IT'S A PANDAN LIFE ...!

Makassar a.k.a Ujong Pandang Destination: Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Date: 26/12/08- 29/12/08 Pre-trip The trip to Makassar was Aida’s idea. Initially, during one of our meetups, Aida had suggested we both go for a holiday together sometime in November or December. I didn’t think she was serious at first since we have never traveled together, but she was. We thought of a few destinations: Krabi, Hanoi,Kota Kinabalu and Kundasang. One night, Aida called me and told about her friends’ plan to go scuba diving in Makassar, Sulawesi. She suggested that we go together with her friends; they can do their stuff and we can do our stuff, which will not include scuba diving, of course. I instantly agreed, thinking that where there is scuba diving, there’d surely be white sandy beaches I can leave my footprints on. I’m a sucker for beaches, anyway. Aida quickly assigned me to do the flight and hotel bookings. But due to clashes in schedule, we were not able to follow Aida’s friends’ actual de...

1. Copy badge “2008 Cute’s 3logger Award” di atas untuk diletakkan di blog anda. Gee, thanks, Iman, though I don't think I'm cute. 2. Link/ceritakan kembali siapa yang memberikan award ini kepada anda. Iman, my cousin's daughter. Also my blog's filial follower. Hehe. 3. Setiap blogger mesti menyatakan 10 fakta/hobi diri sendiri sebelum memilih penerima award seterusnye (anda di-tag). i. I love to eat. ii. I have bouts of guilty pangs whenever I think I've over-indulged in food. iii. I like to sing sometimes and I couldn't be bothered about who is listening (most of the time there won't be any, anyway.) iv. I love books too, Iman. Hehe. v. I love the outdoors even though I spend much of my time indoors. vi. When I'm at home, I try not to do anything (I fail though, most of the time.) vii. I'm a coffee-addict. viii. I like to write, especially when I'm stressed out. Writing is therapeutic to me. ix. Facebook is like my second email, have to log in ...

1. Take a recent picture of yourself or take a picture of yourself right NOW! 2. DON’T change your clothes, DON’T fix your hair.. just take a picture. 3. Post that picture with NO editing. 4. Post these instructions with the picture. Okay, Iman, this is the result. My most recent photo, no hair-fixing, no editing. I think I looked really sad. Maybe I was just tired... 5. Tag 10 people to do this: Uh-oh. The first ten people to read this, please feel 'tagged', okay?

Z.I.Z ., as I please. Doing this for Yati, who thought it's a good way of getting to know her friends. Am so honored :-) 1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Definitely. Named after my parents. Zai nal + Nor zan = Zainor. I don't know how my parents came up with Izat, though. 2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Yesterday, whilst watching a movie. 3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Well, yeah. 4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT? Fish. 5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yup. Hundreds of them. Hehe. Owh, did you mean, biological kids? Nope. 6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Definitely! 7. DO YOU USE SARCASM? Only when someone is driving me up the wall. 8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? I don't know what this means. 9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Nah. 10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CEREAL? I have no idea. 11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Seldom. Hehe. 12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM? Vanilla. 13. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their sm...

Every man's memory is his private literature. ~ Aldous Huxley *Smart alecs sure make grading a lot of fun! Q: Suggest one classroom activity in which students can experience the text. Best answer The students will understand the story based on their experience. Otherwise, they have to do the experiments. (Err...what kind of experiments?) Q: Discuss briefly one of the ways through which we come to know a character? Best answer One of the ways through which we come to know a caharacter is by looking at or studying the cover of the book. Sometimes, the book cover will provide the pictures of characters in the story. Through this cover, we can predict some of the characters' characterization and personalities. (But I thought don't judge the book by its cover?) Q: How has literature traditionally been taught? Best answer Literature has traditionally been taught by old folks. It can be by humourous story from grandparent to their grandchild and so on. Literature can also be tau...

The best things in life come in threes, like friends, dreams and memories. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson A get-together is always fun, especially if it involves your old schoolmates , whom you haven’t met for about 20 years. Thanks to Facebook, the get-together held last January 11 was like the climax in a Jejak Kaseh narrative. The narrative (I’m sure the others would have their own narrative; meeting in Facebook prior to the get-together is the grand narrative) began with me and Ijan meeting (by chance) at a buka puasa event in KL. We quickly exchanged phone numbers and added each other on Facebook and YM. Then we met up at G.E. It wasn’t a planned one, I was in the office, catching up on work on a fine Saturday afternoon when Ijan buzzed me on YM. We chatted a bit and decided to have dinner together in KL. It was then that Ijan told me she was preparing to move into her new house. What ensued was the emergence of more and more APGS girls on Facebook. There were many ways this was done, a...

Everything that doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. And later on you can use it in some story. ~ Tapani Bagge While browsing in a bookshop yesterday, I came across a book entitled I Shaved My Legs For This??? I laughed my head off, thanking God that I don’t have to reduce myself to that extent to get the attention of a man. On the way home, I told Suraya about the book and somehow we ended up creating titles for books that we’d probably write. Yeah, right. As if. Anyhow, this is my list: Pakcikku, Musuhku Terhebat (My Uncle, My Worst Enemy) Bath Bukan Milikku (Bath Does Not Belong to Me) Tempatku Bukan di Warwick (I Don’t Belong in Warwick) Antara Dua Penyelia (Between Two Supervisors) 30++ dan Tidak Berpunya (30++ and Single) Tertekan (Stressed Out) Masa Depan Yang Tak Menentu (Uncertain Future) Lambaian Australia (Australia's Calling)

Sometimes the last thing learners need is for their preferred learning style to be affirmed. Agreeing to let people learn only in a way that feels comfortable and familiar can restrict seriously their chance for development. ~ Steven Brookfield Mork Mindy, do you know that you’re frowning a lot nowadays? Mindy Uh, really? You’re so observant, Mork. Mork Well, I have to be, don’t I? I’m your supposedly alter ego . Your animus , as Carl Jung put it. You wouldn’t be having those frowns if you’re not affected by something. Mindy Well, yeah. I am affected. By words. Mork (Chuckle) Don’t we all? Mindy Yeah, but if it’s by someone you least expect, how do you deal with it? Mork Okay, this is getting somewhere. What happened, dear? Mindy You know how I love my kids. And my teaching. In fact, I got my kids to thank for for lifting me up this New Year. Seeing them sitting in class, apprehensive yet cheerful really helped me to get out of my moroseness. Mork Okay. So, what is the problem, dear? ...

Aku terperasan seperti aku di'tag' oleh Iman. Kali ni dalam Bahasa Melayu plak. Tak kesah la tu kan, aku perlukan cakap-cakap ni; dah penat menanda kertas2 peperiksaan bebudak ni. Kena rehat jap. Lagi pun ini kali pertama aku nak cakap-cakap kat sini guna bahasa ibunda... 1. Apakah benda yang paling penting dalam hidup kamu? Telefon bimbit. 2. Apakah benda terakhir yang kamu beli dengan wang sendiri? Buah jambu batu dan buah betik yang dah dipotong2. 3. Di manakah tempat impian perkahwinan kamu? Penting ke tempat tu? Yang penting lafaz nikah tu... 4. Berapa lama anda rasa hubungan kamu berkekalan? Selagi hayat dikandung badan... 5. Adakah anda dilamun cinta? Perlu ke jawab soklan ni? Kalau ye, camne? 6. Di manakah restoran terakhir kamu makan malam? Anjung kat Serdang, dengan budak2 Master aku yang berangan Mat Jenin aku jadi Naib Canselor wanita pertama di UPM ni yang mengendong Chihuahua dan memakai mortar board yang bertulis 'Y'allz'! 7. Namakan buku terakhir yan...

surprise (v) - To cause to feel wonder, astonishment, or amazement, as at something unanticipated. Surprise me Again and again My eyes may never keep their cool again I might be whole again.

A happy New Year! Grant that I May bring no tear to any eye When this New Year in time shall end Let it be said I've played the friend, Have lived and loved and labored here, And made of it a happy year. ~ Edgar Guest A week has passed since New Year's Day. I figured it’s time I wake up from my moroseness and tackle the New Year. How, I’m not so sure yet but come what may, I guess I’ll just have to persevere. I guess my sullen attitude toward the New Year stemmed from the fact that 2008 ended with bad news. My dream will not come true. It just won’t, thanks to UPM and its idiotic, perverse policies. My dream now has to be transformed to a different form, a form I have difficulties defining at the moment. Looking back, 2008 had its ups and downs. The ups naturally served as a morale booster. The downs were nerve-wrecking; and served as slaps in the face, not the insulting kind, but the added-value-to-life kind. I thank God, The All-knowing. I am through with New Year resolution...