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the day my hair getting more shorter! *glurp*

"ma... you cut your hair again?", megat asked, when i was there at his school to deliver his lunch.

i think it was just yesterday that i wrote about my new hair for 2009, and look what i have done to it this morning—

to tell you the truth i guess i got all excited for a more shorter hair after i met my aunt mazian last tuesday, not forgetting pinky as well at nuffnang premiere screening punisher: war zone.

it happened this morning, after i met puteri during her recess time to hand over something that she forgot to bring to school. while i was driving down the bukit residen (resident's hill), suddenly i thought to myself of what if i cut my hair more shorter than the previous one, just like aunt mazian and pinky. so i turned to the 9 o'clock turning at the jam besor (big clock tower) roundabout instead of just going straight back home. then i headed to the saloon... voila!

if you are my blog readers, i am sure you could see the transformations of my hair from this, this and finally... this one ;)

of making it short!

when i first saw my aunt mazian, as she arrived at TCB&TL in kl sentral last monday, i thought that her new appearance was really good and most importantly she even looks much younger than her age in one glance. while she was surprised too to see me who had cut my hair short as well. she complimented me for the new look, and that she knew that people would be surprised to know of my real age hehee...

well eventually like i mentioned here, i decided to cut my hair in december last year after thinking about it for quite some time. it has been about 2+ years since i last cut my hair then. so i thought to have some changes to it. i bumped in to rizal end of last year. he totally agreed when i asked for his opinion. besides that, he was the one who suggested me to re-colour my hair to my original colour. thanks to him that i feel more wonderful with this new hairstyle for 2009.

in fact i saw pinky at the recent nuffnang premiere screening of punisher: war zone, who eventually just got her haircut short also. you look gorgeous girl! i tell you what... even nicholas can't really recognize me. its because of my new hair i think. he told me that he thought of met me somewhere before but he can't seems to remember. wa lau ley... he was the one who handed me my RM100 mph voucher prize at nuffnang friso family day out! my hair was still long that time hehee...

from my research on this topic, the best part of a hairstyle 2009 is that it fits into the lifestyle of a modern stylish man and woman. as people nowadays does not have enough time to spare to style up their hot hairstyles for 2009 would be the best option. hairstyle for 2009 is very simple styles and most celebrities today go for it. one of these is the cute and stunning pixie haircut. the pixie cut is for those who want to focus on their face and features and gives a sweet girlie effect.

try out some hottest hairstyles of 2009 like bob with brow length bangs. the basics are that most of these hairstyles are inspired from celebrity’s hairstyles. so go ahead and experiment with the hairstyles for 2009. if you have longer hair and you do not want to go for a major hairstyle change, then go for the all time favorite ponytail hairstyle. this hairstyle is easy, casual and elegant at the same time.

one of the top trends of 2009 hairstyles is the razor cut bob where the hair drops to the shoulders. side parts and zigzag effects compliment this hairstyle. enhance it further with glittery hair picks and beaded accessories.

the vintage retro curls is one of those 2009 hairstyle that is making the rounds, so is the bed head that is quite suitable for thinner faces. for covering the face, the medium shag is the best bet. if you prefer the layered cut then you can either choose the choppy and defined cut or the multi-layer cut.

the 2009 hairstyle guide include the blunt bangs hairstyle that is just perfect for round and square faces. it gives your high cheekbones that toned down look. feel modern and sophisticated with this hairstyle.

the short shag from hairstyle 2009 would be fine for women who want to look amazing. this hairstyle works with most hair types and styling is easy too. the wavy shag hairstyle is also one of the hottest hairstyles of 2009 for women with curly hair. it gives you a sexy look provided your hair is not too thin.

if you are interested in this topic, check-out more on this from the related links provided below:

• hair style zone
  
• 2009 hairstyles - the latest hairstyles!
  
• women's hair trends 2009

nuffnang premiere screening, punisher: war zone

first of all, thank you so much to nuffnang that i managed to secure a pair of tickets to nuffnang premiere screening of punisher: war zone. i was one of the lucky 50 nuffnangers who won this by writing a slogan “If I’m the punisher, I’ll punish… those people who damaged Gaza!” hehee... simple as that, huh?!!

so like before, i didn't just go to kl for the premiere screening. of course i got some other errands to do, so i did everything all together in one shot hence my one night kl trip this time was truly packed with quite a number of agendas. what a co-incidence that rizal was there too for work matters. so i took the chance to invite him along.

we were from the city. we had to drop by any of the stations along our way, cuz he has to do some work reports. since its gonna take a while, i just waited in the car. besides it was raining outside. the weather was rather good when we were reaching damansara area. earlier when rizal asked me of "how many tolls", i thought he was asking of how much is the toll charges. when were about to reach the toll near phileo damansara, i told him that the toll is about RM1. so tell me whether i was 'jakun' or not, when i saw him showed a receipt to the cashier. then i thought to myself, "oh no wonder ler... probably earlier he wanna prepare the receipts to get free tolls heheee..." but of course i didn't ask him, cuz i was acting to be smart lol...

and there's another incident at the cineleisure's car park when we reached there around 8.30 pm— rizal thought of just leaving his small bag in the car boot and asked me whether was it safe for him to leave it there. when asked, he told me that the contents were guns.

then i was like... "wheyyy... you better bring that with you ler!" *phew*

and walking with him especially when i knew that he carried guns, really make my heart beats faster like hell! i tell you...

so we went straight to the outpost cafe near the cineleisure to get the tickets. i saw quite a number of bloggers there. unfortunately i do not think i knew any of them. i was told by robb that bloggers were entitled to get 50% off on drinks there. i went back to rizal, who waited for me outside the cafe. he suggested that we went for dinner somewhere. we walked to little penang kafe at the curve. rizal ate char koay teow. while i had assam laksa, but rizal wallup it all since i can't finish it hmm... that just reminds me of our good 'ol days together weee... sorry guys... but being with an 'undercover' that night, i guess that he just ought to keep himself in disguise :) but he's already in his casual appearance... i dunno... we bumped in to timothy after dinner though, right in front of the little penang kafe.

anyhow i did snap some pics when we went back to the outpost cafe, but not as many as usual. rizal waited for me somewhere outside (again).

here's me with robb, taken by pinky

and pinky with me, taken by robb ;)

there were two SDU to secure the surrounded area from the punisher
p/s my friend rizal carried real guns that night you know? ;)

the punisher: war zone picks up 6 years into the punisher storyline. frank Castle (ray stevenson), a.k.a. the punisher, continues to enforce his vigilante style of justice on mobster families in order to get the bad guys that always find a way to beat the system. during an attack on a mob party, the punisher unknowingly murders an undercover fbi informant and later in the same attack, he severley disfigures the face of one of the leading mafia gangsters - billy "the beaut" russoti. this facial mutilation leads the gangster to proclaim his new villain name, jigsaw. these two events set up the plot of the film as the punisher learns of his wrongful kill and his ensuing remorse leads him to want to leave the punishing business, but he can't because the monstrous looking mobster jigsaw is alive and seeks revenge on the fbi informant's wife and child and revenge on the punisher for being the cause of his disfigurement. predictably, the dead fbi informant's wife and child get kidnapped by jigsaw and in order to save them a huge war-like battle ensues between the punisher and jigsaw's army of mobsters, gang-bangers, and thugs.

this film falls under the marvel knights brand which is basically the grittier and darker division of marvel comics. marvel knights products are intended for a maturer 15 years or older audience so that the stories and characters may be re-envisioned without the limitations on explicit content that are in place with the regular marvel brand. the punisher: war zone definitely exercised pulp style violence and gore to the point of gratuitousness. perhaps the excessive and gratuitous violence will create box office interest because overall the story was predictable, the script and acting was painful at times, and the film was 20 minutes too long. i would recommend this film if you are in the mood for a mindless shoot 'em up massacre, otherwise wait for the dvd so that you have the options of fast forward or doing something else while you watch it.

punisher: war zone official site

*go and visit these related links for more great pics:
punisher 2: war zone screening
photo updated for yesterday event
movie premiere with nuffnangers @ cineleisure

of blogging from TCB&TL

my oh my... i dunno what's wrong every time i wanna get online at TCB&TL. i always got problem with their wifi service. i dunno whether its my dell or TCB&TL' itself. i entered the username and password correctly but it still cannot be done ler... blerk! :P

there were a few incidence previously on last christmas eve, i had to 'kidnap' the wifi from nearby starbucks at the curve instead of TCB&TL'. and another at BSC, i had to do the same i.e. 'kidnapping' la bodega's wifi.

anyway i am right now blogging live from TCB&TL outlet in kl sentral, waiting for my aunt mazian. i have an appointment with her at 11am. my train back to kuale is at 2.23 pm. i had something on yesterday afternoon. then at night, i attended nuffnang premiere screening of punisher: war zone 2. i will write more about it when i am back. so to get an online access from here, i had to 'kidnap' wifi access from others also; this time via MRCB(?) :(

an open letter from a true kuale residence

to all people of the world,

what happened and what you saw on tv about kuale yesterday really make us ashamed. where else kuale people in reality are not like that. go here to read some of my blog postings on "people of kuale". in fact there are more to come. kuale people are so bond with each other like family, no matter who we are and where we live i.e. kota lama, bukit chandan, jalan baru, talang etc.

like my junior in school' parents said, bukit chandan people stayed and locked themselves at home. same with other places. i had to go out just because of the kids' activities. other than that, i was not interested to go out at all. even megat was so scared to see so many people in town, especially at the 'jam beso' (big clock tower) area :(

i just wanna say one thing: please do not disturb kuale. let us live in peace... tq. amin.

kuale today—

i ain't a fan of politics thingy, but as a blogger who reside here, i do not wanna miss to present you people my lovely readers views of kuale from my very own eyes:

i have just fetched puteri at that time around 12:22 pm. here we were from up the hill of bukit residen (resident's hill) towards town. the traffic was not like this except for public holidays and sort. earlier i arrived at the school via the back road from jalan baru (jalan sultan iskandar shah), because i knew that the main road to/from bukit chandan has been blocked.

this is a closer look at 12:25 pm. there was not much difference from earlier pic, although it was only about 3 minutes away.

this has been taken by puteri at 2:38 pm. we could see police traffics stand-by at almost every junctions, especially at this 'jam beso' (big clock tower) roundabout. that was why we were delay in fetching megat :(

this has been taken around 4:26 pm, when i wanted to send megat for his sports practice in school. as you could see, the 12 o'clock road to bukit chandan has been blocked by police trucks and fru. besides all the craps, we could also hear the sound of helicopter flying around on top of us every now and then... guarding kuale from the top.

"what happened mama?", megat asked. he was kinda scared to see so many people in town. pic taken along jalan kangsar at 4:27 pm.

find out more about what has been happening here:
bernama
nst
the star
the malaysian insider
msn news

of coping with our kids' schedule...

megat has quite a number of homeworks to do yesterday. ya... he goes to a chinese school, so what would you expect right. he even already got homeworks on his first day of school. at the same time his yesterday's schedule was kinda tough as well.

megat came back from school at 2.25 pm. but i tell you what... by the time we reached home around 2.50 pm, he was still hungry! he ate rather a lot as soon as he reached home. everyone were kinda surprised, cuz its not that i didn't bring him his lunch earlier. end up we found out that he shared his pack lunch with some of his friends. well actually we were not that surprised also though.

the same thing happened from last year. actually megat already started to attend extra class in school then. but that time it was once a week only. we knew that megat's friends were not lucky enough like him. their parents didn't send them any food during lunch break, in between their extra class. they just make do with extra monies that their parents gave, and they have to survive themselves. so i as a concerned mother, packed lunch in two plastic containers instead i.e. one for megat, and another for his friends to be shared among them. the idea was for megat to have enough lunch. since the extra classes this year are from monday to friday, megat has been warned of not to share his pack lunch. its the matter of economics as well you see... but megat, being a noble boy i guess, still shared his lunch that i packed for him. oh boy!...

i wonder whether his friends' parents aware of what has been happening. or they just make dunno about it. in fact i wanted to buy a loaf of bread at a nearby mamak restaurant yesterday morning after dropped megat at his school, when i bumped into megat's senior noraini and a chinese girl. when asked, she told me that she was buying a roti canai and wanted to eat before the school hours start. oh dear... poor noraini. looks like she didn't eat her breakfast at home. when i gave this a thought, i know that my kids are lucky enough to have a proper breakfast at home before going to school. alhamdulillah... but on another thought, if i can wake up as early as 5am to start my day, why can't other parents do the same... argghhh!!!... this is all actually the matter of wanting to give the best for our youth.

so after megat had his extra lunch at home yesterday, he watched the tv for a while while relaxing. then he started to do his homeworks. he took a break for a while in between because he was too tired. while from 8 to 9.30 pm, i had to send him for his taekwondo class. he has his dinner after the class. he tried to complete his homework then after. but he was already too tired after quite some time. so i had a deal with him to let him sleep first, and he has to wake up early this morning to finish-up his homework.

pity megat. but what to do. if we as the parents don't lead him on doing things in the right path, how is he going to cope with his schedules well. anyhow, i did help megat to do some colouring while he was doing his other written homeworks early this morning hehee...

"ma... please make sure that you put back the colour pencils at the right place", once megat told me.

wahhh... banyak songeh plak dia since i already helped him *big grin*

so as for today, i told megat that he can get a quick nap after he comes back from the extra class at 2.25 pm. then he has to go back to the school about two hours later for a sports practise *phew*

congratulations to the winner of a sony 32″ lcd tv!...

nuffnang has already announced the winning entry for the best post event blog post on nuffnang friso family day out (go here to read my blog post).

and the winner is... *drum roll*

RED MUMMY!!!

congratulations again! let me be the first blogger to congratulate you for winning this hmm... now i realized that i still owe a blog post for the event potluck with redmummy ler... duh!... *glurp* btw you people can read her winning entry here.

*links related to this post: pelangi khamis

of packing a healthy and cheap lunch

today is only 4th of february.
megat is only in year four this year.
upsr exam is only two years away from now.

no matter what the circumstances are, megat and his batch (year four) have already started to attend extra classes after school hours with effective today, organized by the school' PTA. take note that megat is schooling in a local chinese school. so as for now he will be going home only at 2.55pm from monday to wednesday, while on thursday and friday is at 2.25pm. parents are allowed to deliver their kids lunch during their second break i.e. when the normal school hours end (1.35pm for monday to wednesday and 1.05pm for thursday and friday).

so as for me it's not a problem at all to bring megat's packed lunch to him at those hours. normally it would be like that anyway, where i would fetch puteri right after megat anyway. so it's definitely fine for me. and the best thing is we do not have to be worried for food poisoning, as the food is home-made. home-made food are more healthy i tell you. if not why on earth we could see quite a number of chinese mothers do the same. in fact one of them who always chatted with me when we bumped in to each other in school, told me that even she do not trust canteen food. she prefer to cook her kids' packed meal herself. besides that, we can teach our kids to save their pocket money since they already bring packed meals/lunch from home.

so as you could see from the above pic, that is the school' side entrance gate. that is where i usually waited for megat. and the missing grill are meant for us parents to pass anything to our kids, vise versa. kewl huh?!!...

i tell you what... isn't it good for you people to adapt this packed lunch ideas for work., no matter whether you are single or married. lunch is the meal where most people end up scarfing down whatever fatty, greasy food they can find. but it only takes a little pre-planning to create a healthy, energy-boosting meal, at little cost to you or your long-term health.

step 1
create a healthy shopping list, with easy-to-pack, nutritious foods in mind. opt for low-fat granola, dried fruit, nuts, low-fat meat slices, whole wheat bread, fresh fruit and deli tray-sized bits of fresh carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and sweet baby carrots, eggs (you can hard boil or create egg salad sandwiches with vegan mayonnaise or olive oil mayonnaise), and peanut, soy, or sunflower butter.

step 2
strategize the night before. it's best to pack more than you think you'll eat. that way you won't run out of the food you need to keep your energy up throughout the afternoon. plus, you'll have a little extra for mid-morning and even a quick breakfast on the run or during the commute.

step 3
include three components to make a meal: a main, snack and side. a salad, sandwich or whole grain wrap is a good choice for a main. throw in homemade trail mix (see #4) or granola for your snack. add in a salad with your sandwich, a container full of bite-sized veggies, or cubes of various fruits and honey for your side.

step 4
make your own trail mix. homemade trail mix can be customized to suit your taste, and can be created as a low-fat alternative to the store brands. mix together some sesame sticks, soy nuts, sunflower seeds, a few dark chocolate chips, dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries and almonds. the result is a snack that's tasty, low-fat and packed with protein and antioxidants.

step 5
try new variations on old standbys. there are hundreds of variations just on a whole wheat wrap. try a garlic or basil flavored flatbread or tortilla. brush on vinaigrette dressing instead of plain old mustard. add almonds for a protein boost, or just switch up your standard wheat sandwich bread with a whole grain roll. that way you'll never get bored and be inclined to stray from your healthy DIY route.

step 6
pack your items in reusable containers. bags formerly containing your snack mixes, veggies and sandwiches have only one place to go after you use them: the landfill. do this for the environment, while you revamp your lunch routine for yourself.

step 7
eat with co-workers in moderation. don't completely cut off lunches with colleagues. these are good morale-boosting sessions (or venting sessions, whatever the case may be). be a team player. you may be overdoing it when your lunches out really start to show up on your account balance and your thighs.

-----

on another note, kay came over to my place yesterday evening, for us to visit the late kak fairoz' mother. i think probably that time her (kak fairoz) brother was already on the way back to kuale from klia, to bring back her remains. read more about her in today's news here, here, here and here.

"may she rest in peace"... amin.

what to wear to a wedding

we have been honoured with an invitation to attend the wedding of the daughter of pakcik (uncle) dorai. this was a great opportunity to “dress up” indian style and i am not one to let an opportunity slip by.

so after much thinking of whether i wanna wear saree or just a baju kurung, end up i decided to don a lehnga and megat had a duty to fit in at my side — hence he wore a red kurta set, with matching pants. the rest of them just make do with our malay traditional clothes, baju kurung.

the end result was that i appeared in a purple and white lehnga with a black high-heels, but never the less the skirt is still a bit long for me as i am only stand at about 5'2" tall ;)

proper guest attire for an indian wedding normally consists of brightly colored finery; the brighter the better. actually there are no major restrictions. if it is a religious place then nothing revealing, otherwise, same as all weddings. grander for grander places, more casual for afternoon etc. you need NOT wear any indian costumes. but it doesn't mean that you freely can wear jeans, t-shirts, slippers and sorts. its strictly NO-NO! i hate seeing people wearing those at other cultures' wedding they attended. wedding is a sanctimonious affair and one needs to dress appropriately for the event. it can be a formal or an informal affair, but whatever is the nature, your dress should gel with the theme of the party.

in the following lines from my many online sources, i have provided some tips to help you in dressing up for a marriage.

1. for her:
   
   
   
   • if the wedding is during daytime and an informal one, a short dress or suit would be perfect.
   • for malay, chinese or indian weddings, traditional clothes are perfect for the respective weddings.
     
   • cocktail dress is best suited for an evening wedding, which is informal in nature.
     
   • if the wedding is a formal affair and is in the evening, long or dressy short cocktail dress, with beading, glam accessories or wrap, would do the trick.
     
   • it is generally advised to avoid wearing white, as the bride will be wearing it too. choose from the gamut of colors and select the one that best suits your personality.
     
   • if the party is during the day, black or sequins dress should be avoided.
     
   • if you are wearing the same color as the bridesmaids or mothers, don't bother. you may add to the unknowingly formed color theme.
     
   • wear something that enhances your personality. since wedding is a sanctimonious affair, club wear or overtly sexy clothing is a big No-No.
     
   • your dress should match your gloves and the rest of the accessories. however, do not go out to wear opera-length gloves, with sleeveless or strapless gowns.
     
   • if the nature of the wedding is not mentioned in the invite, choose a dress which would suit the mood of the wedding. a pastel dress or a floral print dress is best suited for daytime and a black dress for the evening.
     
   
   
   
2. for him:
   
   
   
   • if the wedding is during daytime and an informal affair, shirt and pant are the best suited for the affair. i understand sometimes here in our country people likes to wear batik shirts.
     
   • if the party is at the evening and is informal in nature, a suit would best complement the nature of the party.
     
   • tuxedo or dark suits work best in case of a wedding that is held in the evening and is formal in nature. remember, even if the wedding event is in the daytime and is formal, a tuxedo would still seem out of place.
     
   • a dark suit would gel with the wedding party which is in the evening.
     
   • if nothing is mentioned in the invitation card, choose attire that is versatile. a dark suit and conservative tie is just the right deal for any event.
     

p/s if the green room in the above pic looks familiar to you, then make sure to watch 'estet' in your nearest cinema very soon... insya allah ;)

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the death of A Fairos Ahmad Sulaiman

the death of A Fairos Ahmad Sulaiman, 37, from kampung temong hilir enggor, really saddened many people. it was so tragic. you can read more about it here as i do not have the guts to type it.

when i first knew it from one of uncle hashim's daughter' fb page, tears dropped from my eyes. although i was not very sure of who she (late Fairos) was, the news really makes me sad. i am sad of the way she passed away. ranong police only found the deceased after about a year she died. and the way she died is too hard to be accepted :(

so when i received a sms from my cousin juju (wan sayang's son) this morning, asking whether i have read the news about, "kawan kite FEROZ SULAIMAN mati dibunuh di Thailand!", that make me shocked! juju said 'kawan kite'. so i was trying hard to recall of who actually the friend of ours, while preparing for my kids' breakfast. my mind went hay-wire, what when thinking it was the most worst way of death argghhh!!!... it was so hard for me. suddenly i thought of kak feroz/fairuz(?) who was one of the pioneers at a local fast food restaurant here in kuale, together with us, including juju and i; about 20 years ago. kak feroz was working as a cashier. she was very helpful. she would helped her other colleagues if she was not busy with her work. she was a happy-go-lucky gal. i guess our team was the best of all. we worked happily together, with the rest like abang sham, hairi (rizal's big bro, now a teacher in ipoh), abang sani (now a chef if i'm not mistaken), kak lah, ramesh and also kay, to name a few. anyhow i replied juju to reconfirm about it. unfortunately he still didn't reply me yet to-date. he must be working or something now, that he's busy. i also sms rizal immediately and asked him to inquire more about this with his bro hairi and kak lah (rizal has their contacts).

gosh! i feel that my body is sooooo damn cold right now, thinking about this. maybe i shall update more on this when i received any news from any of the above people i know *peace*

updates:

• 10:17am; kay sms me just now. she asked whether i knew about kak fairoz's death. ya allah... that means she was really the kak fairoz i knew.
  
• 5:41pm; rizal called all the way from jb, to reconfirm that deceased was the same kak fairoz that we knew :(

to kak fairoz,
may the blessings of love be upon you,
may its peace abide with you,
may its essence illuminate your heart,
now and forever more,
blessing... amin.

puspawathy & sivanesan's wedding

we had the good fortune to attend a reputably magnificent indian wedding at a chinese hall nearby this morning. we are so deeply grateful that we did because it offered us a view of indian cultures and wedding traditions that were both amazing and completely unlike anything we had seen so far, or expected to see. especially for both my kids because it was their first time to see such event with full indian wedding traditions. it was a wedding of our family friend's daughter. our family knows each other from long time ago. when we arrived for the wedding, we were welcomed with open arms. we arrived about 10 minutes before the “start time” according to the invitation and were worried that we were late when we realised a lot of guests were already there.

we were however at ease when we were greeted and thanked for coming ‘early’. we had great seats in the front row.

i was also lucky enough to be invited by siva (pakcik (uncle) dore's another daughter) to join them on the stage to see the wedding ceremony with my very own eyes closer. megat didn't want to join me because the live indian cultural music, tabla i think was loud enough to be listened from the hall' floor. so i snapped lotsa pics maybe more than 60 of them. it's not that i have never been to an indian wedding before, but i guess i should just take the chance since i was already right in front of them!

just take a look at the above pic. it's of course a part of the indian wedding ceremonies. the pic shows the bride's mom standing on a tray. then the bride has to clean both her (mother) feet with milk to get her blessings. before that, the groom did the same to his mother.

i am going to be honest, that i don’t fully understand all the proceeding and ceremonies involved in an indian wedding. if you do, and you notice that i’ve made a factual error, please do not hesitate to correct me. hindus, sikhs and muslims all have unique traditions, although those of the hindus and sikhs are similar. we were in for a treat. the hindu wedding is a series of events staged to introduce the groom’s family to the bride’s, and bless both families.

the indian family is a very closely-knit and proud institution. families take each other, and their respect for each other seriously. the bad blood that day will be recycled, but will clear with time and effort. they are family, after all.

the above pic shows both bride and groom smiled through while bersanding after finally completed all the wedding ceremonies. this literally means the "sitting together of the bride and groom on the bridal couch". known as the pelamin, this couch is the centrepiece of the whole ceremony. more about the indian wedding ceremony can be read here. nonetheless you can jusk ask ms google, as there are many links about this that are available online.

to puspawathy & sivanesan,

the journey has just begun. the road ahead might be uncertain, but one thing is for sure… married life will be full of love and laughter after all.

and lastly, the above pic is of me with my junior in both primary and secondary school, selvambigai. she was so happy seeing me in lehnga. "you look gorgeous!", she told me. while i was so shy, smiling away... hehee... one thing for sure, the skirt is still a bit long for me although i was wearing high heels. i am just about 5'2" okay?!! you could see the difference clearly in the pic. see how tall selvambigai is!

"one malaysia, one voice"

To the Leaders of the World,

We the Children of Malaysia speaking in one united voice with the children of the world. And especially in this hour of sorrow with the children of Gaza;

• Call all world leaders to stop the conflict in Gaza Now.
  
  
• Call all world leaders to stop all violence against children Now.
  
  
• Call all world leaders to make it a crime against humanity to kill, injure and displace even one child in any conflict Now.
  
  
• Call all world leaders to love all children regardless of race, religion and nationality Now.
  
  
• Call all world leaders to recognize the rights of children to live and grow up as Peace-loving, responsible and caring adults now.

Therefore;

We the children pray and hope that this message will open all World Leaders’ eyes and hearts to do the right
thing now.

Listen to us Now! Stop War Now! Love us Now! Be True World Leaders NOW!

The Caring Children of Malaysia
One Malaysia, One Voice


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this is really an excellent idea. for me, i support whatever activities involved children.

the education ministry came up with a brilliant plan to set up "one malaysia, one voice' campaign to be held until 20th february, to organise various programmes and activities to raise awareness among students on freedom and peace. the activities for students in private and international schools include organising poster-drawing competitions, essay and poetry-writing competitions with the themes of anti violence, anti war, peace and freedom for students in primary and secondary schools.

the students would also be encouraged to write to their counterparts in palestine, and these letters would then be sent to them through wisma putra.

the ministry did not want students who might have witnessed the news reports of attacks in gaza to have a negative impression.

i would like to encourage all parents to develop this campaign with our kids from the comfort of our home. of course we as educators and parents want them (the students who are also our kids) to understand humanitarian values and that violence cannot be ignored. it is our role to guide and educate them on peace. this is also a kind of a way for us to value family bond.

i was at klcc with a friend on last sunday. he recorded a video of me via his mobile. a cute lil' girl saw it and smiled at me. she's such a darling. she has this cute lil' smile that reminds me of children in gaza who seems unable to smile like her. this incident really saddened me. take note that i snapped the lil' girl's pic with permission from her mother. i also left her (mother) my flickr address on a piece of serviette. i am sure they have seen it by now :)

according to education deputy director-general (general education operations) datuk noor rezan in malaysia hari ini on tv3 earlier this morning, the ministry would work with media organisations to highlight the best letters while outstanding essays would be put on the "one malaysia, one voice" website at www.1malaysia.1voice.net.my .

the public can make donations to the palestinian humanitarian fund in the form of cheques payable to MESCA Treasurer, to:

The Secretariat of the Palestinian Humanitarian Fund
Public School Management Division
Education Ministry
Third and Fourth Floors, Block E2, Parcel E
62604 Putrajaya
(for attention: Assistant Principal Director (Policy Sector)

they can also bank in their contributions at the MESCA account at public bank under the account number 3077068628.

education minister datuk seri hishammuddin tun hussein is expected to hand over all donations to a representative of the palestinian government in malaysia.

inkheart & bedtime stories

i was in kl over the weekend to ease my mind. besides its CNY break. on the other hand, i really needed a break for myself as this new year 2009' kinda tough; hence the silence here for a while. anyhow i managed to catch up some great movies with a friend at klcc though . anyone saw us :)

hollywood filmmakers often get caught up in trends. a hot trend these days is using best-selling books aimed at young readers as the basis for their movies. "twilight," "the golden compass" and all of the "harry potter" films are just a few examples.

those films that best capture the spirit of the books have become hits. the others end up floundering because they capture the words but not the essence of the book. you can add "inkheart" to the growing list of book-based movies that falter in their efforts.

the latest sword-and-silliness adventure for the always likable brendan fraser is based on the popular book by german author cornelia funke. fraser plays mortimer folchart, a man with an interesting ability. whatever he reads comes to life. literary guests in this world range from the flying monkeys of "the wizard of oz" to the long-locked rapunzel.

the downside is that if he reads a fictional character into the real world, a real person ends up in the fictional world. mor finds out this painful truth when his wife is sent into one of the literary worlds. this sends mor on a long quest to save his wife. the only obstacle is capricorn, an evil villain read into the world. he wants to use mor's power to rule the real world.

the director manages to construct an interesting start to his film. he wrings tension out of the attempts by capricorn to capture mor and his young daughter, meggie. the rather standard chase scenes are elevated by the beautiful european landscape that is the backdrop for the film.

fraser has played the likable reluctant hero so many times he probably qualifies for a patent on the role. the surprise is the literary character who longs to just return to the pages where he resides with his wife and family. in a film that is more about flash than substance, bettany turns in a compelling and touching performance.

all of these elements get trumped when the script takes a left turn.

the basic rule that only things read can come to life changes. it is a switch in the basic premise to make the ending happen. an audience never should be asked to embrace a well-defined concept and then be told in the final moments there are gray edges.

"inkheart" also suffers from a frugality of fictional characters. any and all literary characters can be read into the real world. but there are only a handful in the film. this leaves the movie feeling a little thin.

softley (director) never manages to capture the magic that made the book so popular.

and that means watching "inkheart" is like reading the cliffs notes of a famous novel. all of the key elements are there. there's just no real substance.

* * * * *

while on the previous sunday, i took puteri and megat to kinta city to watch bedtime stories, funniest movie ever. lots of action, keeps you woke up. we laughed our heads off.

if you look closely at bedtime stories, it is almost possible to see how the cast and crew were making up the movie as it went along. there's certainly no evidence of a script. it's just a series of nonsensical events that at times are anchored by reality and at other times are pure fantasy. they should have chosen one and stuck with it.

no one would notice this lack of direction if the movie were at least funny.

adam sandler plays the latest in his long line of lovable losers. this one is skeeter bronson, a hotel handyman (owh... how movies with hotel scene always remind me of my wonderful experiences there) who longs for the day he will be in charge. bronson discovers, when he must watch his niece and nephew for a week, that elements of his made-up bedtime stories come true the next day. he decides to use this gift to get the job he has wanted for many years.

director adam shankman should stick to musicals like hairspray. that format enables him to take the action over the top without looking stupid.

punisher: war zone

it seems as though the powers that be behind punisher: war zone (go to its official site here) have finally come to the conclusion that they need to ramp up the marketing campaign if they want people to actually go see this much-belabored film.

see for yourself:

for the rest of trailers head over to http://apple.com .

seriously though, the trailers make me very curious to see what the finished product of punisher: war zone is going to be.

but honestly, i’m tired of any and all speculation about this flick. after more than a year of the rumor mill churning, i’m going to try my luck in nuffnang's latest premiere screening contest punisher: war zone 10 days before its release date in malaysia! courtesy of buena vista columbia tristar malaysia... just so i can see what all the hubub has been about! who knows, maybe agitated curiosity was the marketing plan all along…

please find the details as follow:

date : 9 feburary 2009 (monday)
venue : cathay cineplex damansara
time : 9.30 pm
hall : 10

all you have to do is just write in an email to punisher@nuffnang.com with your full name, blog URL and complete the following slogan “if i’m the punisher, i’ll punish….” in no longer than 15 words. the best 50 slogan makers will be given a pair of invitations to the premiere screening of punisher: war zone on 9 february. terms and conditions apply.

i have already email mine earlier. so wish me luck ya people!

and are you eager to see punisher: war zone?

salmonella dough scare of famous amos cookies

watch out our daily food intakes especially for the importance of our loved ones—

Agence France-Presse - 1/22/2009 10:19 AM GMT

Malaysia probes Famous Amos cookies over salmonella dough scare

Malaysia's health ministry Thursday said it was investigating the Famous Amos cookie chain after it withdrew dough from several of its outlets here amid fears that it was contaminated by the salmonella bacterium.

The action followed an outbreak of salmonella poisoning in the United States, which has made at least 474 people sick since September as a result of infected peanut butter and peanut paste dough, according to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

read more here.

*this community service message is brought to you by kuE.