New Year's Resolutions....

Tomorrow is the last day of 2006. Do you have your New Year's resolutions all ready to go? Here are some famous resolutions..
-Lose Weight
-Pay Off Debt
-Save Money
-Get a Better Job
-Get Fit
-Eat Right
-Get a Better Education
-Drink Less Alcohol
-Quit Smoking Now
-Reduce Stress Overall
-Reduce Stress at Work
-Take a Trip
-Volunteer to Help Others

Save money by engaging yourself in cheap hobbies, exercising (get fit, lose weight & reduce stress) or watching tv.
To lose 1 lb (around 0.4536 kg), you need to burn off 3500 calories... 350 calories is 5 miles of running, imagine that!!! So in order to burn off 1lb per week, you need to burn 500 calories a day which could be 250 calories reduction in meal, and 250 burn off in exercise.
Reduce stress at work by prioritizing your work - Post It!
Volunteeering opportunity- Mercy is one that I know of, even if you can't join the mission. You can actually volunteer to help with the medicine packing. In Sabah, there is SAWO(Sabah Action Women Group) as well.

Aren't women complicated?

I got this from Adilah's blog...

-The Differences Between Men and Women-
"Let's say a guy named Fred is attracted to a woman named Martha. He asks her out to a movie; she accepts; they have a pretty good time. A few nights later he asks her out to dinner, and again they enjoy themselves. They continue to see each other regularly, and after a while neither one of them is seeing anybody else.
And then, one evening when they're driving home, a thought occurs to Martha, and, without really thinking, she says it aloud: "Do you realize that, as of tonight, we've been seeing each other for exactly six months?" And then, there is silence in the car. To Martha, it seems like a very loud silence. She thinks to herself: I wonder if it bothers him that I said that. Maybe he's been feeling confined by our relationship; maybe he thinks I'm trying to push him into some kind of obligation that he doesn't want, or isn't sure of.
And Fred is thinking: Gosh. Six months.
And Martha is thinking: But, hey, I'm not so sure I want this kind of relationship either. Sometimes I wish I had a little more space, so I'd have time to think about whether I really want us to keep going the way we are, moving steadily towards, I mean, where are we going? Are we just going to keep seeing each other at this level of intimacy? Are we heading toward marriage? Toward children? Toward a lifetime together? Am I ready for that level of commitment? Do I really even know this person?
And Fred is thinking: ...so that means it was...let's see...February when we started going out, which was right after I had the car at the dealer's, which means...lemme check the odometer...Whoa! I am way overdue for an oil change here.
And Martha is thinking: He's upset. I can see it on his face. Maybe I'm reading this completely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship, more intimacy, more commitment; maybe he has sensed - even before I sensed it - that I was feeling some reservations. Yes, I bet that's it. That's why he's so reluctant to say anything about his own feelings. He's afraid of being rejected. And Fred is thinking: And I'm gonna have them look at the transmission again. I don't care what those morons say, it's still not shifting right. And they better not try to blame it on the cold weather this time. What cold weather? It's 87 degrees out, and this thing is shifting like a garbage truck, and I paid those incompetent thieves $600.
And Martha is thinking: He's angry. And I don't blame him. I'd be angry, too. I feel so guilty, putting him through this, but I can't help the way I feel. I'm just not sure.
And Fred is thinking: They'll probably say it's only a 90-day warranty...scumballs.
And Martha is thinking: Maybe I'm just too idealistic, waiting for a knight to come riding up on his white horse, when I'm sitting right next to a perfectly good person, a person I enjoy being with, a person I truly do care about, a person who seems to truly care about me. A person who is in pain because of my self-centered, schoolgirl romantic fantasy.
And Fred is thinking: Warranty? They want a warranty? I'll give them a warranty. I'll take their warranty and stick it right up their...
"Fred," Martha says aloud.
"What?" says Fred, startled.
"Please don't torture yourself like this," she says, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. "Maybe I should never have...oh dear, I feel so..."(She breaks down, sobbing.)
"What?" says Fred.
"I'm such a fool," Martha sobs. "I mean, I know there's no knight. I really know that. It's silly. There's no knight, and there's no horse."
"There's no horse?" says Fred.
"You think I'm a fool, don't you?" Martha says.
"No!" says Fred, glad to finally know the correct answer.
"It's just that...it's that I...I need some time," Martha says. (There is a 15-second pause while Fred, thinking as fast as he can, tries to come up with a safe response. Finally he comes up with one that he thinks might work.)
"Yes," he says.
(Martha, deeply moved, touches his hand.) "Oh, Fred, do you really feel that way?" she says.
"What way?" says Fred.
"That way about time," says Martha.
"Oh," says Fred. "Yes."
(Martha turns to face him and gazes deeply into his eyes, causing him to become very nervous about what she might say next, especially if it involves a horse. At last she speaks.)
"Thank you, Fred," she says.
"Thank you," says Fred.
Then he takes her home, and she lies on her bed, a conflicted, tortured soul, and weeps until dawn, whereas when Fred gets back to his place, he opens a bag of Doritos, turns on the TV, and immediately becomes deeply involved in a rerun of a college basketball game between two South Dakota junior colleges that he has never heard of. A tiny voice in the far recesses of his mind tells him that something major was going on back there in the car, but he is pretty sure there is no way he would ever understand what, and so he figures it's better if he doesn't think about it. The next day Martha will call her closest friend, or perhaps two of them, and they will talk about this situation for six straight hours. In painstaking detail, they will analyze everything she said and everything he said, going over it time and time again, exploring every word, expression, and gesture for nuances of meaning, considering every possible ramification. They will continue to discuss this subject, off and on, for weeks, maybe months, never reaching any definite conclusions, but never getting bored with it either. Meanwhile, Fred, while playing racquetball one day with a mutual friend of his and Martha's, will pause just before serving, frown, and say: "Norm, did Martha ever own a horse?" And that's the difference between men and women.
" -Original writing by Dave Barry-
See look at the women's side. Wouldn't you want to know earlier if he is the one you want to be with. I wish it's simple, like the cutoff for every relationship is six months. After that you decide whether you want to be with the other person or not. If you are, make future plans. If not, just better break it off while you can still imagine your life without him/her. When you not think, time will pass by, and without realizing you could be together with the person that don't like for years.

On various things....

Breaking up in the early stage of relationship is much easier than after couple of years together. Unless if you're in a casual relationship where both parties acknowleged that the relationship is for fun sake and no commmitment attached, it's better to re-evaluate your relationship after 6 months or a year. In order to find the right person, you need to be the right one. Have you ever had thoughts lurking into you head wishing if only your boyfriend is more romantic, or if only your girlfriend is more nicer. We all have our fantasy ideal partner in our head. But people don't change overnight. It might be what you have now is what you will have in 6 months, a year, or 5 years from now. Be honest with yourself if you can live with the good and the bad. On the bright side, people can change for the better.

New Year is two more days... and after that it will be weeks and weeks of work. Geee.. How fun!!!

Christmas Day

Went to Lana&Hellotz wedding last Saturday at Le Meridien Hotel. Lana looked sooo pretty with lace kebaya and the eu natural makeup.. I love going to weddings (only the people that I know). I love looking at the proud and happy parents face. The way the bride and groom look at each other.It shows how in love they are, how happy and excited they are to start their new life together as husband and wife. It's such a blessing to see two people in love finally be together. While other people are still struggling to find the other half, they already find theirs awwwh..... Okay, I'm a sucker for old-fashion romance,or, maybe I'm watching too much one tree hill :P


Me with the bride and groom....

Went to Simpang Mengayau in Kudat on Christmas Day. FYI, Simpang Mengayau is the the tip of borneo. It's such a beautiful place. Look at the beach and sand... Look sooo pure....




I just read the email about Ninie, hopefully everything will be okay...

Everybody, enjoy your last week of 2006!!!!

All I want for christmas is.....

This Villa!!!! If you have time, take one minute to look at this website, Villa, it's absolutely beautiful. You need to marry a super-billionaire to buy a place here. But look at the view!!! And imagine running on the treadmill overlooking the blue and clear ocean. aaawwwh.... I bet it would take all your stresses away...

And here is another beautiful place in sabah. It's called sinurambi, an experience to a country life. Sort of, except you will have your breakfast and dinner served :D I don't even know that this place exists until I found the website. I think it would be a perfect honeymoon place. So for my newlywed friends, do check out this website yeah...

Holiday mood

First of all, shoutout to my newlywed friends, Lana & Hellotz!!!

It's end of the year, and i've become more and more malas to go to work.. It's end of the year kan, i bet everybody would feel the same way.







Con at Luna Rossa










This year kk has become more festive with christmas celebration especially in the new warisan square. And every where (shop) you go, there will be people wearing santa's hat, also, you can hear christmas songs at the background. Reminded me christmas in the us.... White christmas and the christmas shopping :D

Gingerbread house in Shangri-La Tanjung Aru.They're made from real dough and royal icing. When you go inside the house, it smells like cinnamon-gingery cookies..

Happy getting engaged Lyn & Wandy AND Rina & Shah....

Microsoft Channel Conference

Yesterday I went to Microsoft Partner Conference in Pan Pacific Sutera Harbor. Basically it's about the year of "LOVE". It's kind of true in a way since most of my friends are getting hitched end of this year or next year. But actually "LOVE" is the short form of "Launch of Office 2007, Vista and Exchange". It's not so bad actually, I got to eat hotel food, and delicious cheesecake!


Also, I was lucky to get a pouch under my seat. Okay, sure.. it was an outdated xp pouch, and its not like I wear a pouch .. But who cares, the point is I never really get these lucky stuff, whether lucky draw or lucky seat or anything starts with lucky, and yesterday I got something. They also did a demo on the new Microsoft Vista which I thought kinda cool. It has the mac-like feel. The 3-d flipping images.... and the cool interface.

At first I thought there would be some eye candy at the conference, hmmmm.. but I guess eye candies don't go into programming . So no networking there :P. Well, but at least it's a new experience..

Random Pictures No..... Hmmm....

Isn't it beautiful.....

Girls check your car!!!

Yesterday, my car died on me!!! Actually the battery was. I was trying to start my car, and all I got from it was treek...tekk..tekkk..teekk. Since I'm clueless about cars, I called my brother, and asked for advice. My first thought was it was a battery problem. It happened to me before(different car), and luckily I was in a shoplots with a workshop. This time, I was at work. I was trying to find jumper from my colleagues, and see if they can jumpstart the battery. And silly me, we had to spend 10 minutes trying to find way to open the front boot(We even read the manual!) hehehe... Luckily my car can start after that, and I was able to reach home safely. Appparently my water battery was low. Honestly I never even checked the water battery, the oil, or the water coolant. I thought the service center would handle all of those things. But somebody who's working at p2 here told my brother, that they never check everything.... Hence, the low water battery in my car. I guess we girls should really learn to get our hands dirty.

Here's information on how to check your battery's water.
Apparently you need to check it every week if your battery is more than 1.5 years old.

Anyway.... Do learn on how to...
-check your battery for water
-oil
-coolant



I was having lunch today and went into this one cafe. Look at the so-called healthy drinks. Carrot drink? Okay, that one still acceptable... Tomato? Celery? Yolk? Do you really need to blend all these veges together. Can't u just eat them as vegetable instead of having em as a drink?

Oh dear guilt....

I have to say that Guilt is such a powerful feeling. Some people do things because they feel guilty( not because they want to). Is it a conscience that human have so that they will do the right things? Who knows? With so many things to consider, who can "use your head, follow your heart" anymore?

Anyway, tomorrow I'll be going for a free treatment at a spa service thing. Apparently they're having a promotion. Hmmm.... I want to have a restful weekend since on monday I will have my OFF-day!!!

After all the hard work and sleepless nights, the project I was doing is launched today. But I don't get that exhilaration, excitement, satisfaction thing. I think something is off my emotions drive. Hehehehe. That is soo geeky btw. Will be going for a Microsoft Conference next week (Aaghkk, even double geeky!!!)

So, New Year's resolutions.... hmmm.. try not to make new year's resolutions...

A list of some of the best excuses for falling asleep at work.

They told me at the blood bank this might happen.

This is just a 15 minute power nap like they raved about in that time management course you sent me to.

I was working smarter - not harder.

Whew! I mustve left the top off the liquid paper.

I wasnt sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm!

This is one of the seven habits of highly effective people!

I was testing the keyboard for drool resistance.

Im in the management training program.

Im actually doing a Stress Level Elimination Exercise Plan (SLEEP) I learned at the last mandatory seminar you made me attend.

This is in exchange for the six hours last night when I dreamed about work!

I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work related stress. Do you discriminate against people who practice Yoga?

Damn! Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem.

The coffee machine is broken....

Someone mustve put decaf in the wrong pot.

Boy, that cold medicine I took last night just wont wear off.

Ah, the unique and unpredictable circadian rhythms of the workaholic!

I wasnt sleeping. I was trying to pick up contact lens without hands.

The mail courier flipped out and pulled a gun so I was playing dead to avoid getting shot.

Geez, I thought you (the boss) were gone for the day.

Thought kind of funny in a geeky way...

I am at a career crossroads; should I become an astronaut, a fireman, or a system administrator?

This is the kind of question that these "handy comparison charts" were just made to answer:

PURPOSE OF YOUR CAREER
Astronaut: Advancing scientific knowledge for the good of humanity.
Fireman: Saving lives and property.
Sysadmin: Assuring uninterrupted access to alt.binaries.erotica.sheep.

ADVICE YOU'LL GIVE KIDS WHO WANT TO FOLLOW IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS
Astronaut: "Study science and math and eat your vegetables."
Fireman: "Study science and math and eat your vegetables."
Sysadmin: "DON'T DO IT! RUN AWAY!"

QUESTION YOU'LL BE MOST TIRED OF ANSWERING
Astronaut: "Where do you go to the bathroom?"
Fireman: "Do you really slide down a pole when the alarm goes off?"
Sysadmin: "Can't you do anything about all this spam I've been getting?"

WILL YOU EVER BE ON TV?
Astronaut: Yes!
Fireman: Occasionally.
Sysadmin: Only MSNBC's "The Site," which doesn't technically count as TV.

WILL YOUR JOB EVER GET ANY EASIER?
Astronaut: As computers get more and more advanced and able to control more of the functions of the space vehicle, yes.
Fireman: As more and more people install smoke detectors in their homes, yes.
Sysadmin: As more and more clueless newbies discover the Internet, absolutely not.

INSPIRING MOVIE ABOUT YOUR PROFESSION
Astronaut: "The Right Stuff"
Fireman: "Backdraft"
Sysadmin: Uh... gee, I'm really drawing a blank here... "Wargames"?

YOUR WORK HOURS
Astronaut: Fairly long days during the mission, but lots and lots of time between missions to relax.
Fireman: 24-hour shifts, but 48 hours between shifts to relax.
Sysadmin: Not really "work hours" or even "work days"... more like "work millenia."

FRINGE BENEFITS OF YOUR JOB
Astronaut: Lots of good stories to tell to impress members of the opposite sex.
Fireman: Lots of good stories to tell to impress members of the opposite sex.
Sysadmin: You get ALL of the jokes in "Dilbert."

NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT YOUR PROFESSION
Astronaut: A few, from people who think the government should be spending its money in different ways.
Fireman: A few, from people who think you take too long to arrive following a 911 call.
Sysadmin: You'll have to learn what comes after "trillion" to be able to count them all.

YOUR VEHICLE
Astronaut: Multimillion-dollar space vehicle atop multimillion-dollar rocket.
Fireman: Big red truck with flashing lights and siren.
Sysadmin: 1978 AMC Gremlin.

In conclusion, if the sysadmin option has seemed the most appealing in even one of these categories, you should become a sysadmin.

Top 10 signs of 'Job Burnout'

10. You're so tired, you now answer the phone with "Go to Hell."

9. Your friends call to ask how you've been, and you immediately scream, "Stop asking me all these damn questions!"

8. Your garbage can IS your "In" box.

7. You wake up to discover your house is on fire, but go back to sleep because you just don't care.

6. You consider a 40 hour week a vacation.

5. Visions of the upcoming weekend help you make it through Monday.

4. You don't set your alarm anymore because you know your pager will go off before your alarm does.

3. You leave for a party and instinctively bring your ID badge.

2. Your DayTimer/Work Planner exploded a week ago.

And the NUMBER ONE sign that you are burned out because of work.....

1. You think about how relaxing it would be if you were in jail right now.

PMS Guide

DANGEROUS: "What's for dinner?"
SAFER: "Can I help you with dinner?"
SAFEST: "Where would you like to go for dinner?"

DANGEROUS: "Are you wearing THAT?"
SAFER: "Gee, you look good in brown."
SAFEST: "Wow! Look at you!"

DANGEROUS: "What are you so worked up about?"
SAFER: "Could we be overreacting?"
SAFEST: "Here's fifty dollars."

DANGEROUS: "Should you be eating that?"
SAFER: "You know, there are a lot of apples left."
SAFEST: "Can I get you a glass of wine with that?"

DANGEROUS: "What did you DO all day?"
SAFER: "I hope you didn't overdo today."
SAFEST: "I've always loved you in that robe."

DANGEROUS: "Why are you complaining so much?"
SAFER: "Here's gift certificate for a massage"
SAFEST: "Totally!!!" (Agreeing to everything

Feel free to add new Dangerous, Safer, and Safer Guide for the guys :D

So much for a happy ending.....

Weekend feels so short :| And I am stuck in the office on Sunday night. Well... It's not so bad actually. At least I have my space which is great! It's the school holidays, and kids are running around in the mall, in the restaurant, everywhere. You really should avoid malls during school holidays, all the de-stressing from shopping would be gone with the sound of kids screaming and crying.

Anyway, I think people should stop making New Year's resolutions. People only get excited about New Year's resolutions during the first few weeks... If you make tons of resolutions like me, you would end up disappointed and feel like a failure at this time of the year, when you realized that none of your resolutions are accomplished.So, here are few tips to make New Year's resolutions.

* STEP 1: Be realistic by setting achievable goals. Winning the lottery, for example, is out of your grasp.
* STEP 2: Describe your resolutions in specific terms. Instead of "I don't want to be lazy," opt for "I want to exercise regularly" or "I will cut down on my television watching."
* STEP 3: Break down large goals into smaller ones. For instance, commit to losing weight by resolving to join a gym and improve your eating habits.
* STEP 4: Find alternatives to a behavior that you want to change, and make this part of your resolution plan. So you want to quit smoking but you smoked to relax yourself? What other forms of relaxation are available to you?
* STEP 5: Above all, aim for things that are truly important to you, not what you think you ought to do or what others expect of you.

Someone used to say to me that life would be different after stepping out of college. Since we were small, we're accustomed to structured environment, where in a specific situation there are specific rules and goals to achieve. So supposedly, after you graduated, you are free to try out new things that you haven't gotten the time to. This makes me think that I should take new hobbies for next year. Sometimes I feel my life feels so predictable and soo routine. I can try to be outdoorsy, but I dislike being sweaty in the hot weather. I can take up music lessons, but I've asked 4 people to teach me guitar, and the only chords I know are C, D, Em and G. The only thing that I like is trying out new restaurants in town :p

Lana's wedding is in two weeks time. Shoutout to Lana, I'm sooo happy for you that you find your other half. Good luck with your wedding preparations, I'm sure it's going to be fabulous!!!! Mel and Jinn, I can't wait for you two to come here!!! Please, New Year come faster!!!!

Random Images

Year 2006 in tiny little glance....

Stuck in a traffic jam . Sigh... But you can see mount Kinabalu from KK ;D














My niece has become more high maintenance than me :|




Got into an accident, and fixed the car without parents knowing!!!




































Had Chalazion Removal Surgery

It's been awhile....

New year is approaching... Sigh... And next year I'm gonna be 24 :| . Being adult shucks, its minus one year before turning 25. The big TWO-FIVE.On the bright side,December is coming up, and quite a few of my friends from college are getting commited, getting promised, getting proposed, getting engaged, getting married and probably getting babies. Being a bride is fun. I heard Lana had a custom made shoes to match with the wedding dress. I researched for her wedding which is going to be in KK. And apparently going to all these wedding photographers, makeup artists, and florist is so much fun. They will try to get you as a customer,and try to satisfy you on the biggest day of your life. At first, when I went to these places, I would mention that I am not the bride. After going to the 10th place, I'm so tired of explaining that I am not the bride, I just nodd and go along. Trust me, it's kinda fun being a bride-to-be!!!! I kinda wish I get to try the wedding dress. hehehhehe...

Life has become mundane and very routine. Need to try out new things to spice up my life. And not to mention, I'm gaining weight from all the sitting in the office. There's a gym 15 minutes away from my office, and they have yoga!!!! Maybe I'll go there and have a quick look at how's the gym looks like. My purple yoga mat is breeding dust already...

I crave for achievements and challenges. Now, the only challenge I have to go through everyday is trying not to curse in the traffic jam or when somebody jump-Q me. Or when I'm at the mall trying to resist myself from buying something that I couldn't afford. Why can't I have the cool challenge, like hmmm... I dont know.. Well, but its gotta be cool tho.

Blogging is for narcissist, and ok,I self-confessed that I am one of those people. :D :D :D Hmm. Will try to write regularly after this.

Take care.. And I'm in holiday mood :D

Random Picture IV

Bendito's Bistro. A nice place to chill overlooking the sea.

random pictures III

Sunset at the Beach

This is what you should name your medium-market. A mini supermarket :p

Mel & Lana at Lana's engagement

Girls at Lana's engagement

Aura?

Your Aura is Red

Your Personality: Self-confident and stunning, you live in the now! You love life and experience all it has to offer. You in Love: You're a bit private and have trouble opening up. You need a secure guy who can deal with your independence. Your Career: Your ideal job gives you a ton of control and concrete results. Consider being a chef, surgeon, or architect.

What Color Is Your Aura?

random pictures II

Bamboo Cafe. Fab place to have lunch without distraction, nice ambience, and you dont have to scream to talk to each other.

Cubicle or maybe.... my desk...

Went out to this one place for lunch, and let me just say... Hmmm.. I think I should be the new fashion police in KK. When is oversized shirt (with belt even!) and tight white capri and boots and weird hat become okay???

some random picture

Taken with Sony Ericsson camera phone ... Not so bad huh?

just random stuff

Got back from KL two days ago, had a gathering with the ol RPIans. I must say that night can be considered one of the most fun night since....since... I’ve started working. Everybody is still the same, except maybe dah jadi geek kot. Everybody is turning into T. D*beck, cannot write the full name, takut keluar in google. Check out the pics from Sha’s website. Had a sleepover at Mel’s and watching the antm like the old days. Hmm, I miss those days. N Furonda is just plain weird.

Last night was the opening of my brother’s service center and car accessories, I think the event was successful, had a big crowd. As for me, I couple of high school friends to come . Of coursela the people who came were all car-obsessed people, show-off their modified ‘kancils’. And their cars didn’t even look like kancil. Since I’m sooo not into car-thingy (take note: only obsessed with tv), I didn’t even know what L5,L7 and other things they talked about. But overall, I had fun meeing long-lost friends. Will post picture soon, if available.

Oklah, Ill be off in 10 mins, so will write n post pics soon.

1/4-life-crisis

This morning I woke up with the feeling that today will be another inefficient and empty day. Well, it’s sort of true, it’s already 11.14 am, and here I am blogging :p

Well, wondering about my life, I googled up quarter-life crisis of a twenty-something women. We’re all under this pressure to have it all, you need to have a perfect career (not job!) which paid well, a group of best friends who you can pour your heart out, a social life of luncheons and late night with the girls, a great relationship with the perfect one which you’ve set your engagement date. Oh, and not to mention, that you’re supposed to pass the hormonal peiod, and u should have a clean acne-free glowing face, a glossy hair and a fit-figure. Yeah, call those unrealistic expectations.

I ran into this website, or rather amazon and read the first excerpt and found it so true and hilarious. This is from the book, what’s the 4-letter word for work. It’s jail. Heheh. Ok, maybe not funny. But still isn’t that sort-of true?

Well, I’m lucky to have my trip this weekend or else I had to take care a booth during weekend. Yey…

Will buy two-paperbacks this month. Maybe a Jodi Picoult or something like that...

first book 2006

Finally after a month of trying to fit reading in my schedule, I finally finished my first book in 2006. It’s She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb. It’s about a girl/woman named Dolares, a story from she’s 13 until 40. It’s about growth, how she screwed up, and found herself again. She was raped when she was 13 yrs old by her neighbor, was left by her father, her mom somehow becomes unwell (mentally-speaking), and her marriage was deteriorating. Out of all the troubles and hardship she went through, she was able to undone everything, and looked herself the way she should be looking (Of course this after years in Dr Shaw’s therapy, which is very unconvincing, I mean which therapist would want to swim with her patient(naked even!!)?). Ah, I want a happy ending, I want to meet a hunky painter and have my own happy ending.

What’s up with every tv shows having a voice over? I think this is all initiated by Sarah Jessica Parker. Ok.. here’s mine… Imagine me typing the computer and sipping coffee occasionally.

Everybody says that being an adult and going to work is fun. While it’s exciting to see the digits going up in your savings account, it’s definitely eating the inside of me every day.

OK. That’s just stupid. Hehhehe. But not all voiceover make sense pun. While I’m feeling drained by my work, that doesn’t take away my secret tv addiction. Fine, maybe it’s not a secret, everybody knows I’m a tv addict. Everyday, I checked www.spoilerfix.com to get my fix (just u know, to get ahead in the game), and later I will check tv.com to see if this week is the rerun or all-new-episode. While some people think it’s a waste of time investing time watching 2-dimensional people with cute hair and perfect make-up , I found it entertaining to get lost in the teenage world with bigger problems. America’s Next Top Model started their new season. I haven’t seen anybody I liked yet. But I’m so disliking Jade’s I’m –so-fabulous-and-the-undiscovered-supermodel-attitude. What’s up with that, and you’re not even that pretty.

I’m taking some time off next week. Only have to work Monday-Wednesday. I need to do some packing (travel-light), and I have yet finished unpacking my shipping-stuff (so not me, I know!!!).

Here’s an overdue picture of me during the company’s annual dinner.

Started re-reading da Vinci Code yesterday.

Two days ago, MOH started official order for all Renu solution to be taken off the shelf. Scary keratitis news.

i need a vacation

If you think burnout on the job is just an excuse used by the weak to get out of responsibilities, think again. Stress and burnout can affect your immune system and have been linked to migraines, digestive disorders, skin diseases, high blood pressure and heart disease. It causes emotional distress as well.

"Job burnout is a response to work stress that leaves you feeling powerless, hopeless, fatigued, drained and frustrated," writes Dr. Audrey L. Canaff, a UC Foundation Assistant Professor in the Counseling Program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in her article on WorkplaceBlues.com. "But since job burnout is not an overnight occurrence, it's important to recognize its early signs and to act before the problem becomes truly serious."

Consider these five warning signs of burnout:

Sign No. 1: Your co-workers are walking on eggshells around you.

If you find yourself becoming cranky and irritable with co-workers you used to get along with, it may be more than just typical interpersonal dynamics.

Sign No. 2: You come in late and want to leave earlier.

You used to wake up in the morning excited for another day, but now every day you dread heading into the office. Once lunch passes you start watching the clock, counting the minutes to the end of the day.

Sign No. 3: Apathy has replaced enthusiasm.

You feel no motivation, no sense of accomplishment and have no desire to be challenged. Those who have burnout lose their motivation to perform, as well as their feelings of pride for a job well done.

Sign No. 4: You've lost camaraderie with co-workers.

You're no longer interested in the company network. You used to go to lunch, go out for drinks and participate in other company functions but now have no interest in socializing in or out of the office.

Sign No. 5: You're feeling physically sick.

You always feel exhausted, have headaches, feel tension in all of your muscles and are having trouble sleeping. These physical signs are common indicators of job stress, and demonstrate that this can turn into a physical problem.

If you are experiencing these symptoms, it's time to make some changes. You can start by talking to your boss or someone in your human resources department about how you can confront the problem together by redefining deadlines, delegating or outsourcing a project or two.

In her book "Stress Management for Busy People," Carol A. Turkington recommends taking these proactive steps:

· Learn to say no.

· Reevaluate your goals.

· Reduce your commitments at work and at home.

· Learn stress management skills.

· Get plenty of rest and eat a healthy diet.

Finally, give yourself a break. This means taking your vacation days, no matter how important you job is, and taking little breaks every day to re-group, re-energize and unwind.

Remember, if you don't take care of yourself in the office, your work will suffer and your health may pay the price, too.

work-allergy

Today I had my first team meeting, it was okay, short and quick. Basically the manager just asked about everybody’s progress. So nothing much to talk about. She said, she trusts us as adults, and expects us to finish whatever given to us. Or maybe there is a hidden message behind it. “I expect you to finish your work, or do something work-related instead of blogging or visiting thesuperficial.com”.

Hehehehe.. that part i just make it up :D :D :D
Well, it’s practically lunch hour so I have free time now :D

Anyway, tomorrow will have a birthday party at home. Maybe we’ll be having strawberry yogurt cake. Sounds yummy-licous.

The gas price increased again, and just wait till other products price increase as well. This only means one thing, learn to spend within a budget (eekk)

Lately I’ve had anxiety attacks at work. Does it mean I’m allergic to this job? You think so? That’s what I thought too!!!

monday's suck

monday is boring. I never really liked monday. In fact monday is the worst day of the week. Nothing much is going on. Saturday was spent relaxing around the house and sunday went to a wedding, and afterwards to the mall to find a birthday gift.

Neynarre is back in kk town. Maybe I'll have a mini reunion wif her, but dont have her cell/home number. i wonder if it's ok to call her dad (her dad works in ums).

Oh, terrible news about a boy hitting his brother till dead. TV influence? Hmm. That's why it's recommended children under 2 years should watch no tv at all.

And I love my niece. She's the cutest little pie. I've taught her few things, like saying mamaji (not babuji k!), hello (or teletubbies ee-oo) and yes and no. I can totally be a nanny cause i love babies (not the irritating 5 yrs old!!!)

finally, congrats to lana for her pre-wedding day:) i'm happy for you..

Coffee and ...

I’m at the office right now. Just came back from the pantry making my fix, yes, I need my caffeine! Sha, before u start preaching,stop! I know I should’ve stopped drinking so much coffee. A memory just came to me. When I was tiny (primary school), I didn’t like tea or coffee. The only drinks served in our house were nespray and milo. So my coffee obsession must’ve started in high school. And I remembered the person who introduced me to coffee or at that time, Nescafe ping(iced). It was mayam. Nescafe iced was the usual breakfast beverage for her. She was the person who introduced me to the world of coffee. BTW, there is a world for coffee, the smell, the taste and the comfort and energy it brought. And with that I’m blaming you for my coffee addiction mayam. No, I don’t. I love you lotssss and I have missed you.

I need 8 hours of sleep every night, and even with that, I can’t even open my eyes at 6 in the morning. My bedtime is the same as my 1 and a half year old niece. Well, who am I kidding. I’ve always loved sleeping J

I started re-reading she’s come undone last night.

That’s all fox. Nothing’s much is going on. Oh and do you know maya Karin is invited to be the hostess for red carpet for academy awards?

Check your contact lens solution

Scary news:-
Corneal infection
Please stop using renu multipurpose solutions, clean ur lenses thoroughly and don't sleep with ur contacts on.

It's been days after arwah maryam's passing. Everyday I look at her pictures and imagining that she's still alive. I'd imagine what she'd say to me after I failed my shell's interview. My heart is filled with guilt and sadness and anger and all sort of emotions. But thinking of her, her smile, her grace, her joy and her laugh, just another reason to be alive. I misschhh you maryam.

Honestly it's so much easier to talk about the facts of her accident than to talk about the effects of hear passing. But she'd want me to get on with my life, and live it to the fullest, and find out my passion and work like hell to get it. Yeah, I wish I have ur determination, mayam.

I've had an interview with Shell last Friday. I guess I'm not their "IT" girl since I've got a red card for my interview. It's fine. All the ramblings about National park, even as i said it i didnt believe it. What the hell is national park preventing natural disaster??? That's just another bull coming out of my mouth. Having had interview with Shell and after answering non-academic questions make me question my ability and my achievements.

All i want is to have a house of my own, and throw fab-party. I went to this gift shop and saw cute red candleplace(for votive candles), and little disco light (perfect for guest gift). I can imagine how's the room, with red lighting, and little silver disco light on the plate (underneath is a napkin of course). Maybe the appetizer will be a shrimp or little ayamas filo. Tiramisu maybe will be the desert, with chocolate topping. Every cuisine will be beautifully decorated with garnishes which take 5 hours to prepare. Oh, how fun!!

oh. and did i mention my D70 is broken. I have to send it to Nikon Service Center, and hopefully get it back before my trip to KL. I cant wait to see everybody !!!!

signin off~~

USM student killed in road accident.

USM student killed in road accident

BY SIOW YUEN CHING

PENANG: He was due to join other university heads at a meeting with their new “boss” in the Higher Education Ministry.

However, just as he touched down at the KL International Airport, Universiti Malaysia Sabah vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Mohd Noh Dalimin received a shocking message that forced him to fly to Penang.

His 24-year-old daughter, Maryam (pic), an architecture student at the Universiti Sains Malaysia, has been killed in a road accident at the campus.

Cancelling his meeting with Datuk Mustapa Mohamad, he ended up at the Penang Hospital mortuary to claim her body. Her remains were taken to Kam-pung Sungai Ramal Dalam in Kajang, Selangor, for burial.

Maryam died at about 5.20pm on Saturday after her motorcycle crashed into a road divider. She suffered head injuries.

Prof Mohd Noh, who was too distraught to speak to the media, had taken a flight from Kota Kinabalu the same day to join his colleagues in the Federal capital for a meeting with the newly appointed Higher Education Minister.

USM deputy vice-chancellor (student affairs and development) Assoc Prof Datuk Jamaludin Mohaiadin said Mar-yam was on her way to the Housing, Building and Planning School from her hostel when the accident occurred.

Edisi Utara: 'Saya tak sempat habis belajar'

Edisi Utara: 'Saya tak sempat habis belajar'

Oleh Rudy Syareme Sheriffudin
am@hmetro.com.my

GEORGETOWN: “Saya mungkin tidak sempat habiskan study (pengajian),” begitulah luahan terakhir Allahyarham Maryam Mohd Noh, 24, sebelum meninggal dunia selepas terbabit dalam kemalangan jalan raya, kelmarin.

Mangsa pelajar tahun akhir Ijazah Sarjana Muda jurusan Seni Bina, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) mengungkapkan kata-kata itu kepada rakan sekuliahnya, Ayuni Saad, 26, minggu lalu.

Ayuni berkata, arwah sebenarnya tidak menunjukkan sebarang perubahan sebelum ini tetapi sejak kebelakangan, dia terlalu rajin menyiapkan segala tugasan dengan penuh bersemangat dan ceria.

Menurutnya, arwah juga seorang yang bersikap ‘happy go lucky’ dan suka bergurau malah mereka berlima sahaja pelajar perempuan Melayu yang mengikuti kelas seni bina di USM.

Katanya, Allahyarham mempunyai sifat yang disenangi semua rakan sekuliah malah dia juga tidak menunjukkan perubahan pelik kerana sentiasa ceria pada setiap hari.

“Kehilangan arwah cukup dirasai kerana dulu kami berlima kini tinggal berempat dan kata-kata tidak sempat menghabiskan pengajian pada minggu lalu amat mengejutkan kerana akhirnya menjadi kenyataan.

“Sebagai kawan rapat, saya berdoa agar arwah ditempatkan dalam golongan orang yang beriman dan menghalalkan segala makan dan minum selama ini,” katanya ketika dihubungi menerusi telefon bimbit, semalam.

Dalam kejadian itu, Maryam yang juga anak kepada Naib Canselor Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Profesor Datuk Dr Mohd Noh Dalimin maut selepas motosikal yang ditunggangi terbabas lalu melanggar pembahagi jalan.

Mangsa meninggal dunia di tempat kejadian akibat kecederaan teruk di kepala dan patah tangan kiri dalam kejadian kira-kira jam 5.15 petang di dalam kampus USM.

Semalam, 40 rakan kuliah arwah bersama-sama berlepas ke Kajang, Selangor dari USM kira-kira jam 9.30 pagi untuk menghadiri pengebumian Allahyarham.

Rakan arwah, Rahina Jopri, 26, berkata kehilangan Maryam tidak dapat dicari ganti kerana mempunyai sikap bertimbang rasa dan mudah mesra dengan semua rakan sekuliah baik lelaki dan perempuan.

Menurutnya, kenangan makan dan minum bersama malah tidur bersama-sama dalam studio tetap menjadi kenangan abadi hingga akhir hayatnya sejak mengenali arwah kira-kira lebih setahun lalu.

Katanya, hubungannya dengan arwah amat rapat dan Allahyarham Maryam suka membantu rakan lain membuat tugasan tugasan bersama-sama yang menjadi noktah akhir dengannya.

“Kehilangan Allahyarham cukup dirasai kerana kami memang rapat hingga tidak ada orang lain boleh memisahkan dan dia (arwah) juga seorang yang baik dan kelakar,” katanya.

Jenazah arwah selamat dikembumikan di tanah perkuburan Islam di Kajang, Selangor kira-kira jam 1 tengah hari selepas solat Zuhur dengan dihadiri sahabat handai, kedua ibu bapa arwah, Profesor Datuk Dr Mohd Noh Dalimin dan isteri, Profesor Datin Dr Mariati Mohamad.

©The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad

Memory of maryam....

I cannot count how many blogs I’ve got since the blog phenomenon. I started one when I was in the middle of depression and deleted it when I’ve felt better because reading one entry saying how I cried endlessly when the printers in library weren’t working. And I haven’t written much since the last 6 months.

But writing can be fun. Pouring your heart out, complaining about people, a chance to be narcissistic, who wouldn’t want that? So here I am. I will try to mantain this blog and make it 'alive' until the end of the year. Let’s see how it turns out.

Last Saturday, I received a SMS from my friend, the sms said, “Assalamualaikum, Maryam passed away ptg tadi. Xcident. –noe”. My heart literally stopped for few seconds. All emotions just came to me. And then I was struck with disbelief. Is this real? Is this a dream? Please let me wake up and see her face again…

It’s been 5 days since she’s gone. I’m still in utter shock. I’m not really sad or been crying badly. Big part of me still can’t believe that she’s really not here. I won’t be seeing her, ever again. I won’t be hearing her voice. I won’t be hearing her, calling me uj**z. I won’t be hugging her and chatting wif her complaining about life. I won’t feel envy because she’s so determined and ambitious that totally makes me intimidated. I haven’t grieved for her, because if I do, that means she’s really gone. Her memories will fade away over time.

OK. Before I go on… Let’s just not talk about fate. How God loves her more than we do. How it’s her time, no matter how small/big the accident, she’s still be dead because it’s her time. I’m not questioning or saying these are not true. It’s just now I realized how those words never helpful to people who are grieving. Because all we want are ears and shoulder to lean on during this difficult time.

Last night, I dreamt about her. She was involved in a car accident. She was put in the trunk of a car, the driver ran away and the car crashed. As any terrible car crash, she didn’t survive.

My mind kept finding the reasons behind the terrible crash. I guess this is called intellectualization, finding explanations to justify the situation. How the motorcycle was ridden too fast and then it lost control, how something was on the road and she was trying to avoid it, or maybe she didn’t even wear a helmet/loose helmet that was how she got a serious head injury. These reasons protecting me from the truth, that she’s not alive. She’s dead.

The last time I saw her was during my sister’s wedding. We didn’t’ talk much. Just exchanged our hellos and some small talk. Can’t believe it would be my last time.

We weren’t really close when I was in the States but we did keep in touch and sometimes chat usually on msn. We would talk about of course career stuff, friendship and relationship. I have always felt lost and second-guessing my career/academic choice. When we talked about this, she said she was lucky to have always known what she wanted to do. She wanted to be an architect. I always thought she’s one of the people who will be successful in her life. She has the passion and determination.

Everytime I look at her friendster, I always ask myself, is this true that she’s not here anymore. And the last day she checked her friendster was her last day. And that will never change. And it could never be 24 hrs.

She was buried in Kajang. For now, I just pray for her that she’ll be in peace; her family will be in peace.

AL-Fatihah…