Pensil

I just came back from watching this movie, Pensil.

(image taken from Malaysian Indian Artist Portal)

I got to know about the existence of this movie by chance. There was no publicity of this movie prior to its showing. I found out that it is a local independent film which was written, directed and starred by M Subash. Starring along him are big names in the industry like Ruminah Sidek, Jalil Hamid, Maimon Mutalib and Khatijah Tan.

The movie is about Badrul, a handicapped Indian orphan, who was abused by his step-mother and step-aunt. Despite all that, his love and obedience towards his mother is unquestionable. He worked hard to provide for his mother by doing all sorts of menial jobs. He gave all his earnings to his mother and spent only 30cents on a pencil for himself. A pencil can give him so much joy as he loves drawing. His only support is his grandmother, played by Ruminah Sidek. She is the one who gives him the will to go on and always to remember God, never to hate others and only have love in his heart even for those who ill-treated him. She was moved to tears when Badrul set up a fake stage for her to perform as it was her dream since young to dance on a stage in front of an audience.

Badrul met Junid, another lonely and problematic character who is haunted by his past. He guided Junid towards God and to lead a more meaningful life. Friendship between them blossomed from there on.

It was a moving movie that I actually cried towards the end. I am especially moved by the words of advice from his grandmother. Some of the lessons learnt:

1. Never beg for money. God gives us the ability to work so work for money and make sure it is from a halal source. Being handicapped is not a reason not to work. Work hard and insya-Allah, you will be rewarded, even if it is a small amount.

2. Never hate anyone, no matter how bad you were ill-treated.

3. Simple things can make you happy so it's actually not about the money.

4. Last but not least, God is always there to guide us and 'rezki' ada di mana2.


Good work by M Subash.

Up...up....up..and awayyy!!!

The news that was announced today that petrol price will increase tonight at midnight triggered a scene out of the movie "Deep Impact". Many roads were flooded with cars queuing up for petrol at the various petrol stations. Everybody was rushing to fill up their tanks before midnight. There were massive jams everywhere, as everybody tried to beat the midnight deadline. Petrol prices has increased by 0.78 cents from the current RM1.92 per litre. As of midnight tonight, petrol prices will be at RM2.70 per litre. And soon, the electricity tariffs will increase by 18%.

*sigh*

What's next....??

Salary??

Hahahahahhaa.....

Crashed and Burnt!!

That is how I would describe my last trip back to Singapore last week. Went back with hopes but came back 'wounded and bruised'. Time will heal all wounds but I don't know how long it will take this time. But for now....I am 'crashed and burnt!' :(

The Ugly Singaporean

I seldom read the papers but this particular article written by Mr Seah Chiang Nee (I am not sure of his nationality) in The Star newspaper on Saturday 17th May 08 caught my eyes. Read it and tell me what you think.... :)

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/17/focus/21271268&sec=focus

The sweet sound of Victory.....

Heard the news a few months back from my cousin that there is a new joint in Subang Jaya that sells the kind of food that is very famous in Arab St in Singapore. I couldn't find the time to find out more about it so it slipped off my mind until recently, I stumbled upon a blogger who did a review of the place and the food. So today, hubby and I went all the way to Subang Jaya and was looking high and low for this particular restaurant. Did a few rounds around the Taipan Business Centre and then to the Subang Business Centre which is just across the road and there it was!!! Victory Arab Street Restaurant!!! Yeayyy!!!!

We ordered the beef briyani and the beef murtabak... and yes!!! The taste and smell of the briyani and the murtabak brought me back to Arab St. And throughout the meal, I was enjoying every spoonful and soaking in the smell of the 'good stuffs'.


They even have a proper menu here. Stylooo siakkk!!! Hehehehehe...







The Beef Briyani... yummm!!!!


The sauces... just like back home....


The crispy murtabak.....


Aaaaahhhhhh murtabak..... :))


And now, I am waiting for either Rex or New Generation Restaurant(formerly known as Cameron Restaurant) to open up a branch here so that I can enjoy the Opeh Bee Hoon Hong Kong and their super delicious chicken rice anytime I want to.... hehehehehe

It's decision time!!!

It seems that life is all about decisions and suddenly, we (hubby and i) are faced with lots of decisions to make. Not easy to decide cos it can either make or break us. How do you make decisions especially when it is going to affect your future and you know you had made some HUGE mistakes in the past and you are still paying for it now... so making another major decision will be very difficult for us this time. All I ask for is for Allah to guide us to make the right decisions. Insya-Allah, HE will guide us to choose the right path to betterment. Only time will tell.....

On another note, I went to the Malaysian International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) at Martrade this morning. It is a showcase of Halal food and products from all over the world. It was an eye opener to see the wide varieties of Halal food and products from all over the world. It was even more impressive to see so many 'makcik-looking' businesswomen there. I overheard a conversation between a 'makcik-looking' lady with one of the exhibitors there. She was telling him that she has several businesses and she even owns an education centre....whoa! Impressive!!

Hope to be like her one day.... insya-Allah! :)

Singaporean friends in KL (24 Apr till 27 Apr 08)

On the 24th of April, my friends from Singapore came over to KL for a 'makan-makan' and get together sessions. Sekmok came with her family and Jeela. I was supposed to fetch them from the airport that afternoon but suddenly I was down with fever. So, smsed sekmok and told her I will see her at KL Sentral instead. Dragged myself out of bed and I was achhooingg non stop. Luckily, hubby was kind enough to fetch me at home and sent me to KL Sentral. Met them there and had lunch at one of the food courts there. Then took a cab to my house. Showed them their rooms and we chit chatted for a while before it's nap time!! I took some medicines given by 'Dr Jeela' and went to sleep.

I woke up when Cheq called and told me she's on her way to my house. Waited for her and my hubby to reach home before we went out for dinner at Wong Solo at Ampang. The place is quite similar to those Warong Ayam Penyet you find in Singapore. The service was so slowwwwww and the drinks they served were so sweettttt.....boleh dpt kencing manis instantly!! Personally, that will be my last trip there. Nothing fantastic!

After dinner, we went to Bukit Bintang to watch the live band there while having our sessions of teh tarik.... and that's when sekmok's hubby decided to go for those sidewalk massage. We were shocked to see that he actually took off his t-shirt in the middle of the world!!! Hahahahaa and he did attract quite a fair amount of attention especially from the middle eastern tourists... hahahahaa...he was like a star there! hahahaha...berani! berani!

On the second day, we went to Masjid India cos sekmok wanted to buy some stuffs. I was still having fever and not wanting to be a party pooper, I popped Panadol extra to bring down the fever. I decided to walk around in the air conditioned shopping mall rather than be out in the sun. So, told them will meet them there when they are done. After nearly 2 hrs of waiting, we set off to Bagan Lalang for the 'makan besar', the actual reason they came to KL.... hehehehee It was a long longgg drive to Bagan Lalang but it was really worth it. The seafoods were fresh and delicious and the price was reasonable. We had a good time eating and enjoying the food especially after the 1 hr drive to reach the place. Thanks Ah Cheq for the treat!!!

The next day, Ah Cheq and Jeela took a cab to Pavillion and the rest of us went to Sunway Pyramid as sekmok wanted to eat at Wendy's, a new fast food joint in Malaysia. As that was the only reason we were there, we left after lunch. We made our way to One Utama SC, my favourite shopping mall... hehehe. Love it there... I don't know why. Sekmok had to attend to the crying 'Apple' (her daughter) but kerana semangat shopping, sekmok sanggup mengangkut Apple from the Old Wing to the New Wing and back again. As I had invited a few friends over, we decided to make our way back home. On the way back, managed to 'tapau' some food. The two girls were already home, luckily I gave them the spare keys, if not kena duduk luar la budak2 tu.... hehehe Stayed at home and watched tv and chit chat. Nasib baik polis tak dtg and neighbour tak complain. Yealah.... semua mulut macam petir... hahahahaha and that night, all of them decided to sleep downstairs. So laid the mattresses and off to sleep except Jeela yg asyik mintak nak tgk cite hantu.... iishhh...

On the last day they were here, they did nothing but just lazed around at home before sending them off to KL Sentral. Said our goodbyes and hugged and hope to see them again soon....in Singapore...

What A Night!

Last night, Hubby and I decided to run some errands. We need to alter our pants and send my gold chain to the jewellery shop to get it fixed. It was already 8 plus at that time and we had to rush to the jewellery shop before it closed. So, just when we reached the junction near Mont Kiara which is about 5 mins away from our house, it happened!

We were at the traffic light waiting for the light to turn green when the car decided to play some kind of trick on us. It won't budged! Tried and tried again but the car kept inching backwards. Panic!! We looked at each other and suddenly our minds went blank, we didn't know who to call. The cars behind starting honking at us....stupid stupid cars!! Hubby started to regain his composure and made a call to his trusted mechanic to come and tow our car away. While waiting for the tow truck, it started to rain heavily and so we had to take shelter in the car. When the tow truck came and towed our car away, we hitched a ride to the workshop in the mechanic's car. It was an old car and I was drenched the whole way to the workshop as the rain managed to seep into the car via the back window.....hehehehehhehe. Ah Cheq picked us up from the petrol station and as she had to work late that night, we sent her back to her office and borrowed her car to send our pants for alteration. We had to give up the idea of going to the jewellery shop as it was already 11pm. So, we decided to stop by at One Utama and released our tensions by singing at one of the karaoke 'jamban' there.......wooo hoooo!!! After 10 songs, we went off to fetch Ah Cheq and her sister and then for supper at Bangsar before the sisters sent us home.

What a night......!!

And thanks Ah Cheq for saving us! :)

Happy New Year 2008.....

Today is the last day of 2007 and in a few hours, we will say goodbye to 2007 and hello to 2008.

What happened in 2007?

Some major decisions have been made this year.
I decided to make the major move to KL to be with my hubby. To leave everything behind and move to KL which includes, quitting my job of 10yrs, moving most of the things from SG to KL and renting out my house in SG to complete strangers. It was not an easy decision to make but it was made nonetheless. I have stayed in that house for over 20 yrs and to see some strangers making themselves at home in my house, it feels weird!

It was not easy adapting at first. Many told me that it will be no problem at all as I have been going to and fro KL practically every weekend for the last 6 years. It was still difficult! The first 2 months was the most difficult ones. I miss a lot of things back home but fortunately, my husband has been very supportive emoionally :) I have made new friends here and things are getting better. And I am beginning to love it here.... yes!! hehehehhee....

After 10yrs of working, I am now a stay at home wife. It can be boring most of the times but now I have all the time in the world to do what I want...I can go out anytime I want, do what I want to do and best of all, I don't have to wake up early in the morning. But..... I am still looking for a job...hopefully something that does not require me to wake up so early in the morning... hehehehe

And in 2007, I learn how to be a more positive person and view life positively. I learn to be independent, I learn how to run a household, I learn how to budget our expenditure and I learn how to be A WIFE!! It is difficult at times but I am happy with my life now. After nearly 7 yrs of marriage, we now live like a normal husband and wife. No more weekend visits and sleeping alone at night. Hehehehee....

So, Thank You 2007. It's been a great year for us! And I am sad to see you go but I can't wait to see what 2008 will bring for us.....a bundle of joy...perhaps?? Aminnnn.....

Happy New Year everyone!!

Immigration Part 3 - At Last!!!!

Yes!! At last I got my social visit pass extended for 6 months.... thank God!! After 3 dreaded trips to the Immigration Dept, I had my stay here extended for the next 6 months as of today! But as usual, things will not be as smooth as I would like it to be.

Arrived at the Immigration at about 8.30am this morning. We were armed with all the documents needed and the much sought after document by the immigration - my husband's OLD passport!! muakakakakaka.... And to be on the safe side, I brought my OLD passport along as well. When we reached there, we bought another form that is needed for the application. Then we made copies of our passports on pages where there are chops stating that we did enter and exit the country during that time. Then we happily made our way to the 4th floor to submit our documents and were very confident we had cover everything. So we went to get out queue number and waited for our number to be called. Yes! This is it! We went to the counter and submitted all the documents and forms required. And the lady at the counter went through the documents one by one while we waited. And then... she asked for the most ridiculous thing. She wanted us to photocopy the whole passport including mine. What the F!@# for??? And it's our OLD passport!! I tried to keep my cool and told her that the previous lady who attended to us told us that we needed to photocopy that particular page of my husband's passport. Luckily I brought mine along! My hubby did not want to argue further and went downstairs to get it photocopied. And over here, they did not make it convenient for us to make copies of documents. We actually have to go out of the building to get it photocopied. After submitting the documents, we just had to wait. And we waited for about an hour.

And after 3 trips, few hours of waiting, curses here and there.....I am now on a 6 months social visit pass!!! Wooooooo hoooooo!!!!!!

Kuih Lopes

I have been craving for kuih Lopes for quite some time. And since I moved here, it's difficult to find food that I love to eat when I was back home like mee Siam and kuih Lopes. The mee Siam here is different than what I usually had back home. The mee Siam sold by the 'kakak' opposite my school, I still remember. A box of mee Siam would be my morning breakfast before I start my work. Mee Siam here is totally different. It comes without the gravy and it's actually Fried Bee Hoon. Aahhh.... so disappointed! So in order to eat some, I have to cook some.

Well, it's a different story with kuih Lopes. They don't have good kuih lopes here. For me, a good kuih Lopes has to be firm and chewy. That's how my mom would make it. Over here, the kuih Lopes is so 'lembik' (soft) and sticky. I bought twice from 2 different places just for the sake of comparison and it still did not satisfy my tastebud. And unlike mee Siam, I do not know how to make them. I don't know how to wrap and tie them up. So, I just have to go without them, hoping to find the time to look for them when I am back home. However, I do not have to wait that long because a kuih Lopes maker in the form of my mother (hehehehehe....) came over. She made the kuih lopes by the dozen last night and I am really stuffed with good kuih Lopes now! Thank you mother! hehehehehe...

Geylang Si Paku Geylang.....tu pasal Aku Pulang!

Went back to SG last weekend, first of all to settle some personal matters and then to meet up with family and friends for Ramadhan. Anyway, paid a visit to the ever famous bazaar at Geylang Serai. Just curious to know what's the ins and the outs for this year Hari Raya. As usual, there were a lot of teenagers parading themselves there in their 'best' outfits. Not a nice sight and the words they used, you would not want them to repeat them. Tak tahu malu tul!



The jam at Geylang Serai



Malay Village Bazaar






These are the things that they sell this year.... same2 but different.

And last but not least is the Pintu Gerbang....

Have a Blessed Ramadhan!

Ramadhan is here again and for 2 years in a row, Ramadhan is away from home again. Ramadhan this year is a little bit different without my mother around. There will be no one to make sure that hubby and me wake up for sahur and to fuss around in the kitchen in the evening. That will be solely my job this year as my mom is back in Singapore celebrating Ramadhan with my other siblings. So this morning, we had to set both our handphones and the alarm clock to 4 am to ensure that we did not miss our sahur. Alhamdullilah, we made it! I hope this will not turn into a month long battle .... hehehehheeh

One thing I miss about Ramadhan back home is the air of festivities in Geylang. The bazaar is open till late at night and you can still walk around and buy snacks and munchies for sahur. Unline here where the bazaars are only open from about 2pm till right before the time to break fast. Can't wait to go back home this Ramadhan and walk around the bazaar at night... yahooo!!!

Anyway, I wish my families, friends and acquaintances everywhere....A Blessed Ramadhan!!

A Lazy Sunday.... and more!

We planned to go to 1Utama to buy some groceries and a gift for my husband's colleague who is going back to his hometown to see his baby. It was a very lazy Sunday and we took our own sweet time to get up and get ready to leave the house. And hubby just remembered he had a meeting and arranged to meet up at Starbucks at 1Utama. And we still took our own sweet time.... hahahaha

So off we went to 1Utama via the fastest route... that is via Penchala Link. We had to pay RM2 for the toll. After we left the toll, we heard strange noises coming from the car. And my husband asked whether I could hear anything strange coming from the car and I said I could. It sounded like a helicopter flying just right on top of our car and the sound got louder and louder. I told my husband we better stop and checked the car. So he pulled over and we went out to check. To our horror, the back tyre actually burst open!!! We just looked at each other and were speechless. Then I asked my husband, "How? We don't have any credits for our phones??" His jaw dropped further and we just sat there on the road shoulder.

Luckily, the highway patrol car saw us from the other side of the road and made a U-turn to our rescue. They asked whether we have any spare tyre and luckily we did. So they changed the tyre for us and we were so thankful. The car looks weird with the spare tyre but we were thankful no doubt.... We made it safely to our destination and back home. We were lucky cos it was not any of the front tyres and it did not explode while the car is moving or else ........ I rather not think about it.....

Why the wedding ring worn on the fourth finger...

I received this through my email courtesy of my SIL. I find this theory very interesting and amazing. Try it out!!


Why should the wedding ring be worn on the fourth finger?

There is a beautiful and convincing explanation .....

Thumb represents your Parents
Second (Index) finger represents your Siblings
Middle finger represents your-Self
Fourth (Ring) finger represents your Life Partner
& the Last (Little) finger represents your children

Firstly, open your palms (face to face), bend the
middle fingers and hold them together - back to back
Secondly, open and hold the remaining three fingers and
the thumb - tip to tip

Now, try to separate your thumbs (representing the
parents)..., they will open, because your parents are
not destined to live with you lifelong, and have to
leave you sooner or later.
Please join your thumbs as before and separate your
Index fingers (representing siblings)...., they will
also open, because your brothers and sisters will have
their own families and will have to lead their own
separate lives.

Now join the Index fingers and separate your Little
fingers (representing your children)...., they will
open too, because the children also will get married
and settle down on their own some day.

Finally, join your Little fingers, and try to separate
your Ring fingers (representing your spouse).
You will be surprised to see that you just CANNOT.....,
because Husband & Wife have to remain together all
their lives - through thick and thin!!

Please try this out.............
ISN'T THIS A LOVELY THEORY?

Another dreaded trip to the Immigration Dept

Wish me luck and may no obstacles be in my way when I make my application tomorrow. Ya Allah, kuatkan iman aku untuk be 'nice' to these people... muakakakakakaka

My contact

Singaporean clan in KL (11 Aug 07 - 13 Aug 07

So many things happened last weekend. My brother and his family were here for the weekend getaway. They reached KL at about 4am Saturday morning. Later that day, we made our way to Genting Highlands since the budak2 and the mak budak nak naik Genting. We went there in 1 car so just imagine how jam packed it was with 6 adults and 3 children in it. We parked halfway up and continued our journey with the cable car. Abang aku almost freaked out... takut naik cable car..... muakakakakaka... Luckily tak sama cable car dengan dia... sure dah ketawa golek2 cos according to my sister-in-law who was with him, he closed his eyes all the way and refused to look down... muakakakakakakakkaa

Once in Genting, the kids wanted to go for the rides. So we went in with the exception of my brother and my husband. They decided to stay outside and go for coffee instead. I did not go for any rides...no way!!! After the Space Shot experience, I'm done with all these rides. However, the weather let us down, especially the kids. There were many rides that were closed due to the rain. So all in all, they only managed to go for 3-4 rides. What a waste! We decided to head to the indoor theme park for the 4D motion master. It was quite disappointing as there was something wrong with the 4D glasses that were given to us. So the image we saw on the screen was quite blurry.

After Genting, we headed down for dinner. We decided to go to Rasta at Taman Tun because my brother was here for a 'makanscape' and he's been wanting to eat the satay perut tembusu and so far that's the only place we know. And we really kept the people busy with our endless orders! Muakakakaka.... tu la jadi bila Singaporeans menyerang KL...MAKAN!!!! Muakakakaka... We ordered a few plates of the Giant squid spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, nasi goreng kampung (which was yummyyy!!!), plain waffles, waffles with vanilla ice-cream and waffles with banana and choc sauce, 30 sticks of satay perut tembusu and 10 sticks of mutton, maggi goreng, kuay teow soup for the smallest kid, and few rounds of drinks. After dinner, we actually had to actually push and squeeze ourselves back into the car.,... damn! kenyang! kenyang! Alhamdullilahhh!!! *burp* We headed home to rest our bodies and our tummies...

The next day, we had lunch at Restoran Bapak where there were loads of dishes to pick and choose from. A few feet away, there was a mamak stall selling cendol and rojak. So after lunch, we went there on foot to taste the cendol and the rojak sotong there. We were seated on the stools provided to enjoy the yummy cendol and the rojak sotong.

After re-fuelling our tummies, we headed to Sungai Buloh as I need to buy a few patches of grass and plants for my garden at home. I don't know when this garden project going to be completed. It has been pending for sooooo long!! However, when we returned home to send the grasses and the plants, we found out that we were a few patches short... argh! Looks like another trip there this weekend to buy a few more patches. After a short toilet break, we headed to The Curve to bring my clan to the flea market there. We spent some time there and I decided to try out the massage chair and foot massage machine on display.Best siak!! When I asked how much the massage chair is, we were told that it cost RM21,000!!! Giler siak! Lebih baik panggil makcik urut badan aku... lagi best!! But at least dapat try... muakakakaka

After The Curve, we went to Pasar Malam at Taman Tun to get some food for tonight's dinner. Going through from stall to stall in the wet weather was very challenging. I need to hold the umbrella, my handbag and the few plastic bags at the same time. After we bought some food to dinner, we went back to the car....all wet!!!

Next destination........Petaling Street! The must-go destination in KL for most Singaporeans. I decided to stay in the car with my brother, my husband and my little niece and watch DVD instead. I dreaded the thought of going through that crowd in the wet weather. After about an hour, the clan appeared with a few plastic bags each. Shopping sakan siak! muakakakkaa......

Then home sweet home, all tired, dirty and hungry......

It was a fun-filled weekend and was sad to see the clan go. However, we will be planning the next trip together, maybe to Langkawi or Penang... yippeee!!!

Happy 42nd Birthday Singapore!!!

Happy 42nd Birthday Singapore!!

This year Singapore turns 42 and the theme for this year is "City of Possibilities". This year's parade will be different from past years. The parade will be held on a floating platform at Marina Bay. It sounds interesting. I am planning to catch the parade on LIVE webcam but knowing the speed of my broadband I have at home, it will be quite a chore to watch the whole telecast.

Anyway, Happy Holidays (especially to all teachers and students who have super long holidays) and MAJULAH SINGAPURA!!!

Service...please!!!

Hubby and I went to the Immigration Dept the other day to enquire about the procedures to extend my social visit pass. Made a call to them the day before to ask what are the documents needed if I decided to make the application on the spot. I was told there will be a checklist for me to refer to and it's too long for them to tell me over the phone. Then I asked how much will it cost and how long will it take? She just simply said, "It depends on the officer attending to you." Erk!! I thought this kind of thing should be standardised?? I think I better not waste my time and just hang up the phone.

So, the next day we went to the Immigration Department. We went to the counter and received such an unfriendly service. The lady at the counter seems annoyed and couldn't wait to get rid of us. She handed us the form and told us to read it ourself (so much so of being told that the officer will go through the form with us....duh!!!) and to go downstairs to buy 2 more forms. I asked her how long will it take to process the applications and she said in a tone as though I am a stupid nut for even asking the question. She said I can get it within the day. HELLOO!!! I am just testing you cos I saw downstairs that it takes 10 days to process new application. Duh!!! And when my husband produced his old IC, she asked my husband in a loud voice how come he has not changed into the new IC. She seems more annoyed this time and asked him to go downstairs and get it changed. Goodness!!! I mean how rude can a person be?? And to think that you are working in the frontline serving customers, and most of them are foreigners! What kind of image are you trying to project here?? Malu! Malu!

He went to change his IC and in the meantime I looked through the form. There were many spelling mistakes and some of the things they asked for are quite ridiculous. They asked for our wedding pictures as evidence. Then why the heck do the authorities issue marriage certificate then?? Bodohnyeee!!!! Went back to the counter where I bought the form and were surprised to see that the counter had already closed. I know it's Friday and there were notices around indicating that their lunchtime was from 12.15pm to 2.45pm. But it's only 11.45am. Argh!!! We gave up and decided to go to the bank instead. I will probably lose my patience if I were to wait till 2.45pm and they still give me the same attitude.