what do you want?

A direct - straight forward question ... yet, we still fumble for the right answer. Why?

Is it because, we,ourselves do not know what we want in life? Or is it because there is simply too many things that we want? Or is it possible that we do not want anything? Or is it that the answer might be too ridiculous to fulfil?

Whatever the reason - yet, one still have to answer that dreadful question sometimes. Because you need to know what you want or else people simply cannot be bothered to play guessing-games all the time. Some of us are just unlucky enough to be born without the 'mind-reader' capability. Therefore, please communicate - there are 3 principal medium to choose from namely VERBAL/ORAL/SPOKEN; NON-VERBAL & WRITTEN COMMUNICATION. I could run a one-semester-long course on Technical & Communication English 1 that I am teaching at the university if you want but then I have to charge. But, the point is - communicate!

Good luck in getting your message across.

Better / Bitter Person

Well, there is this phrase that some of my closest family would use everytime we faces problems/hiccups/heartache in our life that simply would not go away. The phrase goes something like this - " Problems/troubles/ are challenges in our life and if we manage to overcome it, we would become a better person". I am not saying that it is wrong to say that. Sometimes or maybe most of the time - it is true. But there is also time when one just simply had enough AND simply cannot be bothered about it. Instead of becoming a better person, one would turn up to be a 'bitter' person. Bitter about life, bitter about people, and even bitter about themselves. Why? Because they simply had ENOUGH.

I cannot blame them sometimes. But not to say that it is a good move, neither. It is just that I can comprehend what they are going through. Think of it as a vacation - sometimes we desperately need one for our own good. So, be bitter ... but still, after sometime - trace back your steps. Take a deep breath and see the world with your newly found 'eyesight'.Hopefully this time around, the world that we see, is a much better one than before.

So, I would like to announce to the whole world - be bitter in order to become better ... later.

Holy Ramadhan

It's that time of the year again :) Ramadhan is here ... Only this time, we are fasting at a new building with new batch of students & staff.

This time around, at this new building - with the new environment and people - we are still adjusting ... Students are still not aware that the schedule has been changed to suit the fasting month. The staff here are still figuring out where to buy the food for 'buka puasa' and all ... Well, basically everyone is still adjusting in every sense of the word.

The working hours has been changed from 8.30 a.m - 5.45 p.m to 8.30 a.m to 5.00 p. for Monday till Thursday & 8.30 a.m till 4.30 p.m for Friday. Hopefully with this new schedule, we would be able to make it in time for ' buka puasa'. Today would be the first day to try it out ... we will see :)

To all my family, friends and all Muslims - Happy Fasting & May Allah bless us all.

Dearest Adil

This is dedicated to my dearest nephew :)

Dearest Adil,

Here are our prayers for you - in every single thing that you do, we pray that you would be protected from harm, sheltered from deceit, empowered by goodwill and hope and urged by enthusiasm & sheer will and all that you could be, would be all good and positive.

Life is a journey - so, just like any journey - it may be tiring sometimes, it might be fun sometimes, it might also be dangerous most of the time. Therefore, one cannot expect that life is a bed of roses - laid out for them - crystal clear of what you should do and what you should not. Sometimes it can get so confusing that right seems wrong and wrong seems so right. So, how do you cope? Look deep inside you and find the 'light' that would light your way and guide you to the right path.

We pray with all our might that you will be alright & protected from all harm. If you ever need us, we are just a heart beat away. You are never alone - you will always have us.

We love you Adil.

Take good care my dear nephew.

All of us in BTS

A bright star in heaven

A sad news to be shared - Ham Ham has left us yesterday.

Being the sweetheart she is, she looked as if she was sleeping soundly underneath her water bottle when I found her last night in her cage. The only thing that makes me sad is the fact that we didn't say our goodbye appropriately. That morning before we left for work, I saw her sleeping at the same spot. Thinking that I wouldn't want to disturb her slumber, we just left without saying goodbye. But I looked her way & silently said 'bye' in my heart as we were rushing to work. If only I knew that it would be the last time, I would have done it differently. But being the angel she is, I know she wouldn't want it the other way.

I pray that she is happy now wherever she may be - free of those warts on her back & that lump on her backside. She is as pretty as the day I brought her home from the petshop - or maybe even more :)

Take good care of yourself Hammy Hammy ... Eat well as I am sure there would be soyabeans and almonds - the most delicious ones especially for you. There will always be a special place in my heart for you. Watch over us - as I am sure the others are also missing you dearly.

We love you Hammy Hammy.

Farewell sweetheart.

Of winning and losing ...

The choral competition is over ... phew finally things are 'slightly' back to normal ... No more rehearsals ...

Generally, out of the 7 classes competing, I am proud to say that my 5-turned into 4 classes did quite well. One of the classes - DIM S1 (1) came out as the winner for first place, while the other 3 was somewhere between 4 to 6. They were disappointed for not winning the top three but I am quite pleased with their effort. They were so eager to please me, what a bunch of sweethearts ... I am quite touched to see their efforts ... I felt like a mother mothering all those 5 classes ... Gee, not only I have 21 kids at home - now I have like 120+ kids here :p I am very proud with all them :)

On the other hand, my health is improving - generally ... but for the past 2 days I have developed some kind of rashes on my neck. It is itchy & irritating - almost drive me crazy ... I have no idea what could have caused them ... It remains a mystery :p I do hope it would go as sudden as it appears though ... because I can't go around with these talcum powder+anti-histamine cream plastered to my neck for long. People might mistake me for being something else :p Pray that it will go away soon ...

As for the hamsterlets, they are doing great ... Hyperactive - as I can see them chasing after their mother for milk while the mother frantically ran & hide from them. They are growing quite fast ... Hmmm, soon I need to transfer them to another cage :p Yupp my house is turning into a zoo ... But I love it, wouldn't have it in any other way ...

Till later ... just remember that sometimes it is not the destination that really matters, it is the journey that counts.

A busy week :p

Today is the 11th of September 2006 - most likely, to those in US - today is a gloomy day as it is the anniversary of September Eleven ... the day the World Trade Centre became Ground Zero. Alfatihah to the Muslims who lost their lives in doing something that they believed in. And condolences to those who lost their lives to save others and those who were just at the wrong place, at the wrong time. May God bless their souls. May they rest in peace.

On the other hand, in the land of the livings, here in particular - in MIIT UNIKL - everyone would be having one hell of a busy week. It is the "Minggu Keusahawanan UNIKL" for most of the Degree Students and Activity Week for Diploma students especially those taking courses in English & Communication this semester.

I have 5 classes competing in Choral Speaking Competition among others. There are also Cultural Fest - where the students embark in other cultures from abroad in order to create a better understanding of cross-cultural communication. I just pray that things would go smoothly for everyone. I, for one, is still recovering from a terrible bronchitis infection. It had me coughing like a hag at night - sometimes I wonder if the movie industries would like to use my "voice+ cough-like-a hag" effects for their banshee.

Thank God it is not catching on any of my kids - or it would be hell broke lose for those 20 hamsters coughing & wheezing or an orange cat holding his tummy coughing like mad. :p My husband is doing well too, surprisingly :p It must be something that only aggravates me Hmmm scary ... But, the most important thing is I am doing much better now :) Thanks to those who pray for me & wish me well :)

Well, I better check on my scoresheet for the judges of that choral competition. Need to get it ready by today ... Till then, happy thoughts & love for a better world.

Goldie is a mom...again :)

My, my, my ... Goldie is a mom...again This time around, she has 4 tiny pink hamsterlets to take care of :) She is very protective of the tiny ones - everytime I went to have a look at those cuties - she would eye every movement I made :p I do hope this time around, the kids would survive as I couldn't manage to change the beddings, just yet. I, myself is not feeling so good lately, I am having this cough, sore throat - high fever thingy - on & off for the past 2 weeks ... The weather is not helping too :(