Just a quick hello!

Assalamualaikum and hello everyone!

I hope everyone is doing well wherever you are. 

The weather is crazy these days in my country. One minute it's a hundred degree outside and the next minute you have the rain pouring like there's no tomorrow you start to feel you probably need Noah's Ark.

Anyway, it is going to be a quick (or rather, short) one this time.

After some thoughts I have decided for this blog to focus on my reviews on things I love and passionate about, mainly cosmetics, skincare items and places I have visited. 

I feel like at this moment, these keep me sane.

Work has been, well, quite challenging as well. I tried very hard not to use 'crazy'.

Apart from 24 teaching hours per week, which has been like that for me for almost 2.5 years now, there are also research and paper to be done, students' activities, preparing quizzes, test and exam questions and not to forget, students' work to be assessed. My average number of students for each class this semester is 28 and I have 6 classes so yeah, go figure. I'm teaching 3 subjects this semester by the way.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am in no way no anything complaining. This is the job I signed for regardless of the system and all. I need the job and I'm beyond grateful for having it. 

It may be (very) tiring but other than being Samantha Brown, I can't imagine doing anything else as my career. One thing for sure, it allows me to travel twice a year because of the long semester break so you lose, you win some.

I got the chance to visit Seoul again last May and it was amazing because I finally had the chance to try out their street food. It is actually super easy to get halal food over there. I will share more on the trip later. Trust me, that is going to be a loooooong one.

I will start off reviewing stuff again some time this week. The ultimate reason I'm doing this is simply to share my thoughts on products that work or don't work on me. Prior to buying anything I always spend time reading reviews made by other awesome beauty bloggers and this has helped me with my purchase a lot. So I thought I should be doing the same too to help others too.

I am excited that finally is happening. I have been delaying this for so long now. 

Till then, just like how I love Ellen Degeneres always says, be nice. The world needs it these days.

"So, when are you getting married?"

 *pic credit to quizony*

Assalamualaikum and hello everyone!

Alrightey singletons! 

The Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays are already here. In few days there’ll be family gatherings, visiting family members from one house to another. 

Now, brace yourself! No, not for those scrumptious food, honey. Even before you are able to touch the ketupat, lemang, kuah kacang and lodeh on the table, you will have all the aunties and uncles (and even cousins!) asking you the million-dollar question: "So, when are you getting married?" 

Okay, let’s face this. I am at the age where woman should already be married. Worse, both of my baby sisters are married (now they get a new question "When are you having babies?") and I’m the only daughter left, so yeah, the question comes a lot more frequent than you can think of. I understand now that this question has become a norm in every culture, as even the Western culture does this. As I also watch a lot of K-Drama, I can also conclude that it happens over there as well. 

To be honest, I hate that question. I loathe it with a passion. 

I don’t quite understand why the question is even needed to be asked in the first place. Basically, if I were to get married, my father would only need to tell one of his sisters and poof! The whole extended family would know then. 

Yup, we have our own version of CNN, you know. 

Anyway, like I said, I loathe the question with a passion. Well, let’s face it, when you’re asked, the only answer you could provide is “InsyaAllah, bila dah jumpa jodoh,” (God’s willing, when I have met the right person). 
 And as usual, they would respond that I’m being picky. 

Ok people, I am being picky. I think I have the right to do that.

This is my whole life we’re talking about. If I were to marry this guy, he would be the person I shall devote myself to, he would be the father of my offspring, he would be the one to share my burden and he would be the person I shall love until after the day I die. Well, I can’t surely pick anyone on the street, can I? Or just marry the next guy who wants to befriend me. 

And I’m a Libra, I suck at making decision. I can’t even decide whether to get the blue or emerald green handbags and it’s been over a month of thinking now.  *sigh*

It’s not like I am allergic to the opposite gender, I do have acquaintances but you know, to feel those butterflies in the tummy and to have the chemistry only we both would have are just not there yet. 

And let’s talk about trust issues people. 

Oh God. There is nothing worse you can do as a human being than to give hopeless hope to the hopeful ones. Seriously guys, if you tell a girl you like her, we girls understand it as you like us, literally. So if we flirt back it means we also like you. It’s not anything Newton or Einstein. 

It’s pure human understanding. 

It is very wrong that you take her feelings on a fun carousel and then after a few months you announce you’re getting married..to another girl. 

At this moment, I usually would feel grateful I’m not marrying such guys. 

Me and my friends have been through this a couple of times and everytime we talk about it, we still couldn’t come up with any single reason as to why would a sane, educated human being act that way. It’s just very immature. 

Anyhow, going back to the issue of the million-dollar question, I believe when people ask you they are either concerned or just plain busybody. I’ll take that they’re usually concerned, especially the older family members. 

My parents recently told me that they pray they’d live a long, healthy life to be able to watch me get married. It was almost heartbreaking to hear that but it’s not like I don’t want to get married, God knows how I really want to have my own little family. HE knows well because I pour my heart out to HIM through my prayers, every single day. I believe in HIM and I want to believe that it’s not my time yet. HE probably wants me to enjoy what I’ve always dreamed of, which is travelling and other things that I love like spending time with my parents and sleep like a starfish in my bed. 

At loneliest times, I would just look at my glass half full –I have close family and friends, a great job and time for myself to travel, read novels, watch movies and like I said above, sleep like a starfish in my bed. 

Hence singletons, cherish the time you still have. Do things you have always wanted to do. Go join a marathon or climb a mountain or go travel and watch God's amazing creations around the world; you don’t get a job just to spend all the time at work and end up not living the life you’re working for. 

To the next person asking us the question, let’s just respond with “God is indeed the best planner, let’s leave it to HIM,” while stuffing batang buruk in your mouth. Trust me, they won’t dare asking you anything else after that. 

You're welcome.
 

*pic credit to pinterest*

p/s To all Muslims, Happy Eid and to those not celebrating, happy holidays!

Here we go again...

Assalamualaikum and hello everyone, 

Wow this blog is left untouched for so long I could imagine spider webs all over! 

The last post was January last year. Yikes really took me too long to come back. 

A serious case of a writer’s block, huh? 

So many things happened over the past year and a half. I finally got the job I’ve been waiting for almost three years and it was a tad farther from my house but then there’s the saying “you win some, you lose some.” I have to travel almost 60km everyday back and forth but I’m okay with it since I could still live with my parents. 

I know some people can’t wait to move out of their parents’ house but I’ve been there, done that for a few years and now I just feel like it’s the best to live with my aging parents again. Of course they still nag me over curfew and stuff I do like the mess in my room, spending too much time surfing the Internet and the loud music, things like that, you know..but I get to cook for them, make sure they’re taking their medicine on time and a bit of exercise, go shopping and watch K-Drama together and above all, I just get to spend time with them. I tell you, I’m getting very emotional and melancholic easily these days. My good friend Als would say it’s a sign of aging. 

Damn but it’s true. 

You basically just start to appreciate things more as you grow older. Well, maybe others start early but I’m always 2000-late, you know. *lifts an eyebrow*

I have come to realize that if you’re going to live a long live happy, you’ve got to do happy things and let go of the unhappy ones. 

Shit happens every day –people jump in lanes on your way to work, the PC doesn’t work in the classroom, colleagues and office politics, yada yada yada..just get over it and move on. The whole world is already in a mess so let’s just buckle up and face everything without it affecting you so much. 

I have also learned that if you take everything ever so seriously, you’d end up miserable. 

Try to look at the glass half full instead. 

People jump in the line –be grateful you are at least in a car with the air-cond full blast. 

Your plan doesn’t work out in class –make up something, you’re in charge, the kids wouldn’t know. Colleagues and office politics –I’ve worked at 4 different places before so trust me, it happens at anywhere you work so just do the right things and they won’t be able to touch you. Keep your integrity intact. 

Bottom line is (you probably have heard of this), you have to love whatever you’re doing for you to be happy. 

If I had a bad day and it made me sad, I would just go and eat those colourful donuts because it put a smile on my face. Or listen to any Big Bang song because TOP’s voice always makes me weak in the knees. Or go home and watch “The Wheels on the Bus” on YouTube with my adorable 2yo nephew. 

Small things can really make a difference. You just have to pay more attention to them. 

I know I am beginning to sound like a 80yo grandma but this is all very true. Bad things happen but don’t forget that God is still blessing you –He woke you up today, some people didn’t get that chance.

With that being said (or written), I hope I could keep on writing and not continue somewhere in the next year. Will take this precious blog more seriously now. See you in a couple of days.

*InsyaAllah*

#GE13

It's voting day here in Malaysia on the 5th of May.

I voted for the first time so I was excited and nervous at the same time. 

First times are always hard to forget. I woke really early yesterday, had my shower and got ready then waited for everyone else downstairs while taking my quick brekkie which usually is a cup of 3in1 Regular Nescafe.

It almost felt like Hari Raya. Seriously.

So we went to our voting venue which happened to be my old primary school. Not much of memories here as I only stayed for a year for my UPSR, before that I lived in KL.

I guess as it's a once-in-5-years event the process got a bit out of control. The lines were everywhere, people were confused, the officers didn't really know how to handle the situation and the place was super stuffy.

The worst thing? My parents and other senior citizens had to queue for almost an hour before they got their turns. Plus their venue was on the first floor so I felt really bad seeing them climbing up the stairs with much effort.

It's not like there's no class on the ground level that they can use.

Oh well.

Anyway, after we had done voting, we went for a brunch and went home and basically my parents only talked politics the whole day.

 

*i'm turning into a Na'vi from the movie Avatar. Yeaaah!*

And as usual on Sunday evening, I went to the pasar malam in my neighbourhood.

Just another Sunday.

Life goes on.

lawyer-ed!

Ok that's actually from HIMYM. 

I miss BarneyTedRobinMarshallLili. 

I used to be so obsessed with the series. Now that Season 8 is said to be their final season, I'm kind of sad which is a reason why I'm stalling the time to watch the final episodes. 

='(

Anyway, on another note, I'm actually not a fan of lawyer-ish drama. The US has TONS of lawyer-ish series that I'm too lazy to list. 

Nevertheless, it seems I'm already caught up with the latest series on lawyers -'Suits'.

I just love the title. My knees go week everytime I see men in suits. There is something about these guys (or the suits) that makes them look, I don't know.. Hot? Confident? Charismatic? No matter how I see it, it's always the men who wear the suits, not the suits that wear the men. You know what I mean? 

So you have an interview? Wear a suit. It compliments your confidence and personality.

Or you're out for a date? Put on a blazer over a nice fitting t-shirt and boom! You're as hot as KPop male celebs! (e.g TOP, Won Bin. LOL!)

 *pic credit: Wikipedia*

The thing is, about this drama 'Suits', I have three different definitions for the title.

First is, of course, the suits every man in the show is wearing. Like, most of the time.

Second, I personally think Gabriel Macht really suits his character 'Harvey Spector'. He seems nasty and nauseatingly over-confident but there are times he needs to take his hat off and I really like the balance of both characteristics. Love love love it!

Finally, the third reason is, well, court suits, which is what the drama is all about -suing one another, saving each other's as*es, threatening anyone that gets in the way... usual stuff in most lawyer-ish series.

So yeah, that's what I think of the series.

I won't say I religiously follow every episode, I did miss few scenes. I don't really bother if I need to go to the loo while it's showing, I just leave the couch.

I guess the storyline doesn't really appeal to me. And I've to say it has weak scripts, just like 'Revenge'. God, Emily VanCamp is super gorgeous and I tried really hard to like the series but I just couldn't!

I was waiting for 'those' lines to come, just like HIMYM, The Godfather, Star Wars, Gossip Girl did...but it never did! I got bored.

So yeah, it's not all about pretty faces that keep me stuck with the show.

Storyline and scripts are just as important. 

Why would you watch something for hours but after it ends, you can't even remember a single line worth pondering?

(*_*)

Here we go again...

Wow it takes forever for me to update this blog these days. 

I’ve always had so many things to write about but most of the times they ended up written in my mind only. It’s not like work has been hovering me but my office is on top of ‘kayangan’ that I’ve become too lazy to stay in the office.

 Anyhoooo, work is doing fine, I already finished marking final exam paper and key-ed in the marks. It was hard for me to fail students but I couldn’t just pass them especially with both eyes open when it’s clear they didn’t do well in classes. The next level would be much harder for them and I honestly think they aren’t ready for it. I was worried they couldn’t survive. It took me a few days to finally decide this, it was really hard for me. 

*sigh* 

*pic: http://www.smashingmagazine.com*

 *yep, exactly how I feel every single day. LOL!*

Work aside, so many things happened in the last few months. 
I went to Jakarta (again!) and bought too many kain ela for myself. 
I discovered Malaysian GMarket and bought more facial masks just because they’re freaking cheap than retail. 
I attended few friends’ weddings and it is fun attending weddings because it always ends up like a mini gathering. 
I watched too many Korean dramas. 
I downloaded almost every BigBang’s songs, couldn’t get over them. And oh, TOP is still hot while maknae Seungri is getting hotter nowadays. 
I sincerely have so many things I want to share –holidays, beauty stuff, drama reviews etc. 

Hopefully now that I’ve no classes I will be able to write frequently. 

(^.^) 

"School of Life"

Ok let me be honest here.

When I finished my B.Ed TESL I wasn't sure if I really wanted to teach. 

I didn't even bother to submit the application form to teach in government high school.

My first thought after knowing I passed my B.Ed TESL was to just stay at home for a while,

resting & relaxing.

But I guess God is so great, HE makes everything easy for me.

I heard that INTEC needed English Lecturers so along with other 10 friends whom I did my undergraduate studies with, we submitted our resumes and were called for an interview.

I basically started working in less than 3 months after my result went out.

So goodbye late nights and hello early mornings.

During my first teaching stint, I was still quite clueless. Even though I used to teach at tuition centres, it's not the same.

INTEC was what I considered my first real job.

And it's gonna be my only job.

You see, teaching is not easy. Whoever says teaching is easy, puh-lease, try taking over my classes for one day only.

Let's see if you survive.

It's hard work. You're not just teaching, you're also dealing with more than a 100 different kids with raging hormones and different personalities.

I have to study before going into class. I have to make sure my lesson plan adapts with every student despite of their level of proficiency.

And don't let me start with marking exam papers, especially essays.

(*_*)

Nonetheless, I have come to loving this job. 

I may not be the best teacher and my class may not be the most interesting class but I have one definite goal -that my students learn a life lesson.

This is all a part of their experience. I was once a student myself so I can relate to their feelings.

Those facial expressions? Those body language? Those sleepy bloodshot red eyes? 

Been there, done that.

If they failed, so be it. They should realize at the end of the day it's all about the effort they put in.

Students these days are too spoilt. Well, some of them.

 But teachers must remind them life is not all rainbows and unicorns and cotton candy.

Nothing is easy in life. Life is always fair but humans choose to be unfair to themselves.

Anyway, there are still times I question myself whether this job is really for me.

What do I do?

I watch great movies. Yup. How fascinating eh?

My all time favourite is 'Dead Poets Society'. That 'Carpe Diem' phrase has stuck in my mind for the longest time. It's just superb. And I still cry buckets everytime they do 'Oh Captain, My Captain'.

Superb.

'School of Life' isn't bad as well. I've always thought Ryan Reynolds can only act goofy but he did terrific job as teacher in this movie.

Try to watch them over the weekend when you're tired over reading students' essays.

Works for me, everytime.

To quote Angelina Schwindt,

"What we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."

i love you & you love me. the end.

Okay this ain't easy to write but I figured it's never easy to really talk about love.
People keep asking me “Why are you still single?”
To be honest, I have no idea how to answer that without being or sounding rude. Truthfully, do these people actually think that anyone on this planet earth would really want to be single and alone?
Like, seriously. Come on.
Unless you have someone you wanna match make with me, please, I beg you, please don’t ask me that particular question. It makes you sound stupid for asking me such question that you clearly know I don’t have the answer to it. Not to mention making me feel more depressed of not having the other half of me.
I know at my age (whatever) most of my friends are already married and become parents. My Facebook wall has sort of turned into some sort of which-is-the-cutest-baby-contest –smiling babies, crying babies, eating, puking, sleeping..even babies in those cute animal jumpsuits.
Please don’t get me wrong –I adore babies to the max.
Those who have left babies by the rubbish dump or abused babies are heartless species, even lower than animals.
Oh well, that is for God to punish and decide.

My point is, I’d love to love. Who doesn’t?
You have someone you can call without any reason; someone who would call you without any reason, asking silly questions, just because. Someone you can’t wait to wish ‘happy birthday’ and go all excited choosing what presents you should give, that particular someone you simply want to grow old with.
Nevertheless, that ‘someone’ is not easy to get. You can’t buy them at departmental stores (although I wish him to smell as good as the perfume counters), you won’t meet them at fun fair (like people in movies do, which is why it’s only in movies..duhh), you can’t wish upon a wishing star and hoping the next day he’d be kneeling down in your porch.
Even with all Seven Dragon Balls you can’t expect him to just appear out of nowhere because it doesn’t happen that way, or that easily.

I have friends who said I’m single because I’m being too choosy.
Okay, let me explain the real situation.
I choose because I simply have to choose.
Get real people, this is someone I wanna spend my whole life with. Someone I would whole-heartedly devote all my heart and might to, as a wife. I can’t marry off someone just because everyone else is married/ getting married, I am not ready to risk my life like that.
If I’d simply accept anyone, trust me, I’d have ended up with jerks, liars and so called nice guys. To tell the truth, I had a friend’s husband asking me out, telling me “not to tell my wife”. I know a guy who used to call me “sayang” and everything else and just once I said “no” to a dinner, next thing I know, he’s about to get married. There’s even a guy who said “he likes me for yeaaaaarrrs and would wait for me” but then he got engaged in less than a month after we went out together.
Had I not been choosy and careful, I might end up with one of these jerks. But then again, it’s either they are all real jerks or I was super stupid to fall for the tricks.
So basically it’s not that I’m not looking or trying, it just seems that I always fall for the wrong ones.
='(

Watching my friends all happy with their other halves, it does make me happy, honestly. I wish I can also be a part of those blessed moments but I guess my time hasn’t come yet.
They say good things come to those who wait. If this is true, then I’ll wait.
And pray hard.

So please, don’t ask me why I’m still single, it’s getting annoying. =P
Better ask me when am I gonna be a millionaire, which I have a definite answer to it:
“Definitely not today!”

Duhh!