Sunday, January 30, 2005
Uncle Sabri bin Abdul Hamid from Perth, Western Australia, had just passed away peacefully sometime around 8.20am in the arms of wife & loved ones in Singapore. May Allah bless his soul.
Rest in peace, Uncle Sabri, for God loves you and has called upon you to be by His side. Amin.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Aunty Jan (Tasha's mom) landed in Sgp well & fine last nite, even after the plane was delayed for 2 hrs in Perth, and my dad was already waiting to receive her at the airport. I think they went straight to Teck Whye to take a look at Uncle Sabri's conditions. And it doesn't look too good.
This morning, mom took a day off & brought Aunty Jan to the airline's head office & they can't have Uncle Sabri on board cos he's in a coma. So, in a frenzy his wife called their children, who just arrived in Perth late last nite, to get back to Sgp as the doctor counts his last hours. We shall offer our prayers for his safe return. If Uncle Sabri is meant to go, it's cos God loves him.
The 2 ladies are gonna check on my uncle before they go to Geylang & Chinatown for some sight-seeing & serious shopping! Aunty Jan's already bought a few things and she's been there less than 24hrs!!! Mom's asked me to let her know what I want from Sgp... and I have no idea what I want!! I mean, there's heaps of things I want, but they can wait... and they're not impt!! What to get?! What to get?! Help me!!
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Connection's been really slow today... not sure if everyone at the company has gone for a holiday or one of their system's having a shutdown or just the fact that everyone has nothing better to do than to go online at the same time instead of spending some time celebrating Australia Day!
Yes, folks!! Today is Australia Day... Didn't do much today. Just knitted, watched some TV, cooked meehoon , had dinner, knitted some more, watched Australian Open & while Lleyton Hewitt & David Nalbandian knocked balls across to each other's courts for the last 4hours or so, I'm dying to catch that skyworks show which shld have been on an hour ago!! ~sigh~ The power of LIVE TV!! The fact of the matter is, Aussie TV is NEVER on schedule!! Sheisser!!
Sometimes I wonder if the TV stations, which provide news, can't even adhere to schedules, programmes & time-slots that they set themselves, how can we trust them to be truthful in their factual news & current affairs? Then again, people may say "CHILL!!" cos it may just be the relaxed attitude that Aussies have taken for granted. Well, TV people... listen to this...
EVERYONE IS SICK & TIRED OF TV PROGRAMMES NOT STARTING ON SCHEDULED TIME!! CUT THE BLOODY ADs, IF YOU HAVE TO!! SHOW YOUR INTEGRITY BY STARTING PROGRAMMES ON TIME!!!!
And what's this about showing freegin' re-runs over & bloody over again?! This weekend, they're showing True Lies AGAIN?! Well, ok... It's the first run this year, but it's been shown for like ten thousand times for the last 3 years!!! Don't the TV stations talk to each other?! For goodness' sake, if u want ratings, go show something NEVER been shown by the other channels!! Is that so difficult to grasp?! ~sheesh~
Monday, January 24, 2005
Didn't do nothing on Hari Raya Haji, except tried to clean the house. And made chicken wrap with Malaysian roti for dinner.
Saturday evening, we went to Uncle Saide & Aunty Liz's place in Forrestfield to get the stuff my mom sent us. They went back to Sgp & mom got them to pass me some of my favourite onion pratas, a pashmina for the colder months coming our way & a couple of exotic asian cushion covers which got Kris really excited!! Without pulling off the old covers from his cushions, he slipped the new ones over & marvelled at it!
When we were in Sgp last May, we bought one set for Aunty Jan... only to regret not buying more for ourselves!! They were really cheap & gorgeous!! But we made a mindnote, that we'll stock more the next time we go for a visit!
Anyway, yesterday we went over to Cik Lashmi & Cik Bakar's house in Bateman, very nearby to Murdoch Uni... They served us an array of traditional lunch & Hari Raya cookies!! Kris had mee soto!! And I had ketupat (cubed rice) and some lodeh (vege cooked in coconut milk), only after I've had the ketupat with sambal sotong (dried cuttlefish soaked & cooked in pure blended chillies), serondeng daging (fried mince in fried dessicated coconut) & my ultimate favourite, sambal goreng (assortment of meat, seafood & toufu fried with herbs & asian spices)!! YUMMMZZZZZ... it's been such a long while!! After, we had jelly cocktail with longan for dessert!! This is living!! And in the summer heat, that was something to look forward to!! Of cos, the pool in the backyard was calling out our names too!! But, we had to leave...
Mom passed them some stuff for me too... so, we went to collect... Tak sesia pergi sana... macam balik Sgp!! The atmosphere of the entire house, with their teenage kids all sociable & reminiscing of old days... ~sigh~ It was a good visit... Made me wanna run into my mom's arms... I miss my mommy.... but I was on the phone with her right up to the steps of Cik Bakar's house!! hehehe....
Thursday, January 20, 2005
My hands are full!! Besides the search for a job, housecleaning, cooking, trying to slim down & rediscovering Photoshop, I've got 9 scarves to make! You know, those winter scarves? I'm still doing Curlz's & winter is going away already!! But Australia's winter is 6 months away and for some other parts of the world, no one ever knew when winter started & ended!! hehe...
Well, the fashion has been for those feathery & fluffy ones for the past 2 yrs & I'm still getting orders for those, even tho I've been saying crotchet is the next big fad!! But I guess people would choose warmth & surviving to fashion & freezing, anytime!! Anyways, I'm just gonna finish up the current orders, then get one really fuzzy-wooly yarn and crotchet it with a flowery design & see if anyone wants to order that. It's definitely more time-consuming to make all those patterns, but they're pretty & definitely worth it!
Wanted to knit ponchos, but like I said, the fad now is crotchet. I've got one of those in my wardrobe for 2 yrs & I'm glad the fashion's back!! I reckon I'll still knit & crotchet 1 poncho each. I'd rather get a job... but like I said, I still have 6 months to finish them... If I ever start them, that is...
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
... the smog is gone!!
Yesterday arvo, after the huge fires finally subsided, another fire erupted at the foot of the hill, just behind our place!! The entire place was red and glowing!! You can hear all the sirens in the background... and see all the ashes... and all the smoke billowing upwards into the supposedly clear skies. You can't even see the trees down the street!! That was how smoky it was!!
I had to get the washing in cos there were more ashes than we saw over the weekends. Had to zip thru it while holding my breath cos the smoke was choking and it was hurting my eyes!
The air's not too bad now... cos the wind's changed directions & for now, the fire-ies have contained the blaze to the Mundaring Reservoir... but the wind could also spark more fires, so they're keeping an eye on that.
News about town, many pre-schools are closed for the day cos they can't do their jobs properly with the smoke... and one pre-school teacher even brought her school kids to the Kalamunda cinema to catch a movie, just so that they can get out of the smoke! The kids must be loving it!! =)
I've decided to change my commenting system to Haloscan cos Blogback has stopped a few of its services. Plus, I wanted to make a few changes to it & I completely forgot my username & password!! ~argh~ And I didn't keep the email they've sent me like 5 or 6 yrs ago when I'd first started using it!!
Anyway, I just wanna post something in reply to Nick's comments...
"Hi Nick,
I found your nick on Frankie's site. I was reading my friend, Eyedeal's site & decided to recce his links. I find your anecdotes of life pretty interesting. So, I've been reading it eversince. I especially like the one about Celine Dion & your French...
I took French for 3 yrs... and since I was in Singapore then, I never got a chance to use it! So, don't speak French to me now, cos I dun remember much... =P
No, stay, Nick... You're welcome to be part of my small group of friends... and I thank you for linking me on your site too... =)"
So, there... It's now up... As Donkey in Shrek says: Let's make waffles!!
Monday, January 17, 2005
There had been a massive bushfire in Perth, Western Australia, since Saturday arvo. It was believed to have been started in Fremantle & have moved to the hills, Pickering Brooks, which is on the other side of the hill behind our place... By Sunday arvo, the fires have moved on to the northern hills. The authorities believed 10 fires were lit by arsonists. By today, people from Armadale were voluntarily moving out of their houses when 2 houses were destroyed as the fires in the hills are proving to creep closer and closer into the residential areas. The skies are still sighting smoke clouds, and even the short thundery rain earlier couldn't ease the smouldering forests.
With the heat increasing on Saturday nite, we had the ducted airconditioning on... However, sometime in the middle of the nite, we had to switch it off & use the fans as the smell of smoke in the house was choking us! A glimpse out of the window showed everything blurry with the presence of smog. The next morning, we woke up to a white interior - everything in the house was covered in ashes that had been sucked in by the ducted AC. Outside, "snow" was sprinkling down... A couple of hours later, even burnt bark were floating down & covering our yards!!
Sometimes I wonder what kind of sick people there are out there!! It's not enough that people are dying in the wars, the tsunamis, the mudslides, they had to ignite the forests deliberately & thus killing animals & people along the way. I pray & hope that the authorities catch these people!! And I can just begin to imagine the duration they are going to spend in jail from the extent of lives & properties sacrificed in their sick hobby!! May God save their souls!
Friday, January 14, 2005
Last nite, Aunty Jan helped me with my resume till late nite... after she'd come back from Preston Beach. She's been helping me perfect it a few times... and I'm really grateful that she's so generous with her time, effort & skills. Thanks Aunty Jan, u've been like a mom to me eversince I've been in Perth and for that, I thank you... ~hugz~
Then, even later that nite, mom called to bring a couple of not-so-good news.
One, her eldest brother's wife (Maklong Khatijah) suffered a severe brain-stem stroke and has been on life support ever since. And just a couple of hours ago, mom sent an email saying they're switching the life support off and we should all pray & hope for the best. Almost everyone in the family was there... and talking about family, we've plenty!! I pray that she'll be able to pull through and live many more years happily with her children & wonderful grandkids.
Two, Uncle Sabri, Bak Nor's best friend who is currently in Singapore visiting his family, is so sick he can't even sit up on the bed without someone helping to prop him up. Mom said to just inform Aunty Jan to call them up & see if Uncle Sabri wants her to fetch cos he'll definitely need a licensed nurse to accompany him up on board the plane. And she's a licensed nurse and she's even willing to fork out $ for the flytix. The Kiyaii was there from Surabaya and it seems the news is not too good, and she strictly said not to tell Bak Nor about it. She'll find a way and the right time to say it nicely to him.
This morning, I was up really early, showered & was all ready by 7.15am!! ~yay~ And Kris said it's the first time in a really long time I've been pretty-pretty that early!! He took time off & drove me to the Leederville campus, even though it means he'll have to work for an extra hour tonite... ~mental note: must cook something nice for him later~
And on the way to the campus, on the radio, models were donating their time at 2 runway functions to help a young girl who suffered a brain condition. Means that they're putting all their pay into her fund.
On another radio channel, more financial help & manpower are helping out the tsunami victims.
I'm overwhelmed... after all the killings on earth, people ARE still generous deep down ~sniff sniff~
Note to Nor: Sorry I couldn't help you with the codes... I was busy helping myself... ~waaaaahhhh... I was selfish... I was trying to finish the resume~ I'm sorry.... But at least you've got it running again... Anyway, I have more ideas for you... eh-oh me online, ok?
Thursday, January 13, 2005
I left my full glass of Coke on the lounge table... and after chatting with a Phillipino Aussie friend in America online, I went back and took like a whole gulp of the Coke... And I suddenly remembered there was a HUGE black fly buzzing around in the house!! I don't think it's at the bottom of the glass cos they usually float when they drown, but just the thought of it in there is yeeeckiee... So there, I've wasted a whole glass (minus a gulp) of Coke...
I'm an insomniac!! That's what I am!! I can't sleep at nite & now I can't sleep in the day too!! Perhaps I shld stop drinking Coke, what with the caffeine & all... Perhaps it's just the nerves of sending my FIRST resume out the start of a new year!!
Yeah, I've finished the 5-page CV and 3-page Selection Criteria and god-knows-how-many-pages of Attachments. Here, they give u several questions as part of their selection criteria & u have to sell yourself to the company as accurately & as nicely as you possibly can. The more experience & the more successful your previous projects were, the higher the chances of you getting a step into the office for an interview. And it's totally a different ballgame when u're in that chair! ~sigh~ Wish me good luck...
Anyway, I was looking on the company's website for the opening hours... And get this, they had none. When I searched for it, it gave me a Christmas Closure Schedule.... and it stated Office Closed Until 31 Jan 2005!! And I'm supposed to get this resume in by tmrw!! What the...?!
Kris was gonna take me today during his lunch hour, but he smsd that he couldn't. When asked yesterday, the Manager didn't allow him to take 2hrs off at the end of the day. Today, the same Manager didn't allow him to take lunch 30mins longer. Kris was gonna rush home & send me to the office OVER LUNCH & rush back to work after. And the sod said NO! It's freegin' 30mins, for goodness' sake!! And Kris is even doing OT tonite!! I'm sooo going to burn the sod's car.... If I only know which one!!
So, Kris is gonna try one last time... He's gonna do that OT tonite like he's asked to... And tmrw, we're going into town early & rush back to work after. Let's see what the sod of a manager says now!!
Monday, January 10, 2005
Finally managed to edit the selection criteria and CV for my job application. Aunty Jan's looking thru it right now, I reckon cos she's gone online as well. I'm hoping there's not much to change cos my eyes are just ready to pop out! Don't u wish that sometimes there's someone to do everything for u? Just sometimes?
Kris came home early from work cos he's got an appointment with the Kalamunda Dentist. The poor thing has been to bed with a splitting headache since he came back from getting his teeth fixed!! And he's gotta be there this Saturday for another appointment.... iiiieeewwww.... And another one dunno when for the final one... eeeeerrrrrrrrr...
I'm gonna sleep soon... Right after I've prepared Kris' lunch for tmrw... Nitez all...
Friday, January 07, 2005
G'morning... ~yawnz~ It's 9.05 in the morning in Kenwick and all is well... ~yawnz yawnz~
Hmmm... you might be wondering why I was up so early today... Well, I woke up more than an hour ago. I was planning to have another sleep in but the phone rang and rang. It was the Avon lady and we talked abit after I told her my order which she said may or may not happen as the brochures have gone way past the campaigns, whatever that means. Anyway, we chatted and chatted, but I was bugged by another call trying to barge in on our creepy crawly conversation.
We tried ignoring it, but it wouldn't let up & the constant monotone was driving us crazy... So, I had to get it - It was my uncle. He wanted to return our fan we brought to the beach house on xmas... ~argh~ I went in my mind... I'm in jammies... he can't see me in this!! Anyway, I convinced him that we'll be there tmrw so that he doesn't have to come all the way here. Come to think of it, I would have been able to shower & get decent by the time he got here... he lives 30mins away for goodness sake... and the way he drives, he'll prolly reach here 1hr later!!
Anyway, I got off a very interesting conversation with Lesley (the Avon lady) just to answer that!! It wasn't something u would talk about half-asleep & barely dressed in the morning!! It was about bugs that we've encountered over the past few days!! ~errrrr~ I can feel the chills on my spine just typing about it!!
Last nite, just before midnite, walking towards the hallway and standing in the dining room, I turned to see if the aircon was put to a timer and a huge hairy grey spider with its legs stretched out caught my eye!! It was under the kitchen counter!! The same kitchen counter I was standing at while preparing Kris' lunch a few seconds before!!! ~argh~
Anyway, after convincing Kris it wasn't just one of my scream-at-every-spider yelp, he came out and gave an OHMYGOD stare at it!! Well, we didn't wanna kill it, but it was really huge and we didn't know if it's the jumping and/or poisonous kind... and it was midnite for goodness sake!!
Usually one whiff of a strong spider spray would have knocked an Aussie 20-cent size spider out... Believe it or not, we had to spray this humongous palm-size creepy crawly 4x with that thing and it still wasn't gonna die!! By now, we were panicking cos it was moving in on Kris very rapidly!! Three knocks from a broom and it finally lay cold. But it didn't go out without a fight... When it saw the broom above its head, it stopped for a second, crouched and moved sideways towards Kris as if to attack him and yet defend itself at the same time... We were not glad to kill it, but quietly we agreed we would be able to sleep better knowing that it's not lurking somewhere in the backyard where it could enter into the house again...
But sleep didn't come easy... as we wondered what else could have snuck in between the crevices while we lay in bed.... ~brrrrrrr~
I shudder to think about it.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
I finally managed to finish Qn1 for my selection criteria... My brains felt squeezed and my eyes are all googly from staring at the screen for too long. I'm so exhausted from doing that one question that I dunno if I can go on... HECK!! I feel drained thinking I still have 4 questions to go!!
brrrrrrbrbrbrrrrrr........... bleeeeeep... *
I'll try finishing Qn2 and will start on Qn3 by tonite... If that's possible... Oh God have mercy on my soul!!
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Woke up usually late again today & tried to start on my resume & summing up the selection criteria... But it wouldn't really be me if I did not at least try to procrastinate... And soon found myself wandering thru the pages scouring for graphics. Many new ones have been uploaded & I'm nearly glad I saw them!! Heheh...
I managed to finish one background design & a full website for a friend... At least I'm not a total procrastinator... managed to finish it in less than an afternoon... hehehhe... I only hope my friend likes it...
Anyway, I've added my dearest friend from back in TP. Everyone, pls welcome Feryl to our group of blogmates. Been awhile since I've met up with him... The last 2 times I went back to Sgp, we weren't able to meet up!! ~boo hoo hoo~ However, I promise that the next time I'm in Sgp, we'll have a coffee or something, ok pal?
Sunday, January 02, 2005
This morning, went to Supercheap Autos to get his gasket-thingy, and Kris got me a Cute Nancy from the new Fancy Nancy air freshener range. It's a dangly cardboard cut-out of a girl with felt skirts and the legs sway with every movement of the car. I may wanna get all the other girls - Dancing Nancy has diamantes on her skirt , Naughty Nancy has a bikini top and a rosette on her skirt and Posh Nancy has a pearl necklace and long purple skirt. My Cute Nancy has a pink t-shirt with a heart and mid-riff showing and a short pouffy pink skirt with a pink rosette on it. I'm leaving it in Kris' dad's red Toyota Tarrago. My Mitsubishi Colt has got a pink fairy already. Dunno wat to put in Kris' Landrover Discovery 4WD.
On the way back, a firetruck was rushing thru the road of Gosnells... and in the same instance, we saw a huge fluff of smoke in the other direction. When we reached Bunnings Maddington, we realised that quite a huge fire have engulfed someone's big yard. The roads were closed off and we had to take a big detour to get to our turnoff. That yard had always looked shabby to me... I mean, even the natural national parks seems looked-after... if u know what I mean! I wouldn't say I'd expected it to burn in the first place... but I truly wasn't surprised it did. ~sigh~
Oh wow!! Saw Alan, my PR projectmate & PR Techniques classmate, online after more than a yr he's been in Sgp. He's my uni mate whom I truly miss & love chatting to. I feel I can be totally myself talking to him... and we talk about EVERYTHING!! And as we were updating each other on our lives, he realised that life was like a box of chocolates, only that he's been getting all the ones with the yucky centres. Oh Alan, now that u've already got all the yucky bits out, at least u know that things could only get better with your favourites waiting for you to take a bite out of them!!
All the best to Alan & everyone for the new year...
