Questions of science, Science and progress, Do not speak as loud as my heart,
Tell me you love me, Come back to haunt me, When I rush to the start

From the moment Matthew sees Lisa, nothing else matters. She walks past the window of the shop where he works in the Wicker Park section of Chicago, and he’s immediately captivated; he follows her, they meet, and soon they fall deeply in love. Everything about their relationship seems perfect--until the day she disappears without a trace. Two years later, Matt has built a new life for himself, but he’s still haunted by her memory and the nagging torment of unanswered questions. Then he catches a quick glimpse of someone he thinks must be her in a bar--but is it? Thus begins a twisting, obsessive search for the woman who captured his heart years ago--and for someone who’s playing with his mind right now. Matthew’s search for the truth will lead him deeper into the mystery, with each discovery more deceiving than the next. Obsession can go both ways, and Matthew discovers it’s possible to love someone too much - WICKER PARK.


Wicker Park is awesome! Yatt mencadangkan movie ini kepadaku, thank you, babe. I love it. The plot is simple, the intensity is as passionate as The Notebook, the cinematography is as novel as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Josh Hartnett, hot hot hot. Teehee. I so love the ending of the movie, firstly the part where Hartnett broke up with his fiancée, Rebecca. [Matthew: I needed you to know. Rebecca: Know what? Know what, Matthew? That I'm not the girl who can break your heart?] The girl who could break his heart. Betapa important wanita kekasih lamanya itu. The only one who could ever break and/or had ever broke his heart. And of course, the part where Diane Kruger and Hartnett finally met again, with Coldplay’s The Scientist as background music. Huwaa intense amat cinta mereka. Coolness!!! Go watch, peeps.

The test of good manners is to be patient with bad ones.
~ The Choice of Pearls

Adlin Aman Ramlie had to apologise for doing the right thing? All he did was menasihati, and I believe his words were straightforward and polite: ”Faizal, saya nasihatkan awak jangan ambil dadah”. (Lebih kurang) begitu sahaja. But he happened to do it in the presence of mamat itu selepas mamat itu appeared with Faizal on stage. Dan being masyarakat Malaysia yang manja-manja tak boleh kena cubit langsung belaka, some people including mamat itu of course, couldn’t handle Adlin’s cynical little remark. Adlin gracefully made a public apology, tapi adakah itu cukup? Tidak. They had to bring the topic again di konsert kemudiannya dan Adlin telah minta maaf sekali lagi secara terbuka. Cukup? Masih tidak. Perlu ada teleconference antara mamat itu dengan Adlin dan kita semua terpaksa mendengar mamat itu membebel kepada Adlin tentang budi bahasa. Talk about irony. Aku respect Adlin. He remained calm and collected. Memang cool. Dan mamat itu, saman malu? Apakah? Adlin did not make a direct or personal comment, walaupun kita semua tahu he was being sarcastic sedikit. Dan, kalau mamat itu senyap-senyap saja, habis kes. Semua orang akan lupa insiden itu, akan tinggal sebagai sekadar passing remark kepada Faizal sahaja. Dan kalau tak puas hati sangat, settle sahajalah man to man. Apalah. Sekarang ni, kalau ada masyarakat Malaysia yang tidak tahu menahu akan sejarah hitam mamat itu, akan telahpun tahu. “Eh kenapa *toot* tu marah sangat Adlin nasihatkan Faizal jangan hisap dadah? Apahal?” “Eh ko tak tahu ke? Si *toot* tu kan dulu macam tu?!” “Oh ye ke??!” Begitulah contohnya. Haha but I like it when Adlin redeemed himself with his comment to Faizal: “Saya harap awak akan jadi icon yang baik untuk Terengganu.” Ngee pedas!!! Teeheee. Wahai masyarakat Malaysiaku, sampai bilalah nak manja macam ni?

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard"
~ From the movie Annie

Legal Aid duty is cool. It is nice to be able to help deserving people, to get away from office once in a while, and (ahem) I get to go home early. All in all, yippee, memang fun. And after 2 sessions, I am beginning to have a positive perspective on this dock brief program. I mean, kesalahan pertama seorang anak yatim yang terbiar yang menggunakan dadah untuk diri sendiri or seorang penjual burger yang mempunyai 4 orang anak yang menggantikan rakan menjual vcd haram untuk upah RM30 sehari – these kind of people deserve some empathy dan hukuman yang lebih ringan. I believe this is why we were taught Jurisprudence. Keadilan itu adalah meletakkan sesuatu di tempatnya. Coolness.

On a non-legal but more emotional note, my man’s transfer order is out; he is transferred to Kuching, Sarawak. Huwaaa. Sedih kan? Kan kan? (Hence the above picture). I am so damn sedih ok. But I believe Allah knows what is best for him, and us. Although aku sangat sedih, I am being positive and trying to think of all the positive things this transfer will bring (ahem) dan segala yang positif bunga-bunga merah kuning biru putih lah. Positive thinking, walaupun hati tak mempercayainya, sometimes works :-)

"A father is always making his baby into a little woman.
And when she is a woman he turns her back again."

Happy Father's Day, Bapak.
I L O V E Y O U

Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside ~ Mark Twain

I’ve been reading my old books lately (due to my current insufficiency in financial department. Ngee). Sejak semalam, I’ve been reading Chocolat by Joanne Harris, one of my personal favourite. I so love the book, I’ve read it so many times and never get tired of it. As the title reflects, the book revolves around the premise of the magic of chocolate.

Which brings me to my intended rambling: Food. I am a fan of food. In fact, most people around me are, although my Ibu is very reserved. Foods are not her thing. She eats, and that’s that. Bapak and Adik on the other hand, are epitomes of food lover. As for Far, my Kindred Spirit, bila dia makan, kita akan rasa nak makan apa yang dia makan. She knows how to appreciate food, that one. My man loves good food. He and I are always in search of good food and good food makes us happy and giddy. Well exhibited, if you can see. Ngee.

As a child, I am easy to be pleased. My happy foods would consist of: roti canai Sentul, sup ayam mamak + roti paun, sate ikan sold by pakcik naik motor depan sekolah agama, cotton candy on ice cream cone belakang sekolah kebangsaan, Ibu’s sambal ikan tongkol dan nasi ayam, chicken chop Dayabumi, Maktok’s kuih seri muka, kek coklat bulat-bulat from TSG’s Monday pasar malam etc. I am sure all of you have your very own childhood favourites kan?

As a young adult, I found delight in makanan dining hall and my occasional makanan outing. Most STFians would agree with me that our favourite makanan dining adalah: ayam masak lemak cili padi with sambal kicap, daging dendeng, nasi ayam on Sundays, nasi minyak with ayam masak merah during our formal dinner every Thursdays, bubur pulut hitam, nasik lemak pagi Isnin, kuih cara pedas etc. Sedap sebenarnya makanan dining hall STF ok. Seriously. Dan makanan outing kegemaranku adalah pastries, cakes, KFC and other fast foods, alaah, benda-benda yang sukar didapati bila berada di dalam kepompong boarding school. Oh, juga pisang goreng cicah with sambal kicap. Siapa boleh lupa?

Perutku kini menyukai pelbagai jenis makanan. Diversified, this perut of mine now is. But one thing is never going to change: I will always love masakan Ibuku. I have used ‘never’ and ‘always’, my 2 forbidden words in this sentence. Maka, ia memang fakta yang amat benar. Sukalah makan. Masyarakat yang tak suka makan bila mampu makan tu, kesian kan?

Politics - I don't know why, but they seem to have a tendency to separate us, to keep us from one another, while nature is always and ever making efforts to bring us together ~ Sean O'Casey

My favourite writer delivered his thought on the much talked-about issue:

BISIK-BISIK AWANG SELAMAT - KITA, orang Melayu, tidak boleh membiarkan episod perbalahan Dr. Mahathir Mohamad dengan Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berterusan. Hari ini, Awang yakin, Dr. Mahathir akan lebih memahami perasaan anggota-anggota Kabinet serta para pemimpin UMNO terhadap kritikan beliau yang berterusan itu. Kalau pun ada yang tidak kena tentulah ada cara lain untuk menangani apa juga yang tidak disenangi itu. Tidak semua perkara wajar dibincangkan secara terbuka walaupun kita semua bebas bersuara. Jangan lupa, orang lain sedang memerhati. Dan jangan lupa, kita juga ada musuh – dalam dan luar. Tentunya kita tidak mahu ada yang bertepuk tangan melihat kita bercakaran. Tentunya kita tidak mahu musuh mengambil kesempatan. Dan tentunya kita tidak mahu berpecah belah. Dr. Mahathir, sebagai seorang yang begitu masak dengan sepak terajang politik, pernah dibuang daripada UMNO dan hampir-hampir kalah pada pemilihan Presiden, tentu lebih tahu akan akibat sesuatu perbuatan itu. Demi kepentingan bangsa, buanglah yang keruh, ambillah yang jernih.

Awang - Ditelan pahit, dibuang sayang.

Oh, wouldn't the world seem dull and flat with nothing whatever to grumble at?

I wanted to sleep longer, but my alarm clock woke me up on time for work. I want to breathe easily, but I am not feeling well and the mucus in my nose seems to like it there, making breathing a complex task. I want a beach house but I am traumatized by my tsunami nightmares. I want to be taller, but I am positive that I am going to be forever this ketot 155 cm, unless by any miraculous God’s grace (My man just found out that he is 183 cm instead of 177 cm. It is either he grew taller or he was wrong all this while). I want to watch AF concert but this week’s concert is scheduled on Sunday afternoon, during which I have to accompany my man to a wedding. I wished for an Ipod but I had settled for an equally good MP3 player. I want to have my dinner at Singgahan Rasa with my man tonight but masakan Ibuku dan Diari AF would be good too. I want a real job that gives me real money and real pleasure, but I am stuck here to complete my chambering for another 4 months (which is actually not bad at all). I wish I could go home now and be a couch potato and watch Oprah, but for now I have to settle for an apple pie and internet browsing and finishing my written submission. I applied for WAO or AWAM as my Legal Aid duty but I was assigned to Dock Brief program, the job designation of which is against my sentiment. I wish I could sing but I decided long ago that I am thankful enough that I don’t have an irritating voice. I want my own baby, but that would have to wait.

My wish list is not exhaustive. My point is, I want, wanted, will want, so many things. But sometimes, wishes don’t come true. Because Allah knows what’s best for me. Kadang-kadang kita lupa. It may be that I dislike a thing which is good for me and that I like a thing which is bad for me. Allah knows but I do not know (2:216). Anyways, a girl can dream, can’t she? Ngee.

Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves

Suatu hujung minggu filled with: calming sea breeze, surprisingly pretty beach, good foods, beach side BBQ party, gossips and laughters and sharing of stories and dvd watching, and (most importantly), amazingly fun girlfriends whom you who have been friends with, all your adult life (there were 20++ of us), an old buddy's wedding reception, (and later) spending some quality dinner time with your sweetheart - Could this combination ever go wrong? No, bukan sahaja it did not go wrong, it was so, so much fun lah. This is in spite of me being kurang sihat all along and worse, kekurangan suara. Anyways, I love this hujung minggu of mine :-) I miss the calming sensation the weekend getaway provided me. I miss their easy laughters and smiling faces (kami menyengih almost all the time actually). I miss feeling completely comfortable and happy with these people. My STF959 girls. Time changes people. But this is the beauty of a great friendship: People can grow separately without growing apart. Sayanglah kat korang. Boleh?

I love you like a fat kid loves cake

I need you like a diabetic needs insulin

I haven't told you about my wonderful weekends, have I? So many stuffs happened since my biru episode. Ngee. 28/5: The girls and I celebrated Naem's birthday in the park (Happy belated birthday, hun). Had a good time doing nothing but talking and eating and laughing. Slept over at old home in Section 7 with my ex roomies. The next day, 29/5: convocation day. My second convocation actually. It was fun nevertheless - reunited with old friends, graced my first meeting with Mr.D's family, met Mr.D's new car, which I nicknamed Tuah. Sukanya hati saya. Saya suka mereka semua dalam hidup saya itu. Amat sangat.

Some frozen memories from Naem's 24th birthday party: The cake - The gal - Me and the girl I love wholeheartedly, Far - The girls enjoying pizza, which btw were sponsored by Mazia and Elin, our Puan DPPs. Teehee - Me and the celebrated gal, Naem -

LLB (Hons) Convocation 2006: Me while waiting for the roomies - The girls & I waiting to take our gang studio picture - Far & I - Ana & I in the hall - With my beloved parents in gold - Yeay graduated me (again) -

I would like to sum up my last weekends with an excerpt from a book I am currently reading, the one which is simply entitled Love ETC written by Julian Barnes, which I bought for only RM5, the one labeled as Fiction/Literature, the one I find myself really liking: "But with friendship, it's not so simple, is it? You meet someone, you like them, you do things together - and you're friends. But you don't have a ceremony saying you are, and you don't have a target. And sometimes you're only friends because you have friends in common. And there are friends you don't see for a while who you pick up with straight away, right where you left off; and others where you have to start all over again. And there's no divorce. I mean, you can quarrel, but that's another thing."

Lompat si katak lompat, Lompatlah tinggi-tinggi

If it is lipas, you could spray it to death. If they are lalat, spray works tremendously as well. So is the case with semut or kerengga or other bugs. If it is tikus, the answer would be jerat or penaburan racun tikus. Kalau cicak, boleh lastik saja seperti yang my arwah Tok Wan used to do. But with katak, what could you do? Especially when you and your mother are both awfully squeamish of slimey creatures. Especially when there are two of them and are very green dan melompat2 macam kanak-kanak diberi makan sugar after pukul 5; read: hyperactive. Ibu and I did not know what to do. One is in Adik's toilet and the other in my parents'. We called Mr.Samy (our neighbourhood gardener) because Bapak and Adik both were not at home but Mr.Samy already switched off his phone at 10 p.m. So Ibu dengan penuh mengamuknya spray katak di biliknya itu sehingga hampir habis seluruh botol spray yang baru itu. Tetapi katak itu tetap berdiri teguh dan aktif. Ibu sehingga tidak dapat tidur dengan lena semalam kerana toiletnya di dalam biliknya dan Ibu bimbang katak melompat ke arahnya. Aku pula amat demam (tidak relevan). Tetapi pagi ini salah satu katak itu didapati telah meninggalkan dunia yang fana ini. Mungkin dia telah akhirnya diracuni spray itu. Innalillah.