Poor Doggie

As I spend another day in New York time (mind you, only the time, havent been to NYC since puberty...or slightly after), i found this that breaks all kind of rules (maybe even laws).

1. Wearing fur is wrong. You are liable to be covered with red paint. I do not condone wearing a dead animal on your body. But what is PETA say on having a living animal on you?
2. Dogs are amongst God's creatures that have four legs and the ability to run. I know this little dog looks more like a stuffed animal with its cute face and short stubby legs, but I've seen the same spesies chase a kid. So i know this one is able to run, fast! Unless, it really is a stuffed animal that is being taken for a jog. ...which is...weird..too.
   
3. Anyone who knows anyone who knows the rules of fashion knows that fanny-pack is bad. B.A.D = NO. Dont do it. No matter what you have to carry.

xoxo

Photo from shefinds

Tricho-thingy-majinggy?

Happy New Year! its still early January, can still wish! now to the nitty gritty.

I have a habit of randomly pulling a hair or two. Not just any hair but rambut gatal erm...hair.

In english, its roughly translated into itchy hair. Actually, i dont know what the hell it is in english. All i know they (they = the English) calls the habit Trichotillomania (i had to Google that to get the spelling right because come on! i'm sure no one can get the spelling right without references or a spellcheck!).

Now i'm not sure picking out rambut gatal or a grey hair or two can be diagnose as having tricho-itsmathing, plus i dont have obvious bald spots, do it unconsciously and pull healthy hairs out. Its those persistent itchy spot that have this really-really rough-i-kid-you-not-frizzy-to-death-coarse hair that drives me crazy.

Problem is, to get to this single hair out of the many hundreds that reside at one spot of your hair, you kinda tenda accidentallya pulls out more than the necessary amount of healthy hair out. coz your deria-rasa at your fingertips turns weird, and everything feels coarse. When THAT happens a bit too much and too long, it turns into tricho-thingymajing.

Now what got me blogging after a long sabbatical?

I found a bona-fide rambut gatal that fits into all description of rambut gatal, was the mother of all rambut gatal! It was extra extra coarse, has Nicole Kidman's pre-dryblowing and product curl on my wavy hair and....it has split end.

Told ya its the mother of rambut gatal.

Zul still havent recovered from my trip to the hair salon less than a month ago, dare he allow for a before scheduled appointment?

THAT made me blog again. until my next sabbatical that is.

xoxo

you know when...

You know you're in love when...

it was in the middle of the night, your husband was out for a drink. You called him up from while lazing in bed...'i'm hungry. i'm tasting maggi in a cup. kari'.

so then you wait. until...you hear the door unlocking. due to your absorbance with the book you were reading (Nicholas Spark, The Lucky One. review. not his best work. didn't make cry as much as others. just wetted the eyes. digressing!). ..due to your reading, you told yourself, ' I go down to kitchen after this chapter. after this page.'...

but less than 2 mins, your husband comes up and in the room, and in his hand, an open lidded maggi in a cup with steam coming out from it. he poured hot water in the maggi in a cup before coming up! thus, saving you the trip down. even poured the kari in and the folded fork was straightened!

awwww. shweetheart.

if I had confidence, I could have had maggi in a cup for supper in bed. but its maggi. hot. not good to eat in bed.

wishing for the office

" I should have gone back to the office. I should" that is what im thinking at 4pm while having my very very late lunch alone at the apartment on a friday, a day ahead of a long long weekend. ITS A BAD THOUGHT TO HAVE ON A FRIDAY BEFORE A LONG WEEKEND! but that's the thought im having because I am dead bored waiting for zul to pick me up. so bored that I am blogging from my mobile. that just show how bored I am. actually to be wishing that I am back in the office show how bored I am. but think of how much work I could accomplish if I were back in the office. so much work that I woukd actually be bored in the office on tuesday with no work to do. ...not to say I have no work. but I tend to do them quicker than the average office worker ie org gomen that it seems I have no work except sipping coffee at starbucks while everyone slowly trunches thru their paperwork. I really should try to slow down my efficiency, at least I be on the same timetable as the rest of the people whose efficiency I have to rely upon to get my own work done. sip coffee. slowly. that's what I should do more. you see, most of my scope involves the smooth processing of the company's invoices. talk with clients, deruffles some feathers and issues. talk with engineers to find out the problems faced with a particular invoice. talk with finance to see we are meeting the objectives. I work around these people schedule a lot. and most of them are...well....have a different timetable than I do. so I really have to slow down. but here I am, sipping my second iced water after my coffee trying to delay my work flow to match the rest of the world and yet, wishing I am at the office. I am a sad sad person. bored and sad due to my efficiency. gak!

Happy 81st MakMak!

"Terima kasih la *sob* suma mai sini" *sob sob* "Makmak tak sangka *sob* anak cucu datang *sob* sambut *and it become incoherent after this with all the sobbing*" That was part of MakMak's surprise birthday speech that i manage to understand.

Happy 81st Birthday MakMak!


MakMak giving her tearful speech.

Getting jiggy with it to show off her new jubah. Who can believe she is 81 years old.

Birthday kisses and hug from a daughter

Birthday kisses from grand-daughters.

Everyone who were free yesterday trotted over to Pak Cik's house at TTDI Jaya to celebrate MakMak, my grandmama's surprise birthday bash. MakMak i believe was under the impression its a routine open house makan-makan at her youngest son, child no. 10 out of 11 home. Zul looked a bit frazed by all the loudness, but he handled it ok. Since it is really hard to get everyone together at one location at the same time, a photo session was called for! unfortunately my parents came late but too bad, we shall try to photoshop their faces somewhere. and yes K. Anne, you're missing from this one too! hehehe. do you want to be photoshop-ed as well?

MakMak surrounded by her sons, daughters, in-laws, grandchildren, a grandchild-in-law (Zul) and grand-grand-children.

Not in the photo: Mak Chak & Pak Chak (in Alor Star), My parents (came late due to a wedding they have to attend), numerous grandchildren and the-in-laws which include K. Heli, K. Anne & A. Fitri, K. Noreen, my older brother, and a number of other grand-grand-children. When will we get to have everyone in the photo, i don't know. This was hard enough.

The inproper photo with a missing Pak Teh.

Happy Birthday MakMak! Squuuueezzeeed by only 5 of her grandchildren.

What i was not expecting was, the number of camwhores we have in the family. ...and one future photographer-to-be. My nephew, K. Lily's one year old son, Sheikh Putra, the photographer wanna be.

Me: "One, two, three, CLICK!"

Sheikh: "An, Uh, Eh, Kik!" and pushes the shutter button.

Results:

Ain't he good for a one year old kid? :)

Self potrait of Sheikh Putra:

Of course la i yang pegang camera. Its a DSLR camera with battery grip and flash. I pun letih nak pegang. But...he did the clicking! :)

To family members that didn't make it. More of what you missed below;

When the clock striked midnite of 18 Oct. It was then "Happy Birthday Qistina!"


The Hall of Infamous Camwhores

...and have Mac, will photobooth. Observe cool as cucumber Miera by the left unaffected by the antics of her uncles and aunts and lil brother.

Drawers, millions of them.

Although I am scheduled to go to Jakarta tomorrow at around 2 pm, that's in 8 hours from now, i am still awake. ...

and writing no less. i assume when i write, my mind would be twirling and clicking, opening drawers of information, tidbits and words in the room of drawers tucked somewhere hidden in my mind. but nonetheless, i admit that my mind doesn't have to be twirling and clicking when i write. sometimes its just goes *click*. and silence. after a minute or two, another *click* and a slow *whhhhhrrrrrrRRrr* can be heared. only to end soon after. i believe this is what happen when out of the millions of drawers, i somehow managed to open only the empty ones. the ones that are only filled with dust bunnies from century eons or just...empty, clean, spotlessly empty. I theorise, it is either that or the mechanism that would open the drawers is too confused, undecided to which drawer to open, to be aired, to be let free as there are too many drawers shaking and rattling to be opened.

Today, i feel like the lights in the room of drawers is somewhat dimmed, and so i opened the nearest drawer that i can reach without seeing. It's "my ability to write nonsense with knowledge of the need to sleep and rest but denying my body its need and trying to light up matches in the room up there".

but then again, that is the drawer I tend to open most of the time.

so why are you here?

The Raya Story in Alor Star (with pics!)

Selamat Hari Ra--ryeeee!!!

No space in dulang to susun properly but its supposed to spell "Selamat Hari Raya! :)!"
Smiley face got eaten early.

I still received duit ra---ryeeeee...okla very very small amount but who cares really! It was like getting a busload of sugar on my wedding day!!! "oh-so-excited"

The night before. "Eat, not make! eh salah! MAKE, not eat!"

The designs were "interesting"

...but it turned out good the next day. That's MakMak serving cupcakes on the first day of raya because EVERYONE forgot to bring home kuih raya. So we had only cupcakes and MakMak's own kuih makmur that she makes every year for raya. yummy!

Let me tell you the story of my first raya as a wife.

It started blissfully, with a travel time back to Alor Star in 4 hours from KL on the eve of raya. Blissfully because, we went back to Alor Star. MY kampung. not his! MINE! ....muahahaha *evil*. I'm still trying to hold a discussion to maintain this balik kampung contract for a longer period of time but since Raya Haji will definitely be celebrate at Ketereh, Kelantan every year (Insyaallah), there might be hope the justification of beraya first in Alor Star and then to Kelantan will stand strong.

Zul and I on the outside staircase of MakMak's house on the first day of raya.
Our first raya photo together. We matched the house! i forgot MakMak's house is painted orange outside.

Arrived at my grandmama's house, we had the honour of having my mom's old bedroom all to ourself! Considering there are only 2 big proper rooms that could fit a family of 5 in each and a smaller room for 2 downstairs, it is a big honour. And did i mention, a bed with new mattress too? ....and yet MakMak, my grandmama suggested to my mother,

"maybe Zul would be more comfortable staying at a hotel."
"Segan, rumah kampung" she said.

Gee, wheres the fun in raya if there's no queue in front of the one and only bathroom at Makmak's place? Seriously! It wont be the same without seeing someone straying with a towel and a toothbrush in the mouth in the kitchen, pacing back and forth. and a row of uncles with towels wrapped around their waist or over their shoulder at the breakfast porch facing the river, and a row of sleepy cousins with towels wraps around their heads in the living room watching the morning tv,

Like this, but imagine sleepier versions (except Mak Teh, she 's already asleep), and with towels. and bigger hairs.

....and a couple more on the stairs with half awake and with one eye on the bathroom door.

Ok fine. Best example of towel wrapped around shoulder while waiting for bathroom to be free. la di di da. Except i wasnt pacing in the kitchen, i was making breakfast.

And as soon as the bathroom door open, or the loo's door. There would be a mad scramble of

"I'm next!" "my turn" "lelaki dulu!!! nak semayang!!!" "emergency!" "OI QUEUE!!!!" etc.

All in loudspeaker mode of course. Sitting on stairs is the best spot to outrun and outmanoeuvre anyone queuing ahead as you would have the first view of the bathroom door. Everyone else usually move when someone, either the person exiting the precious room or someone in the kitchen to announce

"NEXT! SAPA NYER TURN!" as per the government servants at public offices.

Ah, Zul had to learn that, he missed his turn couple of times because he didn't declare his turn and then was bamboozled by my little cousin. He was lead to believe that my cousin was in queue before him, ...my cousin wasn't but in the minute of confusion, my little cousin went in the bathroom. There, lesson learned, know your number in the queue and declare it! ye shall be notified of your turn.

What we look after everyone have showered.

Plus at hotel we need alarm to wake us up. At rumah MakMak, the volume is on maximum, you will KNOW when its time to wake up even without anyone waking you up.

And they were playing mercun in the morning.

Though i think this one is after salam2 coz Alif have a raya packet in his pocket.

Then on the day of raya, we bersalam-salaman. Like this...really...very like the artist-artist malaya on raya programmes on tv.

Amongst the things requested this raya, wedding photos, courtesy of my father's laptop.

MakMak, my grandmama, cried as per usual during the salam-salam session. We took photos. Though there were only 3 sets of families out of MakMak's 11 children and *i lost track of numbers* cucus and cicits, we had to squeeze for the photo.

MakMak in the middle surrounded by her 2 sons, 2 daughters, 2 son-in laws, 1 daughter in-law, 9 granchildren and 1 Tok Teh Nah, MakMak's sister. Out of those 4 children of MakMak's, Pak Ngah came home alone without Mak Ngah and 5 children, 1 son in-law and 3(?) granchildren, Pak Tam have all his 5 children in there, Mak Teh Puyah without 2 sons (1 was there but pegi beraya), 1 daughter, 1 son in law, 1 daughter in law and 3 grandchildren. and my family was without my brother. AND YET IT TOOK AGES TO GET EVERYONE IN THIS PHOTO!

Yet to arrive: a mere 5 mins after this, Mak Chak's lot came pouring in the house from her house nearby. Then i lost count. Pak Cik family came later in the day. and Mak Teh's daughter and plus 3 inc hubby came soon after.

Boys will be boys. In this case, Pak Tam acting out his younger brother role with Pak Ngah

Then we brought Zul to beraya-raya with my other grandma and grandpa who lives separately, far far away. ....

With Tok, my father's real mother at Bukit Tinggi. She is tiny.

My far-tha with his far-tha. Tok Wan, my father's real father. God bless him, for him in his state of total blindness remembers only me, Dayang out of my father's other children. :P

And here is the part where a few people that is reading this will slap their forehead, shake their head and say "dayang.....dayang....apa nak jadi ni?"

Somewhere along the journey to one point or another. in the car..i was thinking...no..i realised....

I HAVEN'T BERSALAM WITH ZUL! MY HUSBAND! OMG! .....so i immediately turned to him and whispered,

"I haven't beraya with you! my husband! OMG! i forgot"...and he just looked at me and gave me this stupid smile that he does when he realise his wife can be a real bimbo and said

"I know, i was waiting for you to realise that"...
"why didn't you reminded me or something?!" ...
"sajer nak tengok sampai bila you sedar"....hah! for that i replied
"hmm ok, nantila.......*pause*........*quietly* i'm sorry. but we do it at home properly nanti k?" .....well it was kinda awkward for me to suddenly knell in front of him in the car right?! .....and for forgetting, tak dapat duit raya from him that day :(

Just shows how forgetful i can be and that i kept forgetting he's my husband. Thought its my boyfriend i brought home to kampung with me and sleep in the same bed every night :P

The "look" he gave me. Ok, it's not but i just needed a reason to put this photo here.

When everyone bersalam-salaman. We amik gambar. That why la! forgot.

So there you go, my first raya with my husband, and i forgot to beraya with him on the morning of Aidilfitri. *doh!slap own forehead*

Three days later, off we went to Ketereh, Kelantan through the windy windy road of Grik. Of course la kena balik Kelantan, this husband of mine sebak, eyes were red and teary at my uncle house during the 2nd night of raya karaoke session while singing the first, FIRST verse of Dendang Perantau. Haiyah, macam dok kat Long-dong tu heh. Jaoh sangat!.

Karaoke session in the middle of nowhere. Literally. Total darkness outside. No other houses except 1 for several kilometres away. My uncle, Pak Man (with grey hairs) is working with RISDA or something, hence posted at places with no people except plants. His officers have homes nearby but not many lives there...wonder why.....? hmm? More fireworks. See the darkness engulfing them. thats at Pak Man's place

Then we went to Kelantan, and that is not the story today.

Drive Safely for Raya

"So Dayang, why do you look so tired this perfect Monday morning?...and you were late to work. You ok?"

"You see, I got news that several of my friends, but not really friends but its like i've known them all my life and we've gone through many many ups and downs together and they are somewhat involved in this terrriiiibble car crash that might or might not means death to some"

"OMG! Seriously? seriously? what happened?"

"Ermm car crash. So i really stayed up all night to find out what happened to them or else my soul would not be at ease. I really couldnt sleep not knowing what would happen to them or how their doctors might save their lives."

"Oh no, i understand! So what happened? when? last night? where? how? where they on the way back for raya?"

"I found out last night..."

"you see..their limo driver lost control of the car they were in....coz...it was snowing and all. And then they went to Seattle Grace Hospital....and i really need to get updates from and ON the doctors themselves!!!! or else i cant sleep!"

Do you think that excuse will hold up with the boss? it is a live and death situation.

Grey's Anatomy season 5 is on. And i'm waiting for the very slow download to be done before i can see what happened.

FAQ from the Mr and MRS!

The Official Greetings from
Mr Mohd Zulhelmy and Mrs Dayang Rosli!

Frequently asked question no.1:

"So how does it feel being married?"

A: Hmmm....same ol? same ol? Getting married does not mean i've gotten a lobotomy that would effect suddenly turns me into Betty Crocker or some other person totally different.

I rather be asked "how does it feel getting married" before...because it was different everyday. some days i'd be having panic attacks over something not done. some days i felt normal, as normal as i could be anyway. some days i was a complete bridezilla! some days i felt i rather elope. some days i just want to kill everyone.

but...being married? to say i am a lot calmer than i was before, not really..calmer then pre-wedding post-engagement, yes. but no more than how i was before. the only real difference in being married are that i have less money in the bank, i wake up with this dude beside me every morning and having to share my bathroom with him! I'M LIVING WITH A GUY! all those hollywood cliches are no longer just cliche, they are real.

Emotion wise, i am the same as before. maybe a bit more secure in my place in this world by 2% and happier by 5%. Ask me again in 7 years then maybe there would actually be a lot different being married.

Frequently asked question no.2:
(frequently asked "statement")

"So you guys still in the honeymoon period?
I'm sure you guys still in honeymoon period, baru kahwin apa"

A: We had a good fight with tears and all on the 3rd day of marriage. So what honeymoon period? And i am not being sarcastic. We just like that there is no honeymoon period, for us.

With us, there is no

"i love you no matter what, i love you because you are perfect and i will ignore any perfectness that exist (if any) but im sure it wont be a problem because you are my perfect huneybunny, i love you i love you i love you, you're my world, my ocean, my mountain, my river, my sky, my stars my perfect underwear to wear with my fav low rider jeans mushymushymushysmackmyheadiwanttodiefrommushiness"

....we had a good fight on the 3rd day of our marriage, on Kelantan reception, on our honeymoon and on any other days. we are realistic there are things that requires a little getting used to but if one or another really have a problem about something, it will not be swept under the carpet.

Honeymoon period does not exist because...we love each other too much to fall under the unrealistic romantic notion that women does not fart and men does not watch golf at 5am and then try to accept it or ignore it in the first 3 months or so and then let it eats inside. and one fine day it will explode! Rest assure, that the explosion was early on, Dayang is still Dayang, and when the toilet seat remains up, there was drama and there will be more drama. ...but we like it that way.

Frequently asked question no.3:

"So are you pregnant yet?"

A: No and don't count on the baby steps anytime soon.

Zul and I were only friends for the longest time. When we finally got together, or rather when I finally realise we are suppose to be together, it only took 11 months for us to be husband and wife. Most of that time was spent planning for the wedding. which wasnt really about us, really. So we want to enjoy being just the 2 of us for a bit more time....imagine if i have a baby, he would be less likely to start a fight with me kan? coz he would feel guilty hence, no drama. boring.

and Zul need to build up his savings again :P

There is a plan, and we want to follow the plan. Insyaallah. but if God have other plans for us, i let you know. :)

Anyway, you guys lost in the race to give me my first baby present. Iza beat you all to that and its hidden from my mom before she gets any ideas.

So please stop asking. Its getting ackward to answer all those questions.

Perez Made Me Blog Again!

How do you know your government is screwed up? When Its politics gets on Perez Hilton.

And that tidbit amused me so much that it motivated me to just blogging again!

Immediately i said, "I must share this!!!!" while ROFL-ing (thats "rolling on the floor laughing" btw fyi jic).

Please note that the previous post is titled "Martha Steward Likes Big Weiners" ...I'm skipping over the fact that the next post is "A Worthwhile Cost"...but among Perez Hilton's other posting are "Pink Likes Penis, Hates Palin" and "Guess That Camel Toe". You can guess what kind of blog it is can't you? ;)

Just show what a joke our world has become. And by world...i meant in the most microscopic way possible without being too specific. Get me?

So, Hurrah to Perez and that particular piece of political "development"! I'm back. :)