tomorrow will be the last day of 2011. i know i made a lot of promises at the start of the year, but now that we're here, i really can't remember any of them!
oh promises and new year resolutions. pfft.
i want to read, to write, to kickbox, to run, to swim, to love, to appreciate and cherish more. i want to learn about myself and others, learn to be satisfied, learn to think for myself, learn to decide for myself and learn that being afraid is ok, as long as you try to conquer it. that's what i want to do for the rest of my life.
remembering the wonderful things that have already happened too. i want to keep everything alive!
As I write this on the eve of 20 December 2011 =), I contemplate on how much has changed in the pass year and probably the only regret was not to pen my thoughts down as much as I should (most probably due to the DPA & DID courses). Though I remember clearly big events like our wedding, graduations, family passing, and short getaway trips; I still wished that I penned down those moments. Well, better now than never I say.
The next one (1) year is going to be an interesting year indeed. This year I would be turning 28 and I am taking this as a significant year for self-development in total after neglecting myself and my self development in the previous years. This list has been 3 years in the making but I have to say that 2012 is the year I finally will be setting my focus in achieving these goals insyallah. My goals for 2012 are as follows and I intend to do a monthly tracker on these goals. Till then, below are my focuses for the coming year:
ARIFF ’s HEARTS DESIRES FOR 2012
Work
- To acquire knowledge/learn as much as I can in a day relating to my work at WP
- “Everything you’re experiencing now is training you to be a diplomat later”
-To have a work journal that focuses on “Lessons Learned”; to be more observant
-To be more thorough in overall task given
Weight
- To lose 20kg by 20/12/2012 (105kg>85kg)
- To incorporate at least 20 minutes a day to exercise/3x a week
- To be very aware of my food intake every meal
Foreign Language
-Depending on the posting, I intend to be proficient in the language in the country I’m posted in
Relationships
-To focus on the moments we share: Family, Fea, Friends
- To remember people by their names first and not just their faces
-To be friendlier and firmer in decision / > desicive
Knowledge
- Read at least 12 books for 2012
-To have at least a weekly post for our blog for the year 2012
“To abah; for always being there even when you are not”
The Wikipedia defines stereophonic sound, commonly called stereo, as ‘the reproduction of sound using two or more independent audio channels through a symmetrical configuration of loudspeakers in such a way as to create the impression of sound heard from various directions, as in natural hearing. It is often contrasted with monophonic, or "mono" sound, where audio is in the form of one channel, often centered in the sound field’. Ask a stereo junky and probably he/she would say that a stereo is not merely the above but probably also an instrument to escape the hustle and bustle that is life. My father is or would I say was that sort of person.
All my life, it has been ingrained in my head that my father is a disciplined, no nonsense kind of character. He is someone who has a penchant for collecting almost everything, from old school dhobi irons to Malaysian first day covers. On top of all that, he is also very meticulous and never leaves any stone unturned thus preventing my siblings and I to get away with any nonsense. Hence, it really puzzles me when I see a softer side to him, like when he gardens at home or the way he acts around babies. Up to this point of my writing, I bet you might wonder what this has to do with my father’s stereo.
Patience is a virtue my friend and with that the story begins. My father came from humble beginnings. Growing up (and to my recent knowledge), I know that my father (as my mother would put it) “cannot dance nor sing but the man appreciates good music”. So that was probably his justification of getting his very own stereo set which cost approximately RM 1200, known back then as “the works”. I wished I was there to see him own it. I could swear I saw a glow on his face when he recalled the memories of his stereo. The story continued with my father having to part ways with his prized possession to help finance his hantaran perkahwinan.
My father’s story was one of the most important life lessons I’ve picked up. This is because it became clear to me that at times of great importance, we have to forgo or sacrifice the things that we hold dear for something bigger that we love. Whether that ‘thing’ is an offer to pursue studies abroad versus a government job that you have always dreamt of getting, or whether it be a choice to go to your parents house or your in-laws for the first day of Raya, or even if that choice is between selling your favourite stereo to finance your wedding to the woman of your dreams. This was an important revelation for me because I understood then that whatever the crossroads we face in life, it is always advisable to take a moment and see the bigger picture of the choices we are about to take and the outcomes we are about to live with for the rest of our lives.
At the end of DPA, I too would be taking the plunge into the world of marriage. Like my father 27 years ago before me once sold his dear stereo to finance what he says today is probably his ‘best collection’ of memories that he could ever have, it is my turn to follow suit to part with my own version of a ‘stereo’. Nevertheless, I would like to look back, just like my father did 27 years down the line at my wife and (hopefully fingers crossed) our four children and say with a sense of pride that it was worth the journey and that there are no regrets whatsoever.
There are moments when I ask to myself why my father never got another stereo. I realise then that it is because my mother does not appreciate loud music (especially blaring from stereos). This only reveals strength of character in my father: compromise. But I will keep that story for another day. For now, I am just glad he gave me a good guiding light to follow and a story that I will remember him by.
Ariff and I are in Canberra! He is here for a course with Australia's DFAT and I am here for a HOLIDAY!
It's the tail end of winter and it will be spring very soon! It's beautiful here! I am using so many exclamation marks that I'm sure you realize how happy I am to be here, not for anything else, but just to be together for raya. Our very first raya as husband and wife!
We kick started the day as early as 7.30 am for our anniversary trip up CH. Really beaming with smiles as it’s been a while since we travelled away for the weekend. Took the Shah Alam route this time around as we tried very hard to avoid KL’s BERSIH rally and later I found out probably it was the best decision made as the traffic jams wer e unbearable!...in fact it was quite a pleasant drive.
Taking the Simpang Pulai route was full of blooming orchids, morning glories, and “oohs” and “ahhs”. Would have preferred fewer cars here though. Travelling up CH reminds me of being transported to another world, very different from us ‘lowlanders’ in Putrajaya/Penang/Parit Buntar.Arriving here we went straight for lunch at Tanah Rata at this place call Rosedale Bistro; steamboat for two on a very cold day…yum. Bloated for a while after the meal but no complaints here. Still on a quest in search for the ultimate steam boat here as there are so many that its spoilt for choice, but this wasn’t bad at all.
Next on the list was our search for the ultimate tea and scones. Not being to get it from our first destination (Cameronian Inn), we headed across the road to Lords Café. Yes there is such a place like it and by its name, lives up to its expectation & name sake. However the scones and tea here were amazing and the place is somewhat cozy.
Having a good meal so far we decided to check in our gear at Equatorial but unfortunately the Senator Suite was not ready, which was somewhat of a blessing in disguise. Our eating escapade continued as we went to Raaju’s Hill Strawberry Farm where we bought strawberries, enjoyed strawberry juice + strawberry float, fried mushrooms, and scouted for flowers & cactus before we do the mother-of-all-shopping tomorrow.
The suite we were in was big in size but old school in terms of furniture. Cold and cozy (plus nice to snuggle =). After getting a power nap after long travelling, we headed for dinner that night once again at Tanah Rata for dinner and coffee. # Tip: Be prepared for a jam…bring a good travelling partner and wait it out. Worth the wait. Once at Tanah Rata after about half an hour, we headed for Sri Brincang restautant (tandoori set/maggi goring/the tarik); pleasantly surprising though. # Tip 2: Hot coffee is best drank in cold weather…duh! But caramel macchiato is ultimately at its best in Cameronian type of weather.
Waking up in the highlands is an experience that is indescribable; cold to the bone yet refreshing. Super excited to begin the day as we got ready to do ‘major shopping’. Had breakfast at Rainbow CH in the form of nasi lemak (which was not that bad) followed by chicken chop (literally dunked in oil) accompanied by milo and coffee. After a somewhat so called breakfast, we headed to the day market just around the corner at Kea Farm. We bought about 2 bags of vegetables, fresh cut & preserved flowers, and new additions to our cacti family. In short we literally ‘borong’ what we could carry and we were both beaming with smiles across our face once done.
At 12, we checked out of our hotel room and got on the road again. This time we bypassed Tanah Rata and stopped for something to eat at Bharat Tea Plantation on the way to Tapah. Probably the most cut throat place on CH with scones costing at RM 12 and brownies at RM 8.50. The only saving grace would have had to be the scene of the tea plantation itself.
The trip down the windy road to the highway takes approximately 1 hour down a treacherous long winding over taking old road. The whole road was scenic with pockets of orang asli make shift huts selling wild honey & other jungle fruits. There was even a majestic waterfall on the way down. The only thing I would have wanted was that if there could have been less overtaking drivers along the way though.
After the long & windy road came to an end, the drive was pretty much easy and quick. Roads were clear after previous closure of KL the day before. What was noticeable was that as we drove back we saw numerous convoys of FRU trucks and police vehicles. Its been a great anniversary, but Ihave a few more surprises up my sleeves =)
I love you Fea. Happy 3rd Anniversary sayang. Wishing for more happy anniversaries ahead.
When I was a little girl, Ramadhan was a fascinating event. All of a sudden, the normal routine of eating became a celebrated occasion. Suddenly my mother would start cooking 'special' things, things that she didn't cook everyday (laksa johor, roti canai, cendol, pizza etc.) for berbuka (iftar). We kids would be glimmery-eyed, waiting at the kitchen door or standing right next to the stove or squatting right next to her as she whipped up all these mouth-watering morsels that we were forbidden to taste (as we usually would) until the azan can be heard wafting through the air. It was an extremely painful pleasure.
One of my most memorable Ramadhan moments from yesteryear is that one time my mother decided to play a trick on my little brothers. I think they couldn't have been more than 8 at the time, still with their puasa training wheels on. She was making cookies for Raya in the kitchen and my brothers, as usual, were messing up the flour and touching things they weren't supposed to, and my mother, at her wits end, popped a cookie freshly taken from the oven right into her mouth at 3pm on a day of Ramadhan. Obviously she was not able to fast on the day, but my dummy brothers, not knowing the wonderful secret mysteries of womanhood, just completely stopped in their tracks, hands in the air and mouths on the floor. "Mak makan???" ('you ate something, Mother???'). I remember how hilariously round their eyes were and how their disbelief could be felt throbbing in the room. And my mother, just for good measure, put another cookie in her mouth. I had yet to experience that particular process she was going through, but I knew what the perks were, so I was not as astonished as the two boys. Zubair and Abbas, their eyes getting rounder and opened mouths getting bigger with each cookie disappearing into my mother's mouth, asked her, "Mak buat magic ke?" (Are you doing magic, Mother?"). And my mother just smiled a secret smile. However, a trick that she thought would save her cookies from complete destruction at the hand of two bored and hungry boys backfired. Once they got over the initial shock of seeing her take the forbidden fruit, they started telling everyone that "Mak kita buat magic, boleh makan masa bulan puasa" (Our Mother can do magic because she can eat during the fasting month"). She had to go through the embarrassment for a few hours, but I'm sure it was all worth it for almost 3 minutes of of pure astonished silence from her two rambunctious sons. And I'm so glad I was there as a witness. Can you imagine the potential of this story when told to their future nephews, nieces and children?
That story was written probably 16 years ago (!). Today is my first Ramadhan as a wife. I am celebrating Ramadhan by making sure my husband and I eat healthy, performing tarawih prayers at the mosque together and trying very hard to wake up at 5am everyday. I hope this Ramadhan will give me extra motivation to change what I should and to do what I need to do.
I have been toying around with the idea of starting a new blog for a long time. I used to have a blog that I started in 2006 as a documentation of my stay in Springfield, Missouri, which I continued afterwards, blogging mostly about my life and the things that caught my fancy. In retrospect, I realize it was a very self-centered blog which had no real contribution to the public. It was simply a documentation of things and rants and feelings. In retrospect, again, maybe I should have simply kept a personal journal.
During my blogging hiatus, I've read many blogs that I've come to really admire. Most of these blogs are dedicated to the blogger's passion i.e. interior decorating, cooking, eating (which is VERY different from cooking), education, books and fashion. Some blogs don't focus on a particular subject, but are rather discussions of everyday/random issues. What makes these random blogs so appealing is usually the style of writing and, sometimes, the interesting perspectives the blogger offers. Some other blogs are dedicated to reviews of products, places and services. Everyday I say thank you to them for making my life easier by giving me real reviews of products/places/services that I plan to buy/go to. I'd like to thank all these bloggers who have made real impact on my life with their writing.
Fast forward 5 years of studying, graduation, more studying, getting married and graduating again, I'd like to think that my writing and my ideas have grown up a little. My interests have definitely progressed from just myself to the world and people and food and sports and everything else. I guess then that it is time enough to start the documentation again. I'm sure that my co-blogger and husband, Ariff, feels the same way too. I hope this blog will become a document of travel, food, decorating, entertaining, culture, marriage and love, from the perspectives of two different people. I thank God everyday that I have a like-minded someone to share all of this with, all that unfolds from the 14th floor balcony and everywhere else our little feet take us.
