Dharmawangsa Oh Dharmawangsa

I usually follow my instinct but this time round succumb to peer pressure to try this new hotel. I guess I am also used to familiar things/routine so to do something out of the norm usually will take me a few days to decide. So, I decided that I will give this boutique hotel a try and…. I wished I had listened to my instincts. The hotel is so far away from the airport and by the time I get to this hotel, I was irritated already. It does not help that the traffic was bad. I told a colleague and she said I'm the only one from office who does not like it there, I beg to differ. She then told me that because I am the Gucci, Prada kind of person, that's why I like Hyatt! Listen babe, Dharmwangsa is a five star boutique hotel, located in a posh housing estate - the houses in that area is HUGE! and you have your own butler per room! So Prada and Gucci aside, who is the atas one here?

The room was probably the size of my living room at home and the toilet is the size of my master bedroom.... and my master bedroom is pretty big. Can you imagine, there was a vanity top for him and her? I could sleep in the toilet and do cartwheels in the bedroom!

That aside. I am a practical person. I don't need a big room when I am on business. The usual corporate hotels are good enough for me. I don't like to waste time in the car while traffic crawls. I would rather use that time to do work or take a quick scroll around the area to see the city. Location is key for me - convenience is important. Also, how can I enjoy the luxury of life when I get in the car and I see kids and their moms knocking on the car windows asking for moolah?! I cannot help but feel guilty.

Zakat

Saw this Ad in KL last week. I thought it was good. simple and direct.

Rumah Besar Dah Ada

Kereta Pun Ada

Gaji dah lima angka

Zakat Harta bila?

The MEENACHI in MOI!

I am Malay but I also have some Indian blood in me. Does that mean there is a MINAHCHI (or meenachi) in me?!

There is a MINAH in Moi!

There you go. I said it. Never wanted to be associated with it years ago, and today, I admit it.
The Minah in me makes me what I am today. Rooted in my religious and cultural beliefs and yet I am open minded and rather liberal with my thoughts and my lifestyle.

I have become quite a MINAH because I have used words like "beb", "steady ah", "gerek", "let's jam", "power brader" in my conversation without even realizing it. I've resorted to calling my Malay friends Petom, Bedah and "Makcik Siput" because it goes well with each one of them. I enjoy listening to songs from the Mat Rock group.. please don't ask me the titles or the singers, I only know the lyrics. I have become such a Minah that when I want to call it a day, I am brave enough to tell the producers in my team, OK Bro, I GOT TO ROCK!

So bebs, don't you think there is a MINAH in you?

Happy Birthday Zanny O

Yes, today is my birthday :) When I had my hair cut last week, the hairdresser thought I was in my late 20's. Aaahhhh.... now that I am a year older, I'm really happy to say I don't look my age ;) Thanks to that anti-oxidant tablets, the montly facials and the constant prayers that I put in. It pays off and I hope that will remain so till I get older.

Today, my boss sang me a birthday song - I thought that was sweet. Girlfriends, guy friends, colleagues sent me their well wishes and gave me pressies, THANK YOU ALL. I truly appreciate all your wishes and thoughts.

A friend asked, how old are you? You don't have to answer that he said. I am 34 years old. Yes, that's how old I am. I don't believe in hiding your age. What's the point? Have you seen the obituary pages? Once you bid the world goodbye, someone will disclose your age in the papers.

Just the 2 of Us...

Hubby is away for 2 weeks and it's just me and the lil one. I now know exactly how hubby feels when I travel for work. :(

Lil one has been good so far... he sits quietly in his car seat sucking his thumb while Mama drives. Once he screamed for attention and struggled to get himself out, Mama screamed back and that caught him (and mama) by surprise. Well, Mama did try talking initially but he just refused to listen... traffic was heavy so Mama screamed and that got his attention.

Was supposed to be in KL this Thursday for a meeting... I decided against it. I have been feeling rather morbid of late..I had this question in my head for a few days .."What if something happens to me while in KL? Hubby is away, what's going to happen to my son?" Came to office this morning and postponed my trip to Monday... at least hubby will be back then.

Karaoke

There is a variety show on TV called K-Nite... production quality is crap, content is not brilliant but it sure is entertaining! Last night, I caught some of it and they had some old Melayu rock songs.... wahhh beb, I like. My mom was amused because I could sing along - told her the lyrics is on the screen but she asked, how come you can still sing to it? hahah.... i've been singing in the car with hubby. Hubby is not a mat rocker but grew up listening to the same songs :)

Then it reminded me to the karaoke session/s that my ex -colleagues (now good friends) had years ago. I cannot remember which karaoke lounge we went too but I sure can remember clearly the wannabes, the mike grabber and the most requested song - I WILL SURVIVE. Wah, those were the days!

So gals, when is our next session?

A Day in My Neighbouring Country

Today I was in JB - not for leisure but to finalize some long overdue matter.
The plan was to do everything chop chop and try to squeeze in some shopping in the afternoon. I guess the word "chop chop" does not mean anything to our friendly neighbours. I started off the day telling the custom supervisor off. You know me and punctuality. We have an appt with the lawyer at 930am and we got to the immigration counter at 9am. Little did I know that there was going to be an issue. I was told to wait - so I waited. The immigration officer who took my passport away stood right in the middle of the room listening to his colleague's conversation! Tick Tock... 5 mins. What did I do? "Saudara! Cepat sikit boleh tak?! Apahal terdiri kat situ tengok orang lain?!" His supervisor came out and our little drama began. Managed to get things done in 2mins and off we go.

We got to the Land office on time... and ended up waiting for our turn for the next 3 hrs! You wanna know why? People in the office are like snails, everything moves soooooooooooooooooo slowly. Some dragged their feet, some were oblivious to their surroundings - they sms, chat on the phone, hid behind the piles of files and daydream! Goodness me, I feel like smacking each and everyone of them! We were sent from one office to another and every single office that we went to, everyone took their own sweet time. There was no sense of urgency in their work and I feel that everything is so messy! Gosh.

We finally settled what we had to do at 4pm! By then I was too tired to shop. But mom wanted to go to Angsana to buy some stuff for the home... and I? hehe... i bought some Korean silk - there was a SALE!

A Muslim No More....

Recently I read an article about this editor who converted to become a Catholic. He was born a Muslim and even performed the Haj with his mom in 1990s. He is not young - a man in his 50s. He claimed that he was not a practising Muslim, does not pray 5 times a day, does not fast during Ramadan. The first thing that came to mind was, he did not even give Islam a chance. That 50 years of his life, never did he once give his attention and dedication to the religion - how sad is that? While I know that everyone has a choice and will go with their choices, I cannot help but feel sad to read such an article.

A Whirlwind February

February comes and goes just like that. The first week was slow and post CNY, everything just zipped pass you... like a snap of the finger. Likewise with my life, one minute in Singapore, the next in New York City, then back in Singapore for a day and off to another city Bombay. And the same with my emotions - one minute I feel excited, inspired, awed, rejuvenated, happy, in love, I miss my son and ok hubby, annoyed, frustated, angry, confused, lost, info overload, lonely, helpless, touched, could not believe at how cruel life is in India and the next thing I know, I have to practically run with my work life. I'm unwell - have been down with flu for almost a week now. Part of me want to be unwell so I can stay home and rest and cuddle my two heroes but I know the other part of me will feel guilty doing so. And I know that is stupid.

I just hope that things will get better and I just need to get my life back into place - I want to spend my lunch time at the gym, with my gal friends -laughing at silly things, I want that 1 day off where I can pamper myself - spa, massage, hair treatment, I just have to make time for that. Meanwhile, I shall presevere and I will get through this stage.

Small Steps

The little one decided to walk on his own yesterday - 14 Feb. His cousin saw it, got excited and recorded it on the camera. Hubby saw it in the evening when he went to fetch the little one home. Me? I found out about it on the phone when hubby called :( Yep, another major milestone and I am away.
I keep consoling myself - I'll be home Monday and will get to see he walks soon!

Pasta

Yes, I am in mid-town Manhattan. It's freezing, it snowed, I'm jet-lagged and I am eating cup noodle and pasta at 230am in my room!

Oh, we had dinner... except that I could not eat most food. First, it was an adventure to get to the restaurant, it was in Chinatown and I thought I fly all the way to New York to have Chinese?! It was an Italian restaurant and food was not great and yes, not something I can stomach. It was dinner with other programmers from the world, it'd be rude if I don't go, and I see them only 2x a year... and my relationship with them are good, more importantly, I want to be there lah!

I went back to the hotel feeling super hungry and needed to get some fuel. Called my colleague and we both decided to look for a convenience store or a restaurant - we or rather I wanted PASTA. Most shops were closed and I thought, hey this is NY, city that never sleeps?? I guess I am wrong... or perhaps, I am not at the right place... anyhoo no pasta but I bought Asian pasta, i.e. cup noodle and salad and I carried them in a brown paper bag... just like in the movies!

Listen to Your Instincts

I was working on my presentation on the eve of Chinese New Year when my laptop decided to die on me. It hung and suddenly, the screen went black. I thought the battery was too hot or something and left it as that. Next day, I got an error message. Hubby a techie guy decided to help me... he did all he could but there was nothing he could do to retrieve any of my data.

The thing is, a few days before this happened, I could feel that something was wrong and my instinct told me to get it checked before I leave the office on Weds. I continued to finish as much work as possible and thought nothing of it. Now that the laptop has gone kaput, I guess it is my fault. I had called the IS guy and thankfully, he'll be seeing me tomorrow. Hubby said need the start up disk and the OS is corrupted. Can be saved but need the disk. Gosh, that sounds really alien to me.

Looks like I will be working on my presentation again on Sunday. This time I have to start from scratch... unless a miracle happens tomorrow and I get my data back.

The Cs in our Life

I remembered when I started working, I wanted the 5 Cs - Career, Car, Condo, Credit Card and Club membership. I guess that's what everyone aspires to have. Later I realized, I can make do without the Condo and Club membership... I am happy where I am now. In Singapore, come 2010, we Singaporeans will get another C - yes the Casino at the Integrated Resort. Apparently I read somewhere, there will be another C in Clark Quay.. what is it? Cabaret I was told.... that's 7 Cs in total.

What are all these Cs important in our lives? Are we happy with all these? Ironically, as we get more affluent and accomplished these Cs in our lives, I have also read that divorce cases are on the rise. Scary. I guess the most important Cs in our lives today should be: CARE, CONCERN, COMMITMENT and most importantly, COMMUNICATE.

Huh? Wo Pu Chi Tao!

I like to vent on my blog... and the best part, I feel better after that.

Today is the second time I was served by a Chinese national. Don't get me wrong. I am not racist and I don't care who serves me. What is important to me is that person must be able to speak English. Broken English no problem, at least I can understand.

Yesterday my colleagues and I were complaining how Chinese nationals who come here to work cannot speak English. No speak English no worries, just don't work in shopping malls along Orchard Road. While waiting to pay at the counter yesterday, the salesgirl spoke to me in Mandarin. While I understood what she asked for, I continued to stare at her and not take any action. Finally her suprvisor came and spoke to me in English. Today, the same thing happened. While paying for my stuff, the cashier told me the value in Mandarin. I stared at her. I know I had to pay but I refused to budge. Do I look like a Chinese to begin with?!

Yeah, so I read that article in Straits Times about these Chinese workers working here -they are hardworking, willing to work long hours and willing to take low wages - no wonder lots of Singaporeans are finding it hard to find jobs! What makes you think most Singaporeans are unwilling to do the same work? What about the old folks who are out looking for a job. In one hand, companies are encouraged to employ senior citizens and on the other hand, companies are lured to employ these foreigners because they are much cheaper! What about students who wants to work part time to help support their families? They too have to compete with these foreign workers!

Malaysia has decided to cut back on the number of foreign workers in their country. Australia is very diligent with foreign visas and employment - at the end of the day, these 2 countries share the same goal i.e. to provide employment for their own citizens. When will we follow the same? We are good at comparing our policies and practices with other countries. Are we planning to do the same for this one?!

Lil' Adli is 1!

He turned 1 on Monday. I don't think he even knows that. No big celebration, just a little prayer for him :)

I still remember how happy I was when I found out I was pregnant, the undescribable feeling when I become a mom, that 3 months maternity leave period when I go insane staying home and not doing much, having to express my milk when I travel - in the meeting rooms and the aeroplane toilets and throwing the milk away!!! Those were the days.

Tick tock tick tock, Adli now is a happy, cheeky and a super active boy. His favorite word is "Car" and when he sees the motorbike its "Vroom". He tells you he wants to "maamam" and points to the kitchen and he kisses you whenever he feels like doing so. He lets you know that he is angry by stamping his feet and shows you that he is happy by flapping his hand and making a lot of noise. He completely ignores you when he plays and throws himself at me when he misses me. He looks at us intently when we leave him for the office in the mornings but when you explain to him that you are going to work, he will kiss you goodbye. He will cry out loud when he hurt himself but when you tell him he is a strong boy he will calm down. He now has a habit of digging his nose but when you pull his finger out, he uses another finger to dig!

Punctuality

I don't like to wait. Period. Most the times I am punctual and I expect my friends/colleagues to be punctual as well. I am very paranoid when I'm late - I would do anything to get to a place on time. If it means taking off my high heels and run, I'd do that. Years ago I had this conversation with a friend. She said, it's OK to be late for 5-10mins and what's impt is to let them know that we are on our way. We did have a debate about it though and in the end I do see her point and agree.

There are instances when I have waited for more than 15mins for a friend/colleague. It makes me furious and being my honest and direct self, I make it known. I find that people who comes late and do not apologize for it are RUDE and have no RESPECT to their friends. They pretend as if everything is fine. I wonder why they can make an effort to be on time for job interviews, for a date, for classes but when it comes to friends, they take them for granted. It may seem like a small thing but if one continues to be late, it will come a time when your friend may just walk away from the friendship. If you treasure a friend, in my opinion you need to understand and respect your friends' time too.

I hate to say and highlight this but most of my Malay friends tend to come late for an appointment. Funny how when someone is late, the comment is always"Janji Melayu apa?" Makes it looks like we cannot trust Malays. How Melayu nak maju?
It has come to a point where I decide to come late as well when I meet my Malay friends. Previously I ended up waiting like a fool before everyone turned up. While I feel guilty for being late and my conscience is affecting me, I keep telling myself to calm down because no one is going to be at the venue.

I hope to see this change in 2008.

Me Difficult?

I'm letting off some steam.

I expect my friends to respect my religious practices and make an effort to remember that I eat halal food. Yes, halal does not mean no pork, it is more than that. Yes, I do go to non-halal restaurants but that is most of the times due to work - with boss, with clients (and sometimes in front of my boss, I don't even eat!) but when I am with friends, I expect friends to understand and respect that. I am FED UP of having to remind friends again and again. We are in Singapore, you have access to the internet, you can google for halal places here in Singapore! There are many Chinese shops that serve halal food - for one, there is Banquet. Go in and you'll see that every stall in Banquet is being run by Chinese. Halal does not mean Malay(!)

So am I being difficult? I am being assertive. The next time I get another suggestion for a non-halal makan place, one thing is for sure, you will not see me there. I'll join you guys later for coffee.

Holiday Holidays

Everyone celebrates the holiday season at the end of the year but why do people here wish you "Merry Christmas" and not "Happy Holidays"? I wish Merry X'mas to my Christian friends only and never wish anything to non Christians. Most of the times, I would say, enjoy the holidays.

I had dinner with one of my business colleagues a few weeks ago and she asked if the non-Christians feel offended with all the Christmas light ups and deco. I said no. To me, it is a commercial affair. She is Jewish and she told me that she would be offended if this was the case in her hometown. In US, there are all sorts of holidays - Kwanzaa, Hanukah, X'mas, Eid hence when it comes to the holiday seasons, they say Happy Holidays! Thinking about it, I think this is something we should adopt too.

When I Travel

I love to travel but I don't quite like traveling in SE Asia - call me a SNOB and I'll tell you "Whatever". I'm brought up in a country where everything is efficient, clean and safe... even when I am at home security comes first. My late father was a police inspector and he used to tell us many times to lock the door, the car, recognise buildings, faces, roads, what have you again and again. It has become a part of me.

Imagine how I feel when I found out troops stormed Peninsula Hotel in Makati City Manila last week. It's exactly 2 weeks ago I was at the same hotel. We usually stay either in Peninsula or the Shang but after what happened at SM Mall a few weeks back, I wanted to stay at the Peninsula. Little did I know that this was going to happen. Gosh, scary.
I know anything can happen to anyone at any time ... before I become a mom, I wasn't too bothered but now that I am a mom, I don't want anything to happen to me!