Tag Series!

I was tagged by Sabrinadnan. Sorry for the late reply though. So, here goes the answers.

Question 1: What were you doing 5 years ago?

I was struggling in completing the never – ending practical session (MAGANG) back in 2003. And during that year I’ve got to know my now husband – Zam.

Question 2 : What were the 5 things on your to do list today?

1. Compose a letter of appoinment for Jawatankuasa Penyiasat

2. Drafting the Star Ratings document

3. Call the agency and set a date for the next Kajian Audit Nilai

4. Go to the clinic – bad coughing

5. Get the new comforter set that I’ve been eyeing since the last two weeks

Question 3: What are 5 snacks that you enjoy?

1. chocolates

2. granola bars

3. fruits

4. cupcakes

5. crackers

Question 4 : What are 5 things that you would do if you were a billionaire?

1. Pay all debts

2. Buy a house by the beach which means fantastic view!  

3. Give some money to my parents

4. Go travel sumwhere

5. Donate some to the needed ones

*though I’m pretty sure with me being billionaire, I’ve got more that 5 things to do, eh?

Question 5: What are 5 jobs you’ve had?

1. Helper at the currypuff stall near Penang Road -  I was helping my computer teacher back then but I guessed it’s counted as a job for I was paid RM 12 every day.

2. Research Assistant @ Health Institute, Bangsar

3.Teacher @ KMKN, Kuala Nerang, Kedah

4. Management Trainee @ JUSCO Maluri

5. Pegawai Takde Duit!

*with this, I’m tagging Anjas Asmara, Ayue, Chech, K-Lynn and Shahrill *grinning*

Menjawab Tag…

Saya telah ditag oleh Chech pada 22 Jun 2008.

Nama timang-timangan oleh orang tersayang?

Dalam keluarga, Ayah, Mak dan Yen panggil Kakak sebab saya anak yang sulung. Kawan-kawan kat berek Polis dan sekolah rendah panggil Fidah. Masa di tingkatan satu hingga tiga, ada pula yang panggil Rafied (yikes! tapi masa tu rasa macam kewl giler,nyeh nyeh). Nama Fique ni, my best friend – Yon (kat mana kau sekarang, eh) yang kasi and I kinda stick to it. Dia yang letak ‘q’ instead of ‘d’. For whatever reason; I still dunno. Huhuhu…Owh, kalau suami; semestinya nama panggilan yang bak kata Chech – saccharine sweet dan Rifqi panggil Ibu, walaupun setakat ini yang terkeluar dari mulutnya hanyalah Bu…

Anda seorang yang?

I’m a normal homo sapiens. Walau bagaimanapun, kadang-kadang I’m a bit peculiar. Saya benci menunggu, saya tak suka kelihatan bodoh atau diperbodohkan. Saya juga pantang kalau ada yang terlebih dulu membaca majalah yang baru saya beli. Lebih-lebih lagi kalau ada mukasurat yang terlipat – geram! Suami saya cakap saya adalah orang yang banyak sangat pantang. Adakah itu cerewet? Selain perkara di atas, saya sebenarnya OK dan mudah dijadikan kawan. Siapa nak testify ni? Anyone? Hehe..

Insan teristimewa

Keluarga – merangkumi semua dan semestinya rakan-rakan.

Makanan dan minuman kegemaran saya?

Untuk makanan kegemaran, I could never say no to Yong Tau Foo bersup. Saya juga sukakan mee kuah air tangan Mak. Minuman kegemaran pula – OJ (as for now, I’m addicted to Tropicana Twister) atau Mango Juice (Peel Fresh). Itu saja.

Warna kegemaran?

Saya sukakan hitam kerana Black is prestige. Kuning, jingga dan fushsia pink. Juga sukakan warna warni.

Lagu kegemaran?

Tadika - Lagu Sepohon Kayu (nasyid ni!)

Sekolah Rendah – Lagu Ais Kacang dan Tiga Orang Kawan (promotes multi-racial community ni)

Sekolah Menengah – Form 1-3 : Take That songs (Robbie, you rocks!); Form 4-5 : Smashing Pumpkins songs

Matriks dan Uni – SP songs again (masa SP berpecah, emo sangat-sangat. Dan saya tak suka kumpulan baru Billy Corgan yang meniru bulat-bulat konsep SP; Zwan = HAMPEH) dan Exists (thanks to Ris). Lagu yang terkesan ketika ini – Have You Ever (Brandy) dan Walking After You (Foo Fighters). Ada satu lagi, sheesh..If You only Knew (Gil and The Moffatts).

Now – I love 90’s songs, oldies and a few songs from singers that I could tolerate with. However, SP is still Number One. Definitely. Anuar Zain. Faizal Tahir. Sarah McLachlan. Leona Lewis.

Siapa yang selalu buat saya gelak?

Zam dan Rifqi dalam cara mereka sendiri. Contohnya semalam, bila Zam cuba ajar Rifqi sebut ‘lorry’ dan yang Rifqi boleh sebut hanyalah ‘lo lo’. Bila Zam sebut ‘lorry’ dengan bunyi sengau –> ‘loh heee’, Rifqi pun buat bunyi sengau. Kelakar sangat. Hik hik.

Sikap yang buat saya tertekan?

Orang yang perasan bagus dan busuk—> keji sungguh.

Tiga perkara yang selalu ada dalam beg?

1. Dompet – mengandungi kad pengenalan sendiri dan Rifqi, kad PPTD, lesen memandu, kad bank, kad kredit, kad kesihatan panel Insurans, kad panel kesihatan TH sendiri dan Rifqi, stiker 10% off Manhattan Fish Market, kad Millenium Gold Domino Pizza, kad Sogo, kad Bonuslink, kad Mesra, kad Anakku, kad Avon, kad Kumpulan Darah dan Kad Toys ‘R’ Us beserta duit syiling (khas untuk Rifqi naik Thomas And Friends / Merry Go Round kat Alamanda/Kompleks Membeli-Belah) dan duit kertas + resit-resit pembelian barang.

2.  Beg alat mekap – semua ada : make up base, foundation, compact powder, eyeliner in white and black, mascara, eye shadow (earth tone), blusher, brush, lipstick and lip gloss. Lazimnya saya hanya menggunakan lippy dan gloss sahaja. Tapi untuk mudah, bawa semua.

3. Wet Tissue

Kali terakhir anda beriya-iya menangis?

Semasa nak bersalin, menangis sebab sakit dan tambah-tambah lagi bila tengok Mak menangis. Huwaa..kisah benar ni.

Perkara paling lucu atau memalukan dalam hidup anda?

Uhuh, perkara ni berlaku semasa saya di Tingkatan 3. Masa tu kan ada subjek Geografi yang perlukan setiap pelajar buat kajian tempatan. Saya dan beberapa orang kawan memilih untuk membuat kajian di Fort Cornwallis, Pulau Pinang . Setelah penat melawat dan mendapatkan maklumat di kawasan Fort Cornwallis (baca: kena masuk kubu bawah tanah), kami melepas lelah di kawasan playground dekat-dekat situ. Semasa menunggu Ayah sampai, kami lepak-lepak naik buaian. Wah, masing-masing teringat zaman kanak-kanak.

Alkisahnya, nak dijadikan cerita, ada seorang kawan saya bernama Farah mengajak kami semua naik papan gelunsur. Kami berbaris menaiki anak tangga dan saya merupakan orang kedua. Shurr, Farah mengelunsur. Dah hampir dengan penghujung papan gelunsur, Farah melompat. Saya hairan juga dengan aksinya tapi relaks saja sebab tengah ‘berkoya’. Tiba giliran, saya laju mengelunsur. Lepas beberapa ketika saya dengar nama saya dijerit “Rafied, lompat!”. Namun dah terlewat, dengan lajunya saya melunsur di atas bendalah tersebut. Huwaa…tiba-tiba, kenapa lembap semacam ni? Busuk pulak tu… Aiyoo, apa ni?

Ketika itu, nak menangis pun tak guna, habis baju sekolah tercemar dengan bendalah tersebut. Pegi tandas dan basuh setakat yang boleh, nak tukar baju, baju salin tak bawak. Terpaksalah juga tunggu Ayah. Kesian kawan-kawan yang terpaksa menutup hidung menahan bau sepanjang perjalanan pulang ke rumah.

Dalam kereta, Ayah dah mula membebel. Sabar jelah. Dalam menutup hidung tu, sempat jugak kawan-kawan gelakkan saya sepenuh hati. Bertuah punya kawan-kawan, kenapalah tak warning awal-awal. Sampai rumah, saya terus mandi dan buang baju sekolah tu. Eii, tak nak pakai dah. Geli.

* Untuk pengetahuan, bendalah tu pada pandangan saya adalah tahi anjing  walaupun Farah bersungguh-sungguh kata dia nampak macam tahi orang. Uwek!!! Selepas kejadian ni, saya tak pernah lagi naik gelunsur kerana trauma.

Malu ada, lucu pun ada kan?, tentukanlah sendiri ya.

Tag orang…

Saya ingin tag Anis kerana dia dah lama tak update blog (jangan bagi alasan, aa), Undomiel (you’ve got to do this, I know you love it), Kay (buat jangan tak buat) dan Sabrinadnan (mesti banyak kisah lucu ni).

Akhirnya Pertempuran..

Owh, selesai sudah sesi perjumpaan.

Yang berakhir dengan kekecewaan. Tak tertanggung rasanya. Hancur luluh hati, lebur usaha yang aku dan Asyatul lakukan. Kosong. Semuanya kosong.

Apa gunanya bertekak untuk membela nasib semua sekiranya yang lain hanya diam membisu. Hanya tinggal aku dan Asyatul yang berjuang habis-habisan. Bertekak, bersilat dan menepis tuduhan serta lontaran kata-kata lawan.

aku tertanya-tanya;

Mereka yang lain takutkan Tuan Pengerusi yang sentiasa kelirukah?

Atau risaukan Puan Pengusaha Taska, si tinggi lampai bak model terkenal?

Mungkin jua, khuatirkan sidekick Puan Pengusaha Taska – Sang Suara Besar?

Atau pun gerunkan ayahanda Puan Pengusaha Taska – Dato’ Rambut Putih?

Jawapannya ada pada diri mereka sendiri.

Setidak-tidaknya aku dan Asyatul tumpas dalam perjuangan ini dengan maruah. Penuh kehormatan.

Sebagai wira.

Wira Taska? *senyum kelat*

Eid Mubarak

Dear Friends,

Selamat Hari Raya!

‘Aku Ingin Maki Dia’ No More

I arrived at the Office yesterday at 7.30 am, as always. After sending Rifqi to nursery, I buried myself with the mounting work. I was so occupied with my work in a world that I created until a voice called upon my name and brought me back to the reality. Jeng jeng jeng…Guess who, pp? Mr. AF.

He greeted me with a warm smile, yeh, to my surprise! He asked for the permission to sit down, I just nodded my head. He started the conversation by saying sorry. Oh! Did I hear it right, Mr. AF? Sooooorrryy? Sori mori, balik rumah naik lori lah! Hehehe…

He confessed his regrets and admitted that he wrote a letter to his former Boss (read : my current Boss) quoting me as the ‘pegawai puan tidak dapat membuat keputusan terhadap perkara yang mudah’. I had the instinct that he had no clue that I had finished reading that particular letter and in a process of drafting the answer. Tunggu jelah Mr. AF ye!

I had no problem lending an ear to listen to his regrets; but not until he started to blame me for his confusion [read : he told The Boss that I told him, that his anjakan gaji is automatically invalid.] Puh-lease, I had to correct his statement – TWICE. On his next attempt to do so, I stopped him and alhamdulillah I believe that he could sense the waiting-to-erupt volcanoes in me.

After an hour of conversation (with him doing most of the talkings), he finally took a leave. I was left with a thought in my head.

Yes, I could forgive him…

But I’ll never forget!

RM18 for 50 pieces (is this the correct term?)

Whoa! I guess Raya fever hits almost everybody in the Unit as some of us have already pre-ordered raya cookies. Including me. Regardless the chance of tasting any of the cookies (tak tau sedap ke tak), I chose according to which has manage to attract my eyes and excel in making me salivate (maybe I’m exaggerating here!). Not necessarily the colourful ones though. Instead I opted for the plain and ordinary ones.

Almond London and Pineapple Tart.

Oh! Did I mention that the prices are great to be true as well? These are just part of it. Upcoming in the near future, on top of my list is to pre-order Amos and Flakes cookies from Kak Zu. Definitely a must have for Ayah during Hari Raya. He just loves Amos cookies. Can’t seem to get enough of it last year.

So, what about your raya cookies, people?

I Am NOT Whining at All ;p

Yen is leaving for Penang today, eager to start his ten (10) days attachment at Affin Bank Seberang Perai branch. I’ll be leaving for Penang too this Sunday, making it perfect for Ayah and Mak to pick us up back to Jitra. I’m thinking of bringing Rifqi along as during my previous visit, the plan was cancelled due to improper planning and tight schedule.

The unit received the long-awaited Assistant Secretary (phew! finally). As most of us (the officers) are pretty occupied with work, we don’t get the chance to really sit down and talk. Besides, the PSUK is definitely not in the mood today. Sucks! It is not fun at all when moodiness lingers. Oh! As I heard from the staff, the new Assistant Secretary hails from UPM. He is about to complete his Masters and to become Daddy in a few months time.

With my clerk away, attending courses, I surely have too much to handle today. Luckily the succession planning discussion  is postponed to Friday. Thank God, Thank You Boss. At least I could come prepare for the discussion. Not to mention the promotion for Headmaster posts by Ministry of Education (MOE). Help! And also the exhibition on Thursday which needs to be monitor tomorrow and of course on the day of the event itself, which is the day after tomorrow.

So, until tomorrow comes,

For tonight I am going to chill and relax watching Desperate Housewives.

*chill people!*

Life is about…?

Here’s something beautiful to think about…

Life isn’t about keeping score. It’s not about how many friends you have. Or how accepted you are. Not about if you have plans this weekend or if you’re alone. It isn’t about who you’re dating, who you used to date, how many people you’ve dated, or if you haven’t been with anyone at all. It isn’t about who you’ve kissed, it’s not about sex. It isn’t about who your family is or how much money they have. Or what kind of car you drive. Or where you are sent to school. It’s not about how beautiful or ugly you are. Or what clothes you wear, what shoes you have on, what kind of perfume you use or what kind of music you listen to. It’s not about if hair is black, blonde or brunette. Or if your skin is too porcelain white or too gloomy dark. It’s not about what grades you get, how smart you are or how brilliant everybody else thinks you are. It’s not about what clubs you are in and how good you are at your sport. It’s not about representing your whole being on a piece of paper and seeing who will accept the written you.

LIFE JUST ISN’T.

But, life is about who you love and who you hurt. It’s about who you make happy or unhappy purposefully. It’s about keeping or betraying trust. It’s about friendship, used as a sanctity of weapon. It’s about what you say and mean, maybe hurtful maybe heartening. It’s about starting rumors and contributing to petty gossips. It’s about what judgements you pass and why. And who your judgements are spread to. It’s about who you’ve ignored with full control and intention. It’s about jealousy, fear, ignorance and revenge. It’s about carrying inner hate and love, letting it grows and spreading it. But most of all, it’s about using your life to touch or poison other people’s hearts in such a way that could have never occurred alone. Only you choose the way those hearts are affected, and those choices are what life’s about. 

A Ten Cent Story

Yikes! It’s Monday and I’m having my usual Monday blues. As I’m munching my kuih keria and sipping my teh tarik, I suddenly remembered what happened on Friday the 11th. On my way back home on that fateful day, I somehow had a craving for Baker’s Cottage’s bread and cakes. So, off we (Ayue & me) went to the destination. I planned to buy some cakes (fruitcakes & orange-flavored cakes) for my Mum-in-law as buah tangan because my husband and I will be heading to our hometown later. Once I got there, I started to browse for the things that I needed. As a regular customer, I scanned the price of the items that I wanted and started to count the total in my head. Hmm, I guessed this was the skill that I’ve gained while working in Jusco. Y’know, dealing with fussy customers and a huge amount of money everyday somehow trained you to be extra particular about the value of every cents and ringgits. Hmm, as I made my way to the counter, I also noticed that the cashier was using a calculator instead of the cash register. The best thing about cash register is that it will help you to count the amount of goods purchased automatically when you scan or key in the SKU number. Therefore, the chances of you making a mistake are almost ZERO. Unless, of course if you scan the items repeatedly or key in the SKU number wrongly. The cashier did not put up a smile (to the customer in front of me) and focused on pressing the calculator buttons. Preet…another wrongdoing I would say in serving customers. Working in Jusco had taught me to appreciate customers more than anything in the world. The phrase “Customer Is Always Right” is put into practice there. On one occasion, one unfortunate employee was slapped by the customers just because her child was slightly injured in an unfortunate event. It was totally NOT the employee’s fault that the child ran and knocked his head at the signboard “COUNTER IS CLOSED” that the employee was holding. Looking at her child crying out loud somehow caused anger down to the Mother’s spine which lead her to take an instant action, a rather stupid action actually, to slapped the employee. The employee did not fight back at first but after being called names, she shouted and fought back. Immediately affected by the incidents, the manager quickly rushed to the scene and chose to sided the customer. He forced and urged the poor employee to ask for apology from the customer and unwillingly she did just that. Back at the loading bay, the manager explained to the employee that no matter what happened, even if it’s not your faults, as a retailer, you have to put customers as your top priority, because without them you’re NOTHING. Sad story huh?! Okay, as I was saying, I made my way to the counter and handed my items to the cashier to make a purchase. She casually counted using the calculator and showed me the total amount. It was RM15.20. I handed over RM15.50, she gave me the balance (without the receipt) and I moved aside for the next customers. Hmm, what made me curious was the fact that there was no RM1.90 purchase of items that I bought that day, and yet I saw the figure while she counted the total purchase. I went back to the rack and recounted the total amount, thrice. RM15.10. No doubt. I walked out of the shop and informed Ayue that the cashier overcharged me- RM0.10. I asked her whether should I or should I not redeem my 10 cent and she just smiled. I decided to ask for my 10 cent and the cashier wanted to recount the total amount. To my surprise, she did not even know the exact prices; she just kept on hitting the numbers on the calculator. I was the one who had to tell her the prices. And finally, she gave me back my 10 cent. Before I went out, I advised her to count properly next time. Hey! 10 cent is equally worth as ringgits as well. On that day, I rewalked out from the shop feeling contented and proud of myself. You may wonder why. Well, when you look at one narrow aspect, you may think that I’m a stingy person but when you look at a wider and different perspective you will see that it’s all about claiming your rights and doing what you feel is right. Doncha agree with me? 

Wake up SleepyHead!

Zzzz…I dunno why but I personally think that Monday sucks! I woke up this morning with a hesitation of not coming to work. However, I somehow managed to combat the feeling. Which I found very amusing. Hmm, by the way, I was supposed to enjoy my cuti-cuti Malaysia today but due to some unavoidable reasons, I’m stucked here in the office today. Luckily, I have found a rather interesting game to keep me awake and alive. This game is called Virtual Villagers. Well, what I could really say here is that once you’re dealing with people lives and what-so-ever, things at an instant become interesting. Eventhough this game is rather tiring in comparison to the ever famous The Sims, I can still find it cool. Basically, the plot started when a group of people find themselves been washed up on a remote island, and they are lost and confused. There are two main objectives to achoeve. The first one is to successfully managing the day-to-day routine of the litte band of castaways so that they are able to thrive in their new home and at the same time try to unlocking the secrets of Isola. The second objective is to solve the puzzles. After few attempts, I somehow managed to buy certain technologies and it did help them to survive…but not for long as they tend to grow old as well. I did try to pursuade them to mate…but unfortunately, 50 something is just to old to conceive. Duh! the least that I can do is to watch my villagers die. Nevertheless, I never give up and try all over again. I do hope that this time around my effort will proved to be fruitful.

Enough about the game, eventhough I spent my lunch hour staring at the computer screen. Okay, last Saturday I went to my regular maternity check up and to my surprise, my Doctor told me that she can actually trace the baby’s gender. I was excited although I don’t really mind whether it’s a girl or a boy. Hehehe….once the Doctor spread the gel and scanned, it was so obvious that I could even guess it on my own. Wee….it’s a baby boy! No wonder he’s kicking here and there inside the womb. My husband was happy and he started to have this vision of him and our baby playing football together. I couldn’t help but laughed.  No matter what it is, I just pray for the best for my baby. May he grows up to be a person who does good to his parents, nation and religion. Insya-allah.

Last night, one of my collegues called me. I was having my dinner at that time so I couldn’t talk for long. I hoped she doesn’t mine. To tell the truth, I’m actually a bit worry about this particular friend of mind. After years of graduation, still she doesn’t secure a permanent job. Not to say that she doesn’t apply jobs or search for one but I guess luck is just not by her side. I tried to do my very best by updating her resume (which I find very-very less appealing to employers), registering her to job agency and so on. I somehow pray that she will eventually realise that if she really pumps in the effort, it will pays. I know that I have no right to judge her but sometimes I can’t help but feel that she needs to revamp and morph herself towards better future. I can only help her but only she can change and mould her future. It’s pathetic when other people care so much about you and your future when all you do is nothing. Ding dong! Wake up Sleephead! Wake up Dreamweaver! Chase you future and never let it slip from your hands…..