Dingin - Ziana Zain

Dingin malam yang menyelubungi
Hening sayu dalam hati
Berbicara bersendirian

Ku rasa resah
Selama dibuai rindu
Pada cinta yang terlalu
Terpendam di dalam khayalan

Kan ku leraikan impian indah
KepadaNya ku berserah
Mungkin tak daya
Ku tawan cinta yang sama

*chorus
Dinginnya getaran asmara
Sentuhan mula bermadah
Ku tak bisa juarai
Jiwa yang ku tak punya

Dinginnya bila kau berkata
Ruang buat ku tiada
Memoriku gengamilah
Biarkan aku beralah

Dalam hatiku tiada dendam
Walau impian semalam
Masih mekar dalam ingatan

Kan ku leraikan impian indah
KepadaNya ku berserah
Mungkin tak daya
Ku tawan cinta yang sama

oo hooo ooooo…

Kalambicara is suddenly feeling so cold... gtg now :(

Think & Act Like A CEO

This morning we had our weekly Operations Meeting. Due to the Raya holidays and all, we did not have the meeting for the last two weeks.

This meeting was chaired by the CEO himself and attended by all Heads of Departments (HODs) in our organisation. The main objective of this meeting is actually to allow HODs to bring up any issue direct to CEO's immediate attention and get the solution or feedback there and then.

Anyway, a meeting is a meeting lah.... so I guess you all know the process of a meeting. Am not going through the details here. Just that there was this one statement that I could not forget. The CEO said that we all, HODs, have to think and act like a CEO.

At that very moment, I smiled. Can I also earn an income like a CEO? How I wish...

Back at work after the meeting, I publicised one book available at KRC (Knowledge Resource Centre) via email to all members of the management. The title is 'Speak Like A CEO' by Suzanne Bates. Not long after, someone came to KRC and borrowed the book. Good.

Kalambicara is still smiling recalling the positive effect of the CEO's remarks.

Its My Day!

Today, 11 October, is my birthday, my day.

I started receiving birthday wishes since the last three days. Thanks a zillion to all for the wonderful thoughts.

So, what did I do on my day? Well, with my mum and sisters, we went to Mid Valley and The Gardens. I called this visit to shopping complex as my retail theraphy. It was really healing and I truly enjoyed and never had enough. Met my brother and his wife there and together we window shopped and had lunch.

My initial intention was to get a handbag, a perfume and a new facial care set. I have set the brand that I wanted. Anyway, am not going to reveal them here. My current Lollipop handbag is almost seasoned. My current perfume, Aigner Black by Etienne Aigner is almost at its last drop. So is my Glamourous by Britner Spears. And, lastly I need to act fast on the pores and wrinkles on my almost sagging face! :) Doesn't it look like I really need all these items? I do, right?

Talking about treating myself, in the end, I bought nothing. Reason, the brand of the handbag that I aimed for was not there. Have to go to either KLCC or Pavillion. As for the perfume and the facial care set, I was so frustrated when I compared the prices there with the ones I saw at the duty free in KLIA. I should have bought them during the promotion at KLIA before boarding the flight to KB during the recent Raya. Arrrggghhh!! Not only the prices differ, but the extras given in the package was so much attractive. So, being quite thrifty nowadays (as the economy too is on the downturn - blame it there!), I decided not to embark yet. Maybe I will wait till the Christmas Sale soon or on my next trip somewhere.

After Mid Valley and The Gardens, we went to an auntie's house in Putra Heights for a Raya gathering. Oh well... found the nasi dagang now... my auntie made nasi dagang with gulai ikan tongkol, kerutup ayam and gulai udang. Also theres nasi impit and kuah kacang and laksa. Yum yum yummy...

All in all, thats how I spent my day, nothing extraordinary this time but had a great time with my family. Btw, I am not sad or down or feeling emotional or lousy today. I am okay. Maybe this age is coming to me already, he he he. Accepting the fact of life, thankful to Allah swt that I am still alive and kicking. I am not upset even when I did not receive the one wish that I was earlier hoping for. It was understandable and I had already anticipated it. So, no hard feelings at all. I am happy. I had a simple day but a great one, today, on my birthday, with my loved ones i.e members of my family. Alhamdulillah.

Kalambicara is signing off while humming "Happy Birthday to me...happy birthday to me...!"

Ceria Beraya

Its now ten days of Syawal and many are still in the Raya mood. Me, still not had enough of the Raya food. Till now, I have not tasted the Lontong and Lodeh, Soto, Nasi Dagang, and the like yet. We celebrated the first three days of Raya here in KL and another three days in KB. We went back to KB not so much for celebrating Raya but more to celebrate a cousin's wedding i.e my Aunite Mo second son's wedding.

As I was still working on the eve of Raya, so not much baking was done this time around. I managed to bake only three types of cookies namely Biskut Mazola, Choc Chip Cookies and White London Almond, as compared to my usual six or seven types. For cakes, I baked one fruit cake, one orange cake and plenty of cupcakes with butter frosting. I only bought some pineapple and roselle tarts and some 'kuih batang buruk'. I did received a few containers of cookies from some business contacts as well, so that added to a few varieties on the coffee table. Oh btw I also prepared some toffee from the recipe given by Villas, my colleague. It was quite a favourite among those with sweet tooth. My mum made Nasi Hujan Panas (colourful rice) with Ayam Masak Merah, Dalca, Acar Mentah, Sambal and Kerutup Daging. Best giler! Also theres my mum's specialty and all time family favourite, the ketupat pulut kacang in daun palas. In addition, we bought some lemang and beef rendang. But, I forgot to snap photos of these food on the main table...hu hu...too busy entertaining...

Anyway, see the photos below for some of our Raya and wedding celebrations both in KL and KB this Syawal 1429H...

My mum, me, my uncle and his wife, at my house.

Replenishing the cupcakes, the hottest kuih raya...

With my uncle and cousin, all born in the same year!My mum (leaning against the wall), my sis, my aunties and a cousin.

The bride and groom (my cousin, Nik Nadzmen), at the bride's house.The newly wed, again, at the groom's house.

From the groom to the bride.

From the bride to the groom.

My mum, my sisters, my aunties, my cousins & an uncle, at the groom's house(my auntie's house) in Pasir Mas. Shes in white tudung.

My sis, my uncle and my cousin at my house... Namastee!

My mum's famous sweet ketupat pulut with black eye peas

(before being wrapped in daun palas).The ketupat pulut after being wrapped, ready for steaming. The dessert on the coffee table...

With my cousin, Farha, at my house.

Photos below are some 'kuih raya' that I made i.e self made, home made...

Choc Chip Cookies

Biskut Mazola

Cupcakes

Slices of Orange Cake

Slices of Fruit Cake

Toffee

Well... thats how I celebrated 1st of Syawal 1429H. It was tiring, but I had fun, especially being together with my siblings and meeting relatives. Travelling with my siblings was full of laughter. Took a flight with mum back to KB and traveled back to KL in a car, another sis of mine took the flight with mum. It will be too tiring for mum to be in a car for more than 8 hours. All in all, the last Raya enhanced our bonding and love for each other. Hopefully, next raya will be even better. Insyaallah.

Kalambicara is happy and contented now...

Salam Aidil Fitri 1429H

To all Muslim followers of my blog, heres wishing you "Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri and Maaf Zahir Batin". To the rest of the readers, "Happy Holidays".

Andai ada tersilap bicara

Andai ada terkasar bahasa

Andai ada terguris rasa

Andai ada tercipta sengketa

Ampun dan maaf dipinta

May we all have a blessed and meaningful Eid this time around.

Salam Aidil Fitri from the bottom of my heart.

Kalambicara got to rush for some last minute prep...

Seatbelt Attraction

I am always amazed with kids... especially those less than a year old. They will be interested in EVERYthing and will try hard to catch hold and bite... yes...BITE... to taste, maybe.

Pix below is my beloved nephew Hasif Zahin bin Roshidi. They were captured three months ago when I visited him in Kemaman. It happened in the car and I was at the passenger seat. Watch and read the storyline...

1. The seatbelt really mesmerised him, a temptation he could not resist...

2. "I got it, I got it... the taste is fine with me..."

3. After being stopped by me... looking straight at me, nasib tak nangis!

4. And ... when I ignored him ... back to his attempt... very determined.

5. "Yum..yum...yummy...! At last I have tasted it, the seatbelt!"

Well... thats my nephew... 7 months old at that time. Hopefully, he'll grow up to read this blog and laugh his heart out. But, will I still be around then?

Kalambicara signing off with a mixed feeling now...

Warisan

Actually, I do not like to talk about whats in the news nowadays. I do not see the news value or news worthiness there anymore. Not like newswriting before... Its not that I do not know whats happening in the country and around the world. I do. But from various other sources, not so much from the mainstream media.

With whats happening in the country at present, I have this odd patriotic feeling. My mind goes way back during my orientation days decades ago in ITM, now UiTM. We were asked to sing this song over and over... and till now I can still recall the lyrics... and it really touch my heart every time I hum this song. For all ITM breeds out there, I guess you know this song well... The title, if I am not mistaken is Warisan:

Anak kecil main api
Terbakar hatinya yang sepi
Air mata darah bercampur keringat
Bumi dipijak milik orang

Nenek moyang kaya raya
Tergadai seluruh harta benda
Akibat sengketa sesamalah kita
Cinta lenyap di arus zaman

Indahnya bumi kita ini
Warisan berkurun lamanya
Hasil mengalir ke tangan yang lain
Pribumi merintih sendiri

Masa depan sungguh kelam
Kan lenyap peristiwa semalam
Tertutuplah hati terkunci mati
Maruah peribadi dah hilang

Kini kita tinggal kuasa
Yang akan menentukan bangsa
Bersatulah hati bersama berbakti
Pulih kembali harga diri

Kita sudah tiada masa
Bangunlah dengan maha perkasa
Janganlah terlalai teruskan usaha
Melayukan gagah di Nusantara (repeat 3x)

Kalambicara is thinking, "How 'bersatu' are we now... to be 'gagah di nusantara'!"

What is the time Mr. Tiger?

Believe it or not, it’s almost 4.30 am on Sunday, 14 September 2008 and I am still wide awake, doing office work!

As of now, I am not feeling sleepy yet. I guess I will wait till ‘sahur’ and the ‘subuh prayer’ before I take a rest. I am working using my laptop in front of the television downstairs. Upstairs, my sister, a final year Quantity Survey student, is wide awake too. She is finishing her thesis.

Actually, there was no intention on my part to do work at wee hours like this. But, since my sis requested me to accompany her (so that there is another soul awake in this house and not her alone at this odd hours), and I do have unfinished tasks, so here I am, active like a bat eyeing for food before daylight comes.

Earlier I was watching documentaries via the Astro channels, one after the other, until I got bored, thus switched to this laptop. And out of boredom too, drove me to updating this blog at present, between work.

(I know the remarks my mum will make if she later realizes what I am doing at this time. Well, she will say, “Jago male tengok tv ko, buak kejo ko, buleh pulok. Cubo kalu bangun dok baco Quran ko, semaye sunat gapo-gapo ko, lagi baik, tamboh bule-bule poso gini…”) Obviously you will know that we are Kelantanese.

Well, she has a point. Mum is always right… but….ermm… Never mind, I rest my case now.

Kalambicara needs to focus back on her work now…