Scheherazade Of Voice (Siti Nurhaliza) : “The Eastern Lantern”. A Firefly. The Nymphs.

I am Siti Nurhaliza’s fan. Hhehe; yeah I’m not embarassed to say that although there are a few scorns and jeers from few Malay friends who :-

1. Claimed-listening-to-Siti-is-no class-but-they-themselves-are-not-proficient-in-English-BUT-to-boast-of-listening-only-English-songs!
2. Those who think they are so modern and into western music. Siti is so Melayu. Not us. Hergh, puh-leeze!~

But of course, I was not as fanatic as I used to be when Siti was the most coveted virgin in Malaysia (errk? hehe..anak dara la).When she’s married, my fanatiscm is so-so; but yeah I do keep abreast with her updates and all (from Khirwan and all).

It’s been four years since I last bought Siti’s album myself – being the previous last two albums saya kirim melalui Khirwan (peminat fanatik yg TAKSUB dgn Siti! Hehhe). Agak segan juga nak beli album Siti tadi kat Alamanda..hehehe; tapi selamba aje la; menggunakan segala skill sebagai ex Asst. Relationship Manager dulu (kekeke). Siti Nurhaliza’s latest album which boasts the so-called “traditional fusion” concept has definitely being the most anticipated album by her fans, especially the fanatical typical Malay fans. It’s nice to know that Siti is wise in appreciating her fans; and she is intelligent to know that her fan base is largely made of typical Malays; and not the ‘westernized wannabes’ which happened to be the society she’s being brushing shoulders now in her life.

Entitled “Lentera Timur” (loosely translated as “The Eastern Lantern”), the album serves magnificent quality of the musical repertoire. Live strings were used during the recording of the album; which produces orchestra-like melodies and sounds. Siti’s vocal is like usual, an effortlessly pleasant to hear; although I have to say that her voice when she was ‘anak dara’ was more melismatic-enriching in comparison to now that she’s somebody’s wife. The ensemble renowned composers like Fauzi Marzuki, Pak Ngah, Adnan Abu Hassan and M. Nasir (to name a few) and lyricists like Hairul Anuar Harun produces 11 beautiful songs; enriched with meaningful lyrics.

Bahasa lirik yang ditranskripsi mempunyai rona yang bervariasi; sarat dengan maknawi tapi tak usai dek puisi. Bahasa cinta pertama yang saya damba sentiasa.

I would have to say every songs in the album come with its own strengths and weaknesses. But the songs that really capture me even with just one-time-listening would be “Seloka Budi” (The Benevolent Hymn) by Adnan Abu Hassan, “Bulan Yang Mesra” (The Friendly Moon) by Khairil Johari Johar, “Senyum Minang Manis” (Sweet Betrothal Smile) by Zul Mahat, penned by alternative chanteuse Abot; “Cinta Ini” ( This Love) by Katon and arranged by Aubrey Suwito ; and of course the qasidah-enriching and fast-tempo first single, “Di Taman Teman” (In The Heaven of Friend) by Fauzi Marzuki. Above all, this album is an excellent musical behemoth from the aspect of technical. Kudos to Siti Nurhaliza!~

As an animation films freak, I’m also excited to know that Siti is to provide the voice over for a local animated feature called “Kelip-Kelip” (Fireflies). Directed by award-winning Mamat Khalid, the 3-D ala The Bee Movie will be slated for release by the end of 2009. Besides that, rumor has it that Siti is in negotiation of providing a voice over for another animated flick slated to be directed by Adnan Abu Hassan; entitled “Bunian” (The Nymphs). I hope its gonna be a 2-D films. I really miss the old-fashioned animation films. Hope Siti will be involved in this too~!

In Memories : Asta La Vista (See You When I See You) Room No.1, Block F-2-13, Presint 18 !

Today, the fateful 27th December 2009 will be my last day at Presint 18 coz Kakak already get her new double storeys terrace at Presint 14. This Room 1 here at this Block F-2-13 Presint 18 ni (erk, sentimental la) witnessed a lot of emotional upheavel and decisions. This is the place where I used to rest my self after coming back from the Bank; this is the place where I spent my Ramadhan 2008 (where I kept going to the Putrajaya Bazaar); the place where I typed my resignation letter for the 3 months notice period - as lame as it may sound, this entry is all about my sentimental emotions towards this very cosy Room 1.

Stephen King’s “The Stand” on my bed (tak abes baca lagi. Keep tangguh) & the view from my room where you can see Surau Presint 18; the red roof.

Au revoir Presint 18. The Lake. The Surau. The Playground (for Rifqi). The Kementerian Belia & Sukan and Palace of Justice as landmarks. The shortest en route to Taman Warisan Putrajaya. Goodbye Jambatan Sri Satria & Jambatan Sri Saujana- we won’t be using you as often anymore dah..! Presint 18. In Memories (5 months stint; more like).

NOTIFICATION UPDATES:

We have already moved the things; principally. Mak and Ayah arrived from Jitra, Kedah yesterday night; I am goin back with them when all these moving-out spree is over *sigh, kinda missing Putrajaya already* There’s a few setbacks though; the lorry driver who happened to charge the fee initially of RM 180 had increase it to RM 800 due to the over-sized tonnes exceeding and what was promised as two workers were increased to three workers! They expect us to cover the expenses of these liabilities; it seems! Kakak was furious and was adamant that the price should be staked at what was agreed upon. They then said in that case, not all things/ furnitures could be carried via the lorry. WHAT THE F*CK?!

The remnants of Room 1, F-2-13 Presint 18. *Sigh*. In sentimental mood.

Since this setback happened on the eleventh hour, Kakak negotiated with them to lower the price; I mean Rm 800?!! Mutually, a price of RM350-RM400 was agreeable. Ayah was angry when he heard this; being a policeman he was really in the mood of interrogating these culprits; but of course we didn’t want to create a scene PLUS – there were still lotsa things to be carried. So, as I”m jotting the entry (I’m so Journalist! haha) from the new house, the culprits had done their part- only to dump all the furniturat the first floor! Shiets scumbags!

Kakak’s new house at Presint 14!

Di bilik baru @ Presint 14! Huhuhu..tapi x lama dok sini la..kena balik Jitra! =(

From Banker To Teacher : Against The Odds & Praises To The Lord SWT. Alhamdulillah!!

Alhamdulillah! Praise to the Lord SWT. The result finally is here and I nailed the KPLI; after all the hooplas and hulaballoos of the incidence tersilap borang transkrip ijazah yg sebenar tu!! With all the risk I’ve taken by resigning from the bank prior to the result and put my faith to God SWT, it all seems worth it. Kenangan melalui detik interview yang sangat mencemaskan akan didamba dalam ingatan, menjadi bekalan tatapan dalam kehidupan. Syukur Alhamdulillah.

Juga entri kali ini didedikasikan kepada Mak (terima kasih for all the endless prayers; doa Ibu memang mustajab..), Ayah (TQ for all the supports and endless provocation hhee), Kakak (for the Jitra-KL incident Thanks babe!!) and to all of my friends yg mendoakan kesejahteraan. I will be enrolling myself at Institut Perguruan Darul Aman @ IPDA, Jitra (erk?? dekat plak ngan umah Mak & Ayah!) on 12th January 2009 dalam bidang Sains. Insya Allah. Bidang ini sememangnya bidang yang lain daripada dunia korporat perbankan yg saya ceburi sebelum ni. Tentunya lagak dan perilaku dunia pendidik adalah berlainan daripada dunia korporat. Pun begitu, kita tunggu dan lihat bagaimana saya perlu adaptasi dan menyesuaikan diri dengan fenomena baru ni. Kita mentakbirkan dan Tuhan yang mentadbirkan. Alhamdulillah syukur.

Banker Colleague Masreena’s Wedding @ Kelab Shah Alam, Selangor.

Like I said, weekends are usually slotted with various events; and I’m very fast in updating whatever I did in this blog- it’s like a ‘journalism-addiction‘ for me! Hehhe.. Still remember the Affin Islamic Morning Talk session where each of us were asked what we would like to be if we WERE NOT A BANKER and I spontaneosly responded =REPORTER! Geez, I wonder where did THAT come from just then..but now, it seems everything’s proven, eh? *wink*

Looking exuberant, eh? Wedding la katakan! *wink*

Been badgering Linda to take photos; even whilst eating! Heheh. Yang inter-frame tepi tu are Marina (Secretary CEO Affin Islamic) & husband.

Anyway, I have issues with attending wedding. Not that I HATE it; I like it actually, the atmosphere is always endearing. But it’s a demon in me I’ve to fight. I’m my WORST enemy. I easily get jealous and seeing friends or acquaintances getting married is something I loathe. I know it’s somewhat selfish or arrogance but it’s true! I guess this is something people would find it shocked to believe; I mean look at me- demure and soft spoken; you would think I love wedding and all, right? NOPE~ Getting JEALOUS and green-eyed, that is!

Chinese & Malay cross cultural elements as Masreena is of both parentage.

Linda, Kak Sue Sexy (hehe) & Me.

Nonetheless, since Linda was like persuading me to go to Masreena’s wedding, I say like- why not fight my own demon, right? Besides it would be nice to meet old banker colleagues and to celebrate Kak Mas (I called Masreena that!) on her happiest day ever! And I’m glad I did! Car-pooled with Kak Sue Sexy (lama tak kaco Kak Sue hehe..miss ya!), Linda and Kak Leera, we headed to the wedding at Kelab Shah Alam, Selangor (it’s nearby D’ Kayangan area at Shah Alam; for those who is still in vague!) and it was nice to bump into old bankers colleagues like Kak Linda Mat Nen, Angelin, Annette, Kak Zan, Faizal, Izzie, Zura, Kat and Kak Khairina – to name a few! And Kak Mas, CONGRATULATIONS once again!!!! =)

Cake-cutting ceremony

Di tepi flowery lanterns. Erk? sama plak kaler ngan baju melayu ni..kekeke~ (Linda pointed that out baru I realize.)

With Kak Linda tomey2x hehe..

Hurm..Beside the portrait of Selangor Sultan. I’m sorry but I dunno of which ancestral lineage was His Majesty? Very historical relic, nonetheless =)

USM Alumni Dinner 2008 (“Sirih Pulang Ke Gagang”) @ KLCC.

Weekends usually prove to be schedule-tight as there are always some events to be attended or some activities to be done. Today, (Saturday, 20th December 2008; coincedently is the wedding date of Malaysian local heartthrob Mawi), I attended the USM Alumni Dinner – “Sirih Pulang Ke Gagang 2008″ at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC. The invitation was courtesy of my Next-Next Cousin @ Godsis Sharifah Darweena who happens to be the Asst. Registrar; and since she asked me to ask a USM friend, I asked Naz to join.

The event was somewhat a nice remedy to reminisce the old days back in USM and is a nice event to ‘rub shoulders’ with new people. Among the Alumni members who attended were Ahmad Tarmimi Siregar, Yalal Chin (actors), Peggy Ng (TV broadcaster cum ex-actress) and Tan Sri Dato Idris Jala- CEO of Malaysian Airlines; who was later was awarded with the Grand Honorary – Anugerah Tokoh Alumni. He also serenaded the crowd with few blues songs. The event was solemnized by His Royal Highnessess King & Queen of Perlis. On whole, muchas gracias mi hermana / prima  por el invitacion!~

Me and Jimi

Me and Naz

The Honorary Award

The Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers as panoramic landscape behind me against the vista window-panes!

Me and mi prima hermana, Darweena

Erk??? Asst. Registrar is in her element

The crowd thronging the red carpet boulevard whilst ‘rubbing shoulders’

The chinese cuisine

Firus-Firus VIRUS Menyerang PC Ku!! & “O, Keys – Where Art Thou?”

Argh! Sekarang ni musim komputer @ Personal computers diserang virus. My PC diserang virus (lupa dah nama WIN32.SKY sumthing kot) and terus connection internet MAXIS Broadband takleh assess! Tapi so far semua Windows/ Microsoft  functions OK, takder hal. Only internet function ader problem. Data menu terpacul (pop-up) tu kata Firewall can only defend tapi takleh delete and this ’software’ bertanggugjawab mencuri financial info. Luckily I don’t keep my finacial information via the Net.

Contoh Avian flu aka virus selsema burung. Bentuk kokus dan basillus. Virus komputer? Engko pun sama gak damaging!! Ergh!~

Dah hantar the CPU (carry ngan motorcycle, bayangkanlah? All the way from Putrajaya to Bandar Baru Bangi! Luckily badan saya kecik dan tangan panjang boleh memuatkan CPU tuh di basket depan motor!) and maybe will try to re-format kot. I hope the virus will be ‘killed’!!! Huhuhh…although some Tagged people said it cannot be deleted. =(

NOTIFICATION UPDATES :

Alhamdulillah..after reformatiing, my PC dah boleh detect MAXIS Broadband ni. Anyway, went dinner tonight with Kakak, Abg Zam & Rifqi at Restoran Amir at Bandar Baru Bangi. So happened that after amik my CPU from CC tuh, we headed to the Restoran and to boutique nearby where Kakak was like scouting and buying some clothes. On the way back to Putrajaya, baru I realized I lost my motorcycle key that I chained together with my house’s keys! Argh… SHIT!!!

The classic character in TV history which embodies all aspects : klutzy, self-denial, imaginative, biological clock ticking, absurdly-expressive.

Ok..I was like FREAKED OUT! Being a klutzy me, I began to flashbacked the potential whereabouts of the keys and what if some culprits found them? What concerns me the most was that my ROAD TAX is being chained together, and obviously this meant that no plat motor tu boleh di-identified! Arghh…!! By hook or by crook, Abg Zam terpaksa membuat U-turn ke Bangi semula to Restoran Amir. Alamak takda! Di butik yg Kakak scouted baju tu pun tak ada! We then called the Putrajaya Sentral Taxi Hub sebab saya gunakan teksi dari Presint 18 ke Parcel E Kementerian Kakak. Arghh..pun tak ada! Last-last I suggested Abg Zam pegi ke CC tempat saya ambil CPU. Last-last ada la plak di CC tuh.. Alhamdulillah..huuhh. Terima kasih to Abg CC tuh. And of course on the way back, Kakak and Abg Zam were like giving me sermon a.k.a. lectures a.k.a. berleter..But I didn’t retaliate back though coz it’s all MY FAULT and they always meant no harm. Thanks!!! Huuhhh…. *relieve* But of course, the moral of the story was that if you really put your hope to God SWT, things will work out fine although it’s undeniable that sometimes, your hunch will doubt that. Tawakal and instinct work side by side; ALHAMDULILLAH!.. And of course…don’t be too KLUTZY the NEXT TIME! *wink*!

The 14th ASEAN University Games @ Stadium Bukit Jalil.

It’s all about celebrating and to commemorate the sportsmanship! Hehee.. Kathleen Nandong a.k.a Kat invited me to witness the opening ceremony of the 14th ASEAN University Games at Stadium Bukit Jalil today (Saturday, 13th December 2008). Since Kat was an active athlete back in USM, she wanna be there to support her fellow athlete friends of USM Athletic Club. Sampai sana, the crowd was thronging immensely but of course Kat was enjoying herself with ‘eye-candies’ scenery, eh? *wink*! Hahaha.. Pau and a few of Kat’s athlete friends reserved seats for us; so we were practically were taking seats that were actually initially DESIGNATED for USM Athletes only! LOL.

It was nice to experience the atmosphere of LIVE event; menjerit2x cheering for the ASEAN teams and did the numerous ‘Mexican Waves’..ehhe. It was also can be called as a star studded event as Mawi opened the performance act with his qasidah. After that Zahid and Noraniza Idris took over and of course, the ‘Aishwarya Rai ‘ of the night was Shafinaz. Dressed up in a sparkling gown which looks like a hybrid of Motown days and Indian costume, she belted out her famous soprano tone to the highest note on a star-platform *erk?* Above all, I enjoyed the event and meeting old athlete acquaintances like Pau and Nazri and knowing new acquiantances like Julie and Linda really make my day. Thanks gal! =)

Aksi-aksi budak-budak USM di seats yg designated untuk mereka sahaja (sebenarnya la!hahah)

The Vietnamese marching in (Kat’s second most cheered team. Erk?*faint*!) LOL!

Here comes the Malaysian varsities athletes!

All teams from ASEAN region assemble at the dataran Stadium.

The varicolored fireworks and the penyalaan Obor!

The artistes and ensemble of students UITM showing their artsy sides! Tak clear sebab kamera phone kan? =)

The devil!!! Hahaha..Julie and Linda!

Malayan Lizard : “Cicak Man 2 : Black Planet @ Planet Hitam.”

The new flick offered by KRU Films proves to be satisfactory. A silverscreen masterpiece for all Malaysians to be proud of, I guess. Of course “Cicak Man 2 : Black Planet” is a far cry from the mega-sci fi GGIs  served by Hollywood films; nonetheless, it’s the sense of pride and ‘hallelujah’ essence that should be embraced by Malaysians as a token of gratitude that Malaysian production HAS embarked into a new genre – an escapism from the cliche “boy-meets-girl”  or “marketable- domestic comedies”  Malaysian movies which are abundant in our film industry.

Sekuel kedua ini memaparkan sketsa plot yg lebih kemas dan tampak tersusun serta penggunaan aplikasi CGI yang boleh dibanggakan. Pengarah, Yusry Abd Halim patut diberi pujian dgn keberanian memaparkan genre sebegini; adunan antara fiksyen baru serta komedi ringan yg sudah sedia tipikal bagi penonton filem Melayu.

Bagi saya, kesemua watak punya kekuatan tersendiri tetapi pujian harus diberikan kepada pelakon Indonesia yg membawa watak Rrama iaitu Tamara Bleszynsky. Meskipun sukar untuk membuat keputusan sebegini, penghayatan dan pengucapan dialog Tamara Bleszynsky amat jelas ditambah dengan trademark hilaian ketawa ala pontianak yg memang kena dengan imej hitam watak Rrama; dan ini adalah seakan-akan menenggelamkan persembahan karakter2x lain.

Watak Saiful Apek sebagai Cicakman tidak jauh beza daripada wataknya dalam “Cicakman 1″. Walaupun lebih banyak scene prlawanan yang disisipkan dalam “Cicakman 2″, perwatakan Hairi (Saiful Apek) masih lagi statik dengan kombinasi komedi2x spontan ala Saiful Apek yg sepatutnya dikurangkan. Saya percaya Saiful Apek mampu meneroka watak Hairi dgn lebih inventif sekiranya lebih ruang diberikan untuk memaparkan karakter Hairi sebagai Superhero Malaya.

Selain daripada watak Rrama, watak Louisa Chong sebagai tukang tilik Feng Shui, Miss Chee adalah watak kedua yg meninggalkan impak besar. Babak yg diberikan tidak banyak, tetapi Louisa Chong bijak menginovasi perwatakan mereng yg klutzy tetapi misterius itu. Solekan tebal pd mata dan muka yg khabarnya mengambil masa 5 jam itu tidak disia-siakan oleh Louisa. Tahniah!

Secara keseluruhannya, kesemua watak adalah agak monotonous tetapi kekurangan ini dibantu oleh paparan CGI yang membanggakan kerana dihasilkan oleh anak watan Melayu/ Malaysia.  Malaysia Boleh!

My Nephew, Mohd Rifqi Naufal’s 2nd B-Day!

I never thought I would be missing Putrajaya…not until I came back from Jitra, Kedah today! These days I took bus ; no more flights for me (have to save la kan since jobless or should I say, self-employement ni kan?hehe). With bus, perjalanan memakan msa approximately 7 jam; from Jitra to Putrajaya (ditambah dgn boarding STAR dan ERL)! .. Actually, I’m kinda like missing my room rather than Putrajaya. This very room in Presint 18 *sniff*

Anyway, my nephew celebrated his 2nd birthday on 8th December 2008 (yerp, Hari Raya Aidiladha la); but his mom beli kek hari ni ja – erk? nak tunggu Cu Yen balik ka ni? hehee.. Happy birthday my nephew. Cu Yen prays you will have a good life ahead!~

Sacrificial Deed of Abraham (Ibrahim A.S) : Selamat Menyambut Aidil Adha

I would like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous Eid-Adha to all Moslems out there. This celebration is to commemorate the sacrificial deed of Prophet Ibrahim A.S. (Abraham) who was asked by Lord SWT to slaughter his son, Prophet Ismail A.S. (Ishmael). To all Moslems who are performing Haj now, I bid them a very blessful Haj!