Saturday, 31 December 2005
.:: Goodbye 2005 ::.
Today's the last day of 2005.....looking back, this yr seems to come & go like a breeze......many things be it happy or sad happened in 2005....Here are some ups & downs in my 2005....
- Ilyas went to pre-school
- Ilyas diagnosed with asthma
- Lost my mom-in-law to lung cancer
- Got myself a promotion
- Went to countless holidays (be it on bike or by public tpt)
- Hospitalised & banned for life in wearing contact lenses
- Started a blog
Hope next year will be great year ahead....I noe in the 1st qtr of the yr I'm kindof busy helping my parents prepare for my bro's wedding in Mar....and here's my new year's resolution:-
- To loose weight *eyes roll*
- Try harder for junior no. 2 (bebeh will be happy with this!)
- Speak English to Ilyas
- Be more thrifty (Urgghhh!)
- Travel more (hahahha!)
- Spend more quality time with Ilyas esp with his studies
So Goodbye 2005 & Hello 2006......
Thursday, 29 December 2005
.:: Internet Broadband ::.
Yay!!! At last....we are subscribing an internet broadband......goodbye dialup!!!! What took us so long???The connection is gonna be next week......and guess what?! The signup comes with a brand new PC!!!!! Double yay!
The current one is terminally 'ill' and its like anytime soon gonna crash......be it the hard disk or the monitor.....its about time....
Me can't wait for new broadband and new pc (which will come only a month later....)
Yippee!!!
Wednesday, 28 December 2005
.:: Cherating Highlights ::.
I noe my Cherating highlights is kindof late......my pc been giving me problems for the past few days....i guess its gonna crash anytime soon!!! Urrgghhh....S'pore - Cherating : Sat 24/12/05
We woke up around 4.45am....decided to beat the traffic at the immigration checkpoint.....left the carpark around 6.00am and guess what time did we reached JB? It was only 6.20am! There was no jam at all at the motorcycle lane.....
Norman was already there when we reached at the meeting point in JB.....the rest of the gang arrived more than an hour later and they too did not experienced any jam.....My bruder's frens, most of them wearing new riding gear like Dainese jackets, Clover riding pants, Helmets, etc....and Siti got the best buy of a last piece of Dainese riding pants for only $150!
Here's a pic of the riders for this Cherating trip....
We reached Kuantan around 2pm and the Bistro which we previously visited was not yet opened so we had lunch elsewhere......at last we found a sup ekor which was quite comparable to the one we had at Chiang Rai (the best, so far!)
At nite, we were scouting for seafood.....there wasn't any good seafood around the hotel and the riders were too tired to ride back down to Kuantan area so we had this cheap seafood dinner for only RM10 per person....ok la....not bad and before lights out we visited the hotel's KTV....some were playing pools or dart while others just sit back and relax....
Cherating - S'pore : Sun 25/12/05
After checked out in the afternoon, we headed back to Spore.....this time round the weather was fine and there were only passing showers.....at least not as bad as the day before.....we enjoyed the ride and reached Mersing around 3.30pm.....
Had lunch at a Bistro recommended by Norman...the food was not bad and the ambience was alrite....quite comparrable to the Bistro at Kuantan....and here's a group pic taken outside the Bistro......
By the time we headed for the Tuas Checkpoint, I was mentally ready to face the jam but surprisingly again, there was no jam at all.....
This trip was a short one but it was great to be riding again.....and its fun riding with the rest of the gang.....being with my bruder's frens reminded me of my old sec sch frens......the crude jokes, the slogginess, the fun and laughter with them simply made me miss my old frens....
Monday, 26 December 2005
.:: Tsunami - One Year On ::.
Heya peeps....I'm back from Cherating...everything went well....even at the immigration checkpoints....no jam at all!....Will elaborate more once I've upload the pics.....Today marks the 1 year anniversary of the Tsunami Disaster when it hit countries like, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives, India & Malaysia....
Was watching the Tsunami documentaries over in Channel News Asia.....my heart goes out to the victims who survived the disaster and now trying to live on building their lives from ground zero.....they have lost their loved ones, their homes & their possessions...... it must have been a trauma for them....
There's also a documentary on "Aceh - Island of a Thousand Mosques" whereby most of the mosques in Aceh are still standing strong despite the hit of the Tsunami....suffering minimum damaged.....Initially they were trying to explain due to the design of the mosques where they have lots of pillars and openings where water can gush in and out freely, strong foundation, blah blah blah.....
Then, they showed 1 mosque made entirely out of wood and its only 20m away from the beach....managed to survive the Tsunami disaster ...... well how do you explain that?! The locals and I believe even the rest of the Muslims of the world know that its the miracle of Allah....Subhanallah....
Friday, 23 December 2005
.:: Cherating & B'day Shoutout ::.
Already packed our stuff for tomorrow's trip to Cherating....do pray for our safe journey....we are expecting the Causeway to be jammed pack with traffic (due to the long weekend, everybody's going to M'sia for a short getaway).....and the weather's gonna be gloomy....I'm predicting that it's gonna be a long, wet journey....Juz wanna make a quick b'day shoutout to an old fren....
Happy Birthday Noerlela!
May you enjoy this special day to the fullest with hubby dearest & baby Qistina...... Wish you all the love, health and wealth
the world can offer u.....~hayabusa_babe~
p/s - Wishing all my Christian frenz a Merry Christmas....and for the rest do enjoy the super duper long weekend!
Wednesday, 21 December 2005
.:: New Stuff & Riding ::.
For the past few days bought a couple of new stuff....like a new specs (eeekss!!!....ok..ok i noe i just spend a bomb on my oakley but this time it was a good buy....really! tak bohong!)....It was a good bargain....I bought a half rimmed glass for less than $200.....this spec is more for formal wear....like for hari raya (Aidiladha is oready around de corner! hmmmm....), weddings or formal functions.....compared to the Oakley which suits more for the casual wear. This one is without the transition lens....i noe that i won't be wearing this one as often as the Oakley thats why don't wanna spend so much on the lenses.....Also managed to buy new riding boots, my old ones are like asking for mercy....I've had them since the 90s....almost a decade!!! wow!!! been wearing them like foreva, even before I started pillion riding....if i were to throw the old ones in the river.....all the fishes would float!!! hahahah!!!!! Thank you my doc martin boots......and may u rest in peace!
Bebeh told me that my bro's frens are eager for this upcoming riding trip.... a couple has even bought Dainese jakets & Clover riding pants ($900 for each person!)....and guess what? this is gonna be their 1st riding trip! My Gawd!....i'm worried for them...even bebeh is worried for them.....smagat berkorbar....asalkan jangan smangat 2 minit sua!!! ahahahha......like what i told bebeh, this trip will either make them lurve riding or break their riding spirit foreva! we shall see....and may the force be with them.....hahaha!
The mood for riding is slowly building up.....haven't been doing so for a while...the last trip was to Penang in May 05......If everything's ok there'll be 1 BMW GS1100, 1 BMW RT1150 & 4 Africa Twins going for this Cherating trip...Worried abt the weather up in eastern M'sia....already called the hotel to check out the weather.....the receptionist was assuring me that the weather was fine & sunny in Cherating......we'll see....but its ok coz bebeh & me....we've been & seen the worst of weathers in our past riding trips.....Insya Allah...we'll make it!
Monday, 19 December 2005
.:: 3 Weddings ::.
May you have a blissfull marriage ahead,
Don & Ann Marie, Congratz!
Don & Ann Marie, Congratz!
Last Fri, attended Don's wedding (colleague) at Meritus Mandarin....the pics have been uploaded...
Met Salinah (ex colleague), still as pretty as eva...she was with her hubby & eldest daughter, Riyana....so fast she's grown up to a 5yr old kid....time really flies....
This time round I was seated seperately from the rowdy bunch from YSL's wedding.....this time round they were much well behaved.....
The food was buffet style....the desserts were mouth watering......
Attended another 2 weddings.....the month of December seems to be filled with wedding invitations......Its not only a festive season....but also a season of wedding bells ringing! lol...
Went to Mang Pari's place as wanted to pass the Bali souvenirs to his kids.....stayed there till late evening.....my little devil seems to enjoy playing with his bibiks!
Thursday, 15 December 2005
.:: Verdict Fr The Optometrist ::.
Visited the optometrist during lunch to check if i was ok to wear contact lenses again....thought of wearing the daily disposable typeAfter checking my eyes thoroughly using all the gadgets he has, he concluded that I'm still having the scar of the corneal ulcer.....he wouldn't stop me from buying the lenses but he wouldn't encourage me to be wearing them for long hours.....as the lenses would rub against the scar each time I blink and it might aggreviate the old wound again.....
I explained to him the need to wear lenses is when I'm wearing fullface helmet for my motorbike riding trips, which I find a great inconvenience of wearing specs......
However, after hearing his verdict, I sort of 'chicken out' to buy the lenses....so i just told him that would consider it first....
Anyway, i haven't even tried putting on the glasses while wearing the fullface helmet.....which i did just now and it wasn't much of a hassle after all.....just needs practice ....
Conclusion : It will still be a while for me to have the guts of wearing contact lenses again!
Wednesday, 14 December 2005
.:: Today In History - 14 Dec 1989 ::.
Here's a scan of my diary written on 14 Dec 1989..... I told u i used to write in a diary, when I was a kid.....Yep! I still keep most of my diaries......shall do this once in a while, huh?Down to memory lane when there was no computers (have but not a daily essentials like now!), emails, internets or blogs.....just the old fashion way of using the pen & paper!
This was written when I was only 14 yrs old..... zaman2 aku anak abu dulu! eekks.....those kentalan days! lol...
.:: Busy Busy Busy ::.
Today was a busy day from the very morning......While having my morning coffee wif the coffee club kakis my Unit Head was already calling my hp asking if I was working ...... there's this urgent ministry query......And not long after that rec'd the sms from my boss that he's seeing the doc! Wah lau! like not only yesterday he was back from work.....and today sick again ah???? And later learnt that he has applied leave for tomorrow! *eyes roll!*
Nvm....can't be bothered with him.....he even sms some work instructions.....where got time to entertain him.....our boss, UH already breathing down my neck asking for data......my boss even sms me twice abt covering him for the site meetings which he has requested me to arranged yesterday ..... Sudahlah!!!! I have cancelled them btw.....UH's request for the data is something more urgent! My arse is on the chopping board if I were to go for the site meetings and ignore his data request....hahah!
The rest of the day was really damn bloody busy! Even to the extent of controlling my pee till my bladder wanted to burst!!!! I couldn't even finish the damn data and left around 6.30pm....shall continue the very 1st thing tomorrow morning! The remaining info are quite easy to collate....Wish me luck!
Currently, the final episode of The Amazing Race - Family Edition is on air.....I'm kindof hoping for The Weaver Family
Tuesday, 13 December 2005
.:: Back Fr Jakarta & B'day Shoutout! ::.
Managed to fetch my parents from the airport....glad that everybody (all 11 of them) are back safe & sound!Even saw a fanclub of 3 dudes waiting for one of my cuzzins .... ahem2... hehehee.....da besau sepupu2 aku eh.....hhmmm....which reminds me, I'm getting older and outdated!!! Urrrggghhh.....
Poor mummy suffering from diarhoea <again....almost every vacation trips she gets it!> .... other than that they had a great time!
Here's my birthday shoutout to my future sista in law (my bro's fiancee)....
Happy Birthday Zalimah! May you have all the love, health & wealth the world can offer u esp the lurve of my bro..... Btw may you have enjoyed your last birthday <today> as a single to the fullest!......next yr da berdua <or maybe even bertiga!>....hahaha!.....May you have a pleasant journey thru life, dear sista! Love ya loads....
~h@y@bus@_b@be~
Monday, 12 December 2005
.:: Another Monday @ Work ::.
Morning sent my little devil & maid to Ciko's place......parents won't be back from Jakarta till tomorrow evening.....My son was enjoying his stay since my cuzzin, Sofiy was entertaining him....Another day in the office without my boss (on leave) was kindof peaceful....managed to do my own work at my own pace.....This month I anticipated to be slightly busy and bogged down with 'projects' given by my boss (which I don't expect to have any solutions or endings) as its the month of our appraisal......blegghhh....everybody's just trying to be working extra hard and lots of sucking up to do (and my boss is one of them! Hah!) .... hoping to be in the bosses' good books just for the month of Dec......the month of pretentious behaviours in the office! hahaha....
Tomorrow is another day with him being back in office (after being away since last Thurs with MC and leave) ..... so most probably he'll be in the 'super on' mood.....I can forsee sure bogged down with stuff to clear for him, yep....for him! *sigh*
After work fetched my son from Ciko's and on our way to the lift managed to capture this evening shot from the 9th storey of her block......
Sunday, 11 December 2005
.:: While I Was Away... & New Gloves ::.
While I was away, a new family edition to the family of Mohd Effendy Jafar has arrived.....I hope its not to late to say Congratulations to my dearest friend, Fendy for being the proud father of Atifah Insyirah who was born on Sunday 4th Dec 05......this is his 2nd daughter and here's a cute pic of her.....
I lost one of my RS Taichi gloves when we went for our riding trip to Penang in May 05... lurve that glove very much, u noe.....that old pair has protected my hands from the weathers right up to the Golden Triangle trip and they are my first riding gloves which i had for 5yrs......
The other pair of the glove is still in my storeroom....can't bring myself to throw it away.....may you rest in peace, glove.....
Ohhh btw, here's the pic of our new gloves.....mine is the red & black....
.:: Bali Highlights ::.
Heya Peeps!!!
Ok....ok....i noe that its been quite a while i've not updated my blog since i came back from Bali.....been busy for quite a while and only few days back managed to download the pics of my Bali vacation.....
So here's the highlights of my family trip to Bali from 01 Dec 05 till 05 Dec 05.....
Ok....ok....i noe that its been quite a while i've not updated my blog since i came back from Bali.....been busy for quite a while and only few days back managed to download the pics of my Bali vacation.....
So here's the highlights of my family trip to Bali from 01 Dec 05 till 05 Dec 05.....
Thurs 01/12/05 : S'pore - Denpasar - Kuta
We reached Bali in the afternoon....managed to get a cab from the airport and the ride to Hard Rock Hotel was bringing back memories of my previous trip to Bali in 1998. Nothing much has changed and along the way bebeh & myself were trying to recognise familiar landmarks....
By the time we checked in it was already the late afternoon.....We took a stroll along Kuta Beach and its so different.....the beach was kindof empty....not many tourist around.....I guess the bombing saga has made lots of people scared to visit Bali again...Managed to find a van driver who's willing to bring us around Bali the next day....
The rest of the night was just walking around at Kuta and did a little shopping....Even the streets of Kuta were empty.....such a big difference to the previous trip.....
Fri 02/12/05 : Kintamani - Ubud - Sanur - Jimbaran
We decided to go for the Kintamani Tour and skipped the Barong Dance since Yus was not keen in watching it....It was ok for us as we ever watched the Balinese Cultural Show before......On the way to Kintamani, the engine of the van we took couldn't start, luckily there was a workshop nearby to do a quick repair and off we went to Kintamani....Reached Mount Batur in the afternoon and had lunch in one of the restaurants there.....In 1998 the carpark was full with tourists' buses & vans but this time round getting a parking space was not much of hustle....even the restaurant was not crowded.....The view of Mount Batur was foggy by the time we had our lunch....not much of a view....Anyway, its the rainy season over in Bali so we experience quite a few of passing showers.....
We then went shoppong at Ubud market where they sell lots of handicrafts and souvenirs made by the Balinese.....quite a good bargain we got over there when buying souvenirs especially....
Mr Made, our driver brought us to Sanur Beach for a late afternoon stroll.....again the Beach was not much of people....even the shops assistants were all sitting around chatting waiting for customers......Its such a sad view....to me, its so not of Bali......I guess those who have visited Bali before the bombing sagas and after they could tell its a whole of difference......
For dinner, we went to Jimbaran for seafood.....the 1st restaurant was a pathetic place....there were no customers, not much of seafood choices and the place was run down.....we just had a drink and requested Mr Made to bring us to another restaurant......We then went to Uluwatu Cafe.....we ate by the beach....the ambience was great, the food was delicious except for the drizzle we experienced.....so we were almost gobbling down the food, afraid that there would be a downpour....but nevertheless, dinner was great!
Sat 03/12/05 : Nusa Dua - Berdugul - Tanah Lot
We still hired Mr Made to bring us around Bali....It was more sight seeing....we went to Nusa Dua Beach after breakfast...the beach is famous for its watersports....but when we there it was empty (maybe it was still early)....Ida managed to try parasailing (after convincing her that even my dad tried parasailing when he came to Bali few yrs ago!)
We then went Berdugul....it was fantastic view! Temple by the lake......and for the 1st time we heard the 'Azan' for Zuhor in Berdugul....there was a mosque nearby and quite a number of muslim community were staying in Berdugul.....
In the late afternoon we reached Tanah Lot, the famous temple by the sea.....unfortunately, the sunset was not that good as it was quite cloudy that day....but nevertheless, I took numerous shots of the temple......They say, when the tide is up you can see as though the temple is floating....
On the way back to Kuta, we passed by the previous bombing area of the Sari Club....now its just an empty piece of land.....Mr Made said that the Balinese would not want to build anything on the piece of land in respect of those victims.....To think of 7yrs ago, my friends and I were in that Sari Club for a drink....juz 1 drink and we left as we felt out of place......coz the whole place were swamped only with Caucasians.......
Dinner was just at Pizza Hut which was next to our hotel.....we then had a drink at the Centrestage (Hotel's lounge) listening to the live band, Siluet playing a few of Maroon 5 numbers before calling it a night.
Sun 04/12/05 : Seminyak - Legian - Kuta - Jimbaran
Yus met his friend and family during our morning breakfast who just arrived the day before.....after breakfast we went for motorbike hunting.....yep...we decided to rent motorbikes after learning from Mr Made that its sort of legal to ride with a kid.......Initially i was a bit skeptical about my little devil being the 2nd pillion.....but wat de heck.....it worked perfectly well and he enjoyed it....he even slept while on it!The whole day we just did shopping around Seminyak, Legian & Kuta area......
For dinner, together with Yus' friend & family we went to Jimbaran again for seafood. This time we ate at Matahari.....unfortunately the food was not as good as at Uluwatu's Cafe.....
Mon 05/12/05 : Kuta - Denpasar - S'pore
Our flight was in the evening so managed to do last minute shopping around Kuta and enjoyed the hotel's facilities (game arcade) before leaving for Spore......Touchdown at homeland around 10.30pm...
On the whole, the trip was ok....at least managed to see the places of interest more compared to the 1st trip....but its kindof sad to see Bali losing her charms to the rest of the world just because of the bombing saga.....hopefully one day Bali will pick up again and gain back the confidence of tourists to visit the land of the Gods again.....
Pictures of Bali...For your viewing pleasure!
Thursday, 1 December 2005
.:: Final Call to Bali ::.
The final call to Bali is out.....in less than an hour's time I'll be flying off to Bali.....Yipppeee!!! Now logging into a free internet access at T2.....menyempat!By noon I'll be in Bali enjoying the sun (hopefully), the sand and the sea at Kuta......so goodbye Spore....and HELLOO Bali!!!!