Hello, blog. I've missed you.

I read on Wikipedia that the author of Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, was paid in advance to write the book. Which is normal lah kan.

But wait a second. The book is a memoir, right? Of her life experiences following her divorce. So being paid in advance... How sure can we be that she did not seek out to experience things in her travels that would fit the book, and that she truly unbiasedly go through everything?

Seems kinda messed up.

But I haven't read the book, so maybe I shouldn't judge prematurely. And I am looking forward to catching the movie. Julia Roberts is almost always a delight to watch. (Except for her role as Tinkerbell in Hook. I don't get that one.)

And I shall end this post with a photo of my son. Gila takde kena mengena, I know. But he's sooooo enseemmmmmm~

Emran Hamzah is love.

So many words to describe how much I love him, that I am speechless. My obsession, my everything, my reason to live.

I'm considering shutting this blog down. I don't mind having just one reader - counting myself - but my posts are lately very few and very far between.

Or maybe I'll keep it for the occasional rantings.

Decisions, decisions.

6 days late, but Selamat Berpuasa everyone.

i like 'em simple and sweet.

Ramadhan is here, everyone!

Selamat berpuasa!

I was hoping to be able to fast without missing any days, but judging from how I've been for the past few weeks, it may not be likely at least until the first trimester is over.

By the way, sorry that this blog has been lacking in new, relevant content as of late. I've only begun to feel more like myself in the past few days, but I still don't have much to blog about.

Later, ya'all.

oh my.

There is not much happening in my life for me to blog about.

I'm not doing nothing. Just not much, I guess.

Being nauseous almost all the time makes me lazy. Which I usually fight off by trying to do things.

Which sometimes doesn't work.

Oh well. I'm off to my dad's for the weekend, while my husband will battle it out in a paintball tournament in Melaka.

Now lets finish packing.

late nights, the blisskat way

Went home around 1.30am last night to catch False Opus' reunion performance at urbanattic.

It was good. Their songs are great, and I especially love the two Malay songs.

Thanks baby for the great date ;)

And another late night tonight. We're catching Transformers' 11.45pm show at Cineleisure along with my Sayang's friends. Bad move to agree to the movie actually; tomorrow is Thursday, after all.

I'm so going to have a hard time waking up tomorrow morning. Wish me luck.

Photos from the US trip will be up soon! I promise!

But in the mean time...

It's time for Friday Fill-ins! (yes, I know the idea is to do it every Friday, but excuse me for not having the time! :P)

1. It's cold and that's no big surprise, considering the fact that the office is actually a freezer in disguise.

2. I have a thing for sun-dried tomatoes.

3. My favorite health and beauty product is a daily dose of Vitamin C.

4. Oh how I wish the tiring flight to the States, and the trip back to Malaysia, was a nice long ride.

5. Well, first of all my inability to be mean may make me seem timid, but mind you, hell has no fury like a woman scorned.

6. The Lincoln Memorial, Broadway and Atlantic City; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was actually not a dream, but seemed like it coz I never thought I'd be going to those places in a million years.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner with my Sayang and Lyana, tomorrow my plans include watching my Hubby get shot with balls of paint and Sunday, I want to hug Ikin till she can't breathe (but I will try and spare her little dango)!

Thank God It's Friday

1. Apples are to oranges as cheesecakes are to petai.

2. Assume makes an ass out of u and me and that's all I have to say about that.

3. I think I hear voices.

4. I don't need a flag.

5. Do what you want to do, but hell, leave me out of it.

6. Across the road, there stood a mime and behind him was a Radio Flyer wagon; in the wagon was a bucket filled with fish.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watch a movie with my Babe, tomorrow my plans include wishing Najeeb a happy birthday and a doa selamat for my hubby's cousin, and Sunday, I want to start packing for my US trip!

Too random for you? Check out Friday Fill-Ins.

The Three

Note to Najeeb: I'll do the memes you tagged me once I have more time k?

Three Names I go by
1. Elmira
2. El
3. Mira

Three Jobs I have had in my life
1. Body Shop's product advisor
2. Admin Asst at UPM's graduate school
3. Writer

Three Places I have lived
1. Serdang
2. Bandar Tun Razak
3. Shah Alam

Three TV Shows that I watch [well, let's make it Three TV Shows that I would watch if time permits!]
1. Project Runway
2. Greys Anatomy
3. Pushing Daisies

Three Favorite Places I have been
1. Bali, Indonesia
2. Langkawi, Malaysia la duh
3. Kedai buku

People that e-mail me regularly
1. My bosses
2. Colleagues
3. Facebook haha.

Three of my favorite foods
1. Fish
2. Chocolate
3. Crab and Prawn

Three things I would like to do
1. Cook more
2. Watch TV
3. Bring peace to the world with a flick of my fingers


Things I am looking forward to
1. US trip. Wednesday, come soon!
2. July.
3. Make babies haha

Three people that would respond to this and do it
1. Nana
2. My babes
3. Najeeb + Soul
(Okay more than three but what the hell.)

----

A lot of these answers reminds me of what little time I have to do the little things, like spending time in a bookstore, or watch TV. Simple pleasures in life that we take for granted.

I'm sleepy. And yet I'm blogging, and I'm on Facebook. Hubby is probably snoring away in the room. hmm. Time to join him, I guess.

loathe.

With all my might, I hate those who are:

Ignorant: These kind of people, I meet, either in real life or virtually, every day. Mostly online, though. For instance: You guys know that I work in an Islamic finance publication, right? So sometimes, the news that I get through my Google Alerts are on Islam but not necessarily on finance. More often than I would've liked, I receive alerts on blog posts that people all over the world put up, dissing Islam up to the brim, like they know so much about the religion to be talking about it in the first place.

What the hell is up with that?! I mean, regardless of the subject matter, you should only speak up when you know what you are talking about. You don't have to be an expert on it, but at least make educated opinions statements. I know I'm no expert in Islam although I am Muslim, that's why I usually steer away from making religiously-driven postings. But you, the only Muslim you know is Osama bin Laden, and suddenly you know everything? bleurgh!

Arrogant: Why do you talk and type like you are the best human being in the world? As if the rest of humanity is beneath you, and none of our opinions matter? You refuse to accept when someone refutes your brick-hard stand on an issue, even when you probably know the other party is right.

It irks me when people use sarcasm to belittle others. Its funny when it is, but when its not... God help me. Don't your parents ever tell you not to look down on other people? Its rude!


Judgmental: Different people have different ways at living their life, at looking at their life. People have different goals and expectations, dreams and fears, wants and needs. So why do you, pray tell, scoff at those who feel and think differently than you?

So what if the newly-married couple is staying at their in-laws? Does it hurt you in any way? And what is it to you if they don't want to have any children yet due to financial reasons? Are you willing to offer them your savings to help them? Just because your family taught you that the females does not belong in the office, and that the men are not suppose to be in the kitchen EVER, that doesn't mean that the complete opposite won't work for other people!

Unless you know these people personally that you may be in a better position to comment on their life (to them in person, not via blogs, twitter, facebook, surat layang), reserve your opinion to yourself. Drop that holier-than-thou attitude la please. It annoys others, and it won't do you much good in the long run.

---

Excuse me. I'm ranting. I just don't get these people sometimes.

And mind you, these are only some of the types of personality I hate.

red flats is <3

It's very very hard to concentrate when you're hungry. *pats tummy*

... See? I don't even remember the next line I wanted to type out after the first one above, and I was just thinking about it like a minute ago!

Anyways, got a new pair of flats that a colleague ordered for me from Indonesia. Yup, I occasionally shop online. Well, I only buy from the Indonesian shoe shop and a local plus-size online boutique. Tried both shops just for the heck of it, and I'm glad the good turned out great.

But no, that does not mean that I'll start shopping online religiously. There's something about going to a store, trying things out for myself, imagining what occasions you can wear the top/dress/pants/shoes to, and then only taking out my wallet to pay for the item.

Wah and suddenly my concentration level risen up.

Hidayah... aku laparrrr!

trippin' on smoothie

Still no Internet at home.

Been a while since I was able to log on to Facebook, to find that the look has changed. And MSN Messenger too!

Have yet to really explore it to decide whether I love it or loathe it. I will soon, I hope.

till later~

I was tagged part deux

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
I don't think so.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Yesterday. Seven Pounds made me cry like a little girl.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
haha no!

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAL?
Good food. haha. It depends, really.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Yes. Her name is Zoe. She's fat, and she's gray. And yes, she's a cat.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yup! I'd probably tell me to get serious about losing weight tho.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
No lah I use soap.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
haha not really, no.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Honey gold and Quakers' wheat squares thingy.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
I don't wear shoes with strings in the first place.

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
At the moment, its chocolate and mint.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their eyes.

15. RED OR PINK?
Red ftw!

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORlTE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My lack of will to get on the treadmill.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Mama.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
Its up to them really.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
No shoes, pink and white stripey pants. Yes I'm in my pajamas.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The Brilliant Green - Angel Song

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE
Red la duh.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Estee Lauder's Pleasures and Pure White Linen Breeze, Annick Goutal's Petite Cherie, fresh lilies. And any rose scents, either fresh or perfume; reminds me of my mother and The Body Shop's Tea Rose perfume she used to wear.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Kak Fara, last night.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Several people tagged me, and I like them all very much! <3

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Football when with hubby, and paintball when hubby is playing.

27. HAIR COLOR?
Dark brown.

28. EYE COLOR?
Dark brown.

DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No. I don't have to :D

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Malay, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Mexican. I love food la basically. But am currently craving for Las Carretas' jalapeno poppers.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings! I'm a sucker like that.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Seven Pounds with Azzura :)

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Salmon haha.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Both!

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs AND kisses.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND to this note?
The people of Sup Cendawan Anjung.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND to this note?
uhm. My husband.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Mouse la duh.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Bourne Ultimatum.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
Kusa's snore (when its gentle and not too loud that I can't sleep)

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Both?

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Europe baby!

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I can move my ears :)

46 WHERE WERE U BORN?
KL.

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
Everyone's!

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
IRC. Yup it started out as an internet relationship. Yanti introduced us. Thanks Yanti! (Or is it "Dang it, Yanti, look what you got me into!" ;) hahaha. Just kidding!)

I was tagged

Rules: It's harder than it looks! Copy to your own note, erase my answers, enter yours, and tag twenty people.

Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real, nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.

1. What is your name : Mira

2. A four Letter Word : More

3. A boy's Name : Michael

4. A girl's Name : Marissa

5. An occupation : Marskman

6. A colour : Maroon

7. Something you'll wear : Maxi skirt

9. A food : Mee Maggi

10. Something found in the bathroom: Mirror

11. A place : Museum

12. A reason for being late: Makan! haha.

13. Something you'd shout : Mangkuk ayun! (a tribute to Najeeb :P)

14. A movie title : Memoirs of a Geisha

15. Something you drink : Milkshake

16. A musical group : My Chemical Romance

17. An animal : Mink

18. A street name : Maharajalela, Jalan

19. A type of car : Mitsubishi

20. The title of a song : Mary had a Little Lamb haha.

I'm supposed to be resting.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I am from the Jamalullail clan of the Syed lineage. My second name, Elmira, when combined with the clan name, means 'princess of the beautiful night'.

2. Also on my name, I used to carry two ICs around before MyKad was introduced. One is the regular one with only my name, the other one with my full name [inclusive of my dad's name]. In case you're wondering, its Syarifah Elmira Afzan binti Syed Nor Azlan. A mouthful, eh? haha. I love my name!

3. I love love love spicy food. Although I have to take em with jugs full of water.

4. I had this weird thing that kinda stopped, where whatever cookies, candies of chocolate pieces I eat must be in even numbers. It only applied to countable food items like the ones I mention... not rice or noodles.

5. I studied Performing Arts in a UiTM for a year. Was the pioneering batch. Something screwed up, and then I didn't pursue it. Oh well.

6. Chocolate and lemon tastes weird together. But separately, they're heaven-sent.

7. My babe and I couldn't pinpoint an exact date when we got together. We didn't exactly do the whole "Will you be my girl/boy?" routine. We just decided one day - over the net, nonetheless - to go with the flow. The flow is still going.

8. Made some very close friends online, in IRC, in a little channel called #backroomkl. But most of them moved on to other things. One I married to. And one girl I'm still close to is in Japan.

9. Also on friends, some of my best friends are the ones from school. This either shows that I don't socialize much, or that I am very loyal that way.

10. I can't get angry for too long. Especially with friends and my sisters. So even when a friend screws up and then comes back, I'd accept her/him back without much questions.

11. I am currently swooning over a French toddler that goes by the name Capucine.

12. My late mother is my ultimate hero. She is wise, patient, calm, non-judgmental, and would even help those who dissed her in the past. I don't think I can be like her.

13. I'm not very funny. [Unlike Hadi, I am dead serious!]

14. I aspire to own a makeup artistry business by the time I'm 33.

15. I want to write a fiction novel. No deadline for that yet, though.

16. I wanted to be a radio DJ. I swear to God, I put that down in school whenever they ask students to write down our ambitions.

17. My husband is the only person who can get away with tickling me. He suffers in the process though. I am very ticklish, up to a point where I loathed being tickled at. I may laugh when I am tickled, but I cry inside. And sometimes, afterward. But Kusa is persistent. Its good though... its not like I want him to stop.

18. Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill and No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom are the best albums of all time, in my list.

19. I forgive, but forgetting is harder. I won't say that I don't, but can't say that I do either. It depends. So save the trouble and don't mess with me k?

20. I am surrounded with graphically creative people: my husband, his brother, his best friend, my best friend. But I am not.

21. I have sensitive teeth due to the stupidity of a dentist.

22. I fidget. Its a habit that's hard to break.

23. I hate the kind of cherries that people put on a cake. But give me real ones anytime, baby. yum!

24. I am the tallest among my siblings. And I'm the youngest.

25. I am amazed how my Sayang can make me get over my sulking mode with just a single look or one line to make me laugh again. I may still be angry, but I laugh anyways. And on how he finds different ways to annoy me on a daily basis. Every day. Even after 7 years and six months. He is so annoying, its endearing. :)

By the way, I'm tagging EVERYONE.

woohoo! i'm blogging for the second day in a row!

Two friends of mine and myself had a discussion during lunch about tudung-clad women and smoking.

It was brought up when one of them, Hidayah, saw a girl with tudung or headscarf smoke a cigarette at the mamak where we were having lunch, near the office. She was voicing out her disbelief to us, and said that she couldn't accept it. Juliana, the other girl, agreed.

I did not.

In a nutshell, their point of view was - putting religion and health reasons aside - that its not appropriate for women who are supposed to be the epitome of prim and proper [as most tudung-clad women are] to smoke in public.

While mine - of course, putting religion and health reasons aside - is that it should be okay for them to smoke, just as it is okay for men, or women not wearing tudung. Why should there be a double standard?

This no smoking rule for tudung-wearer, it seems to me, was imposed by society.

I'm not the smartest of person to be giving out expert opinions; my thoughts are mine, from what I observed and from what I have learned. I was not brought-up to believe that those wearing the headscarf should be held in a different pedestal than those who are not (except for the obvious fact that wearing the tudung is a must amongst Muslim women).

To me, I have a bigger problem with tudung-wearer who wears short-sleeved, tight fitting t-shirts. Kinda defeats the whole purpose, don't you think?

Being prim and proper or respectable to me its about how a woman, regardless of whether her hair shows or not, carries herself. The same how you would judge a man. Doesn't help that there already is an existing double standards between man and women, and now there's one between those donning the tudung or not pulak?

And hearing out their opinion, I do understand what they were trying to say. Juliana said that women and sometimes men in Korea smoked discreetly, because they were taught that it is not proper to do it in public.

But again my question: whose fault was that?

Talking to them about it did not change my mind. In the end, we just agreed to disagree.

What do you think?

28 at 4.10pm

And so another 29th January has passed us by.

More significantly to me lah, of course, with my 28th birthday and all that.

Yeah. I'm 28 now. I thought the number would scare me, but its kind of liberating instead. I believe I am wiser now. Still so much to learn, and so many things I have yet to accomplish, but Insya Allah I'll get there.

Random thought: I wonder how true the saying that a true lady doesn't tell her age?

Anyways. I hope I didn't annoy too much with my birthday countdowns and what-not. I love celebrating my birthday, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. I love the fact that its in January, and that I can tell people "My birthday is on the 29th day of the year". So to those who are annoyed, I am sorry. Not like I'm going to stop doing it, but sorry anyways.

I had a pretty decent day. OK that's a lie. I was stressed, especially in the evening. Didn't help that today is a effing Thursday.

I'm actually considering imposing a 'no work on a birthday' policy on myself. and hubby baby. boleh tak?

Thank you everyone for the kind wishes (and the occasional get-baby-soon messages that somehow got tangled up in the birthday messages). I truly, honestly feel very appreciated and loved. :)

And so the birthday weekend begins. I have 4 celebrations roughly planned out, so here's to another busy weekend!

I owe it to you people

OK lah, since a few people have been telling me that my previous blog title was misleading (not exactly in those words, though), here's a post on the band that I've been head-over-heels about.

Well, to be honest, there's not much to blog about. I didn't know Estrella existed until yesterday, when I was channel-surfing and suddenly decided to stop at hitz.tv. What caught me was this cute girl singing the lead (Liyana, I think her name is) and that the beginning of the song, titled 'Stay', sounds so much like 'Dan' by Sheila on 7, my ultimate Indonesian band.

The song is catchy, and fun. So I decided to look them up on YouTube. And I found this.



The title of this song is 'Ternyata'. I fell in love with it almost immediately. I love it so much, I even told Najeeb that he has to have the song during his reception!

So yeah. This is why I was swooning over them.

i wish i can sleep and type at the same time.

There's a huge zit a little on the left side of my forehead. Besides from being super huge, it is also super annoying and painful.

I'm currently taking a break from packing up things and clothes to bring to my family's Bukit Merah trip tomorrow. Well... not really a break la, more of a halt as I am effing sleepy and I'd rather continue in the morning with a much clearer mind.

I'm kinda excited about the trip, despite remembering that a few people I know told me that the place sucked. I googled the place, and found out that they mostly have nature-related activities. Now, to be honest, that's not really my thing. But who knows... It might be fun walking at the Ecopark.

Open mind, open heart. I'll probably have the time of my life.

I think my bed is calling out to me.

Merry Christmas, everyone :)

i crave for some meat.

Its not too bad spending time alone at home on a Sunday. Well okay that's a lie; I'm kinda bored, but it's only for a few hours. I'm not exactly alone, actually... the girls [i.e the maids] are downstairs.

Why am I alone? My Babe and his bro, Chik, were invited to a friend's BBQ party. I didn't want to go coz I don't know anyone there, and I know there's a big chance that I'll just stick around my Sayang and socialize very minimally. So why not just let him do his own thing for a change and let them boys bond over a little game called WOW? That's how they know each other anyway.

Furthermore, I don't want to be like one of those people who insist on having their significant other do everything with them, and I feared that I was already becoming one. I know that weekends are our only real 'us' time together, but we'll get many more chances. :)

I got myself an award from Najeeb about two weeks ago. He thinks that I'm creative enough to be considered a Kreativ Blogger. Honestly, I don't know if I deserve to be called creative, coz to be honest, I don't have a single creative, artisitic bone in me! But I try to be in my writings, and Insya Allah I'll be able to channel it better in the future. So thanks Jeeb for thinking of me, and I am really really really happy! yeay! Its my first ever!

So anyways. The award.


As a rule, the recipient has to lis three things that he/she loves, and my list is as the following:

- I love my dad, my sisters and my little devils. I've said it before and I'll say it again; I am nothing without them. They have been with me through thick and thin, and they know for the person I am.
- I love my girls to tiny bits and pieces. Azzura, Animz, Noran, Along, Adik, Lyana and Ikin. You girls are my rock.
- My baby boo. My Sayang. My Husband. And Insya Allah, father of my child. wah gila babi corny haha~

Ikin also tagged me to post seven random things about myself. I'm pretty sure I did it before, but for the life of me I couldn't find it in my archive. I'm just gonna try find it one more time, and will do the tag if that doesn't work out as well.

Hmm. Almost 2pm. I think I'll watch a movie.

8.30pm on a Thursday night, and I'm doing nothing.

I realize today that I've been doing most of my shopping alone lately. Its not much fun, especially during those crucial moments when I need to choose between two tops, or when I need a reasonable voice telling me that I have enough shoes as it is (which rarely gets through my head anyways haha).

Why? I don't know. My husband is not a mall person, I don't have much free time anyways on weekends, and so I resort to shopping on my home from work at KLCC.

However, solitary shopping does have its perks: I get some alone-time, and I find myself making good buys without other people influencing my decision.

But given the choice, I'd take shopping-cum-makan-cum-bitching session with my gurlies anytime, baby.

Talking about shopping, my company will be having a Christmas dinner in the middle of this month, before the bosses go for their holiday break (no bosses for 2 weeks! woohoo!). We're going to have a Secret Santa-thing that day; where you buy a gift for someone whose name you picked out randomly. I get to ask for something that I want in our wish list, and I know that I want a book. Question is: what book?

Any suggestions? I'm thinking of either A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini or Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. What do you think?