a quick bit

From Postsecret.com


I love this one. It brought me back to one night in Kota Bharu when my grandpa's car had a flat tire as we were about to leave my aunt's house. It was at night and it was raining. There were my two uncles, and him, and a jack and a fluorescent light someone found and pulled into the driveway. And there were jokes and laughs and that 'togetherness' of fixing something.

I wonder how my dad would fit in that picture if he was still alive. He'd probably be looking over someone's shoulder and commenting. :D

dc

tensi sungguh bile ketiadaan internet. tensi lagi when u're connected for 5 minutes and get disconnected again. then u harrass the service provider like nobody's business. they might have blacklisted me. i might be in their "bad book" now. sighness..

how are u dear siti?

A bit of a nihilist and a romantic

"I was thinking that my folks are having a good time in this world! My father at sixty potters around, talks of 'palliative' remedies, treats sick people, is generous to the peasants, and generally has the time of his life. Mother, too, is happy: her day is crammed with so many occupations and so many oh's and ah's that she hasn't time to stop and think; while I.."
"What about you?"

"I'm thinking: here am I lying under a haystack. The narrow place I occupy is so small compared to the rest of space where I am not and where nobody cares a rap about me; and the little span of my life is such a speck in eternity where I haven't been and never will be... Yet in that atom, in that mathematical point, the blood circulates, the brain works, desires are kindled. How monstrous! How preposterous!"

"Let me tell you that what you say applies in equal measure to all people."

"You're right, " Bazarov said. "What I meant is that they-my parents, that is- are occupied and don't worry about their own insignificance- it doesn't rankle them... whereas I... I am disgusted and furious."

---

"Look," Arkady said suddenly, "a dry maple lead has broken off and fallen to the ground; its movements are exactly like the flight of a butterfly. Isn't it curious? A thing so utterly sad and dead resembles a thing so utterly alive and joyous."

"O, my friend, Arkady Nikolaich!" Bazarov exclaimed, "one thing I ask of you. Don't speak so sweetly."

---

Fathers and Sons, Ivan Turgenev

I was on the bus and I was suddenly reminded of our (Faeez and I) first night at the Top Banana in Phnom Penh. We had just gotten off the bus from Siem Reap and dropped our bags and we were looking for some grub. Faeez and I kept asking the girl (I forgot her name) "Can you tell us where to find some hawker stalls here?"

She looked at us, a bit confused like. Then she shook her head and said, "I don't know. Maybe you should ask Sovey... maybe he would know."

So Sovey shows up, this ultra-stoned looking Top Banana owner.

She repeats our request to him and he too looks confused, and goes, "Why do you want that?"

and we explain that we want to eat and they both burst out laughing.

Apparently they both heard Faeez say "Hooker" instead of "Hawker".

Ahh us rapacious traveling Malays.

You say a man's got no brain, when he's a fool: and no heart, when he's mean; and no stomach when he's a funker. And when he's got none of that spunky wild bit of a man in him, you say he's got no balls. When he's sort of tame.

Lady Chatterley's Lover, D.H Lawrence

the delayed

Because first raya didn’t happen in muar (I’m not gonna venture into that), I spent the whole first day of raya at home watching raya programmes, eating raya meals - just really indulge that festive mood.

Hanged out with iza on second day – I think it’s my best second day raya by far! And we stayed true to the roots - iza was wearing kebaya (I like it when u’re agreeable like that iza :p) I was in baju kurung. We walked around the mall, went to the higher end shop to get iza’s make up and settled at a modern chic diner. Talked chatted. Eyes bizarrely looking at us all day.

Went back to Singapore on fourth day via air asia. Cheap deal, who can resist ma? I haven’t been there for almost 10 years. Singapore has developed since the last time I came to visit, but I still get the same vibe. Walking around the shoplots brings back nostalgic memories – some of the old shops are still there, but my favorite bakery where they sell kek tikus is out of business. So sad. I’d like to preserve the memory of the cake here:
















Ok, so my drawing sucks. The cake was ordinary, nothing special about it except that I’ve been having it since I was a kid. It was a must have whenever I was there. So it’s only natural for me to look for it this time.

Had my Singaporean beef steak cravings fulfilled. It’s not your usual beef steak – it’s actually a stew - some Singaporeans call it sup tulang which I think is more accurate cuz it’s only bones with some meat not a piece of meat like the normal steak u have at restaurants and the stew is made of mutton bones, not beef.










* courtesy of google

You eat that with French baguette. It tastes AWESOME! Well, at least for lamb/mutton eaters. And you suck the marrow right out of the bone. See the one in the picture where the marrow is at the end of the bone? YUMMMNESSS. I siap tapau bawak balik Malaysia lagi =D of course, the dish isn’t for the health conscious.

On my flight back, I met a Russian who was traveling with his friend. He had almost 10 hours to spend in KL before leaving for Vietnam the next day. So this guy was asking me what they could do or where could they go to kill time during the transit? U can tell that I was brainstorming like nuts to give this temporary tourist a good time in KL. But they had a Lonely Planet Book Guide with them, so I wasn’t too troubled describing whatever interesting places in that book for them. The friend asked me about revolving restaurant at KL tower so I told that the food costs around USD70 and there is a dress code. Hence she quickly pointed at me “Like yours?” I looked down and realized I was wearing baju kurung and politely smiled “Not necessarily. Yes u can wear this to get in, but u can also wear a dinner dress.” She was nodding with “Owh. Too bad I didn’t bring mine. But ur dress is nice.” During that 40 minute flight, we exchanged this:














On day seven, my relatives on dad’s side came to berhari raya. It’s a gathering that we do every year I’m not sure why they had to pick my house every time except for last year when he was in the hospital the whole entourage moved there but seriously the hospital wasn’t as comfy well sometimes I wish it could be held at someone else’s place but maybe cuz mi casa can accommodate that many guests so u learn to tolerate. But this year, this year was different. Unlike previous occasions when we had to prepare food and used proper plates, glasses and utensils (imagine the weariness of pre and post party), this year we malas and adopted paper cups and plates and plastic spoon and fork. And of course, we went potluck style. Haha. If he was here, he wouldn’t have approved of it.

Last weekend I went to my lecturer’s open house and she kept on asking “How do u do? Are u okay? How’s work? Do u like ur job? Call me if u need me.” Non stop I tell u.

I miss everyone. Eid Mubarak guys. Sorry for my absence and other lacking.

I wish I could be there for you, like you have always been there for me.

I am so sorry Maggie for your loss.
I know words would never be good enough.
We will be here if you ever need someone,
and we will help you go through this very painful phase, Insya Allah.


Al-fatihah.

we were watching the tv when the ustaz went "the prophet used to bathe together with aishah in the morning."

she said to me "he used to do that too u know."

it'd be TMI if he were still here. but hearing that made my heart jump (i was a little shocked actually) - it is sweet to know that they had intimate moments despite his lack of suaveness and her lack of romance.

u only learn these things when the person is gone, then it's too late to appreciate it.

Gold cyanide

The young doctor was disappointed: he had never had the opportunity to study the effects of gold cyanide on a cadaver..

..He [Dr. Juvenal Urbino] said:"There is bound to be someone driven mad by love who will give you the chance one of these days." And only after he said it did he realize that among the countless suicides he could remember, this was the first with cyanide that had not been caused by the sufferings of love. Then something changed in the tone of his voice.

"And when you do find one, observe with care," he said to the intern: "they almost always have crystals in their heart."


-Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Selamat Hari Raya Maaf Zahir Batin!

Let's not abuse the rendang gang. :)

Guess what I'm doing for Eid tomorrow? Praying at the mosque then going to International House of Pancakes for breakfast. But don't worry. I'm gonna wear baju raya. Huzzah!

Fifer! May God bless you!
Iza! Eat for me sunshine!
Atun! Have a blast and drive safe!
Amy! Take a break from doctoring and eid away!
Myra! You know the drill for us di perantauan! Here's a lonely hug from me. :) *hug*

*sniff* I called Klate earlier today and everyone was busy watching the fireworks my uncle bought. They never did that when I was there.

But this cab driver yelled out of the window Eid Mubarak to me and Sarah when we were walking back from iftar and we yelled back Eid Mubarak, and that felt pretty festive. Hah hah.