Break a leg

Definitely my genes. Aishah performed her first public appearance yesterday at her daycare centre in front of parents, teachers and even politicians (not that any of that mattered to her). She was the smallest one there being 1 of only 2 from her class of 2-3 year olds to perform with the bigger 4 year old kids.

She looked so sweet and cute with her chicken hat and pink grass skirt. Although she danced a very subdued version of the "chicken dance" (she got all the moves right, just didn't shake her booty as enthusiastically as the older kids- hey, I'm raising a lady here..ahaha), she seemed neither nervous nor scared of all the adults enthusiastically clapping and pictures. I was smiling so widely that my jaw ached afterwards.

Despite my fear of public speaking, for some reason I managed to always end up on some stage or another throughout my life.

• 1985- Sang solo for my school in Jeddah. Can't remember the song but I do remember the gorgeous princess dress that I got to wear. It was so special that I remember my teacher had to lift me on and off the stage for fear of getting it dirty.

• 1987- Performed dikir barat for Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Skudai. I don't remember the actual performance, just the endless rehearsals. Plus I have a really cheesy photo of this day.

• 1990- Played Lucy from Peanuts for Leith Walk Primary school, I think it was a regional theater competition. It was so much fun. Even got to do the crawl across the piano scene with a teeny tiny piano.

• 1994- Gave a 10 minute speech on "My life in Scotland" in front of the whole school during assembly at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sultan Ismail on my 1st week of school. I managed to finish the whole speech in less than 3 minutes. The only person who understood my thick Scottish accent was my younger brother who was laughing his head off at me the whole time and made fun of me for weeks after.

• 1996- Performed in a theater production called IMBAS which was part of a state level competition, where I managed to hit my schoolmate on the head with a ladle (senduk) and nearly alienated most of the conservative students of my high school. MRSM Jasin.

• 1996- Also made the southern zones finals of both SBP and MRSM debate championships. Didn't win either. Hehe..

After that, I became alot more reluctant to chase the spotlight. It's more comfortable here in the shade...watching my kids having fun...

A feeling I couldn't shake

It was strange, going back to Kuantan. I always get this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. It's surreal to see familiar places but interwoven with so many new buildings. I guess there were 2 things I was looking forward to the most in going back, firstly seeing all my friends (seems like forever since the last time I saw them) and secondly, the hotel buffet breakfast..hehe

Anyway, as usual the first thing people said to me was.."wah! Hidayah dah tembam sekarang" uhuhu...

Followed closely by "aktif ye ber-facebook?" .. sorry folks, like it or not, my current study situation requires me to sit in front of my laptop quite a few hours each day. Facebook basically keeps me from falling asleep on the keyboard.

The wedding reception was beautiful, although it was a little bit difficult to sit through a whole 8 course Chinese dinner with three sleepy kids. But I was lucky that my kids were well behaved (mostly). Although we must be the only people that were cracking the hard boiled egg before we even left the ballroom.

Managing 3 kids in a hotel coffee house during a buffet breakfast is no easy task. Hamzah (my youngest) decided to decorate the floor with a bowlful of honey stars, I sincerely apologize to all hotel staff for the mess. The 2 older kids couldn't sit still through breakfast because they were too excited about the promised swimming session in the hotel pool. So our breakfast turned into a ruckus. Giving up any attempt to have a decent and peaceful breakfast, we just scooted out of there as fast as we could.

It is amazing how kids can find joy in the simplest of things. Like knee-deep water. They had a great time splashing about and just being kids.

Congratulations to Hasmein & Rustam .. I wish you a life full of joy and love...and thank you for giving me an excuse to take the kids out for a well deserved break. They deserved it... :)

Parting is such sweet sorrow

Bye bye my precious.. don't miss me too much... uhuhuhu..

Last week I had to part with my dearest laptop. For some reason it developed some lines on the screen and being the computer illiterate that I am, I ignored it. Unfortunately, the lines began to get wider and wider (or was it just my paranoia?). After a brief consultation with my personal computer tech support (a title I'm sure my friend did not sign up for), I decided to send it in for repair. Thankfully, I had less than a month of the 1 year warranty left (great timing huh?).

The service center operator told me that it would take up to a week before I could be re-united with my dearest laptop. Horror of horrors! How was I supposed to survive that long without Facebook, blogging and of course hacking away at my thesis. Sony didn't provide a replacement model either (common practice in the UK - even if you send in your hand phone for service they will lend you one to use while yours is being repaired).

Thankfully, one of my best friends just happened to have an old laptop lying around (what are the odds?). Life saver. So, although I still miss my own laptop, I am happy to say that I will not be experiencing any internet deprivation withdrawal symptoms. Phew!

Difficult to swallow

It is so disappointing when the food we order is so bad that it is almost inedible. I do admit, when it comes to food, I am a picky eater. However, contrary to a certain accusation during my high school years, snobbery has nothing to do with it.

I don't mind simple food. Seriously, one of the best meals for me would be just fried fish and soya sauce. Disappointing food always makes me feel so sad.

Today we ordered our breakfast, lunch and tea from the Dietetic and Nutrition Department as a show of support to our fellow UKMers. However, the quality of the food was really depressing.

I ordered nasi impit and kuah kacang for breakfast. The peanut gravy came as a watery concoction that seemed to be the result of 12 kg of granulated sugar mixed with some peanuts. I think their semi ok offering for breakfast was probably Zil's mee kolok although it had an uncanny resemblance to a soup flavoured Maggi.

For lunch I had ordered "mee hoon tomyam". What arrived was akin to "meehoon" dipped in tepid water with raw vegetables floating around in it. I was hoping that the chocolate chip muffin I had ordered for dessert would save the day. Alas, the half cooked, soggy excuse for a muffin was the straw that broke this hungry camel's back.

Granted, we were not expecting culinary masterpieces, but is it too much to hope for edible food? With the UKM internet down, I felt so utterly and totally depressed that I went back to the house early. Popped two slices of bread in the toaster and ate them with some butter. The most delicious thing I tasted all day. Crunch!

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

A split second decision can really haunt the rest of your life. Even the best of intentions have consequences. This book explores grief and the strength of the human spirit quite well. It was also an interesting glimpse into the public attitude towards Down Syndrome in the 70s, which I'm sad to say, probably has not changed much over the years. A good read although a bit lengthy at times. 3.5/5

Just a bookworm at heart

I LOVE to read. When I was younger, it was an escape from the mundane routine of daily life. The first novel I read was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. I was seven years old at the time. Granted alot of the story was lost on me, I re-read it when I was 14 and a third time at 21.

When I was in medical school, specifically my clinical years, I didn't have time to read for pleasure. Working at HSAJB, one of the busiest hospitals in the country, storybooks were simply an impossible luxury.

Then last year, I suddenly realized that there was something missing in my life. Like a long forgotten friend, I rediscovered my passion for books (and music). Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of taking time to curl up with a good book (much better if it raining outside).

That 's why I try to set aside some money each month to buy books (for me, also for the kids). Someone once gave me some really good advice.

"We are always busy. If we wait to have free time before we buy books, we will never find it. If you can afford to buy a book, buy it now. Read it whenever you're free."

So I don't mind that I'm only halfway through a book, I started reading last week (when I probably could finish it in a 4 hour marathon read- but where on earth am I going to find 4 hours uninterrupted spare time?), or that I have 3 more books just waiting patiently in my desk drawer. InsyaAllah , there will be time.

Now.. I just wish that the books were cheaper..uhuhu (hopefully this new excess bookstore concept -BookXcess will be the alternative I've been searching for).

Smile

Sometimes I really hate YM .. with a passion. I don't YM many people in fact, probably only 3 seriously. The biggest problem is that , we can never be sure that what we type is read with the intended nuance. I always read my words in my head a certain way, and then am surprised at the response that it elicits. Whoa, where did that come from?

I have ran the whole YM marathon, 7 hours straight chatting. In fact I once stayed up all night chatting and got admitted to hospital the next day with a blood pressure so high I could have suffered a haemorrhagic stroke (not that the YMing was the cause ..but I kinda overlooked alot of things, attributed symptoms to simple sleep deprivation, when it was actually something else). I guess sometimes, with some people YM is the ONLY form of communication left. It's hard to explain. The circumstances may be different for each person, but I'm sure quite a few people are nodding their heads right now.

Yeah, YMing has it's downsides.. but on the plus side, I owe it an unbelievable debt of gratitude too..because sometimes, a few typed lines in that little box can completely make my day.

Curiously, age is just a number

When "The curious case of Benjamin Button" came out, I had no interest whatsover to watch it. Nada. I mean, who wants to see Brad Pitt old, and lets face it what would be the point? Hehe.

Last night, the movie played on HBO and I thought, what the heck. I actually enjoyed it. It was a very interesting movie, although personally I thought the make-up special effects were more garish than realistic.

I wonder what it would feel like to get younger instead of older. Being 30 (yes folks, am not the kind of gal to hide behind a number) and feeling exactly the way I did when I was 17 kinda makes me feel like I'm stuck in perpetual limbo. I always think that one day miraculously I will wake up and feel 30 (it hasn't happened yet, am still waiting). Then again, who's to say how a 30 year old is supposed to act. Heck, I might still feel this way when I reach 50!

I know I should be wiser, more resposible and generally better in control of my life. Suffice to say, I feel none of this. In my defense, at least, I can say, that I have made alot of mistakes and have tried my best to learn from them. To quote one of my favourite lines of all time:

'I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough.' The Notebook

Sure, there are many things I wish I had done differently. So tempting to sit and ponder all the 'what ifs' but I know that things happen for a reason. So I am glad that unlike Benjamin Button, I get to grow old with my loved ones..and really who wants to go through the raging hormones of puberty again? Am still traumatized from my first time..hehe.

The true test of friendship

Listen.. do not judge
Stand firm.. do not budge

Forgive.. all that is and ever was
Understand.. when no-one else does

Trust.. that all the words we said were true
Remember.. promises made between me and you

That..my dearest friend is how we pass the hardest test of all
Knowing.. somebody will always catch you no matter how far you fall

Your Tom Yam is my Tom Yam..

Why is it that other people's food always seem to be more appetizing than mine? Whenever eating out with friends or family, I always find it hard to resist the urge to 'pau' or sample other people's dishes.

The main problem with me is that I lack a sense of adventure. When it comes to food, I can be a little bit picky, and tend to stick to safer choices or dishes that I have tasted before. Plus, it seems that each time I do venture out of my cacoon, and tak e a risk by ordering oyt of my confort zone, I will be left disappointed and hungry.

I am so lucky to have friends that don't mind my quirky eating habits and in fact embrace it wholeheartedly. We always try to vary our order and everyone gets to taste a little of this and a little of that. Makes lunch so much more fun. :)

Some people are so touchy about sharing food. One of my best experiences (food-wise) was during one Ramadhan where each iftar my friends and I would eat out of a single tray every day. Just simple food, we bought at the canteen (everyone bought seperately but we just dumped it all into one tray), but eating it together with all the different flavours mixing.. just made everything taste nicer. To the point that, when my parents came and took me for a Ramadhan buffet at the Hyatt, all that expensive food seemed bland in comparison. (But I still ate alot ..hehe..buffet ma)..

So beware.. a word to the wise.. if you wanna eat with me.. be prepared to share..muahahaha..

Paparrazi

Yesterday at lunch (KFC The Mall), we saw Marlia Musa. When the girls pointed her out, at first I was like.."WHO?" But when they said "Wife M Nasir lah" .. I was like "Oooo".

I guess I don't get starstruck that easily (maybe because I haven't met anybody unbelievably famous yet). Only 2 incidents come to mind.


Once was also in The Mall (alot of local celebs probably hang out there...hehe), I was having lunch, and my roomie was poking me .. to look at the woman sitting at the table next to us. As it turned out, this one, I recognized right away. It was Fauziah Dato' Hj Ahmad Daud a.k.a Ogy. My friend really wanted to take a picture with her but she was too shy to ask, so since I didn't have the same problem, I grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her to the table. " Assalamualaikum. Sorry kacau, kawan saya nak bergambar dengan akak boleh?" Ogy was really very nice and sweet and funny, making witty references to her movies.

The second incident was in KLIA. It was like 5 am, and I was half asleep standing on the conveyer thingy (I have no idea what it's called.. like a horizontal escalator for people like me who find any excuse not to burn up energy doing something as tiring as walking..hehe), when I noticed the whole under 13 Sarawak football team waving to me from the departure hall. Strange.. my sleepy head thought. I looked in front of me and saw that less that 1/2 meter in front of me was Adam AF3. Ok, not so strange. Hehe.

I'm not sure if there are any local celebrities that I would go gaga over.. but I guess I still enjoy spotting them. Although I really think that the word celebrity and artist is overused nowadays. Most of them just have their 5 minutes of fame and then suddenly think that everyone cares about their personal life.. hmmm....to borrow a much used phrase "Ada aku kisah?" ;)

Talking out loud

Public speaking makes me nervous. Seriously. My heart rate shoots up, and butterflies and rhinos do the samba in my stomach. My hands become cold and clammy and I have this urgent desire to find the nearest sink to vomit in.

However, with all this nervous energy there is also an adrenaline rush (usually when the presentation is already underway). I am thankful to have been blessed with the gift of gab, it proved to be very useful throughout my years at MRSM Jasin and IIUM.

A few things I have learnt about giving a good presentation, oral exam or interview

1. TRY and keep calm. Worrying too much will just make things worse.

2. Be well prepared on the topic at hand. Or at least have a general idea of the subject matter.

3. Speak clearly. It is best not to give long winded explanations. We often tend to be our own downfall.

4. Be confident but humble. Nobody likes a cocky know-it-all. It's a delicate balance between being well versed and annoyingly condescending.

5. Always begin with Bismillah. InsyaAllah may your words be fluent and and well recieved by your listeners.

Oooh I forgot.. it always help to have some deep frying skills. "Goreng beb, jgn tak goreng"

Ode to a friend

Aida and I (am getting ready to sumo wrestle the flowers away from her)

Yesterday, we all decided to throw an impromptu 'birthday party' for Aida. A very simple affair since everybody's schedule was so packed. And so, on the event of her birthday; I have decided to scribble down a few things about my dear friend.

Top 5 things I like about Miss Aida Azlina Ali:

1. She always knows the answer to any lab or research related question. Hehe.. so if I want to calculate something, or convert something or basically do anything that I am SUPPOSED to know but DON'T ..all I have to do is say "Aida.. hehehe..minta tolong.."

2. I don't have to buy a GPS navigation system. She knows how to get from ANYWHERE in KL to WHEREVER I need to be. So anytime I'm lost, all I have to do is call her on my handphone. Now all we have to do is convince her to drive...hehe.

3. Whenever I'm bored or feel the need to get hooked on something new, Aida is also the authority on free downloads. Can't wait to actually have time to watch some cool series.

4. She's my health guru. All tips on diet and exercise, mostly I get from her (it's just that I don't really stick to them).

5. Aida also keeps all of us in check. She doesn't put up with our nonsense. And we do get up to alot of nonsense ..hehe..


So to Aida.. happy belated birthday. May Allah ease your transition from student to PhD holder, and may all your dreams come true.

I'm just a girl

My girly girl

I'm not a girly girl, well most of the time anyway. Until maybe the age of 16, the only 'baju kurung' I owned were specifically for "Hari Raya" only.

Growing up, I was a tomboy (although some people might disagree with this statement). I climbed trees and walls, must have scraped my knees a million times (I have the faint scars to prove it). In primary school, ALL the neighbourhood kids my age were BOYS so my after-school activities were football, 'bola beracun' and 'baling selipar.' Everybody loved having me on their team for football because since we didn't play the offside rule, all I had to do was run around in the penalty box and always be the scorer. GOAL! But playing 'bola beracun' and 'baling selipar' with boys had one MAJOR disadvantage, I often came home with the tennis ball and selipar imprints on my back (the boys didn't hold back on hitting me with the projectiles just because I was a girl).

The strange thing is , despite not particularly diving into my feminine side I guess some things are just a matter of fact. I love the idea of getting girly gifts like flowers, jewellery and perfume (*HINT*HINT*). I don't wear make-up, high heeled shoes or designer clothes, I still have a reserved fascination for them. Can't be helped.

Hmmm.. on second thoughts .. maybe I am a girly girl after all..

Lovely gifts

The things we remember

The happy couple

Last weekend, one of my favourite cousins tied the knot. So we joined the wedding entourage to Shah Alam. As a special wedding gift (well, the real one will be on it's way), I want to use this opportunity to pen down some of my most defining memories of our childhood. Plus, can't miss this chance to embarass him in cyberspace (just kidding).

Top 3 things I remember about Alias:


1. He was a favourite amognst all the girl cousins my age. He's 2 years younger than me. When we were 7 or 8, we used to love dragging him around the kampung coz he was sooo cute.

2. He sleepwalks. I remember once when we all spent the night at our grandmother's, all the kids slept on the floor, in a row. He was the furthest from the door. He used to wake up in the middle of the night, step over all of us, bang his head on the door and just calmly lie down and sleep again.

3. This is the jackpot. When we were about 8, all of us suddenly got lice (kids!!!), so I remember we were delousing each other (the bigger kids did the younger ones). When it came to Alias's turn, the normal method of squishing the lice between thumbnails was not efficient enough, so we collected all his lice on the table and rolled over them with a Ridsect can. It was so much fun too.. the sound of the littel bugs popping.

So if you're reading this, all I can say is .."Ya ampun!" . Am so happy that you found someone to share your life with. I wish you both a life full of joy, laughter and love.

Car-LESS

My prince & princess

Some mistakes have to be made

Mistakes are part of the very fabric of life. Each human being is entitled to make a few. The important thing is to learn from our mistakes. Make better choices the second time around.

The problem with most people (myself included) is, we tend to keep repeating the same mistakes. Like a broken record stuck in a groove playing that distorted section over and over and over again. I think mostly, it's because we tend to fear the path less chosen. Everybody flocks towards the norm. The box is so crowded with people thinking inside it, that it's inevitably going to burst.

Once in a while, try stepping out of your comfort zone. Who cares if people say "Are you crazy?"..who knows, maybe you are. Hehe.. The difference between a brilliant idea and a crazy one is only in the mind.

So the next time, you think of playing safe. Sticking to the same boring routine. Live a little. Try something new. If it turns out to be a mistake, no big deal. At least it's one you have never made before.

"The greatest mistake in life is to be continually fearing you will make one" Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915)

Good morning sunshine

Hope, is a powerful thing. When the whole world is bleak and EVERYTHING seems to be going wrong, sometimes it's the only thing that keeps us going. The fact that no matter how hard life hits us, the human spirit seems to always have the uncanny ability to search for the ever elusive silver lining.

Sure, some days it's harder to be optimistic, to have faith that things will get better. There are times when it seems so much easier to just crawl under some random rock and curl up in the fetal position. Personally, I think it's ok to allow yourself time to let bad news sink in. Grieving is an important part of the healing process. But always, always, always.. reach deep inside and find that little spark of hope and look straight ahead.. take a deep breath ..and start again.

Good Morning Sunshine

The hardest things to fight for are the ones that matter
Wipe the tears because things will get better
Take your time and pause for a while
Let me adjust your crooked smile
A second chance is on the way
Look it's a brand new day
For you to start again
I know you can
You do
Too

Comfort food

Food always tastes better when eaten with friends


THIS is how to eat a Big Mac

Eating and catching up with a good friend- perfect

What is it about food that is so comforting? I used to be blessed with this amazing metabolism rate that ALLOWED me to eat and immediately be hungry again after approximately an hour regardless of what I had wolfed down previously. I say blessed because despite this erratic eating schedule, the bathroom scales never tipped over 48kg.

Munching away happily helped me through boarding school and the pressure of being away from my family for the first time in my life. For some reason my old school (and probably all boarding schools in general) had this policy of fattening up their students. We had 6 meals a day. SIX! In addition to that, I always had a burger/nuggets/ or any other deep fried equivalent that they sold after class, and of course the COMPULSORY, heavenly 'nasi lemak ko-op putera' (our nasi lemak was less nice) almost every day.

In medical school, snacking helped me study and get through the tonnes of stuff we had to cram into our tiny brains. Basically my eating habits did not change at all, despite learning all the consequences of an unhealthy diet. I was an invincible eating machine. I think most people used to shake their heads in disbelief.

Now, finally my previously reliable metabolism has thrown in the towel. Like other normal people, I must now be aware of what I eat, and make some effort at choosing the healthy alternatives when presented with options. *SIGH* It's kinda akin to Superman waking up one day and having no X-ray vision.. sure..he can still fly but it's just not the same if he can't spy on Lois anymore...

When it counts

Notice how disasters always seem to happen at times when we are most uprepared for them? Typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes ...and a Hand Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak at the kids daycare ..uhuhu..

Just when I was getting into my groove (so to speak), comes the dreaded phonecall. I'm always apprehensive about picking up my phone when that particular phone number pops up on my caller ID. It's usually bad news (except the time that they called to say that Yousof had to go to RTM to shoot a TV show with his new best friend Rosmah ..oops..Datin Sri Rosmah..like he keeps reminding me).

And so I am juggling.. with more skill than a circus clown I must add. Will spend the morning at the campus, while my kids are probably systematically re-arranging my mother's filing system (she bravely offered to watch them at her office) and will rush back and stay with them for the rest of the day.

Tomorrow, my wonderful father, who has minimal experience being alone with the kids.. has UNBELIEVABLY (with no thought to his own safety or sanity) offered to watch them the whole day. I hope

a. The house is still standing
b. My dad is still standing (I kind of expect him to by lying on the couch with a towel over his head)

when I get back.

Plus hopefully no diapers will need to be changed the whole day (is this even possible?) because the one and only time my father "successfully" managed this feat alone, I found my youngest child wrapped in a backward facing diaper (maybe it's a trend.. like the baseball cap).

The only thing I can say is.. in times of crisis .. my PARENTS have always been there for me. We may not be an expressive family, we may forget birthdays and shy away from public displays of affection but ... when I need help.. I know they've got my back.

Poor stream (not that one ok)

Why oh why did I not follow my own advice? "ALWAYS lodge a police report after and MVA (motor vehicle accident)" ... Last week my poor white stream was "successfully" rearended by another capable Malaysian driver. Unbelievably, once again .. I was already at a full stop waiting for the lights to change, and so was he. It seems that his cellphone rang and this resulted in 2 things:

1. His foot removing itself from the brake pedal (although I still do not understand what role his foot played in answering the above mentioned cellphone)

2. His car rolling steadily and surely forward only stopped by the back end of my car

Needless to say, I was shocked (and experiencing a weird sense of DE JAVU). Initial inspection revealed MIRACULOUSLY ..no damage. I thought .. finally a stroke of luck.This was the third accident not caused by me involving the stream in only 6 months. A quick exchange of phone numbers and the guy was gone.

After a much needed shower (the car, not me), the real picture was revealed. A DENT! OH NO!
Surprisingly, the guy actually paid for it. Thank you Mr Ah Long (seriously, you can sense my apprehension when we shared contact details).

BUT a day after I repaired it .. my car became really noisy and really had no pick-up (I hit the pedal to the metal and it crawled to 60 kmph). It was later diagnosed with a burst exhaust and other stuff down there. The whole underside had to be changed and SOMEBODY has to pay RM 4000.

I was gutted. Because I didn't lodge a police report, I couldn't claim my insurance or Mr Long's. And personally I have a strange feeling that it wasn't the initial collision that caused this CATASTROPHE. Something strange happened in that workshop when they were fixing that dent.. I just can't prove it. Because the car was absolutely ok for a week (dented, but ok) before I sent it but almost immediately after I sent it there.. this happens.

And so if I ever need to send a car to a worshop again (Ya Allah, please let me not have to), I will follow my good friend's example by only sending it to someone I call friend. And oh yes, I must remember to take a picture of the mileage .. it seems that some garages have a tendency to take the cars out for joyrides ..what a SHOCKER..

Oh no..not him...

Just finished watching The Biggest Loser Asia.. and I was more than a bit disappointed with the end result. I know David lost an UNBELIEVABLE 83 kg (that's almost like losing me..twice!) and a WHOPPING 45% of his body fat ..but he seriously looked more haggard than healthy. Maybe it was my sleepy eyes (hey, I'm not used to staying up this late).. but I thought he looked exhausted and a bit sickly. But then hey.. maybe I'm just a die-hard Carlo fan :)

Am motivated now to start my own healthy lifestyle change.. well right now am more sleepy than motivated .. but still.. it was great to see all those people and their amazing transformations. Believe it or not .. I have been getting alot of flack from my relatives about being fat ..but to be quite honest I don't think that I am .. (probably in denial). But I do know that I can no longer eat without worry. Aaaaaaaaargh, I hate the fact that my metabolism refuses to pretend to be 17 anymore.

Will be back on my health and wellness plan:

1. Reduce rice
2. No snacking (well, emergency snacking allowed.. I get sleepy if I don't snack..hehe)
3. Try not drink sugary drinks and absolutely no soft drinks

As for exercise..is there some way that I can just skip this part? ;)

I know I'm lucky that I don't have to worry too much about my weight but I think the time has come for me to take responsibility for what I put in my mouth. I'm not going to deny myself everything (where's the fun in that?) ..just stick to the rule.. everything in moderation.. I should be ok .. right???

It has begun..

I am supposed to be diligently hacking away at my thesis right now ..but as always.. my 4 minute Goldfish-like attention span just refuses to co-operate.. and so once again I have ventured into the ever tempting realm of talking to myself (otherwise known as blogging).

Actually thought I retired from this last year, but it seems that the magnetic pull of writing my random thoughts so that friends and total strangers may stop by and read (probably sadly shaking their heads in dismay) was too much for me to resist any longer.

And so on this gloomy overcast day, as I sit alone in my post-graduate room, I have set up a new blog account. I abandoned the old one because of prIvacy issues. Hopefully this one will fare better.

Hmm.. I wonder how many people will actually want to read this.. (I can think of at least 3 people..hehe). No worries. Not in it for the fame or glory anyway..like I said .. blogging just makes talking to yourself seem less crazy ;)