i was at the arias on sunday...it was a totally superb experience...performances, red carpet, awards....
and it would have been a spectacular day, had the day ended peacefully...
to begin d story...let me explain the complicated transportation path i had to take... (and yes, this is another long entry by sunny)
from sydney olympic park (where arias was), i had to take the train to lidcombe, then from lidcombe, take a train to strathfield, then from strathfield, take a train to epping, and finally from epping, take a bus to my house....
it was about 10pm when it all ended...and i wasnt sure whether i should go to epping and take the last bus, or go to the city and take the bus to macquarie... i was unsure what time is the last train from strathfield to epping (its a sunday)....what time was the last bus from epping to my house...its all so complicated...
so i had to choose, go to epping, or go to city...considering the last bus from epping is 11.06pm, and roughly i would be able to make it to epping in an hour from olympic park...i decided to go buy the epping ticket...
zek went off first...the cue for the ticket was long...and some dumb blondes way up front cant seem to figure the ticket machine and are taking forever...as every second passed, i got more worried...should i change my plan? can i still make it for the last bus from epping???
well, by the time i reached the machine, my timing got tighter, but i think it was still ok...so i bought the epping ticket and ran and waited for the train to lidcombe...
damn....waited 10 minutes juz for the train to depart from olympic park...but no turning back...since i bought the ticket already...and besides, lidcombe is juz 1 station away from olympic park....
i found out that the train from strathfield to epping was at 1040, and 1110 next...i will b juzzz on time for the 1040 train if nothing goes wrong at lidcombe, hence, on time to catch the last bus...but if anything happens in lidcombe, eg train 2 strathfield is late, i stand no chance at all to catch the last bus...oh god...tension tension...
on the train from olympic park, everyone was so happy coz the arias was great...but i juz sat there quietly...cemas...and when i reached lidcombe...i was running over to the other platforms far far away...it was times like that when it seems everyone is blocking ur path, terhegeh-hegeh...well, luckily i cought the train to strathfield straight away when i reached the platform....no probs at lidcombe...greatttt....juzz nice to reach strathfield for the epping train...
maybe luck is on my side now...well, how wrong was i...
...10.40pm...
i reached strathfield, about juz on time for the train to epping...if i miss that train, i wont reach epping in time for the last bus...so, i was running...as i ran up the platform for the train to epping...i heard sound of a train...i sprinted faster (note: i was already sprinting) ... and when i reached the platform...i saw the train moving away from the station...the cruelest sight every...
now, if i took that 1040 train, i would reach epping by 11, and on time for the last bus at 1106 to reach home...but to my utmost frustration, i missed it by a fraction of a second...and the next train was at 11.10....
how? i cant go to the city...i would miss the last bus from d city anyway, and i would need to spend d night in d city n use more money..not good...but then, i dont have enough cash to take a cab from epping station to home...
1045pm...tensed...
i decided to call a friend, see if she could pick me up at epping...and she said she would pick me up at 1130 when i arrive at epping...i was relieved...altho inside i was in rage, feeling like i wanna punch the walls...suddenly, when the train almost arrived, zek called...he apologized for leaving first, but i said its ok...wouldnt make a difference anyway if he waited for me at olympic park...well, yup, thats true...tho while at the instant of emergency and tension i did actually feel dissapointed that he left me to face all this myself...it really isnt his fault and not that he could change anything anyway...
11.08 pm ... emotionless
zek: oh ya, how u getting in your house?
sunny: hm? what dya mean?
zek: err, your house keys are in my bag
sunny: arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
omg...my house n room keys in zek's bag...aaarghhhhh....wthhh...why oh why....huhu...what to do....i had to juz calm myself down...there is nothing i could do anyway...better not add to my stress level...besides, the Resident Assistant could help... ok...chill...
so, the train arrived at strathfield 1110pm...and d ride was juz ok...quiet, not many people on train...and i was pretty much calmed down...i looked at my watch...well, plus minus...i would reach home at about near midnite...so, what might have been was juz about half an hour better...so, i didnt lose much...chill...
i reached epping on time at 1130pm...and when i reached the platform...i made a call to my friend saying that i am there and will be waiting at the bus stop for her...she said she is already making a move and would be there soon...i ended the call...and i tot, "not long now...hmm, what should i fix for my supper? so hungry..."...tut tut tut...i looked at my fon 'low battery'...hungry, cold...
1155pm...still hungry, even more cold, bored...
where is she? it would take only 5 minutes to drive up here to epping considering no traffic...hmm..maybe she went to the toilet or sumthin...ah well...so i waited a bit more...staring at each passing car wondering if she's here...at first it was ok...but after awhile, it got frustrating...
its already 12.10pm...and still no sign of my friend...my frustration had turned to worry...i figured it was time to give a call...and so i did...but no one answered...i got more worried...shit...what happened...tut tut tut...my fon died...great...
i made a silent prayer, and turned the fon back on...phew...it remained on...i called shim telling him about this and asking him to check out if that friend of mine was at home...a few phone calls till about 1230 with no progress or info...then suddenly shim called me back...he said that the girl was stopped by police and she didnt bring her driver's license...and the police escorted her back home...shim told me to find some other way to get home...and i said ok...and d conversation was over..
wth...how? no cash...not enough in bank...and i dont think i would make it walking back home...argh...so i took d cab....and asked it to wait while i go into my house to borrow some cash from my housemate...oh wait...remember - keys, zek's bag? arghhhhhhhhhhhhh....so i asked the cabbie to wait awhile, i go ting tong the RA and luckily she wasnt asleep...she opened my house and room door...and after i paid the cabbie...i was finally home...
well, not really...a deep sense of guilt struck me when shim told me my friend was stopped by police...i found out, her license was suspended untill she paid up the 1000 dollar fine (or 500 if she appeals)....omg....i cant help blaming myself...enough with the frustration...now the guilt???
...i am sorry...
1am...i felt like really screaming...but i didnt...i couldnt...that's so 2001 sunny...
thanx to cik gg for calming me down...sigh...ARIAS was really really great, dont get me wrong...its just that...all that's happened that night afterwards had taken all the excitement away from me...as superb as the experience of being at the arias, i think i equally wished that day had not happened at all...
regardless...thank you zek for the invite...that was an experience of a lifetime...maybe when i get all the arias pics, and i regain back some of that excitement...i would make the entry that might have been - arias 2006.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
raya in malaysia ... memories ...
Hari Raya Aidilfitri is juzzzz around d corner =) Since zek started it all with his raya songs dwld spree and the emo msg at the side bar chatbox, i felt like sharing how raya is for me...
In Malaysia
NEVER EVER have i spent the first day of raya at my own place in JB (unless i was too young to remember..ehehe)...and NEVER EVER have i spent the first day of raya not at my grandparents' place (Mom's side) at Sungai Ayam, Batu Pahat, Johor...unless, of course, i was too young to remember =P why mom's side? coz my dad is chinese mar...so there is no dilemma in where to celeb raya every year, same goes for chinese new year =)
I really like it there...traditional malay house, elevated from d ground, all made of wood...with frontyard of gravel about the width of a basketball court, but almost double in length...coconut trees lining up the sides, some other flowers, pokok ciku, some banana trees...and at the end of the frontyard, a lil wooden bridge that allows only one car to cross at a time, across a river where i used to swim in when i was younger with my bro n cuzins, connecting the house to the small, main kampung road where about a bus and a car can go side by side slowly...looking at one direction, there's a mountain - Gunung Banang...and about 1km down the road in another direction, there is the watergate where the lil river meets its taikor, where the 'kuala' part starts...with fishing boats around...and not far further, the sea....
ahhh...this post almost sounded like one about my kampung =) anyway, raya time, my grandma would wake me up very early, and i would thot that we are having sahur...haha...terbiasa puasa ma =P i would go find any available water taps to wudhu' and then perform subuh prayers...then we all would have to take turns to use the only bathroom there, and there are so many ppl..uncles and aunts...cousins in the dozens...the girls would take longer baths, naturally =P
i would go to the kitchen to see what's already prepared...knowing my granda didnt sleep all nite to cook the ketupats and all the raya delicacies...i would steal some fried potatoes and tofu that my grandma and the women in d kitchen are gonna use to make my fav sambal goreng...after i finally got to use the bathroom, i will wear my baju raya...and you see around the house filled with excitement...."mana butang baju??" "alaaa, baju x iron lagi" "mak, taknak warna ni laaa" ... the kids are noisy and a handful for their parents - parents dress up last...
when everyone is done...comes the most touching moment in the whole raya celeb...we all gather in the living room...my grandma start...she would hold n kiss the hands of my grandpa, asking for forgiveness in that special day...and my grandpa would tell her, he forgives her, and that he makes halal all the things he gave her, and he also asks for forgiveness...and then its my parents and uncs and aunts' turn to ask forgiveness from my grandma n grandpa....and among themselves...and then its our turn - the grandkids of the family...
then grandpa would go to his old honda kapcai, wanting to go to the mosque early for the raya prayers...and not so long after that, all the guys will make a move to go to the mosque...and the women will be preparing for the big breakfast...sometimes i would go with my grandpa so that he doesnt need to be driving (i like riding that ol bike)...sometimes i would go with one of the many cars parked in the frontyard...along the way, i would see many people on their bikes or in their cars headed d same way...i wave to everyone...it doesnt matter if i know them or not, everyone is friendly and would wave or nod back...
back from the raya prayer...its time for the big breakfast...ketupat (traditional in-the-coconut-leaf-sarung, not instant), all the rendangs, kuah kacang, sambal goreng, kueh, err...cant remember exactly what else, but definitely all d raya goodies...and we would eat together, everyone...and then we would get kids from around the kampung visiting the house...most i dont even know who they are...but my grandma would always know, "ooo, ni cucu si semah ye?" something like that...and they would chill at the living room enjoying the raya kueh in jars and after hinting for 'duit raya' (green packets with money inside), and getting them, they would soon be on their way to the next house...sometimes i wonder, these kids walk around the whole kampung??gila tabah!
i would soon go with my family to relative's and friend's houses around the area...visiting them all, catching up...enjoying the various kueh that they prepared...and go 'JACKPOT!' when i found the ones i crave for (and naturally having lots of em)...hehe...in the process of all this visiting, i also pocket some duit raya myself =) as i grow up, duit raya collection had declined dramatically, but its not all bad, coz from chinese new year, the angpow gets bigger with age =)
well...if im not going out, i will be at home watching tv or playing with my cousins and all, while finishing the jars of kueh lined up in the living room...not one set, but 2 sets of em...and my mom would always go...aiyoo, these are for guests, go grab from the kitchen if you want, leceh la always need to refill them...hehe, something like that la translation...me and my bro would also sometimes ride on my grandpa's ol bike around the kampung....go to the seaside...or juz go wandering around...go to the shop n buy ice cream or sumthin...hehe... (but we do this all the time we are at batu pahat anyway =P )
then there would be the 'bara-an' as they call it, or 'marhaban' as some would know it...its a large group of locals, about 30-50 ppl, moving from house to house...covering the whole kampung...there are the group of young guys...group of older men...the group of women...all either on motorbikes or bicycles, often that reflects on their age...they would go to one house...visiting the family...spreading some happiness and praise for Allah and the prophet...and then they would move on to the next house...of coz, these groups dont all come in one day, you will probably have the guys in one day, and the women in some other day...
i used to follow my grandpa with the old ppl's group (coz kids usually follow the old ppl)...and it can get tiring...but its a lot of fun...you get to know people from your own kampung, you make friends, you joke around, you try some specialties that the hosts would prepare for you...and if you're lucky, you get duit raya too =)
and at night, oil lamps will line up along the frontyard...there will be those colourful lights decoration...i will play with sparklers and firecrackers...and thunderclaps and airbomb and all those things...trying to beat whatever noise heard from anyone that's playing firecrackers too...trying to be the loudest...and i remember a long long long time ago...my uncles and my grandpa made this cannon out of an old coconut tree trunk...whoaahhhh...its juz all boom boom boom...
of coz, when i go back to JB from my holiday in BP, the raya mood is still on...i would be visiting my neighbours and friends and open houses and all...i would also have guests at my place...
thats how raya usually is for me when i was in malaysia...it's all different now that im not in malaysia...but its still good enuff for me...i will talk about how raya is here some other time...
juz a note, while being excited about raya, lets not forget that the curtains are slowly falling for ramadhan...lets not waste this opportunity and may this ramadhan is meaningful - only then that raya will be as glorious =)
In Malaysia
NEVER EVER have i spent the first day of raya at my own place in JB (unless i was too young to remember..ehehe)...and NEVER EVER have i spent the first day of raya not at my grandparents' place (Mom's side) at Sungai Ayam, Batu Pahat, Johor...unless, of course, i was too young to remember =P why mom's side? coz my dad is chinese mar...so there is no dilemma in where to celeb raya every year, same goes for chinese new year =)
I really like it there...traditional malay house, elevated from d ground, all made of wood...with frontyard of gravel about the width of a basketball court, but almost double in length...coconut trees lining up the sides, some other flowers, pokok ciku, some banana trees...and at the end of the frontyard, a lil wooden bridge that allows only one car to cross at a time, across a river where i used to swim in when i was younger with my bro n cuzins, connecting the house to the small, main kampung road where about a bus and a car can go side by side slowly...looking at one direction, there's a mountain - Gunung Banang...and about 1km down the road in another direction, there is the watergate where the lil river meets its taikor, where the 'kuala' part starts...with fishing boats around...and not far further, the sea....
ahhh...this post almost sounded like one about my kampung =) anyway, raya time, my grandma would wake me up very early, and i would thot that we are having sahur...haha...terbiasa puasa ma =P i would go find any available water taps to wudhu' and then perform subuh prayers...then we all would have to take turns to use the only bathroom there, and there are so many ppl..uncles and aunts...cousins in the dozens...the girls would take longer baths, naturally =P
i would go to the kitchen to see what's already prepared...knowing my granda didnt sleep all nite to cook the ketupats and all the raya delicacies...i would steal some fried potatoes and tofu that my grandma and the women in d kitchen are gonna use to make my fav sambal goreng...after i finally got to use the bathroom, i will wear my baju raya...and you see around the house filled with excitement...."mana butang baju??" "alaaa, baju x iron lagi" "mak, taknak warna ni laaa" ... the kids are noisy and a handful for their parents - parents dress up last...
when everyone is done...comes the most touching moment in the whole raya celeb...we all gather in the living room...my grandma start...she would hold n kiss the hands of my grandpa, asking for forgiveness in that special day...and my grandpa would tell her, he forgives her, and that he makes halal all the things he gave her, and he also asks for forgiveness...and then its my parents and uncs and aunts' turn to ask forgiveness from my grandma n grandpa....and among themselves...and then its our turn - the grandkids of the family...
then grandpa would go to his old honda kapcai, wanting to go to the mosque early for the raya prayers...and not so long after that, all the guys will make a move to go to the mosque...and the women will be preparing for the big breakfast...sometimes i would go with my grandpa so that he doesnt need to be driving (i like riding that ol bike)...sometimes i would go with one of the many cars parked in the frontyard...along the way, i would see many people on their bikes or in their cars headed d same way...i wave to everyone...it doesnt matter if i know them or not, everyone is friendly and would wave or nod back...
back from the raya prayer...its time for the big breakfast...ketupat (traditional in-the-coconut-leaf-sarung, not instant), all the rendangs, kuah kacang, sambal goreng, kueh, err...cant remember exactly what else, but definitely all d raya goodies...and we would eat together, everyone...and then we would get kids from around the kampung visiting the house...most i dont even know who they are...but my grandma would always know, "ooo, ni cucu si semah ye?" something like that...and they would chill at the living room enjoying the raya kueh in jars and after hinting for 'duit raya' (green packets with money inside), and getting them, they would soon be on their way to the next house...sometimes i wonder, these kids walk around the whole kampung??gila tabah!
i would soon go with my family to relative's and friend's houses around the area...visiting them all, catching up...enjoying the various kueh that they prepared...and go 'JACKPOT!' when i found the ones i crave for (and naturally having lots of em)...hehe...in the process of all this visiting, i also pocket some duit raya myself =) as i grow up, duit raya collection had declined dramatically, but its not all bad, coz from chinese new year, the angpow gets bigger with age =)
well...if im not going out, i will be at home watching tv or playing with my cousins and all, while finishing the jars of kueh lined up in the living room...not one set, but 2 sets of em...and my mom would always go...aiyoo, these are for guests, go grab from the kitchen if you want, leceh la always need to refill them...hehe, something like that la translation...me and my bro would also sometimes ride on my grandpa's ol bike around the kampung....go to the seaside...or juz go wandering around...go to the shop n buy ice cream or sumthin...hehe... (but we do this all the time we are at batu pahat anyway =P )
then there would be the 'bara-an' as they call it, or 'marhaban' as some would know it...its a large group of locals, about 30-50 ppl, moving from house to house...covering the whole kampung...there are the group of young guys...group of older men...the group of women...all either on motorbikes or bicycles, often that reflects on their age...they would go to one house...visiting the family...spreading some happiness and praise for Allah and the prophet...and then they would move on to the next house...of coz, these groups dont all come in one day, you will probably have the guys in one day, and the women in some other day...
i used to follow my grandpa with the old ppl's group (coz kids usually follow the old ppl)...and it can get tiring...but its a lot of fun...you get to know people from your own kampung, you make friends, you joke around, you try some specialties that the hosts would prepare for you...and if you're lucky, you get duit raya too =)
and at night, oil lamps will line up along the frontyard...there will be those colourful lights decoration...i will play with sparklers and firecrackers...and thunderclaps and airbomb and all those things...trying to beat whatever noise heard from anyone that's playing firecrackers too...trying to be the loudest...and i remember a long long long time ago...my uncles and my grandpa made this cannon out of an old coconut tree trunk...whoaahhhh...its juz all boom boom boom...
of coz, when i go back to JB from my holiday in BP, the raya mood is still on...i would be visiting my neighbours and friends and open houses and all...i would also have guests at my place...
thats how raya usually is for me when i was in malaysia...it's all different now that im not in malaysia...but its still good enuff for me...i will talk about how raya is here some other time...
juz a note, while being excited about raya, lets not forget that the curtains are slowly falling for ramadhan...lets not waste this opportunity and may this ramadhan is meaningful - only then that raya will be as glorious =)
Monday, October 09, 2006
Mid Ramadhan's notes...and my hearing is IMPAIRED =(
lately i have been hearing lotsa birds chirping in the morning...hehe...no, not that im waking up too early, but ive been sleeping late =P usually during ramadhan, i try to sleep early, so i can wake up for sahur, and not sleep again...but many times, i go over that sleep time, and reach point of no return, where i must stay awake till sahur, and sleep after subuh..hehe...slack...
yes, its once again ramadhan...as many wouldve already known since its already been...err, the 15th day or so of fasting...it's my 3rd time fasting overseas now...and i must say, i've learnt a lot from fasting overseas over these years...
while in malaysia, a huge deal of fasting is about the breaking of it...about what im gonna have for breaking the fast, and for sahur...sometimes not feeling content with what wudave been an ok meal on normal days...feeling the need of must having someting special...
now, partly coz of me being constantly broke...i find myself not making too much fuss of what to eat for breaking the fast in the evening...if i do complain, its no different than the usual -> bored of eating the same ol maggi or fried rice..
how shud i put it in words? hmm, now, i dont really care what i eat for buka or sahur...i mean, all my life here, i am ok with having what i have alwas had...why wud i wanna complain about it in ramadhan? why would there be need for more special food in ramadhan?
and as consequence of this, i no longer care what i eat...no, really...i discovered when i was back in malaysia for my holidays...i didnt care what my mom wud prepare...what type of vege...what type of fish...ikan bawal putih ke ikan kembung...i used to complain when i was younger "kenapa tiap2 hari mesti kena ade ikan??" (DOHHH! of coz la, papa jual ikan!)...
i'm juz thankful i have food...doesnt matter what is given to me, im thankful i have someone preparing it for me....here, doesnt matter what i come up with by mix n matching what i have in the kitchen, in my all-brokeness...i can still have a proper meal...it doesnt matter what others wanna belanja me (you???yess!!) - im thankful i have ppl that wanna treat me dinner =)
i guess, with less attention being paid at ramadhan's less important meaning (food), more resources can be spent at embracing the bigger picture of ramadhan...ibadah, patience, moderation, being thankful...after all, ramadhan is a month to train oneself in improving those aspects...well, i am learning and hopefully improving...hopefully i come out of this ramadhan, a better person than i was before i enter it...
hmmm, 2 nights ago, i was having a crazy headache...i dunno why...my gf suggested high blood pressure, coz maybe my body couldnt tolerate the saltyness of a dish i had for dinner...err, really???noooo...im too young...hey wait, cant be high BP la...i am ok in handling stress...and i eat maggi like a normal uni student...x pening pun biasanye?? (ok cik gg, sila pegi blaja lg nak jadi doktor tu yer...diagnosis salah tu =P *differential diagnosis ppl - house*)
ok, maybe my dizzyness and ketidakseimbangan badan is caused by sometin else...too much sleep? nahhh...ahah! blocked ears? (why dont i just see a doctor??)...i did a test on my ears, by turning up my headphones to loudest..and i do feel my right ear isnt hearing as loud as my left...argh...noooo...cacat....
oh ya, msa had announced its new committee =D visit here for details--> mqmsa.org
congratulations to shim and co...you all do your best for all malaysians here k? what we do in life, echoes in eternity *wink*
post-retirement life is good...i get more time to catch up with friends...been lepaking with some friends...lepaking in my room (yes room, i missed you too)...more time spent with family and ehem...and of coz, i have now more time to study =)
yes, its once again ramadhan...as many wouldve already known since its already been...err, the 15th day or so of fasting...it's my 3rd time fasting overseas now...and i must say, i've learnt a lot from fasting overseas over these years...
while in malaysia, a huge deal of fasting is about the breaking of it...about what im gonna have for breaking the fast, and for sahur...sometimes not feeling content with what wudave been an ok meal on normal days...feeling the need of must having someting special...
now, partly coz of me being constantly broke...i find myself not making too much fuss of what to eat for breaking the fast in the evening...if i do complain, its no different than the usual -> bored of eating the same ol maggi or fried rice..
how shud i put it in words? hmm, now, i dont really care what i eat for buka or sahur...i mean, all my life here, i am ok with having what i have alwas had...why wud i wanna complain about it in ramadhan? why would there be need for more special food in ramadhan?
and as consequence of this, i no longer care what i eat...no, really...i discovered when i was back in malaysia for my holidays...i didnt care what my mom wud prepare...what type of vege...what type of fish...ikan bawal putih ke ikan kembung...i used to complain when i was younger "kenapa tiap2 hari mesti kena ade ikan??" (DOHHH! of coz la, papa jual ikan!)...
i'm juz thankful i have food...doesnt matter what is given to me, im thankful i have someone preparing it for me....here, doesnt matter what i come up with by mix n matching what i have in the kitchen, in my all-brokeness...i can still have a proper meal...it doesnt matter what others wanna belanja me (you???yess!!) - im thankful i have ppl that wanna treat me dinner =)
i guess, with less attention being paid at ramadhan's less important meaning (food), more resources can be spent at embracing the bigger picture of ramadhan...ibadah, patience, moderation, being thankful...after all, ramadhan is a month to train oneself in improving those aspects...well, i am learning and hopefully improving...hopefully i come out of this ramadhan, a better person than i was before i enter it...
hmmm, 2 nights ago, i was having a crazy headache...i dunno why...my gf suggested high blood pressure, coz maybe my body couldnt tolerate the saltyness of a dish i had for dinner...err, really???noooo...im too young...hey wait, cant be high BP la...i am ok in handling stress...and i eat maggi like a normal uni student...x pening pun biasanye?? (ok cik gg, sila pegi blaja lg nak jadi doktor tu yer...diagnosis salah tu =P *differential diagnosis ppl - house*)
ok, maybe my dizzyness and ketidakseimbangan badan is caused by sometin else...too much sleep? nahhh...ahah! blocked ears? (why dont i just see a doctor??)...i did a test on my ears, by turning up my headphones to loudest..and i do feel my right ear isnt hearing as loud as my left...argh...noooo...cacat....
oh ya, msa had announced its new committee =D visit here for details--> mqmsa.org
congratulations to shim and co...you all do your best for all malaysians here k? what we do in life, echoes in eternity *wink*
post-retirement life is good...i get more time to catch up with friends...been lepaking with some friends...lepaking in my room (yes room, i missed you too)...more time spent with family and ehem...and of coz, i have now more time to study =)
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