Raya 2009

"Screaming and shouting are not the same."

Wouldn't you agree?

I have just finished a 7-day full-throttle Raya campaign. But if you include the 2-day cleaning-the-house-before-Raya done on the last 2 days of Ramadhan, then 9 days. And I'm pooped. Here's the timeline:

Syawal the
1st- Relatives at Alor Star
Went to Mama's, Auntie's and a few other relative's homes there, but not after performing our Raya prayers at the Gurun Mosque. Came back home from Alor Star at about 1 in the morning, so yeah, really didn't do us any favours there. Especially since the next day, well, read on.

2nd- Open House at Own House
Starting from Yutt (pronounced Yoot) who came as early as 11-o'clock, wave after wave of people came and we didn't get any rest until 9pm. So to say lots of people came would be an understatement. I spent most of my time doing the dishes and running to the store to get stuff from the store in Bedong, besides chatting to the occasional guest-I'm-familiar-with. After 9, Bapak, Boy and me went to Sultan Abdul Hamid College to attend College's annual Raya Reunion Celebration. I got the chance to meet up with a few of my school friends, and that was really great. There was Abu, Fariq Salim, Pakcik Gee, Met Roti, Bulat (TESL student too at Johor), Amri, Akmal, Udi, Bismil, Badang, Terap, Tibet, Min Taib, Abrar, and maybe some others that I can't remember right now. But I think that's all of 'em. It was a blast catching up with them. If the school wasn't so testosterone-concentrated, I think I would have even shed a tear.

3rd- FELDA Teloi and off to Kuala Krai
We went to Bapak's student's house first to meet up with Bapak's choice of a daughter-in-law for himself, and the victim would be Boy. I dare say that it was the first time I ever consciously set foot in FELDA territory. Had our mee goreng and headed back to Kuala Krai. The journey was smooth sailing, right up until we got to Jeli (I think). Then, cars galore as we got stuck in one of those inevitable balik kampung jams. We were stuck in that for 2 hours, although I felt it was a lot longer than that. We arrrived at the house at about 10.++pm.

4th- Kuala Krai
Well whadaya know? I guess we did get a day-long rest.

5th- Kota Bharu
Hour-and-a-half-long traffic jams to and from. I have never looked upon Kota Bharu as lowly as I did after returning from Kota Bharu this time. And all thanks to bad road-planning. *sigh* Oh yeah, might as well mention, we went to Mak's friend's open house there. Saw a few awesome looking houses too to sooth my aching head. To Aisyah and Dalila, if you're reading this, a thousand apologies for not being able to make it.

6th- Back to Harvard
But we also went Raya-ing at Jeli before going back. We went to Mak's friend's house and also our Tok Ngah's house. Pedal to the metal back to get to Nina's house in Sungai Petani. Had a nice dinner consisting of Mee Rebus and cakes and the sort before getting back home.

7th- Penang and back.
Went for a kenduri kahwin at Sungai Dua, Pulau Pinang at about 3.30pm. Turned back to Boy's teacher's house in Laguna Merbok, Sungai Petani. We also stopped over at boy's friend's house nearby before getting a haircut. After that, we ate another serving of Mee Rebus over at Uncle Utt's house that's facing our's.

And here we are.

Kind of glad that I'll be going back to the Institute tomorrow. But then, going back would put the pressure of the ever-nearing exams on me, so I'm not in the position of being all that jovial about going back either. Especially since I haven't touched any of my study papers that I brought back home since day 1. *another sigh*

Hope you guys had an enjoyable Raya! I know I had!

Cheers!

Institute Bazaar

"And the secret door swings behind us," Secret Doors by Arctic Monkeys.

This is a well-delayed post. This happened last Monday and Tuesday, the 14th and 15th of September. The Institute Ramadhan Bazaar, I mean. Not to brag, but we (TESL 2) had quite a successful 2 days of business. We set up two booths (if you can call them booths). One for food items, the other for non-food items.

We (the guys of TESL 2) were in charge of the food sales. We bought our material from where else but Tesco and cleared our shelves on both days, selling almost the same things on both days. We sold fried cuttlefish, prawn, chicken and crab balls as well as sausages and nuggets. On the second day we added burger patties to our menu. The girls prepared potato wedges too. We sold everything at RM1 per cucuk (my diction fails me now).

The girls sold other stuff, such as bracelets, necklaces, kaftans, and scarves to name a few. I think their sales also went quite well. A lot of people bought things to be brought home to be given to family members at their respective homes.

And now, what you've all been waiting for, and all that really matters, pictures..

Meriah kan? Rizal cam-whoring.

Some of the things sold in at our booth.


The second booth.


Our booth in full swing. Woot-woot!


Kak Zira's booth.


The friendly people at the Siswa Budaya Club's booth.


The girls preparing the wedges.


Paka, the roti canai specialist.

I guess that's all for this time. Till we meet again.

Selamat Hari Raya y'all!

Field City

"Please leave all overcoats, canes and top hats with the doorman," There's a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of It Yet by Panic! at the Disco.

Ah, the last weekend before the week-long Raya break. And don't expect the boys (yes, they haven't yet qualified to be called men) of Cohort 2 wonder where to spend their last Sunday together before the last aforementioned break.

"Pantai depan QB jom?"
-No place to crowd six people around.
-Pungent aroma present when sitting close to water.
-Rats. Damn rats.

"Youth Park jom?"
-Insufficient lighting.
-Would take a long time to get to and from.
-The driver (yours truly), after not going there for so long. has forgotten how to get there.

"Padang Kota jom?"
-Jom!

So the boys giddily started their Adam (Kancil, 4 passengers) and Agumon (LC 135, 2 passengers) and first went to the nearby Ramadhan Bazaar in Gelugor to buy their juadah berbuka.

The boys arrived at about 6.25pm and had time to kill before Maghrib at 7.20pm.

Luckily, Anware (not real name) brought his 8.1 MegaPixel FujiFilm camera to help make the wait less noticeable. And here's what they did:

I guess this would be the wajib shot when visiting this historical relic.
All 6 boys, present! From left: Juwe, Anware, Bagan, Lan, Mierulz, Pipi (names have been changed to save the boys the shame)



Jumping is healthy fun! Don't believe it?



How bout that for fun-filled faces?
Hey, only 5? Where's..



Oh, there he is. Thinking about 7.20pm no doubt.

And so the others joined in the fun with Juwe.

Looks like somebody found a new floating girlfriend.


The other wajib shot, I suppose.
Damn, were they happy to be there or what?

After a long hour of intense nonsense, they were beginning to think about..

Foooooooood.....

They couldn't hear any mosque's azan from where we were. Luckily, an old uncle was around with his boom box, booming the Penang Maghrib Azan for them, so..

Tunggu pa lagi??

What are you lookin' at? Get your own food la!!

So, after eating their hearty meals, the boys quickly sped back to the Institute to pray Maghrib and that they did. Next time they break fast, they won't be enjoying the sea breeze and wave sounds while eating out of plastics and papers, but rather

Plates and trays.

Cheers!

Past Framed

"Allow me to exaggerate a memory or two," Folkin' Around by Panic at the Disco.

Please?

Just some pictures with captions. Uhuh, lazy is me..

Taking my cousin (in white) and her friend (in pink) to *read above*.

Buka puasa at the Institute Surau (al-Falah). Every Monday to Thursday of the fasting month. RM 10 for the whole month. Very reasonable.

Read.


Presenting in Angsana Hall, IPGM Penang.


Friday attire (optional). The only ones wearing Baju Melayu on Fridays are the guys of Cohort 2 (at least 5 of them), because we rock. (me, Bagan, Afifi)


TESL 2 Mini-Ramadhan Bazaar. Business was, at times.. Adequate..


But most of the time, it was less than adequate. *Sigh* You would think Institute kids would have a lot of money to help us raise funds, what with government allowances and parental money to help them "get by".


Adam!
(I never fail at looking fag-like for the camera)


Happy last week of fasting!

Cheers!

Lost In Translation

"Di hari raya, terkenang daku kepada si dia," Dendang Perantau by P. Ramlee.

Yeah, in the Raya mood already, thanks to room mate who won't stop playing Raya songs on his laptop, not that I'm complaining.

This is going to be a short one. Once upon a time, not that long ago, when I just woke up from an afternoon nap, I suddenly felt an overpowering urge to translate Malaysian band Bunkface's "Situasi" into English. This was most probably the effect of reading ROTTW right before I took that nap and learning that the aforementioned song was first supposed to be in English.

They changed it to Malay because of high demand from fans wanting the four-piece punk-rock outfit to produce a Malay song. And so, a thought came to my mind. "What would have the song sounded like before they changed it to Malay?" No need to wonder anymore fellow Bunkers! *Euw!* The answer is right below:

Situation by Bunkface

Discrimination is putting me down,
My reputation doesn't make a sound,
And I, I'll wait,
Wohoho, Over there!

(Pre-chorus)
(Just hanging on to see if there's something new,
That would be my dream come true)

(Chorus)
And,
When you go away,
My dreams, they all go astray,
To reach out for the stars,
To brighten up my day,
And I just want you to know,
That you'll be the place where I go,
Always in my mind.

Because this soul can't take it anymore,
Going through this life, more like a chore,
And I, I'll wait,
Wohoho, over there!

Repeat pre-chorus & chorus

*The end*

So what do you guys think?

Cheers!

Tag From TQ

"Well it must be difficult being so gorgeous," Hey John, What's Your Name Again by The Devil Wears Prada.

A reminder from Mademoiselle TQ:
"i tagged u for the "lovely blog award".. have a look yep.."

And so, reluctantly, I checked it out. I was reluctant mainly (or entirely) because it was an award. I'm not that fond of awards, really. I'm fine with tags though, and because this "award" was also a tag, I decided "oh, what the heck.."

So here it is..


Lovely, huh?

So in the tag part of this "award", I have to say a few words about my tagger (TQ). So here goes..

Atiqah Musa, her real name. She was my first ever assistant when I became the Class Representative of TESL 2 in Semester 1. She's a year younger than me. Her home is in Bagan Serai. She went to MRSM Balik Pulau, so after 5 years studying in Penang, she's still here, now in IPGM Penang Campus. (Can't imagine how that feels like. You know, initially feeling that you won't be there anymore, and then you end up spending 2 and a half more years there. And 2 and a half years is a long time for any 18-year-old.) A hardworking girl, even though she doesn't like to admit it. Improving her English steadily since entering this Institute. Likes to party until the break of dawn. (Kidding)

It wouldn't be a tag without questions now would it? (As usual, they're in Malay. But TQ has very kindly translated them for me. Three cheers for TQ!)


1. Kwn2 selalu mnggelar anda? ( name gelaran anda)
Your friends always call you...? (your nickname)
-MUST this question be asked in EVERY SINGLE TAG?? I refuse to answer. (Moody much?)

2. Do you love your friends?
(Eh, wait. This question is already written in English?)
- Yeah, I love 'em! Ross, Chandler, Phoebe, Monica, Joey, Rachel, I love you guys!

3. Ape yg anda thu ttg diri anda, dn kwn2 anda pn thu?
What do you know about yourself, and even your friends do?
- Now this is more like it..
- I am OKAY at rugby.
- I am the tallest person in my Cohort (Yeah, not a very tall Cohort, huh?).
- I occasionally come late to class (never intentionally, mind you).
- I like to eat.
- I have sucky handwriting.

4. Ape yg anda thu ttg diri anda, tp kwn2 anda x thu?
What do you now about yourself, but your friends don't?
- My dark past of sex, drugs and rock & roll. (Seriously?)
- I'm an insecure person on the inside.

5. Ape yg anda x thu ttg diri anda, tp kwn2 anda thu?(kwn2 anda yg bgthu)
What don't you know about yourself, but your friends do? (your friends told you) --> is this translation correct?
-I'm wierd. (Trying to live up to that statement. After all, what's normal anyways?)

6. Lagu ape yg best describekn diri anda?(sjje tny sbb minat lagu2..hehe)
What song is the best to describe you? (just asking because I like songs..hehe)
- Song? Lovegame by Lady GaGa. I go GaGa over disco sticks.

Last but not least!

Give this "Lovely Blog Award" 6 of your friends.
I choose to end this chain due to personal reasons. But I do want to tag some people. Check it:

1. Phyto Hystriuxe (Not to be mistaken with Hystrix)
2. Nada Syazana
3. Mady
4. Najwaa
5. Nuhan
6. Anyone who likes tags as much as I do.

Thanks again to TQ for the "award" and tag.

Cheers!

An Update in Ramadhan

"Love all die, come on die," Tsume Tsume Tsume by Maximum the Hormone.

I don't have that much to write about really, so I'll just update you readers on the recent happenings in my life so far. I haven't done an update in quite a while. All I've been writhing about over the past posts were stuff that were on my mind. So check it:

1. Getting a car.

Yes, you read correctly. I got a Kancil from my parents. Not a brand new one, far from it actually. It already has 192XXX kilometres on it, so yeah, it's an OLD one. This car has actually been in my family since 2006, if I remember correctly. But Bapak rented it to one of his old students, Abang Pedu I call him, and he was the one using it up until just a week ago. He purchased a new Proton Waja and gratefully returned ADM 7721 to its owner, my father. Coincidentally, I was around to make the one-of-a-kind "I'm-responsible-enough-to-drive-a-car-back-to-the-Institute" face. And since it would serve no purpose sitting at home other than showing-off that this household owns three cars but not one a sedan, he reluctantly let me take the car to the Institute. Can I get a "WOOP-WOOP"?

So taking "Adam" (as it is known by the boys now) back to Penang wasn't as bad as I imagined. It was surely boring though, driving a half-hour trip for more than an hour (thanks to the mandatory pre-bridge traffic jam) on your own in the night, keeping the speedometre steady at 80-90 and watching almost everyone whizz past you. But what can I do, that's all Adam's got, and I'm not going to risk my father's thin trust on me having a car to have a chance to run with the Suzuki Swifts and the Honda Civics. No sir. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I sure ain't no toy lightsaber in the shed either.

I'm grateful (understatement there) for even having this car, and I'm going to take really good care of it. I am currently using it to go to Tesco to get a few essentials and also to the Taman Tun Sardon Mosque to perform Tarawih prayers only. Of course, I am fully aware that Bapak will take Adam back quicker than you can say "Teh o'ais limau satu" upon any sign of trouble pertaining to the car, or anything for that matter.

2. TESL 2 Mini-Ramadhan Bazaar.

Under the fund-raising for our educational project, we held our own Ramadhan Bazaar, where only our class were the vendors. We sold some light food such as frankfurters, sotong balls, crab balls, prawn balls (that's a lot of balls), watermelons, sandwiches, syrup-lychee drink (good stuff!) as well as non-food items such as head-scarfs and kaftans (baju kelawar).

The items that were fastest to leave the shelves were the balls. We got a little over a hundred ringgit for the sales of the balls alone. Future-teachers sure love their balls, huh? Despite that, I don't think we sold enough things. Not enough people came to the Gelanggara-cum-Ramadhan Bazaar. Most of the customers were from our own Cohort, so there must have been something wrong with the publicity. I have to rectify that by next week. And we could also be more diverse in our products. There was demand for kuih, so we'll have to look into how we're going to get those in our Bazaar menu, as well as a bunch of other stuff that would probably sell. The Student Council will also be organizing a Bazaar, but their's is two weeks away, so we'll go on with our own Bazaar and also join their's. Should be fun. And tiring. Sigh. All in the name of education, right?

I guess that's all for now. I want to catch up on my snooze 'cuz I've got to drive back to the Institute again tomorrow. Let's hope (and pray) that I get there safely, kay?

*Pictures will be uploaded at a later date.

Cheers!