Rena^CRuZee | DisorderLy Disturbed

iReview: WhatsApp for iPhone/Android/BB/Nokia

2012-02-10T22:33:00.000-08:00

This time I would like to share about WhatsApp.

Mmm --- a cross-platform mobile messenger developed for cross platforms : iPhone, Android, BB & Nokia. This app is using internet data plan, so --- NO cost for messaging!!!

Me, My D-Gear, My Frens & Abang Zali

2012-01-30T06:20:00.000-08:00

This is a story about Me, my D-gear, my frens & Abang Zali.

Me and my friends were heading to Putrajaya Hospital to visit a friend one day when Pip asked, "What's that sound?"

And I answered --- with confident. Too familiar with the sound, "Well, one thing about this car --- a bit of a drag during pickup. Quite heavy."

But suddenly Pip pushed the gear from "3" to "D" from behind.

And I was in a total shock. The sound was gone. Immediately. "Pip, what did you do?"

She said, "You just need to change the gear to D."

All of us laughed, especially when I said, "Owh, Abang Zali forgot to teach me that!!!"

It happened six (6) months after I drove the car. Lol. What a great joke!!! Abang Zali was the one who taught me driving an auto-car. I could say, other than he'd forgotten about the D-gear (and also R for reverse), he'd done a pretty good job.

Thanks, oppa! (...owh and thanks Pip!!!)

My D-gear =)

Abang Zali

Kem-B in her "Posh-LiKe" Pose

2012-01-30T05:05:00.000-08:00

This is Kem-B, my cat. And I really LOVE this pic!!!

Credit to my sisters, Along & Kak Dah. =)

Posh-like Kem-B

iReview: iBooks for iPad

2012-01-23T08:07:00.000-08:00

iBooks is one of my favorite applications for iPad.

Why did i buy iPad2?

Unlike everybody else, I am not into games that much. So, definitely not bcoz of the Angry Birds. But I was excited to try the iBooks. Loving the idea and the metaphor of reading e-books on iPad. It makes me satisfied.

Yes, this application was one of the main reasons for me to buy iPad2.

Why iBooks?

Obviously, most people prefers reading the hardcopies instead of the digital books / ebooks. Me too. However, looking at how smart the application was built, as if we're looking at our own bookshelf (that we never have). Awesome.

What is iBooks, actually?

Free application which supports .epub file format, can be downloaded from App Store to your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 4 or later. And you've gotto have an iTunes Store account, if you want to download books from the iBookstore.

Using iBooks, I can create and name my own shelves. I can also bookmark my pages for my easier reading! Cool, aight?

iBooks: My Favs Bookshelf

iBooks: PDFs

What other things I can do with iBooks?

I used to save my emcees scripts, presentation slides, music scores or my Jamie Oliver's recipes in .pdf file format and sync them to my iBooks. That way, I can view the files anywhere and anytime from my iPad. Easy, huh?

Owh btw, I can also sync the files to my iPhone and MacBook.

Other than iBooks, what apps do I use?

Ermm....will love to share that with you --- but later!!! In my next entry! Lol.

iRate: 7.8/10

Cikgu Ros in Memories (July 2010)

2012-01-23T05:07:00.000-08:00

I was touched.....

Firstly, when I found out that my old school already has it's own blog! Wow, very impressive!!!

Secondly, when I found a few pix of my ibu on her "Persaraan Day" celebration.

Very, very touched.

Yes, I'm not sure whether she knows or not, but I am very proud to be her daughter.

The pix were taken on the 30th July 2010. Credit to Sekolah Kebangsaan Kuang's blog.

These kids --- so cute, crying!

Err --- ibu the celeb?

Thanks to the teachers for their great effort!!!

This? I am not very sure whether ibu is singing or just giving her farewell speech.

The crowd

Hugging with frens

The lovely kids

Farewell, Cikgu Ros!

Babai 2011

2012-01-14T05:54:00.000-08:00

Just made a simple animation using Illustrator --- for FUN. Named it "Babai 2011".

Enjoy!

2012 New Year Resolution (Inshallah)

2011-12-26T23:23:00.000-08:00

It's been quite sometime since my last post (err....my real personal post).

To tell you the truth. I have changed. (Or at least, I really wanna change). P/s: I was not a very good muslimah before. Not saying that I am that good now --- hehehe --- I am trying to be one. Inshallah.

If I was in today's situation last year, I would have blogged about my frustrations and my real feelings towards everything I've gone tru' --- career, financial, backstabbing friends yada yada yada.... Yes, everything, literally. Lately I don't really blog about 'what-I-used-to-blog' --- have to make a few filterings here and there. And that, somehow made me feel uncomfortable, at first. Wasn't being myself. To be honest, at early stage --- it sucks!!!

But once you know how to be patient (it is not an easy thing to do....hehehe...trust me. I am still a hot-tempered person), Alhamdulillah, you'll get used to it.

2011 has taught me MANY things. Life, religion, friendships, family, patience, love et cetera...et cetera.... I lost my best friend and housemate (my gram) this year....but the most important thing was I also learned to stand up and live my life to the fullest.

I am thankful especially to ALLAH, subhanahu wa ta'ala, the Almighty for His Mercy to me. And also, I am grateful for all the other 'little things' that I take for granted all these days. 2012 will be a fresh year for me. Inshallah. May I not forget my missions in life.

I will be in my 30s next year. Life is too short, huh? I admit. Have to work harder now.

Have you ever heard of the phrase "Change of Heart" before?

My point is --- in Jan 2011, I made a list of New Year's Resolutions. Quite a long list of items to achieve in a year. But having reviewed the list now, I noticed that my missions in life have changed. Things I feel important in Jan 2011 don't seem to be in my priority list anymore.

I've had a Change of Heart. Alhamdulillah.

I made new friends. Good family members and friends --- who guided and influenced me to do many great things, which I'd never done before. I tried my best to be good to them. To ibu, to Along and to Uje. I tried to forgive and forget.

Complicated to explain. But Alhamdulillah, I can see better now. Life looks very different from where I am standing now. Subhanallah. Very beautiful. I now believe, if we really want to change and become a better person, we can. And as long as we remember Allah SWT, He will remember us.

We are so busy conducting our daily routines and we tend to forget who is really in-charge of our lives, and from where our sustenance comes. We shall not complain but remember that:

“Therefore remember Me, I will remember you, And be thankful to Me, and do not be ungrateful to Me.” [The Noble Qur'aan 2:152]

....and unlike the previous years, my New Year's Resolution would be only ONE. To always remember ALLAH SWT and do my best to be a pious muslimah. Inshallah.

At this moment, when my colleagues are discussing OR complaining about salary increment, bonus and adjustments --- I say, Alhamdulillah. I believe, Inshallah --- He will arrange and give the best for me. Ameen.

A Reminder for Rena Cruzee. (I'm Running Out of Time)

2011-11-30T05:29:00.001-08:00

It's already December 2011!!!

I have about one month left....to ensure that this year's resolutions will not be brought to next year. Again. Like last year...and the year before...and before....=P Hiii.

Err....at least, gotta make sure 50% of 'em are achieved. Hehehe...

January 2011, I have listed 10 resolutions, and below are my achievements so far. Owh....I have to work harder yarrr. =(

3 out of 10 is quite bad. Pretty bad. Very very bad. And what have I done this year, actually eh??? Have I wasted my days?

1) On Career #1    (50%)
2) On Personal #1 (0%)
3) On Personal #2 (30%)
~~4) On Financial #1 (100%)~~
~~5) On Financial #2 (100%)~~
~~6) On Financial #3 (100%)~~
7) On Career #2     (0%)
8) On Personal #3 (10%)
9) On Career #3    (10%)
10) On Religion #1 (40%)

Personally, I think I can't do much on Reso #1 and also Reso #3. Yup, that --- I have to carry forward to next year! And I haven't started anything to get Reso #2 and Reso #7 checked.

So, the best I could do is to complete my Reso #10. It's tough but, manageable. It seems like I have to re-sched my daily routines including my weekends. And --- gotta make sure my Reso #9 is at least at 60% by end of the year. And also, have to work on my Reso #8 as well!!!

Rena Cruzee, you can do it!!!! Yes, I can!!! Aja aja fighting!!!

Aidilfitri 2011 @Office

2011-09-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

Today is the celebration of Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2011 for CRM + eP. These videos were made just for fun.

Well, I can say that this is the first project that needs director role. Thanks to my sporting colleagues and crews (chewaaahh!!!) especially Nitti, Chiwawa and Rosz. The filming process was not that challenging but it was more complicated, compared to my other videos'.

Note4me: Two days for two videos.

Okay, have fun watching!

Nazam eLebaran by ePians

CRM Beraya di Opis 2011

They Always Leave

2011-07-09T07:11:00.001-07:00

Happy B-Day, Kak Zura!!!

2011-06-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

11 June 2011.

It's Kak Zura's birthday!!!

Ahaks... a long story actually. KAK ZURA & ME. How we became like-siblings! This year, with Nit's help, I gathered all her pics to animate it. Converted into m4v format, and uploaded into youtube. And of coz, many thanks to NonaNoni for making it worked! Lu happyla, pic lu banyak terselit! Hehehe...

To Kak Zura, this is not your b-day gift. Erghh...to fulfill your wish, i will have to save my 5 months salary. So...i guess we have to wait till the end of the year la eh? Hahaha...

ILU 4eva. XOXO.

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

2011-04-04T07:44:00.001-07:00

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity

Free Website Uptime Monitoring - Uptime Robot

2010-10-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

Have just signed up for this free web tool. Kewl. The name of this monitoring tool is Uptime Robot. And of course the purpose of using it is to monitor your websites' uptime/downtime.

- Free. No Premium Plan (so far laar....)

- Can monitor up to 50 sites

- Can receive notifications via RSS, Twitter, Email & SMS

- Time interval for each check is 5 minutes

Awesome, eh?

Uptime Robot

Shhh --- the Doctor is my 'PIC'!!!

2010-10-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

Lately I noticed my nenek's (grandma) health condition is not that good. --- And one thing about 'my nenek', she hates anything that relates to doctors, including clinic, hospital and even the nurses!!! Yup, this is a true story! Sometimes facing with different types of people daily would make us brighter and brighter. =)

Believe me or not, today is my greatest achievement so far! Just reached home from the clinic. I managed to take her to see the doc. Hmm --- of course I had to agree with some of her requests. But it was a win-win deal. (I am not revealing it here - ha ha ha).

My nenek was a teacher. She is not stupid. Nenek understands simple English words but thank God-Allah SWT, with her poor hearing --- my job's getting easier.

What I did today can be considered as 'genius' --- i guess, he he he. I brought her to see a lady doctor @Sungai Buloh. Conversed in English about her health. And asked the doc to do me a 'less-sweet' favor --- to tell nenek : she MUST NOT drink Teh Susu anymore, at least for the time being due to her high blood sugar reading.

So this kind doctor, did a random blood test. Of course laar the reading wasn't good coz she just took nasi goreng with teh susu this morning. (Checking her Nescafe and sugar stocks at home today, I knew, she'd already broken her promise to me). According to the doc, it was actually inaccurate coz she didn't fast. But anyhow, we had to make nenek believe that it was quite serious. The wonderful doc did a wonderful job! She managed to convince nenek, to reduce her sugar intake. --- And to replace her sweetened condensed milk intake to Anlene. Bonus to me!!!

I was very impressed. Nenek asked me to bring her to the nearest mini-market to grab an Anlene milk powder straight away. "Doctor said, Anlene is a good way of boosting bone nutrient intake," she said. I just smiled. Haiiiyaaa, how come I never wanted to study medical? Have tried to tell that to nenek many times in many ways but she just refused to listen.

So officially today, the kind doctor has became my Partner-in-Crime!!! So, nenek --- watch out haa. I'm getting smarter. LoL.

my Boss & i

2010-08-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

Don't get too excited over the post title! Ha ha ha. Big LoL. This post is aint about me. This 'my Boss & i' post is about employers-employees relationship, generally. Gotcha!

Okay, this one is not from me either. Have read it in one of Dzof Azmi's article. How many times have you thought, “My boss is an idiot”? And then followed it with, “Well, I’ll do the work anyway, it’s his decision”.

We Malaysians respect our elders and bosses and very rarely argue with them. Maybe, it's something to do with our culture, huh? In sociological terms, we have a high Power-Distance Index (PDI) - 104. Credit to us for being at higher rank than Nigeria. Ha ha ha. You'll be amazed by our country's rank here!

Note: The PDI is an indicator of how much the less powerful members of an organization expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. It shows how often we let the boss think he is right – even when we know he’s wrong.

So, according to this, we Malaysians are more likely to accept poor decisions made by those in authority (including Nigerian princes that e-mail you asking to use your bank accounts). Okay, people --- this is so TRUE! I have one colleague who stayed back for a few hours @office just to settle her verification and authorization process with FBI agent via email, for selling her used-camera in Mudah.com. And thank god-Allah SWT, she asked me to assist her to translate the email contents to malay. I was so shocked, when she told me she has replied the email with some of her details. And in the Reply-Email from FBI, she was required to provide her bank details via email!!!

You see??? Of course, later after explained to her everything about these cheap-scams I just couldn't stop myself from LoL-ing!!! (more to Burst-out-Loud-ing, actually!)

Okay, back to the topic --- We spend an inordinate amount of time decrying and complaining about our bosses. But why complaining???

I read this from BNet. When we behave like a victim, or act like we’re entitled to something better, not only does it do us no good, but we may end up getting ourselves fired or doing real harm to our career. To help us avoid that, here’s a dose of reality about dealing with problem bosses:

If you go head-to-head with your boss, you’ll lose. Do you want to get yourself fired? “No matter how wrong or intemperate his boss might have been, that, unfortunately, was now a non-issue. The situation did not reflect well on this particular employee’s boss — but his boss still had a job.”

You actually have choices; exercise them. That’s right, you can’t pick your boss, but if you don’t like him, it’s a free country, you can quit (owh, i really like this!!!). If you like or need your job, on the other hand, then get over yourself and suck it up. The choice is yours. But if you decide to go over your boss’s head or to HR, don’t be surprised if it ends badly for you. You may not want to hear this, but from the company’s viewpoint, you’re just a thin-skinned troublemaker who they’d just as soon not have to deal with.

Did it ever occur to you that it may be you? (i also like this!!!) I’m not trying to burst your bubble here, but maybe you’re not god’s gift to bosses. Maybe the boss would be more relieved to get rid of you than you are to get rid of him. Sure, nobody thinks he’s a rotten employee, but they’re out there, and in far greater numbers than rotten bosses. So, if you actually like or need your job, you might want to take a long look in the mirror before you do anything drastic.

Burned bridges have a way of piling up. Maybe you’re young and carefree now, but the choices you make and the behavior you exhibit today will follow you throughout your career. More and more, employers are checking references you don’t provide, and a few little red flags can add up to one big red flag that says, “don’t hire this guy.” The truth is, if you burn enough bridges, you may very well find yourself all alone on an island somewhere with nobody else in sight. No bosses, and no jobs, either.

Don’t get me wrong here, people. I'm not asking anyone to increase our PDI number. We are already at the top now, he he he. I am just trying to share some useful infos or tips I learned from a course I attended few weeks ago. The Power of Choice is in our hands. Just remember, we always have a choice. If we don't like the situation, we can always quit OR just deal with it!

Here are some tips to Working Well with Boss:

a) Be really good in your work. Be effective and efficient.

b) Help your boss succeed. Help him achieve his goals.

c) Be a part of his solution, not a part of his problem.

--- and tips to Winning Your Boss Over:

a) Be good in your work. Be effective.

b) Accept that s/he's the boss.

c) Support your boss. Be loyal to her/him.

d) Manage your relationship with him.

e) Decide to like your boss. It is an attitude.

f) Catch your boss doing something right and praise him.

My own experience? --- hell yeah, it works!!!

Why keep complaining? Why do we want to change our boss? We are all the same - human beings who make mistakes.

So people --- this world is full with manipulative games. Either you win it, or you lose it! But the most important thing is how you wanna play it. Be smart. Which one do you choose? Remember, we have the Power of Choice!

iRead: The 7 Habits of Highly Innovative People

2010-08-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

I just read this post from my Reader and found it quite usefull.

For me, what Tobak is trying to say is --- most people (entrepreneurs) don't just fit the same cookie-cutter mold of habits. They tend to make their own paths to success in life. Yup, true --- very true! Thanks to Tobak!

From what I read, the habits of highly innovative people (Tobak's version for innovators and entrepreneurs) are similar with Covey's way of defining effective. No doubt, being effective is more or less the same as being innovative, eh? And you'll find Stephen R. Covey’s the writer, in parenthesis at the end of each habit - which I highlighted in pink.

So, I read, copy-and-pasted this from BNet:

Habit 1: Be Passionate. Finding your passion is not only the key to happiness, but also the key to business success. As Steve Jobs once said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” (Be Proactive)

Habit 2: Do Something. You don’t always know where it’s going to lead, but it’s always better to do something than to suffer analysis paralysis. Legendary oil-man and entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens has a way of quickly sizing up a situation, coming up with a plan, and acting. There’s no sitting around or endless analysis and debate. It seems to have worked for him. (Begin with the End in Mind)

Habit 3: Put First Things First, Second, and Third. Covey says prioritize, but I’ll take it one step further. Whoever said, “don’t sweat the small stuff,” was right, and I’ll add, “don’t do or even think about the small stuff.” Every successful innovative person I know jumps on hot opportunities and critical issues like they’re the only things that matter on god’s green Earth. (Put First Things First)

Habit 4: Think Win. Former New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner may have been a world-class a-hole, but he was a remarkably rich and successful world-class a-hole who let nothing stand in the way of the only thing that ever really mattered to him, winning. Bill Gates, Larry Ellison - show me a successful entrepreneur and I’ll show you someone who puts winning first. (Think Win/Win)

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, then to Innovate. The key to innovation is to first understand a big hairy problem that, to date, nobody’s been able to solve. Once you’ve got that, then, and only then, does it even begin to make sense to do something about it. Otherwise you’ll just end up with a great product nobody needs. (Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood)

Habit 6: Energize. With rare exception, successful innovators are high-energy people with a unique ability to stimulate and motivate others. That’s called leadership. Without it, you can have the most effective habits or the best ideas in the world, but nobody will ever know it, because nobody will care and nothing will actually get done. (Synergize)

Habit 7: Question the Status Quo. Andy Grove built semiconductor powerhouse Intel on several principals, two of which were “only the paranoid survive” and “constructive confrontation.” That means never rest on your laurels, continually challenge your own assumptions, and always question the status quo. That’s how Intel became a high-tech dynasty. (Sharpening the Saw)

Morphing Technique: How Will You Look Like in 20 Years Time?

2010-08-11T22:39:00.000-07:00

Wanna have fun with morphing technique? Have tried this free photo morphing tool, from In20years.com and the results --- woaaaa --- i kinda look like my ibu's face laar. Well, from the url itself explains the function of this internet tool. It can morph your photo and show the old version of yourself (in 20 years time laaa).....

My old version of 'muka-cengeh' --- errr --- 48 years old???

Then I tried to morph Kak Zura's face. And here's the result:

Kak Zura at her 50s =P

Have fun morphing!!!

Movie: The Last Song 2010

2010-05-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

Urghhh --- what can I say? If you love "The Notebook" & "A Walk to Remember", then you will LOVE "The Last Song" --- deep. Way toooo deep!!!

Not because of Miley --- errr I think --- but you will be entertained by the story itself. Okay, ONE --- you'll be amazed with the hero's charming character (played by Liam Hemsworth). He's way too perfect to be real : model-look, romantic eyes, rich and down-to-earth??? TWO --- if you're a Miley Fan (ehem, ehem) you'll be watching more of her lovable scenes (i.e the part when she slept outside her house just to protect the turtle eggs). THREE --- the song. Trust me, you'll love it especially after you've seen the music video. FOUR --- you'll be touched by the li'l brother character.

It's a family movie. It's a Miley-ish style of movie. Fun and entertaining.

The synopsis I 'copy-and-paste' from imdb:

Seventeen-year-old Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Tybee Island, Georgia. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father ...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer on Tybee Island with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms - first love, the love between parents and children - that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts ...and heal them.

iRate: 7/10

A Tribute to Ibu (Happy Mother's Day)

2010-05-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

This year we couldn't celebrate Ibu's B-Day and Mother's Day (7th and 9th May 2010) together with Faidz as he was away in Tokyo. BUT, thanks to him for bringing us lots of Japanese food including delicious kimbab --- yum yum. Of course, he's already asleep by now. Reached home around 7.00pm. Hmm --- I wonder, will he be up on time for work tomorrow morning? No Jet-Lag this time?

Oookay, back to the main story. This year, we celebrated Mother's Day not like yesteryear --- we were well prepared (or at least --- quicker and smarter than before). Along and Kak Dah sponsored cake, popiah goreng and RM1 fried mee hoon. Me??? I spent my whole day compiling ibu's 'pixies' in my room and recording my own voice for the cover version : Tercipta Untukmu. ( aaahaa --- pls don't say 'No wonderlaa' --- ha ha ha. It's not the time to be judged like the american idol contestant, huh. ) Well, it's just that we wanna make this video more meaningful to ibu.

We showed this movie after enjoying the food. Ibu, Along ( --- as usual! =P ) and me --- we cried. Together. It was a good thing, wasn't it??? I knew ibu would never expect we'd come up with something corny like this. But, having repeating the movie for quite some time now --- personally, I think we'd done a great 'children-job' today! The hugs and kisses were different! Way different! And I could never forget the face expression ibu gave us today. Valuable. Precious.

It was a moment to remember.

Apart from that, we also wished H.M.D to nenek. Of course, she was a bit sad today. Ergghh, dont let me start --- but frens, please call your parents especially on their special celebration (Mother's or Father's) Day! It was a sad thing to hear a mother asking whether was it really Mother's Day today? So, with Along playing guitar, Kak Dah and me sang a 'Happy Mother's Day' song in happy b'day melody (cheerful version), it was more than enough to see her smiling and clapping her hands. Although, none of us knew how to play a single note!!! Ha ha ha. But what else could we expect from a mother on Mother's Day? A bit of smile meant everything.

OK. Gotta sleep early today. Have an early 'date' tomorrow and I can't be late! Chiow!!!

Enjoy the video, yah! To ALL moms out there, love yourself --- WE LOVE YOU!!! xoxo.

The Back-Up Plan 2010

2010-05-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

Would I recommend this one? Hell-yeah, of course!!! For the record --- I've loved Jennifer Lopez since watching Selena in 1997. Then came The Wedding Planner, Angel Eyes, Enough, Maid in Manhattan, Shall We Dance --- and so on. I just love her!!!

Have just got this movie yesterday and enjoyed myself watching it. Well, to be frank, it is not something you would remember at the end of the year, but it helps to free your mind! Trust me! Done that. And of course, watching the hunky-handsome Alex O'Loughlin --- totally awesome!!! I almost forgot everything.

The Synopsis from http://www.theback-upplan.com/

iRate: 6.8/10.0

the Second Child Syndrome

2010-04-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Since I was a little child, I've heard lots about this 'syndrome'. Yup, i bet you've heard it before. "Owh, no wonder! You have second child syndrome", or "Are you always like this, or is it just because you are the 2nd of three siblings?"

As for me, my ibu was overall good parent who I feel did her best to educate me to be a better person --- She taught me morals and a good strong ethic; in her own unique way!

Being a stubborn and sensitive kid back then, ibu had some difficulties to teach me 'things' in life. I had my own thoughts and ways to express my feelings. I seldom cried to show my sadness. I kept myself locked in my room for hours to tell ibu that I was not happy. My siblings had to let me win everytime we played Dominos or Happy Family cards. (Ahah, that was verrryyy tough!!!).

I was a shy-stubborn-little girl.
I hated sharing things.

I loved compliments / appreciations.

I didn't really like my English school teacher, who scolded me for correcting her pronunciation.

I loved spending times in my room, reading storybooks - alone.

I hated people who were so stupid to color outside the lines! What a mess!!!

I hated when I placed 2nd in any contests.

I got mad when my siblings laughed at me, for spilling water or breaking plates due to my nervousness issue.

I also didn't like my class Ustaz for raising his voice during my interview session to become a school prefect. I even made my decision, not to become a prefect just because of him!

Yes, I also had trouble in making decisions. (Maybe this was the reason why the Ustaz raised his voice - he he he).

Looking back, I now realized that my family; Ibu, Along and Uje had done soooo many things to keep me happy. Thanks so much la --- muaah, I love you all!!! Sob sob sob. Urgghhh --- just imagined what my family had sacrificed just to make me happy? And how terrible I was as a child?

I remembered how ibu loved to call me names; i.e Siti and Solehah. When I asked why? She just said, she actually wanted to name me with those names before but then, she found out that "Ida Syarena" suited me better and British-ier. Perfect. So, I grew up explaining (and believing!!!) to my teachers and classmates; that "My name means a prayer to soften evil (Lembutlah Kejahatan dan Kedegilan) and that was why, I was the most kind-hearted person of them all." Yesss, I was a believer! (or maybe a little Pandir?) Ha ha ha. That was what my ibu told me, and no one could argue. My class teachers and friends knew that ibu was a school teacher. So, everybody kept silent. They believed. They had to believe! (Fact: Almost all my school teachers were my ibu's students!)

I got to know all those facts were not real after my Ustazah told me that "Ida Syarena" didn't mean anything in Arabic --- when I was in Form Three! But I guess I'd already knew that long time before, even when ibu was telling me what my name meant. I knew, the names were actually a prayer for me. Ibu will call me Solehah when I cried alone in my room or Siti when I raised my voice to my dear babysitter, Mak Tina. The names supposedly to be a prayer for me --- to always be good. Forever.

Is the “Middle Child Syndrome” real? What is middle child (second child) syndrome? Is it a real "syndrome?" -- And does it really affect birth order and personality?

So, I did my own research on this topic this morning:

Middle kids bemoan their fate as being ignored and often grow resentful of all the parental attention given to the oldest and the baby of the family, and feel short-shifted. A middle-born child struggles for recognition but might grow stronger as a result.

Some parents may argue that the 2nd child is not treated any differently than the first child was. But hey mothers, let's be honest! After you've seen your first child take a first step, say a first word, and do all of those other firsts, it's a little less remarkable to see it in your other children. Whether or not you want to admit it, the middle or second child will always be competing for the lime light with the oldest and youngest children. This is one of the main causes of middle or second child syndrome. They will have low self-esteem and feel lack of belonging.

Alfred Adler, an Austrian psychiatrist, suggested that birth order may influence personality. He also suggested that birth order leaves a life-long impression on one's style of life, the way s/he deals with friendship, love, and work. Other things that influence a person are parental attitude, illnesses, disabilities, gender, and the social, economic and religious situation of the family. Other things that should be considered along with birth order are the spacing of years between the siblings, the total number of children, and the parent's situation over time.

After growing up in the middle, you might see yourself developing into an adult whose background in the middle prepared you for reality; as a result, you might work harder for recognition while making fewer demands from others along the way. Lehman's research suggests that middle-born children often evolve into resourceful, tenacious adults capable of turning obstacles into opportunities.

When you reach adulthood, you might resist sharing your thoughts and feelings with others, including your mate. This cautious, reserved behavior might carry over from childhood, when you might have felt excluded from the secure family circle. However, as an adult, your appreciation for being included and accepted might impel you to nurture your relationships and to stay faithful to your spouse or partner. Familiar with "give and take," the middle-born might become a balanced adult and has impressive social skills. Since relationships are not of high importance to a middle child, second born children are often loners. They have trust issues ; and may have trouble latching on to a person in a relationship. However, the best possible match for a middle child would be a last born. (Ahah!!!)

As adults, middle-born children often possess excellent managerial skills and leadership qualities. If you receive an offer to take a job in management or in some other leadership position, don't turn it down, thinking you lack the qualities necessary to do the job. Lehman recommends going for it, using your natural middle-child skills and strengths to your advantage. Your skills and strengths as a middle child might serve you well in the adult world.

Second born children will often try to be the exact opposite in personality, interests, etc. from the first born child. S/he will often do almost anything for parental attention, even if that means being naughty. They may be the loud, boisterous child in school. They may be the center of all their friends' events. They may also have no sense of direction in life.

The second child usually is more artistic and creative. They also don't work well under pressure. Therefore they have trouble keeping one due to lack of interest. Going into a writing or journalism career - where they could freely express themselves. Anything that would have hours that are flexible, and projects that frequently changed would be good for a middle born child.

THE END~

Note: Ergghhh --- after writing and reading this post, I feel bad. =( I'm a bad-bad girl!!!

iPad? What's That???

2010-04-06T05:57:00.000-07:00

What is an iPad? Apple introduced iPad as (a portable device) the best way to experience the web, email, photos and videos.

Having checked all the features described @ Gizmodo, for me iPad is like a huge iPod Touch. Of course, by comparing iPad with a laptop, this tablet device is limited to use. The features are more or less, the same.

Would I buy this gadget??? The answer is ABSOLUTELY YESSSS!!! I likeeee!!!

the Happy Monkeys

2010-04-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

Since William-my-car is still warded (@Pakcik Ju's workshop), I spent my Sunday at home today. Playing with Pischu and Putih.....and of course, with my ibu laaa....

Got a chance to see the Happy Monkeys near my house. Haiiyaaaa gang, long time no see laaa!!! You guyz must've missed me so much! Thanks to William. He he he

Project V 2009

2010-03-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

This is the BM version of our video project, Project V initiated in 2009. Almost deleted the files till my office colleague a.k.a 'the product owner: Warda' informed me that it'll be published in youtube this year. Actually i don't really like the vid as it somehow gives the '~~gomen~~' effects to my eyes. But since this gonna be the first project - what the heck!

The storyboard was prepared by Fazli in a .mov file, together with the images. And my job was to copy / map everything from the scratch in adobe flash and be very very friendly with my "old friend", the Action scripts! Actually due to our packed schedules, unable to submit the vids (BM & BI versions) last two weeks, as per requested by Warda. I know, I have to be more careful with my time management next time!

Started to re-do both versions since yesterday afternoon (Friday), and only managed to get them uploaded in my own server today. Haven't used the software for quite some time now - we are talking about CS4!!! The actionscripts improved a lot but i have no idea how to use them ~ yet. Ha ha ha. Time is running fast, man! Noticed there are too many interesting functions to be explored! I Liiikeeee ~

To ALL Cheese + Choc Lovers Out There!!!

2010-03-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Especially to those who love cheese + choc sooooo much - like me, i'd recommend you guyz to visit this site owned by a close friend @ http://www.bakinglover.com . I am not just playing the "supportive friend" role here but i just feel that THESE delicious cakes deserved to be tasted by my kaki-kaki makan frens out there! Well, if you insist --- we can always have a chit-chat time together and the cake(s) will be my special treat to you laaar (kalo tgh budget sangat - he he he, I understand!). It's okay, anyway that is what friends are for right?

Trust me, you will not regret it!!! Already tasted the Choc Cheesecake + Choc Ganache - (pic as below) -- aarrgghhhh i cant stand my tummy right now! LoL. It's Yummy!!! Here are some of my favorites (including cupcakes):

Nice huh??? So, if you are interested to buy or taste but having prob to contact "Mrs Baking Lover" --- not to worry laa --- coz ur friend is still here. Call me. Worriittteee!!!!

Nite friends! Gotto sign-off ~

Littlest Thing

2010-03-22T04:41:00.000-07:00

This is totally not MY song! But i kinda like it, seriously!!!

My 1st Aqiqah Experience

2010-03-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

13.03.2010 | Saturday | 8.30am

I woke up yesterday morning, nenek was already waiting in her light yellow baju kurung outside my room. I could see her face expression. That's my nenek! One of the many things I could not change - when you promised her you'll be ready by 9.00am, she'll be waiting for you since 6.30am!

Luckily I managed to be ready as promised. With light make-up, wearing dark-blue jubah and black tudung. Simple.

William (my RED Iswara) wasn't that well, since last three weeks. The air-cond was leaking somewhere. But I had no choice as I was the only grand-daughter available yesterday. So, we made our way to Aunty Nor's house around 9.00am.

Traffic jammed. According to a few colleagues (tru facebook), the traffic was due to an accident near the MSG office. We made a U-turn to take the Hospital Sungai Buloh tol. Thank God!

We reached at 10.15am. We were the 1st guests arrived. I took the opportunity to chat with Aunty Faridah. Frankly speaking, I was not the type of person who attends family events. Plus, I was never a 'good' one who mingles with my relatives. In fact, I could count how many times have I talked to Aunty Nor in my whole life! But this time was a bit different. So, to cut story short, I was not really familiar with this aqiqah 'thing'. All I knew, the father will bring the baby round the circle, letting all the guests cut the baby's hair.

After finished reading Yaasin, the Pak Imam and Orang Masjid stood up. All of us followed. My heart thumped faster as I noticed everyone was ready with an ang-pow in their hands. Oh My Gosh!!! How could i NOT thinking??? In my wallet, I have only RM5. No extra money, and no ang-pow.

I looked at my nenek and whispered, "Nek, did you bring extra ang-pow?"

Nenek answered, "It's OK. I bring mine."

Aghhh......of course, nenek and her 'hearing problem'! She might've heard or thought I was asking in favor of hers.

I could see the baby (...and the father) was a few steps away. God, please stop the time! Please help me think of something! Obviously, I was the ONLY person who didn't bring any ang-pow for the baby! I shouldn't let my cousins see me as the 'kedekut' aunty.

.......I opened my handbag and pulled out my MOTOMING handphone. Switched on the camera mode and...Snap....Snap! "Nek, smile nenek!" I said, as if nothing happened. I was just on time. Syukur alhamdulillah, my plan worked! No one realized.

Lesson learnt: Please bring ang-pows in your handbag, with extra cash in your wallet!

the NEW YEAR 2010 Resolution

2010-01-02T04:39:00.000-08:00

Oookay --- my last year 'New-Year-Resolution' was a total failure! So, this year I'm gonna start with a new one --- but maybe a lot easier than the pasts. Ermm --- it's no use to have so many resolutions and keep them all permanently as what they are, but not doing anything about it right?

Hmm --- I'll re-start from the beginning. Let's just take a baby steps 1st then follow the flow.....

This year's 'New-Year-Resolutions' are:

1) To finish reading Lifehacker and return it to the owner.

2) To finish some more books I've bought this year;

a) Lavender Morning

b) Kau Kekasihku

c) Pesona Rindu

d) Outliers

e) Ternyata Cinta

f ) Sayang Tak Terucap

g) Mikhail

h) Mulanya Satu Cinta

i) Cinta Kau dan Aku

j) Andai Itu Takdirnya

k) Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Love & Friendship

l) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

m) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

n) One Minute Manager

errr --- i guess i have to STOP, at least for NOW. As i still have tons of unread books to list! Obviously, 'someone' prefers buying than reading! That's bad, huh! --- and i haven't mentioned anything about the magazines yet!

3) 1st step for RC stuff! Sign-up for tailoring class and work on my designing 'thing'.

4) my BWM (--- not BMW ok! he he he)

5) To start writing~ yes, i better be! This would be the 10th time I wrote this in my Resolutions list.

This year five (5) is enough! I don't want to end this year like any other years. I really wanna make 2010 special and means MORE to me! InsyaAllah....

Avatar 2009

2009-12-30T08:21:00.000-08:00

Visually Spellbinding.....

----- this movie is superb! this is like 'double-WOW' to me! Totally different and interesting. Seriously, this is a MUST WATCH movie guys! Don't waste your time, go watch laaa~

fabulous! formidable! c'est tres magnifique! James Cameron is remarkably genius.

The story is about a paraplegic marine Jake Sully, who's in a military mission and is sent to Pandora, a home for a humanoid native called "Na'vi". In exchange for the spinal surgery that'll fix his legs, Jake assisted military unit spearheaded by Colonel Quaritch. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and falls in love with Neytiri, the Colonel moves forward with his extermination plan, forcing the soldier to take a stand and fight back in a battle for the fate of Pandora.

iRate: 8/10

Surrogates 2009

2009-12-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

“People are living their lives remotely from the safety of their own homes via robotic surrogates — sexy, physically perfect mechanical representations of themselves. It’s an ideal world where crime, pain, fear and consequences don’t exist. When the first murder in years jolts this utopia, FBI agent Greer (Willis) discovers a vast conspiracy behind the surrogate phenomenon and must abandon his own surrogate, risking his life to unravel the mystery.”

I have seen this movie trailer @ GSC last month, while waiting for Gamer to start. My 1st impression --- Daddy Willis looked cool ( --- but funny) with his 'new-look' (his hair!) in robotic form. And of course, compared to the movie I was watching --- this sci-fi film seemed to be a lot better! At least the gist of the story is easier to understand.

What surprised me the most about this movie was that people in future could be killed through their Surrogates (which was thought to be totally impossible!) eventhough without any physical contact.

Although the film is not as cerebral as it could has tried to be, it ends up making some interesting observations about how things would be in an entirely artificial world. People moving around through their Surrogates. Personal identities could be selected and changed based on our own needs. As nearly everyone is using Surrogates (plugged in) to live, human beings will be slowly disconnected from the “real” world.

The other side of the story is about the conflict between Bruce Willis and his wife. I refused to mention everything here. Tak syiok laa! Overall, Surrogates ends up being an average thriller-sci-fi Bruce Willis's movie.

iRate : 6/10.

Ten Ways to Declutter Your Home

2009-12-28T05:43:00.000-08:00

The main reason why i am very interested in this topic is because i am well-known as the 'Great Clutter-Maker' among my siblings. In fact, maybe i am the creator of the word 'clutter'. Hehehe --- well, that's one of my weaknesses.

Everytime i shop, or ~~accidentally~~ go to any hypermarket with the tags 'Sale' or 'Discount', i will make sure the things i'm gonna buy will be enough for my personal stock --- or my family's. At times my head will suddenly remember my long-lost friend, my along, ibu or my nenek, or even Nitti's next year birthday present. The other time, i'll buy just to add my 'emergency gift' collection. For an instance, last year i went to Jackal to buy kain for my Baju Raya. The chiffon i chose really looked attractive. The salesperson guy who helped me gave 10% discount, and i ended up buying 2 pairs of same-design chiffon, but in different colour! That was a great bargain, aight?

Hahahaha --- one year passed and as of todate, both kain chiffon are still kept in my cupboard drawer. So, was it really a good bargain and worth it ---- or not? Situations like this, didn't happen just once this year. To be frank, it happened nearly everytime!

Recently, again after 'accidentally' bought one bedroom set (consists of a double-sized bed including mattress, a make-up mirror table, a bed-side table, a sofa-bed and a 4 inch cupboard) instead of ONE bed and a mattress --- i was forced to clean up my room. Of course, to ensure all furniture could fit in! It wasn't easy --- trust me! I had to throw away MANY things; clothes, scarfs, books, bags, pretty boxes, key-chains etc.

But point to be proud of was --- I DID IT! Eventho' Along and Kak Dah helped me a lot during my decluttering process, that was still considered as ONE MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT in my whole life. Watching tonite's Oprah episode on Declutter somehow tickled me. Peter Walsh highlighted few tips in the show.

Having googled his name, i found "Ten Ways to Declutter Your Home" Tips. Thanks to Walsh.

Tackle messes one room at a time.
When you buy something new, practice the "in-out rule:" For every one new item, get rid of an old one.
Create intimacy in the master bedroom. Remember that improvements in one room can spread to the rest of the house.
Make cleaning up fun for your kids.
Create a vision for the room you're cleaning.
Teach your kids how to sort.
Use a hanger system to determine which clothes you wear most.
Ask yourself if you really need something. If you hesitate, you don't.
Establish a "magic triangle" in your kitchen between the stove, refrigerator and the sink. Keep the items you use most in that area.
Identify useful utensils with the cardboard box test.

Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson

2009-12-26T17:55:00.000-08:00

I have read this book for quite sometime. From the review, there's no reason why we should have a doubt to buy/read this book. I used to say that I have insufficient time to read --- and lots of other reasons --- but truthfully, it is not about TIME. It is actually about ME and my time management.

So, i did give a try! ---- and it kinda gave me a 'WOW' effect. I've never read such motivation book as simple as this. I mean, the language used in this book is very easy to understand and the illustration also is suitable for all readers!

Change. It happens to all of us, except Dick Clark, but is it good or bad? Spencer Johnson elaborated and presented as an interesting 'fable' about dealing with change in business and personal life. But there's something else going on here....

This book is about how we deal with any type of change. In life, we love to blame others for everything bad that happened to us, instead of finding the root cause and solutions to it. When change happens, we tend to see others' mistakes --- the customer is too fussy, the office environment is not healthy, the boss is lack of management skills and lots and lots of reasons. Reality, not all people can accept changes. But what we are going to learn in this book is how we deal with any difficulties in life and use the best of it to regain success.

I recommend this book!

Nice Photo, huh?

2009-12-26T08:39:00.000-08:00

I just cleared my MotoMing Trans Flash space, and realized that I haven't uploaded or even saved this pic before to anywhere! Still remember this moment --- Nit & me, were eating Claypot Chicken Rice @ Sogo, KL.

Well, i kinda like this pic! Dunno why ~

H1N1 was still reported as one of the HIT news at that time. And while eating, we were watching the KWSP marching team, practicing for the Merdeka Day.

Yours sincerely;

Novels for Sale

2009-12-26T01:14:00.000-08:00

These are some of my collections --- malay & english novels.

Yours sincerely;

"Cherish all your happy moments; They make a FINE CUSHION for old age."

2009-12-25T08:49:00.000-08:00

---- quoted by Booth Tarkington.

That's his. My own quotation --- (looking at my new-look room) i guess a 'cushion' would seem too be a li'l small for my old-age days. Maybe i am a bit over-reacted but who really cares, aight? The money I should be spending for my Umrah & Ziarah trip, has been used for something else --- my room make-over. Just bought myself a double-size bed, a sofa-bed, a mirror and a cupboard. But I am not too sure whether all these furniture can still be used when i'm old.

Am i happy??? YES, definitely! (although I have to spend SOME money ~wink wink) Three (3) of us have to make a white lie to ensure this happen eventho' nenek disapproved in the beginning.

Today @ around 9.30am, Along, Kak Dah & me were verrrrry busy cleaning up my room. Soe's people was supposed to come @ 11.00am. So we cleared ALL magz, novels & cd/dvds. Arggghhhhh ----- how could I keep those rubbish in my small room all these while????

Two (2) guys came with the furniture @ 11.30am. They brought the sofa-bed in1st, then the divant and later, the cupboard. Nenek also seemed to be as excited as we were, asking too many questions at a time.

These were the pics --- nice, huh? For those who've been in my room before will know the differences. So, I still love the quotation but maybe a little change would sound nicer : "Cherish your SAD moments; They can make a GREAT ROOM MAKE-OVER for you."

Okay, to make it more FUN, i guess i could share some make-over process pics. Why not, right?

Tadaaa!!! Ahahhaah --- if i met Oprah Winfrey, she would've named me 'Ms CLuster! This is the corner where we are not supposed to change anything. According to my dearest nenek, all these are 'harta pusaka' atuk. Hmm ---- why cant they be MONEY? I wonder. Maybe it's true, nenek and me share the same habit. Hehehe ----

The sofa-bed ~ came in 1st. Nenek suddenly expressed her 'change-of-heart' face. And we were looking at each other with same reaction, alhamdulillah.....

.....and then, the cupboard.

A combination of two (2) separate cupboard parts will form a big cupboard!

Then goes the bed's 'divant'.....

the mattress, the pillows and the stool.....

.....and lastly, the sofa-bed.....wow, doesn't it look like an office?

It's already 8.19am. I have to be @office around 9.00am ---- please help me, God. I just couldn't resist this sleepy mode!

Alice's New BEST Friends --- A Crow, a Hyppo and a Fox

2009-12-16T07:19:00.000-08:00

This is NOT a story for little children. Be warned. This is a REAL story about a girl named Alice & her three new (3) animal friends --- Crow, Hyppo and Fox.

One windy day, on her way back home Alice met mrs Hyppo. Alice was quite tired, but still forcing herself to the level best to hide her expression. So, she smiled widely.

"How are you, mrs Hyppo? Haven't heard from you since our last meet."

mrs Hyppo looked around, but didn't reply.

"I can see that you are in the middle of something.....?" Alice, trying to be nice --- asked again.

mrs Hyppo sighed. Her face looked straight. "Yes, I am busy today. Very busy. Can't you tell?"

Alice bit her lips. She was stunned for a short while. They are true! She's new in the jungle neighborhood. From time-to-time she'd made friends with her neighbors. Knowing where she stood, she started to get to know all animals in the town, including the animals who lived nearby --- mrs Hyppo, whom she met regularly during the jungle committee meeting, mrs Fox, the loyal assistant and mrs Crow, the quiet but cunning committee leader.

The three (3) of them were not friendly to her. But Alice knew, life would be more meaningful if she could be friends with all animals. She was not familiar with the jungle and would be very grateful if she has friendly companions to spend her days with. Every evening she would spend her time with her talkative but immature neighbor, ms Hamster. They talked about jungle, about love.........about other animals friends. Yes, Alice herself had heard many stories about mrs Crow and friends!

But, Alice is Alice. She would never believe such gossips were all true! How could an experienced committee leader like mrs Crow be such cunning and irresponsible?.....and wouldn't it be ridiculous to have such arrogant animal friend like mrs Hyppo? So, ignoring the gossips Alice set her mind positively, hoping they would be a great team once they knew each other better!

The day passed. It started raining and mrs Hyppo walked away quickly, left Alice alone.

During the 2nd jungle committee meeting:

Alice and ms Hamster were sitting next to each other. Both were staring quietly at mrs Crow who sat mysteriously at the front corner. Nobody had ever talked to mrs Crow before. She was popularly known by her reserved personality which surprisingly made her special!

"Who can represent Animal Village1?" the loyal assistant, mrs Fox shouted loudly.

ms Hamster, mr Beaver and mrs Deer shook their heads 'NO'. Giggling, they pointed at Alice and mimed mischievously, "She's a human!"

"Ok, then. A human will represent Animal Village1." Said mrs Fox, seriously. "Please organize the meetings and make sure you liaise with all animals to get reports," mrs Fox continued.

Alice nodded her head, understood.

..............to be continued. we have yet to reach the climax of the story but i need to finish my notes of discussion tonight and it's already 11.14pm! tomorrow i have an early meeting with 3rd party. mrs Crow will not join the meeting but she'd already instructed mrs Hyppo to attend. Good Luck, Alice!

Moral of this story are:

1) In REAL life we have to face fact that at times, you will be treated unfairly.

2) A story can end badly. No surety of good endings!

3) We will meet with many types of people, each attached with different story. There are people who will never change!

Perempuan Berkalung Sorban 2009

2009-12-14T05:39:00.000-08:00

I have this movie downloaded since last two (2) weeks but maybe because of my tight schedule, I forgot to watch it. So last weekend, during my breaktime @office, me and my colleague watched this together while enjoying our mcD snacks. Hmm.....overall the storyline is not bad!

Perempuan Berkalung Sorban is about a strong, beautiful and intelligent lady, Anissa who lives in a conservative Islam environment. She was taught by her father about the responsibilities of a woman in Islam and men is always correct in whatever situation! Having own perspectives about women independence in Islam, Anissa fought throughout the movie, sacrificed her happiness and at last, she became one of the respected lady in the village.

iRate: 5/10

The Time Traveler's Wife 2009

2009-11-28T06:43:00.000-08:00

Oooooohhh --- writing about this movie reminds me of The Notebook 2004 and PS I Love You 2007. Eventhough Rachel McAdams's roles in both films (The Notebook & The Time Traveler's Wife) are totally different, the endings somehow give the same effects. The Time Traveler's Wife is actually based on the best-selling book by author Audrey Niffenegger.

This unique love story is mainly about Henry DeTamble & Claire Abshire. What makes this film different from others is the plot --- a Chicago librarian suffers from a rare genetic disorder that sends him traveling through time whenever he's under extreme duress (yeah, i know. This doesn't make sense! But it is what makes this movie special). Clare has been in love with Henry her entire life. She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will meet or be separated.

Despite the fact that he vanishes at inordinately frequent and lengthy intervals, he attempts to build a stable future with the beautiful young heiress he loves. Sooooo sweet, isn't he? Whoever hates Eric Bana --- trust me, you will FALL IN LOVE with him this time! ehehehe......

iRate: 8/10

Twilight SAGA : New Moon 2009

2009-11-27T17:22:00.000-08:00

Just got this movie yesterday. Have read the novel but couldn't miss to watch Bella, Edward and Jacob in this sequel. So I spent my precious two-hour-time on Saturday morning to finish this! The first twenty-minutes of watching made me questioned Edward's decision to leave Bella with Jacob in Forks, Washington. Apadaaa......guys, if you already knew who's your competitor in love, don't give any chance lah! Bad move!

On Bella Swan's birthday, Edward's sister; Alice decided to throw her lavish party. Everything went well until Bella accidentally cut her finger whilst opening a present. This resulted Jasper (the newest addition to the Cullen clan) succumbed to his blood lust and attacked Bella. Due to this incident, the Cullens decided to leave Bella for her own good....and Bella's whole world turned upside down.

Enter Jacob Black, a member of the Quilite tribe who managed to bring some joy back into Bella's life. However as they became closer, Bella discovered Jacob's secret; he's a werewolf!!!

But who will she choose? Edward or Jacob? Ermm....for me, of course that's not even a tough question to be asked. (Eventhough I admit, Jacob's character is proven to be more outstanding compared to Edward's in this movie) --- with his six-pax abs and cool attitude, of course!!! But between vampire and werewolf --- my vote still goes to Mr Vampire! yeah, I love it!!! Looking at this photo, I don't think I have to take time to decide --- ehehe. (Trust me, I'll answer in a sec --- no hesitation, no pause!). Above all, I LOVE the ending!

iRate: 8.5/10 (Yes, i am quite bias when it comes to 'human-loves-vampire' movies! ha-ha-ha --- so what?)

The Climb

2009-11-27T07:58:00.000-08:00

Have always loved this song. It kinda gives me moral support to keep climbing --- no matter what.

I can almost see it
That dream I'm dreaming but
There's a voice inside my head saying,
You'll never reach it,
Every step I'm taking,
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking but I
Got to keep trying
Got to keep my head held high

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing,
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes they knock me down but
No I'm not breaking
The pain I'm knowing
But these are the moments that
I'm going to remember most yeah
Just got to keep going
And I,
I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on,

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

Keep on moving
Keep climbing
Keep the faith baby
It's all about
It's all about
The climb
Keep the faith
Keep your faith

A SURVIVOR in a BUG-EAT-BUG world

2009-11-24T08:15:00.000-08:00

ONLY ONE PERSON WILL SURVIVE IN THE END. Are we strong enough to survive?

Sometimes we have to face the fact --- that we are living in a hypocrite world. We proudly support the "1Malaysia" concept mooted by everyone but do we really know what it means? Or at least know why? Or how? Is it just a slogan used to promote unity, mutual respect and trust among the different ethnic? Are we sure it isn't merely a political rhetoric? Do we really believe that? Isn't it too good to be true?

Yes, even if we know the answer, we don't dare to voice out. We chose not to reveal the truth. It is safer that way!

This is no movie! We have tried to make stories sound better by convincing ourselves that good people deserve good life. But deep inside, we know the truth. Have learnt this from a Pixar animation long time ago: It's a BUG-eat-BUG world out there. We have to be like other people to survive --- and to survive, we have to be like a bug.

We are not Alice-in-Wonderland. We are REAL people living in a REAL world. Let's face the facts. This is the place where REAL people survive by eliminating one another who crosses their SUCCESS lane. They claimed that the world is full of love, honesty and kindness (...overshadowing the dark claws of envy and hatred that clouds their hearts...). This is the world where people love to point fingers at one another --- perhaps an evolved contemporary and modern way to express LOVE? and AFFINITY? Which one is which, we wouldn't know.

In this world, we see good people are treated unfairly --- a cruel yet realistic implementation of the expression good guys finish last. A wise Malay proverb once said, "Buat baik dibalas baik...." which means "One good deed deserves another." In this modern world, such statement doesn't reflect anything. You will not be measured by your kindness, but it is your POWER that determines how good people will treat you. The more powerful, the better. But to be powerful, there'll be a price to pay! Of course --- we win some, we lose some; and to win we've got to be hunters. That's the rule.

Having said the above, the more preys we could hunt, the stronger we'll be. With the fact that our stars sometimes aren't brighter than others, even no matter how hard we've tried, there will be no guarantee for a 'happy ending'. Let's not take any risk!

With that, we sacrificed a lot to be successful. You could be surprised with how people nowadays define the word "FAMILY" or "FRIENDS". Your close friends --- (now popularly known as 'BFF') can become enemies. That is not shocking news to you --- coz you have predicted it earlier, but still you and your BFF are still hanging out together, sharing stuff as if you never matter! That 'fact of life' will just add an extra flavor to your day. That's how life could be more interesting! You will become a stronger bug --- and heartless survivor! That's more important.

People are raised in different backgrounds. Don't ever expect they would share the same thoughts and lifestyle. Yes, we are all different in our own ways! You'll get more frustrated to know that their stars are shining even brighter than yours --- without any efforts or hardwork! They are born with it! Despite all the differences, we share the same vision --- to be on top! The issue here is that people somehow reject the word 'failure' and refuse to play the game fairly. They use short-cuts, tricks and cheats to win the game; whatever it takes.

Due to this, our principal changed. Liars and backstabbers conquer all. We'll meet friends who be-friends with 'EGO', 'SELFISH', 'GREEDY' and 'ARROGANT'. To be in this circle, we have no other options than to be like them. We live up to people's expectations, stand on the same level as them and call ourselves 'THE ONE WHO KNOWS ALL'. In short, we have become the genius. As long as we could survive in this world, it is good enough! We don't need to look back at the things we've done to achieve all of these. This is just a GAME played by people around us. If we are not ready to play, we'll be left far behind. It has nothing to do with races --- or religion! In fact, to live this life we've got to exclude all! Then only we can become "ONE".

......but as for me, I am tired of playing this GAME! I am done! I was not raised to play all these bullshit! I am not even ready for it! From where I came from, I was thought by my ibu and nenek to lead my life based on holy Al-Quran & Sunnah. And if by not playing, I could lose all, so be it! I do not need friends who always take advantage of me. I do not want life to become much more miserable than it already is! I do not like this Bug-Eat-Bug game anymore! I am DONE being a survivor.

I quit.

~ 99 Balloons | Dear Eliot ~

2009-11-02T07:14:00.000-08:00

Just wanna share this video, I watched with my Along last weekend. Of course, no tears dropped that day coz I didn't focus. I was not paying attention to the topic they discussed on tv. Too busy surfing the net, searching for something (related to my work). But when I saw Oprah & her guests cried, I knew the movie must've touched everyone's heart. Must be sad. Too sad ~

So, when I saw Along posted the url link named 99 Balloons on her facebook wall, I clicked to play. This time I focused. Couldn't say much about the vid. I was speechless. I cried --- I cried --- and cried. This is way too sad than what I've expected! ---- and all these while, I thought my life's complicated enough to be shared with others???

Watching this 6-mins vid, made me realized --- that I should be thankful to Allah SWT for everything he gave. --- at least, I'm still breathing!

Wanna know more about little Eliot? The parents are still writing. Just click here: mattandginny.blogspot.com or ninetynineballoons.com. Trust me, by reading this you'll learn to appreciate your life.

Lifehacker Tips 1: Email Your Future Self

2009-10-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

Note: This is just a reminder for myself (and useful tips)....since I'm a forgetful person plus this is very helpful.

1) Remember tasks that need to be done far in advance.
2) Send yourself info on the go.
3) Interrupt yourself.
4) Don't forget the boring but necessary tasks.
5) Get in on events early.
6) Create a long-term plan and stick to it.
7) Reflect and review.

I need to sync myself to my calendars.....BUT the prob is, there is no way to sync my office pc with my handphone. So, last resort would be --- synching my office Outlook 07 calendar with Google Calendar! For an effective reminder, I strongly recommend to set your mobile phone to receive SMS reminders. Tada.....I've got myself a mobile Calendar!!! Superb! Problem solved.

The Climb - Miley Cyrus

2009-10-22T06:32:00.000-07:00

Dancing with the Stars -- Wii (dancing with my bro)

2008-11-23T23:03:00.000-08:00

msCruZee just bought a Nintendo Wii 2 days ago (yeah, on my bro's b'day - 22/11/08! ahahah --- that's how I celebrate other people's b'day!) And u know what, this is the BESTEST game I've ever played! Seriously!!!

On the 1st day, my bro & I played Dancing with the Stars We Dance! It was FUN (trust me).....I never believed Uje can dance -- really dance -- very well, as he scored the most. Love watching him dancing "Bootylicious" - ha ha ha. VERRRYYY FUNNY! Should have posted his video in You Tube!