7% GST..

When I heard the news that the government (the one that 66.6% had voted for in May) wanted to raise the GST to 7%, my initial reaction was I.simply.couldn't.believe.it.

Speechless..

Then after the cloud of disbelief had lifted, my blood started to boil.. I can feel steam coming out of my ears.. Smoke came out of my nose as I huffed and puffed in anger.

So I surfed the Net to get more info.

Reason for the hike? According to PM Lee, "Hike was necessary to finance the enhanced social safety nets, needed to help the lower income group and he emphasised that the offset package would more than counter the rise in GST."
What lah all this bullcrap~! A peasant like me knows that the GST increase is only going to hurt the poor instead of helping them. Unless they are not going to tax on necessity items like groceries, textbooks.. then perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. Tax only the luxury items so that it will hurt the rich's deep pockets. And what offset package is he talking about? Issit like previously when they issue ERS to us to soften the blow of the GST increase? Hah! Kelakar siak!

Here's another one from PM Lee, "I'm not going to tax 15% on income tax, I'm not going to tax 25% from GST the way the Scandanavians do, but I have to make the adjustments of 2% which I think is fair and I think Singaporeans will support."

Why are you NOT going to tax 15% on income tax? Income tax is exactly where you should raise because like Robin Hood, you will be stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Or is it because you YOURSELF are not willing to contribute to the poor since you YOURSELF are among the top of the pile with your million-dollar paycheck??!! And STOP COMPARING SINGAPORE TO OTHER COUNTRIES!! Each country is unique. I heard somewhere that the GST is higher in OTHER COUNTRIES because they HAVE WELLFARE system to help the poor.

Sigh.. How? I am tired. More and more things are being revealed, hinting at me that my government just don't love me anymore. I love Singapore, it's just that I loathe the government that governs it.

I feel like I want to quit being a Singaporean. Tender my resignation. I thought I wanted to blog about this Malay teacher that I had in Secondary school, instead, I rant and rave about my incompetent government. Blah~

19% of paedophiles have images of children 3 years or younger..

Shocked? Wished that you can do something about it?

"Children sexually abused on Internet pornography sites cannot speak for themselves.

But you can.

With your help, we can eradicate this evil trade.

We DO NOT need your money.

We need you to light a candle of support.

We are aiming to light at least ONE MILLION CANDLES by December 31, 2006.

This petition will be used to encourage governments, politicians, financial institutions, payment organisations, Internet service providers, technology companies and law enforcement agencies to eradicate the commercial viability of online child pornography.

They have the power to work together. You have the power to get them to take action.

Together, we can destroy the commercial viability of Internet child pornography sites that are destroying the lives of innocent children. "

http://www.lightamillioncandles.com/

Up to 20,000 children appears in pornographic images online everyday!!

There's a sick & perverted group of people preying on these innocent kids. A HUGE group. The scariest thing is that they don't look like your average criminal with tattoos.. They look normal. They live a normal life but have hideous online hobby.

So go on.. Go light that candle.. They still need 100,000 ++ more candles.

Kindly forward this to your friends, relatives and work colleagues so that they can light a candle too.

Just some random stuffs...

- Latest addition to the family

Muhammad Aiman.
Born on 17/10/06 at 2248 in KKH.

I was drowning in a green pool of envy when I saw him.. Hahaha..
Look at this precious bundle of joy.. Please ignore my hideous double-layered eyebags (got such thing?), it's a Ramadhan special.. Hur hur~

Feast your eyes with more of this little dude here
He was fiercely protected by his sisters. I tried to sneak him into my large handbag but was viciously attacked by Nabila.. Gosh! That girl sure know how to pinch.. LOL~~
But I still adore Huda (girl in green tudung).. Look at her.. Geram kan? Heehee..

- “Straits Times keeps No 1 spot, drawing 1.35m readers.”

Oh yeah? And you are competing for the top spot with... ??? Berita Harian? Tamil Murasu? Lianhe Zaobao?

Duh~

That's why I no longer read the local paper anymore. What were they thinking?
Hallo~ I not stupid.. you know!

- ROAD HOGGERS!

2 words for you.. &^%$ OFF!

They didn't even let an ambulance (the lights on the roof was flashing) through. You know what? One fine day, you'll be lying, dying in an ambulance with all the lights flashing and the siren blasting loudly.. and then no one.. ABSOLUTELY no one.. will give way to you..

What goes around, comes around..

Nah.. I am not cursing anyone. Just stating the fact.

- My thoughts on Singapore government

Any of you ever played Simcity before? I have. For those of you who don't know, this game allows you to create your own city. You are in-charge of EVERYTHING! From laying down the water pipes to setting sections of the city for agricultural, commercial and residential. You can build schools, fire departments, police stations and place them according to the needs of your people. It's FUN for a control freak like me. Heh.

In the beginning, I started with a small farming community. With the little money that I have, I started my city slowly. I cared and listened to every little complain that my people have and worked hard to garner their supports. Too much criminal activity in your neighbourhood? Not a problem, I'll try my best to build a police station there, Mam!
This caring little city managed to entice more people to move into the city, which in turn, brought in more money. I gained more and more money as the years goes by. My city was famous! It's growing so well and more importantly, I am RICH! But not rich enough!

Then, I decided that I needed to expand my horizon. Needed more $$ for it, but I don't want to kacau my own pocket! Duh!? So how?

Hah!

I started to squeeze even more $$ from my people.

How else?

From raising tax of course! Road tax lah.. ERP lah (ooops.. Wrong City!).. and a personal favorite --> Transport Hike! Of course they complained.. I'll just turn a deaf ear. Or I pretended to listen and take down their concerns.. BUT I NEVER ACTED ON IT! ** evil laugh ** or give lame excuses justifying my evil deeds..

My population started to dwindle a bit but still, there are loyal supporters who stayed. Those who left are Quitters! I have no use for them. Muahahahaha..

Then, the next big thing was to build a BIG A$$ Casino. I've done my calculations and it shows that my earnings will be doubled as time goes by. So many of my citizens actually protested. I just rolled my eyes and clicked 'Yes'. Crime rate goes up due to the negative aura that the casino has brought in. I couldn't care less. What matters to me was the sweet sound of 'kaching' 'kaching' as the dough starts rolling in.

So.. these are my thoughts. I even named my City - Temasek. I've been dying to share it in my blog but never really find the time. Hehehe..

** Ermm. Provocative post.. I know.. If I go MIA, you know why ah..

- Maiden Voyage (1st time lah)

1st time celebrating as someone's wife. Didn't really see what's the big deal was.. ;p~ It's just different because my parents were not there and was replaced by his parents. Am I sad that I didn't get to celebrate with my parents? Not really, because I know they are just a phone call away and it's not as if I am not going to visit them later..
The only part that was memorable to me was in the morning. After hubby and I were dressed and ready, we salam, asked for forgiveness from each other.. a quick hug and a peck on the cheek.. and that's it! Perhaps we are still new..
But I just felt that it's really redundant, because we do that every morning without fail and sometimes before going to sleep. Outside, his family was waiting. I proceeded to salam and ask for forgiveness from his parents and siblings.

- Am I or am I not?

The last time I checked, I am not pregnant.... yet. It's no biggie..

Really..

I am not just saying this because I want to appear cool and uncaring.. I am just being realistic. Relax lah, I just got married 8 months ago. Azmi kata his commando belom keluar lagik..

Hehehe..

And what's with my mom saying that my womb is out of place (don't ask me, I have no idea that it can move about).
Once we move to a new house (moving to our dream house soon..) and when all the dust has settled.. and if my tummy is still flat (HAHAHA! Yeah right~!).. then we WILL do something about it.
And then, even if 1 of us has fertility problem (Read: Sterile), so? It's not the end of the world lah dey.. Maybe we can be those cool childless couple who travel the world together.. hand in hand, with a Lonely Planet travel guide on the other.. Or maybe, just maybe, we can adopt a few babies (you have no idea how many babies are abandoned/unwanted) and bring them up as our own. Muhrim issues? No problem. We'll work around it. When there's a will, there's a way.. ;p~

Or I can lavish all my attention on my adorable nieces & nephews..

MIL asked me the other day if I was on birth control pills. I told her the truth. I think her relatives have started asking and she's probably worried.
We are not using any contraceptives method at the moment. Well... There are days when I wish I was on it when I came across unruly teenagers or really really naughty toddlers. Bleah~ Babies are all cute and cuddly.. Just you wait.. a few more years and then the next thing you know they'll start going through puberty and have the impression that the world revolves around them.. Hahaha..

Yeah.. I told MIL the truth. Told her how uncomfortable it is when people keep asking me about it. Told her that I felt pressurised. She understands. She knows that some people can be so blunt when asking these questions and unknowingly hurt our feelings. Well, what do you know? They've stopped asking altogether and I highly suspected that my dear MIL has a hand in this. Hur hur hur~

- Bz bz bz..

I've been buzzing around in the office. There are days when I wish I can just sms 'Hi Sam, I am not coming in to work this morning. Or tomorrow either. In fact, I QUIT!' and then just curl up in bed and Zzzz...
I've been busy at home with my new home business.. Too busy to give my blog the regular updates it sorely needed. Sigh..

A quickie~

Here's a quick update..

Ayah is now able to walk without using the cane. Syukur Alhamdulillah~ I can also see that he is putting on a bit of weight as well as his voice is a tad more audible now..

See? I told you that Ayah's health will improve once he get out of that dreaded and lonely isolation ward. Now we are just waiting for the next appointment so that Mak can highlight the hearing problem to the doctors.

A quick 'HI' to Fauzi as well~
Thanks for the testimonials in Friendster..

Ok~ Back to work~~~ ;p

Have a blessed Ramadan..

Alhamdulillah syukur~

Ayah had been discharged from the hospital last Friday (22/09/06) and is doing quite well at home under Mak's care. He's just a bit hot-tempered lately due to the fact that he is still having difficulty talking (due to the trachy) and also because he is hard of hearing now. His left ear was badly damaged (he removed a huge blood-clot in his ear all by himself by using a cotton bud~ Yuck~!) and we have to whisper loudly (Yeah I know, it's an oxymoron) to his right ear so that he can hear what we are talking about. Nevertheless, I am still grateful to Allah for his speedy recovery and he was able to return home before Ramadan approaches.
Ayah's b'day was on 21/09/06 but we celebrated on the 23/09/06. Me & hubby bought lots of cheng tng (Ayah's favourite dessert) and a blue baju melayu. Abang Ngah bought cakes and soup tulang (Sigh.. Sesungguhnya aku berpuasa hari ini~ Heehee) while Along contributed soft beancurd for our small party. Mak pulak masak Mee Sua.. Mmm yummy~~
* Note to oneself, must stop blogging about food during Ramadan *

As for the business that we've just started, initially, there was a lot of bad-vibes and negativity. Biasa lah.. Bila orang melayu nak bukak bisnes, ada jer yang menyebok dan suka memburuk2kan kaum mereka sendiri. But among all these flaks that we've received, we are very glad for the support given by our good friends, families and relatives. Hehehehe.. Thanks a lot you guys~

Ramadan is finally here. It's definitely different now from before I was married. Previously, I don't have to wake up earlier to prepare the food because everything was already laid out on the table when I wake up for Sahur. That is if I even bothered to wake up at all! Hahaha..

Now? Although it wasn't expected of me to help MIL in the kitchen (I am blessed with such a lovely MIL), but I still forced my butt out of the bed at 4am to help her. With me being half awake, I can only handle preparing the drinks (last night, the Milo was a bit diluted and this morning the tea was too sweet *chuckles*) while MIL was buzzing about in the kitchen, warming last night's meal. Me so useless, kan? Bleah~

Last Friday, while we were enjoying our meal at Kallang, I found a disturbing show on TV. So sad.. They marred Ramadan by having a concert at Kampong Glam. With women singing and dancing, I can only shake my head and let out a sigh. Even if it's just the opening of a new bazaar in Kampong Glam, why can't they show a more respectable concert? Wouldn't it be more berkat to show nasyid? Or Syarahan? Or invite our local Hafiz for Quran recital?

Ok lah.. That's all I can blog about today..

PS: Lagi sikit nak batal puasa this morning. A &^%@ Lexus driver almost caused us to collide onto another car just because he can't make up his mind whether he wants to enter the CTE or not. Arrghh.. Macam nak kena maki! Hubby floored the brake just in time and I can feel the ABS kicked in. Sigh.. Sabar Ayu sabar.. Sesungguhnya kau puasa hari ini..

See what's been keeping me bz lately..

Dear beloved readers..

I know I have been ignoring my blog for so long. Heh.. Me busy lah dgn projek..

Nak tahu projek aper?

BeliApa? Dot Com

Jemputlah masok! Jangan malu, jangan segan..

If you have anything to sell, let us know.. We can help you to sell your products more effectively!

Terima kasih~ Thank you~ Arigato~ Gracias~ Merci Beaucoup~ (etc.. etc.. etc.. you get the drift.. ;p~)

"Real Man's Barbecue"

Let's take a break and chill with this joke.. ** munching Kit Kat **

Enjoy~~

"Real Man's Barbecue"
When a man volunteers to do such cooking, the following chain of events is put into motion.

(1) The woman goes to the store.
(2) The woman fixes the salad, vegetables, and dessert.
(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils, and takes it to the man, who is lounging beside the grill, drinking a beer.
(4) The man places the meat on the grill.
(5) The woman goes inside to set the table and check the vegetables.
(6) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning.
(7) The man takes the meat off the grill and hands it to thewoman.
(8) The woman prepares the plates and brings them to the table.
(9) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.
(10) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed "her night off."

And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.

Alhamdulillah..

At 9.59am this morning, I received this sms from Abg Ngah..

"Dr cakap Ayah makin pulih. Alhamdulillah. Tapi masih perlukan oxygen. Dah boleh bedah masukan kat tekak. Hari ni tengah hari dibedah."
- Syahril -

Syukran Alhamdulillah!

For those who are not in the know, the doctors wanted to perform an operation to make a hole on his throat so that they don't have to go through the mouth. Because of the frequent insertion of the tube into his lungs, his throat is swollen and it's very painful for him. This operation will allow the tube to have shorter route to his lungs, thus delivering more oxygen and he will heal faster. InsyaAllah.. But the last few days, his condition had worsen, so the doctors had to postpone the operation until he is well.

Let's hope that this operation will go on smoothly..

Al-Fateha buat Atok tersayang..

Atok passed away yesterday. Innalillahi Wainnalillahi Rojioun~

As I sat in the next room while reciting Surah Yaseen for him, my mind kept on playing scenes that happened yonks ago.. One of them was when he was still working in Singapore. Last time, whenever he came by for a visit, he would always brought along chocolates for his granddaughters (Salimah, Mashita & me of course).

I also remembered one time when we were in the kampong, he brought us along to the back (there's a small patch of land next to Cik Munah's house) to plant a durian seed. He said that in order for that seed to grow, he needs to 'sunatkan'.. that is to remove a certain part of the seed. *chuckles*

He said that we can eat it in the future but he's not sure if he is still alive by then to even have a taste. When my late grandmother (We called her 'Nenek Wa') passed away, he suffered from a stroke and it affected the right part of his body. His right hand was in a permanently 'clawing' position and when he walked with his walking stick, he had to drag his right feet forward.

In the last few months of his life on earth, he just refused to get up and preferred to lie down on the bed to sleep. When he ate, it can get so messy that Mak Lang decided to spoonfeed him instead. Such was the dedication shown by Atok's children.

But when Cik Dol & Bibik from Melaka came to see my dad in SGH last month, they went and visit Atok as well. To everyone's surprised, Atok was able to sit and wanted to eat by himself when he saw that his children actually came to pay him a visit for afar. I was glad to actually get to see him at that time and salam his hand.

Yesterday, after he was bathed and was already shrouded, I get to give him my final farewell by kissing him on his forehead.. and I took great care not to let my tears touch his skin. I also took part in the special prayer for him in the masjid. We were very lucky because the masjid was only a stone's throw away. It's special for me because it was my first time sembahyangkan jenazah. Thanks to Mak Teh for teaching me the niat and how to go about performing it..

Latest update of Ayah for my relatives in KL..
Ayah's condition seems to be stable although he is still heavily sedated. Syukur Alhamdulillah~

I don't know who to believe. Do I believe the doctor who is always giving me bad news and asking me to be prepared for the worst or the nurses who kept on saying that Ayah's condition is stable?

The doctors are slowly trying to wean him off the respirator and see if Ayah can stop his dependency on that machine. His blood is now on the low side and yesterday I saw that they're transfusing blood into him. Sigh.. His hands & legs are swollen, and we are not sure why. And Mak said that yesterday Ayah looked feverish.

So that's all for today.. Will hop by the hospital to see Ayah after work later and will keep you people updated as well.. Tonight also got kenduri doa selamat in Redhill.

Da~~~

Damage done on Ayah's van..

As you can see, most of the damage is on the passenger side of the van, which made me so relieved that my mom wasn't there. We haven't done anything yet to this van. Not sure whether we want to scrap it or to repair and sell it away because one thing for sure we don't want to be in this van anymore. I was told that there are 2 workshops eyeing to service this van. Sigh..

My mom said that a few hundreds SGD$$ that was with Ayah hilang since she said that on the morning before he go to JB, she passed to him SGD$500 and now only left SGD$100++.. And we are not sure who took it.. But we had decided that we are not going to pursue it because we can always earn it back.
I also wanted to blog about the horrible way Ayah was treated in Hospital Sultanah Aminah, but it will just make me angry over & over again.. Sigh..

Yesterday, when we wanted to visit Ayah in SGH, we were informed to put on protective clothing to prevent being infected by this contagious virus that is in Ayah's body. Ya Allah! Give us strength for this test that you are putting my family through..

Sometimes I ask why.. And found the reason here..

"Are the people proud of is thinking that they will be left alone because they say, 'We believe and they will not be tested? And undoubtedly We tested those before them, therefore Allah will necessarily, see the truthful and will necessarily, see the liars." Surah Al-Ankabut (1-2)

When I ponder about the things that we are going through right now, I remember that Allah will never test us beyond what we can bear.

"[This is a fact that] God does not burden a person beyond his capacity. [It is His law that] he alone will get what it earned and he alone will pay for what he did – Lord, take us not to task if we forget or lapse into error, and Lord, do not lay on us a burden such as You laid on those before us. And Lord, do not burden us with what we cannot bear. And pardon us, and forgive us our sins, and have mercy upon us. You alone are our Lord and help us against these disbelievers [who are confronting us as enemies]." ~ Excerpts from Surah Al-Baqarah (285-286)

Me & hubby was compiling a CD containing all the Surahs in Quran so that we can play it in the hospital for Ayah to hear and also to mask the horrible sound the ventilator is making at the side of the bed. Hearing the Quran being recited with such a beautiful voice (Sheikh Sa'ad Al-Ghamdi) created such a calming atmosphere that I nearly shed a tear.

Islam is so beautiful..

Perfect..

And I fall in love with it all over again..

Lelong lelong..!!

Me helping out my sis-in-law with her business..

Here are the pictures of some of the stuffs for sale..
Let me know if you are interested, I will get her to contact you..

I simply love the watches.. Very noice~~~

Thank God for the invention of concealer~~

Sorry for not updating my blog lately. A lot of things had happened since the past 2 weeks and I am still trying to make sense of it all. To make it worst, hub was on 2 weeks reservist (3 days in camp and then 2 days go back home.. This goes on for 2 weeks!) and he wasn't there to console me and lie to me that it will all be better.. He wasn't there to hold my hands and kissed all the pain away and I kept waking up with puffy eyes..
Well.. there's nothing that the makeup can't cover, really.. Thank God for the invention of concealer~~

Within 1 week, 2 accidents had happened. One was kinda serious but the other one was fatal.
My dad was involved in one of them. Currently he is in the ICU and doing quite well.. Alhamdulillah..
Insyallah by next week, he will be transferred to the normal ward. Special thanks to Kak Mas & Kak Idah for being there for me with their kind words, prayers & encouragements and also for arranging their friends to pray for my dad during the Friday prayers.

As for the fatal accident, it claimed the life of hub's cousin, Saiful Aidil Bin Amin.
Innalillahi wainna lillahi rajioun~
I will always miss his gregarious laughter that always managed to fill up the room. He looked so peaceful when he was being shrouded with kain kafan. Sigh.. Someone said his face is very bersih.. It goes to show that orang nyer baik2..
His departure made me see how fragile life is.. and I keep on reminding (or you can call it nagging~) hub to always always always drive safely and it's simply not worth it to speed or race with other cars. I simply love him too much that I keep telling him that he can only die after I die because I don't think I am strong enough to live without him. So the drama mama kan? Hehehe..

I seriously don't know how to pick up the pieces if any of my loved ones were to leave me. The only one who really reeeeally made an impact on me when they left will be my late maternal grandmother. To me that was the biggest lost ever~ She passed away when I was in secondary 1 and life in kampung have never been the same ever. I missed her so much and I still do. *sob* *sob*

I guess that's all I can blog about for today. Too depressed to continue because while I was typing this, my sister just smsed me and said that the doctors had to re-insert the breathing tube back because the lung infection got worst and my dad is not getting enough oxygen. Sigh.. Anyway, fyi, this post took a few days to update.. It just sat there in the draft column, looking sad and forlorn till I had the time to update it.. ;p~

PS: I have now decided to allow my beloved readers to input comments for my posts.

ROFLMAO~~~

OMG~! I just saw this picture on her blog and I almost fell off my chair laughing..




Do they have to wear padded bra to prevent unwanted leakage?

Hahahahahahahahaha..

** wipes tear off eyes **

Lets Dad experience the joys of motherhood..
I am just waiting for the Japanese to invent the contraption that will allow Dad to experience the joy of childbirth..
;p~

Here's a man who makes lemonade when life threw him a lemon, stolen his apples and kicked him in the crotch..

Everytime I get bogged down by the ugliness we all have to live with, I come to mr brown's site, see his family photos, read his funnies, hear his hilarious podcasts and I'll feel so much better.

Despite being victimised ** cough ** bullied ** cough **, mr brown continues to contribute positively to the lives of Singaporeans, very commendable.

Thank you, mr brown..

Keep the Faith~~

So say we all..

PS: Unless you've been following the things that's been going between mr brown & Ministry for Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA), you'll never understand what I am blabbering about~ Heh!

** Ehem ** Betty Crocker in the making.. Or Martha Stewart perhaps~?

When I was in secondary school, one of the lessons taught in Home Econs class was 'How to bake Chelsea buns'.
I used to love these buns (and still do~) because it's so easy to make and it's versatile. No matter how badly you roll the dough, it still turned out gorgeous.. Heh.. ;p~
No one ever told me that I can substitute the raisins with chocolate chips but voila~ It turned out to be yummylicious! And I simply love the aroma of the buns baking in the oven because I sprinkled a bit of cinnamon powder in it. Mmmm.. Heavenly..

I baked these sinful buns yesterday and I felt like I was transported back into my Home Econs class in Rangoon Secondary. I fondly recall Mrs Ser watchful eyes, eyeing my every move and commenting my postures when I am punching the dough. Hahaha.. She said that I must act like a lady and be demure (She's very persistent, though.. And nobody, absolutely no one can tahan her nagging)..

Anyway, here's a picture of my buns.......................

.......................................................................................

Chelsea buns lah dey~ Chet.. Busuk punyer orang..




Honestly, the picture doesn't seems to do it justice.. Blame it on my crappy 1.3 MegaPixel O2 mini camera.

__________________________________________________________

Ok.. Enough about my hot & gorgeous buns..

I had a terrible, horrible nightmare the other day..
I did something very very very bad in that dream... :(
It was so horrible and so terrible that when I shared it with Hubby, he kinda looked at me funny. But thank God he never judged me. It was just a dream after all~

I am still shocked and bloody terrified of myself right now. And trying very hard to get it out of my head right now because everytime I shut my eyes, I can see snippets of that dream, like a gory trailer of a horror movie. Arrghhh...

** Shudder~ **

A word from our sponsor..

Ladies & Gentlemen.. I have an announcement to make~

In an effort to gain more income so that we are able to support our luxurious lifestyle, me & hubby have decided to get our butts off our comfortable Osim massage chair (yeah~ like real like that..) and finally do something about it. (Mak ai~ panjang betul sentence ni..)

We (mostly hubby lah.. Heh~) provide onsite PC repair & troubleshooting. We can also built a customised PC from scratch based on your specification and budget.

Below are the charges:

- On-site Diagnostic: $30

- Repair/Troubleshoot: $60

- Charges are not inclusive of cost price for any additional/replacement parts (if any).

- Purchase of new customised computer or upgrading: Pls call to discuss.

Contact: Azmi / Idayu

Handphone: 92714142

Email : pb@azmi.per.sg / idayunor@hotmail.com

~ Sekian Terima Kasih ~

~ The End ~

The silence is broken..

I was bloghopping while waiting for hubby to fetch me from work and came across something that I think everyone I know should read.

Here's an excerpt from that blog,

“Ahpunehneh” is not a proper word.
It is not a Tamil word. Nor it is an English word. Nor it is a Greek word. Hell, it is NOT even a word. It is gibberish of the purest kind. Yes, yes. I hear all the gasping and “Did you hear that?!” and “Is it true?”. Yes it’s true. If there is one gibberish that is to be flushed down the toilet, this is it.
I am tired. Tired beyond words to explain what this gibberish has done. I am pretty much sure almost all my Indian counterparts will agree. Been called “Ahpunehneh” in a country that calls itself happily multiracial. There is nothing happy about this. I now take it upon myself to give all my clueless Singaporeans a much needed enlightment on this. Read and read well. And pass it on. Because the next time i hear or read that blasted gibberish, I won’t be patient. Anymore.

Next. Repeat after me. Brown is not black. Black is not brown. We have people from different walks of life and somehow in this nationwide disorder, almost all chinese cannot differentiate brown from black. Once again another example that happened to me. This happened in the first year of uni. After one of the lectures, i was waiting at the back of the lecture room, for a couple of my clique guys. This part of the lecture room was not lit but rest assured the rest of the room was. So it is understood the part i was standing wasn’t pitch black. Then another guy from another clique, who was standing near me, turned and said this “Hey TC, why you stand there? You so black, still stand there. Cannot see you lor. *Insert laughter*” The following was the connversation that happened between us after he said this. All my replies were said in a deadpan face and tone... "

(Read more about it here)

I think almost all of us (me included) are guilty of calling other races degrading remarks like for e.g. 'keling', 'cinone', 'ahpuneneh', 'cher'..

This have to stop, people.

Really~

I cringed whenever I hear my friends refer to indians as kelings. Or when it came out of my mouth accidentally. Yikes~

After reading that post, it just make me feel really bad..

Ok lah.. Gotta wash my mouth with soap now.. ;p~

Bye~~

The dawn of a new beginning.. Haha.. Macam real jek~~~

I haven't blog for a while. Been very busy lately. Sigh..

Oh ya~ I've started donning the hijab and have been receiving lots of unwanted comments from around me. Some of the comments can be a little too insensitive that I really feel like giving them the infamous 'birdie'.. My patience with these people are beginning to stretch a little too thin and I can just explode right there in front of their faces. What some of them need is a good 'bitch-slap' from me! Muahahaha..

Some of them are curious as to why I started wearing them. I just replied to them that it's too personal for any Tom, Dick or Harry to just know about it. And besides, it's really none of their business.

Previously, a lot of people thought that I don't cover my aurat because I am vain. Sigh..
I hate it when people jump to conclusions just like that. Oh come on~ I have frizzy hair that refused to stay the way I desired it to be. Wearing a tudung would be like a relief to me if I were to be vain. It's so easy to just hide my dry, rebellious hair from trying to style it. Arrghh.. Anyway, I know I look good wearing a tudung. What the hell.. I look even better wearing it than NOT wearing it. Nevertheless, I don't want the reason for me to cover my aurat to be a vain one. Because physical beauty never last. It'll fade away and what remains behind will be my faith, inner beauty & my inner strength.

A lot of people close to me have been asking me to wear one for quite sometime but I resisted because I realised that if I were to succumb to such pressure from them, it won't be something that comes from within. It will always be remembered as, "I did it because somebody said I should". So it's not a sincere act on my part.

I know it's compulsory. Like duh~~
The thing is, I've seen a lot of women who made a mockery of wearing a tudung. It's really shameful that I feel embarrassed to be associated with them. It's really hilarious when one of such women actually lectured me about wearing it. Haiz..

They cover their head.. but they still continue to gossip..
They cover their head.. but they still wear tight clothes that show the curves on their bodies..
They cover their head.. but still their heart habour dark intentions..
They cover their head.. but they don't pray..
They cover their head.. but they behave worst than a whore..

And then they feel that it's their God given rights to tell me to wear one. And chastised me when I pointed out all these points to them. Their reply? "Hey, at least I am covered!"

What the &^%$?

Fine..

I admit this is a sensitive issue for muslim women. Some of them like to sweep this under the rug instead of discussing it with me because, the points that I brought up ARE valid. Some even labelled me as old-fashioned for thinking like that~

Some women said that my lifestyle won't change when I start wearing a tudung. They said I can continue going to swimming lah, go roller blading lah.. etc etc.. But when I checked again, I realised that these claims contradict each other.

Yes you can go swimming. But only if the place is only for ladies and it's not in the public where the men can see you.

Why so strict?

Some will say, "Islam tidak memberatkan umatnya.." And then they put on the tudung, long sleeve t-shirt, long pants.. and dive into the mixed public swimming pool..
What they don't know is that, when their clothes are wet, they cling to you like a second skin and every inch of your body is exposed like as if you are naked. Bleah~~ No difference from watching Baywatch.. Really~~~

Then some said, "Islam is moving forward. Mengikut arus kemodenan."
But what was stated in the Quran?

Surah an-Nur verse 31 clearly states,
"And say to the faithful women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their adornment except what is apparent of it, and to extend their headcoverings (khimars) to cover their bosoms (jaybs), and not to display their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or what their right hands rule (slaves), or the followers from the men who do not feel sexual desire, or the small children to whom the nakedness of women is not apparent, and not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments. And turn in repentance to Allah together, O you the faithful, in order that you are successful."
(Shamelessly copied from http://www.muhajabah.com/surah-an-nur.htm)

What is it about the verse above that can be modernised? We can't even show the curves on our bodies and have to wear loose clothing. Sigh...

And I haven't even touch on what my non-muslim friends have commented. That would take forever seh~
Most of the time I'll just ignore their questions because some of them are meant to mock me & my religion.
And then ah.. Some people can live all their live side-by-side with a muslim and yet still be ignorant about Islam. I mean, they ask really ignorant questions! Macam nak kena smack~

The reason why I decided to wear tudung is...
It's a long story.. so bear with me..

On 24/06/06, my mom was warded in the ICU in Tan Tock Seng. She had difficulty breathing due to the build-up of fluid in her lungs.
When I saw that sms from Busu, in my heart I panicked. Oh no oh no oh no oh no~
Then the thoughts of losing her seemed so real. I can't help but think about the Lina's mom who passed away while she was in the ICU.
Along and family, Ayah and all of us rushed down to TTSH. Because of state she was in, no one was allowed in to see her. So the rest of them left for home that evening but my in-laws and my hubby stayed with me because the doctor wanted to have a word with me.
It was nearly eight when the doctor came. I also get to see her as well. She was unconcious, with all kinds of tubes inserted into her. It wasn't a sight that I was ready for. I almost broke down in tears seeing her like that.
I kissed her dearly on the forehead and fought back the tears. She was sedated because it would be very painful for her if she's awake. Her hands were cold and she stirred when I tried to massage some warmth into her. I would had traded half my life with God, everything I have.. just so that she won't be in that position.. To make it even worst, the doctor told me that her heart was not beating regularly. It was very weak.

The nurse passed me her belongings to take home. Her blouse and bra was cut open. And there was blood splattered on my mom's bag.
That night, as I washed the blood from my mom's bag in the bathroom, the dam burst. I couldn't stop crying. A million scenarios kept on playing on my head.. What if this.. What if that..
I remembered that I've never prayed so hard in my life. I prayed to God to lessen her burden. I prayed that if she was meant to be taken away from me, I asked God for the strength to let her go.

And then, I made a small niat, that I will start donning the hijab when my mom's condition had stabilised and taken out from that dreaded ICU.

And lo & behold~~
The next morning, my dad called and said that she was taken to a normal ward. I was so relieved with that piece of news that whatever my dad said after that didn't really register in my brain. Hehehe.. I didn't even copied down the location of the ward.

When I told hub of my niat, he seemed pleased with me. He said he supported my decision. That morning, when I wake up feeling so weak and drained but when I heard the news, I feel re-energised. Hub was really amused with my behaviour.

So, that's the story behind the new me~
I know I may not be wearing it perfectly, but I am still in the process of learning.
Everyday I ask for forgiveness from Allah, because although I am covered physically, I have lots of photos that show otherwise. I pray for Allah to understand and give me more time.

And also, if I've offended some of the readers with this post, I am truly sorry..

Tapi kan..

Saper yang makan cili, dia lah yang terasa pedas nyer~

;p~

About moi~

I think it's time to introduce myself to all my fans out there. It seems that this blog is getting more popular with repeat readers coming back for more of my almost daily rants. Heh..

I was born on the 5th of May 1981 (Which means I am only 24 this year, will still remain to be 24 the year after next and so on and so forth) and my name is Nor Idayu. (Nor = Nur = Light & Ayu = Beautiful. So the meaning behind my name is the 'Light Of Beauty' ROFL!!!). I am a part-time supermodel with an uncanny resemblance to Angelina Jolie. I just joined the X-Men a few months back, and right now I am being trained by Professor X to learn to control my telekinetic power. ;p~ *yeah, it's lame.. I know.. Bleah~~*

I grew up in Kallang Bahru but now I am staying in Ubi with my in-laws. Kallang will always have a special place in my heart because it was my playground and held so much fond childhood memories. Like, whenever it rains heavily and a tiny field next to my block is flooded, I will instantly recall the time when my friends and I collected a few hundreds of tadpoles there. We were hoping to make a few bucks by selling them after they turn into little froggies but they died the next day. I love splashing around barefooted in the mud, without a care in the world. That was until my mom screamed at me from the 3rd floor to go home and shower. Hahahaha..

Remember the old-fashion playground? Not the new colourful wimpy ones that they have now but the real deal. The ones filled with sand and hard concrete shaped like funny looking animals? I love those! There were a few of them around Kallang and my favourite was the one behind my block. There was a lot of tyres hung around the playground for kids to swing around like little Tarzans. We made it even better by putting a long wooded plank in between these tyres to connect them together. This method will create a huge swing, and we all would sat on the planks. Some of the brave ones (i.e me) will sit on the ends of the plank to swing it higher and higher till one of us fall down and die......

Just kidding!

Yes there were lots of bloody bruises and cuts but we just laughed it off. No one came home crying to get their parents to scold us. No parents have to make a big hoo-haa of it in the newspapers. You know why? Because we were tougher and are a lot cooler than the new generations. Hah! But it's really hard to be cool & tough when you are bending down and your mom was trying to remove a wooden splinter from your butt as a result from playing with wooden planks found near a contruction site.

Ok ok.. I've digressed.

Back to my introduction. I am the third child. The eldest is my Sis (Along), followed by my Bro (Abang Ngah), Me and lastly is my Lil Sis (Busu).
My mom is a homemaker cum traditional masseuse. She provides pre & post-natal massages as well. Ladies only. But if men are interested, I can refer you to my Dad. He uses the rolling pin (it's studded with rusty nails for added pleasure) though, so if you are into pain and torture, let me know okay?

My Dad currently works as a security guard in some condominium. He had retired from his another security guard job in Cisco but he can't rest yet. Funny how I used to dislike my father while I was a teenager but now I find him to be very endearing. I do love him very much but of course, it's not shown openly. He is a very hardworking man and selfless, taking overtimes to put all of us through tertiary educations. From the look on his face, I know he is tired from working so hard all his life.

Along, the eldest of us all, is the smallest. Hahaha.. Seriously! She's married, a homemaker and have 4 wonderful daughters. My favourite is Huda, so don't tell the rest, okay. ;p~ Anyway, I love babies. Once a new baby comes along, I will definitely fall in love all over again.
Her hubby is the infamous Abang Yunos from Themephotography. My wedding photos were sponsored by him and it was fantastic! (Mainly because the bride was gorgeous lah). Their princesses are Nadhira (Lolong), Haziqah (Ngangah), Nabila (Kak Cik) & Huda. They are a bunch of makcik kaypo and are so kecohrables & adorable. My eardrums are still ringing from the effect of their shrill voices. I personally think that all three of them can beat the X-Men Siren's superpower anytime anywhere. Hahaha.. I love them to bits! As you can read from my previous post, Along is expecting her 5th child. A son. Syukur Alhamdulillah~ Can't wait to see him in October. InsyaAllah~

Abang Ngah? He is just my annoying & irritating big brother. And he is still the same now even though he is 30 years old. He's the biggest among us and his tummy can rival my Sis (who is currently 4 months pregnant). I used to call him 'Beruang' because he was a big brute and very clumsy which really reminded me of the grizzly bear. He is also married and have a son with Kak Reena. We (as in me and bro) can't seem to see eye-to-eye with each other and will always try to annoy and irritate one another. Heh.. A lot of my girlfriends used to have a crush on him, so I can say that he is good-looking *OMG! I can't believe I just said that!* or they seriously should have their eyes checked. Kak Reena is my sweet sister-in-law who also have helped me a lot. She is very different from me because she is always very organised, well-prepared and uses colour-coordinated stuffs. Unlike me, the unorganised & messy chick.

The last person on my list will be Busu. Presently she's studying in Temasek Poly (my old school) and pursuing an IT diploma. She is 17 years old this year. I used to be close to her when she was in primary school but we drifted apart after that. As much as I wanted her not to end up jaded, cynical and broken like me, I would also like her to go out and explore the world to make her own judgement. I just hope that she will excel in whatever she puts her mind in.

My personal dislikes?
I can't stand stupid people. Let me define what I consider stupid before you people start hollering hokkien expletives to me.

If you can't spell, you are not stupid by default.
If you can't spell and have no intentions to improve yourself, then you are a moron.
If you can't spell and have no intentions in improving yourself and when I pointed out the error to you, you starts to spew weak & stupid reasons to defend your mistakes............... then you are a bloody moron. No one can help you unless you pull yourself out of that sh*thole you've dug up for yourself..
I know the difference between a typo and an obvious spelling error, thank you very much. By the way, I know I am not perfect either, so let me know if I've made any spelling or grammar mistakes in my posts and I'll be eternally grateful.

I can't stand road hoggers who hog the over-taking lane. If you think that by driving on that lane within the legal speed limit of 90kmph is sufficient, then you are dead wrong. Arghhhhh!
OTHER VEHICLES NEED TO USE THAT LANE FOR OVERTAKING! THAT IS WHAT THAT LANE IS FOR, YOU IDIOT! THAT LANE IS NOT FOR YOU TO CRUISE LEISURELY!! STOP HOGGING THAT &^%$ING LANE, YOU OBNOXIOUS MORON!
I will not hesitate to flash my dainty little middle finger at you once my hubby overtakes you dangerously on your left! The usual culprit seems to be taxi drivers and tai-tais driving luxury sedan.

There's also a group of people that I really dislike. I refer to these individuals as 'Toxic Turd' due to the fact that most of the things that came out of their mouth are foul-smelling words that is delivered to hurt the recipient's feeling.
Let me give you a fine example: Aisah gave me this blouse that is black & white, with huge sleeves that kinda look 'Japanesey' (Got such word?). I like it very much, wore it to work a few times and received compliments for it. But there's this toxic turd at work who said, 'Eh, you wear that tablecloth to work again ah?'. Obviously, she's jealous that she can't fit into this tablecloth because of all the disgusting lard hanging around her body. Me, being all so gracious & nice, just smiled at her and looked away. But you can imagine the turmoil going around in my head. I came up with hundreds of witty and sarcastic rebuttals to bombard her and render her speechless. One of my favourites was, 'Gosh [insert toxic turd's name here] , don't tell me you are pregnant AGAIN? How far along are you? 8 months?'. Ouch~
I honestly believe that these toxic individuals are placed on earth with a sole purpose to bash up and crush your self-esteem & self-worth. What to do when you encounter these turds? You can always counter-attack their comments by coming up with an equally painful remarks about their appearance, or you can just ignore them and let them be.

Once again, I got carried away and bore my beloved readers with such a lengthy post.

Au revoir~

Another death within a week..

Remember when I blogged that someone's mother had fallen down in the bathroom and was warded in the ICU?

Well, she didn't make it. She passed away last Saturday night and her funeral was held on Sunday afternoon.

Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Rajioun~

Sigh.. And it's only the 12th day of June.
Aisah told me that her colleague's daughter's baby died after it was delivered. I am using the term 'it' because I am not sure of the baby's sex.. I can't imagine the mother's anguish after finding out that the baby is dead after delivering it. *sob* *sob* She must have been crushed..

However, here are some good news to cheer me up~
After the funeral yesterday, we drove to Kallang to visit my parents. Mom's left eye have recovered fully. Alhamdulillah~ She can see clearly through it and it's not red anymore. Nor does it hurt any longer.
My sis and nieces were there as well, which made the visit even more joyful. I missed Huda soooooo much~ Hehehe.. She's so cute and so well behave. How on earth did my sis train her to be like that? Hub can just pick her up to cuddle her and she didn't freak out. And I love the way hub handle her.. *Sigh wistfully* I wish I can just bring her home with me. Tempting sia~~ To kidnap my own niece?? Hahaha.. Let's hope she can fit in my purse.

Another good news is that the gender of my sis's baby is known already. IT'S A BOY! Oh boy oh boy oh boy! *chuckles*
I think Abg Yunos must have been jumping for joy once he heard the news. That's because I myself nearly jumped out of my chair last friday when the kids msn me about it! We didn't really say anything much after the news that my sis was pregnant again broke out. When my aunt confided in me that she had a dream that the baby is a girl, she cautioned me not to tell my sister. Everyone had their lips tightly sealed, in case they are going to be disappointed again. It's not that baby boys are better than baby girls, but I can understand why someone who already have 4 daughters would yearn for a son.
But the question is, how my sis is going to handle all the 5 kids? With 2 babies? I'll be glad if she allow me to take care of 1 of it.. Especially Huda.. *grins* She's such a joy to be with!

Another thing.. I don't think it's a good news.. and I don't think it can be categorised under bad news either. It really depends lah..
I think my little sister have a boyfriend. *scratch head* But she denied it and insist that he's just a friend. Like duh~~~ *roll eyes* She must have thought that I was just born yesterday.
.. Been there, done that ..
Me & hub saw them under the block, sitting and talking at the bench downstairs. But she brought along 2 of my nieces as chaperones. Lol!
I am worried. I have tonnes of advices to give to her but I know that if I am not careful, it might fall onto deaf ears.

I hope she reads my blog, though.

Ila, here are my words of wisdom.. Chet! macam betul jer aku ni ;p~

Be smart, gal.. I know that I haven't been the best role model but at least let my painful experiences be a lesson to you.
Men will always say things that you wanted to hear. They'll whisper sweet nothings into your ears that will make you believe things they wanted you to believe. The truth is, they may have other plans in their sick & twisted little minds. There are loads of wolves dressed in sheeps' clothing. Be wary of these wolves, dear~..

But then again, bear in mind that not all men are like that.. There are some who will respect you and will never take advantage of you. Men who will take 1 step at a time, never rushing you and helping you to make sense of strange things that happens in life because they see the world from the other side of the river and they understand things that we women never will. These men are considered to be rare gems and it is up to you to see & judge for yourself.

I can't and will never be able to control what you say or do.
Kau dah besar, nak~ Pepandai lah kau jaga diri..
Because I'd been where you are right now and the more I was controlled, the more I rebelled. And that is the last thing I want you to do.
I just hope that you are smart enough not to repeat my mistakes. I'd wasted a lot of time, energy and money on useless guys who........... are really not worth it at all *Grrr.. those @#$&%!*

Anyway, I am not saying that you can't make any mistakes at all.
Go forth and explore.. It's been historically proven that human learn a lot more from their own errors than from other people's experiences. The trick is, to know why it happens and not to repeat them..
Sis, I want you to know that you can always approach me for help or advices. If you think that by confiding in bestfriends are going to help you, well.. think again. My ex-bestfriends' bad advices were the ones that always landed me into trouble previously. Although I can't blame them 100% because they meant well.

Contrary to what you may have believed, I am actually an easy-going and open-minded sister. I've spent a lot of time being with colourful people from all blocks of life, that nothing you say or do can ever make my jaw drop in awe/disgust/shame/envy. Let's hope that would never happen, ok? It's a different ball game altogether when sh*t happens to your own flesh and blood. Heh~
Oh ya, just want to let you know that talking to you nowadays have become a tad more tolerable ever since we don't live under the same roof anymore.

Hahaha..
Sad but true..

Tata for now~~