Fusilli with Baked Fish Dish

I love this one.

Tomatoes are diced.
Fish sprinkled with herbs (thyme and parsley) and salt to taste.
Garlic, onion and ginger puréed.
All put together and baked.
Served with fusilli prepared with boiling water.

Fusilli with Baked Fish Dish prepared by Naza.
Me, I just eat.

I don't know what the fish is, but it's a type of fresh water fish. Jelawat, maybe.
Baked, the fish is like a combination of salmon and terubuk. Thick fat and with lots of bones.
Anyway, it tastes super.

Yummmmmyyyy!

trifle

Naza's trifle: sponge cake as base layer, pudding in the middle and topped with jelly and fresh strawberries

We had our first dinner in Seri Alam last night, with Ayah and Ibu joining us.

For the occasion, Naza made trifle for our dessert.
Yummmmmyyy!!
First try and she made it super.

Another special dish was Siakap Masak Tomato. Literally translated as Siakap cooking the tomato. Hehe... kidding...
Naza prepared the dish. The fish. The fish dish. Hey, it rhymes.
Delishes fish dish. Heheehh...
(don't bother about the spelling)

we have moved

18.12.2008
Naza, Mak, kids and I officially moved to our house in Seri Alam.

Datang le menjenguk-jenguk. You're welcome to our little place.

Hexagon Pi-Water Filter from Cosway

Naza and I bought the unit from Cosway for our home in Seri Alam, and I (who else?) installed it the day after.

The unit is fairly of a moderate size. Not too big (compared to the other Cosway 6-stage purifier). Just nice for our really basic kitchen sink unit in our really small kithcen. It was very easy to set up (no lengthy installation instructions booklet as well), and I drank the first cup only 5 minutes from the start of installation. Well, not literally the first cup coming out of the filter. Initially the water was a bit blackened - probably from the charcoal?

I tested the water for presence of chlorine by using the tester supplied together with the unit. No reaction - a good sign. The thing that blew me way was the distinctively sweet taste of the filtered water. Also, the flow coming out of the filter is quite high - perhaps because of the simple piping route and also the large contact area of the ceramic filter.

At an offer price of RM295 (RRP RM395), we're happy with it. Expect the price of replacement cartridge to be at about RM100, for a recommended usage of about a year. Well, if you install a pre-filter, that period between replacements would be extended.

Get in touch with me if you'd like to own the experience.

www.alwiz.com.my

this is a special entry to promote a merchant website owned by a friend of mine

My friend Arnizah helped me deliver chocolates (and a bonus 3 stalks of roses) to Naza on our anniversary recently.

I forgot to order from her much earlier, and so I gave her a quick call during lunch time that day asking if she could help me for the special occasion. Not really knowing what to send Naza as a surprise delivery, I asked Arnizah for her suggestions, within my budget. She came out with a few options, and we agreed on chocolates. And, she delivered it herself a few hours later.

An sms from the happy missus confirmed the delivery.

In return of Arnizah's big help, I'm doing this free advertisement for her as my sincere gratitude.

Browse through her catalog at www.alwiz.com.my.
Bookmark it, just so you know where to go to for gift deliveries online.

note: the Sarawak layer cakes are from Sarawak.

in memoriam - michael crichton

In Memoriam
Michael Crichton | 1942 - 2008

Michael who?

Chances are, you may have enjoyed his writings - in another media.
Many of his novels are adapted for the silver screen (and TV: ER the hospital drama series). Most notable is Jurassic Park. And a lot more, before and after that.

Melissa Yong introduced me this amazing medical doctor through his book Sphere. It was during my A-Level years. I was hooked right from the first page, and read many of his novels after that. In fact, I have a precious collection of his writings sitting in my bookshelf at home.

What I respect the most is that he digs deep into the subject through his research, and present it with his own rendering and laced with his own ideas.

My favourite? It has to be his autobiography - Travels.

I watched a few of his novels-turned-movies - Jurassic Park (trilogy), Twister (script), Timeline - but I reckon reading gives much more pleasure that movies just can't deliver. Oh, and I'm still looking for 'The Great Train Robbery' movie.

http://www.michaelcrichton.net/aboutmichaelcrichton-biography.html

Happy Anniversary!

At about this time 9 years ago, Nazahiya and I were married.
Blessed with a pair of kids - Marsya (8) and Adam (6), and countless number of cats (currently 7 adults + 8 kittens).

I pray for more happy and blessed years ahead together.

Grow old with me. The best is yet to come...

4 coleby avenue

L to R: Akmal Hisham, Akmal Hizam, Azman, Zaiman, Zulhilmi.

Me and housemates in front of our rental house in Old Trafford.
4 Coleby Avenue, off Lindum Avenue, Old Trafford, Manchester.

It's a semi-D house with a separate garage (keys kept by the owner - Mr. Shabir Bangi) and a small backyard (never bothered about it, but once we had a barbecue session with friends over there). Located in a cul-de-sac in a quiet neighbourhood.


View Larger Map

I don't quite remember this photo existed, until my mate Akmal Hisham (aka Imam) scanned it and posted in his facebook page. What I remembered is that we snapped several photos to be sent to newspapers in Malaysia for Hari Raya greetings from overseas. Not sure whether this was the one being published.
Date stamp: 17 January 1997. More than 10 years. Seemed like it was only a short time ago.

Aah... and look at the colour tone of our Baju Melayu - by pure chance.

credits:
don't know who snapped this photo.
scanned by Akmal Hisham

Afraid To Write

I sent an email to my loved one, just the other day
It’s sad communication has evolved this way.
We use so many words but have so little to relay
as angels scribble down every letter that we say.
All the viral attachments sent and passionate insults we vent
It’s easy to be arrogant behind user passwords we invent.
But on the day the scrolls are laid, with every word and deed displayed,
when we read our accounts, I know, for one, I’ll be afraid.

That day I’ll be so afraid to read,
every harsh word that I’ve spoken - and every time I have lied.
I’ll be obliged to admit,
I’ll be obliged to submit
Will I have strength owning up to each deed I’ve tried to hide?
Oh Allah, I’m so afraid to read.

An excerpt from Dawud Wharnsby Ali's song Afraid To Read.

If ever I wrote in here or any other digital media, please forgive me if I offended you in any way.

Lyrics above copyright owner DWA.
Cut and paste from here.

virtual meeting place

A few years ago I tried to have my own website, to share things digitally - thoughts, photos (videos are a bit rare back then - slow connection).
Then I discovered blogspot. And so I signed up and started writing.

I used to write long emails to friends, conveying my thoughts in discussions.
I thought, rather than sharing it with a person (or a few people in a group), I'd share it with the world. Hence, 'typed thoughts'.

I have a few photos that I use as my wallpaper on the PC desktop. These too I housed in a dedicated wallpaper blog (Faizi, if you're reading this, my 'Faizi's photos' folder in my PC is still empty).

I kept my hajj journal in a blog. Events and photos.

My family on my mother's side have been updating our big family tree in Geni, and I posted a few news and photos. Regularly visiting the tree.

Yesterday, I discovered My Site in my company's e-portal. It's a personal space for employees, but for internal viewing only.

Today I received a Facebook 'friend request' from Alina.
I signed up Facebook because it's a place where all your friends and their pets are loitering. Furthermore, you can't view other's Facebook pages if you're not a member. Have not updated or posted anything or sending requests or anything. Except for this morning. And it's quite a hassle. Learning the rope is one thing, updating and maintaining it is another big one.

I put links to my blogs in Geni, MySite, Facebook and other virtual meeting places that I signed up so far. What I'm doing now is that I keep on writing in here and my other blogs as and when I have the time.
Friends, families, strangers and their pets can always view them and leave a comment or two.

Oh, and if you feel like sending me personal messages, email me at akmalhamid[at]gmail.com.
Or send me texts. I'll give you my mobile number through email.

strive to do it right

I noticed that the quote box on my blog frame changes every time the page reloads.
Here's one that caught my attention:

If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?

My previous company has this too:

Do it right, the first time

spelling contest - the day

We went to Danga City Mall to support Marsya for her spelling contest.
Apparently, finalists for the 3 categories (60 of them total) were selected from over 900 participants. Wow! Isn't that something?

For the finals, the contest format was changed. I guess to facilitate the venue and manner of judging the contestants. Finalists were given a spiral bound drawing board each, together with a black marker. They are seated on the stage, all of them, one category for a session. The word to be spelled will be announced in this manner: word, meaning, word, word. After that, 25 seconds given for the finalists to write (spell) the word on the drawing board. Then the bell will be rung. Finalists would raise their drawing board for the judges to give marks. Thus, it's not only testing their spelling ability, but other skills as well: listening and writing - neatly, legibly and big, while being quick at that. I personally do not agree wholly with the format, albeit it's the organiser's exclusive right to have it any way they deem fit.


worried mommy, among the audience

The first word was 'ambulance'. Poor Marsya managed only to write 'ambulan', and was a bit disturbed when the bell was rung as she was about to write 'c' on the paper. I'm sure she doesn't have any problem spelling the word. It was just that she didn't have enough time to write the word in big letters, neatly and fast. Not a norm for any kid her age in day-to-day schooling. Anyway, she marched on and kept giving her best.



Out of 15 words, she got 10 spelled out right (there were words not completed because not enough time). Not bad, although she didn't win anything. What I'm happy about is that she participated and didn't show any sign of stage fright, anxiety or nervousness. I guess none of the finalists were. It seems that they were at ease.

Kudos to Marsya. Also to the organiser for the event. They all did very well.

spelling contest finalist

Yesterday, as I was plotting the route for tonight's night ride (and daydreaming about this coming Sunday's bike hash in Plentong), I received a call from Ms. Chiu.

She informed me that Marsya is one of the ten finalists for the spelling contest.
Wow! Yay! Way to go, girl!
Seems that all her effort (and my nagging about her handwriting, plus sacrificing my Sunday ride) came into fruition. At least half way for now. I don't know how many students took part last Sunday, but I guess it was surely more than 50. An achievement so far.
I pray that she'll win the contest.

I, as a father, am really proud with my daughter.
But I, as a rider, was perturbed. There goes my bike hash this Sunday.

Never mind, there'll always be another one. Err... the bike hash, I mean.
I'm sending Marsya with the family to her spelling contest in Danga City Mall this Sunday, insyaAllah.
As a consolation, I'll be doing a night ride tonight.
All the best to Marsya.

Special thanks to Adam for helping her practice the 100 words list. You guys make a great team.

Tanjung Kupang Air Crash

Marsya entered a spelling contest last Sunday, so the four of us went to Foon Yew 1 School at Jalan Kebun Teh together.

Lots of pupils with their parents came for the 3 category contest. Marsya's was the third, starting at 12.00 noon. Arrived 5 minutes late than required (have to be there 15 minutes earlier), the parking lot in front of the school is already packed.
Marsya and I headed to the school while Naza parked the car some 100 meters away with Adam inside.

Around 12.45pm the contest ended, and we headed to the car.
We passed by a silent memorial located just next to the school, set up by Malaysia Airlines to
commemorate the air crash of 4th December 1977 in Tanjung Kupang.



I did a (very) little research, and it was quite sad to learn about the fatal crash. The Boeing 737-200 from Penang to Kuala Lumpur was hijacked with 97 passengers and 7 crews on board. None survived the crash.

further reading:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19771204-0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_653
http://eprints.utm.my/343/1/SallehuddinMuhamad2006_SimulationoftheTanjungKupang.pdf
http://www.newspaperarchive.com/freepdfviewer.aspx?img=44073993

more images:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanjung_Kupang_Memorial

one minute writing

http://oneminutewriter.blogspot.com/

Stumbled upon this blog page this morning.

Especially if you're a Toastmaster, and looking for topics for Table Topics Session, this is a great site for resource. It helps to start the idea rolling.

Otherwise, still a good way of pushing you to write.
In the movie 'Finding Forrester' (Sean Connery, Rob Brown), there's a scene whereby William Forrester (Connery) asked Jamal Wallace (Brown) to type away with the typewriter - without thinking, or drafting. Just go on and write. Don't wait. Write about whatever on your mind.
Well, Beth included on her blog page a 1 minute timer, and a word (writing prompt) as the topic for you to write about.

One more thing:
While you're at her oneminutewriter page, scroll down to 'The One Minute Writer can help..' section on the left panel. I'm happy to report that Beth credited me for the idea above.
:)
Hehe...
Thanks, Beth!

Melaka: A' Famosa vs Proclamation of Independence Memorial

A' Famosa - the famous one.
Proclamation of Independence Memorial - huh? Which one eh?

We went to Melaka on the way back to JB during Deepavali weekend.

It was overwhelming how Bandar Hilir has transformed.
I parked the car a bit far from the famous A' Famosa, so we had to walk past Muzium Islam.
Right in front of it is this interesting big tree:


big ol' tree


this tree is not to be destroyed in any manner whatsoever.
but you can nail the notice on it, though.

The purpose of visiting Bandar Hilir is to serve as an introduction of the famous A' Famosa and surrounding buildings to the kids. Well, only Marsya went with Naza and I. Adam stayed in the car with Mak - not feeling well.


Naza and Marsya walking past A' Famosa

Alfonso de Albuquerque started the construction of A' Famosa in 1512 from which they fended of attacks by the armies of the Sultan of Melaka and Acheh for well over a century.
The Portuguese used slaver labour to construct this squarish fort surrounding Melaka Hill with walls 3 meters thick using parts from demolished palaces, royal mausoleums and mosques.

Apart from the appalling English grammar etched on the info stone, the more atrocious fact laid down plainly is "...using parts from demolished palaces, royal mausoleums and mosques".
Damn.


the info stone. see how many grammar or typo errors you can spot.

Marsya and I went up the hill to take a look around, and have a view from the top. Quite nice - you could observe the prosperity that showers Melaka, except the sea shore.



Also there's a 'wishing well' in the remnants of building (used to be a church by Dutch, then as a gunpowder storage by British). What struck me was that people throw in coins in the 'well'. I don't know why. I bet they also don't know why. The bigger question: who would eventually collect the coins? And what would they do with it?
Anyway, I told Marsya that we Muslims do not do such things. If we wish for something, we ask Allah by reciting du'a. No need to throw in coins and make wishes.



I love to look at the memorial tablets lining the walls inside the building - for it's artistical values. And it's ancient. I like 'em.
Nearing maghrib, we went down.

Opposite of the fort stands a solemn building, though not that attractive to local tourists. Perhaps because it is closed during the time I was there.


Proclamation of Independence Memorial

The Proclamation to Independence Memorial is important to our local history for this: it houses an exhibition that traces the history of the nation's journey to independence (as the sign says).



What I like about it is that it is erected right in front of A' Famosa, and across Dataran Pahlawan. Simply poetic.

family tree

Norzam created our family tree on Geni some time ago.
I was invited into it by Kak Liza yesterday, following our conversation during her son's kenduri at Mak Ngah's on Saturday.
And so I spent some time updating my profile and such yesterday.
Quite nice, but I'm still getting the hang of it.
I'll need a lot of time to upload photos and what nots, plus regularly visiting the tree.

Imagine a gathering of your whole family online.
Woohoo! Boleh bikin havoc satu Malaya.

Kudos to Norzam and Aunty Bong's family for getting our family tree started online.

in sync

Ever had this?
While you're thinking of something (sometimes something obvious to the situation, sometimes irrelevant), your spouse would utter about the same thing that's running in your mind.

Here's what happened to Naza and I recently:
Something obvious:
I was driving on PLUS towards JB and was thinking that it would be nice if we could get a better car (bigger and better in every aspect). Moments later she said about how it would be nice to have a better car for driving to work and travelling. And so we discussed about it.

Something not so obvious:
I was thinking about treating Naza for a spa session in KL last week as a birthday gift. It turned out that she had a hair spa session for herself around that time in JB while I was in KL (she didn't tell me about this). Well, the spa in KL is quite expensive, but I kept thinking about it (didn't tell her too). Last night she said that she wants to have a body spa session at the same place she went to in JB. I told her about my thoughts of treating her for the KL spa.

Our minds in sync? I guess so.
This has been reported by a few (married) friends.
Truth is, the matrimonial bond is not just on paper or merely vows exchanged. Somehow our minds are exclusively connected.
A very special bond shared between only Naza and I.

For the spa, I'll gladly pay for it as her birthday gift - much cheaper than in KL, plus she likes the place.

soft drink refill at McD - update

I submitted a query to McD Malaysia with this question:

a quick question:
can i have free soft drink refills at any of your outlets?

Their reply an hour ago:

Dear Akmal,

Greetings from McDonald's Malaysia!

Thank you for taking the time in submitting your inquiry through our
official website dated 24th October.

With regards to your question below, FREE soft drink refills do happen at
all our outlets if the drink is being purchased on the day of purchase &
from the outlet that is being purchased.

We would appreciate if you could provide us with more details of your
experience that you had recently as this are areas where we can improve our
services.

Once again, thank you & we hope to hear from you soon.

Best regards,
Leonard M. W. Wong
Corporate Communications Department
(tel/fax/email withheld)
Website: http://www.mcdonalds.com.my

soft drink refill at McD

we know that there's free flow of soft drinks in Burger King outlets in Malaysia.
this is widely publicised.

what is not widely publicised is that you can have refill of soft drinks in McDonald's outlets.
yup, it's true. no kidding.
just take your empty soft drink cup to the counter and ask for refills like nobody's business.

i asked about this fact to the McD crew in Ampang Park outlet in front of many other customers (during lunch hour). she answered 'yes' matter-of-factly.

so there you go. knock yourself out.

being thankful

Muslims would say alhamdulillah to show that they are being thankful to Allah. Whereas the Arabic meaning of alhamdulillah is 'all praise to Allah', it conveys thankfulness while at the same time praising Him for the things bestowed upon the person uttering it.

Being thankful can be viewed as an aspect of positive thinking.
My wife doesn't cook for me, but she mops the floor (and take care of the kids and I, drives herself to work, help me support the family, etc.). Alhamdulillah, I am thankful for that.
My kids are hyperactive and most of the times uncontrollable - they are creative and goes out of the box. Alhamdulillah, and I am sure they would grow and be good people some day.
My work doesn't pay as much, but there are lots of valuable knowledge that i could pick up everywhere. Alhamdulillah, I know that in life, knowledge pays much better than salary.
Looking at myself, I am thankful that I'm blissfully normal.
Alhamdulillah.

I attended a teambuilding course with MESB a few years ago at Rompin, Pahang. the instructor is a psychiatrist, and he talked to us about being thankful and the effect of it to our brain (endocrine system).

The opposite of being thankful is self-pity. Avoid this. It is as sure as being negative. Much worse, it makes you feel miserable. And if it is a habit, your life would go to a downward spiral into a state where no one else can help you - being miserable all your life, all the time.
Examples of self-pity: of course i cannot afford a car, my salary is too small. My salary is too small because the company i'm working for is stingy. And it can go on and on and on.
Not too difficult to find the negative side of things, really.

Being thankful would trigger the release of endorphin. The effect is a high feeling (as taking morphine). At least, the physical element of morphine and endorphin is the same.
Other ways to trigger endorphin release is by exercising - just when we are breaking sweat. That's why some people would feel uneasy if they don't get their dose (not exercising). For some, they crave to exercise. Same thing to me, either way.
However, endorphin release through exercising gives only temporary effect.
To have a longer lasting effect of this feel good hormone is to simply be thankful.
It's quite easy really to do it, once we start practicing to be grateful of what we already have.

From Al Quran Kareem, Surah Ibrahim Verse 7:

And remember! your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): "If ye are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you But if ye show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed."

So let's be thankful (grateful), for Allah will add more favours to us insyaAllah.
Have a constant dose of endorphin.

:-) internet smileys: the origin

a piece of information technology history

Yad my office mate asked a casual question this morning (while eating a hari raya cookie with a heart-shaped sugar bit) :

who invented the heart shape as the symbol of love?
and who invented the smiley icon?

i began my research on the internet there and then.
while the original research intent was to find the origin of the round yellow smiley icon, it eventually brought my attention to the internet smiley.
i guess it is because of the creativity of the creator. more importantly there was a real need for it that necessitates the invention.
as the saying goes:

necessity is the mother of invention

The need: an icon (or marker) to denote whether a message in bulletin board (precursor of newsgroups) is meant as a joke.
The inventor: Scott E. Fahlman of Carnegie Mellon University.
The moment: 19th September 1982.

Read the full story of the creation narrated by Scott himself.

link to Microsoft page on the origin of internet smiley.

:-)

seat belt convincer

text from MMHE ePortal:

‘Seatbelt Convincer’ – a road crash simulation device is currently available in MMHE Pasir Gudang Yard for all to experience the effect of being in a road crash at between 5 – 10 km/h.

As part of the programme in Road Safety campaign, Sabah Shell Petroleum Company (SSPC) is sharing the simulator in the effort to increase the awareness on the importance of wearing seatbelt while driving.

How does Seatbelt Convincer work?
Participants will be strapped into a car seat with a normal seat belt and are then propelled forward until the seat hits a buffer. The occupant will be jolted forward with
force and experience the reality of a crash even at low speed.

For free road crash experience, visit the Seatbelt Convincer booth at:
Venue: Next to Client Office No. 4 (SSPC Office)
Date: 13 – 24 October 2008
Time: 0830 – 1700 hrs

I always buckle up, even for a short driving distance. From the moment I step into the car right until reaching destination. It's becoming a habit, I would feel uneasy driving without feeling the strain of the seatbelt on my body. All these while I've been wondering how it would feel like to be a crash test dummy. How does it feel to take the impact of a car crash (and walk away unhurt).

The convincer is the answer. I tried it yesterday.
The impact was quite strong, I can feel a bit pain in the chest and my upper back.
And that was at 10km/h, while wearing seat belt.
I guess if at 25km/h I would sustain minor injury.
Err... 25km/h is the speed limit within the yard in MMHE.

Bonus: each person who tried out the convincer takes home a free photo printout of himself experiencing the shock.
I guess that makes it less of a formal safety thingy - macam kat theme park la pulak.
I went for the extra of having mine both printed and the jpg file - so bring your thumb drive along if you want a softcopy (for desktop wallpaper, blog, etc.).


me on the convincer at the moment of impact.
more like a crash test dummy, eh.
walked away unhurt, lived to tell the tale, by the away.

Learn more at
www.nocrash.org
www.seatbeltconvincer.com
download the pdf brochure

Buckle up!

Adam

Marsya

anniversary ticker

hmm...
at the time of writing, a little over a year to our 10th anniversary.

curry puff in manchester

people asked me this quite a lot:
do you want to live in manchester, given the chance?

my answer: yes and no.

yes - it's quite nice to live in a 4-seasons country. the culture, the manners of their people (believe me, they are very courteous lot) , scenery, etc.
no - when the little details of living a normal life have to be forfeited. parents, durians, rambutans, shopping until late at night, etc. also, i can't stand the cold weather. not to mention the constant rainfall.

i stumbled upon this website by a malaysian now residing in manchester.
he's selling curry puff - ready to eat, and frozen.
sold in 5 varieties: beef, lamb, vegetarian, chicken and fish.
the price? £1 for 3 ready to eat, and £1 for 4 pcs of frozen ones.
not too bad, considering one of the details of living a malay life in manchester is served.
check it out at http://www.alittletasteofmalaysia.com/

perhaps i have to re-consider my answer for the question.

don't judge a book by its cover

It's a cliché, i know.
However, it is very true.
Especially when it comes to relationship and interaction between human beings (and other living things).

I experienced this many times throughout my life so far.
I learnt how not to judge another person based solely on his appearances, especially upon the first impression.
It is rather unfair for that person, you judging him only by the first display of his personality towards you.
Perhaps during that particular time a normally cheerful lad was going through a bad time, thus him being a bit grouchy.
It takes some time for us to know other people, their (actual) behavior and personality.
This involves in doing some work together, being in a team in a particular project, usrah, homeroom, etc., etc.

If we give enough time for others to portray themselves as what they really are, while we're being open about it, chances are that our first impression on them would be totally flawed. Most of the times we would be ashamed of ourselves to think negatively about others. Some actually say that it takes one to know one. So, if you tend to have negative adjectives to describe strangers, be careful. You may be looking in a mirror, and see the bad part of yourself.
Heck, that actually is a great way to know about ourselves, then.

There were many pleasant people I get to know with - after I forced myself to give them that chance, permitting them to show me their true colours and who they really are.
These people, interestingly, are the kinds that others would label as 'self-centered', 'proud', 'unfriendly', 'geeky', and other negative adjectives others freely stamp upon them.
Of course, there are those weird people around us. They have their own stories. Find out about it and you'll be amazed how they look at the world in a whole different point of view - but that's another story.

A friend told me that I looked solemn and pious, 'nak dekat pon takut...'.
Well, what can I say. The adjectives that we have about ourselves usually are very different from what others may have.
Their judgment. Anyway, I tend to portray myself differently to certain people.

See also: http://akmalhizam.blogspot.com/2006/12/lesson-learnt-dont-judge-departmental.html

12 H - down the memory lane

L to R (standing):Hamidi, Hanafi, Akmal, Saufi, Syed Mahadzir, Herwandi, Hazami, Amsur
L to R (seating): Hanizah, Melissa, Rosdiana, Ms. Kiranjeet Kaur, Faizal, Hisham, T Roslan, Izham

this post is especially for Tengku Roslan.
bro, reminisce...

Class 12 H (12 Hantu)
PPP/ITM A-Level batch 12
1992-95
Shah Alam

People studying A-Level in 12 H are divided into 3 different degree courses:
Architecture, Quantity Surveying and Industrial Design.
Partly arts and partly science in nature, we took 3 papers for A-Level exams - Maths, Physics and Economics (hmmpphhhh...).

Architecture:

• Herwandi
• Amsur
• Faizal
• Hisham

Quantity Surveying:

• Hanafi
• Akmal
• Saufi
• Syed Mahadzir
• Melissa
• Rosdiana
• Izham

Industrial Design:

• Hamidi
• Hazami
• Hanizah
• T Roslan
  

More than 10 years later now, we parted our own ways.
Many I don't know what they're doing right now, most of them I get in touch every now and then.
What I know is that Faizal and Rosdiana are married to each other.
I changed my course from QS to Mechanical Engineering during the first year of university in NCUK. I guess the rest pretty much stick to the original plan, except for T and Izham. They're doing IT related work now.
Oh, and Hazami is a singer now - doing the thing he loved best.

So, guys: a reunion some time this year?

it was raining in kuala lumpur

I was stuck in Menara Tan & Tan yesterday evening, due to the downpour in KL.
My flight to Senai scheduled at 9pm. I thought I could walk to KLCC or Ampang Park and have my dinner over there. I left my trusty foldable umbrella at home on purpose - didn't want to add weight to my bag. So much of a convenient for a weight weenie, after all, huh?

Well, it's quite nice to watch the traffic jam on Jalan Tun Razak. I kinda missed it a bit when I left The Forum since February.
And whaddaya know - there's a nice big rainbow too.

photos by Zaid Ghani, using his handphone camera

phone number converter

have you heard of DAPAT?

they have a cool phone number converter program in their website.

the first converter is the 'phone number lookup'.
here you enter a phone number with alphabets to get the equivalent real phone number.
a good tool to use to decide what phone number to use when you're thinking of getting a new mobile phone number (or any number).

say, for 012 akmalhh = 012 256 2544
not a memorable number, but easy to remember if i just give people the alphabetic equivalent.

the second converter is the 'numeric to alpha' converter.
you key in your handphone number, and hit 'convert'. all possible variation of alphabet equivalents will be returned.

this is what i got from 012 3456789:
01 adil n sux
wakakakakaaa...

i'm posting this only for fun.
but hey, your number might be uninteresting at all (like mine) and not easy for people to remember.
you can generate the alphabetic equivalents and give it to people for them to remember by easily.
as it turned out, my real handphone number is uninteresting - both in numerical form and its alphabetic equivalent.

the converter can convert any number, but bear in mind that the longer the number, the longer the time it will take to run the conversion.

aku dok kat KL

"kau dok mana sekarang?"

banyak kali bila aku tanya kawan2 aku yang asal dari luar KL (tapi la ni dok kerja kat KL) soalan ni, jawapan diorang simple je:
"aku dok kat KL"

pastu aku tanya, "area mana tu kat KL?"
depa jawab:
"Puchong"
"Sepang"
"Serdang"
"Bangi"
"Sungai Buloh"
"Kajang"
"Petaling Jaya"
"Shah Alam"
"Rawang"
"Putrajaya"
dan banyak lagi nama-nama tempat yang aku rasa masih dalam jajahan Selangor.

duhh!! naseb baik tak sebut "Seremban" ataupun "Nilai".

masa aku kecik-kecik dulu dok kat Jalan Ipoh (area Sentul, masih dalam KL), kalu sebut Kajang/Puchong/Sungai Buloh/Sepang/Serdang/dsb, dah sah le Selangor tu.
dan memang agak jauh nak pegi tempat-tempat tu.

tapi aku saspek orang la ni pukui habih dok kata yang depa dudok kat KL pasai dah ada kemudahan pengangkutan - dari segi infrastruktur lebuhraya (dan pondok kutip duit tol).
aku pun tak berapa nak hafal segala jenis highway yang ada dalam KL tu.
dan mungkin jugak depa lebih mudah nak sebut 'KL' (dua sukukata) berbanding dengan 'Selangor' (tiga sukukata). ni masuk kes perekonomian perbualan la ni.
atau mungkin jugak nak glamer dok kat KL. tak tau le. tapi aku rasa dok kat tempat lain pun glamer apa... digi ngan celcom boleh aje dapat line kat mana-mana...

walaubagaimanapun, itu aje lah aku nak cakap.
dan aku nak tegaskan kat sini bahawa:
kalau korang dok kat dalam Selangor, cakap aje la korang dok kat Selangor.
KL tu KL la. tengok peta KL. belajar balik chokapi.

melainkan korang dok kat Kuala Langat.
waaakakakaaaaa...

the last straw

arabic idiom:

the straw that broke the camel's back

aka
the last straw / the final straw

also,
the drop of water that makes the glass/jar/bucket/barrel overflow

note: straw = long yellow grass

see also:
http://www.goenglish.com/TheStrawThatBrokeTheCamelsBack.asp

Family Portrait

where: Naza's grandparents' house, Stulang Darat, Johor.
when: 1 Syawal 1429H

handphone bills - reducing trend

my handphone bills - with supplementary line for Naza - is with a nice reducing trend now.
(data collected is from april 2006 until sept 2008 - 30 months)

monthly usage:
april 2006 - aug 2007: sporadic, but on average rm125
sept 2007 - july 2008: steadily rm105
aug 2008: around rm95
sept 2008: rm84

from rm125 to rm84 - a reduction of rm41 a month on average.
how do we managed to do that?
there are two parts of it.

one part is maxis' package.
during the steady rm105 period, we took advantage of the rm50 + rm50 package.
starting august 2008, we switched to the rm50 + rm30 package when it's launched.

before sept 2007, we didn't sign up to any package. hence, the sporadic amount on the bills.

the other part that is crucial on the savings: action
one fine day in aug 2007, i sat down quietly and collected data from bills that i paid so far.
i made out the trend of calls made (minutes of use per month) for around a year.
also, i gathered info from maxis on the available package - in equivalent minutes.
i compared the usage and also the available package that would cater for our usage.
not only that, i also considered other telco's packages - digi and celcom.
it turned out that we could shave rm20 per month with maxis' rm50 + rm50 package.
so we signed up to the package.

mind you that between nov 06 and jan 08 i was away in kl. so, it was more usage than usual.
even so, the bills from sept 07 (50+50 package starts) to jan 08 were at a steady rm105 mark.
which means, we were still under-utilising our handphone bill package.

again, in aug 08 i signed up with a new deal from maxis: rm50 + rm30 package.
aug 08 was the transition period - that's why the bill was rm95.

i was a bit anxious on what the amount on the bill would be for sept 08.
turned out that the bill amount is rm84.
wow! a further reduction of another rm21 per month.
hopefully the overall trend will stay like this - reducing.
i'll revisit again in the next 6 months, perhaps. meanwhile, i'll monitor closely each month on the bill. i sure hope that it will remain constant for at least a year.

that's it. all it takes are data crunching, and most importantly: action.

and now, how shall i tackle the TM phone bill?

Selamat Hari Raya!

1 Syawwal 1429 Hijr
Have a safe Eid ul Fitri.
Enjoy your holiday, and come back in one piece.

background design inspired by Mandelbrot Set from Ned Batchelder

merdeka!

31st August 2008
2008 Merdeka celebration - Johor Bahru chapter
Dataran Bandaraya Johor Bahru


Naza, Akmal & Adam | photo by Marsya Akmal Hizam


Adam & Marsya

cats

ahhh... those charming little creatures.

indeed they are, depending on their mood. well, most of the time they are.
well, i don't know that much about cats, but I've been living with them more than half of my life.
Naza shares this liking with me. Her sister even more - brought back a cat from Manchester, and now living with two big cats in KL (one rescued from RSPCA Ampang, another brought back from Plentong).

i like cats. why?

therapeutic
stroking their body gives a nice sensual feeling to your hand (or feet - try it).
even when looking at them from far, would induce a smile on my face.
it's a welcoming sight to see them walking lazily, grooming busily, fast asleep without a worry in the world, or my favourite - kittens wiggling their backside while in a stealthily low stance ready to pounce another kitten.

friendly
especially of the siamese breed (like the one in the photo).
i don't really know about cat breed, but i just refer to the likes of the siamese breed.
they are very fond of human. whether you're at a friend's or a stranger's, their cats of that breed will surely come up to you and twirl around your leg. take it as a complimentary massage.
i love those.

clean
yes, they spent many hours of the day grooming (besides sleeping).
they bury their droppings.

tough
they say cats have nine lives.
of course it's not true, but i do know one truth - they are tough creatures.
once i had a birman who was in a sorry state. she had bad wound on her ear, and went missing for few days.
housefly went on her and laid eggs on the wound. later it turned into maggots and had eaten up her left ear, and part of the head. yes, it is scary. the stench is unbearable even for me.
still, she marched on and not a hint of pain displayed through her face.

playful
even the king of cats and his cubs living in the savannah are playful.
especially kittens, they play all the time, like my kids.
but unlike my kids, they don't play while having their meals.
i used to come to school with fresh scars. my teacher casually quipped: 'i see you've been playing with cats'. only a cat lover would know another.

left: cumi. male macho cat. dearly missed.

ats come and go. some just went off without saying goodbye. some were found lifeless somewhere around the house - the result of previous night's brawl. two died on my lap - one hit by a car while happily crossing the road coming towards me, another slowly losing her life (and unborn kittens) due to poisoned rice meant for rats.

over the years, the yard around the house in Plentong is like a pet cemetery. i never counted how many of them, and they were not marked. My late Abah did one tombstone for Keng (Akak's cat from Man), though. It's always a sad thing to bury a cat, a kitten very much so. I wish I wouldn't have to do it, but it's inevitable.

the house in Plentong is like a cat magnet. often there'll be a cat coming round the house. and stay for good (of course, where else they could get Iams for free?). many times also kittens are brought back home - Naza's the one who does this. The latest, we brought home a kitten from Jusco Tebrau. It was raining, and he was lost, treading alone on the divider.

i like the fact that there are cats around the house. they somehow bring the air of peacefulness.
while typing this, i'm smiling thinking of them.
ahhh... those charming little creatures.

ikea's swedish meatballs

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-to-make-your-own-swedish-meatballs.html

huhuhu...
okay, have to try this one out.
minus the pork.

be brave

Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962)

Very often, the general public would always have something to say about things that happen around them, including your acts.
The best thing to do is to have your own justification.
For Muslims, we have Al-Quran and As-Sunnah as our guidance. We can have our justifications based on these two.

The story of an old man, a child and a donkey illustrates this point very nicely. Whatever they do, people in the village that they pass by would always have their comments. Not one act is the right one.
It is up to them to decide which is the right one - for them. And, to ignore whatever remarks or comments from others. For they would themselves know that is the best possible thing to do, in their circumstances.

meatballs

I bought Naza a recipe book from Borders quite some time ago.
One-Pot Casserole Recipes.
Simple dishes - cooked in one pot.

For Ramadhan, she decided to try the recipes out.
We had meatballs for buka puasa on the 8th Ramadhan.
Interestingly, they are easy to make.
Well, I helped Naza to make the meatballs. She prepared the ingredients.

It's really simple, I'm listing it here from the top of my head.
½kg Minced meat
1 teaspoon Italian herbs (or mixed herb)
1 egg
Salt & pepper to taste

Mixed them all together (I used bare hands - a la Jamie Oliver).
Roll into balls. Size - up to you.
Do note that it will 'shrink' a bit after fried. And not too big, as it will take longer time to cook.

Deep fry the meatballs until brown.

I prepared the protein (with fat), and Naza prepared the gravy, carb and fibre.
Gravy is from Ikea - okay, so we cheated a bit.
Carb - boiled potatoes.
Fibre - boiled carrots and broccoli

Nice coloured meal, and yummy.
I don't know why though, the meatballs are kinda 'dry' inside, not quite like the ones in Ikea.

Let's Get Rich!

PendapatanLumayan.Com - Naskah Mengandungi Khazanah Rahsia Terulung Bagaimana Mencipta Wang Atas Angin Di Bocorkan Secara Tiba-Tiba Untuk Anda!

The link above is interesting.
Sure. It has all the right words to get people to visit the website - lumayan, rahsia, wang.



I got it from my Gmail inbox ad header this morning.
I'm not a big believer of this easy peasey get rich quick thingy.
Anyway, I went with it just to see what he's offering.

As usual, it's a lengthy page.
From beginning to the end, luring people to buy the ebook of his so-called technique to buy his set of tools to get rich fast.

Ah, and there's a Disclaimer page too - with normal size font.

Taken from the Disclaimer page:

MANY FACTORS WILL BE IMPORTANT IN DETERMINING YOUR ACTUAL RESULTS AND NO GUARANTEES ARE MADE THAT YOU WILL ACHIEVE RESULTS SIMILAR TO OURS OR ANYBODY ELSES, IN FACT NO GUARANTEES ARE MADE THAT YOU WILL ACHIEVE ANY RESULTS FROM OUR IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES IN OUR MATERIAL.

Huh? 'Nuff said. I'm investing my RM50 elsewhere.

BTW, check this out: Azizi Ali's thoughts

Johor Bahru Public Library

On Saturday (6th Sept), I went out to send Marsya to school - a replacement for Hari Raya holiday extension. We arrived 45 minutes early, so I made a detour to the new JB public library in Jalan Yahya Awal, a stone's throw from her school. Opened nearly a month ago (despite delays), I still haven't been there. A good time to check out what RM5.7mil library can offer.

First impression being important, they got it right. It's a nice place, and looks organised. Well, it doesn't look like a library, but much more like a bookstore in a shopping mall. The atmosphere is like being in a bookstore - but much better. It has an open cafeteria right behind the service counter, and you can borrow books (and other media) for free, up to 14 days.

It is a modern library, very much different with the one I went frequently during my younger years. There are many different section for visitors to enjoy different medium that knowledge can be enjoyed.

Ground Floor:

• Magazine Rack - like the ones in Borders in Times Square, but with much lesser spread of titles
• Audio and Video (DVD/VCD) shelves - can be viewed upstairs in tv room.
• Cafe Aras - for refreshments
• Children's Corner - much like a kindergarten setting with cool Ikea stuff (no kidding!) and lots of books
  
• Petronas Street Smart - now until 22nd Sept

First Floor:

• Adult Sections - divided into two - Fiction (on the left) and Non-Fiction (on the right)
• Games Room - I saw children playing congkak in there
• Teenager Section - with lots of interesting titles
• Reference Section - didn't get in there, yet
• Discussion Rooms - a few enclosed rooms with glasswall for discussion.
• Media Room - for viewing video
• Islamic Media Room - for viewing digital Quran

Second Floor: closed (for now)

Note: the room names above is only my designation, not the official name given by the library authority.

Here's a few things I have to say about the library:

1. Af first I wonder why there were discussion rooms provided. After sitting down with a book for a while, then it finally occured to me. The library is not as quiet as it is supposed to be (or used to be?). With the Petronas Street Smart in town, children playing with it can be heard on the first floor. Discussion rooms were full, and teenagers doing their discussion out in the reading area. I really couldn't believe that I was sitting with a book in a library, with all these noise. I wonder if this is the concept of a library these days. I looked around, there were no 'please be silent' reminders posted.
2. The collection of books is impressive. It's close to browsing the bookshelves in a bookstore. Most of the materials are new, modern titles. You don't feel like you're transported to 10 or 20 years back in time when browsing through the book titles. For non-fiction works, titles are abound in many different subjects - religion, management, self-improvement, hobbies and craft, etc. There's also Chinese and Tamil collection, albeit very limited. And yes, they do have Michael Crichton's in Fiction section (recent titles only). Kudos to the management.
3. The desks and chairs are nice - they're teak. However, comfort is compromised while giving way for appearance. I strongly feel that they could spend on quality plastic/steel chairs with cushion for better comfort.
4. Everywhere in the building you could see people deeply sunk in their laptops. That's because it is equipped with wifi connection.
5. For mobility in the building, there are hits and misses. There are ramps and an elevator for the disabled. If you choose to use the stairs (most would do), please be extra careful. Due to the design, the steps are varied in width along a single step. If left side is narrow, the right side is wider (and vice-versa). The center has constant width, but you have to forgo the handrail.
6. Amenities are quite good. There are toilets and surau provided (at the time of writing, I haven't checked them out yet). If you fancy a drink and light snack, there's a cafe on the ground floor. In the children section, there's a baby cot provided. I'm not sure whether there's a feeding area, though.
7. I like the fact that the library is not just a depository of books. Here, multimedia learning takes on its true meaning - and they are accessible to everyone.
8. Opening hours are from 9am to 5.30pm (until 5pm during Ramadhan). I think it would be superb if it is open till late - say, 9pm. Closed on Mondays, and, it will be closed during 1st and 3rd Saturdays soon. Aahhh... not really convenient, eh?
   

After that short while in the library, Marsya and I went off to her school. It turned out that actually classes for evening session were cancelled (or postponed?) without official letter from the school. Anyway, this was informed by one of the teachers, so it's okay. That means another round in the library, then.

We went back the following day, too. This time with the whole family. We registered with the library and got our library card each - and went back home with at least a book. Oh, and please be reminded that there's an annual registration fee.

Nuff said, I suggest you go experience the library yourself.

Read more:
Johor Bahru Public Library site
article from The Star
article from NST - Johor Buzz

go ahead, overtake me

If you're a driver behind me and driving recklessly, go ahead and overtake me.
Just because you're a few seconds late than I was on the road, you were driving like mad and feel the need to go in front of my car, and others too.
My elder brother Amri has this to say: If you'd like to be in front of me, be a few seconds earlier than I did.
Plain simple.

I really love it when a hurrying car behind overtakes only to find that he's behind a red traffic light.
Such a fool.

I'm a defensive driver. Ah Teck (of Masai's Pusat Memandu Berjaya) taught me so.
I've been in situations where saving a few seconds only meant wasting a few hours (or days) and tons of money.
The very thing to do is to go out and drive to the destination earlier that it should be.
That way, you won't be in a hurry. Simply enjoying the ride.

So yeah, if you want to have an accident of yours, go have it elsewhere. Not with me.
Go ahead, overtake me. I'm cruising just fine.

turning point: 037/91

I was curious to know what is behind the name of Nike's Lance Armstrong 10//2 apparel.
Lance Armstrong is a 7-times winner of Tour de France. An amazing feat.
But why '10//2'?

It turns out that it is actually a date - October 2nd, 1996.
The date when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

That date is significant for him. It is his turning point in life. He marched on, and achieved what many would only dream of.

I asked myself, what was my turning point in life?
The best answer is when I stepped my foot in MRSM Jasin in 1991.
A big world opened up to me, as I discovered the love of knowledge. A love weaved with discovery of the beauty of Ad-deen.
Plus a bonus: I make news friends coming from all over Malaysia.
My significant number for this one: 037/91 - that's my college number.

happy birthday?

okay, my birthday is a long way to go.
i just want to say that i don't really celebrate my birthday.
my wife and kids do. so, i celebrate theirs - with the usual stuff: cake and presents.

i just can't see the logic of celebrating how you are one year older today. not that i'm avoiding the subject of getting older. it is just so irrational.

however, i do propose celebrating the day of your birth with your parents - especially your mother. the day is for them, not for you.
it is more logical - we are saying how grateful we are to them.
that very day xx years ago our mothers were in excruciating pain for hours, putting their lives on the line to give birth to us. our fathers were anxious (if not panic) in the labour room, while letting their hands being crunch so hard they were bruised by the lady in labour.
i'm a father, i know this.

well, i did once send through internet delivery a cake and a message to Ibu and Ayah a few years ago. i don't know how they reacted. but i know they felt appreciated. that's exactly what i meant to convey to them.

imagine if you're a parents with 5 kids.
wow! five cakes (and presents) in a year (six if you count in anniversary celebration as well).

new blog for cycling adventure

my main intention for having 'typed thoughts' is to publish my rants on whatever is on my mind, with occasional photos from time to time.
of late, there were many posts on my cycling adventure.
so today, i've created a blog for that. all cycling related posts in here have been transfered to:

www.akmalbikepark.blogspot.com

all dates are retained, but sadly i can't transfer the comments on the posts to the new blog.
so i'm keeping those posts in here still.

ikea hacker

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/

found this blog today.
interesting and creative ideas from what ikea stuff were really designed for.

GT Avalanche 3.0 17" Hardtail

Not yet completed, but I'm posting it anyhow for I'm sooooo happy with the outcome.

Haven't bought the FD yet (thinking of LX or Deore).

So until then, the chain is not fixed yet.

I like the colour scheme: white - black - grey - and a hint of gold.

 

Original plan was to have this hardtail for myself (thus the 17" frame).

I decided to build this bike for Naza, and I'll have the Schwinn Mesa instead.

 

Naza's Schwinn Mesa

Only this morning i managed to snap photos of Naza's Schwinn Mesa.

Currently I'm building another hardtail. When it's finished, I'll swap that with her Mesa.

 

Oh, and that's Johnny the cat. He accompanied me while I was busy over the nights building this bike.

 

zuma stage 13

this is my third time, actually.

 

 

i live in plentong

Following a thread of email conversation between Man I, Jali and I; it struck me how lucky I am right now living in Plentong.

 

Come this October, it will mark my 10th year living in Johor.

Currently I'm staying in Plentong, and loving it.

Funnily, whenever I mention that I'm staying in Plentong, people (mostly those living in Pasir Gudang) would give this remark:

"that's a bit far..."

 

Well, I don't think so.

Naza and I are working in JB and Pasir Gudang respectively.

Plentong is actually midway between JB and PG. Both ways from Plentong are around 16 to 18 kilometers.

 

The trend nowadays is that public amenities and facilities are built around the township. People in PG does not need to go outside of PG for shopping, school, work, entertainment (okay, well, they have to go to Tebrau City near Johor Jaya - that's nearby Plentong), and etc.

Likewise, for people in Plentong. In fact, I would say that Plentong has everything to offer (except that we have to travel outside our area to work/school).

We have all the hypermarkets in our vicinity. Giant, Tesco (Seri Alam and Plentong), Carrefour and Jusco (Permas Jaya and Tebrau City).

Recently Tesco Extra opened in Plentong following the takeover of Makro (and much easier to shop in Giant now, as there are fewer people).

Within the hypermarkets, there are other shops, family restaurants as well as public amenities.

 

In Giant: A post office, Traffic Police (to pay your summons), SenQ, Courts Metro, RHB Bank, Alliance Bank, ATMs (Eon Bank, Maybank, AmBank, BSN, RHB, Alliance, CIMB).

I have yet to take a comprehensive tour of Tesco Extra, but there's a Shakey's Pizza over there (the only one so far in JB, I think).

 

I used to send Avanza for service in Larkin (the nearest service center). Since the last 1 year Mutiara Motors opened a Toyota sales and service center just 5 minutes drive from where I live. Right opposite it is a Petronas station with A&W restaurant to boot.

Starting from 18th of this month, the surau nearby has started holding Jumaat prayers.

 

Well, in short, I don't have to travel to JB city anymore for anything. In fact, it has been quite some time since I last went to City Square in JB.

 

All I'm saying is that I'm grateful for all the convenience I'm having, living in Plentong.

Alhamdulillah.

 

Oh yes, one more thing: there'll be an Ikea opening soon (don't really know how soon) in Tebrau City area. Yippee!

another blog?

of late, my entries are more about my passion for mountain bike.
i'm contemplating on whether i should make another blog just for it.

shall i, or just leave things as it is?

well, if it does happen, it'll be listed in my blogger profile.

cantik

Adam said, "Mak, you are pretty".
And I thought quietly, "he's right".
It's not that hard to see, really.

On the other hand, I think Naza subconciously worried about not being beautiful.
Not being beautiful anymore?

To me, she is always beautiful. Especially more during her pregnancy.
People say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It is true.

Sayang, this song is for you (especially the italicised few last verses).

Chantek
Altimet feat. Adeep Fabulous Cats

Hey wanita
Gembira dapat berjumpa
Teringat kembali kali pertama kita bersua
Ingat bila kita bersepatu serupa
Tak lama dahulu jangan kata kau dah lupa

Kau bersama kawan-kawan mu dan yang nyata
Kau paling menyerlah di antara mereka
Rambut hitam warna cokelat anak mata
Membuat aku kurang fasih bila bicara

Apa kata kita ambil sedikit masa
Untuk mengenali sesama kita dengan lanjutnya
Dan jika kau rasa apa yang ku rasa
Ayuh kita ke bab kedua dan seterusnya

Chantek…
Dirimu buat ku tertarik
Menghilang segala prasangka… Di jiwa…
Ohh chantek…
Sungguh aku cinta kamu

Dia…
Pandai menjaga hati ayah dan ibunya
Kelakuannya sama dengan orang tuaku juga…

Dia…
Bisa cipta yang gula dari yang cuka
Pandai menukar yang duka kepada suka

Dia…
Bijak mengatur acara dan juga masa
Cekap memasak garam gula secukup rasa…

Dia…
Pandai menjaga harta dan juga duitnya
Tetap anggun tanpa mendedahkan kulitnya…

Dia…
Setia pada Yang Esa satu-satunya
Memenuhi tanggungjawab lima waktunya…

Dia…
Punya tempat dalam rancangan yang ku rangka

Kita…
Tak usah lengah
Ayuh kita berumah tangga

Chantek…
Sechantek suria menyinar
Seindah bunga yang di taman… Mekar…

Chantek…
Dirimu buat ku tertarik…
Menghilang segala prasangka… Di jiwa…

Ohh chantekk…
Sungguh aku cinta kamu

Aku…
Melihat kita bersama di hari tua

Dia…
Masih satu tiada empat tiga atau dua
Dan walaupun kau sudah kepudaran rupa
Kau tetap cantik padaku aku tak lupa

Kita bersama di anjung luangkan masa
Kewangan kita merdeka mampu bersara
Hasil usaha kita dari masa dahulu
Cukup untuk mengisi perut anak dan cucu

Hidup santai tak perlu terburu-buru
Punya masa kerja ibadah dan juga ilmu
Anak kita dan ayahnya semua sebulu
Aku bilang kau chantek dan mereka setuju

Chantek…
Sechantek suria menyinar
Seindah bunga yang di taman… Mekar…

Chantek…
Dirimu buatku tertarik…
Menghilang segala prasangka… Di jiwa…

Ohh chantek…
Sungguh aku cinta kamu…