phaNtasmagoria: Nuances of Life

Life is like Coffee Movie: "Do you know people that just seem to be happier in general? Do you say to yourself, "I want to be more like them"? Often, the happiest people in the world don’t have the best of everything...they just make the best of everything!"



Courtesy of www.simpletruths.com

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Now playing: Bruno Mars BoB - Nothin' On You
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MYLAUNCHPAD NEWS | The Role of Online Media in Japan Earthquake



#Help when & where can, Pray for Japan#

Love it! Love it!

Long time since I last see a host attend to guests while chewing betel leaves!

Children playing in the park! :p

A zoo keeper & the zoo visitor :p

zoo specimen 1

zoo specimen 2

Waiting for ordered Menu

They said the Sultan's family frequent here (photos on wall)

Mr. Tan (Abah's friend) treated us here

Hmm...interesting & hot! I only managed to gobble one ;p

Mr.Tan scooping Tom Yam for each of us :)

Butik Murid-Murid (so cute laa)

Weekends breakfast stop

A.S in construction

The surau that Abah misses!

Never been here yet...

A.S in construction 2

'I P O H' on the hill

Mango plums(buah kundang) calling out to Emak!

Hentian Bukit Gantang: Fruits Galore!

Favourite Crunchy Mango slices

15th floor

Felt down a bit realising I need to go back to sending the car for air-cond fixing next week, plus fork out more money...hmm...
My immediate cure would be; more eating! Mind you, 2 hours before I already had a plate of fried rice! Now for 3 pieces of bread (or is it 4??), munch them with curried scrambled egg & ginseng leaves. Ish..ish...you better not follow with lunch after this, okay ;p

The plant is growing abundantly (& happily) in front of the house. I so loike! I got hooked on this leaves after we tried them at an eatery in Raub last year. The manager said it's called 'ulam Ginseng' (Waterleaf/ Ginseng Jawa). We could not believe our ears?! Later, Mak asked about it to her friend and the friend happened to have the plant!? How great is that?? MasyaAllah... Alhamdulillah...

One of the benefits of eating this ulam is 'to enhance food appetite'. Erk...


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Now playing: Bruno Mars - "The Lazy Song" (Studio Session) LIVE!!!!
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Well, I've just realised that it was exactly this date, 7 months ago when I sent it for service. I purposely waited for it to reach that presumed distance. Finally reached past it after returning from Rengit.

It was only the 2nd time I use the service here in Serdang. Can't really compare much so far except that here, firstly, the mechanic himself will brief to you what they'll do to your car during that inspection with the owner. They didn't do that back in MT.

Today the mechanic helped me in gauging the fee that I would have to pay if I agree to them servicing the air-cond as well. Apparently, I didn't prepare the budget for that as the last time I complained on the problem, the previous mechanic asked me to have it serviced at other workshop. Odd, isn't it? Well, I did it but the problem didn't go away. Had I agreed to servicing everything needed today, I would have to fork out around RM450.

Anyway, the mechanic today adviced me to come back & repair the 'air-cond leaking' problem. At first he asked me to come back in the evening. But after discussing with another staff, I heard she mentioned that 'Ah Heng' won't be around in the evening, so they agreed that I would call them for appointment again next week. I wouldn't be able to send the car anytime the rest of the week as after a whole day class tomorrow, I'll be off with my sisters & parents to A.S (Aloq Staq daa..) till Sunday. Tia wants to attend her friend's wedding. We'll be tagging along :p

p/s: Do you know what is 'Car dashboard' in BM? It's 'Papan Hempasan Kereta' :D No wonder you need to have air-bag there... I'm sure none of us want to literary have our heads 'dashed' on the board :p
p/p/s: What about a wash for my Kelisa? huhuu...

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Now playing: Katy Perry - Firework
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I should feel relieved, glad, calmed, comforted, pleased etc. you tell me. Maktok has been away from her dwelling for 1 month; first 2 weeks at my parents', then a week at Oteh's & the final week back at ours.

Her children; my aunts & uncles from Ampang, including my 2 lil' cousins, came to see her before she left for kampung. My aunts used that tone that I sometimes use on Mak whenever I feel like being clingy... I should laugh or giggle but I hoped they didn't see the attempted smile I had...

Maktok was unable to visit their places this time. She gave an excuse that I never thought I'd heard before; the stairs at their places are too high for her to climb. But I hear such statements a lot from her lately... That she'd feel congested in her chest when coming back from taking ablution... That she'd sometimes woke up in the middle of the night, feeling of some sort... That she'd feel hurt in behind whenever she sits too long... & my heart waver at each one, contemplating on the best response.

She told the same stories several times also; of how arwah Tokki used to help her in the kitchen when their children were younger, how her father-in-law taught her stuff in the kitchen in her early marriage days with Tokki, how Nek Yang (her mother-in-law) helped her finished the laundry when she was taking a long time in doing it...how Nek Yang died within minutes after she fell (Nek Yang was alive until I was 9 y/o)...how her tears fell incessantly the day Mak got married to Abah...how her relative died recently while being forced to finish his drink by a nurse at the hospital...

Getting her to drink is the usual joke/ laughable (can't think of another word) predicament between us. It's worrying... I mean, she fainted due to dehydration once in Mecca! She admitted it is the hardest thing for her to do, drinking half a cup is a chore to her. She stared at my 430 ml filled tumbler, thinking she'd take a week to finish it while I would at times empty it in one sitting. We gave her our other 430 ml tumbler just so it'd be an easier reminder for her, to drink more often, if not much.

I watched her treat my 2 other cousins living with her patiently, & lovingly of course. Each like to sit in front of her on the prayer mat whenever she finishes her solat. At different times, each would show her their 'work' on paper, the new toy they have, the funny things their baby sister has just did etc. Maktok would smile, nod, while her lips never stop the zikrullah.

Maktok is still well at kampung at the moment... Alhamdulillah...InshaAllah...

Why this entry?

It's been in my mind for quite some time... & I had just read a farewell entry of a friend of a friend whose husband died young in an accident, just last month. He left behind his wife of 3 years, a 2 y/o daughter & a 3-month old baby. Moments before the accident, she actually asked her husband, what it would be like when they were old, who would die first between them? Her husband just clasped her hand tight in reply.

& before that my sister dreamed of teeth falling...

Cruising back to Serdang, I still can't place my heart...
But Allah knows best.

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Now playing: Bruno Mars - Grenade
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Our breakfast for today. We bought the pumpkin at the pasar tani in yoUPeeeM last Friday. It was big. Not the round type, a bit of oblong shape. Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of it prior to this :p
There was this one Ah so, she bought 4 of them!? She said she would boil them. Wah...must be a pumpkin feast she's having with her family!

Here my mom grated some coconut & mix it with some salt. For some sweetness, she made another batch & added brown sugar.

Tsk...I am suddenly reminded by the late SAK's pumpkin fritters she brought to the office some time ago... Al-Fatihah for her...


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Now playing: 7 - Selawat Pelindung Diri
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I was excited at the sight of the lady walking with that big drinking water bottle on her head. Struggling with my phone to capture it and suddenly came the guy on the wheel chair. What? I thought he went past behind me just a couple of minutes ago? With all that I got a lil' left behind. So here is the paradox you see. See?


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Now playing: Meet Uncle Hussain - Lagu Untukmu
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Can you figure which one is my favourite birthday wish? (^_^)
Oops, I love all the birthday wishes I received on FB, but this one has 'sentimental' value :p Okayy, change that to 'historical' value!

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Now playing: The Fray - Look After You
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Only a handful appeared at the seminar this evening. First; it wasn't the usual class day. Second; the venue was unfamiliar. Third; there was a miscommunication which stated two different venues previously. I don't really mind but pity the guest speaker had to wait on participants, endured door-bangings now and then & that the session was too laid-back also. Anyway, let's put that aside.

Been having poor appetite these days. But I'm not starving. I ate but just not at the usual amount. Is that good or bad? :p Well, it won't last longer for sure, hehe...
I decided to read the elken new promotion updates while waiting for isyak when SG sms asking abt driving licence for 18 y/o male. Is it still true that you can apply once you reach 17 y/o? Or is it 18 y/o now? I remember my senior drove her father's car to school when we were in form 5. I think back then u're allowed to apply at the age of 16.

A couple minutes later Brenda msg on BIMB installment issue & asking how I am. I actually already bought the supplement she suggested for the tingling pain behind my left knee (now it has moved up my thigh). Blood circulation problem. It came along with the back pain I had last time but I didn't pay much attention to it as the backache was more intense. When it's gone, i was quite overjoyed that I still didn't give a thought abt the pain behind my knee. I remember entering the unit back in KayeMeM and the KU saw me grimacing as I felt a cramp at my leg. He asked what's the matter but I just shrugged it off. Now I'm tackling it step by step.

After a few replies with Brenda, came Yenny's msg. Waaah, I felt loved this evening! hehe... Haven't heard from her for a very long time. She asked also in which univ. I am in & asked me to go to KayeMPeeKay after finishing my study, where she works. I urged her to apply study leave also since I know she had participated in quite a number of R&D events and programmes. She's also very hardworking. But somehow, she isn't quite convinced of her chance *sigh* Anyway, I asked her to check on her eSKayTee marks first before concluding her fate.

Hmm....it isn't such a lonely planet after all... :) Alhamdulillah

*to Ms RS, You Will Make It! Deo Volente!
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