My IQ test result

While waiting for my son to get ready for grocery shopping, I took this Classic IQ test by Tickle just to tease my brain a little bit because I think it's a bit rotten... :D
So, after completing a 14 pages questionaires, here is the result:

Your IQ score is 120

This number is based on a scientific formula that compares how many questions you answered correctly on the Classic IQ Test relative to others.

Your Intellectual Type is Word Warrior. This means you have exceptional verbal skills. You can easily make sense of complex issues and take an unusually creative approach to solving problems. Your strengths also make you a visionary. Even without trying you're able to come up with lots of new and creative ideas. And that's just a small part of what we know about you from your test results.

I don't know whether this result is good or not but at least now I know why I always have loads of crazy ideas inside my head..:D..:D

High School Musical 2

I had marked my calendar long time ago to make sure that I wouldn't miss High School Musical 2 (click this link and you'll get addicted :P) shown on Disney Channel (Astro Ch. 61). So last Sunday at 7.30pm local time, I was glued to my couch to watch this great Disney original movie.

I think this show is marvelous. I love this show very much because this show has successfully brought me back to the time when I was in my high school. This is what teenagers' life is about; bright, colorful, energetic, full of great memories of friendship and puppy love affairs.

HSM2 has high quality casts that really can dance, sing, and act beautifully. They sang and danced with high energy. The love story is so sweet and so cute. The friendship story very much represents what a teen friendship all about. HSM2 also has great songs and dance moves it made me speechless and breathless watching that show (because if I sang and danced together with them, I would shake the whole building and my neighbors would send a police patrol to catch me for creating a local earthquake..he..he..he..The fat woman danced!!..wha..ha..ha..).

Oh how I miss those times when I was so young, so innocent, so full of energy, so skinny, so busy, and had so many friends tailing me in what ever I did. I love to sing and dance since I was very small. During my teen time, I was a member of my school dance team. I always performed during every school celebration and I even performed outside my school events. I performed traditional and hip hop dances. I was also a member of my school choir.
As a teenager, my day would start at 5am and I would return home at around 7pm. Even during my 1 day weekend (which was only Sunday because my high school day was from Monday to Saturday), I would leave the house so early in the morning because by 6am, I had to be in my school for Paskibra training. Honestly, I have no idea how to translate Paskibra in English. What I know is that Paskibra stands for Pasukan pengibar bendera. I usually had my dance training in the afternoon.
In between my busy schedule at school, I still had to go for French language course twice a week and to go for my modeling show to earn some pocket money to help my parents.
As a teenager, I also followed the trend of going to the party (usually my friends' sweet 17 birthday parties) and going to a dance club and would return home at 3 o'clock in the morning! Oh well, to think about it now, as a mother, I am not sure if I will be able to let my son go to the dance club 'till 3am... :-|
But the good thing is that I have never ever touched, gone near or had anything to do with drugs and such. I didn't even smoke. So, my parents trusted me. I just wanted to dance and to have fun with my friends. Sometimes, my dad would follow me to the dance club. My dad would be my dance partner and my bodyguard. I really didn't mind this at all. I felt safe because I knew no one would dare to touch me... :D

Now things have been so different to me. I am not as energetic as before. My body is out of shape. I am not as good looking as before and my schedule is focused on raising my beloved son.
I still love to dance though and I am a member of Jazzercise.com Malaysia. Now I dance to keep fit and to loose some weight. At home I sing and dance with my beloved son. So, while watching HSM2, I kept on telling my son that teenage time is the best period of your life time.

Matta Fair in Kuala Lumpur

The great travel exhibition, Matta (Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents) fair, is back for 3 days starting today, 7th September 2007. It is held in Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), Kuala Lumpur.

This is great opportunity for you to plan your next vacation to all domestic destinations or international destinations. There will be many great travel packages for you to choose and each travel agents will be delighted to help you to make your traveling time as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

Go visit Matta fair now. Make sure you don't miss this great exhibition.

Selamat Hari Merdeka, Malaysia!

Today, Malaysia is celebrating its 50th anniversary of the independence day. There are many events are held throughout the nation to celebrate the day and semua dijemput hadir (everyone is invited).

The Star newspaper today's edition is super thick. It contains the story of merdeka day and how this country has come along way to build the nation to be what it is today.

Singapore - Hongkong - Malaysia

Just my 2 cents worth to help you planning your travel in December, my dear friend.

At this moment, it's better for you to go to Hongkong directly from Singapore rather than from Malaysia because the plane ticket is cheaper (SQ VS MAS). If you book a tour package, check it out here http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/local/SG/before/travelinfo/travelagent/ptot.jsp
Reliance is ok. You can plan your own trip to HKG at http://www.reliance.com.sg/. From Singapore, then you can take Aeroline (www.aeroline.com.my/www.aeroline.com.sg) bus/train to Kuala Lumpur. But then it's up to you.

From Kuala Lumpur, you take a taxi to Ipoh. Just let me know when you want to go to Ipoh so that I can book the taxi for you. This is my appointed taxi so you don't have to worry. From KL (city) - Ipoh, the taxi fee is RM180 (not RM180 anymore. See update below).

Update: Taxi fee from KL (city) to Ipoh is RM200, while from KL airports (LCCT/KLIA) to Ipoh is RM220.

From Ipoh, you can go to Thailand easily. Here are the options for you:

1. Take train (Kereta Api tanah melayu) from Ipoh Central Station to Hatyai (south Thailand). Just buy a one way ticket unless you want to visit Ipoh again on the way back..;) In Hatyai, you can shop and eat till you drop because things are cheap and yummy. If you visit Hatyai then you want to go back to Malaysia, you can take train again directly to Kuala Lumpur Sentral station.
   
2. Take a plane (MAS or Air Asia) from Penang airport to either Bangkok or Phuket. My appointed taxi driver can take you to Penang airport. It's 2 hour-driving the most from Ipoh so it's nearer compared to if you fly from KL ( 2.5 - 3 hours). If you want to join a tour, you can find out from http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/getdoc/eed61208-3978-48ea-8f33-e4a9a7c69ec9/Golden_Holidays.aspx, http://www.airasia.com/site/en/goholiday/home.jsp or http://www.reliancetravel.com
   

You can buy a return plane ticket. Then from Penang, buy a 1-way ticket to fly to Kuala Lumpur.

From Kuala Lumpur airport ( LCCT if you take Air Asia. KLIA if you take MAS) or from Kuala Lumpur Sentral station (if you take train from Hatyai), you can take taxi directly to Melaka. It's not too far. It will be about 2 hour the most (1 hour or less if you depart from KL airport). Check out the route here: http://www.melaka.net/location.htm

There is no flight from Ipoh to Melaka.

Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia part 2

Since I have many examples on how misunderstanding can be created because how different the 2 languages are, it's better to create a new post so that you can read them easily and learn together from my experiences.

Story 1:
This incident happened when I just got married for a week.
My Malaysian husband asked my help, "Dear, tutup lampu, please." - Dear, switch off the light, please.
I automatically answered him, "Tutup pakai apa?" - Close with what?
He realized that I have misunderstood him and said, "I mean, just switch off the light."
I misunderstood him because in bahasa Indonesia, tutup means 'close' and in bahasa Melayu tutup here means 'switch off'.
In bahasa Indonesia, we usually use the word 'matikan' for switch off and we say, "Tolong matikan lampu." for "Please switch off the light."
In both languages, matikan = kill, but Malay language doesn't use 'matikan' for switch off.


Story 2:
My husband was having a hair cut in one of Indonesian hair salon. He saw there was a heavy traffic jam on the road. He talked to the Indonesian hair dresser, "Ada banyak kereta di luar. Macet sangat. (There are so many cars (kereta in Malay language = car) out there. It's heavy traffic jam.)"
The lady hair dresser was shocked and quickly looked over her window and said, "Mana ada kereta?Itu semua mobil yang kena macet. Kereta tidak jalan di jalan raya. (Where's a train? (kereta in bahasa Indonesia = train) I see only cars that stuck in the traffic jam. A train doesn't run on the road.)"
I was sitting there listening to the conversation, burst into laughter! :D
I just had to explain to them to avoid the confusion.

Story 3:
My parents were in Malaysia for the first time and my husband was driving them around the city.
My mom asked my husband, "Kita mau dibawa ke mana ini?" - Where are you taking us?
My husband answered her, "Pusing-pusing saja." - Just driving around.
My mom was shocked and said, "Walah...datang jauh-jauh buat liburan kok malah mau dibuat sakit." - Walah (to express her disappointment)...we come to have a holiday not to get sick.
She has completely misinterpreted what my husband said because 'pusing' in bahasa Indonesia means headache.
I couldn't hide my laughter. When I settled down, I explained to my mom what my husband meant by saying "pusing-pusing".

Another confusion caused by the differences in our languages:
imagine this situation: an Indonesian in Kuala Lumpur was in panic to call a police and she screams around "Polisi...polisi...mana polisi? Panggil polisi! (Police...Police...where's the police? Call the police!)" and the nice Malaysians trying to help get confuse, "Polisi? Polisi untuk apa? insurans polisi kah?Insurans polisi awak hilang kah? (Policy? Policy for what?Is it your insurance policy? Are you loosing your insurance policy?)"

Wha lo! Aren't you confused? Bingung kan?

So far, these are all I could remember. If I remember more incidents I will add them in here. Keep on checking this post.

Additional stories:
Story 4:
This incident happened when my husband drove my parents to show them the headquarters of his office.
My husband said,"Ini ibu pejabat tempat saya bekerja." - This is the headquarters where I work.
In Malay language: ibu pejabat means headquarter
My mum looked puzzled and asked my husband, "Ibu pejabat di tempat kamu kerja sanggulan juga gak kayak di Indonesia?" - Do the officers' wives in your office have a bun on their head too just like in Indonesia?
In Bahasa Indonesia: ibu pejabat means wives of high rank government officers, and usually, these ladies have a bun on their head.

Story 5:
I experienced this incident during my 1st visit to a hospital in Malaysia. I had to wait for my turn to pick up and pay the prescribed medicines. While waiting, I saw a big note on the door of the dispensary unit. It said "Dilarang masuk selain kaki tangan"- only employees are allowed to enter.
In Malay language: kaki tangan here refers to the employees of the dispensary unit.
In bahasa Indonesia we will say, "Dilarang masuk selain yang berkepentingan" or "Dilarang masuk selain pekerja farmasi"
While in bahasa Indonesia, kaki tangan means foot and hand.
I got confused for a while. I thought I really had to make sure that my head and my body did not enter the room when I collected and paid the medicines because only my foot and my hand were allowed to be in.
Luckily, my husband came to the rescue and cleared up my confusion.. :)

Loan $25 to change lives through Kiva.org

I came across this story when I was browsing People of the web news and I want to let you all know about a cool non-profit organization that is doing great things: Kiva.org

Kiva.org allows individuals to make $25 loans to low-income entrepreneurs in the developing world (microfinance). By doing so, individuals like you provide affordable working capital for the poor (money to buy a sewing machine, livestock, etc.), empowering them to earn their way out of poverty.

It's a new, direct and sustainable way to fight global poverty, and the way I see it, I get a higher return on $25 helping someone build a future than the interest my checking account pays.

Anyways, if you have a minute, please check out the site: http://kiva.org. If you need more "reputable" validation than my recommendation :), know that they have received great press in publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal to NPR to BusinessWeek.

Thanks for reading!

Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia part 1

Many people think that Bahasa Melayu (Malay language) spoken in Singapore and Malaysia is the same with Bahasa Melayu in Indonesia. This is actually not right. The 2 languages are similar but not the same. Most Indonesians can understand the Malay language spoken in Singapore/Malaysia but on the other hand, the people who speak and understand Malay don't necessarily understand Bahasa Indonesia especially when Bahasa Indonesia is spoken very fast. This is because some Indonesians (those who live in Sumatra Island) do speak the same kind of Malay language like in Malaysia and Singapore. To them, the Malay language is their dialect so they still have to know Bahasa Indonesia as their national language. But in Malaysia and Singapore, the Malay language is their national language.

Because of the similarity in the 2 languages, we often go ahead talking to each other with our own languages thinking that the other party will understand what we talk about forgetting the fact that many words have a completely different meaning and some words are not used in the same way. But we just don't care. The Indonesians go ahead talking to the Malaysians/Singaporeans using Bahasa Indonesia, and the Malaysians/Singaporeans talk to the Indonesians using their Malay language. Sometimes, this thing poses no problem at all; but some other times, this can create a misunderstanding and miscommunication problem.

Just to give example on how different the languages are:

1. In Bahasa Melayu: budak means 'children'
   In Bahasa Indonesia: budak means 'slave'
   So, the Indonesians can get offended if someone calls their children 'budak'.
2. In Bahasa Melayu: boleh means 'you are allowed to/you can'. In Bahasa Indonesia: boleh means the same thing but we don't usually use 'boleh'. We use 'bisa'. 'Bisa' means 'poison (usually referring to snake poison)' in both languages, and in Bahasa Melayu, bisa is only used when someone is referring to poison, not to say 'you can/you are allowed to'.
3. In Bahasa Melayu: polisi means 'policy' - like insurance policy for example. In Bahasa Indonesia: polisi means 'the police', while the police in Bahasa Melayu is polis. But polis in Bahasa Indonesia means 'policy', for example: the insurance policy - polis asuransi in Bahasa Indonesia.

Before I got a chance to live in Singapore and Malaysia, I always thought that I would not find any difficulties talking in bahasa Melayu. But I was wrong because when every time I try to speak bahasa Melayu, many Malaysians still don't understand me. Apparently, I speak in Bahasa Indonesia but trying to use Melayu accent and it turns out to be so weird and I get people staring at me trying to understand what I say... :)

For example when I wanted to order a bowl of cold Leng chee kang dessert, I said, "Kak, boleh kasih satu leng chee kang, dingin." - (May I have a bowl of cold leng chee kang, mam?)
I heard the lady asked me again, "sejuk kah atau panas?" - (cold or hot?)
Hmmm... I wondered why she still asked me again when I have clearly said "dingin" which means "cold".
So, I repeated "Dingin". I made mistake here by forgetting that in bahasa Melayu, cold is translated into 'sejuk' not 'dingin'. While I do understand the word 'sejuk' refer to 'cold', I am not accustomed to use the word 'sejuk', so I kept on repeating the word 'dingin' instead.
Then the lady changed the word to "ice or no ice". I replied to the lady "Ice". Both of us understood this one so I finally got my cold leng chee kang... :)

Another time when I wanted to buy an oil splatter screen but I did not know what is the name for it so I said, "I nak beli tutup minyak yang bolong-bolong." - (I want to buy oil cover that has holes on it) trying to explain what I wanted to buy. Bolong-bolong is a slank in Bahasa Indonesia for 'holes'.
The shop keeper stared at me and asked me back, "Apa itu bolong-bolong?"
I stared back at her trying to remember the malay word for bolong-bolong and I could not remembered it at all so I kept on saying "bolong-bolong is holes". Then I heard the lady said "Oh, lobang-lobang. Kita tak cakap bolong-bolong lah. Kita cakap lobang-lobang." - (Oh, the holes. We don't say bolong-bolong for holes. We say lobang-lobang).
I was so relieved she finally got what I meant. I said to her, "Yah. Tutup minyak yang berlobang-lobang."
The same reason as the above example, I do understand the word 'lobang' for 'hole' but I don't remember to use it because I am so used to say bolong for 'hole'.
At the end, I found my oil splatter and bought it.

For the past 2.5 years living in Malaysia, I have learned a lot about the differences in our languages and now I am very careful if I want to speak in Malay language. I will make sure to use the words that can be understood by both parties. If I get stuck, then English is the common language.
So far, I notice that more and more people who speak Malay language are willing to adapt the words and accent of Bahasa Indonesia. I can see that they have no difficulties in doing so. As a result, the Indonesians feel more comfortable and a lot more confidence when talking to them.
The Indonesians also on the other hand, are trying do the same towards Malay language.

Understanding and willingness to adapt to each other language are the best way to bridge the differences of the 2 languages so at the end we will not have miscommunication and misunderstanding toward each other.

My choice of Kuala Lumpur hotels

As for the hotel, my favorite hotel in KL is Prescott Inn ( http://www.kl-hotels.com/prescottinnkl ). You can book online from that website. It's a 3-star hotel so it is cheaper compared to the rests but the location is very convenient. It's near Medan Tuanku monorail station so it's easy for you to go around KL. It is also near SOGO shopping center, Pertama Kompleks shopping center, and Maju Junction Mall. There is Nasi Kandar stall that opens 24 hours in which you can find your typical Padang food there (of course it's not exactly the same like in Padang but it is close enough). My parents love to go to this Nasi Kandar stall. They said the food suits their taste.

My next choice hotel in KL will be Corus hotel (http://www.kl-hotels.com/corus/rates.htm ). This is 4-star hotel and link to KLCC (Petronas towers) and Putra LRT station. If you take Aeroline bus, Corus hotel is the start and final destination in KL to Singapore vice versa. So, when you arrive in KL from Singapore by Aeroline, you can check in immediately into Corus hotel and start everything else from there.

If you are into shopping, you can check out many hotels around Bukit Bintang area ( http://www.kl-hotels.com/accommodation/accommodation4.htm). My choice will be Berjaya times square hotel ( http://www.berjayaresorts.com/timesquarekl/rates.html). This hotel shares the same building as Berjaya times square mall. Berjaya times square mall is my favorite mall. It's big (but not the biggest. the biggest is Midvalley mall) like that mall in BSD tangerang in which you can find roller coaster inside the mall. There is 3D imax cinema in there too. I would love to watch Harry Potter there... :D

Adjacent to Midvalley mega mall there is Cititel and Boulevard hotels. Both are 3-star hotels but Cititel is cheaper than Boulevard. Midvalley has a link to KTM komuter that will bring you to KL Central station. From Central station, you can go anywhere in KL/Malaysia and even check in your luggages if you fly with Malaysia Airlines then take the KLIA express to KLIA airport in 27 minutes only (as compared to 1 hour by taxi/bus). To go around KL is very convenient using its train system(http://www.kiat.net/malaysia/KL/transit.html ). If possible, don't take Taxi in KL because if you don't know the exact price to your destination, the taxi drivers will be happy to give you their price which will be a lot higher than the original price. But in places where you must buy coupon first before you take a taxi, such as KL Central station and Berjaya times square mall taxi stand, you are safe to take taxi from there.

Depending on where you want to go and which places you love to visit, you can decide which one is more convenient for you, book local tour or tour on your own. You can visit this website for reference: http://malaysia.travel/consumer/vmy/default.asp

The haze is back...

and it brings all kinds of sicknesses to test your body resistant.

My whole family are down with running nose, sore throat, and sticky red-eyes! My husband got it first, then passed them to my son. Since I am taking care of my son, I get it too now. My runny nose really gets into my nerve. My throat is so painful I'm struggling to talk, and to make it worse, my son keeps on asking me to sing for him. What a great way to celebrate my coming birthday... :(

Take care yourself and drink plenty of water. I'm going to see my GP now.

Indonesia National Anthem

I just received a link to a video of the first and the original version of Indonesia Raya, my country National Anthem.

When I watched it, honestly, I got goosebumps. I have never heard this version before. During my school years, I had to sing the shorter version every Monday during Merah-Putih raising flag ceremony. To be able to watch and listen to the original version of Indonesia Raya today, it made me realize that I have been away from my country too long. The last time I sang or heard the shorter version was around 11 years ago. Oh my God! It's been ages! And for 11 years, I have learned to sing other countries' National Anthem: Majulah Singapura, The Star-Spangled Banner, God Defend New Zealand, and Negaraku.

To all my Indo friends where ever you are,
Do watch and listen to this song. I hope you'll never forget it even if you hold a different passport and sing a different national anthem now. It's a reminder where you came from.
Just click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkxehrXU3tM
kudos and terima kasih to krawul258 for sharing this precious video. I don't know where you got it but it sure brought back all my memories about my Indonesia.

REVIEW: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

Finally, after 3 days of intense marathon reading of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, I have about 2 hours to write the review of the book before I go to sleep. It's quite a great accomplishment for me to be able to finish reading a 607-page book in 3 days because I have my duties as a mother to be fulfilled before I could have my time to read the book.

As an avid Potter fan, I know how bad it feels to read a review full of spoilers about that book, so in this review, I will avoid mentioning anything that can be considered spoilers.

Let me start my review by giving a standing ovation to J.K. Rowling for her greatest accomplishment in writing this fantastic magical world of Harry Potter. In the 1st 24 hours, this final book of Harry Potter has been sold for 8.3 millions copies in United States alone. Making it to be the fastest-selling book ever in the history. Congratulation, Jo! I tip my hat to you. She is the most genius writer I have ever known. By reading all Harry Potter books, I realize how broad her knowledge is because she does not just any how conjure things to make the story more interesting. Her choice of words, her writing style and the way she develops the suspense really mesmerize me. I think the Harry Potter series should be included in must-read books for your literature references.

Just like the previous books, this final book of Harry Potter series is really engaging. The moment I started reading it, it is extremely hard to pause it. I literally had to scream to myself that my duties as a mother should be my priority. The story is so intense making it so difficult to put down even when my son was running around naked waiting for me to shower him. My son has been very cooperating. He understands how I really wanted to finish reading the book a.s.a.p... ;)

The closure of Harry Potter series is just like what I always wish it would end. It's quite ordinary and I'm sure many of the readers have predicted that way but the way Jo Rowling brought the series to an end is exceptional, definitely beyond what every one could every imagine and think of. The way she convey the message of LOVE AND DEATH is remarkable! It makes a new reference on how you should love and how you should deal with death. It's about who the true master of death is. Deathly hallows versus horcruxes. There is an interesting twist about Severus Snape and Dumbledore in their relationships to Harry Potter. This book is very emotional. I did cry alot reading this book. It is not scary though it's quite bloody. The description of each place or situation is so detail you can even imagine yourself there next to Harry on his adventure to meet Voldemort. It's absolutely fantastic!

On the downside, I think this book is like a summary of all previous books. It's not good though because once you have finished reading this one, you don't feel like you need to read the previous books.

But overall, this is an outstanding book. It's a must-read book for those who still learn to love and still don't know how to deal with death. It's very encouraging and very inspiring. The story and the characters are so rich considering it is a kid-teen story book. The Harry Potter series are my favorite series of all time. I surely will let my son read them and I hope he will love them. If you still want to know who dies at the end, Harry or Voldemort? Get the book and read it! If you can't afford to buy it, try to borrow from your city libraries and be patient. I'm sure the paperback version will be cheaper.

Happy Belated Birthday, Dan!

I know you don't know me and you won't even notice that I exist, I still want to say:
Happy belated birthday, Daniel Radcliffe! You are 18 years old now. I hope you won't change your wonderful personality and will always keep your feet on the ground no matter how famous and how rich you are.
I'm sorry to miss your birthday but Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is so engaging it is very hard to put it down.

Harry's birthday is coming and so is Jo Rowling's and mine. We are all Leos... :D
Unfortunately, that's the only thing I have in common with you... :)


Love,
your number one fan

Harry Potter Book 7 Launching Party cancelled

I...CANNOT...BELIEVE...THIS!

Just when I was about to close my eyes and ready to sleep, my hubby asked me to read the news from The Star regarding the cancellation of launching party for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at all MPH, Popular, Harris, and Times book stores across Malaysia. And to make the news sounds more devastating for Potter fans in Malaysia, these bookstore chains will not sell the last instalment of Harry Potter books at all. Apparently they do not like the move from Penguin Book Malaysia for letting Tesco and Carrefour selling the book at a very cheap price.

This is a big disappointment for Potter fans like me who has got so excited with the launching party because I thought this will be a way to have a big meeting with other Harry Potter fans.

Anyway, just read the news here:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/7/20/nation/20070720172429&sec=nation

Great family outing

I believe I am a very lucky person to be able to experience loads of good things in my life. The latest one was a one-day family outing at Gopeng Durian farm. Gopeng is about 30 minutes drive south of Ipoh in the direction to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

I am a durian fanatic and can go crazy over this spiky stinky fruit. To be able to spend the whole day eating durian as much as my stomach could take is one of the wackiest dreams I always have.
It is not a dream anymore when my hubby is nice enough to take me and my son to visit Gopeng Durian Farm. To me, this was one of very important things he can do to show how he loves and cares about me so much. He was invited by his friends to join this trip. So there were 3 families heading to the farm that afternoon. I was very excited and I just can't hide my excitement at all along the way. I got even more excited when we approached the farm. I could see the durian jungle is so thick full of durian trees with some rambutan and banana trees among them. My eyes were round to see so many durians hanging on the trees.

Led by the durian farm owner's car, we drove into the durian jungle. It was an off-road track which was great if we drove a 4X4 vehicle. It was quite funny though when we felt so worry that durians might just drop on top of us. We occasionally ducked our head inside the car when we drove passed under many durians hanging on the trees... :D

When we arrived at the 'end' of the jungle, we found an open space with a very beautiful view across the river which flowed quite heavily because of the morning rain. There is a hut complete with a traditional barbecue equipment and a kampong style restroom.
The farm owner and his family greeted us and explained to us that this place usually was rented by nature lovers to spend the nights while enjoying the fruits.
While waiting for the farm owner to go to collect the fallen durians and to pick up so many riped rambutans, we went to play in the river. For my son, this was his 1st time to be so near to river. I still didn't allow him to play in the river because I'm afraid he would be sweep away by the strong current. He just stayed behind the wall and threw some rocks to the river while watching other kids having fun with the water. He was ok. He understood that he was still to small to join the fun.

About 30 minutes later the farmer and his wife came back with 1 big bag full of durians and 1 big basket full of sweet rambutans. The farmer then chopped open all durians and gave them to us. Without any further delay, we attacked the durians and ate them until we could not breathe for eating so much. Once in a while we ate the rambutans as well to get a different taste for our taste buds.

There is no doubt that eating too much durian made me feel hotter and hotter. To cool down the heat from eating durian too much, I had to drink cold water using the durian skin bowl. This traditional method really gives a quick effect cooling down my body. I had to use the durian skin to contain some cold water and drank it from there. Pour some more cold water in there then wash your hand after you finish eating durian. By doing this, your hands will be free from the stink durian smell. I don't know why these work but they do work... :D

Finally we reached the maximum level of how much our stomach could take durians. We could not eat any more durian at all. So we returned to the river while the rest packed the left over durians and rambutans and put them inside the car trunk. On the way back we still collected many more fallen durians. Gosh! It's a lot of durians and rambutans to bring home.
Everyone said that they had enough durians for this season, but not for me...whe..he..he..
Even at home, I was the only one finishing off all the durians we brought from the farm... :D
Yay! More durian please... :D

Jusco Ipoh Shopping day

Women love to shop, and today, all women in Ipoh, especially, are having all the time in their live shopping at Kinta City shopping mall because today is Jusco J-card member's day. All items have discounts up to 70% not only from Jusco but also from most of stores inside Kinta City mall. When you purchase more than RM50, you are entitled to loads of free gifts. Each merchant offers different kinds of gifts to attract more customers. Not only that; if you spend more than RM100 from Jusco you can redeem a RM10 voucher for pink-receipt (non-grocery items) or RM5 for green-receipt (grocery items). If you spend more than RM80 from other stores in Kinta City which participate on this programme, then you can get a free cuddly bear while stock last.

With loads of fantastic offers going on inside this Kinta City mall, everyone suddenly thinks that she needs to buy everything even if she doesn't need it and so do I.
At the moment I am having a break at The Coffee Bean and Tea leaf writing this post trying to cool down from my shopping anxiety... :D

I arrived at 11 am only to find out that I didn't get car park because these people have flocked the shopping mall since before the opening time. Crazy! This is mad! Every time I followed someone out of the mall to her car park, she actually didn't want to go out. She just wanted to put her items inside the car and returned to the mall to do more shopping. It took me quite sometime to finally get a car park. Once I parked my car, I quickly sprinted to join the crowd.

Before taking a break, I managed to buy 4 handbags, 2 lipsticks, 1 blush powder, and still spent less than RM200 and have got many free gifts! I really felt great and can't wait to go back for more shopping spree... :D

I need to go now. Run!! Run!!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

For the first time in my life, I have got my self so ready to watch a movie even a night before the movie started. I arrived in front of the cinema exactly an hour before, ready to watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. As a huge Potter fan (books and movies), I determined to concentrate fully on everything about this movie so that I can give a fair review on this fifth installment of Harry Potter movies.

As usual, I prefer to go watching Harry Potter movies by my self because to me, this is the time when I can see my imagination comes to life. It's my private moment where I could make connection with all my imaginary characters.
Thanks to my hubby, I got the worst seat in the cinema. He was the one that chose that seat for me the night before when he collected the ticket for me. I wonder if he did it deliberately because I refused to take him along... ;)
Luckily, I could move seat to get a better view though at the end, I encountered a much worst disturbance right next to me when the person sat next to me fell asleep and snored so loudly through out the 3/4 part of the movie... :(

Anyway, the movie started 5 minutes earlier than the scheduled time. For 2 hour and 18 minutes I was blown away by the spectacular visual effect and by the marvellous acting of all casts, old and new ones. I definitely see how Daniel Radcliffe's acting has improved tremendously. He really was successful to bring out the deepest emotion of Harry Potter in the most perfect way. Dan is brilliant! Dan embodies Harry Potter perfectly. He has made me even more difficult to separate him and Harry himself. This shows how he really is serious about taking his career as a great actor.
Emma Watson is superb and Rupert Grint are great too. Basically, all old casts really did their job marvelously. I can see how they have become 1 big family.
The new casts are comparably wonderful too. They are perfect for each role they portray.
There is one particular new cast that really drew my attention: Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood. She has done a great job as Luna Lovegood.
She is so successful in portraying Luna Lovegood just like what I imagined when I read the book. To me, she has acted far better than Katie Leung who plays Cho Chang.
Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge and Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange are successful in making me hate their characters so much. They both looked so evil and cruel.

The fighting scene at Ministry of Magic office was cool with all the visual effect but unfortunately it was too short and quite abruptly cut to quickly end the movie.
And for the script, this movie was not great either because it has removed too many important moments and scenes on the book and replacing them with a different version to build up and to connect the storyline which was quite disturbing for those Potter book fans. Understandable though because it is so impossible to fit every thing in a 2hour and 18 minute-movie.

But overall, David Yates has done a marvelous job. He has his own vision on book 5. It was a great movie to watch even if you never read any of Harry Potter books before. This movie sends a very good message about conquering the evil within and also about love and friendship. I laughed, I cried, I got mad together with all characters in the movie. I felt I was there with them until the movie ends and I reluctantly had to get back to the reality.
Oh I wish it never ends. I have to wait for another year at least to be able to jump in to my imagination. I hope next week when the last book is out, I am able to find Harry smile because he finally finds his true happiness in life. I literally held my breath and I was so intense when I saw him fighting to conquer the evil inside him. I wish I could just hug him and give him strength and tell him that everything is gonna be alright. Unfortunately, it's all only in the movie.

One advice before you decide to watch this movie, just like the book, every Potter movie gets darker and scarier than the previous ones. It is definitely not a children movie at all. It's good if you can watch it alone so that you can connect your feeling privately just like I did... :)

Before the show...

Got my ticket last night. Got my hair washed. Got my new dress. I am all set to meet my prince Potter...Harry Potter...in 2 hours. Yeap... I got a 'date' with him at the cinema near my house...;)

I've been waiting for this moment since the last time I met him at Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I really can't wait. I am so excited and my excitement has started to get into my nerve since a week ago. I can't sleep. I can't eat. I can't concentrate to do anything at all.

I can't wait to see how Daniel Radcliffe performed in this movie. Will he act better than the previous movie?I know I don't really like his hair cut!It's too short!
I prefer to see him with long hair like the one in Goblet of Fire. He looked so gorgeous!

Gosh! Harry (read: Dan)! You really make my heart skip a beat!

Gotta go now to take shower and get ready to go to cinema. I hope I will have a marvelous time with him... ;D

Tiramisu and bird flu

I was crazy for this particular dessert. To me, Tiramisu was heaven in my mouth. I have dreamt to be able to make my own Tiramisu so that I could eat it as much as I want. When I visited Italy, I definitely did not forget to buy the original Italian ladyfingers (biscotti) to make my favorite dessert, Tiramisu and I really couldn't wait to start 'creating this heaven' in my own kitchen.

With guidance from Cooking a commonsense guide recipe book, I got all the ingredients prepared and mixed together. Even before I kept it in the refrigerator, I already could see my 'heaven' formed. My mom helped me with the preparation.

While helping me preparing the coffee and dipping the biscotti, she threw a question about the way this dessert was created that actually 'knocked' my head so hard and got me to think and rethink and keep on thinking twice, thrice, many times, every time I want to enjoy this piece of heaven.

My mom asked me, "Oh, you really use raw eggs to make this tiramisu and you don't bake it at all??" I said, "According to the recipe book, yes, I don't have to bake the cake. It just needs to be refrigerated. No baking at all." then my mom asked me again, "What about if the eggs were infected with bird flu disease?"
I was dumb-struck to be asked like that. I could understand why she came up with that kind of question because she lives in Indonesia, the country where the number of bird flu victims is sky-rocketing and many poultries are infected with H5N1 virus in there.

Damn! I never knew that Tiramisu contents raw eggs inside until the day I tried to make it myself. Oh no!! My mom has just made my sweet relationship with Tiramisu turned very very sour... :( and I lost my interest in the Tiramisu I made almost instantly.
Oh no! My Tiramisu is the biggest Tiramisu I have ever seen. Who is going to eat it if it's not me??...oh no! I feel very sad.
After it was refrigerated for 24 hours, I forced my self to try my Tiramisu. I also asked my hubby to try it. Both of us agreed that my Tiramisu is very delicious! Oh no! I wanted to eat alot of it but every time I took it out of the fridge, I keep on remembering my mom's question about the bird flu. I know the eggs I used were not infected with H5N1 virus, but the fact that I actually eat raw eggs every time I eat a piece of Tiramisu has made me loosing my interest to Tiramisu slowly and gradually because I NEVER LIKE EATING RAW EGGS!!!

Oh my Tiramisu,
Shall I say good-bye to you?
Even when you don't contain bird-flu?

Ipoh Open International Run

If you still cannot find any reasons to come and visit Ipoh in Perak, Malaysia, here is 1 very good reason for you to start packing your bag and running shoes and head to Ipoh to join Ipoh Open International Run which will be held on 1st July 2007 at 06.45am at Dataran Ipoh, Greentown.

This international event is worth to join because there is cash prize for the winners! Besides, you will be able to enjoy city of Ipoh in the morning while trying to complete all routes.

You need to submit an entry form together with a photostated copy of your NRIC or passport and pay the registration fee by postal order/bank draft/Cheque to "IPOH INTERNATIONAL RUN" BEFORE SATURDAY, 23 JUNE 2007 before 12.00 noon.
Otherwise there is a late registration fee of RM 7.00 / USD 2.00

For more information, please visit http://www.mbi.gov.my/dataaccess/iir

Sorry to inform this so late. It's better late than never, isn't it?... :P