10 years after...

I feel so old coz that's how long ago I graduated from college!!!!! AAARRRGHHH!!! But actually I was back in the States 8 years ago when I came for training in Chicago while I was with H. Now, with new company Philadelphia is where they're based at. I've never been to Philly, so it's nice.

Wish I had more time though, but because of on-going project I can't stay for long...just staying for 5 days before heading home. Also, I can't bear to be apart from Ash and the boys for any longer than that. I miss them...especially the tucking kids into bed part :-(. But will definitely get to spend quality time with Ms. Ketchup who is flying up from Bermuda and staying with me, and with Amai who has pretty much planned both our stay here. My time outside the training has been well taken care of!

If Ash and I ever plan to bring the kids over here it has to be within the next 5 yrs or so because I don't think my body can take the looooonnng (30+hours) journey and with small kids in tow! I really feel old, man! And this trip shouldn't have been so bad because I was travelling business...so the thot of going economy and with kids...damn scary!!

Immigration wasn't so bad. They were nice and friendly. But me and my luggage had to be disinfected before I could board the plane to Philly. Or at least it felt like I was being disinfected because I had to go thru this machine called Sentinel (so sci-fi) which sprayed me with some stuff, then my shoes along with my hand luggage went into the x-ray machine. Mind you I was a pro by this time because I went thru the same thing before I boarded the plane to US in Doha, except for the Sentinel part. After x-ray...they basically swab all my bags...that's why I said DISINFECTED! I guess they want to doubly sure that I wasn't a terrorist who had GSR (CSI buff u shud know this) because the whole process looks like a scene from CSI.

But you know after having to go so many levels of check and disinfection, the thing that is very glaring to me is the number of foreigners I see working in the airport! Which to me is very ironic given how strict they are with people coming into their country.

So, now I am thinking of walking over to that shopping mall I see below (the dome is a mall), and also checking out whether I can walk to place where my training is to be held at.

33 yrs 1 day

...yet still no wiser! I still feel I am 30...in my head I've stopped at 30. So, what's up for 2008? Dunno...hopefully a good career, lighter and a baby ;-)

Here's to 2008 and my 33rd year! Bring it on baby!

Closing 2007

I know the picture doesn't make sense, but I just wanted to put up something that is meaningful to me, and I thought pictures of my two boys really sums up my life so far!

2007 has been good year for me especially in the career front, and I hope 2008 will continue to be a good year professionally. I've never been focused in my career, and it's really quite amazing how because people seem to have faith in me, and because of that faith I see myself being passionate again about work, and really wanting to push myself further in my professional life. I actually am looking forward towards something now. So, after working towards nothing for the last 9 years, 2007 was a turning point for me! Syukur Alhamdulillah to Allah swt, is all I can say!

I am not going to do a run-down of 07 as too many things have happened...good things, sad things, deaths, births, etc...but that's all about life kan? So, here's hoping 2008 will continue to be diberkati oleh Allah swt (or whomever you pray to)...that we all continue to be better people and better Muslims (for those who are Muslims), as we know all things good and bad come from Him. We are mere mortals, and what's here is just temporary.

Tired la

Nowadays each morning I wake up I just feel exhausted...may be I need some vitamins and CQ10, or at least that's what IggyS will tell me. I've been quite good actually coz I am taking vitamins, but still feeling exhausted!

I've been at my new work place for about a month now. Interesting la I suppose. Different culture from both H & B. Getting used to it slowly. Trying to see my footing...I think people have stopped assessing me. I hate being the new kid on the block...it's like there is this spotlight on you, and people are just seeing whether you are everything that you are cracked up to be. May be it's just in my....somehow I don't think so coz this is an office full of women...so you know how that's like :-p

Plus the house is moving kinda full-speed ahead. I can't believe how much money I've already spent, and how much more we're suppose to spend...and this was not suppose to be a full blown renovation...sigh! Wish I could actually put pictures up of the progress, but read the title of this blog...and might I add lazy to it too!

Hopefully 2008 will have a better start...2007 is kinda ending with a bleghh...

White Sandy Beaches...hopefully!

This is where we're heading for a well-deserved family break. This year we've been quite good where once every 4 months we take the kids away...Penang, Kuantan and now Pangkor. With two active boys (3 if including the biggest boy!), beach holidays are the best. Coz we can soo easily occupy the kids!




Hopefully, we can still maintain the momentum for next year, but if we include one trip abroad (hoping its Bali coz I just love it there), then may be not so often la. We'll see...

Thank God, I am on leave next week! I usually need another holiday to recover from one holiday! My time will just be spent with feeding kids, bathing them, putting them to sleep, feeding them, etc...shouldn't complain coz I just do this 3x a year full time!

Dunnow what's sooo busy

...may be facebook. Think the fad is slowly fading off, but still cek it daily coz of emails there. Easier to have a one-stop center to keep track of friends.

This week is my last week at work, and next week I'll be off. But will probably come in to debrief my boss whose been in the UK the last 10 days (lucky her!!), and pack up my stuff. I so don't feel like I am leaving this org...people been asking me whether I am counting the days...I probably would if I hated this place, but the reality is I DON'T! I think I'll be a mess when I leave this place...may be i'll come over the weekend to pack so I won't see people and get overly emotional.

Let's try to be cheerful a little bit...this weekend is the family getaway to Pangkor Island Beach Resort. I can't remember the last time I went there...it's been a while, 10 years at least. This should be fun...Izz is already excited about the boatride. The only way for me to sell the holiday to him! He was pestering us to go back to Parkroyal Penang coz they have a waterslide at the pool, but to pay close to RM400 per nite for the kind of room...and the meal costs..so not worth it!

The other thing that's occupying me is the renovation work for the house. Technically we weren't gonna do much, but decided to at least do up the kitchen and masterbedroom properly as this is where the major work will happen. The rest just ID work. So hopefully all will turn out well! The contractor we hired seems to be on the ball, and surprisingly he is not charging us so much!!! Will post pictures on the progress once we've take some pictures :-p

The Legend

Pictures courtesy of Jeff Ooi.

Yes, managed to the catch it over the weekend. I think Malaysians are so starved for good and lavish theater that we are very forgiving. If you've read reviews of P. Ramlee in both The Star and NST, you can see that all comments about the storyline, etc. were quite disappointing. It's true there were loopholes, and characterizations were very loosely based. The focus was really the staging of the musical - the sets, costumes, songs, etc., which to some extend covered up for the weak storyline. I suppose they decided to distract the audience from the story.



I actually liked PGL much more. The music was good, but I agreed with The Star's review it was a weird mix between TYPICAL musical sounds (Jeff Ooi calls it Pocahantas-like) with amazing P. Ramlee's composition, and it didn't work for me.

I couldn't really pin-point what was missing, but I left the theater feeling disturbed and lacking. The only portion that I felt was real and really reminded me of P. Ramlee was in Act 2 where he was courting Saloma. I loved that whole bit - so like P. Ramlee in his movies. The rest was quite forgettable especially the Penang scenes with when he was a kid. There were no show stealers there. The child-actors did not sound natural at all, and Siti's bit was small, but compensated by her voice. My first time hearing her sing live, and I can't deny she has an amazing voice.

Sean Ghazi seemed to only get into the role towards the end, which was quite disappointing coz I was really excited to see him perform. Liza Hanim was a real surprise to me - may be because I didn't have any expectation of her. She was natural, and her voice was really amazing. But sorry to say la I really couldn't understand the hype over Melissa Saila (the crowd was just going nuts). I wonder was just because she is related to Saloma...Her character was one of the most developed and she had a range of emotions to display which was good, but her voice was really bad...you can hear pitching semua lari beb! And I am no music critic, ok!

All in all, it was an ok way to spend 3 hrs or so...but I did find some parts very draggy and unnecessary. I guess I kinda feel cheated because I left the musical not knowing more about P. Ramlee, and didn't get the full appreciation of his songs and work.

And let's not open topic of how incompetent Istana Budaya is...that's is a whole other diatribe!