who's your favourite painter?

I like Vincent Van Gogh's paintings, although not all of them.

Why?

Because his brushstroke is unique. I'm no art buff, but I know what I like when I'm looking at it.

My favourite of his all must be 'Irises'. There's a mystery to the single white one, amongst the other 'normals'. The overall colour blend is nice - blue/indigo and green, the accompaniment of oranges on the top left corner, dashes of yellow, and earth on the bottom left corner.

On the subject of art, my kind of art is more towards geometric and definite. No wonder why among my past ambitions was to be an architect. Well, I guess a mechanical engineer suits me too. Once in a while I get to draw, those geometric and definite lines with Autocad. If I really have the time, I'd go old school: pen, paper, ruler, stencils and geometric stationeries.

I remember during art classes through my school years , I'm more keen towards letterings/typesets, logos, posters and such. I guess that's why I'm into XS - because of the definiteness, while offering a work of art when it's finished.

Some time ago I attempted to convert Irises into XS sheet so that I can make it a major project. However, it turned out to be quite massive and requires many, many different colours. Well, having the painting as my office PC desktop wallpaper is okay too.

Earth Hour 2009, and beyond

I'll switch off the lights in the house tonight, in support of Earth Hour this year.

However, let's take our 'votes' for earth beyond that, beyond tonight. Let's rethink our impact to the environment, and take steps to care for our earth more.

I borrowed Jafa's copy of National Geographic magazine March issue, and a lot can be learned in it.

Search online for ways to reduce energy usage, so you can know how to do your part. Well, borrowing (instead of buying another copy) is one way for reducing energy by itself, too.

Related entry:
recycling has its perks - eventually

How Fast Can Your Fingers Dance?

If you could send SMSes without having to look at the keypad of your handphone, kudos! That's a skill that many are still trying to learn, and not all could master. I am one of that many. However, it's only using one thumb. So, not an all-fingers-dancing there.

Touch Typing (TT) is an essential skill modern people should have. It uses all your fingers. Well, I'm using only nine - my right hand thumb is spared from the keyboard dance. Most of us who work in the office would have a computer on our desks. The means of communicating with the computer is via the mouse and the keyboard.

There are many associated health risks related to the usage of these two. Essentials for our work, we can't do without them. The risks can be minimised, by taking steps to make better the ergonomics. The physical design aspect is one of them. Another step that we could take is to minimise the nodding movement while typing. That is, to minimise the eye (and head) movement when we have to glance at the keyboard every now and then to make sure that we're hitting on the correct keys. With TT, this is minimised, or eliminated altogether (if you're an expert).

Reduced health risks aside, it is much more convenient to TT. Lunchtime is a lights-off period in my office. So, the ability to TT is essential if one is to send emails (not work related, of course...) or chat online during that period.

Old school Autocad users are familiar with TT, but not to the full extent. Give them a mouse to work with, they'd prefer a QWERTY keyboard instead. After all, the numbers are still on the keyboard, right?

That being said, TT also includes the ability to key in numbers without looking at the keypad. By the way, that set of numbers to the right of a full-sized keyboard is called a keypad.

I could only TT at about 45 words per minute (WPM) at accuracy above 90%. However, throw in symbols in the sentences or words to be typed, my accuracy (or speed) would drop a lot.
I learnt how to TT when I was 15, using my cousin Azizi's PC. Those days, the OS was MS-DOS (no, I'm not old), so the graphics was not as awesome as nowadays. Still the essence is the same. After finishing school, while my friends were attending driving classes, I sat at home learning TT on my brother Amri's PC (Windows based already by this). Four hours a day, for three weeks, I finished the basic lessons - not that hard, eh? Well, the PC was not with captivating computer games(solitaire, pacman) that I could play with, so I took the challenge of TT.

The intention was for me to be able to type efficiently, knowing that I would have to hand out reports and assignments for college and university. So, I started 'early' learning how to TT to prepare for that, and I guess I set the goal right back then.

The only bad thing about being able to TT is that my eyes would stay fixed on the computer monitor for a long period of time. Oh, and me learning to TT and forgoing the driving lessons, that's another story.

Google for 'touch typing' (or here), and you'll get enough help to get started. There are many sites offering free online tutoring. Have fun, and may your fingers dance gracefully, and faster.

jemput makan?

While having his nasi lemak in the office one morning, a colleague invited:
"Makan?" ("Eat?")
It's a shortened question for "come and join me with my meal".

It is a courtesy invitation, practiced by Asians. We politely offer to share our meals with others. This is so as not to be rude, enjoying the sumptuous meal alone while others would be left watching enviously and trying hard to ignore the tantalizing aroma floating around the area shared by those around.

This courtesy is practised almost anywhere, even with strangers. If you're on a bus for a long journey and about to enjoy your food, it is deemed to be normal (and somewhat expected) for you to extend this courtesy to the person seated next to you. Even if it's just a plain slice of bread. It's the thought that counts.

Almost all the time, this 'obligatory' courteous invitation will be welcomed with a smile (absent all the while before that), and replied with one of these stock answers:
"Silakan",
"No thank you, enjoy your [whatever]",
"Bismillah" (I like/prefer this one),
"Eh, takpe, takpe",
and et cetera.

I said 'almost', because sometimes I'd like to tease my friends (and strangers) with this unexpected answer:
"OK, leave some for me that chicken wing and the ice cream", while rolling my sleeves up.

That begs a question:
Do we offer our food to be shared with others around because of mere courtesy, adab berbudi bahasa, making it as cliché; or doing it out of pure sincerity and kind thoughts?

During college years, a close friend of mine usually would enjoy his food by himself quietly, and never would offer the courtesy to people around. His take on it is that he wants to eat it all for himself (food on his plate is just enough for himself), and would never be a hypocrite. I agree with him on this.

There's a hadeeth about sharing your food:
"Food for two is enough for three, while food for three is enough for four"
(Abu Hurairah r.a.)

Rest assured, I'll always be sincere while being courteous whenever I ask you to join me with my meal. Though I'll keep mum if I'm only a spoonful away from finishing my [whatever].

cousins

I received these photos from my cousin Liza 2 days ago. The exact date of the photo taken is July 19th last year. It's from her elder sister Lin's (Kak Long) camera, who is technologically challenged :)

The occasion: Nubhan's fan club inaugural meeting cum get together.

I was around KL at that time attending meeting; and so were Ibu, Ayah, and my elder brother Amri's family. Amri fetched me from Crown Princess hotel upon checking out and we went to Low Yat to buy a laptop for Ibu.

Ibu were at UTM Jalan Semarak attending IT related course. We fetch her and had lunch together. Little did I know that they came to KL also to attend NFC's function. I followed them anyway, to Bora Ombak near Ampang Sports Planet.

Although there was a long table reserved for 'family', I still felt uncomfortable to be there. I didn't pay anything, while members have to fork out a certain amount. Another reason being: I was the other person besides Auntie Bong wearing green in that occasion. Really felt so out of place :).

The way out: took Kak Long's camera and went to shooting frenzy mode. Hahaa... Win-win for her and I. Problem is, it took this long for me to get the photo of myself with Nubhan from her. Perhaps Kak Liza could teach Kak Long the simplest way ever to download photos from her uber sophisticated camera someday? Using a card reader is a simple way to do it.

Ayah, Ibu, me, Kak Lang, Kak Long

Of Nubhan, I didn't quite notice how lanky he is. Upon seeing the photo, well, he's a lot taller than I am, and a lot slimmer than I remember when he's younger. And little did I know of his hidden talent, for he's a quiet guy all the while.

be the boss?

Anyone would be perplexed whenever I tell them that I don't have any desire to be a boss, head of department or the like.

I would ask them back why would anyone want to be a boss. The common and usual answer would be 'better salary'. Ahh... the very reason why people are busting their delicate bottoms everyday at their workplace.

$.
Not just $, but $ if you're the boss.

Yes, it is bigger but not necessarily always. Once a former boss of mine said that it is also not unusual for bosses having lower wages than their subordinates. This of course depends on the industry and the line of work. You don't have to be in the management ladder in order to have a big salary. For technical companies, if you have the right technical competency, your salary would be upscaled accordingly. Unfortunately for me, my company doesn't have that. Thus the only path to have better salary is to be the boss.

Does it have to be that way? The boss is the leader, period. That's how companies would flourish, and people get better. When people wants to be the leader because of the $ factor, things could go ugly. Corrupt politicians are examples. Naturally, a leader is a leader not because of the benefits for himself. He should be focusing on others, beyond self. Improving the lives of others, for example. Hence making the $ factor not the prime motivation, rather downgraded only as a side benefit.

You would always also hear bosses say that 'money is not everything'. Well, if you already have tons of it, and that's completely another topic altogether.

summer meadow update

Last Sunday Naza requested for me not to go offroad, and have a recreational activity with the family instead. I obliged, and as usual they enjoyed the extension of last night's sleep. Meanwhile, after Subuh I picked up my XS project and continued on.

This morning I took a photo of the project so far, and it is showing very much progress since my last entry about this. The white daisies are starting to show up between the spots of green & khakis.

It would finish very much soon, if I'm willing to trade it with my offroad rides. Well... the project can always wait.

:)

And yes, we went to Hutan Bandar for the family activity - after the brunch.

mei chern's CD

She's a singer-songwriter. She plays her guitar beautifully.

I get to know only last week that Mei Chern released her 7-song CD (and that happened last year). I have with me a copy of her homemade CD featuring 3 songs in July 2007. Got it when I went to KL Sing Song at KLPac. I have always liked those 3 songs, her guitar playing and her singing voice.

Immediately I sent an email to her asking if she could send me a copy of her CD. After exchanging a few emails, with the magical money transfer through Maybank2u, she sent me the CD. I received it on Wednesday via Poslaju, with personalised autograph on the CD cover with my name on it.
Cool!

I'm writing this while listening to her songs. I'd say it's suitable for a lazy Sunday morning at home, and for a carefree drive along a quiet country road.

However, this one song from her homemade CD is still my favourite so far - Feels Like Falling.

Summer Meadow Revisited

I went to Senawang over the recent Chinese New Year holidays to spend some time with my parents, and celebrate Ayah's birthday too. Ayah proudly showed me his completed Masjidil Haram cross-stitch work. and, he asked me about the progress of my xs piece.

It has been a very, very long time since I started my ambitious xs mega project - Summer Meadow. It was supposed to be finished by the time we move to Seri Alam, and hung on one of
the walls as a memento.

Since June 2007, now it is already more than one and a half year! Still a work-in-progress.
Been busying myself with my other hobby-turned-obsession, and this one hobby been neglected to a lower tier. Albeit, recently I did spend a little time on weekends over in Senawang. Make that 4 hours over the last 2 months
:D

No latest photo of my progress, but here's one.

Photo taken on 3rd October 2007.
Hahahaa... a major neglect.

I can pretty much say that it is quite close to what it is right now (read: little progress).

As for the memento, well, there'll always be other occasions in the future that can suit the finish date of this project. Hopefully not for my retirement.
:)

fat cat bed

Hehehe...
I read about this just now, it's cute and funny.


http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2009/01/bedtime-for-titina.html

Hope you cat lovers out there like this one too!

Miao!

tagged!

Tagged by Lydia, and this has been long overdue.

1. Senaraikan 5 perkara tentang org yang tag kamu:

1. Her name is Lydia
2. She works in MMHE, attached with PMDP
   
3. Hard on the outside, but actually mellow inside. She said so.
   
4. She likes to bloop
5. She always melalut in her blog
   

2. Tuliskan novel kegemaran kamu:
Michael Crichton's 'The Great Train Robbery'.
Was written in the year I was born!


3. Listkan 5 benda yang kamu sayang:

1. my Titus watch - a wedding gift from my wife. later will pass on to my kids. an heirloom, sort of.
   
2. my wallet - a storage for my family portrait, ID, driving licence, bankcard, and cash (yup, no credit cards). also a wedding gift, but replaced with a similar one. the old one still nicely kept.
   
3. my ultra sophisticated handphone - Nokia 1200. actually, the data in it. and the emergency flashlight. my PDA as well also lah, like that...
   
4. books
5. bicycles

Now, these people are tagged by me:
Huar huar huar...

• panjang
• kelolo
• dino
• noraidalin
• hurul
• aiyahh... too many to list la...
  
• you, the reader of this blog entry
  

Linkin Park now playing in your nearest masjid

Or it could be Metallica, or P. Ramlee, or whatever mp3 tunes that you have set for your ring tones.

C'mon, people.
If you have those ring tones, please switch your phones to silent mode if you don't want to switch the phone off. It is rather annoying, what with the fact that it is actually rude to have music in play while the Khatib is giving his sermon during Jumaat.

On the other hand, may I suggest that you discard your mp3 ring tones and stick to the normal, boring old standard ring tone. That is, if you're the kind of people who always forget to switch off your phones before entering surau or masjid.

Al Fatihah

9:50 pm last night Ayah called me and relayed a very surprising news.
At first I thought he mentioned my cousin Kak Lang has passed away. That would be a shock to me. Immediately he made it clear that it was my uncle Pak Lang, my mom's brother-in-law.

I really didn't know what to do right then. My mind was filled with what to do next. First of all, I recited Al Fatihah for him. Next, to deliberate and assess my current situation. How do I attend his funeral - planned after zuhur today at kampung. Late last night I decided that I couldn't attend, and told Ibu about it.

Pak Lang is of a quiet character. He's a man of few words, but full of wisdom. Understandably so, as he was an Ustaz, an Imam and also a Qadhi. I went to hajj the same time with him, and we shared the same tent in Mina. He took very good care of my late grandparents house and everything around it in Juasseh (the one that you see in Astro - Nubhan's house). That, I admire highly and I appreciate so much.

I pray that Allah rests this good man's soul in Jannah. InsyaAllah.

Al Fatihah.

more...

jalan jalan pegi berendam

Isnin 29 Disember 2008.
Ma'al Hijrah.

Aku sekeluarga bercadang untuk pergi berendam di Starhill resort (kawasan Kempas, arah ke Seelong). Lambat jugak kitorang keluar, dalam pukul 10 pagi.

Sampai aje kat tempat tu, abang jaga kat situ kata kolam tutup setiap Isnin.
Hampa.

Tukar arah ke Pulai Springs Resort pulak. Dah berapa lama aku kat JB ni, tak pernah berkunjung pun ke situ. Macam biasa lah, terbuka hanya pada ahli kelab sahaja. Ada laa dalam rm8k setahun yurannya.

Perjalanan diteruskan ke Gunung Pulai pulak. Info dari anak sedara aku yang kampungnya kat Pontian, katanya tempat tu dibuka. Info dari kawan sepengayuh kata tempat tu masih ditutup ekoran kemalangan akibat banjir kilat 2001. Aku baca suratkhabar semalam, masih dalam kajian 10 tahun sebelum dibuka semula. Ada lagi 2 tahun nak kena tunggu. Errkk...
Tapi aku tau, ada aje makhluk yang selamba naik ke situ dan menikmati alam anugerah Allah. Aku tetap teruskan jugak ke Gunung Pulai tu. Saja-saja nak tau jalan dan macamana rupa tempat tu. Rasanya aku ke situ cuma sekali, 10 tahun lepas... itupun jadi penumpang dok kat tempat duduk belakang tanpa menggunakan talipinggang keledar (masih belum menjadi kesalahan). Nak ke Gunung Pulai tu kena la pulak lalu Pekan Nanas. Heheheh... maka aku pun singgah le jugak jenguk-jenguk kedai beskal yang tersohor kat situ.

Sampai je kat Gunung Pulai tu ada papan tanda 'Dilarang Masuk'. Maka aku pun tak masuk le. Setelah berbincang, kami pun sepakat untuk ke Kota Tinggi. Pun, aku dah lama tak ke sana sejak dinaiktaraf pengurusan (dan harga tiket). Untuk itu, kami menghala ke Kulai. Kali pertama aku lalu jalan tu, dan kali pertama jugak le aku tau kat mana tempatnya Felda Taib Andak. Jauh jugak siut... padan le Mawi suami isteri naik heli nak ke sini untuk hadiri kenduri sendiri (hey, it rhymes!).

Perjalanan diteruskan ke Kota Tinggi dari Kulai. Bab ni, aku agak familiar siket pasal ada laa 3-4 kali jugak aku dah ke Air Terjun Kota Tinggi. Dalam pukul 2 petang kami sampai kat pintu masuk. Lepas bayar tiket untuk 2 dewasa, 2 kanak-kanak dan 1 kereta, kitorang pun menuju ke tempat parkir dan bersiap solat zohor sebelum pegi berendam.

Fuhh... Punya laa ramai orang kat situ. Iye la, cuti umum kan...

Kitorang naik ke tingkat atas dan carik tempat sesuai untuk berendam. Agak cuak bagi aku pasal kena handle 2 budak tak berapa kecik dan sorang mak budak. Kali pertama aku bawak Marsya dan Adam gi berendam kat air terjun. Dengan batu besarnya, dengan lumut kat batu jadi licinnya, dengan air yang sejuknya... fuhh... best dengan bahaya bercampur. Nasib baek anak2 aku tak komen kuat2 pasal couple2 yang shame-shame kat situ. Rasa macam overprotective pulak bila aku dok pimpin diorang masuk kat tempat berendam tu. Tapi bila tiba masa nak pindah kat tempat lain pulak, aku amik keputusan untuk biarkan Marsya & Adam cari jalan diorang sendiri (aku jadi guide aje) untuk melintasi bebatu besar dan licin.

Ada 3 tempat kitorang berendam. Sebetulnya, aku & Naza je yang banyak berendam. Penghujung air terjun tu ada gelungsur lebar. Aku turun kat situ, memang syiok. Last call, kononnya, sebelum balik tinggalkan air terjun. Marsya nak cuba jugak, tapi takut-takut. Pastu bila aku setuju turun sama-sama, dia pun beranikan diri turun kat situ. Penyudahnya, 2-3 kali jugak kami dok naik-turun kat situ.

Kami balik dan cari makan kat bandar Kota Tinggi. Jumpa restoran Nasi Padang. Lepas makan, aku ternampak ada pulak satu kedai surfing kat tingkat atas. Tangganya betul betul bersebelahan dengan kedai makan tu. Aku naik ke atas saja jenguk-jenguk, Naza pulak belek-belek kedai baju kat sebelah.

Aku turun cari Naza, dia takde. Padan la takde... dia menyorok kat dalam fitting room kedai baju tu. Maka aku pun ada laa lesen untuk berkunjung ke kedai beskal Lim. Terus aku telefon si Jai tanya kat mana letaknya kedai tu. Berkunjung ke kedai Lim tu, ada pulak tuas brek Avid SD 7. Aku pun angkut le sepasang... (maka lengkaplah cockpit SRAM aku sekarang ni).

6.30 petang kami pulang dari Kota. Dah balik baru la terasa penat. Tapi aku rasa berbaloi. Ada pengalaman baru untuk aku, Marsya & Adam. Dan ada baju baru untuk Naza. Dan ada barang mtb baru untuk aku.
Keh keh keh...

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!