic that talks to oneself or sitting down and planning how to poison the neighbour's cat and gunning down some of the birds here.... :)

All these while watching my cats (Sasi and Dada) wrestle from the bedroom, to the kitchen, to the bathroom and back on the bed.... *rollin' eyes upwards*

Orrr.... I read Danae and Lucy adventures.. Non-Sequitur

Thank you Mister God, and Dada

2008-08-12T03:18:00.005+08:00

Thank you Mister God, I hear Ya!
Thank you Dada! You're God sent!
It was worth talking for more than an hour...

Enjoy your life, be happy always!
You know we deserve it!
Till we meet again back home....

Much love and hugs

*Picture from Post Secret*

Happy Birthday Singapore!

2008-08-09T01:49:00.002+08:00

There are so many things I miss about being home, but most of them will be, being with family and friends.... The weird part about it all, you only realize this when you are far away, in a far far away land, with no such things as Starbucks or shopping mall or cinema that plays movies in English or one decent bookstore for me to buy books!! Need I say more....

Celebrating National Day in Singapore is a big thing.. and where we live, you can just stand outside and watch the fireworks, and we have one of the best fireworks (cos I say so!!).. hahahah

I will miss watching the parade with my family and probably getting excited with my nephew and niece, but, I will think and smile of what it may be for the night... :)

Enjoy the parade you irritating people.. hehehe

NEW Russell Peters - How to become a Canadian Citizen

2008-07-17T01:25:00.001+08:00

Good One!
His latest that i can find...hahahah
always seems to amaze me...

Fun to do in elevators

2008-07-16T21:10:00.002+08:00

I guess by now, you... who knows me would have realized, i have somehow done one or few of the things listed below (courtesy from the Net)... only cos boredom kicks in... :D

Make race car noises when anyone gets on or off.

Blow your nose and offer to show the contents of your kleenex to other passengers.

Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering: "Shut up, all of you just shut UP!"

Whistle the first seven notes of "It's a Small World" incessantly.

Sell Girl Scout cookies.

On a long ride, sway side to side at the natural frequency of the elevator.

Shave.

Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside ask: "Got enough air in there?"

Offer name tags to everyone getting on the elevator. Wear yours upside-down.

Stand silent and motionless in the corner, facing the wall, without getting off.

When arriving at your floor, grunt and strain to yank the doors open, then act embarrassed when they open by themselves.

Lean over to another passenger and whisper: "Noogie patrol coming!"

Greet everyone getting on the elevator with a warm handshake and ask them to call you Admiral.

One word: Flatulence!

On the highest floor, hold the door open and demand that it stay open until you hear the penny you dropped down the shaft go "plink" at the bottom.

Do Tai Chi exercises.

Stare, grinning, at another passenger for a while, and then announce: "I've got new socks on!"

When at least 8 people have boarded, moan from the back: "Oh, not now, motion sickness!"

Give religious tracts to each passenger.

Meow occassionally.

Bet the other passengers you can fit a quarter in your nose.

Show other passengers a wound and ask if it looks infected.

Sing "Mary had a little lamb" while continually pushing buttons.

Holler "Chutes away!" whenever the elevator descends.

Walk on with a cooler that says "human head" on the side.

Communication...

2008-07-03T06:41:00.003+08:00

Communication is basically an essential part of everyone's life, be it you are working and interacting with strangers, or you are at home where interaction is made between family members and pets, unless you are living alone in a land far far away.... then... yeah...

I have crossed that line between communicating with people, moron, idiots, that I have acquired enough miles to travel round the world for free. And you realise, communicating effectively is more important than blabbling non-stop, as it should be.

Being married now, i have an obligation to communicate well with my husband, making sure we mean what we say, be it good or bad. At times, things can never be easy, especially when you come from a different culture, background and of course, of two different characters. But as they say, love conquers all...

My point and I do have one most times, is that, if anyone is not happy with someone, or feels that they want to get something out of their chest, talk to the person directly, tell them how you feel, and truth be told, if it will hurt, make it less hurtful and talk even more nicely...

Lars and I argues over the amount of chilli sauce he puts on his chicken, yes, a white man eating chilli sauce, and the way his toothbrush stands in the bathroom and many other small things I love to nag...but one thing I can never complain, how we communicate.. and that man can talk! :D and that is something I will never complain about.

But others.....hmmm....I used to believe that when someone says something to hurt you, ignore them and let life take its toll on them... now, as i grow non the wiser, i realise, you should say something and push a little bit of life to take its toll on them... in other words, make sure you say your piece and if u can't spit at them from far, try spitting at their food, if given a chance.

My family members, we communicate very well, we just shout at each other when it calls for.. hahah, but seriously, we have been there for each other, more than anyone can give credit for and I am proud they are mine. We may have a different level of communication but we know what we are and where we come from, and as proven, we have never allowed anyone to fall and there not be someone to catch, it may be an Asian culture, or it maybe the way we are raised, but i am proud of it, whatever reason it may be, that to me is another form of COMMUNICATION!

***To my dearest husband: We are having KFC tonight! pleaseeeeeee...... :=)

Help Save 1-800-SUICIDE

2008-07-02T23:58:00.001+08:00

On Post Seccret this week...

1(800)SUICIDE needs your help. You can become a friend to Hopeline by posting this video on your website/Blog.

Summer Is Here.... :D

2008-07-02T20:58:00.002+08:00

The dark clouds, cold rain, fog and strong winds are gone..
It's Jul...
sun's out...

Thoughts are clearing...
New fighting moves have been created....

SUMMER IS HERE!!!......
and i am doing the dance of joy!!..
Woo Hoo!!!!

*** My Family Rocks and that includes my (driving to the parc on weekend to see lakes and forests are fun) husband while his (i think the trees and lakes look the same and i can view it on google search in the comfort of the sofa and my remote) wifey is still the coolest woman he has ever met and married! hheheheh

Under Construction

2008-05-29T07:49:00.002+08:00

In this time and age, where everything is possible, including flying into the edge of space and free fall back to Earth (yes, its done in Canada! but, not yet due to weather intrusion). In this age and time when man is able to leap over tall buildings and eat bullets from a gun, you dont even have to be a Superman to do it.

My point and thought basically, is that due to present day and technology where one is able to pen down one's thought and not be afraid to be ridiculed or laughed at, hence one is allowed to re-built or put it under construction as what I am doing now.

It is time for me to seek/search, what it is, i am not sure yet, but if someone sure know what it is, give me a buzz or leave a message and i am sure i will reply if i like you..
and if you do not see any reply, please do not be disheartened, i could be busy or don't really care what you write, or you might be really boring, in which case, i would allow you to take a pick which one you are.....

For those of you seekers out there whose still seeking, Go For It! and those who have found it, Shut Up! Do not leave me a message, i don't want to know, i dont care if you are so happy that you are bursting with happiness, in which case, i do hope you burst... from your ass... and i might like to shoot paint ball at you till you cry.

But, knowing how I am, i might be back to write again... maybe sooner than one think.. or much later... and my blogger frens and i mean P, G3, CM, Mush, N ( i will haunt your blogs and leave my nonsensical comments..hehehe) and of course not to forget my cuz who does not leave me any messages because the idea of trying to type something and make a fool of herself overwhelms her too much and that might make her have fits or something burst from her ass... and to my sister and my aunt that took this blog as their own, typing ten million words into one comment... yes, i will be back... and u may leave messages... hehehe

My mum use to tell me, that life is like a box of chocolates... wait, that was Forrest Gump wasnt it? Damn it, even got ripped off on life's learning.. sorry Mum, just had to add you in on my blog for once.

I leave everyone with this song of mine at this moment.. not mine literally, boy, i will get sued for that, but listening to it and singing it at this moment...

check out the video on youtube, oh and by the way, they have porn tube now!!!! OMG!!! i didnt know it till recently!!! porn tube!!!!! yes, porn tube!!!!
Does anyone blame me now for going out for some soul searching??? *wide grin*

Au Revoir!
Till again!

Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

We'll do it all
Everything On our own
We don't need Anything
Or anyone

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
I don't quite know How to say How I feel
Those three words Are said too much
They're not enough

If I lay here If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time Chasing cars
Around our heads
I need your grace To remind me
To find my ownIf I lay here

If I just lay here Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life
All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see
I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Tillykke med Fødselsdagen!

2008-04-04T21:21:00.005+08:00

Happy Birthday to Dad! Senior Pedersen... :D

Tillykke med Fødselsdagen
Må du få en rigtig god fødselsdag, og alt det bedste i det kommende år.
Må Vor herre passe på dig altid.
Pas på dig selv og alle de bedste ønsker for det kommende år.

1000 Knus
Lars og Idah

Invictus

2008-04-01T02:29:00.002+08:00

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever Gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeoning of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond the place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishment the scroll,

I am the master of my fate;

I am the captain of my soul.

I am a year older...... :D

2008-03-25T04:01:00.006+08:00

I am officially a year older today, well, technically, if i am back in my hometown, it would have been 12 hours earlier, but then again, whose counting, when you have 12 hours more to turning old... not that i do care.. well.. maybe when i am turning 100, and realise, i could have been 12 hours younger.. where am i heading with this.. not sure really..

I had few friends over for dinner, we had food, cake, i made spring rolls, salad, and Lars made fruit salad. Nothing broke, no one dance naked after drinking too much, we didnt have to go to any emergency room either. I did not wake up having a hangover, crawling out of bed, wishing the world would stop at this moment, and let me rest in peace, and take as much coffee as one could and maybe, maybe a crack of one eye would open.. no, nothing of that sort happened. I woke up to the sound of my husband arranging the plates from the dishwasher to the cupboard and thinking, how i have to re-arrange it all back again...

It had been the worse weather past 4 days, and yesterday was day we got a glimpse of sun, but it was so cold, i swear, if i can take it up with the Winter God, i would.. i might begged or exchange my favourite Def Leppard CD for spring to come...

Till next year, whereever we may be, i will try to post a more exciting year of me turning 36... maybe with clowns.. and male strippers.. heheh

Thank you to everyone who made it nice and good and extremely unforgettable.. especially those who called and chat..

Mum and Sis.. the wallet, clothes and all the things i got to make me feel home.. love you!

MIL Ina... the cutlery set that flew all the way from Denmark....

Susanne, Jacob and kids.. for the email and the gift (thanks Susanne!) and for everyone putting my birthday on the messenger.. :D
last but not least.. my hubby.. the perfume, the lunch.. and everything else i can't even recall at this moment, maybe when the headache is gone, i might thank him more..

Happy Birthday Mummy!

2008-02-24T07:25:00.008+08:00

me and my mummy at sentosa station.
(the day i was leaving home..sniff..sniff)

my niece (Nurul Alisyah..i name her..hehehe) birthday was on 08 Jan, 2 years old and counting... sorry Jujuu, for posting late... hehehe

Mothers are the place where love

Emerges from the earth,

And happiness rings out like bellsIn honor of our birth.
Mothers are the sun that lights

For life our inner sky,

So we may know that we are loved

And need not question why.
Mothers are the moon that shines

Upon our black despair,

So even when we weep, we know

That someone's always there.
Whatever fear, or stress, or pain

Might them to anger move,

We know that underneath the storm

We have, always, their love.

courtesy of poems from the Net...

PS> I love you Mummy, and i miss you terribly and always will!

I'm Tagged!

2008-02-09T21:29:00.000+08:00

Tagged!!

G3, this one's for you!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? my aunt's best friend, and my aunt still gets hate mails from me yearly. :D

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? well, let me see now, before or after the loud wailing to go home to mummy...

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? of course!

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? aaahhh... i don know, i like meat, except pork, i help keep the animal kingdom ratio intact.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? yes, 2, (ilhan and nurul) but i didnt give birth to them, does that count?! who cares, my answer, my rules!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? i am the supreme being of the world, why would u even ask me this? YOU"RE OFF MY LIST!!

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? wat'cha think man??!!!

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? last time i checked, its still there.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? over my dead hanging body...

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? anything with nuts and blueberry

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Nope, too much work, am teaching my cats to pull off my shoes and jacket for me now.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? if leaping over tall buildings in a single bound makes me strong, am guilty as charged!

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? vanilla or ripple...

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? smell

15. RED OR PINK?? red

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? not kicking ass enough

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? my family...

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? am naked right now.

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? toast with butter and honey

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? the sound of my kittens wrestling in the kitchen

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? definitely the "brightest" one of them all..heheh

22. FAVORITE SMELLS? my nephew and niece after their shower

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? mummy, sis and kids

24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? soccer

25. HAIR COLOR? hmm... i don know anymore after the countless chemical treatments, original was brown

26. EYE COLOR? brown

27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? yes

28. FAVORITE FOOD? almost everything thats delicious with meat on it

29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? jeez, can someone ask for comedies once in awhile, okie, happy endings then.

30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? i am legend

31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? brown

32. SUMMER OR WINTER? summer!!! please, enough winter for this season... *faint*

33. HUGS OR KISSES? hmmm.. both, ok, wait, hmmm.. ok, both!

34. FAVORITE DESSERT? i don know, dont really eat dessert, but ice cream then

35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? jodi picoult, my sister's keeper

36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? i don own one.

37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Family Guy

38. FAVORITE SOUNDS? giggling of my nephew and niece

39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? do i have to choose??? damn it, beatles then.

40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? canada, and this has to be home now...

41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? i irritate people, that takes talent.

42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? earth, singapore

Icon of Singapore Zoo Dies....

2008-02-08T20:13:00.000+08:00

Ah Meng, icon of Singapore Zoo, dies of old age

By Hasnita A Majid,

Channel NewsAsia Posted: 08 February 2008 1828 hrs

SINGAPORE:

Ah Meng, the Sumatran Orang Utan that was considered an icon at the Singapore Zoo, died on Friday. She was 48 years old and had likely died of old age. In 1971, Ah Meng was confiscated from a family which had illegally kept her as a pet. She then found her home at the Singapore Zoo.

Ah Meng was the first to host the zoo's famous 'Breakfast With An Orang Utan' programme.

She soon became a celebrity, both locally and internationally. She had been featured in over 30 travel films and 'interviewed' by more than 300 writers.

In 1992, Ah Meng received a special award from the Singapore Tourism Board in recognition of her contribution towards tourism in Singapore. Ah Meng also contributed to the Singapore Zoo's captive breeding programme. She had five children and became a grandmother in 1990.

The Singapore Zoo will hold a memorial service for Ah Meng on Sunday at 11am.

- CNA/so

NB: I am sure you'll be happy wherever you are Gal! Me being an animal lover, and visitor of the zoo on a yearly basis, will miss looking for this big old mama!

Gong Xi Fa Cai

2008-02-07T20:51:00.000+08:00

To All My Friends, and Chinese everywhere celebrating Lunar New Year, Gong Xi Gong Xi, Xin Nian Kuai Le...

Have a Good Ratty Year! :D

Maximise Your Food Dollars

2008-02-04T23:06:00.000+08:00

I was reading this article and thought it would be useful for bored people like me out there...
NB: i read an article from a magazine, a woman's world magazine.. *faint*

Forget foil and plastic wrap!
Why keep tossing precious resources like aluminium and petroleum (used to make plastic wraps), when using them doesn't prevent bacteria from reaching your leftovers? Your better bet: airtight, reusable glass or plastic food storage containers.

Refrigerate fruits and vegetables in separate drawers
Some fruits emit a gas that speeds the ripening of other produce!
Tip: Squash, tomatoes and oranges actually last longer when kept at room temperature.

Before freezing meat....
Repackage it in heavy-duty, vacuum-sealed or zip-locked bags; squeezed out all the air first. Store packaging does not protect from freezer burn.

All information courtesy from Woman's World mag!

Sooo...

Underdogs Won - NY Giants!!!

2008-02-04T20:03:00.000+08:00

I was never a football fan, soccer yes, and getting free tickets, sitting in the VIP seat is something you never turn down.... and of course the World Cup, where the only time of the year gambling, drinking, cursing all comes alive in one night, every night till the Finals...!

So, i rooted for the underdogs, NY Giants, where they were there on the fields, chosen as a wildcard, and NE Patriots has been winning 19 games straight...

I cooked chicken curry, fried chicken, stir fried french beans with minced beef, lars made dessert. We had friends over (Frank, Joanne, Patricia, Natasha), chilli, wine, another desserts was brought... (sorry, forgot all about the pictures.)

We ate, i actually watched football, learned all about it from Patricia and Lars and heck, it was not that bad, the most interesting and fun part about watching football.. you get to see the guys tight ass! Man, that was worth sitting 4 hours of football....

so, till next year....!

Happy Birthday Sis!

2008-01-20T05:24:00.000+08:00

My sister

My presence will not be my present

As normally my gifts would be

Though we are miles apart

You are forever near me

I would never ask for anything else

Except a day

A month

A year

An eternity

Of happiness and love

For you and love ones

Happy Birthday Sis!

You are always loved by me!

Yours truly,

Your sis

Your bro-in-law

The 2 rascals

while my sanity remains for the day....

2008-01-10T04:03:00.000+08:00

I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.

If I throw a stick, will you leave?

Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.

A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, because you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

Don't worry about the world ending today. It's already tomorrow in Australia.

A pat on the back is only a few centimetres from a kick in the butt.

The more crap you put up with, the more crap you are going to get.

What if the Hokey Pokey is really what it's all about?

Think nobody knows you're alive? Try missing a payment.

Does it scare you that you are looking for wisdom from a T-shirt?

And your cry baby whiny-butt opinion would be...?

I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left.

Sarcasm is just one more service we offer.

A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.

My Family Blues...

2008-01-10T03:23:00.000+08:00

my family,

the blues that come and goes are natural, but with each passing day, it becomes bearable and with each new day begins with the thought that one day we will meet yet again... this time with each argument, shouts, name calling and never ending sibling and family squabbles that come our way, it will be a sweet memory for the next day... :D

i miss all of you very much...

with much love and hugs

your sis and daughter...

as the seagull flew by the window...

2007-12-28T16:26:00.000+08:00

As i sit here, listening to songs on youtube, sitting by the window, a seagull flew by... and hinder singing, Better Than Me on the background...

I'm in Denmark, home to Lars parents... officially my in laws, now that i am a wife. It seems strange to be saying it, a single woman for the past 35 years and now a wife to someone.

Saying goodbye was never easy for me, hate goodbyes, still do, and saying goodbye to your family you live with, a mother you sleep with, a sister you nag at and argue with, and kids you keep screaming and kissing all at the same time, and not forgetting 2 brothers you always wonder about their common sense.... all these came in flashes when u sit thousand of miles away, while the world go on by, and only then you realise, this is it, you're on your own now missy!

The faces you wish you see one more time, the last hug, the last kisses... and the last step out of home.

Nickelback - Photograph

Look at this photograph

Every time I do it makes me laugh

How did our eyes get so red?

And what the hell is on Joey's head?

This is where I grew up

I think the present owner fixed it up

I never knew we ever went without

The second floor is hard for sneaking out

This is where I went to school

Most of the time had better things to do

Criminal record says I broke in twice

I must've done it half a dozen times

I wonder if it's too late

Should I go back and try to graduate

Life's better now than it was back then

If I was them I would of let me in

Oh oh ohOh god I, I

Every memory of looking out the back door

I have a photo album spread out on my bedroom floor

It's hard to say,It's time to say it

Goodbye, Goodbye

Every memory of walking out the front door

I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for

It's hard to say,It's time to say it

Goodbye, Goodbye

Remember the old arcade

Blew every dollar that we ever made

The cops hated us hangin' out

They say somebody went and burned it down

We used to listen to the radio

And sing along with every song we know

We said someday we'd find out how it feels

To sing to more than just the steering wheel

Kim's the first girl I kissed

I was so nervous that I nearly missed

She's had a couple of kids since then

I haven't seen her since God knows when

Oh oh ohOh god I, I

Every memory of looking out the back door

I have a photo album spread out on my bedroom floor

It's hard to say, It's time to say it

Goodbye, Goodbye

Every memory of walking out the front door

I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for

It's hard to say, It's time to say it

Goodbye, Goodbye

I miss that town

I miss their faces

You can't erase

You can't replace it

I miss it now

I can't believe it

So hard to stay

Too hard to leave it

If I could relive those days

I know the one thing that would never change

Every memory of looking out the back door

I have a photo album spread out on my bedroom floor

It's hard to say,It's time to say it

Goodbye, Goodbye

Every memory of walking out the front door

I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for

It's hard to say, It's time to say it

Goodbye, Goodbye

Look at this photograph

Every time I do it makes me laugh

Every time I do it makes me...

Taking A Break...

2007-10-10T10:27:00.000+08:00

I am officially taking a break from blogging for a couple of months...

Due to packing and moving to another home and wedding preparations, i will be lucky if i have time stare into space...

But, to all friends, you know where to find me, no, not Timbre or Holland Village, am too busy, ok, wait, who am i kidding,..hahhaha, ok, email me or call me if someone is in need, and ONLY if there are drinks.. will i come in a flash.

Seriously

Eid Mubarak to all...

Have a Blessed and Enjoyable Day With Your Love Ones!

From,

Idah and Lars

Make A Memory...

2007-09-19T12:22:00.000+08:00

Thanks to my sis, i'm all addicted to this song.. plus many others from her, and she's the stay-home mum!! something is not right here... :D

Video clip here

Bon Jovi - You Want Make A Memory

Hello again, it's you and me

Kinda always like it used to be
Sippin' wine, killing time
Trying to solve life's mysteries
How's your life, it's been a while
God it's good to see you smile

I see you reaching for your keys
Looking for a reason not to leave
If you don't know if you should stay
If you don't say what's on your mind

Baby just breathe
There's nowhere else tonight we should be

You wanna make a memory?
I dug up this old photograph
Look at all that hair we had.
It's bittersweet to hear you laugh
Your phone is ringing I don't wanna ask

(You Want To) Make a Memory
If you go now, I'll understand
If you stay, hey, I've got a plan

We're gonna make a memory
You wanna steal a piece of time
You can sing the melody to me
And I can write a couple of lines

You wanna make a memory?

If you don't know if you should stay
And you don't say what's on your mind
Baby just breathe
There's nowhere else tonight we should be
We Should be

You wanna make a memory
You wanna steal a piece of time
You can sing the melody to me
And I can write a couple of lines
You wanna make a memory?

Tag

2007-09-14T14:05:00.000+08:00

Ms Envy, since you have tagged me and my name starts with N.. hmm.. hahaha, okie, i have to find something different from yours, well, almost okie...

Here's how it works. Use the first letter of your name to answer each question. Must be real places,names....Nothing made up. Can't use own name for boy/girl's name question.

If you cant answer,skip it.

1. Famous Singer: Norah Jones

2. Four letter word: Neat!

3. Street: Nottingham

4. Color: Neutral

5. Gifts/Presents: Notepad

6. Vehicle: Nissan

7. Things in Souvenir Shop: Nemo Huggables

8. Boy Name: Nathan

9. Girl Name: Nurul Alisyah

10. Movie Title: Norbit

11. Drink: Naked Twister

12. Occupation: Nymph

13. Celebrity: N' Sync

14. Magazine: Newsweek

15. U.S. City: Newark

16. Pro Sports: Netball

17. Fruit: Nenas (pineapple in malay language)

18. Reason For Being Late To Work: Not sober

19. Something You Throw Away: Non-alcoholic drinks

20. Something You Shout: Not on my drink!

21. Cartoon Character: Non -Sequitur

I would like to tag CM and SuperN for this one..heheh

Ramadhan

2007-09-13T12:51:00.000+08:00

It's the time of the year again, it feels like yesterday when i posted last year's Ramadhan and here we are again...

Here's to wishing cooler days this year, ok, wait, that is being selfish, wishing something for my sake.. hmmm.. so, here's wishing for cooler days and many more..hehehe...

Happy Ramadhan to all!

Hibernating Period

2007-09-02T11:14:00.000+08:00

You realise you've been hibernating too long, when the last update was almost 2 months ago, and you wonder what happened to time???

The last couple of months, was busy getting used to the loss of one of your love ones, and settle down to selling your flat.. and that itself is one of the most tiresome thing to do.

You either get a good honest house agent, or the skinny, evil looking ones and you realise too late, you have signed a deal with the Devil himself, but lucky for me, the Devil decided to let me go, but only after i threatened the word legal and law, for even the Devil shivers the mere mention of lawyers. But if have it my way, i would want them to be locked in, watch tyra banks show over and over again, eat chips but, we add sugar to it (they have to be active to look at tyra, anyway) and drink salt water (they need salt for the chips). I don't know, maybe someone might take up my idea.

There's still few issues to settle before the we hand over the papers for the sale of the flat, and you walk around every room, not that theres many rooms around, and all the memories, good and bad flooding you..well, maybe another story to tell, for another day.

For now, its spending time with Lars now that he is in Singapore, sweating himself, and us preparing for the wedding in December.

Goodbye Sasi.... Old Friend!

2007-07-18T14:40:00.000+08:00

I was to write about my Perth trip with the family last week... but, i came back home to the death of my old friend, Sasi.

She came into our lives, stood at the doorway, 6.30am, all beaten up, one eye blind, and nose always wet, since then, she has lived with us for the past 12/13 years, a brat of a cat, mum would call her. she only eats Fancy Feasts, and Whiskas dry biscuits. Her favourite would be vanilla ice-cream, cheese, yogurt and more cheese, and thats precisely what i eat the most too... :)

Even when she died, she wanted me to find her, my brothers thought she was missing and no one told me till i came home and was told she was missing, but being the cat that loves to play hide and seek and running, i knew most of her hiding places, and i would like to believe she wanted me to find her and found her i did, and i will not forget the sight of my cat in her favourite sleeping position but this time, she will never wake up.

It's been a long journey of moving 3 homes with us, this being her final. I am going to miss you so much, its weird not to have you sleeping beside me, irritating me and walking up and down and making noise. You were sick, you were tired, and as Gerard said, you needed your much needed rest now.. I know you're happy wherever you are, no more coughing, no more pain.

Thank you for being a part of my life, and a friend and making our lives more meaningful, especially for me!

Till we meet again, one day, i hope.... Goodbye Sasi, i hope i loved you enough.... it will take some time for me to get use to you being gone....

Happy Birthday Feli! :D

2007-06-20T16:46:00.000+08:00

Dearest Feli,

If I could catch a rainbow

I would do it just for you,

And share with you its beauty

On the days you're feeling blue

If I could build a mountain

You could call your very own,

A place to find serenity,

A place to be alone

If I could take your troubles

I would toss them in the sea,

But all these things I'm finding

Are impossible for me

I cannot build a mountain,

Or catch a rainbow fair,

But let me be what I know best,

A friend who's always there

- Author Unknown -

Love Defined

2007-06-20T16:38:00.000+08:00

Love Defined

What is love, but an emotion,

So strong and so pure,

That nurtured and shared with another

All tests it will endure?

What is love, but a force

To bring the mighty low,

With the strength to shame the mountains

And halt time’s ceaseless flow?

What is love, but a triumph,

A glorious goal attained,

The union of two souls, two hearts

A bond the angels have ordained?

What is love, but a champion,

To cast the tyrant from his throne,

And raise the flag of truth and peace,

And fear of death o’erthrow?

What is love, but a beacon,

To guide the wayward heart,

A blazing light upon the shoals

That dash cherished dreams apart?

And what is love, but forever,

Eternal and sincere,

A flame that through wax and wane

Will outlive life’s brief years?

So I’ll tell it on the mountaintops,

In all places high and low,

That love for you is my reason to be,

And will never break or bow.

- Matt Dubois -

Summer in Matane

2007-06-15T16:55:00.000+08:00

Summer has come...finally!!! and here are the pics of the garden.. The cherry trees are blooming flowers, and soon, the fruits will be bursting out.. and on the side of the wall, would be the rosemary, salads, and peppers... or something else.. i cant even remember now..

Bugged!

2007-06-15T16:49:00.000+08:00

the past 3 days of fever, sniffles, coughing like a dog..... and this is practically ME!

Real Girl - Mutya

2007-06-08T14:00:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Eleanor (see, i did mention your name, moron!)..hehehe
She sent me this song couple of weeks ago, and i am loving it!

The video from Youtube is awesome too.

Real Girl - Mutya

If I had one chance to

In my life again

I wouldn't make no changes

Now or way back when (yeah)

And if everything turns out

The way I hope it goes

But I cant wait to find out

What it is that God knows

But I don't wanna think about

What's gonna come around for me

I'll just take it day by day

Cause it's the only way

To be the best that I can be

I never pretend to be something I'm not

You get what you see, when you see what I've got

We live in the real world, I'm just a real girl

I know exactly where I stand

And all I can do is be true to myself

I don't need permission from nobody else

'Cause this is the real world,

I'm not a little girlI know exactly who I am

And nothing's ever perfect

There's no guarantee

And if I knew the answers

It would put my mind at ease (no)

So I'll just keep on going

The way I've gone so far

And maybe I'll end up

Tryin' to catch a fallin star (yeah)

But I don't wanna think about

What's gonna come around for me

I'll just take it day by day

'Cause it's the only way

To be the best that I can be

I never pretend to be something I'm not

You get what you see, when you see what I've got

We live in the real world, I'm just a real girl

I know exactly where I stand

And all I can do is be true to myself

I don't need permission from nobody else

'Cause this is the real world,

I'm not a little girl

I know exactly who I am

Baby this is who I am

Don't need you to understand

'Cause everything is right where it should be

It wont be long til you know about me,

'Cause I don't give a...

Even when I'm out of love

Post Secret This Week

2007-05-29T09:57:00.000+08:00

When i was in Matane couple of months ago, we managed to buy Post Secret from amazon.ca, and it was worth the money.. all those interesting postcards.

This week, they have interesting new posts... am going to cut and paste down here and share it for i can relate to them... :) and i thank God for His blessings..always!

Have a good Tuesday, SuperN, tomorrow, the start of midweek crisis..i have decided to stare at someone and say, you're IT and run like the demon is chasing me! hahahah...

Take care folks!

-----Email Message-----
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 3:30 AM
Subject: happy with who i've become

it feels like my whole life has been full of losses. but more than ever i am so happy with the way i am too. ive learned so much about myself and am glad i can honestly say i respect myself. every loss we face is a moment we have survived. and everyday i feel like a stronger person because of those misfortunes. i dont know how i did it or how i will for the rest of my life. but without losses, i wouldnt know who i am right now. its a beautiful thing!

-----End Message----------

Email Message-----Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 3:21 AM
Subject: year of losses

It's funny how losing everything helps you find yourself.So I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has believed rumors, hated me, tormented me, screwed me over, and abandoned me this year. You made me who I am. And I finally love myself.

-----End Message----------

Email Message-----
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 1:53 AM
Subject: happily

Frank--Today I begin my path to my happily ever after. The tears that your project has brought to my eyes have been healing, sorrowful, joyful, and sad. Most of all, they are reflections my life in others' secrets.As for my happily ever after, I'm not going to give up on it. For the first time in my life, I'm sticking to something until I find it, even if I have to go it alone, with just the help of the secrets I see on your site every Sunday. Step by step I'll get there, some smaller steps than others, but I'll get there.--Ashely

Aging...

2007-05-28T09:34:00.000+08:00

Feli, thanks for this one... made my Monday more bearable, plus a Grande Latte from Starbucks!!... hahaha

George Carlin's Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids?

If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. "How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

"How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED ; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT !

You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime And it doesn't end there.

Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92." Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!" May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them."

2. Keep only cheerful friends . The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer , crafts, gardening , whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud . Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music , plants, hobbies , whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it . If it is unstable,improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9 Don't take guilt trips . Take a trip to the mall , even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10.Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER : Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away .

And if you don 't send this to at least 8 people - who cares???

But do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

God Foedselsdag Mikkel!

2007-05-17T18:50:00.000+08:00

Mikkel, your birthday is today.
We will listen to what you say.
Tell us now what we should do.
We will do it just for you!
Mikkel, your birthday is today!
Happy, happy, happy day!

With Hugs and Love,

Uncle Lars and Aunt Idah

Summer.. hhhmm, in Singapore?

2007-05-17T16:07:00.000+08:00

Singapore is very much an island with tropical weather, not so much like Hawaii, but i would like to think, we're cool enough... where east meets west, although i can't say much for our Ms Universe contestants... *FAINT*

Everyday is summer here, it's either sunny or thunderstorm, and playing in the rain is the best thing ever...:D

Okie, SuperN, let me combine my stay in Matane with Lars during summer (although 18 degrees is not summer to me) and the summer here in Singapore... heheeh.

1. Eating caramel ice-cream cone with Lars while driving through town.

2. Eating fresh cold water-melons,mangoes and oranges after u come home from the hot sun!

3. Heavy platter of rain after a hot day!... and you pretend to walk slowly although home is just 10 steps away...hehehe

4. The trip to this garden, created by some people for delinquent kids to spend time other than doing other weird stuff.. they had nice berries to eat!!

5. Eating cherries, rasberries and strawberries in Lars garden! my first time doing it, and it was really really good!!..hahah

6. Taking a long cold shower, and no kids banging on the bathroom door at my sis place

7. How beautifully bright the sun is... and how much i would run to the nearest mall for some air-conditioning!!!!! kekekekek

8. Last but not least... after spending bitter cold winter in Canada, summer is always very much welcomed!

cats and coffee.. something for my mid-week crisis

2007-05-02T15:06:00.000+08:00

The Road

2007-04-23T16:05:00.000+08:00

Cormac McCarthy's The Road has been awarded the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

I am not a fan of all Oprah's pick on books, but this one, she didnt do wrong!

Feli, it's a must buy or please wait till June! :D

Answering Machine Says...

2007-04-20T17:13:00.000+08:00

1. Sorry I can’t get to the phone right now because my girlfriend and I are doing our favorite thing together. Personally I like doing it up and down, while she likes doing it side-to-side r-e-a-l slow...
So I’ll get back to you when we finish brushing our teeth.

2. "911 - What is your emergency?"

3. Hi! John's answering machine is broken. This is his refrigerator. Please speak very slowly and I'll stick your message to myself with one of these magnets.

4. Hi. This is John: If you are the phone company, I already sent the money. If you are my parents, please send money. If you are my financial aid institution, you didn't lend me enough money. If you are my friends, you owe me money. If you are a female, don't worry, I have plenty of money.

5. This is not an answering machine this is a telepathic thought-recording device. After the tone, think about your name, your reason for calling, and a number where I can reach you, and I'll think about returning your call.

6. Hello. I'm home right now but cannot find the phone. Please leave a message and I will call you back as soon as I find it.

7. A is for academics, B is for beer. One of those reasons is why we're not here. So leave a message.

8. Hi, I'm not home right now, but my answering machine is, so you can talk to it instead. Wait for the beep.

9. Please leave a beep at the message.

10. Please leave your name and number, and after I've doctored the tape, your message will implicate you in a federal crime and be brought to the attention of the FBI.

The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost

2007-04-12T09:23:00.000+08:00

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Odd Thomas - Dean Koontz

2007-04-11T16:23:00.000+08:00

During my stay in Matane, i read the last series to Odd Thomas. I will wait with much fingers drumming for Koontz to write another one of Odd adventures, "loop me in, odd one"

I now leave you with excerpts and reviews...

Excerpts:

CHAPTER ONE

Embraced by stone, steeped in silence, I sat at the high window as the third day of the week surrendered to the fourth. The river of night rolled on, indifferent to the calendar.
I hoped to witness that magical moment when the snow began to fall in earnest. Earlier the sky had shed a few flakes, then nothing more. The pending storm would not be rushed.

The room was illuminated only by a fat candle in an amber glass on the corner desk. Each time a draft found the flame, melting light buttered the limestone walls, and waves of fluid shadows oiled the corners.

Most nights, I find lamplight too bright. And when I'm writing, the only glow is the computer screen, dialed down to gray text on a navy-blue field.

Without a silvering of light, the window did not reflect my face. I had a clear view of the night beyond the panes.

Living in a monastery, even as a guest rather than as a monk, you have more opportunities than you might have elsewhere to see the world as it is, instead of through the shadow that you cast upon it.

St. Bartholomew's Abbey was surrounded by the vastness of the Sierra Nevada, on the California side of the border. The primeval forests that clothed the rising slopes were themselves cloaked in darkness.

From this third-floor window, I could see only part of the deep front yard and the blacktop lane that cleaved it. Four low lampposts with bell-shaped caps focused light in round pale pools.

The guesthouse is in the northwest wing of the abbey. The ground floor features parlors. Private rooms occupy the higher and the highest floors.

As I watched in anticipation of the storm, a whiteness that was not snow drifted across the yard, out of darkness, into lamplight.

The abbey has one dog, a 110-pound German-shepherd mix, perhaps part Labrador retriever. He is entirely white and moves with the grace of fog. His name is Boo.

My name is Odd Thomas. My dysfunctional parents claim a mistake was made on the birth certificate, that Todd was the wanted name. Yet they have never called me Todd.

Reviews:

"Engaging?. An irresistibly offbeat mix of supernatural horror and laugh-out-loud humor."—Publishers Weekly

"Odd Thomas' latest adventure will make a believer out of even the hardest-nosed soul."—Denver Post

"An irresistibly offbeat mix of supernatural horror and laugh-out-loud humor."—Arizona Daily Star

Spring, Where Art Thou

2007-04-09T14:03:00.000+08:00

Spring, Where Art Thou - by Idah X
This one's for you sweetie...

O' Winter
Your Presence Were Felt

Your Soft Whites Ever so Pure
Glistening Under The Sunlight
Though Dark, Gray Storms
Were One Too Many At Times

May is Beckoning…
April is Leaving…

Won’t You Leave and
Let Us Be Merry…

Till August.. Bring It On!

2007-04-03T17:25:00.000+08:00

Well, i am back at my old job, good thing was, boss didnt ask back for his Tag Heuer watch..heheh, or i would have given him the look or kick his ass, ok, i hope he doesnt read this.

My 1 month with Lars made me realise, there are loads of ups and downs in one's life, be it personal or own creation. Communication is the essence and having few close friends and love ones, makes it easier, for it is difficult for them at the same time.

Family matters, no matter where you are, Lars family is one good example, no matter how far apart he is from his family, they are close knit, it was not easy for either, but time, as always, will mend and heal everything.

My family, no matter how weird, how scary we get at times, we are as close as it gets, being just miserable happy, if there is such word. Coming home and arguing with sis had never been such fun, or listening to kids screaming... and then when the jetlag has worn off and reality kicks in, you need 2 aspirin just so the throbbing pain will stop at some point... hahahahah.

I am looking forward to August now, to be together with my better half.. till then, i have driving lessons, screaming babies strapping to my legs, siblings to argue with, mum to drive up the wall, friends to get merry with and last but foremost, my work!!!!! I always say, Good Lord loves me, and He does...

Have a great week ahead!

This is Idah signing off..

Be Kind To Animals, Kick Only Human!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2007-04-02T17:16:00.000+08:00

To my Dad on his day,

Of whom I am a living will:

May your happiness fulfill

Your goodness, as is just and right.

Deeds are seeds upon the night

As wind and wonder have their way,

Delivering the destined light.

Happy Birthday!, Til lykke med fødselsdagen!, Voeux de bonheur!

With Much Love From Us Both!

Hope you enjoyed your holiday in Greece...

much excerpts from the Net....

One Headlight - The Wallflowers

2007-03-15T22:17:00.000+08:00

Gerard, Jude and I would meet up whenever we felt that its been a long while since we had wine, smoke till our lungs burst or most probably mine and listen to songs, all our favourite songs. Gerard would be the DJ, and Jude at times. I just smoke and sing till someone shouts at me to shut up.

There is this one song i love, One Headlights, by The Wallflowers. I have been listening to it on YouTube, reminiscing ol`days. Jude is now married and the last time we met was a year ago, Gerard has been busy with work, we try to meet once a week but call each other once a day to make sure one is still alive and kicking. Best friends do that, i guess, but i think we do it cos we dont have anything better to do than to drive each other crazy.

I do not have his picture now to show (he`s single and available, by the way). I`ll do a blog on him on his birthday, well, maybe, if he`s nice enough..

So, if anyone has a chance to listen to this song... it`s my song!

One Headlight - The Wallflowers

So long ago, I don't remember when
That's when they say I lost my only friend
Well they said she died easy of a broken heart disease
As I listened through the cemetery trees
I seen the sun comin' up at the funeral at dawn
The long broken arm of human law
Now it always seemed such a waste
She always had a pretty face So I wondered how she hung around this place

Chorus: Hey, come on try a little
Nothing is forever
There's got to be something better than In the middle
But me & Cinderella We put it all together
We can drive it home
With one headlight

She said it's cold
It feels like Independence Day
And I can't break away from this parade
But there's got to be an opening Somewhere here in front of me
Through this maze of ugliness and greed
And I seen the sun up ahead At the county line bridge
Sayin' all there's good and nothingness is dead
We'll run until she's out of breath
She ran until there's nothin' left
She hit the end-it's just her window ledge

(chorus)

Well this place is old
It feels just like a beat up truck
I turn the engine, but the engine doesn't turn
Well it smells of cheap wine & cigarettes
This place is always such a mess
Sometimes I think I'd like to watch it burn
I'm so alone, and I feel just like somebody else
Man, I ain't changed, but I know I ain't the same
But somewhere here in between the city walls of dyin' dreams
I think her death it must be killin' me

Trip To Gaspé

2007-03-15T21:20:00.000+08:00

Before i start on my trip to Gaspé this morning, i would like to share a story given to me by Ina, Lars mum. She wrote me an email last week when i could not find any positive or happy thoughts being in Matane during winter...

Ina, i hope you don`t mind me using your email version of the story, my way of saying thank you for caring! :D

The story of Pollyanna has been filmed and there are 3 books about her. They are written in the 20ties I think, but the moral in them are valid even today. I read them as a little girl, but I have used her method all my life and have told about it whenever I thought it could be understand. Once I had a young man in prison who couldn`t see any light ahead and whenever I saw him after that he raised his hand, gave me a smile and shouted: Pollyanna! No one but us knew what that meant, so here it is:

Pollyanna is a little girl, living in Africa with her parents, who were preaching the word of Lord Jesus. The parents die in a car accident and P. are sent back to England to live with an old aunt, who knew nothing about childrens need and grief. The aunt was good to Pollyanna, they lived with the days in strictly rituals, You know breakfast at 8, scool to 12, then I hours sleep, then tea, reading, 1 hours walk to exercise and no variations at all. P. was told not to talk about her parents, not to cry and she was very sad and lonely, no joy at all. Every night she prayed to God as she used to do in Africa and after telling God about her sorrows, praying for good health to the people she knew, she had learned to end every prayer with something to say thanks for. And she couldn`t find anything to be happy about and to thank God for. But anyway she always managed to find something. The first night she thanked God that she only had to eat porridge once a day. The next day something else, very small pleasures but as the time went by she became very good and adventurious in finding “Happy Things”
She was so positive all the time, that her sorrows dimmnissed and as time went by, learned her old aunt to be a happy person too.

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

We woke up at 4.30am, picked up Jean-Pierre and headed to Gaspé, 3/4 hours away from Matane for Lars business meeting. It was raining, foggy, but the mountain sights were beautiful, with clouds hanging, windmills, and lake. It was still gray, but i realise, the big rocks had crystal snow coming down and it looks like a fall, a frozen fountain.. beautiful...

It`s 9.30am now, and i am at Gaspé University library, listening to songs from YouTube, typing on my blog and replying emails to friends. They have a wide collection of English books and literature (yes, literature!!!!!.. thank you Lord! )

Ina, i have found the happy things for today, i will let you know what i can find tomorrow on our weekly Friday email.

Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol

2007-03-13T23:36:00.000+08:00

Have you had one of those days when a song sticks to your head like your niece clamping on your feet when you have an ice-cream in hand?? well, i had the privilege of having this one song playing over and over in my head till i thought everyone looked like music icons... hehhehehe

Enjoy!!! Hope it sticks to your head now. HA HA!

Chasing Cars

We'll do it all
Everything On our own
We don't need Anything Or anyone
If I lay here If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
I don't quite know How to say How I feel
Those three words Are said too much They're not enough
If I lay here If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
Forget what we're told Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life
Let's waste time Chasing cars Around our heads
I need your grace To remind me To find my own
If I lay here If I just lay here Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
Forget what we're told Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life
All that I am All that I ever was Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see
I don't know where Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all
If I lay here If I just lay here Would you lie with me and just forget the world

pictures... start from below...

2007-03-12T21:57:00.000+08:00

lars backyard when we got home..

lars scraping snow after snow storm..hehehehe

me in montreal

when decisions have to be made

2007-03-12T21:11:00.000+08:00

its been a long while since i wrote on my blog, i have been in matane, canada for 1.5 weeks now, and today the sun is shining brightly, reflections on the snow has that glittering light, temperature is up to -8..this was a beautiful day!

when you have been having dark, gray, cold windy, snowy week, and temperature down to -38, this is those days you get off bed and thank the Lord for the sun!

i never realise how it felt being alone at home, where every little sound you hear makes you jump up and wonder where it came from. i am known not to be brave when it comes to new strange place and left to myown revision and having a vivid and imaginative mind does not help either.

sometimes, being solace makes you think,and at times, it makes you think weird also, but as it is said... what does not kill you, makes you better, it has to!

only after talking and discussion did i realise how we both were not ready to take this plunge of wedded bliss in july...., it has to be right, it has to feel right and knowing that you love each other more and the feelings are stronger after talking about it does it feel so right.

i know some may read this and wonder what the hell is she talking about.. well, for those who does, this decision was made not base on me being a coward or butterflies in the stomach...

1 divorced family is enough to last me a lifetime, i want mine to last forever and to do that, i need to know i am ready and look back and say to myself.. wow, i have crossed that bridge!

waiting till dec 2007 is not so bad after alll, there will be more planning, more things organised and especially more of my unhealthy thoughts organised!

learning french for the time being would be a good idea too!!!..

Au Revoir... till my next blog update, some pictures for you guys out there, in case writing too much gets a little bit boring!!!

oh yes, can someone please update me on Heroes!!! i have been missing it for 2 episodes now... FAINT!!!

Cat Rulez!

2007-02-12T12:27:00.000+08:00

There have been reports on our local newspaper about the hygiene and what to do with all the cats, be it as a pet or strays. I will simply say, when you hate cats, you should not call yourself an animal lover or even keep a dog....

To all those pet owners, sterilized your cats, it's the only way to go, given the circumstances.

Catz Rule!

2 days before V-Day

2007-02-12T10:18:00.000+08:00

I woke up this morning, twisting and turning, wishing it was Sunday, but alas, life cruel fate has it, i had to drag my feet off, look at Sasi all curled up and snoring away, wishing that instant moment, should i kick her or let her sleep in peace, and of course, i bend down, shook her body and ask her to wake up! HA! if i have to wake up, so does my cat!

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

As brightly as the sun would shine, it could not give that much light and heat to one's heart that is dark and cold.

Monday is here, and as i rush for my coffee madness, allowing caffeine to sip into my bloodstream and calmess wins again, i click on Post Secret for weekly updates.

I came across this card, and with coffee in one hand, smile on my face, fact be known, this card below was not written by me! :D

I dont believe in the commercial bit of Valentines, but, if it means, saying i love you ten time more, kissing your love ones every little chance you have, or simply spending more time in bed, i say Bring It On!

Top Ten Signs That You've Had Too Much Of The 90's...

2007-01-29T17:17:00.000+08:00

Top Ten Signs That You've Had Too Much Of The 90's...

10. When you make phone calls from home, you accidentally insert a "9" to get an outside line.

9. When you go home after a long day at work you still answer the phone in a business manner.

8. You hear most of your jokes via email instead of in person.

7. Your idea of being organized is multiple colored post-it notes.

6. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends is that they do not have e-mail addresses.

5. You chat on-line regularly with a stranger from the US, but haven't spoken with your next door neighbor yet this year.

4. You e-mail your work colleague at the desk next to you to ask if they're ready to go to lunch. (Aren't we guilty for this one... hahahahah)

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 4.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

1. You try to enter your password on the microwave.

Strange Facts

2007-01-29T17:11:00.000+08:00

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time television were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

Coca-Cola was originally green.

Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury.

Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters.

Men can read smaller print than women; women can hear better.

City with the most Rolls Royce's per capita: Hong Kong

State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska

Percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%

Percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%

Barbie's measurements if she were life size: 39-23-33

Cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400

Average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000.

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.

The youngest pope was 11 years old.

First novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.

The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:

Spades - King David
Clubs - Alexander the Great,
Hearts-Charlemagne, and
Diamonds - Julius Caesar.

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.

"I am." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.

The term "the whole 9 yards" came from W.W.II fighter pilots in the South Pacific. When arming their airplanes on the ground, the .50 caliber machine gun ammo belts measured exactly 27 feet, before being loaded into the fuselage. If the pilots fired all their ammo at a target, it got "the whole 9 yards."

Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.

The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.

The name Jeep came from the abbreviation used in the army for the "General Purpose" vehicle, G.P.

The cruise liner, Queen Elizabeth II, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

The only two days of the year in which there are no professional sports games (MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL) are the day before and the day after the Major League all-stars Game.

THE Proposal

2007-01-22T12:37:00.000+08:00

Many a times, in a woman's life, there will be moments when you wonder about how life would be like through your 20' right up till 30s. Will you be married, start a family, have kids, grow old with your partner, your soul mate as many would call it.

And many a times, you wonder, if making a decision is the right one you would make, and you realise, all your life, the "what if's" syndrome will haunt you in every possible way, especially when things go wrong.

Marriage proposal was not necessary for me, i always figured, you know you're going to get married, and long distance relationship is as to the extreme as it is.

I remember this saying, watching "Taken", ok, yes,I am a movie, drama, books freak at times but... i love it! So, anyway, Dakota Fanning was saying this:

Sometimes the best way to move into the unknown is to take familiar steps, small steps. To do ordinary things to deal with something that is in no way ordinary. We're always going someplace new, all the time. Familiar things just let us pretend that we aren't moving into unfamiliar territory. You take those small familiar steps, and you try to be honest, not to live as if nothing had changed but still to go on with your life. But there are times when what you need is a piece of how things used to be.

So, folks, 21st Jan, at 8.00pm (SIN time), 7.00am (CAN time) and 12.00pm (Denmark time), Lars said, "Idah, will you marry me?" and that changed everything!

It felt real than it was months ago, a man and not just any man, the man you know you want to spend the rest of your life with, proposed to me! not the neighbour next door, not the friend i know, not anyone else, but me! :)

On behalf of all the Mondays that i drag for so many years, this is one Monday i will not forget! I am actually smiling and dont need 10 mugs of coffee to keep my sanity level to normal rate. Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian.

The real trouble with reality is that there's no background music.

2007

2007-01-10T15:32:00.000+08:00

I have no idea what is wrong with me, either aging is in the process or my brain has decided to take a break from the world, you know, i think it's the other way round, it's overworking, mush and gerard use to tell me, whatever number of thoughts an average person thinks, i have double.

"In this sad World of ours, sorrow comes to us all; and to the young, it comes with bitterest agony, because it takes them unawares."

"Every effect must have its cause. The past is the cause of the present, and the present will be the cause of the future. All these are links in the endless chain stretching from the finite to the infinite."

That was said by Abraham Lincoln.

As i reflect on 2006, conjuring up enough memory cell left, the good things that came to into my life, the things i wish i had done or said, the people i wish i could shoot (well, not that many, really).

I have met a man i want to spend the rest of my life with, start a family, something i never thought would happen in a million years, well not to me, maybe to everyone else, well, now that it's here, it's happening to me, i want to embrace it whole-heartedly, look back and see this young lady that drinks, smoke and dance in her own world looking on to this grown woman and know it's ok.

Last few years has allowed me to grow and taught me many things about life and people, family, work. I don't want to relive most of it... a lot of it was hard work and it's certainly work I don't want to have to do again. Yet I don't regret it... well most of it anyway.

I have drifted away from friends, and I have gained some friends. Friends have moved away from me, and some have moved back to me. The friends I cherish most are still a firm part of my everyday life - and that means more to me than I could explain.

I have become a better person... I have hurt some people and been hurt in order to become this - but I think they too would say it was well worth it.

I have learnt to live, to cherish the moment, to take life as it comes, to be happy, to smile when I don't feel like it, to open myself up and most importantly to love.

I know this year will be better than the last, watching my life pass me by, i don't want to waste my day... *i feel a song here...* Now that the year has come, time is ushering me off, pushing me from my back, saying it's time to move forward, it's now or never missy. Saying goodbye has never been a friend of mine. I feel equipped to tackle whatever is thrown my way...

Blimey, Thousand Apologies!

2007-01-08T14:45:00.000+08:00

You Belong in the UK

Blimey!
A little proper, a little saucy.
You're so witty and charming...
No one notices your curry breath

What English Speaking Country Are You?

My Trip

2007-01-08T14:30:00.000+08:00

I am back home, well, it's Monday, and i am at work, needing coffee more than ever, with bloodshot eyes, i need sleep badly.

Reached Singapore late evening on Friday, and went to my sister's place which was 10 minutes away from the airport, greeted by Gerard and Genie at the airport, it was really nice to see them.

Unfortunately, i could not sleep at all, it was not my bed, and sleep came at 1am and sun came at 4am, as my mind was nagging whether Lars has reached Montreal safely. Saturday night, same thing, wondering whether he has reached Quebec safely.

Last evening, i came back to Toa Payoh, the smell of dog crap, courtesy of our friendly neighbours could not have made me happier.. I AM HOME!

Sasi was home, and it's nice, my bed, my cat, my pillows... all mine and still freaking sleep would not come cos Sasi decided to nag the whole night!!!

So, here i am typing on my blog, doing some personality blogging thing from Mush the moron blog, and feeling sleeepy yet again.

My stories about Denmark coming up with pictures to see.. My next countdown trip, Quebec in March.

Yawn!

Blogging Personality..Hmmmm

2007-01-08T14:29:00.000+08:00

Your Blogging Type Is the Private Performer

Your blog is your stage - with your visitors your adoring fans.
At least, that's how you write with your witty one liners.
And while you like attention, you value your privacy.
You're likely to have an anonymous blog - or turn off comments.

What's Your Blogging Personality?

Greetings From Denmark

2006-12-27T14:56:00.000+08:00

Hi all,

it's been some time before i updated my blog, been busy when we reached Lars parent's place, chrístmas was here, and now that i'm more sober, my writing begins.

I'm still adapting to the cold weather here, the fog, which i was so excited about, but the overcast weather can be a little bit gloomy compared to sunny singapore, but unfortunately, singapore has not seen sun for days too due non-stop rain.

Lars made roasted duck, stuffings and his delicious gravy...yummy!!! i have a feeling i will gain weight going back singapore next month.

i will attach pictures soon, need more coffee right now to get over the fact that i woke up at 5am this morning.

Have a good and peaceful holiday folks, and Mush, lovely pictures on the blog dudette!!

Blogger Update

2006-12-18T20:25:00.000+08:00

It's been a busy week, since Lars got here last Thursday, from our trip to KL, Malaysia and trips to meet friends and relatives. Lars also lost his wallet from one our outings at East Coast. It was bad, happened on Friday, and next day, we went to Downtown East Wild Wild Wet, he had a bad sun burn, still recovering, it's been painful.

Mush, setan!!! this time round,am getting Lars to update our blog. Pictures will be posted soon, folks! It's been raining heavily since yesterday, with no sun! wow!

Og der er jo nogle der har udtrykt ønske om et dansk indlæg her på siden (Mush). Hvad kan jeg sige, hóvedparten af Dem der læser siden bruger engelsk som kommunikation, så lad os fortsætte med det!

It is no secret that they do have slightly higher temperatures in Singapore compared to Matane or even Denmark for that sake here in the wintertime. It’s weird because there are Christmas lights all over, salvation army are standing on all corners and collecting money and there are 28-31 degrees.
What do I think of Singapore;
Nice town, beautiful skyline and always a green area you can spot!
To many Chinese.
The most beautiful girl in the world is living here!
Nice markets, enjoying that a lot.
Indian hair cut is a must, but beware of the cologne!!!!!
If you want it, you can find it here no matter what, that’s the conclusion.

Love it :-)

Felicity and Choon Lui Wedding!

2006-12-04T15:24:00.000+08:00

Last week, Chin and I were busy trying to figure out what to wear, till the last Friday night, day before Feli's wedding. I, of course did not buy anything, but managed to dig out few things from the cupboard, plus a skirt complimentary of Chin.. Merci my Kukuu!

We met 6 years ago, when working together, and been together eversince, surviving on all the fights, arguments and most happy days... It was always the 3 of us, celebrating birthdays, christmas, night out to town, dancing, drinking.

Smoking cigar from a night out (walking barefoot back to hotel), oh yes, stopping by mcdonalds and geting burgers, all this at 3am in KL. These are memories that would stay with me and Feli for a long time to come.

Feli, all the talks, wine drinking, acting silly, letting our hair down, crying, anger at the world, growing up, dressing up, changing, it has been my pleasure for all these years, and just when we thought the possibility of falling in love seem so far or never there, the inevitable (or possibly not) from God happened, it came knocking, answering our prayers even if it was for one another...

I will miss you buddy, and am sorry, if this is going to be another one of those teary emails that we seem so good at sending... BUT, another chapter of our lives has opened, and as we set upon it, goodbye is far from our minds.... Cheers!

To Feli and CL, May Both Of You Find Happiness Till The End of Time, and Lord Bless You Both as He Blessed Many Before and After You!

Post Secret

2006-11-27T12:31:00.000+08:00

Eversince i chance upon this website, it's been a routine duty to open it first thing Monday morning to check out new entries of the week. I have placed it on the Surf & Turf section of our blog for others to click on anytime.

People send in a postcard, with all their secrets, things they want to get it out, but at the same time, it doesn't necessarily mean you want to share it with someone, but sharing it with the world and still remain anonymous.

It feels real reading them, and some you realise, there are others like you, and it's nice tearing over some cards, knowing you're never alone in this world where the art of survival and reality of life looks back at you and say, Boo! and some get the chance to say it back.

I's still searching for the book in Singapore, Borders would be my safe bet, i just need to drag my feet to town and do it!

This is not a paid advertisement, by the way. heheheh...

It's still Monday folks, so yeah, wipe that freaking smile off your face, and bring me another mug of coffee will ya!

You know Christmas is coming when...

2006-11-24T14:26:00.000+08:00

I was in the airport yesterday, and there right in the middle of DFS was this bright lit tree, with Santa, sleigh and gazebo that has angels sitting on them.. kids and adults taking pictures and riding the sleigh,while it was raining heavily outside.

It's wet season here,i can't say its cold, cos Lars and Mush would laugh at me and say you call 28 degrees cold??!!! heheheheh.

But, it's same feeling any oh how, for it's rainy, "cold" and you see all the lights and trees and people actually greeting you in shopping malls,not sure if it's season's greetings or could be due to people are spending more this month and bonus is round the corner... :D

I tried once, when this girl wished me and i said, well, i don't know, it's not that good a morning today, i saw a dead bird on my way here with it's brains splattered, and i don think we should smile that much today in honour of the dead. NEXT! i could have sworn that was coming out of her mouth for the next customer to pay her things.

It's 2.2 months bonus for all civil servants!! hmmm... i don't know what's so civil about being a servant, but 2.2 months bonus, SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Have a good weekend folks!

Till my next nonsensical episodes...

2006-11-20T15:46:00.000+08:00

If you can't laugh about this you need help.... This is a supposedly true story from the Word Perfect help line. Needless to say the help desk employee was fired; however, the person is currently suing the Word Perfect organization for "termination without cause". This is from the taped conversation leading up to dismissal:

"Word Perfect Technical Desk, may I help you?"

"Yes, well, I'm having trouble with Word Perfect."

"What sort of trouble?"

"Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away."

"Went away?"

"They disappeared."

"Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type."

"Are you still in Word Perfect, or did you get out?"

"How do I tell?"

"Can you see the C: prompt on the screen?"

"What's a sea-prompt?"

"Never mind. Can you move the cursor around on the screen?"

"There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type!"

"Does your monitor have a power indicator?"

"What's a monitor?"

"It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV.

"Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on?"

"I don't know."

"Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall."

".......Yes, it is."

"When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?"

"No."

"Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable."

"Okay, here it is."

"Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer."

"I can't reach."

"Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?"

"No."

"Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?"

"Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle-it's because it's dark."

"Dark?"

"Yes-the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window."

"Well, turn on the office light then."

"I can't."

"No? Why not?"

"Because there's a power outage."

"A power... A power outage? Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in?"

"Well, yes, I keep them in the closet."

"Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."

"Really? Is it that bad?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it is."

"Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?"

"Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer."

2 More Weekends To Go - Woo Hoo!

2006-11-20T15:01:00.000+08:00

First of all, don't think anyone can see my do the dance of joy right now and the fact that only an insane, caffeine-ed person like me would look at the calendar every chance i could and realise, my man is coming down soon... heheheh. And would you believe it, it's Monday and i am smiling and doing the dance of joy.. that is not routined, and PMS is not here yet either. After 5 mugs of coffee today, i could leap over tall building in a single bound, run faster than a speeding bullet, dance and still type on my blog! All this with glazed wide eyes, listening to Linkin Park screaming, In The End...The wonders of CAFFEINE!

Have a saneful Monday everyone!

3 More Weekends To Go - Yippee!

2006-11-10T13:38:00.000+08:00

TOP 10 SIGNS YOUR FAMILY IS STRESSED...

10. Conversations often begin with "Put the gun down, and then we can talk".

9. The school principal has your number on speed-dial.

8. The cat is on Valium.

7. People have trouble understanding your kids, because they learned to speak through clenched teeth.

6. You are trying to get your four-year-old to switch to decaffeinated.

5. The number of jobs held down by family members exceeds the number of people in the family.

4. No one has time to wait for microwave TV dinners.

3. "Family meetings" are often mediated by law enforcement officials.

2. You have to check your kid's day-timer to see if he can take out the trash.

1. Maxwell House gives you industrial rates.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOP TEN WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE PMS...

10. Everyone around you has an attitude problem.

9. You're adding chocolate chips to your cheese omelet

8. The dryer has shrunk every last pair of your jeans.

7. Your husband is suddenly agreeing to everything you say.

6. You're using your cell phone to dial up bumper stickers that says, "How's my driving? Call 1-800-EAT-SHIT."

5. Everyone's head looks like an invitation to batting practice.

4. You're convinced there's a God and he's male.

3. You're counting down the days until menopause.

2. You're sure that everyone is scheming to drive you crazy.

1. The ibuprofen bottle is empty and you bought it yesterday.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOP TEN THINGS ONLY WOMEN UNDERSTAND...

10. Cats' facial expressions

9. The need for the same style of shoes in different colors

8. Why bean sprouts aren't just weeds

7. Fat clothes

6. Taking a car trip without trying to beat your best time

5. The difference between beige, off-white, and eggshell

4. Cutting your bangs to make them grow

3. Eyelash curlers

2. The inaccuracy of every bathroom scale ever made

1. OTHER WOMEN

Happy Birthday Skat!

2006-11-08T15:10:00.000+08:00

On your very special day

There are things I'd like to say to you my love on your special day:

I am forever thankful God sent you my way.

Like a gift from up above,
you showed me how it is to feel real love.

I know many mountains we've had to climb
and sometimes forever has seemed like a very long time.

Yes, we've endured our share of pain,
but together we have so much to gain.

Bigger mountains may lie ahead,
but together there is no hill we can not tread.

So always remember my love for you,
and there is nothing together we can not do.

I'll be here forever - my love is true.
The person beside me, that would be you.

Post Eid - Monday Madness

2006-10-30T12:41:00.000+08:00

Eid came and well, for me, it's just about done and gone till next year.

It was such a tiring week, with all the cleaning, cooking, washing and mopping after all friends have left. Each year, i'll be telling myself, this would be the last Eid friends would come, but each year, i would still have my close friends around, not many can say they celebrate Eid withy friends and not relatives.. and i have that privilege and i am thankful, at least there are close friends you call loves ones...

Monsoon is here, finally, and haze is getting bearable with the much needed rain we have been getting daily. I don't think i can ever compare our weather to Quebec with their flurries of snow falling and temperatures dipping to minus in November but it's always a matter of adapting to one surroundings..:)

Till my next blog, with pictures, here's me wishing i could insert an IV tube from the coffee machine to my vein, think that ought to keep my sanity level sane on Monday!

Eid Mubarak to All!

2006-10-20T10:23:00.000+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri kepada semua umat Islam di Singapura, di mana-mana mereka berada. Kepada semua teman-teman, keluarga, kita berbahgia selalu. Insya Allah.

To all friends, families and muslims all across the globe, Have a Peaceful and Blessed Eid.

Ha en lykkelig og fredfyldt Eid!

Warm regards from both of us.

Jokes of the Week

2006-10-17T16:59:00.000+08:00

Joke #1

A pompous self made grocer named Bates gets his son into an expensive private school. On day One the whole family is there to see the little blighter begin his first day at school. The grocer, his family in tow, saunters into the principal's office and introduces himself thus: "I am Sir Shortweight Bates. This is my wife, Lady Bates, my daughter Miss Bates and my son Master Bates." "Oh does he?" asks the bemused principal, "we will soon get him out of that terrible habit."

Joke #2

A taxi passenger tapped the driver on the shoulder to ask him a question. The driver screamed, lost control of the car, nearly hit a bus, went up on the footpath, and stopped centimeters from a shop window. For a second everything went quiet in the cab, then the driver said, "Look mate, don't ever do that again. You scared the daylights out of me!" The passenger apologized and said, "I didn't realize that a little tap would scare you so much. "The driver replied, "Sorry, it's not really your fault. Today is my first day as a cab driver. I've been driving a funeral van for the last 25 years."

Joke #3

A stranger was seated next to Little Johnny on the plane when the stranger turned to the Little Johnny and said, "Let's talk. I've heard that flights will go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger."

Little Johnny, who had just opened his book, closed it slowly, and said to the stranger, "What would you like to discuss?"

"Oh, I don't know," said the stranger. "How about nuclear power?"

"OK," said Little Johnny. "That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first. "A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat grass. The same stuff. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?"

"Jeez," said the stranger. "I have no idea."

"Well, then," said Little Johnny, "How is it that you feel qualified to discuss nuclear power when you don't know shit?"

One Week Before Eid

2006-10-16T17:08:00.000+08:00

With a blink of an eye, 1 month of Ramadhan will be coming to a close, cookies are being baked, new clothes are bought and looked at; waiting to be worn on the morning of Eid. Homes will be cleaned, new glasses, plates, everything will be dusted from cabinets and set on table for families and friends to enjoy food, drinks and more food.

I have yet to clean, dust, buy any clothes, bring down curtains that need washing, together with the windows that need extreme cleaning. I wish i have the same excitement or enthusiasm as many of my friends, but i know a few who thinks it's more of a big deal for kids! But, as every year, the excitement will creep up on me during the last days where i will be cleaning like mad, running around getting all the last minute things for home and family. And the last bit, cooking Bryani on charcoal stove! Dear Lord, i have been doing this for years, and every year, my legs and arms would be aching like mad, but, it's nice when you see others enjoying the food!

To all......

A Happy and Bless Eid!
Maaf Zahir Batin

Autumn Greetings from Matane

2006-10-11T23:56:00.000+08:00

Ok, since Lars is busy, this is his better half writing for him and still wondering when he's ever not... hmmmm :)

Presently, it's about 1 or -1 degrees celcius in Matane, and Lord knows that's not autumn to me, thats like freezing point! I don't think below 10 degrees during day time helps either, but then again, this is Quebec City, where it either rains, u get only 3 months of sun and the rest are snow.

Here are the pics folks! Enjoy and warm greetings from Lars....

taken while driving on 07 Oct

Siblings

2006-10-11T10:12:00.000+08:00

As far back as i could remember, the 4 of us have always looked out for each other, especially my sister and i, and my 2 brothers close just the same. We don't talk much about our pain, hurt or how we feel, we just knew, and silence, reading, talking about shows, dramas on tv was a better way of pretending you're normal like the rest of the kids, and maybe, just maybe, the hurt will all go away one day.

We grew up, basically each as own individual, none the less, the fights, arguments, calling each other names, throwing stuff, it becomes part and parcel of being siblings in our family or probably many others.

I was always protective of love ones, hoping they'd be fine, praying hard there'd be food, none will ever have to live miserably or without food for the rest of their lives.

Now, we're all in our 30's, my sister married, with 2 lovely kids, my brothers the way they are and have been, i guess. Me, i am getting tired of always picking up after the now 2 grown men. i wish they would grow up, look at the future, think about what they want and have to do, that the most important thing, plan and plan and keep planning, for that is the only thing one can do, ultimate decision u leave it with Upper Management.

They say, u can choose your friends, but not your family..maybe, but sometimes, things that you go through may make you realise, u cant choose both. they come as they are, and no matter how much u want to change either one, a part of you and them haves been established and thus... you live with the fact.

I will not trade my brothers for anything, but at the same time, i dont feel the same as i do back then, lives have changed, experiences has made all of us grown, not apart but opening another chapter of our lives, and still know the past is there in that book.

I will still hope and pray for the best for them, love them as any sister would, be there for them when needed, listen, guide, advice, but no longer want to hold their hands, they now have to hold someone else's hands and lead the way together or lead their own way. Hopefully, one day, they'll realise, some things are far more important than video games, movies, supposedly "let's be merry" friends... and one of the most important factor is FAMILY.

Some Fridays Are Not Meant for Partying...

2006-10-06T11:05:00.000+08:00

Friday is finally here, i can sit up and smile at everyone in the office, and even allow them to make stupid not-so-funny jokes, and laugh along at some of them.

Today (Thurs, Canadian time), one of Lars truck driver skidded off the road, fell into a ditch and was killed instantly. I think it took them all by surprise, it shook everyone up, i know it shook Lars up a bit, the trucker was only 23 years old.

It's things like this, that makes you want to go home, hug your family real tight, and pray to the Lord for their safety while on and off the road.

I can't remember the last time i have not said enough to Lars to drive safely, stop if you are tired, get off the road, have a shut eye and continue with your journey. Life is such, you never know what will happen next, and the best thing to do, is be careful, do your best and leave the rest to the Upper Level. There are some things you do not have control of.....

To those who drives truck for a living, i say, take care and keep safe!
To Lars, sweetie, please drive safely this weekend! It's a very very long drive from home.

Life Of A Truck Driver

Rolling down that lonesome highway,
Staring sundown in the face.

Knowing not my destiny,
Or even my next place

I turn the radio up to muffle out the sound,
Of a giant diesel engine,
Wheels going round and round.

Longing for a friend,
In the next town I can find,

Rolling down those lonesome highways
Staring at the line.

Family on my mind,
Far back at home,

As I go rolling down that lonesome highway,
Feeling so all alone.

The driver's life ain't easy,
It's not meant to be,

Driving down that lonesome highway,
Bringing products in for you and me.

Wednesday - is it midweek already???

2006-10-04T22:42:00.000+08:00

Eid is a little more than 2 weeks away, and the dreaded CLEANING word is slowly creeping up on me, every nook and corner i turn to, it's like looking into another set of planets i've created, only this one are piles of toys, clothes, new diapers and more toys with the occasional Sasi crawling out of her battlefield looking content, and me really not wishing to find out what she has hidden in there... Sigh, and i only have 1 nephew and 1 niece!!!!

Ilhan

Nurul Alisyah

Sasi

These are the 3 little rascals at home, one throws everything around, the other hides them and last one hides inside them and wants to take over the world or so she claims.

My sister's been trying to lose weight since giving birth to Alisyah for the past 9 months, Ramadhan seems to be working for her, but sometimes to tell a woman that the old dress she's trying on does not look as good, it's like waiting for lightning to strke you down and someone stepping on your little pinky finger till you pass out... so, i do what most men would have done in my position.... PRETEND TEMPORARY INSANITY!

It's still Tuesday folks!

2006-10-04T10:28:00.000+08:00

A woman rubbed a bottle and out popped a genie. The amazed woman asked if she got three wishes. The genie said, "Nope, sorry, three-wish genies are a storybook myth. I'm a one-wish genie.
So......................what'll it be?"

The woman did not hesitate. She said, "I want peace in the Middle East .

See this map? I want these countries to stop fighting with each other and I want all the Arabs to love the Jews and Americans and vice-versa. It will bring about world peace and harmony."

The genie looked at the map and exclaimed, "Lady, be reasonable.

These countries have been at war for thousands of years. I i'm out of shape after being in a bottle for five hundred years.. I'm good but not THAT good! I don't think it can be done. Make another wish and please be reasonable."

The woman thought for a minute and said, "Well, I've never been able to find the right man.

You know - one that's considerate and fun, romantic, likes to cook and help with the house cleaning, is good in bed, and gets along with my family, doesn't watch sports all the time, and is faithful. That is what I wish for...a good man."

.............. The genie let out a sigh and said,
"Let me see that fucking map again!!"

Monday Blues & Cramps

2006-10-03T11:23:00.000+08:00

I woke up, wishing it was Saturday morning and i could sleep in a bit more, but that was not the case when it comes to real life, everything is surreal the moment you open your eyes and realise dawn is breaking, birds that you want shoot down are chirping up on the trees and which so happened the window to my flat is built beside a rain-tree, an old big rain-tree where fully hormonal charged birds decide to start a family, all next to my window. Sometimes, i really wonder the conspiracy of life, and can't help think how humorous God must be, first for giving me cramps and second for putting birds beside my window just to add in the fun!

Other than that, my Monday went off alright, 2 lucky bastards collegue took urgent leave, i had a headache that felt like 2 monkeys were fighting over one banana, BUT my boss being nice, yes, my boss was nice!

It ended with me watching comedies, playing with the kids, and chatting with my boyfriend who didn't fairly had a good morning in the office...heheheh

Till my next blog, and if i can find the time amidst my busy-ness in trying to rule the world with my partner in crime, Sasi. She says Catz Rule!

Faith, Riots and (un) reason

2006-09-28T23:40:00.000+08:00

Faith, riots and (un)reason
Threatening the Pope or Salman Rushdie with death is just a way of avoiding reality

Irfan Husain
News Comment

I HAVE a theory about riots: Those out on the streets often don't have a clear idea what they're rioting about. And invariably, they have a lot of time on their hands.

After all, how often do you find an employed person asking for leave to join the demo of the day? But when you have time to kill, you'll join any crowd that's out to protest, no matter what the cause.

When Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses inflamed parts of the Muslim world, how many people demonstrating had actually read the book?

I didn't either, but it wasn't for lack of trying: Struggling manfully, I ploughed through the first hundred pages before admitting defeat.

So, I never actually read the passages that gave rise to the famous fatwa. But I doubt very much if the people who rioted even saw the book.

The same is true for those now up in arms about the Pope's address at the University of Regensburg.

I have printed out the speech, and must confess that it's heavy going. The offending section is a tiny part of the paper, and it remains a mystery why Pope Benedict needed such an obscure quotation in his discussion of faith and reason.

Having said that, he has addressed an issue that needs to be debated: How should believers reconcile their faith with the dictates of reason? According to him, modern Christianity has bridged the gap, while Islam has not.

We can debate his conclusion, and criticise his choice of supporting material, but we can hardly deny his right to hold an opinion.

When some Muslims demonstrated their opposition to his views, many carried placards threatening the Pope with death. It seems that some Muslims' stock response to the slightest provocation consists of death threats and violent demonstrations.

These undignified protests reinforce the worst prejudices others have about some Muslims. After all, why should some cartoons in an obscure Danish newspaper, or a papal address at an unknown German university, send hundreds of thousands pouring into streets around the world?

When we were children, when somebody said anything offensive, we would chant: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me."

As we grew older, we learned that some words are deadlier than any stick or stone, festering long after bruises and wounds have healed. But, we were also taught to be stoical, and not to complain.

In a letter to the Guardian of Sept 20, San Cassimally of Edinburgh wrote: "As a Muslim, I am much more saddened and shocked by the murder of the Somali nun than by what the Pope said in Regensburg ... even if he knew exactly what he was doing."

I would add that I am far more horrified by the endless Muslim-on-Muslim killing going on in Iraq than by anything the pontiff could possibly say.

According to United Nations estimates, an average of a hundred Iraqis are being killed every day, almost invariably by other Iraqis. And all too often, many of the victims are tortured to death.

When Israel killed a thousand Lebanese civilians in a month of senseless bombing, Muslims (and others with a conscience) around the world were rightly incensed. But approximately the same number of Muslims are being killed by other Muslims every 10 days in Iraq, and there is no protest anywhere.

Before the invasion of Iraq, when Saddam Hussein tortured and gassed his own people with impunity, I do not recall any Muslims condemning him publicly.

Applying these same double standards, when Nato forces accidentally kill Afghans, we are furious. But when the Taliban kill innocent Afghans in suicide bombings, and assassinate teachers for teaching girls, we look the other way.

This kind of moral inconsistency is reflected in the treatment non-Muslims generally get in Muslim countries.

For instance, while the 300,000 Iraqi Christians were treated as equal citizens in Saddam's secular regime, two-thirds of them have fled the increasingly-Islamic nature of the present government.

Saudi Arabia, while funding Wahabi mosques across the West, refuses to permit non-Muslims to build their places of worship on its soil.

I am often asked why Muslims in Pakistan get so worked up about Bosnia, Chechnya and Palestine.

I try and explain in terms of the ummah, and the feeling of connectedness between, say, Indonesian Muslims and Turkish Muslims. But I fear this is only a small part of the real answer.

The truth is that the problems we face in much of the Muslim world are often so intractable that we escape reality by looking abroad.

Matters like poverty, disease, political instability and institutional meltdown are too difficult to be tackled by the inefficient and corrupt elites much of the Muslim world is cursed with. To deflect blame, they fulminate against the West for its perceived anti-Islamic attitudes.

It is this mindless, knee-jerk anti-West sentiment that sustains the jihadi groups, and is now propelling us to a very real "clash of civilisations".

As Islam becomes more heavily-politicised, it is evoking a strong reaction in the West. More and more, the Muslims who have migrated to Europe and America, as well as their children, are being seen as a fifth column.

The sight of perpetually-angry Muslims from London to Lahore, marching with placards calling for the death of somebody or the other, is moving normally liberal people to anger.

For me, the really worrying part of the Pope's address was his demand for the subordination of reason to theology: "Modern scientific reason quite simply has to accept the rational structure of matter and the correspondence between our spirit and the prevailing rational structures of nature as a given, on which its methodology has to be based. Yet the question why this has to be so is a real question, and one which has to be remanded by the natural sciences to other modes and planes of thought; to philosophy and theology."

Sorry, but I'm not buying this. This is precisely why I don't think faith and reason can ever be reconciled.

Taken from TODAY Newspaper (Singapore) dated 27 September 2006

The writer is a columnist for Dawn, a widely-circulated English-language newspaper in Pakistan.

Happy Birthday Mush!

2006-09-27T23:38:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I sit and ponder
The idiosyncrasies of life
I often wonder if a world exists
Outside our space and time.

If we took a rocket ship
And flew across our moon
Perhaps we'd land on Jupiter
And find an alien or two.

Sometimes I sit and wonder
If a butterfly feels pain
When It breaks from it's cocoon
And takes to flight again.

Or is the stars that twinkle
So brightly in the sky
Just a dim reflection of
The galaxy that's floating by.

Does it take a lot of time
To learn the scheme of things
Or why our National Anthem
Is too high for us to sing.

Is it really funny when
A child falls on their butt
Why drinking too much coffee
Gives us such a rush.

But mostly, I just sit here
Twittling my thumbs
Because I know that writer's block
Isn't any fun.
Especially when it comes to wishing you
Happy Birthday!

Most excerpts from – Twisted Heart

Birthday Wishes and Hugs from Lars and Idah

Without Coffee on Monday

2006-09-25T17:29:00.000+08:00

No coffee at the start of Monday morning is very much a sad affair..

APPROACH AT OWN RISK
By Ted Helt Jr.

A cup of coffee to start the day,
More civil and reserved.
A cup of coffee to face the race,
My sanity preserved.
My day begins quite early,
Much earlier than most.
Without my morning coffee,
I’d not make it to my post.
If you should chance upon me,
Before I’ve had my brew.
Don’t be alarmed if I should bite,
Upon your backside chew.
Tread softly should there be no Joe,
For my A.M. caffeine Fix.
I rely on it to calm my nerves,
And make me fit to mix.
You wouldn’t invade a Grizzly’s lair,
A wide berth he’d gain, from fear.
So please show me the same regard,
Until the coffee cart’s been here.

1st day of Ramadhan

2006-09-25T09:24:00.000+08:00

Ramadhan is the month where heaven doors will be opened and hell gates closed. They didnt state anything about doors of several deadly sins to be open 24 hours a day...

I thought going to market, cooking, spring cleaning my room, stand in the kitchen making "roti jala" would be a breeze... it was the mother of all wrongs!!

If my feet, arms, tummy could speak, they would shout vulgarities at me, telling me to slow down, facts and common sense would say, our body is in shock, it needs time to adjust to this fast...

Ilhan made it worse by drinking cold water in front of me. FAINT!

I was so beat, I wondered how I could sit and stare at 100 Plus cold drink and "bandung" (concoction of rose syrup and evaporation milk) and not just guzzle the whole jug, but, yes I made it till 7pm on 1st day.

To all Muslims going through fasting during Ramadhan, Have a Blessed Month.

Ramadhan - Fasting Month

2006-09-22T11:42:00.000+08:00

This is the part where I am to write about the religious obligations on fasting, and how one is to do it and etc.

Ramadhan to me, when I was a child, it was an excuse why there was no food on the table, we only eat once a day, and we thank Lord for filling our tummy and we look upon the rest of the world where food is scare.

As I grow up, and thinking starts to change, practicality and maturity kicks in, the part where you questions things or do as your Mum says, I wish I could say the latter, but, this is what made me the person I am today.

I started fasting only years ago, and there would be days when I would not fast, not because I am insulting religion or making fun of the idea of one person starving from sunrise till sunset, but more because I want to fast because I want to, not because someone wants me to.

The days I fast, would be the days I realise, how the hungry kids in some parts of the world must be feeling, and of my past, where you need to wait every 2 weeks to eat egg sandwich. It makes me feel humble, not to waste food, to look at people differently, and not to judge by the material things you own or see.

My present life, I can walk in to any restaurant today and have a fill of any meat, veg., a scrumptous meal, leave your half full plate and walk out being full, bloated and knowing I have just built calories, yet again and feel guilty about it

Let's see how many days I can manage to fast this year and know I am doing it with all my heart.

So, to all the Muslims out there, I wish all a Peaceful Ramadhan and God Bless!

Odd Thomas - Dean Koontz

2006-09-21T11:21:00.000+08:00

I have always been a fan of Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas captured me, and now, am waiting for 3rd series on Odd. Read it, it's worth the time. Odd Thomas, Forever Odd and coming soon Brother Odd.

************************************************************************************
Odd Thomas
EXCERPT - CHAPTER 1

MY NAME IS ODD THOMAS, though in this age when fame is the altar at which most people worship, I am not sure why you should care who I am or that I exist.

I am not a celebrity. I am not the child of a celebrity. I have never been married to, never been abused by, and never provided a kidney for transplantation into any celebrity. Furthermore, I have no desire to be a celebrity.

In fact I am such a nonentity by the standards of our culture that People magazine not only will never feature a piece about me but might also reject my attempts to subscribe to their publication on the grounds that the black-hole gravity of my noncelebrity is powerful enough to suck their entire enterprise into oblivion.
I am twenty years old. To a world-wise adult, I am little more than a child. To any child, however, I'm old enough to be distrusted, to be excluded forever from the magical community of the short and beardless.

Consequently, a demographics expert might conclude that my sole audience is other young men and women currently adrift between their twentieth and twenty-first birthdays.

In truth, I have nothing to say to that narrow audience. In my experience, I don't care about most of the things that other twenty-year-old Americans care about. Except survival, of course.

I lead an unusual life. By this I do not mean that my life is better than yours. I'm sure that your life is filled with as much happiness, charm, wonder, and abiding fear as anyone could wish. Like me, you are human, after all, and we know what a joy and terror that is.

I mean only that my life is not typical. Peculiar things happen to me that don't happen to other people with regularity, if ever.

For example, I would never have written this memoir if I had not been commanded to do so by a four-hundred-pound man with six fingers on his left hand.
His name is P. Oswald Boone. Everyone calls him Little Ozzie because his father, Big Ozzie, is still alive.

Little Ozzie has a cat named Terrible Chester. He loves that cat. In fact, if Terrible Chester were to use up his ninth life under the wheels of a Peterbilt, I am afraid that Little Ozzie's big heart would not survive the loss. Personally, I do not have great affection for Terrible Chester because, for one thing, he has on several occasions peed on my shoes.

His reason for doing so, as explained by Ozzie, seems credible, but I am not convinced of his truthfulness. I mean to say that I am suspicious of Terrible Chester's veracity, not Ozzie's. Besides, I simply cannot fully trust a cat who claims to be fifty-eight years old. Although photographic evidence exists to support this claim, I persist in believing that it's bogus.

For reasons that will become obvious, this manuscript cannot be published during my lifetime, and my effort will not be repaid with royalties while I'm alive.

Little Ozzie suggests that I should leave my literary estate to the loving maintenance of Terrible Chester, who, according to him, will outlive all of us.

I will choose another charity. One that has not peed on me.

36 signs you've been in Singapore too long

2006-09-20T11:45:00.000+08:00

1. You've lost your sense of irony, sarcasm, and cynicism.

2. You don't know what's lame and what isn't anymore.

3. You think there's nothing wrong with putting chili sauce on everything you eat.

4. You wait for instructions from people in authority before doing anything. Always.

5. You join queues without knowing or caring what the queue is for.

6. You know what "queue" means!!

7. Your idea of a good night out consists of having dinner at a hawker centre,drinking beer,and then going to another hawker centre and eating again.

8. You've lost your ability to criticize people in higher positions than you, even if they're wrong.

9. You think it's okay to have only one meaningful choice on a ballot.

10. "Crossing the country" means taking the MRT to the end of the line.

11. You have a high tolerance for nagging.

12.Most or all of these acronyms make sense to you: NUS; NTU; ERP; SDU; PAP; MRT; LKY; GCT; PRC; TIBS; SBS; SMS; JB; JBJ; AMK; AYE; PIE; ECP; ISD; ISA; 5 C's; CPF; CHIJMES; SPG; CWO.

13. You use too many acronyms when you talk, or you create new ones.

14. You think that nothing makes a girl or guy more attractive than to dress exactly like hundreds of thousands of other girls and guys who all dress exactly like girls and guys in malls.

15. You think that S$100,000 [= US$ 57,000] is a reasonable price for a Toyota Corolla and S$1,000,000 is a reasonable price for a bungalow, but S$5 [= US$2.85] for a plate of fried noodles is a barbarous outrage.

16. You believe that not being able to get decent roti prata outside Singapore is enough to keep the best and the brightest people from leaving.

17. You see nothing wrong with forming committees of select elite people to deliberate and study ways to stimulate creativity and spontaneity.

18. You justify every argument with the phrase "in order for us to be competitive in the 21st century."

19. You think everything should be "topped up."

20. You see nothing unusual about an organization of trade unions spending more time owning and operating supermarkets, parks, drugstores, amusement nightclubs, and financial services than planning the next strike.

21. You believe that a lack of land is enough justification for the government to do what it wants.

22. You wear winter clothes indoors and summer clothes outdoors.

23. Durian and belachan no longer stink to you.

24. You like to have fun, but not too much fun, since you need to correctly gauge the amount of fun necessary to achieve the optimal result. Any more fun that that would bring shame to your family and your country.

25. You're not confused by a street naming system that locates streets like Clementi Road, Clementi Street, Clementi Crescent, Clementi Lane, Clementi Drive, Clementi Way, and Clementi Avenues 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 all within walking distance of each other.

26. You get irritated if you don't see a sign telling you how long your wait's going to be for a bus, a train, or the expressway to take you where you want to go.

27. You're certain that Holland Village is for hippie bohemian artist types and not for overpaid yuppies.

28. When you cross the border into Malaysia, you automatically and deeply fear for your life and your wallet. Especially your wallet!!

29. No matter what you're doing at the moment, you'd rather be shopping.

30. No matter how miserable you may be here, you thank God you're not in Indonesia.

31. You're impressed by high-rise apartment buildings with actual lobbies instead of bare exposed pillars on the ground floor [such as are found in much government-built housing].

32. You forgot what chewing gum tastes like.

33. You're sure that the best way to change social behavior is through consistent and comprehensive government-sponsored campaigns that permeate as many aspects of daily life as possible. And when they don't work, you never speak of them again.

34. You agree that what the government thinks of your personal habits and lifestyle should determine whether you get a condo and how much you pay for it.

35. You've become a fan of either Arsenal, Manchester United, or Liverpool when you barely knew what soccer was before you came to Singapore. And you don't care that none of these teams are Singaporean!

36. You think a bus is incomplete without a TV.

Technology - Bring It On

2006-09-19T12:05:00.000+08:00

Bring It On...

Have we wondered what technology has done for us, instead of sending text to each other, you have blogs to talk about your day, your lives, what you do, what your pet did and etc. I am trying to re-call the last conversation i had with a friend and to actually listen to her voice... hehehe. till my next journal, leave a message on my mobile, or messenger, yahoo or text me or, there's always email and blog.

Blogging

2006-09-18T11:51:00.000+08:00

Blogging...

It's been a month, and i am still trying to understand the need to have a blog, and should i have one, writing my thougts, my daily "so-interesting-it-should-be-made-a-movie" kind of live here in Singapore and having a boyfriend far far away, in a town called Matane, right in Quebec, Canada.

Well, i'm here, i've done it and i'm typing... and so we will see then...

9/11

2006-09-12T12:31:00.000+08:00

September 11 and what it means to me...

Ilhan's 2nd birthday while another part of the world is mourning for their loss 5 years ago... Cakes, sweets, food, kids... enough to make me run and hide in a closet for a day.

My Family Bluez

something to share.. a reminder of my beloved Sasi

The Longest Night: Saying Goodbye to My Beloved Pet

2008...

Salam Aidilfitri....

Al-Jawaher - Ku Pohon Restu Ayah dan Bonda

Happy Birthday Ilhan!!!

Have A Blessed Ramadhan

Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful Of Sunshine

when cats wrestle.....

Thank you Mister God, and Dada

Happy Birthday Singapore!

*NEW* Russell Peters - How to become a Canadian Citizen

Fun to do in elevators

Communication...

Help Save 1-800-SUICIDE

Summer Is Here.... :D

Under Construction

Tillykke med Fødselsdagen!

Invictus

I am a year older...... :D

Happy Birthday Mummy!

I'm Tagged!

Icon of Singapore Zoo Dies....

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Maximise Your Food Dollars

Underdogs Won - NY Giants!!!

Happy Birthday Sis!

while my sanity remains for the day....

My Family Blues...

as the seagull flew by the window...

Taking A Break...

Make A Memory...

Tag

Ramadhan

Hibernating Period

Goodbye Sasi.... Old Friend!

Happy Birthday Feli! :D

Love Defined

Summer in Matane

Bugged!

Real Girl - Mutya

Post Secret This Week

Aging...

God Foedselsdag Mikkel!

Summer.. hhhmm, in Singapore?

cats and coffee.. something for my mid-week crisis

The Road

Answering Machine Says...

The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost

Odd Thomas - Dean Koontz

Spring, Where Art Thou

Till August.. Bring It On!

Happy Birthday Dad!

One Headlight - The Wallflowers

Trip To Gaspé

Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol

pictures... start from below...

when decisions have to be made

Cat Rulez!

2 days before V-Day

Top Ten Signs That You've Had Too Much Of The 90's...

Strange Facts

THE Proposal

2007

Blimey, Thousand Apologies!

My Trip

Blogging Personality..Hmmmm

Greetings From Denmark

Blogger Update

Felicity and Choon Lui Wedding!

Post Secret

You know Christmas is coming when...

Till my next nonsensical episodes...

2 More Weekends To Go - Woo Hoo!

3 More Weekends To Go - Yippee!

Happy Birthday Skat!

Post Eid - Monday Madness

Eid Mubarak to All!

Jokes of the Week

NEW Russell Peters - How to become a Canadian Citizen