Keep some souvenirs of your past,
or how will you ever prove it wasn't all a dream?

[Cerita yang mempunyai ilustrasi.
Atau gambar yang mempunyai cerita. ]

Ini adalah timbunan files di atas meja aku. Picture was taken ketika kerjaku baru menyusut, tapi baru kejap ia susut, ia telah bertambah lebih banyak dari yang telah berjaya disusutkan. Itu baru yang atas meja (iaitu yang self-marked as URGENT), belum lagi yang tidak terkejar di atas lantai, di 2 almari penuh dan yang berada pada clerk. Tidak, I am not complaining, cuma mengadu. Ngeh ngeh.


Ini adalah 3 dara pingitan yang memanggil sesama sendiri Mi Amor: Ams, Sus dan Kanos, looking happy and senang hati kerana gendang-gendut, kenyang perut, iaitu selepas CMLT’s monthly event of makan-makan di mana menunya ialah nasi briyani yang pergh, sungguh enak.

Pagi ini aku dan Su ke Putrajaya untuk menjadi observer atau dalam bahasa comelnya, Pom Pom Girls untuk Bos kami di Federal Court. Selepas Bos telah menang dan selepas menyaksikan 2 other cases yang dibarisi hakim dan peguam hebat dan terkenal, Su and I went running here and there for a little bit of photography session. Mixing business with a little pleasure. Ngee.

Gambar Kiri adalah gambar di muka pintu all toilets in Putrajaya, which I found very interesting. Ayu dan kelihatan feminine sekali. Maka, Su and I terpaksa tilted our leg setiap kali mahu masuk ke toilet supaya kelihatan agak serupa dengan gadis di muka pintu ini.

Gambar Kanan ialah Kimi yang khusyuk makan KFC di mana dia telah gendang-gendut, kenyang perut selepas dibelanja kami di hari terakhirnya di HSK, kerana dia ingin bercuti awal to perfect his majlis kahwin, walaupun dia adalah sebenarnya pengantin lama. Au revoir and all the best, Kimi!

Sekian dahulu. Hope you are having a more colourful week, peeps. I dedicate to all of you my current fav song, James Morrisson’s You Give Me Something, dengan ucapan, semoga kalian yang mendengar lagu yang berelemen blues dan a la lentok ceria-ceria ini merasa bahagia.

I remember the moment being struck down by lightning
since the first time I saw your face

Oh God I felt so ilmiah yesterday having attended a seminar on a lazy Saturday. It was an international muzakarah on islamic financing, yang sangat relevan dan penting buatku since most of my assigned portfolios at HSK adalah berkenaan islamic banking. But having to wake up early dan malah telah stayed hingga tengahari (walaupun tidak sampai ke petang) amat mengkagumkan diriku sendiri. Thank God the foods were so good and the muzakarah was okay. Sebenarnya compulsary on all HSK lawyers, tapi hanya 7 of us were there, which aku sangat memahami, kerana jika aku ada suami/isteri dan/atau anak-anak, or anything better to do seperti ke majlis perkahwinan sahabat-handai, aku juga akan tidak ke situ. Tapi aku budak baru, dan I had nothing better to do other than tidur dan bermalas-malasan. Dahlah, panjang pulak.


To a more important topic: I have been having weird nightmares. Tentang kegeringan ayahandaku. Kemudian pula mengenai Malaysia yang mengalami peperangan maka memaksa rakyat menjadi refugees di negara asing. Juga tentang bayi kepada jiranku di neighbourhood lamaku di Seri Gombak yang ditembak sedas di dahi di depan mataku.

Strangely, aku tidak merasa gentar bila terjaga dari setiap mimpi ini. Kerana (1) Selalunya ia berlaku kerana aku tertidur tanpa solat Isya' lantas aku terjaga untuk solat. (2) Apa yang kurasakan selepas those nightmares was cinta yang sarat dalam jiwa: (a) Betapa kasih pada bapaku dan sengsara jika tiadanya dia; (b) Sepanjang aku menjadi refugee itu, aku rupanya telah menjadi isteri kepada Sweetheart yang menjagaku dengan sepenuh raga; (c) Bayi jiran itu ialah bayi rakan lamaku, Wong See (yang bukan jiran tapi rakan sekolah rendah dan rakan sebas sekolah), maka tiba-tiba rasa rindu pada rakan-rakan lama yang mostly sudah tidakku tahu apa ceritanya.

Sudahlah. Mahu tonton Apprentice Finale. Have a good Monday tomorrow!

Marriage halves our griefs, doubles our joys,
and quadruples our expenses.

My childhood best friend, Malinda is engaged and is getting married on December the 24th. Best friend sekolah menengah-present, Ayin is already engaged. Best friend universiti-present, Far is going to be engaged this pertengahan December.


Should I switch on my paranoid mode maka seterusnya menjadi sedikit tension dan pressure?

Atau should I remain positive maka menjadi yakin dan berdoa bahawa akan tiba masanya untukku jua, insyaAllah, lantas meneruskan dengan kerja-kerja yang sentiasa flowing dan semakin membanyak?

I chose the latter. For the time being.

Love lifts us up where we belong

Third day at work. Amat banyak kerja, but fun. Bilik dah bersih dan wangi selepas dibersihkan dengan bantuan kakak-kakak clerks, selepas kotak-kotak diangkat dengan bantuan kawan-kawan chambering dan terutamanya, selepas mendapatkan wangian Rose dari Sawade yang heavenly sweet harumnya yang diusulkan Kano.

Kaum perompak have redeemed their name. Selepas kejadian percubaan menjala cheque deposit machine, I am sure mereka malu besar. But after Public Bank tragedy and yesterday, another strategic robbery, a la Hollywood script, mereka kini kembali hebat! Memang mengkagumkan. Tapi ingatlah wahai insan, kalau tak terbalas di dunia, akhirat sana menantimu.

Esok makan free; ada long call reception for our sweetie Adrin, and Yazid who is MIA. Which reminds me, Kano & I have work to do after 6 today, i.e. hadiah hunting at Maju Junction for Adrin while the guys will go hunting at Sogo for Yazid. Dan sahabatku yang dikasihi, Mardiah Hayati will be called to the Bar tomorrow. Congratulations, dear!!!

I am so loving The Wedding. 8TV, 7 malam. Tapi aku selalu dapat tengok separuh sahaja. Itupun kerana I’ve been driving these few days, kalau tak, pasti tak dapat tonton langsung. Jang Nara is as cute as ever, and the hero, alahai, tersangatlah comel.

I like driving to work. Sukanya, sukanya, sukanya!

A special shout out to my Kindred Spirit: You can do it, bebeh! Hari demi hari, it will only get better. Aku percaya!! Chayo chayo!

Oh, once upon a time ago, Ayin sms-ed me asking: “Jika cinta itu sifatnya membahagiakan, mengapa rindu itu sangat menyakitkan?” Tidak terbalas kerana ketiadaan kredit ketika itu. Jawapanku: Aku percaya, ianya kerana tanpa TIADA, ADA kurang bermakna. Contohnya Paris Hilton yang selalu ada duit, duit tu amatlah kurang bermakna. Tentu, berguna dan menyeronokkan, tapi kuranglah maknanya. As compared to me, jika tiba-tiba ada duit yang lebih dari keperluan, alangkah bahagianya perasaan, alangkah bermaknanya duit itu. Relevan ke eh? Anyway, apa kata anda?

Till then, enjoy the rest of the working days and take care, people!

There is no finish line

Syukur alhamdulillah. Yours truly is now an
ADVOCATE AND SOLICITOR
OF THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA

Indah sungguh hari ini. Everything went perfectly well. Walaupun ada beberapa jerawat yang timbul, menghadapi masalah chest pain yang melampau dan terasa seperti telah sedikit membesar selepas bercuti panjang, none of that prevented me from having a good day. This is why:

(1) The long call speech prepared by my Mover was penuh bermadah and very sweet yet funny.

(2) My Master came and robed me. Few other friends came as well, including Aniz. Terima kasih, rakan-rakan!

(3) The reception at HSK was fun dan makanan berlauk kampung sangat sedap. The best part ialah bukan sahaja partners dan lawyers yang hadir seperti lazimnya, malah seluruh kaum keluarga Civil & Muamalat Litigation Department (where I chambered in) hadir.

(4) The gift given by my colleagues was very, very unthinkably sweet (See picture), ilham Kano dan Su. Terima kasih, rakan-rakan!

(5) My Master complimented me at the reception at HSK and to my parents, many, many times, memberiku semangat untuk bekerja lebih baik (konon).

(6) My parents memberikanku hadiah-hadiah kejayaan. Ngeh ngeh.

But the best part was of course sharing this happy day with Ibu and Bapak (and Little Bro juga), without whom, nothing is possible. (Sweetheart, I so wish you were there).

Thank you Allah.

Left: Yours truly with beloved Ibu.
Right: Yours truly with her Master and Mover.



Left: Yours truly, mempoyokan diri in robe.
Right: With beloved Bapak.



Left: My Master presenting the gift from my colleagues, during the reception at HSK.
Right: The gift! Sweet tak?!!! Full of memories!

P/S: For clearer picture, click to enlarge :-)

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going

Congratulations to all my friends who have been admitted to the Bar; Aniz, Yatt, Ana, Bart, Zul (to name a few). I am proud of you guys and I believe all of you will make good lawyers!

I am next tomorrow. I want to thank Aniz for the checklist on her blog. What I’ve done in preparation for my long call: (1) I’ve met my Mover, (2) Went for long call briefing at KL Bar, (3) Borrowed robe and bip from Mazia, (4) Prepared my script and given it to my Mover, who by the way wanted to amend it mengikut perasaannya tentang diriku selepas bertemu, (5) Prepared the long call Order, (6) Bought myself new tahi cicak clothes, and (7) Bought my Master a gift. I hope everything will go well tomorrow.

I will resume work at HSK on Monday the 20th. Stuffs I will miss most mengenai pengangguranku are:

(1) Staying up and waking up late.
(2) Watching Oprah both at 9 and 1.
(3) Bawang Putih Bawang Merah (despite kebodohan dan kelembapannya).
(4) Impian Ilyana! (I so like this 15 minutes show!)
(5) Lunch with Ibu.
(6) Being a couch potato cum tv addict (too fun lah).
(7) Penggunaan minda yang terhad untuk perkara menyeronokkan.
(8) Hari-hari tanpa kebencian terhadap komuter.

And I've got an SPA interview for Pegawai Undang-Undang on the 24th. Should I or should I not go?

A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart

Oprah was quoted to say this about her friendship with Gayle King: "I understand why people think we're gay. There isn't a definition in our culture for this kind of bond between women. So I get why people have to label it - how can you be this close without it being sexual?"

Dear Miss Oprah,
Far and I have a definition for this kind of bond. In our (and Anne's--of Green Gable) culture, we call it KINDRED SPIRIT.

Music is an outburst of the soul

Songs I am currently IN LOVE with:

You Give Me Something by James Morrison [Soothing]

All Over Again by Ronan Keating and Kate Rusby [Super soothing]

Again and again by Jewel [Sungguh gembira aku bila gadis ini telah kembali kepada her true element dan meninggalkan dunia pop a la Britney yang sungguh cheesy walaupun fun]

Bila Harus Memilih by Siti Nurhaliza

Me & U by Cassie [Lagu comel. Budak comel]

Show Stopper by Danity Kane [Mungkin juga kerana aku mengikuti mereka dari awal; I think they are adorable and the tune is sangatlah catchy dan sing-along]

Be Without You by Mary J Blige [Sultry & powerful!]

My Love by Justin Timberlake [Aku sebenarnya suka video clipnya. How can seorang manusia dance like that!? Insanelah!]

Call Me When You're Sober by Evanescence [Dicipta untuk her beau yang masuk rehab. Memang cool. Dan suara Amy Lee haunting as always]

Karena Wanita (Ingin Dimengerti) by ADA Band [Some guys do get me!]

Tak Tahu Antara Dua by Adam & Farah [Ok kill me! I like this stupid, catchy song]

I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! At The Disco [Comellah! Suara yang deep. Video clip yang cool. Lagu yang gila. Comel!]

I Don't Need A Man by Pussy Cat Dolls ["I don't need a ring around my finger to make me feel complete." Yes, I don't need, but I WANT. Heh]

Come To Me by P Diddy Feat Nicole Scherzinger [Comel]

Berdua Lebih Baik by Acha Septriasa [Movie hampeh. OST hebat]

Call on Me by Janet Jackson Feat Nelly [Ala-ala sweet je makcik ni]



Songs people seem to love tapi aku MENYAMPAH:

Nafas Cahaya by Misha Omar [Need I say more?]

Cepat Cepat by Jaclyn Victor [For no apparent reason]

Jangan Cepat Marah by Aznil Nawawi [For apparent reason]

Wajah Rahsia Hati by Urban Method/Ogy [Perosak lagu asal ialah penyanyi asal? Apakah?)

London Bridge by Fergie [Menyampahlah]

Telinga Ke Tulang by Spider [Memekik lagi kuat boleh?]

Unfaithful by Rihanna

Something About You by Jamelia [Sebab aku tak suka video clip dia. Mungkin aku tak suka dia juga]



Itu sahajalah setakat ini, adik-adik dan kawan-kawan. Selamat malam! Oh sebelum itu, saya ingin memberitahu kalian yang belum tahu, sebagai peminat Take That, saya malu kerana saya baru mengetahui yang mereka reunited for a new album dan pada malam ini saya telah mendengar single terbaru mereka iaitu Patience yang tidak sedap langsung. Busuk. Selamat malam sekali lagi!

Swearing was invented as a compromise
between running away and fighting

Mari kita main-main buat-buat definition sendiri jom!

Irony is: On the day I formally confirmed my acceptance to be retained at HSK, I got an irresistible offer from a law firm in Shah Alam. And according to Alanis, “It’s like a free ride when you’ve already paid”.

Loud is: Ibu’s friends when they came over our house today for makan-makan raya. A fun lot, they are.

Smartness is: Magicians. I am still hooked on them.

Refreshing is: Ramlee Awang Murshid’s latest novel, Bagaikan Puteri. A must read.

Relieved is: How I felt today after finally telling my parents that _______ and his _______ are coming for _______ on _______.

Friendship is: Definitely not what Kyra and Nadia have (read: Dua Hati at TV3). Selepas tamatnya rancangan itu semalam, I immediately received an sms from Far saying “Aku bersyukur ada sahabat sejati”. The feeling is mutual, babe.

Balakness is: Dr.McDreamy, Laksamana Sunan (read: Bagaikan Puteri), Zed Zaidi as Paksu Rafique and err, Sweetheart (:-P)

Excitement is: The way I feel about me being called to the Bar on this 17th. Alhamdulillah.

Anxious is: What will be happening to me on the 20th, the day I will start a new chapter at HSK. May Allah be with me.

Pitiful is: My Maybank account. Huhuhu.

Weird is: Someone telling me, “Auntie guna deodorant Yanti sikit lepas mandi tadi.” Weird why, you ask? People do not share stuff like deodorant lah, Auntie. Begitu juga berus gigi, shaver, towel. Ok, towel itu mungkin saya sahaja. Perkara-perkara sedemikian hanya boleh (dan pernah) berkongsi dengan Far sahaja. Terutamanya sekiranya Auntie hanyalah kawan kepada Ibu saya, yang saya hanya jumpa lebih kurang 3-4 kali setahun. Maka terkedu saya sambil tersenyum terkulat-kulat.

Obscene is: According to one of Ibu’s friends, Siti Nurhaliza’s latest song which she wrote for her beau, the one with “Peluklah aku, Sayangilah aku” lyrics. Obscene kah? Why?!

Tacky is: Shah Rukh Khan as Don in Don. Tapi kan, percayalah, Don is a refreshingly good Bolly movie. Ya, aku tengok Don.

Adorable is: Nora Danish in Puteri.

The secret impresses no one. The trick is everything.

I am impressed though. After watching The Prestige and Secrets of Street Magicians Revealed, I am now of the opinion that magicians are (among) the smartest people on planet earth. Semasa aku menonton the latter show, aku telah menjerit-jerit kerana kekaguman akan kebijaksanaan di sebalik the so-called magic shows. Mereka illusionists; bukan pengamal ilmu syaitan, atau ahli sains. Mereka sekadar menyilapkan mata kita, manusia-manusia yang mahu disilapkan mata. And if all magicians are super damn hot and very, very amusing like ‘Batman’ Christian Bale and ‘Wolverine’ Hugh Jackman, the lots of Ryan Star, Robbie Williams, Rob Thomas or even (the undefeatable) Mawi can kiss goodbye to limelight kerana umum akan mengunjungi pertunjukan silap mata instead of rock shows. Terima kasih. Akhir kata, “Abracadabra”.

Cuba pakai kanta cinta dunia akan nampak indah
Warna suram macam muram bagai ditirai pelangi

Pernahkah kalian merasakan cinta dan kasih yang melimpah-ruah di dalam hati, sehinggakan tidak terbendung, lalu hanya air mata yang dapat terzahir? Semoga kalian semua pernah dan akan terus dapat merasakan perasaan yang sebegini.

Towards a better heart: A recipe

300 g of Sweetheart
200 g of Kindred Spirit
200 g of good, old mates
300 g of cincin-hunting with Kindred Spirit
100 g of cincin-hunting with Sweetheart

400 g of girl talks

200 g of gossipings
10 g of The Prestige
40 g of melalak & melantak di Red Box

50 g of bergaduh
3 t/s of cruising

3 t/s of sarcasm

4 t/s of muka masam
2 t/s of old home, sweet old home
500 g of good foods (Singgahan Rasa S.13 Shah Alam, Victoria Station, Hakim & Khulafa S.7 Shah Alam, Red Box, Cili Merah S.9 Shah Alam, The Scene PKNS Shah Alam, Asmah's open house di Gombak, Arena's western foods di OU, Secret Recipe, Bao, Wan Telur Berlada Bukit Kuda & kopitiams)

and

A handful of the much-missed-Shah Alam bumi bertuah.