My Diet Log (Again)

Check out my latest diet graph...


Can you believe the amount of weight that I've put on since the day I left Europe? It's histerical! Dear God, how did I manage to get myself into this mess? For all the effort that I put myself into for the last 1 1/2 yrs, I throw it all away for the sake of roti canai, mee goreng mamak and teh tarik! Darn!

Well guess what? Now that I've realized how much 'love handle' and 'muffin top' that I have accumulated on my bulging tummy, I've decided to take matters at hand (again). Nope, I haven't ditched the roti canai, mee goreng mamak nor teh tarik, but I'm slowly learning to take it sparingly, plus a 30-min-5-days-a-week work out routine in the gym, squash court or pool. I've also started to regularly consume virgin coconut oil (VCO) to help boost my metabolism (famous tagline of VCO: "drink fat, loose weight" -- haha).

The result?

I've lost a kilo on the 2nd week, and another kilo on the 3rd week. Pretty amazing what a daily exercise routine does to your body isn't it?

I'll keep on going til I get to my ideal weight, which is 47kg. Wish me luck!

Summoning old memories

I have always felt a tinge of regret for not blogging at the start of my MSc course in 2006. Better late than never, so they say. Thus, I would like to take this opportunity to recall all those wonderful memories and faces during one of the most amazing moments of my life.

To friends and acquaintances of Advanced European ERASMUS MUNDUS MSc in Network and e-Business Centered Computing class of 06/08, it has been my pleasure to have known and worked with all of you.

Now, let us all go down the memory lane....

Taking it all back

My last entry was a happy one - I was basically sharing my joy about being back home.

But guess what? I take it all back.

Don't ask me why.

I am tired with all the crap.

Just get off my back and leave me alone.

Back for good

It's good to be back.

My Diet Log (ada unsur riak sket nie)

Green Line: TREND a.k.a the weight that I am supposed to achieve at a certain date (based on the targeted weight over a certain period of time that I specified when I first signed up - actually dah lupa pon ape target)

Blue Line: WEIGHT a.k.a my current weight!!

Kehkehkeh sape nk tips angkat tangan ;D ;D ;D

WTF???

I am utterly shocked and disappointed with the aftermath of the 12th general election.

No, I am not saddened with the fact that Barang Naik had lost another 4 states to Barisan Alternative (yes, I refuse to call them Barisan Rakyat from this day onwards), yet was hysterical and overjoyed with the humiliating defeat of BN for it has shown a great level of maturity of Malaysian voters.

Today I came across this entry in Lim Kit Siang's blog (yes I do read his blog religiously from time to time and so does Anwar's, so now you people know where I stand ok hehe. I know a lot of people tend to think he is racist but I USED to beg to differ, but probably not anymore)

"No DAP CEC mandate for PAS Menteri Besar in Perak

The decision to appoint a PAS Assemblyman Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin as Perak Mentri Besar has caused shock and consternation to DAP leaders, members and supporters.

The DAP Central Executive Committee, at its emergency meeting in Penang on Sunday, 9th March 2008, had given approval for the formation of a Perak coalition government comprising 18 DAP Assembly members, seven PKR Assemblymen and six PAS Assemblymen.

DAP is prepared to accept DAP chairman and Assemblyman for Sitiawan Ngeh Koo Ham or PKR Behrang Assemblyman Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi as Perak Mentri Besar.

As the appointment of PAS Assemblyman for Pasir Panjang Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin as Perak Mentri Besar representing the third and smallest political party in the proposed coalition has not received the mandate of the CEC, DAP Perak Assemblymen will stay away from the swearing-in ceremony for Perak Mentri Besar scheduled tomorrow. "

Can someone please, please explain to me what this is? Wahhh baru menang 3 hari dah nak gaduh? So much for Barisan Alternative coalition and all those talk! Please la DAP, do we really need this now? Everybody knows for a fact that as much as we want muhibbah and what not, it is a long way to go before a non-Bumiputera is accepted as an MB by the Malay majority. And as much as DAP is dissapointed with the selection, I think they need to step down on this case and make way for a candidate from a party which has a proven track record of ruling Kelantan for more than 18 years despite the financial blockage, at least for now! There is ABSOLUTELY no need to make this public, as it only shows disintegration among the coalition.

Another thing, please do not 'naik sheikh' or 'syok sendirik' for a lot of people only voted you guys (yes all of you DAP, PAS and PKR) simply because they will vote for anything BUT BN. Please make this work and prove your competency by delivering your promises of good governance, independant judicial and so forth. Do not let this victory be a one-term thingy as what has been experienced by PAS in Terengganu on GE 1999. And always remember that if the people have the power to put you up where you are now, they can also easily put you down on the next GE!

p/s: why don't PKR step up and take responsibility? I'm sure if they do DAP takde la mengamuk camnie!

p/p/s: nie ape kebende nie? So what now bloggers are no more beruk2 di jalan raya is it??

Sadiq's Story

A heartbreaking story of an Afghan immigrant in the UK. I solute this young man for his bravery and strength, as well as thousands of other immigrants who risk their lives in providing a better life for their beloved family back home.

p/s: would love to give a BIG smack to the lady at Sainsbury's. Funny how people can easily pass judgment without knowing a single thing about another person, and even feel good about it afterwards!

p/p/s: Kite pening pk bile nk cukup duit nk tukar kete baru, nk beli umah, beli handbag baru, kasut baru, nk travel, yet these people risk their lives only to have enough food on the table. Sedihnye!!! Sy mmg manusia yg tak reti bersyukur :(

Kek keju saya

2 minggu lepas mashimaro post gambar cheese cake yg dia buat ngn resipinye skali. Semenjak dua menjak dok negara omputih nie semangat masak sy berkobar2. Almaklum ler kalu malas masak asyik makan daun ngn telor jek la. Wahhh kalau la mak sy tau mesti dia bangga. Tp sy tak bagitau pon sbb sure mak sy tak caya. Penah skali kawan sy kt sini cakap sy masak sedap, mak sy respond "Maybe coz u don't know how Malay food is supposed to taste". Buek malu den jek!

Mulanye masuk dapur nie taktik jek bile malas wat research. Asal dtg jek penyakit tuh, mula la wat2 alasan nk masak itu la, ini la. Lama2 cam best la plak, cam release tension gitu. Bile sy ckp kt kawan jerman sy yg sy sronok masak, punye la dia terkejut. Maklumla telur goreng pon dia beli kt supermarket. Tp kalu kite masak wah2 kemain lg dia dok mengendeng. Disebabkn sy dah terbiasa ngn org2 yg tak reti berbudi dan suka amik kesempatan, sy slalu wat bodoh jek dan makan jek dpn dia walau pon dia dok menjeling2 dan kasik2 hint. Kejam tak sy?

So bile sy tgk gamba cheese cake tuh terketarq2 sy nk wat. Hari nie pi Carrefour tetibe teringat, ape lg sy pon borong la ingredients dia. Nk carik cream cheese, at least dah tau diorg panggil crema queso. Pastu carik double cream, kalu translate literally sure diorg panggil crema doble, tp carik punye carik takdek la plak. Nampak satu kotak nie mcm cream, tp nama dia nato de mortar, blasah je la. Patut kene beli gak condense milk, tp mane la nk carik kt sini, sy pon pk takpe la ganti ngn gula jek.

Sampai jek umah berkobar2 sy nk wat. Sy pon bukak la blk resipi mashimaro, pastuh sy search gak resipi lain kt internet, saje la mane tau nk tambah sana sini. Tgk resipi internet ni byk yg letak teloq, sy pon ngade2 nk letak gak. Ok la, dah blend seme siap baru tingat. Awat aku cerdik sgt letak telur dah x psl2 kene bake, padahal resipi mashimaro masuk fridge jek. Disbbkn oven rumah sy nie slalu menyebabkn blackout, sy pon pk 10x. Tp takkan nk mkn teloq mentah kot. Sy pon pk xpe la no choice, cek blk resipi kt internet nk tgk temperature bape. Diorg kate 350 degrees, tp oven sy sampai 250 jek, camana nie? Sy pk takpe la sy letak maksimum, tp sy double kn time masak tuh. Sy pon masuk oven n dok la kt dpn tunggu kek masak sambil wat keje. Lps 20 minit bau punye la harum satu umah. So sy dgn senyum kambing syok sendiri masuk la dapur nk intai. Mak aiiii terkejut nyah!!

Kek keju sy yg hampir rentung (Sebenarnye keadaan dia lg teruk. Tu saya dah buang byk yg hangus hahah)

Eii geramnye nape jd camnie!!! pastuh sy pk sorg2...ishk2 nape sampai cengini jdnye. Pastuh baru la sy teringat. Agaknye resipi tuh 350 Fahrenheit, bukan 350 Celcius! Sy bakar ayam pon 180 C jek...ape ke bedol ni weihhh!!!!

Verdict: wp hampir rentung, kek keju sy masih sedap! Tp manis sgt (mashimaro, sy dah letak 2/3 jek gula cam awk ckp tp still manis, pasnie nk try 1/3 jek).

Pelajaran hari nie: Kalu tak reti masak tuh buat2 ler ikot resipi jgn nk blagak pandai.

She's Heading Home...

The so-called-friend is flying back to Germany for good this weekend. She broke the news 30 minutes ago and surprisingly I felt saddened by it.

Shouldn't I be jumping with joy?

I guess saying goodbye is always hard for me regardless of how good or bad the relationship is.

Everyone you meet will leave a footprint in your heart and teaches you some values in life.

Oh well, this is just the beginning of it. Wonder how it would be for the final goodbye in April :(

A Recipe For Those Lazy Days

Ingredients:
200g pasta
1 large tomato, chopped
1/3 cup basil, chopped
1 cup shrimps, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 teaspoon coarsely grinded black pepper
1/3 cup grinded cheese (mucho gusto muah2x! the more the better! hehe)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:
1. Boil pasta till soft
2. Boil shrimps till cooked
3. Drain No.1 and 2, pour all of the ingredients in a big bowl and mix well


**Off-side note: Adding a cup of chopped parsley can do wonders to your bolognese sauce ;)**

A Chic Lit for Everyone

DCM came back from the UK with a box of Krispy Creme and a chic-lit entitled P.S I Love You. I grinned from ear to ear. What could be better than lying on your bed with a good book and a dozen of donuts? ;D

Packed in a suitcase look-alike, straight from the vending machine in Gatwick. How cute!

Been searching for this book for ages around the city. Obviously you can find it rather easily in any major bookstores here, only that you have to read them in Spanish hehe. I guess the best part about being the 2nd most spoken language in the world is that all good resources are within your fingertip. Think of any good book in the market, I can pretty much assure you that they'll have one in their language. (Wonder whether our people would take up the opportunity if we have the same privilege. Reminded of how my brother used to joke about finding Malays in Kinokuniya - just go to the mag section, you'll find plenty of them muehehe)

Funny that I tried so many means of getting the book, only to end up with tons of unread chic lit piling up my desk. You see I am not a big fan of this type of genre, but I was dying to get my hand on this one due to the many good reviews I heard from friends. So after the huge disappointment with the local bookstores, I started hitting the online stores. eBay and Amazon do have plenty, only that it comes with a shipping fee that I was not too happy about (once a cheapskate, always a cheapskate hehe). While browsing I came across a collection of chic lit - 6 books for 10 quid inclusive of shipping... wallaaaaaa!! Being the ultimate skinflint, I purchased them straight away (Note: none of them has been read up till now. A lesson learnt - never buy something simply coz it’s cheap haha). Then there was also the trip to Oslo where I actually did found an original copy but decided not to buy it since everything was so expensive there. At the airport though, I suddenly felt a strong urge for some reading material to accompany the 3 ½ hr journey back to Madrid. Went looking for the book again, found none in sight, so I got myself a Marian Keyes instead.

People, people what can I say! Marian Keyes changed my perception of chic lit like you wouldn’t believe! It was both heartbreaking and comical – never had I shed so much tears and laughed so hard in a single book. To all those people who think chic lits are too shallow (errrr including myself), try this one and I guarantee you will change your mind!

As for P.S I Love You, I would say I was a little bit disappointed with Ahern's flair of writing after reading past a couple of pages. But I’ll do justice by sparing my full review till I am done with it.

Nevertheless, muchos gracias DCM for this lovely pressie. You're an absolute darl!

Turning Over a New Leaf

D said I should blog more about positive stuff.

Looking back at past entries, I've come to realize that most of the stuff that I blogged about were total downers. Thing is, I consider this blog as my personal space in the cyber world where I am able to express myself and vent out all my angers and frustrations.

But maybe he's right. Maybe years from now I would be happier reading all the happy stories instead of all the yakking 'bout stuff that has not gone right. But for every long entry, there is a always a point that I wanted to get across. It is my personal perception of the environment and the people around me, and a reminder to myself about the kind of person that I should or shouldn't be. I guess it's easier to write about the stuff that bothers you instead of the things that make you happy as you tend to take those happy moments for granted yet dwell and sweat about your worries too much. Not so wise huh.

So here we go...from today onwards I am turning over a new leaf.

Grrrrrr....

I hate Linux, I hate Asterisk, I hate all that has got to do with open source.
Period.

Drama Queen

I spent the whole day yesterday helping a so-called-friend in her quest to the Centro de Salud a.k.a the local health center. She claimed she was weak, had diarrhea the whole night, and asked me to lend a hand in walking her to the center. I had no objection.

Called up several centers but none were picking up, went down to the nearest pharmacy to ask for information, gather the info, went up the flat, looked up Google map and decided it was too far for her to walk in that condition. Called a taxi and waited, only to be told an hour later that it was off the route. Grrr!

Okay, so we started walking towards the center, stopping here and there as she claimed she was in pain. I prevented myself from comforting her, didn’t want to take any of her bull shit, stood by the roadside looking for a cab. Wasn’t my luck. Walked some more, got there, registered and waited for only 10 minutes before she was called in. I waited outside, only to be called later to accompany her in the room. Saw her lying on the bed with an IV drip on her arm and started feeling really bad.

Shoot, she really is sick. How could I ever think she was bluffing it?

Several nurses came by every 5 minutes to check on her and every single one of them looked astonished as she kept on saying she was not getting any better. After probably the 5^th checked, one of them decided to send her off to the emergency room at the local hospital, stating further check up was needed as she was not getting better. She was stunned, asked the nurse to call a cab, but the nurse was insisting on sending her via the ambulance. She hesitated big time; said she was embarrassed. I convinced her to take up the offer; that it was ridiculous to feel embarrassed while you are in so much pain and how it would give her better priority over other patients.

She was freaking out and started shivering all over. All of a sudden she said that she was actually already feeling better on the way to the center, and how she was hoping to STILL BE SICK by the time she arrives at the hospital so the doctor wouldn’t think she was making it all up. I knew it! Somehow i kept myself calm, and told her it was silly of her to be wishing for that.

We were relieved to get there in one piece after a nasty 15 minutes ride on the ambulance, she was pushed on a wheelchair inside the room and both of us waited for 5 minutes as someone completed her registration. While waiting, some of the nurses and the people who brought us on the ambulance were talking cheerfully behind us and were even gossiping about both of us (that she was not local, didn’t understand much of Spanish and how I didn’t understand a word of it muehehe). She got really pissed off, thought they were treating us like animals. I thought it was hilarious, and errr obviously embarrassing. Ok so after 5 minutes, I was asked to wait outside and she was ushered inside a room. Waited for another 2 hours – slept, read, gobbled up sandwiches, drank hot choc, just any means to keep myself occupied. She came out, we took a bus back home while listening to her complaining about all the wrong description they put on her paper, got off, went around to look for an available pharmacy (the hospital only writes prescription, they don’t distribute medicine). Arrived home, prepared some lemonade for her, cooked dinner, and slumped myself to bed – I was dead tired.

Only then I started feeling sick to my tummy.

It was not her first time.

Yesterday was definitely not the first time that she deliberately allow herself to get sick in the hope of receiving attention and sympathy from people around her. It was her 3^rd attempt already. I remember the 2^nd time she was in the position; she refused to take any medication. The reason – she didn’t want to intoxicate her body with drugs anymore. Wow, so much concern for a person who practically lives on processed food everyday.

Of course nobody believes her; everybody knew she did it just to get herself off work. And of course everybody knew she was faking it; probably she was sick, but not as bad as she claimed she was. Yet every time she would drag herself to the health center, and complains about how long she had to wait and how bad they were treating her. She would lock herself in her room the whole day, only coming out when people were outside preparing a meal, and would go on and on about how she was too weak to prepare food on her own. She would leave all her dishes in the kitchen, expecting others to clear up her mess. She has had low blood pressure for years, yet never took better care of herself or even attempt to change her daily diet.

I asked her how she was doing early in the afternoon today.

"Ohh same old, not any better. Still hurt as bad as yesterday"

An hour later her friend came for a visit, and off they went. I was speechless.

She said she had had a bad childhood. She claimed she was raised in a messed up family. I believe this has lead her to become the kind of person that she is today. But you know what? I have known many friends who came from similar background, yet were able to take full control of their lives without having the need to mess up with other people.

Mad at myself for falling for her trap, yet another time.

KEGILAAN

Masuk nie dah 4 kali buat correction. Nasib baik deadline hari nie. Agak2 kalu deadline lambat lg baper kali yek kene buat??
Org lain cuti Xmas berjalan. Ade pegi Greece, ade pegi Switzerland. Aku? Dok umah dediam siapkan keje.
Tp submission kali nie pon ade major correction jugak.
Teruk sgt ke paper aku? Aku yg bodoh ke dia yg cerewet? Cuba jawab.

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

What I Dread Most

I dread for the moment when I have to pack my bags and leave this wonderful continent that has been home for the last 15 months.
AND I dread the moment when I have to say good bye to all these wonderful friends that have added so much colors to my life.

No matter how much u promise each other to stay in touch, u know things will never be the same again. :(

My Wish

I hope that days come easy and moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

More then anything, more then anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it,
To your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more then you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more then you take.

Oh More then anything, Yeah, and more then anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it,
To your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more then you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

p/s: TQ darling ijah for this wonderful, wonderful song. and TQ for always being there for me!


p/p/s: Know what's the good part of feeling low? That u have good friends to cheer u up tho they're thousands of miles away!