Farha Ghouse

Hello, February

2012-02-01T02:02:00.000+08:00

It's my birthday month, and it's a leap year this year! February has 29 days this year, and I wonder if people have their birthday on February 29.

February, please be a memorable month with lots of happy moments.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Bumbu Desa

2012-01-31T21:12:00.000+08:00

We were supposed to go to Wondermilk, Damansara but ended up in Bumbu Desa, KLCC celebrating Sha's 22nd birthday. It's Monday and it's working day, Anas and Zamir couldn't come and join us for late lunch.

The food was good and sambal dia pedas gila. Nama pun makanan Indonesia.

Citarasa masakan Sunda, ternyata rasanya enak sekali.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Study Tips

2012-01-29T19:09:00.000+08:00

Requested by Alya Azizan

Good study techniques begin in the classroom as you take notes. Sometimes teachers or lecturers tend to be so boring, I know and sometimes the subjects are boring too. But like it or not, you have to study for your exams and to get good grades. How to study? You can study alone or study with a group of friends. A study group can be motivational and worthwhile in assisting you with your schedule and to stay focused. When you study in a group, you behave differently then when you're studying alone. Most people who studied alone would find that there are many ways that could distract them from being focused. So here are some tips for you guys to start with:

Draw Up A Study Timetable

- Schedule each homework session. Make a schedule that breaks your time up into blocks that you will spend on each task.

- Plan in detail for each study session. Write down which chapter or topic you will be reviewing. This way, you can ensure that you will cover all the required information in the times you have allocated. Consider: What do I want to achieve in this session.

Study Notes

- Make your study notes short and simple. You can try making your own note cards and create a mind map. Make your notes colorful. You'll find that with colored notes, you'll be able to retain more information than usual.

- For calculation subjects, get ahead in the book; try to work some of the problems before they are covered in class. Do all the homework and do several chapter reviews and practice tests. Practice makes perfect.

- For science subjects, it is best to tackle each chapter at least 3 times. The first time you should skim the chapter, noting topic sentences, words in bold print, all tables, diagrams and summary charts. This is best read before the lecture. The second reading should be in more detail, studying each area and not proceeding until each section is understood. Reread each section as of many times as necessary until you understand its meaning. Mastery can take minutes or hours or days. The last major reading is for writing down terms and definitions and important concepts.

- Talk to yourself as you read. Explain what you have read aloud and make up your own examples to better understand what you have read. Rereading the material aloud, especially in your own words helps clarify the information. Hearing yourself makes a lot of difference.

Homework and Revision

- Have a positive "homework friendly" attitude. Being positive about school work makes it a lot easier. Just remember, you're laying the foundation for your future with the work you do now.

- Do the hard stuff first, your brain will be fresh and all the easy stuff will still be easy later.

- Review regularly. Homework isn't just the stuff assigned every night. A regular review of your notes should be part of your homework plan.

Managing Your Time and Study Environment

- Work out your most effective study times. When do you study best? Morning, afternoon or evening?

- Study at the same time. Figure out what time of day you can best concentrate and what works into your schedule.

- Study in the same place. Find a quiet place away from distractions with plenty of room.

Distractions

- Cut out all distractions. No TV, no phone calls or sms, or loud music. These can ruin your concentration.

- Don't let procrastination hold you back. Don't go on Tumblr, the most addicting website ever.

&& Most importantly, self discipline. You have to be very determined to achieve the goals you have set. If you're disciplined in your studies, you'll be strong in academics. Learning takes effort, time, and concentration.

Please let me know if I missed anything or if you have any suggestions for study tips. You are most welcome to share your opinion and thoughts.

I'm not a top student, some of the tips are my observation of other successful students, and I hope this will help you.

Good luck!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Year of the Dragon

2012-01-22T00:22:00.000+08:00

Wishing all my blog readers a Happy Chinese New Year and Gong Xi Fa Cai!

May the Year of the Dragon bring you good health, wealth and happiness.

Have a good meal on Chinese New Year's eve with your family!

Happy holidays to the rest.

Please be safe on the road, where ever you might travel.

Signed by Yours Truly,

New Header

2012-01-18T23:55:00.000+08:00

I got bored with my old header, so I decided to change it with the new one. I painted a simple dreamcatcher and wrote my name using watercolour, scanned it and did a little bit of adjusting and touching up.

Hope you like it!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Winter Break

2012-01-16T23:59:00.000+08:00

The long awaited break is finally here. It feels good to be home. Nothing can beat a home cooked meal and I would rather stay at home and eat my mama's cooking rather than going out to a restaurant or eating fast food. Unless I'm going out to have a little catch up with my friends tu lain cerita la.

I always think I'm going to be totally productive during winter break but then I never am. Dah balik rumah tu mesti la nak rest and destress myself! Hehe. This winter break I'm planning to:

- Take a family vacation.

- Meet friends and families.

- Visit a bookstore and hug the books.

- Read a lot of books. Get lost in a book.

- Take pictures. Take A LOT of pictures.

- Eat a lot of food like there's no tomorrow.

- Learn something new every day.

- Snorkeling!

Corals and colourful fish, the last time I went snorkeling when I was 15. I miss going to the beach though I tend to get burned easily, even with sunscreen on. I love the beauty of the underwater world, I wish I could dive deep in the ocean and explore. I'm afraid of sharks, but only in a water situation. My brother saw sharks before when he went snorkeling and diving, and my baby brother saw baby sharks so close to shore and he ran to my mum. Nasib baik. If you see a shark, don't panic. I'm afraid I won't be able to do that. I'll have a panic attack if I see a shark infront of me. Life is an ocean of experiences. Dive in, go deep, explore, and try to avoid the sharks.

Forget about the sharks. Turtles!

I've only seen one turtle so far, and it's leatherback. Turtles can swim faster than expected, as fast as humans can run on land. I wish I have a chance to touch a sea turtle. And for the love of God, please stop eating turtle eggs to save species from extinction. Turtles are arguably the most endangered of all the species that are facing threats of extinction, and almost everyone is aware of it.

I love turtles, they are amazing creatures.

I hope to swim with sea turtles someday.

Signed by Yours Truly,

2012

2012-01-01T00:12:00.002+08:00

After 365 days, the Earth has completed another revolution in its orbit around the Sun. May this year brings peace and happiness to everyone, and the strength to get through any problems they may have.

Hope we'll become a better person and a better Muslim, Insha'Allah.

Have a great year ahead!

Happy New Year 2012.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Moment in 2011

2011-12-31T00:03:00.000+08:00

Can you believe it's 31st of December already? Time flies by without noticing. I wish time didn't go so fast, and I wish that we had more time. Another year comes to an end. It's hard to believe another year has come and almost gone! Where does the time go?

Throughout the year of 2011 I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back. I'll just end up getting hurt. I realized I have made the mistake of trusting people too easily in the past. It's pretty tough to find sincere friendship nowadays. Just like seasons, people change.

Something I learned about people:

They're becoming what they hate.

I pray to God, I hope I wont become someone I'm not. My New Year's resolution is to become a person who has more confidence in herself. I want to become a better person, I want to achieve my goal and make my parents proud. Insha'Allah.

So, in year 2011..

1. I've gained weight, my friends said I look like a potato sack.

2. I've baked a cake for the first time without using instant cake mixes.

3. I've celebrated my 21st birthday with my beloved family.

4. My other half organized a surprise 21st black and white masquerade party for me and cooked dinner too.

5. I was featured in Sinar Harian newspaper! (February 16th)

6. I was featured in Remaja and Dara magazines too! (April edition)

7. My beloved Nani bought me a White Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s.

8. Bought myself a Aqua Pix 35mm Underwater Camera, Diana Mini and a Twin Lens Reflex Camera.

9. Watched Harry Potter twice. The first time I watched it with my family and I wore my Hogwarts Crest t-shirt. The second time I watched it with my Potterhead friends!

10. Had iftar with my girlfriends, with my college friends, with my primary school friends and with my mama's side of the family. PRICELESS.

I enjoyed my hostel life. We, as in my close friends and I lived next door to each other in the dorm. The best part of dorm life is that late hour of the night when everyone needs a study break and a good laugh.

Pillow Fights

Words: Memories by David Guetta feat Kid Cudi ♫♪

Tug of War

Words: Memories by David Guetta feat Kid Cudi ♫♪

We danced and imitated the movement of Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO ♫♪ (Girls Only)

Too lazy to go out of room, it was cold outside.

The good and the bad times, the tears and the laughter, we've been through them all. Thanks for the memories. 2011 wasn't the best year but I had lots of fun, it taught me a lot about people and myself.

And last but not least..

Rumors I've heard about myself:

1. I live in a single room because I don't know how to make friends and I dont know how to talk to people?

2. I'm very playful and I have no interest in studying medicine? I'm studying medicine for fun?

Seriously? Me, being anti-social? It's funny how people can judge me when they don't even know a single thing about me. Clearly you have nothing else to do with your lives.

You know my name, not my story.
Think twice, act wise.

Happy New Year 2012.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Drugs

2011-12-30T18:04:00.003+08:00

Cramming drug names into my limited neurons, my head is full of drugs now.

As interesting as Pharmacology is, learning it is a real pain!

Whoever named pharmaceutical drugs,

Y U NO MAKE THEM SIMPLER?!

Abciximab. Thiazolidinediones. Isoxazolyl.

Dihydroergotamine. Dextromethorphan.

SERIOUSLY.

It's hard when you have to remember so many drug names. It seems like last night we're getting confused on the MCQs and answering a lot of them wrong. I hate MCQs, period.

Yesterday we had our second exam paper, Pharmacology and today we had our last class of the semester. The first exam results were out today too. There were some good emotions but there were unfortunately too many bad emotions we ended up being stressed and tired.

And this is what happened when we're really stressed out. The adverse effect of studying Pharmacology, and getting Preventive results.

So yeah we were cuddling and laying down together, talking about nothing and trying to relax our mind.

It's been a tough semester, but definitely a good one.

One more day before 2011 ends.

Signed by Yours Truly,

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-26T03:03:00.005+08:00

Had Christmas dinner at Amila's place yesterday, and it was Jerome's first experience celebrating Christmas away from his family this year. I didn't know what to get them for Christmas, so I just bought them chocolates and cards! I suck at buying gifts. It's not the best but it is better than nothing. Takpe laa, it's the thought that counts. *pujuk diri sendiri*

I enjoyed the food, except for the sambal. It was extremely pedas I could die. Nasib baik ada potato salad, I love potato salad. And Jerome said I've helped him make his first Christmas overseas memorable. Yeay! Hope you both had a wonderful Christmas. Wishing you both health and happiness in the coming years.

The food, the music, it was all excellent.

Thanks for inviting me to your dinner last night.

Signed by Yours Truly,

A Dreamcatcher

2011-12-25T01:34:00.000+08:00

I bought myself a dreamcatcher top! Imma happy girl! Yeay!

&& I like dreamcatcher, I think it's cute and for me it is displayed as a decoration. I don't believe in the dreamcatcher for its powers to separate good spirits from bad in the snares of its spider-web design. It depends on your Nawaitu.

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."

- Harriet Tubman

Signed by Yours Truly,

Katakan Tak Nak!

2011-12-18T17:18:00.000+08:00

Today people are quite aware about how bad smoking is for our health. Ads for cigarettes were all over the place. They even put smoking warning on the back of a cigarette pack. Smoking cigarettes can shorten your life by 10 years or more; and that the habit can cost a smoker thousands of dollars a year. Your lungs are a very important organ. Breath is the foundation of life and this makes your lungs one of the most vital and irreplaceable organs in your body.

Why Do People Smoke Cigarettes?

People start smoking for a variety of different reasons. Some think it looks cool. Three of the main reasons that young people smoke are to look mature, to be like their friends, and to experiment. If their friends or peers smoke, they may feel pressured into doing the same to be accepted. It is the excitement of experimenting with something that is forbidden. Some may say it's for fun, as they like to watch the smoke take shape. The smoke, like clouds, can form different shapes.

And for adults, they may have a lot of stress and pressures because of economic and personal problems. They may be unemployed or working but not making enough money to take care of themselves and their families. Smoking gives them pleasure. As for them, cigarettes help them to relax and blow their troubles away. It just makes them feel good. As a kid, they felt grown up. As they got older, it was just a habit. They just smoked and didn't think about it.

How Does Cigarette Smoking Affect the Lungs

Imagine your lungs being filled with dirty smoke and tar, clogging your arteries.

It causes damage by destroying the sacs that take the oxygen from the air you breath. This can cause a number of diseases including asthma, and emphysema. The most common lung diseases caused by cigarette smoking are emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma and lung cancer. Once you damage your lungs, they do not repair themselves. If you smoke, and you quit, then you stop further damage.

Remember, smoking kills not only your health and well-being, but also that of others, including your children. Passive smoking causes early death and health problems in children and adults who do not smoke.

How To Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking is not easy, but you can do it. Make a firm commitment to yourself in your mind and in your heart that you will stop smoking no matter what. Use oral substitutes during the day. Nibble on cinnamon sticks, celery sticks, apples, carrot and chewing gum. Electronic cigarettes have been proven to help some quitters overcome their cravings. Even Johnny Depp uses an electronic cigarette in 'The Tourist' movie. Electronic cigarettes will absolutely save any smoker lots of money.

For more information, you can visit Gaya Hidup Sihat website.

&& By the way, The Ministry of Health is very graciously organizing a photography contest on our Nuffnang platform. This photo contest is open to all Nuffnangers. It's a duit free photo contest, there's cash prizes up for grabs!

The theme: Tak Nak!

To enter this contest, what you have to do is:

Take a photo with the theme of the 'Tak Nak' campaign without using cigarettes or cigarette boxes as props.
Post it on your blog as an update.
Include key words such as #taknak, photo contest/duit free and smoking kills.
Link the gayahidupsihat.my

Contest end 26 December 2011.

So hurry and get your camera out and start snapping!

And last but not least, a cigarette is the only consumer product which when used as directed kills its consumer. Cigarettes are killers that travel in packs.

Say NO To Cigarettes.
Katakan Tak Nak!

Signed by Yours Truly,

HambaMu

2011-12-12T01:41:00.003+08:00

Listen to original music here.

Zahra sent me this audio via Whatsapp just now, lepas dengar je terus convert from .amr to .mp3 and then edit jadi video. Reza didn't sing the lyrics properly, dia nyanyi apa yang dia dengar je. He loves to sing, and he can memorize songs quickly. I still remember when he was 3, he sang Beautiful Girl by Sean Kingston. Siapa yang tak pernah dengar lagu Beautiful Girl ni memang takkan faham la apa Reza nyanyi.

I'll post Beautiful Girl cover by Reza one day.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Recesky Twin Lens Reflex Camera (DIY)

2011-11-30T20:40:00.001+08:00

As seen on Photojojo and Facebook, this is a DIY twin lens plastic camera. The Recesky camera is Gakkenflex twin brother/sister. Almost the same. It's really fun assembling your own camera, because you will get to know how the internal mechanisms of how this kind of cameras work.

First you build the camera

Then you shoot with it

The viewfinder of a TLR

I bought this camera online and it arrived after 3 days of ordering the item. Actually my friend ordered the item for me since I can't read Chinese. And I was really excited when I got this yesterday, especially when I bought this camera for RM15!

Yup, RM15 je.

Signed by Yours Truly,

A Wet Winter

2011-11-29T11:31:00.001+08:00

We had a very wet winter and it's been raining almost every day here. According to the forecast, it's going to snow tomorrow. I really hope it snows.

I love snow.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Home

2011-11-27T22:50:00.000+08:00

is where your heart is

I miss them. I've deactivated my social networking sites accounts after the new semester started. As you can see, I hardly have the time to update my blog. I've been busy and sometimes the proxy didn't work. And I wonder if those people on my wall still read my blog posts. If they read this post, I just want them to know that I have not forgotten them. And if you couldn't find your photo there, jangan la sedih. You're still my friend and you're not forgotten too!

So yeah I've been keeping in touch with my family and friends via WhatsApp but unfortunately not everyone uses Whatsapp, they use BBM instead.

Bummer, I know.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Salam Aidiladha 1432H

2011-11-20T14:53:00.002+08:00

Since Malaysian students in medical campus has increased, we have more Malays and ada la sikit suasana nak sambut raya. We had a pot luck dinner to celebrate Aidiladha, so every each of us kena masak something and jadi host for this dinner.

Menu Raya Korban

Nasi Putih (Ayim)

Nasi Carrot (Zue)

Nasi Impit (Amira)

Rendang Ayam (Amira)

Serunding (Farha)

Ayam Masak Madu (Jiah)

Cumin chicken sauce (Hazirah)

Sambal Telur (Farha)

Sayur Campur (Mardhiah)

Sambal Bajak (Zue)

Sutlac (Hazirah)

Banana Smoothies (Hazirah)

Muffins (Haris)

Air ('12 Juniors)

The dinner turned out well, I'm glad that everyone enjoyed the food and sorry if I forgot to mention some people! Credits to the photographer!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Cuihua Mountain

2011-11-19T01:02:00.001+08:00

We had a class trip to Cuihua Mountain on the 30th of October. The journey took around 40 minutes from our campus and we went there on a day trip. I had no idea about this place until we reached there. I didn't know we had to hike and climb, I wasn't physically prepared.

Cuihua is a mountain about an hour south of Xi'an in the Qingling mountain range. The mountain is famous for its rockslides and massive boulders.

Welcoming Party

2011-11-18T15:24:00.001+08:00

Association of Malaysian Students in Shaanxi (AMSISX) is a social club which aims to promote unity among Malaysian students through activities and events of the society.

A welcoming party was held at XJTU medical campus towards the end of October. The evening was concluded by a welcome dinner and informal ice-breaking activities. Speeches were given by committee members and campus representatives.

I represent medical campus. I was really nervous before giving a speech. Had an instant rush of blood to the head when I was thinking what to say. I ended up giving a short and simple speech. Fuhhh.

The welcoming party went well, it was okay for me la. It was fun to get to know other Malaysians from different university in Shaanxi. Credits to the photographer!

Please click here for larger view.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Social Networking Sites Blocked in China

2011-11-07T13:33:00.001+08:00

So one thing that has frustrated me about living in China is that browsing the internet sucks to the max! It's hard to find ones that aren't blocked. The Chinese government has blocked most social networking sites.

FAQ:

How do I access blocked sites in China?

So, there are basically two ways to access blocked sites in China – a web based proxy, and a virtual private network. A proxy server is a normal computer that hides the identity of computers on its network from the Internet. Which means that only the address of the proxy server is visible to the world and not of those computers that are using it to browse the Internet. Just visit any proxy server with your Web browser and enter a URL or the address of the blocked website. Or, you can install a freeware program that you can use to encrypt your data and make yourself more difficult to trace on the Internet.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Signed by Yours Truly,

PS,

2011-09-27T20:16:00.000+08:00

Assalamualaikum and Greetings from Xi'an, China.

It's been more than three weeks now and I couldn't get into Blogger account and other social networking sites since I came back to China on September 3rd. The proxy server is not working on my laptop, and I'm not the only one with this problem.

I'll be back, soon.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Pengumuman Raya 2011

2011-08-30T18:08:00.002+08:00

Pengumuman Raya tahun 2011 by my 5 year old brother. Budak baru pandai nak baca, so basically there was a script written and he was reading it.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri,

Minal 'Aidin Wal Faidzin!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Iftar with My Mama's Side of the Family

2011-08-29T18:23:00.000+08:00

Better than hotel buffet!

Kari Ikan Jenahak Mama, everyone's favorite!

Rendang Ayam Negeri Sembilan, Mama Ogy yang masak!

Masak Lemak Udang Harimau, sedap hingga menjilat jari! Mummy yang masak!

Sambal Ikan Cencaru, Mummy's favorite!

Ikan Cencaru Sumbat Goreng, sedap!

Ulam-ulaman, not my favorite.

Kenny Rogers Golden Vanilla Muffins, kids' favorite!

Mama Ogy baked us Pavlova!

I couldn't get enough of it! Omnomnom!

It's the last day of Ramadhan, how time flies.
May we see another Ramadhan next year, Insha'Allah.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Iftar with My Girlfriends

2011-08-27T23:59:00.008+08:00

Iftar at Kenny Roger's!

I had quarter chicken again.

Mea couldn't join us for Iftar. Sobs, kalau tak dah complete!

Had frozen yogurt at Tutti Frutti!

These are my high school friends. We've been through a lot together, stupid high school drama and misunderstanding. Our friendship is like a teeter-totter we might have a lot of ups and downs, but a least we know that we'll always have each other along for the ride. Sometimes we need to be hurt in order to grow. We must fail in order to know. We must lose in order to gain. Some lessons are learned best through pain.

Nasekha, Chika, Lisa, Nana and Mea!

&& I'm glad that we picked up the broken pieces, and we managed to work together and move on.

"I still have friends from primary school. And my two best girlfriends are from secondary school. I don't have to explain anything to them. I don't have to apologize for anything. They know. There's no judgment in any way."

— Emma Watson

"Never explain yourself. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe it."

— Belgicia Howell

Signed by Yours Truly,

Iftar with My Primary School Friends

2011-08-25T18:34:00.000+08:00

It's been years I didn't meet some of my primary school friends. The last time we met during the reunion of 6 Tekun, 6 Jaya and 6 Usaha batch 2002 back in year 2005. Itu pun ada yang tak datang. So yesterday, we met up at Fiske Steakhouse for berbuka puasa. About 15 people came, excluding myself. I had lamb chops, mushroom soup and carrot susu for berbuka.

Fiske Steakhouse is a great place to go if you are craving for good Western Food. Located in front of Sapura in Keremat Hulu Kelang, Fiske Steakhouse offers a mix of Western and Eastern. There are a variety of steaks and pasta to choose from.*

After Iftar, we went to pray Maghrib and Isya' in jemaah. We were actually planned to perform terawih prayers together, lepas tu entah la plan tak menjadi. -_-"

We headed to NZ Curry House, Wangsa Maju after we prayed. Lepak and sembang time, it's time to catch up with old friends. Some of them are graduating in the year 2011 and 2012, Munzir and I are graduating in the year 2014. Buat medic memang lama, lima tahun baru habis. Tsk.

"Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty."

— Sicilian Proverbs

Ahmad Fuad Jamaludin, ha ingat tak dia ni lagi? My best friend, also knows as my so called ex fiance. Baca entry Engagement ni kalau blur.

Anas! We used to see each other every day, and now we only meet up once a year! Sedih.

Fatin, one of my long lost childhood friends. Dulu masa kecik selalu pergi birthday party dia kat rumah.

Dah macam tangkap gambar magazine sekolah pulak.

We talked about a lot of things until the stroke of midnight. I had fun catching up with them, what an awesome night it was! I had a good time, thank you!

14 years of friendship and counting..
I miss them already. :')

Signed by Yours Truly,

Iftar with My College Friends

2011-08-23T15:26:00.001+08:00

We met up for Iftar at Nando's restaurant yesterday.

It's been 2 years since I met Iqa. The last time I saw her when she left for new college. She has changed physically a lot, she is still very much herself. Still beautiful. Rindu gilaaa.

Hajar! She took a lot of pictures of us, thank you very much for the pictures!

She is Aca's friend. We've been communicating online but it's time to meet her in real life. The first time I met her, I have to say she's a fun person to be around! It was nice meeting her.

I wish I could post a photo of four of us back in year 2009. Let's see who has changed in two years. Or maybe, nothing's changed. Kena tunggu five to ten years dulu. Hehe.

The five girls. I just noticed we didn't take pictures of the four guys. T_T

Laughter is the best medicine. Good food and good times at Nando's.

A few minutes before Maghrib azan. My favorite drink of all time, iced lemon tea.

"We believe in sharing good times with friends and family. So we put together some platters for you to do just that. Tuck in!"

— Peri-fect Platters

So four of us between me, Aca, Hajar and Acap had Peri Platter. Four chicken quarters, four large sidelines - Peri Potato Salad, Peri Corn, Peri Chips and Coleslaw.

And also, bolo bread with bay leaf butter and a Portuguese salad!

Hajar, Acap, Aca, Sha, and Bob.

"Aha, bila kau keluar college je dalam kelas dah tak sama dah. Kalau ada kau dulu kelas bising and kau kan suka tangkap gambar. Kelas dah tak ceria macam dulu."
— Bob

Trust me, I really miss each and every moment. I really miss the days I spent in college. Good friend and lovely time. :')

Zamir, Iqa, Farha, and Hasan.

I wish Farah and Anas could join us! :(

Good friends are like stars. You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Dah besar pun still nak buat macam ni, takpe la bukan selalu jumpa.

I had fun with them, kalau Farah and Anas ada lagi best.

Just like the good old days.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Art and Calligraphy of the Holy Quran Exhibition

2011-08-21T23:59:00.004+08:00

The glorious art of Iranian calligraphy displayed at an art exhibition of the Holy Quran in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), organized by the Iranian Embassy in conjunction with the Holy Month of Ramadhan.

The embassy's cultural counselor, Dr Ali Akhbar Ziaei disclosed that the Quran Carpet was hand-woven by nine Iranians over six years, using silk and wool, and released by the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran on February 28, last year.

Malaysia was the first country where the Quran Carpet was being displayed, he told a press conference at the exhibition's pre-launch at the KLCC on the 13th.

Turquoise stone

Clay

Wood

The meaning of this writing:
"Man's best friend is intelligence, and ignorance is his enemy."
— Hazrat Imam Ali Reza (AS)

Concrete

Oil paint

Unique artistic masterpieces of verses of the Holy Quran in different traditional Islamic scripts were displayed, rare and old manuscripts of the Holy Quran belonging to the First and the Second Century Hijrah were also displayed.

Description:
The holy Quran calligraphy by Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (AS).

Calligraphed in the First Century Hijrah.
Endowed by Shah Abbas Safavi, Emperor of Iran.
Script: Kufi script on deer skin.
Endowment deed: Handwriting of Shaikh Bahai, the famous scholar of eleventh century Hijrah.
Preserved in the treasury of the Central Library of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Description:
The Holy Quran calligraphy by Imam Ali Ibn Musa Reza (AS), the eighth Imam from Holy Ahlul Bayt (AS).

Calligraphed in the Second Century Hijrah.
Endowed to the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Script: Kufi script on deer skin.
Endowed in the year 1959 CE.
Preerved in the Holy Quran Museum of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Description:
The Holy Quran calligraphy by Imam Musa al Kazim (AS), the seventh Imam from Holy Ahlul Bayt (AS).

Calligraphed in the Second Century Hijrah.
Script: Kufi script on deer skin.
Endowed in the year 1008 Hijrah.
Endowment deed: Handwriting of Shaikh Bahai, the famous scholar of eleventh century Hijrah.
Preserved in the treasury of the Central Library of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad, Islamic Republic of Iran.

I bought myself a Holy Quran from the exhibition.

Workshops on illumination and calligraphy of the Quran, conducted by world renowned and leading calligraphists from Iran. Exquisite art and calligraphy works on the Holy Quran created by prominent Iranian artists as well as comprehensive research work carried on the Holy Quran in Arabic were on sale.

The exhibition ended with Asma ul Husna. Beautiful recitation.

Source

Signed by Yours Truly,

Ikan Bakar

2011-08-19T17:09:00.000+08:00

An Iftar dinner was hosted at my cousin's house last week. My uncle and his family came down to KL, it feels good to know that we can gather and catching up with each other. I really like when it comes to small family gathering or dinner, be it first cousins or second cousins.

Lagi seronok bila my cousins ada anak anak kecik, Aunty Farha suka main dengan budak budak. Hehe. I'm an aunt, God I feel old saying that. Tsk.

So, what's for Iftar?

My aunt had prepared a lot of delicious dishes. Semua sedap, paling suka sambal tempe sebab Farha memang suka makan tempe. Sebelum pergi China setiap hari makan mesti ada tempe. Imagine how I live without tempe in China.

Ikan bakar (grilled fish wrapped in banana leaves) is a great dish to enjoy, whether as an appetizer or as a main course.

Lauk kari ikan, sambal udang, sambal tempe, et cetera. Omnomnom. Tengok tempe tu, sedapnyaaa.

One of my all time favorite desserts, cream caramel. Cream caramel ni Farha yang buat. :B

Budak kecik yang kat sebelah kiri ni susah nak bergambar. Budak yang kat sebelah kanan tu pulak suka bergambar. Like kakak like adik.

Ali Emran yang comel!

Yang ni pulak suka bergambar tapi tak suka pandang kamera.

My cheeky nephew, Ariez! Budak budak bila dah dapat game memang susah nak pandang kamera.

Yang ni pulak suka bergambar, my lovely cousins! ♡

It was a nice Iftar dinner, good food and good time!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Recycle A Gift

2011-08-10T15:22:00.000+08:00

It's always nice to be surprised with a little gift. My 6 year old brother and my 9 year old sister surprised me with this. Pegang pegang je dah tahu dalam tu buku tapi tak tahu buku apa. I wonder what it is.

I opened the pink paper wrapped and it's..

Harry Potter dan Batu Hikmat by Penerbitan Pelangi T__T

F: Kenapa Najwa and Reza bagi kakak buku ni? Mana korang dapat buku ni?
N: Ni buku kakak masa kecik kecik la, kakak bagi kitorang lepas tu kitorang bagi kat kakak balik untuk baca.
F: Ni bukan buku kakak la, kakak takde buku ni.
R: Habis tu, buku siapa tu?

(Flipping through this book)

F: Ni buku Abang Ali laa, dia beli masa dia darjah 2. Sekarang dia dah form 5!
N: Ohh, haa kakak ambik la buku ni!
F: Ee tak mau laa korang baca la hahahahaha!
N: Ee kakak ni jahat la.

Reza and Najwa

I can't imagine how kids think.
Boleh pulak diorang recycle gift, hahaha!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Red Velvet Cake

2011-08-09T14:03:00.000+08:00

My first attempt to bake red velvet.

Topping:
250g cream cheese
250g mascarpone
1 cup of icing sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
300ml whipping cream

Cake:
(A) 240ml susu cair + 2 teaspoon of vinegar, pastu biarkan selama 10 minutes. Next, campur 2 teaspoon of red coloring.
(B) 2 teaspoon of vinegar + 1 teaspoon of soda bicarbonate, put aside.

Lepas tu, campurkan:
150g butter
100g caster sugar
200g brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
2 eggs
250g flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoon cocoa powder
Then, campur (A) dan (B).

Put into oven for 30 mins at 160 celsius.
Thanks for the recipe, Nisa!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s

2011-08-08T13:35:00.001+08:00

Say hello to my new baby, White Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s. I was actually looking for Fujifilm Instax Mini 25 when I stumbled on this, but it seems that 25 isn't available at many stores in Penang according to what the camera guy said. I prefer 25 because it's smaller, weighs less, and it comes with just a little bit more functionality to make it worthwhile.

For those who don't know, this polaroid mini use credit-card sized photographs. Click click and a beautiful credit card-sized instant color photo is ready in minutes and you can keep it in your wallet! This model comes in all white, all chocolate, white-pink and white-blue colour!

Thanks to my Nani for this new baby!

PS, interested in buying Instax Mini 7s?
You can contact my friend, Saffa.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Helium (He)

2011-07-23T03:50:00.000+08:00

Why does inhaling helium make your voice sound funny and high pitched?

Helium is significantly less dense than air. As a result, the speed of sound is much higher in helium. By inhaling helium you are effectively increasing the speed of the sound of your voice. The configuration of your vocal tract does not change, however. If you increase the speed of a sound while keeping its wavelength constant, you increase the frequency of that sound. Think of it as a sort of Doppler effect. Since each element of speech is composed of a pattern of several frequencies, altering the speed of sound distorts that pattern.

Result: You sound like Donald Duck!

Ps; Inhaling helium is not a terribly healthy thing to do. Every time you inhale pure helium, you are not inhaling oxygen. And for the love of Pierre-Jules-César Janssen (the first man to find evidence for the existence of helium), do not inhale helium from a pressurized tank! In addition to risking serious damage to your lungs, you could wind up with helium bubbles in the arteries that supply blood to your brain. This is known as a cerebral arterial gas embolism and can lead to stroke-like symptoms including, of course, death.

Source

Signed by Yours Truly,

All Was Well ϟ

2011-07-22T23:59:00.012+08:00

I've watched Deathly Hallows Part 2 twice, watched in both 2D and 3D. I wore my Hogwarts Crest t-shirt when I watched in 2D with my family and I couldn't get enough of watching this movie.

An attempt to make the sign of the Deathly Hallows -.-"

Watched in 3D with my fellow Potterheads. The Gringotts rollercoaster shots were amazing in 3D, felt like you were on a roller coaster!

After watching the last installment of the seven part novel, I must say there were very minor flaws but overall, it was great. Everything from effects, character development, actor performances, etc. I do enjoy them especially this latest installment.

First of all, I want to point out that, I applaud Alan Rickman and Helena Bonham Carter for their performance in this movie.

Helena Bonham Carter was absolute boss at playing Hermione being Bellatrix. She had the right facial expressions and stance and I really believed it was Hermione. The scene in Bellatrix's vault was almost exactly as I imagined it. Helena Bonham Carter's acting was SO GREAT in this scene. I always love seeing the actors do Polyjuice scenes; I just think they're hilarious. They did a great job with the multiplying, and Griphook was so perfectly greedy and Goblin-like at the end. And the Dragon flying was epic.

The Prince's Tale (one of my favourite chapters in all the books), I think it was touching and it set up plot very nicely. I applaud Alan Rickman for his performance in this movie. I think that his performance in this movie was the best out of all his performances in the whole Harry Potter series (I'm sure he is an extraordinary actor in general). He made the audience feel what he was feeling when he saw Lily dead and held her as he was sobbing. The whole thing was just so heartbreaking.

"Severus Snape wasn't yours. Snape was Dumbledore's, Dumbledore's from the moment you started hunting down my mother. And you never realised it, because of the thing you don't understand. You never saw Snape cast a Patronus, did you, Riddle? Snape's Patronus was a doe, the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all his life, from the time they were children."

— Harry Potter, Chapter 36

But I think it would have been better if they devoted more time to when Snape and Lily were younger especially when their friendship dissolved and he called her a Mudblood. I felt that that was an important part of the relationship they missed out on.

Room of Requirement Scene: Mostly when Ron went running off to defend Hermione saying "Aaarrrgh! That's my girlfriend you numpty!" and then Hermione's face when she realized he said girlfriend. And then Ron's face when he ran away from the fire, it's just hilarious.

Fred's death really bothered me when I first saw the film, because it went by so fast, however, now that I've seen it more than once, I'm content with how they did it. George's reaction was sad, but Ron's was totally heartbreaking. Seeing him, freaking sobbing over his dead brother's body was too much for me. Lupin and Tonks was fast, yes, but it was in the book as well.

I loved how they made the cast age, I think that the makeup and special effects departments did fine jobs with that. That last shot of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, looking as their own children left for Hogwarts was priceless. I just love it so much. Everything came full circle.

All was well.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Forty-Eight, But Young At Heart

2011-07-06T00:58:00.002+08:00

Dear Abah,

Every year, your birthday reminds me how grateful I am that you are my father. With all that's going on in the world today, I'm thankful I get to watch you, to look up to you, being an example of a good man. What a privilege it is to observe your strength, your competence, and your kindness. I am so blessed to be under your wing, your protection, your care, learning important life lessons from you. If all fathers were like you, the world would be a very different and much better place.

Throughout the years, you've worked so hard to provide us a happy life. You've been there to help and give advice, and you did it all without strife. Thank you for being with me and guiding me.

&& Thank you very much for all the sacrifices you have made for our family over the years. May Allah SWT shower you with His infinite blessings.

Happy 48th birthday, Abah!

Thank you for being a wonderful and an awesome father.

From your admiring daughter,

One Month

2011-06-15T18:12:00.000+08:00

One month until July 15th! It's kind of amazing how fast time flies. Honestly, I can't wait to see this epic battle take place on the big screen when the film hits theaters.

Accio July 15th!

Signed by Yours Truly,

The Pros & Cons of Coffee Drinking

2011-06-03T22:53:00.000+08:00

By KatieB

Do you like coffee? I do, it's taste and aroma make my mornings so much better! But I heard that regular coffee drinking can have some negative effects on my health, so I decided to do my own little research and here is what I have found:

Coffee Pros

1. Antioxidants. Coffee is rich in antioxidants like chlorogenic acid and melanoidins. Antioxidants help prevent oxidation, a process that causes damage to cells and contributes to aging.

2. Parkinson's disease. Regular coffee drinking reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease. A number of studies have demonstrated that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are significantly less likely to develop Parkinson's disease.

3. Diabetes. Coffee drinking has the potential to protect against the development of type 2 diabetes. A prospective study as part of the US Nurses Health Study found that moderate consumption of both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in younger and middle aged women.

4. Liver cirrhosis. Coffee drinking may protect against liver cirrhosis, especially alcoholic cirrhosis.

5. Gallstones. There is some evidence that coffee drinking may be protective against gallstone formation in both men and women.

6. Kidney stones. Coffee consumption lowers the risk of kidney stones formation. Coffee increases the urine volume, preventing the crystallization of calcium oxalate, the most common component of kidney stones.

7. Improved mental performance. Caffeine in coffee is a well-known stimulant. Coffee promotes alertness, attention and wakefulness. The cup of coffee can also increase information processing.

8. Alzheimer's disease. Regular coffee drinking may help to protect against Alzheimer's disease. Recent study in mice showed that caffeine equivalent to 5 cups of coffee per day reduced the build up of destructive plaques in the brain.

9. Asthma. Caffeine in coffee is related to theophylline, an old asthma medication. Caffeine can open airways and improve asthma symptoms.

10. Caffeine safety. In 1958, caffeine was placed on the Food and Drug Administration's list as generally recognized as safe.

Coffee Cons

1. Heart disease. This is somewhat controversial. Most prospective cohort studies haven't found that coffee consumption is associated with significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

On one hand, diterpenes cafestol and kahweol present in unfiltered coffee and caffeine each appear to increase risk of coronary heart disease. High quality studies have confirmed the cholesterol-raising effect of diterpenes. Also, coffee consumption is associated with an increase of plasma homocysteine, a risk factor for coronary heart disease.

On the other hand, a lower risk of heart disease among moderate coffee drinkers might be due to antioxidants found in coffee.

2. Cholesterol. Heavy consumption of boiled coffee elevates blood total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol level. Unfiltered coffee contains two cholesterol-raising compounds cafestol and kahweol.

3. Blood vessels. Coffee negatively affects the blood vessel tone and function.

4. Heart rhythm disturbances. Coffee can cause rapid or irregular heartbeats (cardiac arrhythmias).

5. Blood pressure. Although coffee drinking is not a significant risk factor for hypertension, it produces unfavorable effects on blood pressure and people prone to hypertension may be more susceptible. Recent Italian study found that coffee drinking can slightly increase the risk for development of sustained hypertension in people with elevated blood pressure.

6. Osteoporosis. Coffee intake may induce an extra urinary excretion of calcium. Heavy coffee consumption (600 ml or more) can modestly increase the risk of osteoporosis, especially in women with a low calcium intake.

7. Heartburn. A cup of coffee can trigger the heartburn.

8. Sleep. Most are aware of the stimulatory effects of caffeine. High amounts of caffeine taken before going to sleep can cause difficulty falling asleep, tendency to be awakened more readily by sudden noises, and a decreased quality of sleep. However, some people can drink coffee and fall right asleep.

9. Dehydration. The caffeine in coffee is a mild diuretic and can increase urine excretion. This effect may be easily neutralized by drinking an extra glass of water.

10. Dependence. Although "generally recognized as safe" by the FDA, caffeine is still a drug, a mild central nervous system stimulant, and it produces dependence. Caffeine withdrawal is a real syndrome. You may get a few days of headache and irritability if you choose to quit drinking coffee, however, it is relatively easy to break this habit, and most people are not addicted to caffeine.

*****

So yeah I've been drinking coffee for a couple of days just to keep me awake in class, after almost 2 years I've stopped drinking it. My sleeping schedule has been a bit messed up over the week and half due to exam revision and exam stress, and I'm not the only one having this problem though.

I can't say that drinking coffee makes me really awake, it makes me more tired at the end of the day. Thank God I am not addicted to coffee.

Signed by Yours Truly,

D5100 Extra Ordinary Angles Contest

2011-05-31T19:16:00.002+08:00

I'm joining D5100 Extra Ordinary Angles Contest and it would be highly appreciated if you could help me by clicking 'Like' on my photo.

http://d5100.nikon-asia.com/en/submissions/52320

I was pretty bored, so I'm joining this contest for fun. I didn't put too much hope for this contest, for at least I've experienced something utterly new. It would mean the world if you could vote for me.

Thank you! :)

Signed by Yours Truly,

Animal Testing

2011-05-24T01:12:00.002+08:00

We dissected frogs in high school.

After frogs and mice, rabbits are the most common laboratory animal.

I love rabbits, I've been dreaming of keeping a rabbit especially Dwarf Hotot rabbit breed as my pet. Comelkaaan? One palm fits all, macam nak picit picit je.

Dwarf Hotot – The characteristic of this rabbit is the black eye rings that look as if the rabbit is wearing eyeliner. This all white rabbit with black eye rings has a short, compact, well-rounded body.

And it is horrible having to do a rabbit dissection. I feel so guilty, but I have to overcome feelings of guilt.

I was going to give the rabbit an injection, I was a bit scared. Scared, what if I inject the urethane into the vein on the edge of rabbit ear wrongly? I really don't know what I was thinking, but I was really nervous. Nanti cucuk takut tak masuk or tembus telinga pulak, kesian rabbit merana tengok doctor-to-be ni cucuk tak masuk masuk. T_T

First timer, I was just a beginner. I made mistakes and I learned from it. I learned how to give injections and the proper way to anesthetize.

Some students really enjoy the dissection. Some feel like a doctor doing an operation but, other students have the total opposite opinion.

I've done that, the smell is horrible.

Dissected a rat as well and that was horrible too.

Not only is the poor frogs and rabbits that are given this horrible lives, but in some countries animals like cats and dogs are also dissected in school and universities.

Animal testing is used mainly for its medical purposes. The lab animals are animals that are wide in population and can be reproduced easily, however, if humans were to catch an unknown disease, they will die out very quickly. Humans are the only creature on Earth that has enough intelligence to create something.

In addition, animal testing not only benefits humans but also animals. Pet food was also tested to make sure that it is not harmful. In the past, a large number of dogs' lives were saved because of medicine scientists who were able to discover through animal testing. Not only dogs, there are millions of other animals that were also saved by animal research.*

Signed by Yours Truly,

The Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den

2011-05-22T21:45:00.000+08:00

The Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den (施氏食狮史 - Shī Shì shí shī shǐ) is a famous example of constrained writing by Yuen Ren Chao (1892–1982) which consists of 92 characters, all with the sound shi in different tones when read in Mandarin.

The text, although written in Classical Chinese, can be easily comprehended by most educated readers. However, changes in pronunciation over 2500 years resulted in a large degree of homophony in Classical Chinese, so the poem becomes completely incomprehensible when spoken in Modern Standard Chinese or when written in romanization.

I can read all the characters and the pinyin with the tones, but it takes me FOREVER to read them aloud. Oh, Chinese.

More a tone poem, only much more confusing.

Signed by Yours Truly,

International Culture Night 2011

2011-05-03T16:36:00.002+08:00

Taslim Razin, Aziz Abdullah, Haris Harun

Zulaikha Jaafar

Farha Ghouse

Nadzirah Sariff

Amira Nadir

The other two went missing

The other four went missing

Senyum sokmo

Taken on camera phone

Fierce pin up eye makeup done by Aziz Abdullah

Photos taken by Taslim Razin

Wonderful Mehndi patterns drew by Nirosha and Wafa

&& It's show time!

My classmates couldn't find me on the stage. The were like, "Where's Farha? Is she performing?". That's because we all wore the same clothes T_T

Dum Dum Mast Hai + Neruppae Siki Muki - Indian Performance
Choreograph by SriKanth

Fearless - Chinese Performance

Choreograph by Kimberly/Nur

Asmaradana - Malay Performance
Choreograph by Aziz

The last part of performance, the Malaysia flag! ^_^

Our group photo

Thank you for reading and watching!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Teaser: One Day Before The Performance

2011-04-28T06:22:00.005+08:00

Photos credit to Taslim Razin

We're performing for International Culture Night of Xi'an Jiaotong University tonight, the photos were taken yesterday and the video of our performance will be uploaded tomorrow.

I hope everything goes well tonight!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Nikon Lens Cup

2011-04-27T02:23:00.000+08:00

1:1 AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED Lens Cup - an insulated coffee cup, complete with gold box and lens bag, which I got as a gift from a good friend of mine. It's one of the best gifts I've ever received.

It is rotatable or zoom-able model which has the ability to extend its body like an actual lens. This model in particular even comes with a free padded bag which can be used for the actual lens too!

Cool, isn't it?

Signed by Yours Truly,

New Toy: Aqua Pix 35mm Underwater Camera

2011-04-26T23:59:00.003+08:00

One of the simplest camera ever, I think. Just point and shoot, even under the water. It couldn't be any easier.

The camera has simply two parts. One of them is the camera itself and the other one is the underwater protector. Protector can be removed and the camera can be used as a normal 35mm camera.

It has everything fixed, so you don't need to worry about any adjustment. Aperture is fixed (f:9 I think) and shutter is fixed (1/100 sec. I think) and it has focus free 28mm plastic lens. Thanks to the wide angle lens, f:9 aperture and fixed focus, you never get blurry pictures unless you intentionally shake the camera to get blur effect.

The camera is as light as a feather. Very small (102 x 35 x 72mm) to get into your any pocket (even in your jeans pocket) so you could easily forget the camera is still on you. *

A few months ago I saw this camera for sale on Facebook and it was RM65 each. I was excited because I thought it was a good price considering that camera is waterproof, but then I was told by my sister's friend that I can get 2 cameras for RM50 at somewhere in One Utama. RM25 for each camera is considered the cheapest price for a waterproof camera.

So as time goes by, I forgot about the existence of that camera until I found one while I was walking and window shopping. I went back and check the camera price online and it's USD13.99 = RM42.

But, I bought this camera for CNY35= RM16.

\(^o^)/

Signed by Yours Truly,

Remaja Edisi 15 April

2011-04-17T02:32:00.000+08:00

20 questions were asked in Remaja interview last February, and this the results from these interviews.

An article from Remaja - Kampus ke Kampus website.

Click photo above to enlarge

I wish I could read the magazine but too bad I'm in China right now. Dapat tengok adik tolong scankan pun jadi la. Don't miss this issue guys!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Al-Fatihah

2011-04-11T17:21:00.003+08:00

Innalillahiwainnailaihiraji'un.

My grandaunt passed away on the 11th of April at 4 o'clock in the morning, 7 Jamadilawal 1432H. She has always been like my grandmother, and she will be missed greatly. She spent her life giving love to her family and spreading joy especially to kids. Memories of my grandaunt are fragments and disjointed parts of my childhood, those memories are filled with enough love to last lifetimes.

I love you, Tok Bed. Kampung Dodol won't be the same, nothing to look forward to. Semoga Allah SWT mencucuri rahmat ke atas Rohnya.

Al-Fatihah.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Dara.com Edisi 106 April

2011-04-09T22:57:00.006+08:00

I didn't know about it until Iera Hanna commented on my blog saying, "I read about you in Dara magazine :D". I called my dad and asked him to confirm and get back to me.

Click photo above to enlarge

Thank you so much, Iera or else I wouldn't know at all.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Date A Girl Who Takes Photographs

2011-04-07T11:41:00.000+08:00

Date a girl who takes photographs. Date a girl whose favorite sound is the click-click of the shutter as it closes and opens to capture a memory. Date a girl who sees the wonder in the simplest things. Date a girl who looks at the world and wonders how to put a little of herself in it.

You might find her in the park, lost behind her lens, the world a blur around her as she tries to capture a single moment in time. You might find her in an exhibit, a look of concentration on her face as she contemplates a photograph that called out to her as she was passing by. Or maybe you will find her in a bookstore, a book in her lap as she pores over photographs of weddings all the while wondering what hers would look like.

Take her out to photo walks and laugh as she tries to take a picture of you. When she gets tired of walking, buy her cupcakes but wait until she has taken pictures of them before proceeding to eat them. Listen as she tells you her ideas for a photo shoot on the ride home.

Take her to a restaurant and wait patiently as she surveys the menu carefully, appreciating the food photography. And again, wait until she has taken a photo of your food before digging in. Allow her introduce you to Ansel Adams while you both eat your lunch. Introduce her to your favorite musician as you wait for the bill to arrive. When you get home, change your Facebook profile picture into a photograph she took of you. She silently hoped for it.

Take stolen shots of her. Compile it and give it to her on her birthday. Tell her you love her over and over until your voice replaces the click of the shutter as her favorite sound. Kiss her after she lifts her head up from the camera. Give her camera-shaped necklaces. Go places with her.

You will never be bored again.

Date a girl who takes photographs. She will never whine about a little dirt on her favorite pair of jeans as she kneels down to get a better angle of her subject. She will never be afraid to take adventures with you. She will take photographs of you not just with her camera but with her mind as well and keep it to herself to admire at night. But above all, she will teach you how to look at the world with a brand new perspective and she will do that unknowingly.

Marry a girl who takes photographs. Ditch those wedding photography books and give her the most beautiful wedding you could. She will teach your kids to find the beauty in everything just as she had taught you. Every day will be an adventure as she tries to create memories photograph-worthy with you. She may wake you up in the middle of the night because she is buzzing with ideas but she will make it up in the morning with a stack of hot pancakes beside a steaming cup of your favorite coffee blend.

Grow old with a girl who takes photographs. Sit with her on the front porch as you both pore over the bits and pieces of the moments you’ve had together. Stroke her hair as you both relive the photo walks that you took and the places you have been when you were both young. Smile as you both reenact your clever wedding vows.

Date a girl who takes photographs because she will always see that "something" in the most "nothing" of things. She will never let anyone take you away from her like she never lets anyone steal her photos and that is just one of the evidences that she loves you.

Source

I adored every single word of it, especially in the third and fourth paragraph.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Random Updates

2011-04-04T02:06:00.000+08:00

Spring. It would be nice to have nice warm weather. It's already April, I am already longing for Spring, with sunshine and warmth. With the weather fluctuating so much lately, it's no surprise to see people sneezing and coughing all around us.

I've been busy the past few days, haven't been online much. We've been asked to do a dance performance on 28th of April 2011 after they saw our 1Malaysia performance at Culture Night 2010. Almost all Malaysian students participate and we have been practicing dances whenever we have free time.

My studies are going fine so far, we have to do a lot of drawing this semester. Observe the slide with a microscope, describe and draw what it looks like and what we could see with the hand lens. I was never good at drawing and sketching, but I kinda like it. And I just need to improve my medical drawing and illustrations so that it will be easy to see the differences between cell types and arrangements. Things are not so easy under the microscope.

For the past couple of weeks I've been feeling more and more tired, mentally and physically tired. I'm feeling tired and didn't get enough sleep, or good quality sleep. Ah, I wish I could sleep the whole day! Even when I stay up late, I'm up early. I get up early in the morning around 6 to 9 o'clock in the morning when I don't need to wake up. I can't sleep in once I am up, I'm a total early bird.

And I'm tired of all the drama here and don't get me wrong it's not my drama, I wasn't involved. I'm being neutral, listening to both sides so that they can come up with a solution that is best for both parties. I wish people would just shut up sometimes and stop creating unnecessary drama. Stop your drama by learning to go straight to the solution, by asking for what you want. Turning negative into positive.

I know it's unhealthy when everything just bottled up inside, I was stressed out and waiting for the bubble to burst. I wish I could say something to express my anger, but I know where that will lead. Sabar itu sebahagian daripada Iman. It's been a tough week and this has been a really stressful week for me. I become more upset when I received news from my sister in Malaysia yesterday.

My grandaunt, Tok Bed was having liver and kidney failure. She has not responded in any way and has not opened her eyes since then. The doctor said there was no hope for her and say she will not wake up, that what we see is how she will remain.

My prayers are always with you, Tok Bed.

I hope you heard Zahra whisper I love you on my behalf.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Muslim Food Street Night Market in Xi'an

2011-03-28T00:05:00.001+08:00

The Muslim Quarter, located within the Xi'an City Walls, is a lively area with restaurants and street vendors selling everything from dried fruits and nuts, fresh hot snacks, to souvenir trinkets. This was a fun way to spend our evening and try some treats from local food stalls at Muslim Street.

If you ever read Japanese comic (Manga) or watch the series on the television, you may know about this sweet treat which is the favorite of Doraemon (the cute robotic cat who has a lot of gadgets which can solve many problem for Nobita) and my favorite, too.*

Doraemon and Dorayaki

It's Dorayaki! I had to eat Doraemon's favourite snack!

This freshly made dorayaki was warm and delicious! I love eating this in class during our 10 minute break.

The underground tunnels at the Bell Tower.

Xi'an Bell Tower

Xi'an Drum Tower

Oh yeah, I didn't tell you guys about my friend. My good friend from high school came here last month to study the same course in the same university I'm attending right now. For those who don't know her, meet Zulaikha (photo above). I was really excited when she told me she's coming to this university and it feels good to have her here. Whenever we talk, we talk about high school, friends and more stuffs. People tend to get annoyed with us whenever we talk about our school, we didn't mean to brag it's just that we love our school and proud to be a Melawatian.

So, yeah. Back to Muslim Street.

Walk around the Muslim area behind the Drum Tower and you will find many people selling all manner of food they are preparing right in front of your eyes.

Beiyuanmen Street

Endless arrays of colorful dried dates, kiwi, pineapples and persimmons could make a trail mix for the ages. The Kiwi fruit is outstanding; my favorite!

Spicy beef meatballs on skewers.

Chinese red date, also named as jujube is originated in China where it has been cultivated for several thousand years. Dried jujube fruits, which naturally turn red upon drying.

They were also selling drinks on the street made from them.

Chinese red dates; jujube on display. These things are all over the place.

Combination of various vegetables and then steamed or fried.

Various meats (beef, mutton, chicken wings, fish) and naan to be grilled. Grilled mutton is my favourite!

The grilled mutton has also an intense aroma of cumin and chilli and sometimes served with a warm slab of naan.

We don't like this restaurant. This restaurant has bad service, lousy food, bad management handling. Kthxbai.

Hmm. It looked like grilled meatballs.

But actually it's Kao Mian Jin 栲面筋 Charcoal Grill Marinated Gluten, gluten extracted from wheat flour.

Feng Mi Liang Gao 蜂蜜凉糕 Honey Cold Glutinous Rice.

The photos here don't do this justice, and nor does the description, because it really is truly delicious - a slab of glutinous rice is spread with a dark sweet sauce made from dates and black sesame seeds, folded in half, and then ground nuts and white sesame seeds are pressed into the surface.*

It's cut into small diamond shapes which you eat daintily with a toothpick. Cool and sweet.*

He still remember me when I came and bought honey cold glutinous rice from his stall. Sedap tapi cepat muak, makan kena share share.

Grilled seafood. According to my friends, grilled cuttlefish is something you shouldn't miss at the taste here.

Chao Xia Wei (Xiao Long Xia Wei) 炒虾尾（小龙虾尾）Fried Small Lobster.

Grilled quail eggs, served five in a row on a stick, and brushed with sesame paste. Impossibly delicious.*

Grilled quail eggs is one of my favourite too! Omnomnom.

Jing Gao 镜糕 Steamed Glutinous Rice Lollipops. Now these are intriguing.*

The unsweetened glutinous rice is steamed in individual wooden molds.*

The vendor places three skewers into one, levers it gently out of the mold, and spreads each side with a sweet gel, for example grape, hami melon or strawberry, then dips one side in crushed nuts, and the other in a black sesame seed and sugar mixture.*

The result? Sweet, crunchy outside giving way to a gooey glutinous centre. Despite everything else I'd consumed, I finished a whole one by myself. What a pig.*

Shi Zi Bing 柿子饼 Persimmon Cakes. Persimmons are everywhere in Xi'an - fresh, dried, crystallized, and cooked. Lin tong 'fire crystal' persimmons are the most famous local kind, small and spherical, they are 'red like fire' and 'clear as crystal', and indeed they do have a translucent skin when they are totally ripe. The skin is very astringent, so the easiest way to eat them is to pull off the stalk and squeeze the sweet pulp directly into your mouth.

The cakes are made from a persimmon dough, wrapped around a filling (choose from one flavoured with ground walnuts, osmanthus, or rose) and then flattened and gently fried. As you bite through the crisp exterior, the sweet syrupy filling oozes out.*

Ps; Abah if you're reading this, this is the one you saw on TV and possible one of the most delicious things I've eaten, ever. Omnomnom.

Jalan jalan cari makan at Muslim Street was fun. The Muslim Market is a fascinating region to wander around, great food at a great price.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Lemon Butter Chicken

2011-03-27T01:07:00.000+08:00

I get bored having the same thing all the time, so I decided to try a new recipe. I was searching for chicken recipe ideas on Google and I found lemon butter chicken recipe. I've never had lemon butter chicken before, so I gave lemon butter chicken a try!

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 25 Min

Ready In: 40 Min

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
8 chicken tenderloins

Lemon pepper to taste

Garlic salt to taste
Onion powder to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the butter in a 9x9 inch baking dish, and melt in the oven.

Remove from heat, and mix in Italian salad dressing, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.

Arrange the chicken tenderloins in the baking dish, coating with the melted butter mixture. Season both sides of chicken with lemon pepper, garlic salt, and onion powder. Sprinkle with lemon zest.

Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken juices run clear.

I love lemons on everything and created this quick and easy recipe one night. You can reduce the lemon juice for a less lemony taste. I use chicken breast and cut it into small pieces for a shorter cooking time. It is even better if you have the time to marinate. The leftover juice is great served with rice or to dip with Texas Toast or rolls.

I served this lemon butter chicken with linguine. It looked nice and tasted good but not as good as it looked. It turned out great for the first time ever trying.

Bon Appétit!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Mother Nature Strikes Japan

2011-03-13T23:59:00.005+08:00

Japan

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Japan hit by that terrible earthquake followed by tsunami. It is with great grief that I received the news of the earthquake and the subsequent trail of deaths and immense destruction in Japan.

Japan before and after the tsunami, photo taken from Tumblr.

A photo of Sendai, Japan on March 11th, 2011 (left) before the massive earthquake and tsunami, and after on March 12, 2011 (right), photographed by Taiwan's National Space Organization.

Click here to see more aerial photos taken over Japan. You can hover over each satellite photo to view the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami.

Media

I can't believe that after all that happened, some people are just worried about this girl. What has happened to the world? Malaysia Boleh, eh? ;)

I can't believe such shameful and heartless comic was publish in Berita Harian. Anyway, Berita Harian has issued a public apology over its publication of a cartoon depicting the devastating tsunami and earthquake.

Social Networks

Everyone keeps talking about the end is near on Facebook and Twitter when an 8.9 scale earthquakes struck Japan triggering tsunami as high as 10 metres. If you're worrying too much and think the world is going to end, pray to Allah and ask for forgiveness, repent from your sins and get back on the right path. People tend to forget that there's such a thing as heaven and hell.

"Surely, knowledge of the Hour is with Allah alone."

- Holy Qur'an 31:34

The knowledge of time of Qiyamah (End of the world) has not been given to any angel, man or being. The exact time of the Doomsday is given neither in Qur'an nor in Hadith. It is something that only Allah knows - as mentioned in the above Quranic verse.

Spiritual

لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوءًا فَلاَ مَرَدَّ لَهُ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَالٍ

There are guardians over everyone, both before him and behind him, who guard him by Allah's command. Verily Allah does not change a people's condition unless they change their inner selves. And when Allah decides to make a people suffer punishment, no one can avert it. Nor can any be of help to such a people against Allah.
- Surah al-Ra'd, 13:11

A tsunami is more than just a natural disaster, and most importantly, think deep regarding this tragedy.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Surprise 21st Black and White Masquerade Party

2011-03-11T01:46:00.006+08:00

For the past one week, all I could say was I was stressed over tiny things and I was in depressed due to my studies. And all I need a shoulder to cry on and someone with sometime to spare. My friends act like they don't care when I told them how I felt, I end up keeping it to myself and bottle it up inside.

The situation has became harder when I misplaced my ring and I couldn't find it, I got this ring from my good friend for my 21st birthday. This ring means a lot to me and I can't believe I could be this careless. As far as I can recall, I went to my friend's room and I took it off before I went to the toilet. I left immediately after that. I called and asked my friend if she has found my ring but the negative feedback really brought me down. After searching for hours I was unable to find that ring in my room. A few minutes later I received a text message from my classmate saying,

"You are invited to Naura's surprise birthday at Naqash's apartment tomorrow at 6. The dress code is black and white. I really hope you can come and please bring your camera."

I don't feel like going, I wasn't in a good mood but these two colours black and white really caught my attention because it's my favorite colours. I don't want to miss a black and white party since everyone is going to be there. When it comes to themed party, every girl loves to dress up and feel pretty. I just wore something simple like a white blouse from Topshop, a dark grey jeans and a grey leopard print scarf. Less is more.

My friends and I were ready and we were about to leave, then I received a call from another friend telling that the party has been postponed to 8 o'clock due to late preparation for the party. I was really hungry because they said the party was supposed to start at 6 o'clock, I didn't eat much for my late lunch so I killed my time by taking some random photos of my friends. *typical Farha*

It was windy and cold outside, I had to put my trench coat on. We were walking to my friend's apartment then I realized I didn't buy my friend a birthday gift. My friends said it's okay we can get her a gift some other day. We reached there on time. We were right in front of the door, and I pressed the bell twice.

Ding dong, ding dong.

Someone unlock the door, I open the door for myself and I walked in.

Please watch full screen or on YouTube to see the annotations.

My classmates organized a surprise 21st masquerade birthday party for me and they cooked dinner too. These are the reasons why they've been treating me like this and the ring was with one of them all way long, they kept it and tortured my emotion! I was surprised, actually, I was really surprised. I thought it was Naura's surprise birthday celebration, that's why I told them "Wait, I'm not Naura. Wait, you've got the wrong person!" after I walked in when they sprayed snow and string party spray.

It was nicely decorated, and I was pretty amazed. The balloons, the decorations and the food they've prepared! Most of all, it's black and white masquerade party! I've been wanting to have a masquerade party for years and this year, I got the chance to celebrate a masquerade themed party on my 21st birthday! We played a few games and had a group photo.

Credits to the photographer, Taslim Razin (photo above).
His Flickr

I was really surprised and grateful to everyone who took part in organizing the party. It was the best birthday ever! A big, heartfelt thank you to everyone that made my birthday such a special day. In big ways and in small ways you all did so much! It was wonderful and unforgettable birthday celebration.

And last but not least, I love you! :')

Signed by Yours Truly,

21st Birthday Celebration With Family

2011-03-10T03:20:00.001+08:00

February 19, 2011

I celebrated my 21st birthday with my family and cousins at home. The celebration started with the Maghrib prayer, followed by the tahlil and then cut the cake. My mama cooked Nasi Minyak, Nasi Tomato, Ayam Masak Cabai Hidup, Daging Masak Kunyit and etcetera. My aunt, Mama Ogy made this one yummy dessert for us, it was really good but I forgot the name of this dessert. The cake design was inspired by a photo from Flickr.

I have nothing much to write about this except for the food, it's awesome! Mama always make the best food, so true. Mom's cooking is always the best! Omnomnomnom.

It's been awhile since we've had a group photo taken, I was so happy to see them around. Thank you to all my family members for celebrating my 21st birthday, it was really fun.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Twenty-One Years Old

2011-03-09T18:08:00.000+08:00

So, yeah I just turned 21 on the 18th of February 2011.

What is so special about turning 21? Twenty-one is the legal drinking age and no age restrictions for anything? Nah. It's not about legal to drink and to have sexual relations, and it's not about total freedom of parents. This is the age at which a person shows his or her true character in my opinion.

Islam has divided the upbringing of a child into three stages from birth to age 21. The division is based on the following hadith of the Prophet SAW: "The child is the master for seven years; and a slave for seven years and a vizier for seven years; so if he grows into a good character within 21 years, well and good; otherwise leave him alone because you have discharged your responsibility before Allah."

At the age of 21, the parents' responsibility towards their children comes to an end. If anyone brings up his children based on Islamic values, that child surely will be the apple of the parents' eyes and the delight of their hearts; and it is this child who, in his turn, may be hoped to fulfil his obligations towards his parents.

The Prophet said, "A virtuous child is a flower from the flowers of Paradise." He also said, "Among the good fortunes of a man is the virtuous child."

O Allah, make me wise and help me to avoid sins. Pardon me my sins and unspeakable deeds. Let me not be the target of evil and vicissitudes. Make me to dislike sin and error. And through Your help, defend me by granting immunity from penalty and flames of the Fire, O He who comes to the help of those who cry for help.

Please give me strength to be a good Muslim woman.
Amin Ya Rabbal Alamin.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Ab·sence

2011-03-08T23:59:00.002+08:00

I feel I've been absent from this blog for a while, my apologies to regular readers. I spent my one month of winter break spending quality time with my family, and I came back to Malaysia without telling or informing my friends. I have my reasons, and I believe you can't please everybody every time you go back for a one month break. It's a short break, and as we grow older our lives do change and everyone is busy with their own life. Some of them were a little bit offended, and some of them totally understood. A true friend will not need any explanation as he will always understand.

&& Thank you my friends, for the wonderful impromptu hangouts and sorry if we didn't get the chance to hangout.

The reason for my silence and why my blog has gone quiet, is because of my busy schedule. I didn't have time to update my blog, I went online to check my email only. I was having a hectic week before I went back to China.

16th of February; Early birthday celebration with Aca and Sha.

17th of February; Picked up an old friend, Munzir from the airport.

18th of February; Had a birthday dinner with my family.

19th of February; Celebrated my 21st birthday with my family and cousins.

20th of February; Leaving on a jet plane to China early in the morning, reached my dorm late at night.

21st of February; Term started, slept for 13 hours straight after class.

I have been extremely busy lately with school and classes and a bunch of other things. New semester just started, I have to clean and rearrange the stuff in my room and ohh new interesting subjects! Pathology/Pathoanatomy, Pathophysiology and Parasitology. Pathology sounds like it will be pretty fun. Pathology, not Phatology. Don't be mistaken. Pathology, the scientific study of the nature of disease and its causes, processes, development, and consequences. Pathology lab sessions were fun and and interesting too.

Too little time, too much to tell.
&& I have a lot of pending entries.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Sinar Harian - Kampus

2011-02-17T02:32:00.002+08:00

I went to KLCC yesterday to meet my friends, as soon as I arrived there I quickly went to the nearest bookstore to reload my mobile phone before the talktime credit balance reaches zero. While waiting for them to arrive, I killed my time reading some magazines. While I was reading Seventeen Magazine, I saw something and it has caught my attention. I called my dad straight away after that.

Farha: Hello, assalamualaikum abah! Abah nak tahu tak, Aha kat kedai buku ni. Aha nampak newspaper Sinar Harian, saja jea la ambik and bukak bukak jea newspaper tu terus Aha nampak gambar Aha. Newspaper Sinar Harian siarkan pasal Aha harini!

Abah: Ha, mana kau tahu yang diorang nak siarkan pasal kau harini?

Farha: Tak tahu pun abah, ikut instinct jea. Lepas nampak newspaper tu rasa macam nak bukak jea.

Honestly, I didn't know it's going to be published yesterday. I wasn't informed and I was really surprised to see my face filled the whole page. I turned pages back and forth, I was in the first three pages of Education Section, Sinar Harian - 16 February 2011.

Click photo above to enlarge

You can also read the news online here.

For those who has studied in Egypt and now having problem to continue, Xi'an Jiaotong can be an option. If you are interested to study Medicine (MBBS) in China, you can contact me at farha_ghouse[at]yahoo.com.

Ps, ramai orang nampak perkataan 'Kampus' tu tapi tak perasan yang di sebalik tulisan 'Kampus' tu ada gambar Farha tengah dissect cadaver T_T

Signed by Yours Truly,

New Experience

2011-02-08T19:49:00.002+08:00

I was pretty amazed when I saw Kumpulan Karangkraf Sdn. Bhd. office as soon as I arrived. Besar dan cantik. Why did I go there? My dad received a call from Mr Stephen Teo, the owner of IGWY Consultant for China Universities in Malaysia. He requested my help to attend a session with editors and journalists of Kumpulan Karangkraf. He would like to expose China Universities to Malaysian students. I was supposed to share my experience with the journalists. I was told that my interview will be edited and published in at least two magazines produced by Kumpulan Karangkraf.

I gave them a presentation on studying medicine in Xi'an Jiaotong University and had an interview with some journalists yesterday. Mr Stephen and my dad also gave some insides as a consultant and as a parent respectively. I got very nervous because this is my first exposure on a presentation to professionals, I did flip flop a bit but as the presentation progress I managed to overcome the fear. Although I could not speak really well. Cakap tergagap-gagap, all went well.

That was my first media interview, this is a new experience for me.

Signed by Yours Truly,

The City of Digital Lights

2011-02-03T21:06:00.000+08:00

City of Digital Lights, the first lightscape tourism destinations endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia with state-of-the-art-LED technology showcase. The digital city includes trendy shopping streets, vast selection of cafes and restaurants - it's all here in i City.

I went to i City, Shah Alam last two weeks which is located just behind Sungai Rasau Toll Plaza along Federal Highway. It's really a beautiful spot with so many beautiful things to shoot. Gotta love those LED trees!

The lights are always on at night. Photographers are going to love this.
Here's the map to i-City.

Signed by Yours Truly,

The Monkey's Tale: Lutung

2011-02-02T16:31:00.001+08:00

At the Bukit Malawati Hill in Kuala Selangor, these local residents are called the Silver Leaf Monkeys (Trachypithecus cristatus) who roam freely on this hill. They are generally harmless towards humans and are sometimes afraid of us.

I went to Bukit Malawati on a Friday afternoon while waiting for my sister to finish her class. The Silver Leaf Monkeys travel in groups and apparently quite territorial among themselves. So the larger group was at the main attraction where the lighthouse was.

Monkey food being sold here, long beans prepared in stacks and selling at RM 1.00 per bunch. This guy has been working here for the past 13 years.

These silver leaf monkeys also love to hang out on the road barricade.

Trying to get close to the monkey without getting jumped.

Getting closer. Well, hello there, little fella.

And closer enough. Sitting on my shoulder, taking his own sweet time eating long beans.

First, a monkey climbed up to sit on my shoulder.

Then another monkey climbed, two monkeys on my shoulder.

And another one. Oh my god the monkeys were really heavy weh.

Lutung Kurang Upaya.

Imagine how this monkey been climbing and walking with both feet and only one hand.

One of them ni manja, bila bagi jari macam baby dia masukkan jari dalam mulut. Tak sakit pun.

Regular visitor, he comes here everyday.

What is absolutely amazing about these Silver Leaf Monkeys are their newborn.

The little baby monkeys are born to a golden color which eventually turns black like the adults.

So seeing one of the baby silver leaf monkeys was a bonus for me.

But I got to see two babies silver leaf monkeys!

Capturing them on camera was an added bonus!

Silver Leaf Mother with the baby on my shoulder.

Bersantai, they're stuffing their faces with the food I gave them.

This last Silver Leaf Monkey took the opportunity to do a profile for me, no zoom involved.

If you are a photographer and enjoy shooting wildlife, you should try coming here as the monkeys are around most of the times. Generally it takes about an hour from the city of Kuala Lumpur to Malawati Hill here in Kuala Selangor.

More information on the Silver Leaf Monkey.

Source

Signed by Yours Truly,

Splash! Splash!

2011-01-31T23:59:00.001+08:00

Sha just turned 21 yesterday, and her own wish has been granted after we celebrated her 21st birthday at Sunway Lagoon today. It's been a few years since I came here and I think it was about fourteen years ago when I was seven. The theme park has definitely changed a lot, I really enjoyed all the rides in the dry park and the water park. I had a lot of fun with them today.

Most of all, I enjoyed taking underwater photos!

Photos taken with Canon PowerShot G12. I brought my camera but left the battery at home. Nice. Even if I brought my baby G9, it won't make any difference unless if I have Canon WP-DC21 Waterproof Housing in my hand.

Ahh, here we go again. Another wish list!

Canon WP-DC21 Waterproof Housing.

Signed by Yours Truly,

One Long Night

2011-01-19T02:42:00.004+08:00

"Aku kalau rindu rindu ko baca blog ko yang tak seberapa nak update tuh."

- Muhaimin Mansor

Sorry that I haven't been writing in the blog very often, but I've just been very busy recently. I've been busy as a bee with my studies, which give me basically no time to save up for blogging time. Speaking of studies, I am scared of failing.

Failure. Everyone fears failure.

There was a night, I almost gave up because it was so hard but in the back of my mind I knew there had to be a way. I had no idea so many times I almost gave up, tears flow down my cheeks while I was about to sleep. Yes, I've cried myself to sleep and I couldn't stop the flood of tears flowing down my face. My sorrow spilled over.

I guess I feel like everything always goes wrong for me - I feel like I spend all my time trying to change my circumstances and achieve my aspirations and dreams, and I just fail time and time again.

I'm scared of failure and not being good enough, my life is becoming a constant battle between depression endless helplessness and I've become a fussy and hysterical perfectionist but just can't meet my own standards. Emotionally is taking over my confidence, I'm doubting myself. I can't get my motivation back. I was really down, depressed and upset.

On the same night, I've been thinking and I've been sinking. My mind was overflowing with hundreds of thoughts. I won't drift away with my tears. I saw my dad's face. Life of a businessman is always very challenging and involves many ups and downs. Sometimes we can't always get what we want, and other things will come along while we are focusing on something. But whatever it is, be thankful and be grateful to God for what He has given us.

After deep thinking I realized that my dad had been facing challenging circumstances in recent past and he never give up on God. If my dad gives up, what will happen to our family now? I just can't give up now. I've come too far from where I started from. I need to be inspired and learn how to rebuild my shattered confidence back.

My dad planted a belief deep in my heart that taught me to never give up. No matter what misfortune comes your way, shove it aside and go for your dreams. Go for it and never give up. This is the lesson my dad taught me and I will never give up. I will make him as well as myself proud and will succeed, Insha'Allah.

Tears, emotional thoughts and deep thinking in one night. And I don't mind if you laugh and call me a loser. Calling me a peanut-sized brain won't make you succeed.

I'll prove you wrong, one day.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Exam For Docs Won't Cause Brain Drain

2011-01-12T19:56:00.006+08:00

By Loh Foon Fong
Monday January 10, 2011

PETALING JAYA: A proposed amendment to the Medical Act to compel all overseas medical graduates to sit for a common licensing examination will not worsen the brain drain situation, Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said.

"The Malaysian Medical Council examinations are not meant to make things difficult for them but to assess their core knowledge. They should not worry if they have passed their university examinations," he said.

Dr Ismail, who is also Malaysian Medical Council president, said in view of the weakness in monitoring foreign institutions, the council had proposed to do away with the Second Schedule of the Medical Act, containing the list of recognised foreign medical schools.

"Students can choose any university they wish to attend abroad but they have to sit for and pass a common licensing examination before being accepted for registration," he said, adding that this was practised in many developed countries.

The proposed examination, which would be different from the current Medical Qualifying Examination for students from unrecognised universities abroad, would ensure that doctors were "fit to practise" as safe and competent doctors, he said.

Recently, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the examination was one of the proposals it was looking into when amending the Act.

Although the Malaysian Medical Association and senior doctors had suggested that all medical graduates be made to sit for a common examination, Liow said it would only apply to overseas graduates.

It was not necessary for local graduates to sit for the examination as local institutions were easier to monitor, officials said.

However, senior doctors advocated otherwise, claiming that local schools could lower passing grades to make their universities look good.

Recently, The Star reported on the lack of training hospitals to meet the influx of housemen and a doctor had expressed concerns that some graduates lacked core knowledge and could jeopardise patient safety.

Asked where people could get advice on medical schools that met the country's requirements if the Second Schedule was removed, Dr Ismail said they could get this from colleges and the council.

*****

They have made it quite clear that all medical overseas graduates will have to sit for a common licensing examination, be it recognized or unrecognized universities abroad.

I'm currently attending Xi'an Jiaotong University and this university is not listed in the Second Schedule of the Medical Act, containing the list of recognized foreign medical schools but, this university is recognized by WHO, World Health Organization. This university is ranked number 4 out of 100 Universities and Colleges in Asia and it is also ranked number 15 out of 200 Universities and Colleges in the world.

Bottom line is, all of us will have to sit for an examination regardless of whether our universities are recognized or not.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Two Zero One One

2010-12-31T00:48:00.003+08:00

New Year's Resolutions

1. Eliminate people that tear me down, COMPLETELY.

2. Stop complaining and more appreciating.

3. Think before I speak and act.

4. Take more photos.

5. Make my parents proud again.

6. Less arguments with the loved one.

7. Limiting sugar intake.

8. Be more patient, with myself and others.

9. Keep calm when I feel my hot headedness is going to explode.

10. Save a lot of money for my next winter break vacation.

11. Work on my procrastination.

12. Be better at keeping in touch with people who are worth keeping in touch with.

13. Keep my phone (without breaking or losing it) until the end of the year.

14. Become closer to Allah SWT.

15. Be a better daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, grandchild, student, friend, girlfriend and overall a better person.

My goals for 2011 would be to keep up the positives, eating more nutritious food, doing more exercise, being more adventurous and gaining more self confidence.

New Year Wishlist

1. A memorable 21st birthday celebration.
2. New cell phone, either the Blackberry or the iPhone.
3. Lomographic camera.
4. A new laptop, my current one is dying.
5. The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
6. Harry Potter: Film Wizardry. *updated*
7. Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book: Based on the Film Phenomenon. *updated*
8. A vintage Mickey Mouse t-shirt.
9. Hogwarts Crest t-shirt.
10. 3D Fridge magnets from other countries.
11. I want to see the pandas, they're so adorable.
12. I want to take a picture with Siberian Husky.
13. A road trip with my friends.
14. Trip to Universal Studios Singapore.
15. An island getaway with my family.
16. A visit to underwater park with Najwa and Reza.
17. I want this heart-shaped sunglasses.

And the list goes on..

Does anyone know where I can get this heart shaped sunglasses? I already have the white one.

One of my dreams is to travel around the world with my family. See different places and explore. Have a wonderful vacation and able to experience a lot of things. It is a chance of a lifetime that everyone is dreaming of. Maybe not now but soon, Insha'Allah.

The year 2010 is not really the year for me. A lot of unexpected things happened. But all in all, I know that things happen for a reason and Allah SWT has a better plan for me. I hope that the new year entering, year 2011 will become one of the successful years I will encounter in my life. Goodbye, 2010.

May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future.

Happy New Year 2011.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Moments In 2010

2010-12-29T19:03:00.002+08:00

Currently listening to:
United States of Pop 2010 [Don't Stop the Pop] by DJ Earworm ♫♪

In year 2010,

1. I turned 20, but I didn't feel any change.

2. I've actually lost weight after drinking Chinese tea daily.

3. I learned how to cook a few main dishes.

4. I've started eating vegetables.

5. I've experienced four seasons.

6. Have a huge celebrity crush on Ian Somerhalder.

7. I've broken some heart.

8. I didn't get the chance to go to the Paramore concert.

9. My cousin sister bought me a Gryffindor scarf.

10. Successfully organized my sister's 8th birthday party.

11. I went to Bangkok with my brother for a week.

12. I learned how to knit, but I already forgot.

13. My favorite my cell phone was pick pocketed.

14. I received unexpected surprises from the same person.

15. Realized that no one is what they seem.

16. I've stop caring what others think.

17. Watched Harry Potter twice and wore my I ♥ Harry Potter tee.

18. Had a real Twitter conversation with Ryan Turner who plays Hugo Weasley.

19. Took a moon shot after lunar eclipse.

20. I received these for my birthday, my personal favorites besides Gryffindor scarf.

My 20th birthday cupcakes from Sha and Paramore Brand New Eyes CD from Aca.

There's a lot to write about moments in 2010, but I'll stop here. Simple things always make me happy. One of those years where a lot of good things happen, but a good amount of bad things came up also. Overall you still smile upon the great memories you've created this year.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Saya Gay, Saya Okay

2010-12-25T22:19:00.003+08:00

Lepas baca blog entry Bart Baharudin dan Muzakkir Syah, nak berdiam diri pun resah. Tak faham dengan sikap dan pemikiran orang Melayu zaman sekarang. Zaman sekarang sudah mula kembali ke arah kegemilangan zaman Jahiliah dan antara lain salah satunya ialah golongan homoseksual.

Many homosexuals claim they were born that way, they can't help being homosexual. If God is against homosexuality, then why did He even make it possible? Homosexuality is not allowed in Islam. There are various verses in the Quran where Allah clearly says about homosexuality.

We also (sent) Lut: he said to his people:

"Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? "For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds."

- Holy Quran 7:80-81

"Of all the creatures in the world will ye approach males". "And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!"

- Holy Quran 26:165-166

The end result for not giving up homosexuality was the destruction of entire cities

God's severely punished the people of this region for their wickedness. According to the Quran, the punishment was to:

"Turn the cities upside down, and rain down on them brimstones hard as baked clay, spread layer on layer, marked from your Lord. Nor are they ever far from those who do wrong."

- Holy Quran 11:82-83.

The site of this punishment is now the Dead Sea, standing as a symbol of destruction.

The Quran forbids any sexual relationship other than in a marriage between a man and a woman. Many homosexual men and women claim that they are born with their sexual preferences and that they have no choice. Although this point is very much in dispute in the medical world, it has no support in the Quran. Even then, irrespective of the nature of homosexuality, this matter would not affect the laws spelled out clearly in the Quran .

We know that this life is a test. Everyone of us has his/her own test. For example someone may be born blind, but that person is expected to live his/her life according to God's law. Others are born poor, short, tall, weak, missing fingers, having big nose, etc but all of them are expected to follow God's law. Some men or women may never marry in their life, or spend part of their life without a spouse. As per the Quran they still have to live a chaste life and avoid any sexual contacts outside a marriage. They have to suppress their sexual feelings to follow God's law. It is a major test and not an easy one for many. Only those who submit to God will do everything they can to follow His law. They know that their salvation and eternal happiness rests in doing so.

Since God condemns homosexuality, then we have to believe that a man or a woman with homosexual feelings is expected to behave like any other human being and follows God's laws if he/she truely believes in them. He/she shall resist his/her feelings, maintains abstinence, use all available resources of help including medical, social and behavioral therapies to overcome their behavior and feelings. They should pray to God to help them getting over it and submit to God's law that sees homosexuality as gross sin. Only those who steadfastly persevere in obeying God's law will they pass their test and confirm their submission to God.

This is what happened when people don't understand or learn the lessons from the story of the Prophet Lut AS. Siapa yang tak tahu kisah Nabi Lut AS, boleh google Kisah Nabi Lut dan Kaumnya.

Moga Allah SWT membuka pintu hatinya kembali ke pangkal jalan.

For you must know that Allah is Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Yang baik datang dari Allah SWT dan yang buruk datang dari diri kita sendiri.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Dear Luna

2010-12-21T22:51:00.003+08:00

Lunar Eclipse is the "Full Moon" with the Earth aligned between the Sun and Moon. I didn't know a total lunar eclipse was going to take place on December 21st, 2010. I knew about the lunar eclipse from Twitter and it is trending worldwide. Twitter Trend helps you find out what's trending on Twitter and why, so this is how I found out about the lunar eclipse.

I got the information about the lunar eclipse after clicking here. After I saw lunar eclipse for the time zone GMT +8 was at 4:18:04 PM, I was really excited. I was hoping I can watch this and I told about this to all my family members and friends in Malaysia. Sanggup SMS ke ramai ramai dari number China ke number Malaysia. Dah laa mahal. Excited much.

So yeah I waited for 20 minutes and I didn't see anything, this is frustrating ಥ_ಥ

My dad called me and said, "Siang siang mana nak nampak gerhana bulan, kalau malam boleh la." Even Anas sent me a text saying, "Lunar ecplise camne nak nampak siang siang doh?"

Okay, I feel stupid ಠ_ಠ

Nah, it's okay to feel stupid sometimes. *tengah pujuk diri sendiri*

Somehow I got to see the photo of lunar eclipse. The total lunar eclipse below was taken six hours ago in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Courtesy of Malay Shah. From beginning to end, the eclipse lasted about three hours and twenty-eight minutes. A really beautiful red moon here in Canada, Subhan'Allah.

Aca sent me a text saying WEH BULAN SEKARANG WEH TERANG SANGAT!! I was studying, as soon as I read the text I quickly jumped off my bed and grabbed my camera. Just focus as I take in a deep breath of cold air, the moon hung ever so high out of my window caught my sight.

The full moon is seen after the lunar eclipse today. Image of the moon, shot from my window. Subhan'Allah. If you look very well at the moon, you can read 'Ali' in Arabic. Allahu Akbar! I wish I could see the lunar eclipse but it's not happening at my place.

&& I love my baby G9 for playing its role.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Facebook Profile Picture

2010-12-15T03:28:00.001+08:00

Dear Mark Zuckerberg, hate is a strong word but I really really don't like the new Facebook layout. Inconvenience, too complex and privacy is not an option! I want the old Facebook back.

But..

Gotta love this one. Now that's how you a do a profile picture. Inspired by French artist Alexandre Oudin. Tutorial by Florian Stravock, Photographer and Designer from Galway, Ireland. Special thanks to Bart Baharudin for the guidance.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Cozy and Cold

2010-12-14T16:42:00.006+08:00

It's very windy outside, I can hear the wind blow and a whining shrill sound. With the robe and wool socks on, I really enjoy the weather at the moment. I never thought I would be comfortable being alone in my cozy room, studying and had a cup of Chinese tea. Looking out through the foggy windows, I am waiting for the snow to come. So pretty and beautiful, but it's going to freeze my body off.

The waiting for the snow and the disappointment that I find each morning when I see the brown leaves on the trees and the green grass on the field. It's not snowing here even though the temperature dropped to -5°C. It's 2°C and cloudy right now and according to weather forecast, it's going to be chilly with a little snow at times, accumulating a coating to an inch tonight. Oh well, let the false hope continue for another few days.

Reading Hanis Zalikha's latest blog entry has made me hungry, especially when I'm studying abroad. Hanis Zalikha's mum is a very good cook, and I miss her mum's moist chocolate cake. Great, just now I was craving for nasi lemak and now I'm craving for moist chocolate cake. Haih, I'm always hungry during the winter months. I want Malaysian food, I miss my mama's cook. ;(

Signed by Yours Truly,

Top Universities and Colleges

2010-12-13T22:26:00.002+08:00

According to www.4icu.org/topAsia and www.4icu.org/top200, Xi'an Jiaotong University is ranked number 4 out of 100 Universities and Colleges in Asia and it is also ranked number 15 out of 200 Universities and Colleges in the world!

I'm quite surprised to see these ranking, I never thought this university going to be listed in top 5 Universities in Asia. Now that makes me proud to be a part of Xi'an Jiaotong University.

Studies. Examinations. Results.

It's going to be very competitive and very difficult to maintain.

Faith. Confidence. Believe.

Insha'Allah, it will all be worth it in the end.

Nothing comes easy.

Signed by Yours Truly,

A Windy Day

2010-12-05T21:29:00.001+08:00

Jamunah, I'd like to wish you a very happy birthday. I wish for you the fulfillment of all your fondest dreams and the best in the years to come. A very cold day for a birthday, but the warmest of wishes to such a good friend!

It is a very windy, cold day, not really miniskirt weather. Hihi :P

Hope you had fun and captured few fun moments today in your heart!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Parenting

2010-12-04T23:59:00.001+08:00

Verbal abuse is still abuse. It's abuse in the form of words. They still burn, sting, hurt and put us in danger. Don't assume that a few hurtful words won't cost them their life. Don't assume that just because you haven't put one finger on them, you're not responsible for what happens after that. Mentally and emotionally, they are bruising, bleeding, suffocating. Your words have power, be careful. Speak life and love.

Misconception: Children have no rights

Children, according to Islamic law, have various rights. One of these is the right to be properly brought up, raised, and educated. Islam encourages children to be brought up well because it is the responsibility of an adult to raise his child to become a moral and ethical adult. Children must also be treated equally. When giving financial gifts they should all be the same amount and there should be no preference among them. Children are even permitted to take moderately from their parent's wealth to sustain themselves if the parent declines to give them proper funds for living. A child is also not allowed to get hit in the face or hit by anything larger than a pencil.

Treat your child with respect.

"The best way to get respectful treatment from your child is to treat him respectfully."

- Dr. Steinberg, The Ten Basic Principles of Good Parenting

Signed by Yours Truly,

30 Days Until 2011

2010-12-01T21:36:00.001+08:00

I love autumn. It amazes me to see the transformation that takes place each season, how colorful the panorama becomes. Amidst all the beauty of the changing seasons is the loss of understanding of what is actually happening to the trees when they become so colorful this time of year. They are responding to the coldness of the world, their resources are going into a mode of self-preservation. they are starving their outermost extensions of their own being, the very components used for growth and expansion. They are sacrificing their extensions so their essence can survive.

We see these trees in vibrant oranges, in deep reds and fantastic yellows, and we think, ohh how pretty. What we don't see is that the leaves themselves are being cut off from their source of life, they are withering on the branch, drying up, falling away and dying. But because it's pretty, we tend to romanticize it. Once a leaf lands on the ground, it's much less beautiful. Now, it's just something that has to be raked, bagged, and burnt.

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."

- Albert Camus

Autumn is a gorgeous time of year. Nature gives us a spectacular show of colour and richness to enjoy before we are plunged in to winter.

"Winter either bites with its teeth or lashes with its tail."

- Proverb

Looking forward to snow this winter, I miss playing with the snow.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Nowhere Is Safe

2010-11-20T13:59:00.001+08:00

I don't care what anyone else says - I LOVED IT. It's definitely my favorite movie so far. It was amazing, but I won't spoil it for everyone. I loved the movie, don't get me wrong. But I really wish I hadn't watched all of the trailers, clips, behind the scenes videos, and seen all of the stills. I think it really took away from a few good parts. I will not make the same mistake for Part 2. But like Tumblr's gonna be full of clips and scenes of Part 2 :(

I thought I was obsessed, clearly I was wrong. I'm sorry to say, but this is not normal. Obsessed much this one and this guy creeped me out but, I would LOVE to have that big of a collection!

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows part 2 comes out in 237 days. That seems like such a long time.

Signed by Yours Truly,

It's November, Are You Prepared? ϟ

2010-11-08T02:09:00.004+08:00

I can't believe Deathly Hallows is almost here, and 11 days left until Deathly Hallows! I read Deathly Hallows worldwide release dates on Mugglenet 24 days ago and there's no release date for Deathly Hallows in China. I was really upset and totally disappointed, but my friend convinced me to go and check at the cinema for the confirmation. So yesterday, I went to Wanda International Cinema at Wanda Plaza to check if Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 will be in cinema or not.

And they said yes, it will be in cinema on the 19th of November!

BUT.

We couldn't book or buy the tickets before the release date.

Whatever, I'm still going to the cinema on the 19th of November with my classmates right after our class time ends. I'm going to wear I ♥ Harry Potter t-shirt when I go watch this movie and my friends in Malaysia were planning to do the same thing too! Excited much? I grew up with Harry Potter. The first time I read Harry Potter series when I was 11 years old and I'm turning 21 years old in about three months. Speaking of Harry Potter tee, these are my friends who bought this tee and going to wear it masa tengok Harry Potter nanti. From left; Sha, Farah, Saffa, Nad and Aca.

I designed this t-shirt, and I know the design is really simple. Some people like it, some people doesn't. Some people even think it's not worth their RM20. But I don't really care, at least I know I've done something and I achieved it. Thank you to Saffa for selling those t-shirts! And one more thing, someone from England sent me an email saying that..

And I was like..

She really made my day. The GIFs say it all. Accio November 19, I couldn't be more excited and I can't wait any longer.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Random Thoughts: People

2010-11-02T21:08:00.002+08:00

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

Signed by Yours Truly,

No, It's Not Halloween

2010-11-01T23:59:00.013+08:00

As I mentioned in my Facebook, this photo was taken on October 30, 2010. We planned to have a small gathering of close friends on Saturday evening and we were planning to dress up for fun since everyone never experience Halloween before. I was excited too as I thought it's going to be fun to dress up and taking some photos as it's going to be a new experience for all of us.

But, I have doubts about celebrating Halloween since it is absolutely forbidden in Islam. So what I did was, I told my friends we're not going to celebrate Halloween on the 31st but we're going to dress up for fun and take pictures of ourselves in costume on the 30th.

I came to know that one of my friends who didn't involve with this wasn't happy and kindly disagree with this idea by posting this link on Facebook after I posted these photos on Facebook. My friend commented that she/he didn't have the guts to tell things in the face and hope by posting this link would help. My explanation wasn't fully accepted as dressing up also leads to Halloween celebration.

I admitted I was wrong, especially when we decorated the room with Happy Halloween banner. One of my friends were excited about it and I won't put the blame on my friend because I was okay with it too. All we did was dressed up for fun, went out to dinner and came back to our dorm at 10 pm. We didn't have trick or treat, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted houses, carving Jack-o'-lanterns or even watching horror movies. It's not even on the 31st of October. All of my friends agreed that we didn't celebrate Halloween.

What's done, is done and I won't do the same mistake again. I apologize for dressing up and put on a costume, and make people think we're celebrating Halloween. Thank you for sharing this link, it worth the whole night my friend spent in finding this link. Share and spread dakwah.

Whatever you're doing, it all depends on your Nawaitu.
And my intention wasn't to celebrate Halloween in the first place.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Bonfire and Barbecue Gathering

2010-10-24T00:41:00.003+08:00

A few weeks back, a bunch of seniors had a small group meeting involves roughly 3 to 6 people from each intake. They planned to have a bonfire and barbecue gathering for girls and it is a strictly no-boys-allowed. I didn't attend the meeting, and I was too busy helping the junior who came on the same week the meeting was held so I wasn't looking forward to the bonfire and barbecue gathering on the following weekend. I wasn't interested in going too because I want to spend my weekend in my room since my one week National Day's holidays were gone like that. But since all my friends are going, I had to convince myself that it's going to be fun. Besides, it’s going to be my first time experiencing bonfire. The first time I heard of it, I was imagining how it’s going to look like. A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration.

So this was my imagination how it's going to look like but then I've been thinking, how are they going to set up the bonfire area? I was informed the gathering will be held in the courtyard in front of the International Student Affairs office. There will be some dancing performance, singing performance, and beauty contest too. We were told to dress up beautifully and I was like, whaaaat? Beauty contest? Isn't this supposed to be a bonfire gathering where people normally wear casual clothing? I have no idea what were they doing and they had me curious but I'll just have to wait and see how it turns out.

The weekend has come and I wasn't that excited. I didn't dress up much; just jeans, a black tank top and a white jacket. Simplicity is the best, as long as I'm comfortable in cold weather. I went downstairs to the courtyard and I saw everything is already set up. The outdoor stage was nicely decorated and the background curtains were really very attractive.

The gathering went pretty well for me, as I was able to have some fun with my friends. We played few games and we even were dancing around the bonfire which was so much fun. We had group photo sessions for each intake and among these five photos, the last photo definitely my favorite one!

Signed by Yours Truly,

These Boots Are Made For Walking

2010-10-18T23:59:00.003+08:00

Dr. Martens are back and revamped and these perfectly patent white ankle boots are the perfect addition to your winter white shoe collection. And of course, a jacket is essential when it comes to fall. Be it a cardigan, a thick sweater, or a smart chic blazer. They will all match your Dr. Martens!

Since it's almost fall, or is it fall already? The weather keeps changing, but I think it's already fall. Okay since it's already fall, Dr. Martens will be fantastic! Check out the celebrities outfits! I want a pair of white Dr Martens boots too! Cantik!

Giggling to myself, this is one of the reasons why I love Xi'an. I already got myself a pair of white boots and the price is reasonable too, considering the quality of the products though it's made in China ;)

Signed by Yours Truly,

Best of Furry Friends

2010-10-12T13:03:00.001+08:00

Lion and meerkat strike up friendship that echoes The Lion King story.

A lion who was rejected by its mother has stuck up a friendship with a meerkat. Bob the meerkat and Zinzi the lion have been inseparable since Zinzi was rescued by zoo and safari ranch owner Marcell Tournier, 33. The friendship echoes the partnership between Simba, the lion cub hero of Disney classic The Lion King and Timon.

Source

Signed by Yours Truly,

Do You Know What Lives In Your Eyelashes?

2010-10-03T13:47:00.001+08:00

Mites.

And do you know that there are over 8,000 microscopic spiders in the average person's eyebrows? Mites are small invertebrates from the group Arachnida, the same group as spiders. Many people are not aware of the mites around them, as most mites are microscopic.

You can read more about this here and here or you can Google it ;)

Signed by Yours Truly,

It's Almost Fall

2010-10-01T00:08:00.004+08:00

I have been feeling so inspired by fall lately. Yeah it's almost fall, trees changing colors and there's even some trees starting to drop leaves. I love the colors of the leaves and how they change. The reds, burnt oranges and yellows are such pretty colors for not only the leaves, but for the fall wardrobe. Autumn or fall is one of my favorite seasons. It makes me feel happier and definitely more excited. Plus, fall clothing is the best!

I created this set that is inspired by Polyvore. I have these clothes except for the shearling wool heels, I couldn't find the exact same heels as mine so I just put something close to it. I'm planning to wear this outfit and take a few shot of myself with the leaves in the background. The golden and red leaves on a background of lush green grass and beautiful blue skies, it is such a wonderful thing. I can't wait!

I really like this jacket, it's my favorite. This jacket is really precious to me because my abah bought it :)

Signed by Yours Truly,

Twinkle Lights in Bedroom

2010-09-30T13:45:00.001+08:00

Twinkle twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high. Like a diamond in the sky.

Okay so I really like the idea of having twinkle lights as a decoration above my bed. I want my bedroom look more cozy, warm and romantic. I fell in love with Indian-Moroccan-Bohemian room from the first picture, I love and wanted those colors for my room. So I already bought the bed sheet and quilt set last year from IKEA. The colors of my bed sheet almost look alike as the picture.

As I browsed through my Tumblr dashboard, I saw a lot of posts or photos about these twinkle lights in bedroom and it has caught my attention. There are some photos I found on Flickr. I kinda like yellow lights and attracted to light at night too. This kind of room decoration has inspired me to want to redecorate my room and do something a bit similar.

I like simplicity. But if I could put some twinkle lights around my room, wouldn't it be nice?

Signed by Yours Truly,

Mind blowing photographs of animals inside womb

2010-09-25T23:59:00.005+08:00

These amazing embryonic animal photographs of dolphins, sharks, dogs, penguins, cats and elephants are from a new National Geographic Documentary called "Extraordinary Animals in the Womb". The show’s producer, Peter Chinn, used a combination of three-dimensional ultrasound scans, computer graphics and tiny cameras to capture the process from conception to birth. They are the most detailed embryonic animal pictures ever seen.

It's all Allah's creation and what a beautiful creation it is, Subhanallah!

Source

Signed by Yours Truly,

Salam Perantauan dari Xi'an

2010-09-09T01:57:00.001+08:00

♫ Berlalulah sudah Ramadhan sebulan berpuasa ♪

♪ Tiba Syawal kita rayakan dengan rasa gembira ♫

♫ Anak muda di rantauan semuanya pulang ke desa ♪

*STOP*

Ohh wait, rephraseee!

♪ Anak muda di rantauan TAK semuanya pulang ke desa ♫

Suasana Di Hari Raya by Anuar Zain feat Ellina, my all time favorite Raya song! And by the way, this is my first video blog and I was a bit nervous that time. Please excuse my poor English and lack of eye contact. I hope you like it and hopefully it won't bore you to death.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my Muslim friends and readers Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Have a safe journey when traveling back to your hometown.

I would like to apologize for all my wrong doings, be it big or small, obvious or subtle. I can't make everyone happy, though I tried so hard. And also I would like to sincerely apologize for my wrong doings over the past living years in all my writing and blogging.

Let go of all grudges and forgive each other on this auspicious day. Have a blast, may Allah SWT bless you and may we see another Ramadhan next year, Insya'Allah. To all Malaysians, enjoy the food while you still can. Be merry, and be happy!

Minal 'Aidin Wal Faizin, Maaf Zahir dan Batin!

Salam Aidilfitri,

No Mosque at Ground Zero

2010-08-26T22:02:00.003+08:00

Well said, Joshua Raney.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Laa Korn Bangkok

2010-08-22T22:00:00.002+08:00

Six days in Bangkok, been a lot of fun. A thousands thanks to Uncle Bal and Auntie Ina for sponsor us to Bangkok. Thank you so much for taking us around and showing us the best places to go. Thank you for everything, Uncle Bal and Auntie Na. Jazakallahu khairan kathira, Insya'Allah.

Reached home safely today. The flight journey was good.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Day 6: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

2010-08-22T01:10:00.002+08:00

The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is located at Damnoen Saduak District, Ratchaburi Province, about 105 kms from Bangkok. Although there are many different floating markets to be seen around Thailand, Damnoen Saduak floating market is the oldest and largest of them.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Day 5: Chatuchak Weekend Market

2010-08-22T00:10:00.002+08:00

Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok is the largest market in Thailand. It covers over 35 acres (1.13 km²) and contains upwards of 5,000 stalls. It is estimated that the market receives between 200,000 visitors each day. Most stalls only open on Saturdays and Sundays.

Couple tee, I think it's kind of cute :3

Look Choop; Thai dessert is made from mashed green bean mixed with sugar and formed into many different shapes of Thai fruits.

I didn't get the chance to ride on a tuk tuk, bergambar pun jadi la :)

Signed by Yours Truly,

Day 4: Safari World

2010-08-21T23:01:00.002+08:00

Safari World Bangkok is said to be Thailand's most popular animal and leisure park. It is the biggest open zoo in the entire country and is known as the first of its kind in Thailand given that it is the only one with a drive-thru open zoo. It would take you about an hour to reach the park from Bangkok.

It's a must visit place in Bangkok! It's relaxed, safe, enjoyable and great fun!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Day 3: Bangkok's Shopping Malls

2010-08-21T22:39:00.002+08:00

BK - Mah Boon Krong. One of the biggest shopping centre in Bangkok. It is located in Siam Square near to Siam Centre and Siam Paragon.

There are 2,500 shops and 130 eating establishments over eight floors selling everything from clothes to electronics. Depending on your bartering skills, great bargains can be had.

Fake handbags and clothes are also available here but you may need to ask a shop owner as they are not always on display. A luggage shop might have their suitcases on display filled with lots of good value fake handbags!

Ada satu kedai ni, dia jual handbags jea and harga semua 199 baht! 199฿ = RM19.90! I bought one for my sister, and I hope she likes it!

Colorful Bangkok taxis are all over the city. In New York the typical taxi color is black and yellow, but in Bangkok you'll get a full range of colors from bright pink and orange to combinations of orange and green or blue and red.

Siam Paragon. It's easy to get lost in Siam Paragon's spacious marbled hallways. It is one of the biggest shopping centre in Asia.

Hobby Club on the 4th Floor Siam Paragon has quilt, sewing and knitting classes. Those who are interested in sewing and crafts, they can go there to buy supplies and learn about knitting, sewing and other crafts for free. Sayangnya benda benda macam ni takde kat Kuala Lumpur or Xian. I really love arts and handicrafts.

Knitting sounds fun, I went back home and told my cousin sister about knitting and she told me she learned that in school! I asked her to teach me how to knit, she taught me the basics of knitting! I did knit, but just the simple one. I wish I knew how to knit a scarf and a sweater!

Does anyone know where can I find the knitting tools in KL area?

Signed by Yours Truly,

Day 2: Chao Phraya River Cruise

2010-08-21T18:38:00.003+08:00

A trip to Bangkok is not complete without cruising the majestic Chao Phraya River - the longest river in Thailand stretching 370 kilometers. You have an option to take either the day cruise or the night cruise.

The Chao Phraya tourist boars provides service to 9 piers, which in turn give access to Bangkok's most famous attractions. The journey starts from the Central pier, proceeds up the river, stopping at 9 piers and return back to Central Pier on the same route.

We stopped at Wat Arun. Wat Arun is also known as Temple of the Dawn in Bangkok is a Khmer-style Buddhist temple and major landmark on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. Wat Arun was built in the days of Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya, and was originally known as Wat Makok.

Wat Arun as seen from the river.

Next, we stopped at Tha Tien Pier and went to Wat Pho. Wat Pho, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, is the oldest and largest Buddhist temple in Bangkok. It is home to more Buddha images than any other Bangkok temple and it shelters the largest Buddha in Thailand.

We stopped at two piers, out of nine piers since the weather was very warm and I got a headache. It was fun, I enjoyed the cruise very much.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Day 1: Suan Lum Night Bazaar

2010-08-21T00:35:00.003+08:00

This is the only bazaar or night market that I went to when I was in Bangkok. Suan Lum Night Bazaar is located in Bangkok's Pathum Wan's district. The whole bazaar is aligned in a maze with little shops that sell things like arts, crafts, furniture, clothes, bags, food and so on. Unlike those normal night markets, these little shops in Suan Lum are undeniably unique in their very own way.

Even though it's just a tiny little shop, most of them are very creative and well-designed to suit the theme that they desire, either from chic modern or to a more vintage kind of design. This is definitely something that you could not see in Malaysia, or Kuala Lumpur to be specific.

Anyway, those things that they sell in Suan Lum Night Bazaar aren't exactly cheap or at least I thought they are supposed to be.* The vehicle in the second picture, that's the auto rickshaw called tuk-tuk in Thailand!

Gotta love these hanging balls of light! I bought one for myself, and the balls are white in color. I heard they're selling these hanging balls of light in Batu Ferringhi, Penang. Apa ni, datang jauh jauh beli benda yang ada kat Malaysia? Don't blame me because I was in China for five months!

The current goal: String these hanging balls around my bed or above my head when I go back to China!

Signed by Yours Truly,

Sawadika from Bangkok

2010-08-20T23:32:00.002+08:00

My uncle bought us flight tickets to Bangkok, so it's going to be a new experience for me and my younger brother travelling without our parents. Since my dad is not feeling well and he's having viral fever so he couldn't send us to KLIA. My mum sent us to Wangsa Maju LRT station very early in the morning. When we reached there, we were told that the train broke down so we have to go to Setiawangsa LRT station. Everyone was heading there at the same time, the road becomes even more severely choked and we were caught in massive traffic jams.

While waiting for the train, the numbers of passengers keep increasing until there's no space to stand. Three trains had passed and no one was able to go inside the train because it's too full. When the fourth train came, we entered quickly as soon as the door was opened. My brother was holding my bag, because both of us scared if the door is closed then he will be left behind and has to wait for another train. People were pushing each other real hard and squeeze into a sardin-packed train during rush hour. We can hardly breathe or move once we got in!

We reached KL Sentral and took KLIA Ekspres. The train left after one minute we walked in and sat down, or else we have to wait for another 20 minutes. What a hectic morning.

My uncle was waiting for us when we arrived in Bangkok. The first thing I saw in Bangkok was a pink taxi! Hahaha, how cute! My uncle drove us home. He lives in staff quarters, Embassy of Malaysia in Bangkok.

Signed by Yours Truly,

My Version of Swedish Meatballs

2010-08-14T22:48:00.001+08:00

I was craving for Swedish meatballs at the IKEA restaurant for berbuka puasa, padahal I went there just two weeks ago to have lunch with Aca, Sha and Nad. Omnomnom!

I couldn't get enough of these meatballs, but takkan nak drive all the way from Ulu Kelang, Ampang to Ikea, Damansara? I don't want to get stuck in a massive traffic jam. So I decided to prepare my version of Swedish meatballs! Ready-made beef meatballs served with herb gravy mix, strawberry jam and fries!

Marina Beef Balls = RM7 for 20 pieces (Approximate)

McCormick Beef & Herb Gravy = RM5 (Approximate)

Steffi's Choice Strawberry Jam = ? (Memang dah ada dalam fridge)

It tastes really good, I'm really satisfied and I would make this again. Better and cheaper.

Signed by Yours Truly,

First Day of Ramadhan 1431H

2010-08-11T21:32:00.001+08:00

Since I finished my SPM back in 2007, that was the last time I went to pray tarawih with my family and had iftar at home with my family members. This Ramadhan, alhamdulillah I get the chance to attend tarawih prayers at Masjid Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin or Masjid Besi in Putrajaya with my family yesterday and had our first iftar at home today.

I went to Bazaar Ramadhan at Taman Melawati and gahh it was full of people! I didn't even get to buy the murtabak, long queue at each and every murtabak stall! I just bought roti john, kuih sagu, kuih gula melaka and air tebu for myself since my parents masak for berbuka puasa. So, how's your first day puasa? What did you eat for iftar today?

Signed by Yours Truly,

Fasting is a protection from the fire

2010-08-10T03:35:00.001+08:00

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
1. Verily, We revealed it on the Night of Power.
2. And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr is?
3. The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.
4. The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, with all decrees.
5. (The night is) Peace until the rising of the dawn.

"The month of Ramadhan, that in which the Quran was sent down; a guidance for mankind, and clear signs of guidance and distinction."

--Surah Al Baqarah 2:185

Laylat al-Qadr is the anniversary of the night Muslims believe the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Muhammad SAWW by the angel Gabriel. It is also the anniversary of the night in which the Quran is believed by Muslims to have first descended to the earthly heavens in its entirety.

"One who while fasting does not guard his tongue from telling lies and does not refrain from bad deeds, is not respecting his fast. When you are fasting, you should not speak ill of anybody, nor should you be rough and noisy. If anybody speaks ill of you or tries to pick a quarrel with you, reply him not, but say to him that you are fasting. If people understood what good there was in the month of Ramadhan, they would have liked that it last for a year. A person gets the same reward by reciting in this month, one verse of the Holy Quran, as others do by reciting the whole of the Quran in other months. Whoever is not forgiven in the month of Ramadan, then in which month will he be forgiven? Unfortunate is the person who is deprived of the forgiveness of Allah during this great month (of Ramadhan). Allah does not approve of mere abstention from food. Whoever is prevented from food that he likes, because of his fast, Allah will feed him from the food of Heaven and from its drink. Fast, and you shall be healthy."

--The Holy Prophet Muhammad SAWW

On the Day of Judgement, "Fasting will say: O My Lord I prevented him from food and desires so accept my intercession for him." May Allah SWT bless us with the ability to fast through this Ramadhan successfully and I'd like to wish you a blessed Ramadhan, May Allah accept from us and from you.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Ali's Surprise 16th Birthday Celebration

2010-08-08T11:00:00.002+08:00

Signed by Yours Truly,

Istana Bambu Restaurant

2010-08-07T02:39:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since we've had a family dinner and yesterday I planned to head out for dinner with my family. I was thinking of going out to dinner with my family at Istana Bambu Restaurant. How did I know about this restaurant? I was looking through my friend's photo album on Facebook and I saw her pictures at Istana Bambu Restaurant on her 20th birthday celebration. That was the first time I heard about this restaurant. This restaurant is located near the exit to AU Keramat at MRR2. The ride was a short one; it took less than ten minutes in total, which made it even more convenient on our appetite to eat; serves up Chinese, Thai and Malay food.

The actual building gave the impression that it was 90% made of bamboo. Seven of us were seated at a rectangular table which was made out of bamboo and the chairs were also erected out of bamboo. Istana Bambu is literally a bamboo palace, with thick bamboo pillars, bamboo tables, chairs, chandelier, gazebos, and more! One of the only restaurants in Kuala Lumpur with a paddy field concept, Istana Bambu greets you with a fish pond surrounding a nice long walkway towards the main dining area. Behind the dining room, there are gazebos if you like to dine outdoors. Here, you can enjoy the breeze and sit cross-legged while enjoying your meal and chatting with your friends and family.*

Prawn tomyam. Prawn sambal. Cashew nut chicken. Fried egg fu yong. Plain egg telur dadar. Kailan with salted fish. Black pepper beef. With plain white rice. Yeah, that's what we had for dinner. The food was good and we really enjoyed it. Good food, good service - efficient and fast.

Istana Bambu Restaurant
Lot 841-842, Jalan Hulu Kelang - Ampang
68000 Ampang, Selangor

03-42514717 / 012-3710424
http://www.istanabambu.com.my

Click here for directions.

Signed by Yours Truly,

Fullhouse Lifestyle Store and Cafe

2010-08-02T23:59:00.002+08:00

If you want something unique and quirky, this is the place to go. It is designed to resemble a full-sized house. They choose white as their theme color, the decoration inside will make you feel that you are in a boutique with all sort of clothes and accessories. By looking at the pictures, I've already lost the inspiration to type this post. Let these pictures tell the story.

I went to Fullhouse Lifestyle Store and Cafe today with Azrin and Lily. I chose the 'Thomas's Favourite Meal' set lunch (RM 16.90) which comes with a bowl of Forest Mushroom Soup, Spaghetti Pasta with Turkey Ham, Ice Lemon Tea and a dessert.

Fullhouse Lifestyle Cafe
No. 2, Jalan Liew Weng Chee
Off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2164 6466
http://www.fullhousecafe.com.my

Signed by Yours Truly,

Delicious

2010-07-30T23:59:00.001+08:00

Had a small gathering of cousins at Delicious after more than a year I didn't meet them. Delicious. They serve decent food, wide variety of drinks and desserts. The chic and stylish Delicious at The Marc Residence has an incredibly cosy, warm and inviting atmosphere. Some might find the open and airy spaces inspirational – perfect for an informal discussion or catching up with friends while grabbing a bite to eat. It's a nice place to just have a quiet day out with yourself, friends, family or partner.

Signed by Yours Truly,