Blog revival! (Attempt #5326189)

I've decided, now that I am on quite an exciting journey in life (actually, most of my life has been an exciting wonderful ride, Alhamdulillah), I am going to try and revive my blog.

Hopefully I keep at it this time around, continue writing and updating. Stay tuned for the first 'proper' post in this revival! :D

Soundtrack: Death Cab for Cutie - Unobstructed Views
Mood: Excited
Location: Bedroom, friend's home in Sydenham, Christchurch New Zealand
Random thought: I think I'm starting to get used to this cold

The....band

Cross-posted from my Tumblr

Kysern: from one of the pic captions:"The Altered Frequency band rocking on stage at Fly FM’s Campur Chart Goes Live In Support of Earth Hour 2009."
Kysern: that's one of my pet peeves "The AF BAND"
Kysern: it's like, it's just AF lah
Kysern: u dun say "the U2 BAND" or the "search BAND" or the "beatles BAND"
Kysern: idiots. and it's not just one writer
Kysern: it's like..... a whole bunch of them
Kysern: read so many writeups redy
Kysern: all also like that
Kysern: stupid
FizzyFizah: quite true
FizzyFizah: i wonder if it's the writers thinking they have to explain to an ignorant audience
or if they themselves are the ignorant ones hahaha
FizzyFizah: "let's go watch the Simple Plan band tonight!"
FizzyFizah: I'm a big fan of the Paramore band!
FizzyFizah: ahahaha
FizzyFizah: if you name your band The Band
FizzyFizah: it will be "The The Band band rocking on stage at Fly FM's campur chart"

Soundtrack: Jukebox The Ghost - Good Day
Mood: Neutral
Location: Living room, Shah Alam home
Random thought: Charades or a singalong?

Update you long time

OH HAY!

I know, I've been bad. I have left this blog of mine, abandoned, alone, un-logged-in, for way too long. Oh weee what do we have here, a hint of green, a touch of fungi....ingrown hair, flaking pixels...

But I'm back! And that is what's important, yes?

Long story in point form-ish;

• Work got pretty busy at one point, but now my project is winding down, I'm starting to be freed up a little. Am in discussions to start a new role. I've been offered something that I'm really keen on, so am hoping all goes well and according to plan! Will update when I have something confirmed.
• Coke (my cat) has gotten REALLY BIG now. He's bigger than his mother. I really need to update http://thefurrycoke.blogspot.com and post up some new pictures and videos. Sadly, read next bullet point...
• MY CONDO UNIT IN DAMANSARA PERDANA GOT BROKEN INTO! Yes. Oh my god indeed. This happened yesterday (Saturday, 14th March). I left the house at 11.30am to go to a friend's wedding with Eema and Muna. We returned around 2.30pm, after which we opened the cafe. I then left to The Curve and Tesco to run a quick errand. Returned at around 4pm, ate and chit chatted with Kelly at the cafe, and then decided to head upstairs to my condo to change out of my baju kebaya. Came out of the elevator, saw that the locked + bolted grill leading into my kitchen had been PRIED OPEN. Had sinking feeling, called Muna to stay on phone whilst I check the house out. Went into the house, saw that my bedroom door was ajar (I always keep it shut). Walked into bedroom, held back tears because my beloved Newton (my Macbook Pro's name) was GONE. Also stolen were my Sony digital camera (an old camera but I LOVE IT TO DEATH), and a white gold+diamond bracelet Mummy bought me :( So yes, I is very very very sad. All my prized memories, captured in pictures and videos, stored on Newton... all GONE.
  

Soundtrack: Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
Mood: Bummed and missing my laptop + camera very muchly
Location: Hoxe's Cafe
Random thought: Screw the person who stole my stuff, may you slow burn in the hell of all hells

Off to Karachi.... again

So I'm waiting for my flight, my second trip (and most likely last, on this project) to Karachi, Pakistan. I guess after going there the first time around I'm a bit less anxious about the whole trip since I've already seen and experienced myself the environment and the people there. I know there are still a lot of instabilities in areas such as Peshawar and Islamabad, but InsyaAllah Karachi will be safe :)

I'm a bit sad to miss out on all the Chinese New Year excitement this Monday and Tuesday... and all the open house invitations I had to turn down... all that yummy fooooood!!! But hey, there's lots of yummy food to look forward to in Pakistan as well so my tummy will still get its fill haha.

I had some suspense two nights ago when I started feeling crummy myself (after Mummy and Amir coming down with some form of viral fever, I guess it was inevitable I would catch something too)... so yesterday morning I immediately went to see the company doctor and asked for any prescription that would make me feel better ASAP! I didn't want to fly out to Karachi with a fever! I felt worse by the evening, but thankfully my fever broke last night... I was all hot I could feel my heat off my feet. I took my meds, slept early, and woke up this morning feeling much better. I'm still feeling some heaviness in my muscles and joints though, and the tickle in my throat is still there. But at least my temperature's not high and my nose isn't blocked anymore. Would've been totally, majorly sucky if I had to go on the plane with a blocked nose... that'll just kill my ears what with the pressure and all.

Yosh I better pack up now as boarding time is near. Final thing to leave you with:



I'm sooooo looking forward to Coraline!!!!!

Soundtrack: Live football playing on the TV in the lounge
Mood: Anticipative
Location: Emirates Lounge, KLIA
Random thought: Arrrrhhhhh my shoulders.

Time to get fit yo!

Shites!!! This seriously makes me think I gotta get fit like, now! Tercabar wei...




Soundtrack: Live telecast of Obama's inauguration on TV
Mood: Excited
Location: Shah Alam living room
Random thought: Najib's probably watching the inauguration imagining it was him up there boaahahahahaaahahaa.

Catching up on Take That

I spent tonight catching up with anything new on Take That. I didn't know they did an advert for Marks & Spencer! Oh sigh my boys look sooooo hotttttttt




And oooh looky looky I changed my desktop wallpaper (after almost 1 year of using the As Tall as Lions album artwork):


*giggles* Yes it's Jason Orange.... dududuuuu.... Sorry Mak Teh!!! His profile looks too sexy and good and ANYAAAAAA in this picture I couldn't resist. So now when I switch on my laptop I do a mental ruffle of his hair teeheeheee!

Soundtrack: The National - Squalor Victoria
Mood: Reflective
Location: Shah Alam
Random thought: Sudden crave of Cheezels

To Qik To Tweet For You

Thanks to much web-hopping, I have come across some fabulous stuff on the Internet. Some are just highly interesting reads, some are eye-candy goodies there to make me swoon (read Alex Pettyfer Jason Orange Ed Westwick lots and lots of hot brit boys lalalaa), and some are of the niftiest, uber-cool brainchilds of tech geeks from around the world.

And although I'm now a bit less enthusiastic about signing up for new accounts left and right, I HAVE signed up for two new accounts that I thought are the coolest things ever. First, I now have a Twitter account. Secondly, I created a Qik profile and tried streaming my first live video via my phone. It worked really well and I'm quite amazed at the speed too! However, I need to check with my mobile service provider about the charges incurred to get the videos up. If it's too expensive I think I'm gonna have to scrap the whole Qik thing :P



Oh and for those of you not already using Flock, you HAVE to at least give it a try. Especially if you're already in a loving relationship with Firefox. I downloaded Flock in late September last year and I think it's better than chocolate cheese cake! Never had I imagined the web browser to take on such integration and high functionality and the levels of customization ahhhhh I'm just so in love with it.

Soundtrack: Take That - How Did It Come To This (have had this on loop for hours haha)
Mood: Tired but happy
Location: Living room, Shah Alam home
Random thought: If the sun smells too loud, does the moon sing too bright?

2008 Revisited

I haven't written an entry to recap my 2008 yet... so here it is!

Key events of 2008, grouped into categories and not in chronological order. For chronology, check out a pictorial recap that I made and uploaded onto my Facebook account here.

Come and Go

• Nina moved into new apartment
• I moved out of my Putrajaya house and into a rented condominium in Damansara Perdana
• MakTeh & UncaBob return to KL for a few weeks
• Hairie completed his studies and returned home from Durham
• Saie & Cipau move into new apartment
• Fiqrie left for Singapore
• Ili left for Manchester

Holidays and Trips

• Family holiday to Jakarta & Bandung
• Grads' trip to Singapore (I partially joined)
• Terengganu road trip with Afiza, Jorge, Wee Kee and Sabun
• First trip Miri and Bintulu for work
• First trip to Pakistan for work
• First trip to Dubai
  

Marriages

• Zai & Ulfah got married (and I emcee'd the dinner function with Johan)
  
• P.E. got married
  
• Azida got married
  
• Shahril got married
• Bobol got married
• Noreen got married
• Shahrin & Ririn got married
• E'am got married
• Lavinia & Martin got engaged
• Thomas got married
• Stella got married
• Fatim got married
• Chris & Janenette got married
• Azwan & Liza got married
  

Babies and Birthdays

• Rykal's Akikah and 1st Birthday
• Alham & Fasihah had a baby girl
• PakBoy & KakLin announced their pregnancy
• Zai & Ulfah had a baby girl
• Emir's 1st birthday
  

Concerts & Events

• Sold Offiicial Switchfoot merchandise at their Kuala Lumpur concert (hence getting into the show for free!)
• Explosions in the Sky concert in Ruums, Kuala Lumpur
• Got free tickets to watch Backstreet Boys at Sunway Lagoon
• Watched We Will Rock You the musical TWICE, in Singapore
• Incubus in Singapore
• Incubus in Malaysia (Sunburst Music Festival)
• Sunburst Music Festival (list of acts here)
• Own band performance at Shell IT's annual dinner
• Goodnight Electric in Ipoh
• Performed at Shahrin & Ririn's wedding
• Watched Chelsea FC vs Malaysia football friendly
• Got free passes to Daughtry live at One Utama
• ENVY in Singapore
• Death Cab for Cutie in Singapore
• Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller & Victor Wooten in Singapore
• George Michael live in Abu Dhabi (opening by Alicia Keys)
  

Personal High/Low-lights

• Bought and took over operations of Hoxe's Bookstore & Cafe
• Started working with Muna & Eema at Hoxe's
• Started on a new role at Shell as a Business Analyst with an HR Programme, consquently moving work location. Left Cyberjaya for Damansara Heights
• Made my first investment in Unit Trust
• MET AND TALKED TO INCUBUS LIKE OMG OMG OMG!!!! (except for Ben Kenney.. sigh)
• Birthday surprise party thrown for my benefit, at my own cafe! Haha
• Punked Bonnie big time on April Fools Day
• Went for my HUGE family gathering (tracing back 4 generations).. the Abdul Rahman-Maimunah family
• Passport stolen in Singapore
• Lost my cat, Misfit, who was catnapped
• Gained a cat, Coca Fandango, whom I adopted after the mother abandoned it

Phew, that was quite a year (and still I may have overlooked a few happenings here and there)! I can't wait to see what 2009 brings...

Soundtrack: British Sea Power - A Trip Out
Mood: Nostalgic
Location: Shah Alam home
Random thought: I need badminton rackets.

Was going through Kevin Rose's blog and he had this in a list of 'Top 10 Gifts for Geeks':



It's like COOL and CONVENIENT combined! I want one!!!


Soundtrack: Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running
Mood: Cheerful
Location: Bed, Shah Alam home
Random thought: I want to buy a pair of badminton rackets

Welcome 2009!

Happy New Year everyone!

It's currently 2.41am and I think tonight was one of the best year-end/new-year nights I've ever had! Received several invitations from friends to parties, barbecues or just simple hang-out sessions at their houses to welcome in the new year, but I decided to turn them all down to stay home because tonight, after quite a long time, is the first time my whole family is back in this Section 9 house of ours... all in one place, at the same time!

I woke up at 5.50am this morning to Amir's SMS informing me he'd landed in KLIA from Melbourne. So Izhar, Farah and I all got out of bed early to drive there and pick him up. The minute we were all in the car the conversation had no end. We decided to have breakfast at the Dawood mamak place in Sec.6 and stayed there until 8.30 chit chatting. After dropping everyone off at home I drove out again to the Shah Alam lake for a jog, then came back home, showered, had MY breakfast and rested for a bit.

Around 1.30pm we all went back out again, Farah to join her family for lunch and us three siblings to PJ as Izhar needed to go to the Digital Mall for some computer stuff. We decided to have lunch after at Bangsar, but got caught in the beginnings of the anticipated New Year's Eve traffic jam *groan*. Didn't matter too much to us really 'cuz we still had a lot of story-mory to do haha. Made a bit of a funny booboo when we tried to take a 'shortcut' via Universiti Malaya to get from PJ to Bangsar, but instead got asked by the guards to turn around and go out the way we came from. Not such a long complicated story but you had to be there to experience the funny so I'm gonna skip telling it here :P

After finally arriving in Bangsar, we had our lunch at Nirwana for some good ol' banana leaf rice, and Farah joined us again after her dad dropped her off. I had a RM50 Haagen Dazs voucher that I got from Shell and that expired 31st December '08 so we nipped into Bangsar Village's Haagen Dazs outlet to spend that. Definitely very nice to tuck into rich creamy branded ice cream on the last day of the year, eh? I only had to top up RM15 on the total bill so it was well worth it! Yeay!

Earlier tonight Izhar, Amir and Farah made another trip to the airport and this time it was to pick Mummy and Baba up, who arrived from their 40+ days Hajj trip. I really wanted to go along and greet them at the airport but the car would've been too full by then so I stayed home instead. They reached Shah Alam at around 12.15am and we all went to Syed mamak in Sec 11 for some makan before finally settling in back home, everyone with so many stories to swap and tell we all barely felt the tiredness from each of our long days!

So as I said... I think tonight's one of the best new year's nights I've had. Just the whole family in the living room yakking away. It's just too bad Izhar has to return to Melbourne already tomorrow night, as his course doesn't have a long break and he's already cutting some classes to be home long enough for Mummy, Baba and Amir to return. Sob. But hey, 2 days is better than nothing right!

Here's to 2009 (well technically we celebrated our Islamic new year 3 days ago already so... here's to 1430M too!). May my blessed, wonderful start to this year bring significance to a great year ahead, InsyaAllah.


Soundtrack: The sound of Amir showing his sky-diving videos to Mummy and Baba
Mood: Happy, blessed and content
Location: Family home, Shah Alam

Top 40 Sense

Not to boast or anything like that, but I have an ear to pick out songs that will be sure Top 40 hits. My close friends can vouch for this. You can give me a fresh new album and I'll pick out one or two songs which I 'like' and 6 months or so later it'll be on the top of one chart or another.

The theory proved itself again today but only because I'm a bit late in reviewing an album. Snow Patrol's new album, A Hundred Million Suns to be specific. They released the album sometime in late October but I'm only previewing it today for the first time. As I listen to the songs, one particularly caught my attention so I checked the title and it's called "Crack the Shutters". It's nicely composed, carries the typical Snow Patrol sound, and it's one of the most sexiest songs I've heard in quite a while. I did a YouTube search for it (with the intention of illegally ripping it off the 'net, if I may shamefully admit), and only then found out that it's already been released as a single off the album. I didn't know this because I never tune in to MTV / [V] / radio stations 'cuz I think mainstream media sucks. I haven't checked the charts, but all I can say is I have a feeling this song is going to become overplayed (like Chasing Cars) soon enough.





Now, I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing, it's just a knack I have. Good I guess because I tend to 'spot' hits before they become overplayed. Bad because.. well... to me it just means that I get drawn to normal Top 40 hits that appeal to the masses. Heheh. I hate what the mainstream media tend to do with really good songs though. They overplay it and totally kill the magic.

Maybe my true calling is to work in A&R or marketing for a record company.

Soundtrack: Snow Patrol - Disaster Button
Mood: Upbeat and alert
Location: Office cubicle
Random thought: Wouldn't it be really awesome if we could have chocolate-coated cotton candy? Imagine biting into a crisp, thin layer of dark bitter chocolate and then the disappearing, melting goodness of the sugary wisps of candy on your tongue. Yumm!!!

I am a Grup

... but not of the Trekkie kind.

My friend Udjinn posted a link to this article on his Facebook account and I really liked the write-up, hence the decision to share :D

And copying here too my comment to him on his post:

" As I sit here in my MNC-office cubicle, wearing faded jeans, a Minus the Bear t-shirt, a frayed biker-esque crop jacket, iPod blasting out Mogwai to drown out the sounds of my colleagues on their work conversations, I realize I'm a Grup. I'm 3 years away from turning 30 but hardly panicking about it 'cuz I know at 30 I'll probably won't change much (aside from additional grey hairs popping up).

There ARE others younger than I am who've comfortably and happily molded themselves into 'adulthood' as we know it but.. somehow I don't see myself getting there.

What I've always wondered is, if/when I have kids... if there will come a day when they turn 18 and defiantly say "Mama. I want to study Physics" and I'll go "WHAT?!! But becoming a musician is SO YOUR CALLING! Now all that money I spent on that studio for you is going down the drain!! YOU LISTEN TO ME YOU FORGET ABOUT THAT SILLY SCIENTIST DREAM OF YOURS!"

Haha. "


Soundtrack: The S.I.G.I.T. - Let It Go
Mood: Cheery
Location: Office cubicle
Random thought: If the UAE can play host to great international acts like Queen+Paul Rodgers and George Michael.... why can't we?? *sniff*

Greetings from Karachi

So I'm blogging from Karachi heheh. Been meaning to post this since I got in a couple of days ago but it's been a bit busy. Even now I'm actually still in the middle of today's workshop but we're on a bit of a longer break due to some of the participants having meetings. Plus we're a little bit ahead of schedule today so we have some slack.

Anyway, I still need to keep this to a quick-ish update so here you go:

• There are SO MANY local security forces standing/driving around the city with rifles in their hands. It's kinda intimidating.


• Otherwise it's actually been quite alright here for me. The people in general are polite. They stare a lot but they're not hostile towards you or anything. Not that I've approached any of them heh.


• Hotel's quite nice. The gym has great equipment (I went at 6am this morning for a workout)


• The local food is AWESOME, but oh so fattening (hence gym visit). Lots of capati and naan (they have different names here tho) and kebabs and masalas and hummus and mmmm yummy.


• Coincidentally this same week, our hotel is the venue for an "IDEAS (International Defence Exhibition and Seminar) - Arms for Peace" convention. Yes, Arms for Peace. Kind of an oxymoron isn't it? Anyhoo. What that means is that I'm staying at the same hotel with a huge bunch of the leaders of armed forces of the World. We have no idea if that's a good or a bad thing!!! Good because security is heightened 'cuz so many important army people are here. Bad because, well.. doesn't that make Sheraton a hotspot???? Eek.


• I did however meet two top Generals of Malaysia last night (if I'm not mistaken one was from the Airforce and another was from the Navy, although I don't remember their titles 'cuz they sounded complicated and long when they introduced themselves to me). I was waiting at the hotel foyer whilst a whole bunch of the delegates were there and the Malaysian delegates saw me and asked if I was Malaysian or Mongolian (wut? Ingat aku Altantuya kah??). Kinda cool to have chit-chatted with them all the way here in Pakistan when the chances of that happening in KL would be nada.


• Sadly none of the delegates were hot men in uniform. Oh they wore their uniforms alright, hundreds of them in their navy/airforce/army uniforms with loads of badges and stars and medals etc but none looking like Pierce Brosnan or Robert Downey Jr hahaha.


• The Shell office here is pretty nice. It's not too big a building but the interior's good. However, the electricity goes out for about a minute or two, occuring about 6-7 times a day. Like India and Indonesia, they also get quite an unsteady supply of electricy. So we'll be in the meeting room discussing when *poof* it goes dark and the airconds shut off. Thankfully the computer ports and projector are on backup power supply so they remain on. When this happened on the first day we were here in the office us visitors kept jumping and going "oh!" everytime there was a blackout. But after that happening so many times, we're now as calm and steady as the locals haha! I don't even stop midsentence now when the power goes out... I just continue talking like nothing happened. Dah champion ah macam local :P


• They have A LOT of hawks flying around in the skies. I've always thought hawks were lone creatures and don't live in flocks but there's a whole big bunch of them hovering in the skies above the city all the time. And they're pretty huge. I was up on the office building roof yesterday getting a view of the city and the birds flew pretty close. It was quite cool.


• We were out for dinner last nite, one of the local HR managers took us and gave us a semi-tour around the places we passed by. We drove by Benazir's late father's house, and along the road her brother was killed by local police whilst she was in power.


• Books here are quite cheap. I went into a local bookstore chain (Liberty Books) and found some great titles at about 30-40% the price of books in Malaysia at full price. And guess what. I've bought 5 books from here so far haha :D
  

Will write more comprehensive stories of my trip when I have the time!

Soundtrack: Nothing at the moment. Office is pretty quiet.
Mood: Work work work
Location: Shell Pakistan Limited, Karachi office
Random thought: I'll get fat if I stay here very long.

Post-Graduate Musical

Heehee I know this is soooo lame but ohmygod I'm splitting my sides from the amusement! :D

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Soundtrack: Pitty Sing - Anyway
Mood: LOLapallooza
Location: Hoxe's Cafe
Random thought: OMG gotta try all the other JibJab HSM3 stuff now!

ZAC!!!!!!!!

CILAKAK ADIKKU BERJUMPA ZAC EFRON DAN ASHLEY TISDALE (and Vanessa Hudgens but I don't care that much about her nyeh)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I was that close to Zac I would have bitten into/licked his arm muscles. Maybe that's why it wasn't fated that I too was in Melbourne and thus able to push little children aside at the HSM3 red carpet premiere.

BLADIHEL JELES GILERRRRR!!!! Hahahahahaaa


Soundtrack: The Sunshine Underground - Commercial Breakdown
Mood: Extremely excited and jealous
Location: Office cubicle
Random thought: No random thoughts at the moment, sorry. Visions of Zac Efron's perfectly-sculpted body clouds my mind.

Pakistan Here I Come

Here's some news. My trip to Pakistan, though initially avoided, is back on again. Obladi oblada.

For the past two weeks the project team has been going around in circles trying to determine the location of our next workshop. We wanted to have it in KL (more convenient for the project team). The country HR manager of Pakistan wanted to have it in Karachi due to cost limitations on his team. We offered to do it somewhere closer to Pakistan, say Qatar or Dubai. That was initially accepted as the option at first... but then the country manager again came back and said the project team MUST come onsite for the workshop.

My program manager asked how I felt about that and if I felt ok about going. I said, OF COURSE NOT! They're still setting off bombs left and right over there! The recent earthquake didn't help much to lessen my anxiety about going, so no. I didn't want to go, not at this point in time. My project manager also responded the same, and that was that. We sorta expected that given our company still has a global travel ban on business trips to Pakistan, we're good to proceed with the plan to have it somewhere else.

Friday morning I was getting ready to go to work when my program manager called to tell me that the travel ban has been lifted just the night before. Actually the travel ban was lifted on travel to Karachi and southern parts of Pakistan... there's still a cautionary note for travel to Islamabad. And that meant we have no reason to avoid from making the trip since the office is based in Karachi.

So yeah. I guess I understand the importance of us having to actually be present in the country to get our work done efficiently and all, but still... I'm not feeling too keen about having to go.

On the slight plus side, however, I will be making a transit in Dubai for a few days before returning to KL. There's another project workshop there in the days following the Pakistan one so a bunch of my other project colleagues will be there, most importantly Pam! So we're excited to get to do a bit of touristy things together whilst we're there (might as well make the most of the trip right!!! I've never been to Dubai). Also, I'm planning to meet up with Yang, see her place and what she gets up to when she's working and based in that city. Should be fun (provided I get out of Pakistan muahaha. Ok ok. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts).

Should be nothing to worry about though... the country manager has given his assurance that all aspects of security will be taken care of, and that Karachi's been quite peaceful anyway. I'll just pray :)

The major downer for me is that I now have to go back to the Pakistani Embassy to re-apply for my visa since my passport was stolen just before Raya. All I know is, I ain't going there alone! Dragging one of the guys at work with me whether they like it or not. Someone's gotta play my bodyguard.

Soundtrack: Aqualung - Good Goodnight
Mood: Sleepy
Location: Hoxe's Cafe
Random thought: Why do cheesecakes taste so darned good??

A great day for America and the World

I am not an American, and the closest tie I have to that country is my Uncle Bob who is married to my maternal aunt, Mak Teh.

Yet I stayed glued to the TV last night up until 2am, watching live telecasts of voting polls opening across the US of A. I woke up early this morning, and immediately ran out of the room to switch the TV on and check on standings. And once in the office, I've been tuned in to the live video feed on CNN.com, heart racing as bit by bit polls close and I see the numbers for Obama rise... and rise... and finally... VICTORY!

So why do I care so much? I don't give this much attention or concern about my own country's politics. So why America, and why now? Well. Obama is why. And I think that is the answer for why millions of other non-Americans around the world are more captivated and supportive of this year's elections as any other. Obama seemed to have appeared at the right time... a beacon of hope for Americans, and a symbol of change for the world. And a historical one at that!

Don't get me wrong. I am not wishing that I am an American, or that I am professing my utmost love for a nation I'm so far removed from. But as much as one might try to ignore or deny it, America is somewhat the 'center of the world'. The superpower nation. Their foreign policies impact more lives globally than any other country's. The Bush administration has wreaked havoc not only for his country but worse still, other nations as well.

Obama has promised change. And after following the presidential debates and watching him address his nation, I have faith in him and what he can do for his country. True, there is still a tiny cynical voice inside me which is saying "well anyone can promise a bright and peachy future. He's probably just an extremely charismatic salesman who can make you believe in anything". But for once I think I'll put my cynicism on politicians aside, and risk believing. If there's anyone in this world today who I think is worth risking my belief in, it's Barrack Obama.

So America.. congratulations! For voting your first African-American president of the USA. But we know race wasn't the reason behind it at all. I say congratulations for voting the right man for the job based on his intelligence and integrity, for his dream and vision, and for that I respect you as a nation.

I'm smiling. And I can't stop smiling. Because today is all about the strength of hope and unity :)

p/s: Adding this in as I absolutely love this interview (I LOVE John Cleese! I think he's one of the most wacky, intelligent men on Earth. I'd vote him for President if I could ;p)

Soundtrack: Web feed from CNN.com Live
Mood: Exhilirated
Location: Office cubicle
(Not-so)Random thought: And oh COME ON... McCain and Palin? I've never seen a more non-intellectually-challenging pair of presidential candidates ever. Aside from Malaysia's own politicans of course.
(The truly)Random thought: Hey. Looks like our local ulamas and politicians need not worry about how to be rid of the heavy metal/black metal social problem anymore. Har har.

Terry Fox Run Kuala Lumpur

Mummy, Baba, Kelly, Muna, Ayman and myself (amongst thousands of others) participated in the Terry Fox Charity Run for cancer research this morning. It was held at the Lake Gardens in KL, and this is the first year that I'm taking part in the run and it was fun! Thousands of people participated, from the tiniest and cutest of babies (ANYAAA!!!!) to the oldest of grandmas.. people walking, running, roller-blading, cycling, in prams, in wheelchairs, from all walks of life. It's always a great feeling to be a part of a huge group of people united for a common cause.

Ah, and I cannot refrain from making a comment about all the eye-candy. OH MY GOD SO MANY GOOD-LOOKING BOYS/MEN. Hee. That was unexpected. Kelly, Muna and I were like "Wow... didn't expect there to be an added benefit to participating in this run, eh girls!". Ahh. Certainly was pleasant to the eyes, and made waking up early in the morning so much more worth the effort for us non-morning persons.

Shallowness aside. It's been aaaaages since I've gone to the Lake Gardens and I was quite pleased to see how it's so beautiful and peaceful there. I'm making a point to visit the garden more often after this, just for a morning walk, a picnic or something.

"Team Shell". Our company sponsored 100 employees
for the run hence we had to run with our brand ;p

Booyah. We who managed to wake up at
'ass-o-clock' in the morning, in the words of Izyan

Arriving at the assembly area

Muna changing t-shirt secara stealth. Sungguh skill.

Ayman and friends geared for the run in Kain Pelikat! Haha gile comel

Team Petronas. :P

Team Sime Darby brought a big flag (center, distance). Ish. Tercabar.

All gung-ho to start the run. L-R: Kelly, Muna, myself, Baba

The start was slow, as there were thousands of people squeezed onto a small footpath.
So it wasn't really a 'run'... everyone just walked! I only started my jog in the last 1.5km

Oooh lookie we're in London

Our not-so-power-walk included singing, silly walking, random sports-like
commentating, and sudden bursts into conga-line

I finished the run to find Baba (who was ahead) tucking
into ice-cream... ONE IN EACH HAND!!!

Muna made new friends

I like this picture of my parents :)

Soundtrack: Mogwai - Scotland's Shame
Mood: Feeling refreshed
Location: Hoxe's cafe
Random thought: Apparently I don't have a Googleganger. Every result (5 pages' worth) of 'Mufizah Moslim' in Google points to me. I feel so unique and special :p. Heh. Do YOU have a Googleganger?

More than Paris Hilton

The fact that I write using a Westin hotel ballpoint pen, on a Le Meridien hotel A4 lined notepad, and marking notes with a Nikko hotel post-it, says a lot about where I've had to spend my working days lately.

p/s: Adopted a kitten recently. Chronologizing the whole thing on http://thefurrycoke.blogspot.com for other cat-lovers to keep track of the little one's growth and development :)

Soundtrack: Stars - Take Me To The Riot
Mood: Sniffly... getting-over-a-fever-kinda-moody
Location: Office cubicle
Random thought: Should I stay or should I go now?

Major bummers

Today sucks. I found out I still have to go to Miri this Wednesday & Thursday despite my best efforts trying to emphasise how this will be a waste of time. But oh well. For the 'greater good', Enterprise First, all that jazz.

Secondly, I'm bummed 'cuz Martin & Lavinia invited me to their engagement party in October, and be one of the 'tray girls'... but I can't because it's one day before I return from my Karachi trip! It's bad enough I have to miss Emilly's wedding as that falls on the same day as my flight TO Karachi... now I'm missing out on another friends' ceremony too because of my flight BACK. Shitty shitty.


Soundtrack: Elektrons - Stop Hold It
Mood: Frustrated
Location: Office cubicle
Random thought: Why? Why? Why why why why? Why why why why why why why? Oh.. and I wonder if there really is a Planet Nibiru aka Planet X....