Farming and Oranges....

There was once an occasion while I was having my cup of afternoon coffee, I over heard two ladies in their fifties chatting. One was asking the other, 'have you got the gifts I sent you?' then she continued, 'I planted new 'vege' today?' Immediately Internet Farming came into my mind, assuming the two ladies were talking about the Internet Farming. Amused, I listened to their chat while sipping my cup of coffee thinking, 'errr.... you too.... hocked on the Internet Farming?'

No wonder it was said to be the fastest growing games on Facebook and ....it seems that the impacts are on women twice as much as men.

However, the 'syok' (pleasure) of Facebook games like Farmville, Farmtown, etc... only lasted me a short while. I've not been logging in since the last FAD I had. While the rest of my Facebook pals are still posting sending and requesting items streams on Facebook, I've abandoned my farms, my city and my restaurants simultaneously :P

A housemate's friend once visited us while I was busy on my notebook asked me a kind of sarcastic question, (I think it's sarcastic because of the tone of voice she used) "Farming arrrr!?" :| I effing hate it whenever someone, somehow, somewhere thinks I'm 'Farming' whenever I'm working on my notebook.

On the other note, this still orange looking mandarin orange on the dining table however has been sitting there since before the arrival of this year's Lunar New Year. It still looks freshly orange due to preservatives ensuring the fruit does not rot- the preservatives were reported to be the culprits for sore throat and cough we commonly have after CNY festival. So, go easy on mandarin oranges.

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Stationery Fetish

My stationery fetish is a rows of different coloured pencils, coloured magic pens and coloured board markers. When I was 12, I prayed for 18 colours coloured pencils as my 12th birthday present. Unfortunately, I received none. I didn't receive any until I bought my very first set of 12 coloured pencils later with my first wage when I was 18. Okey, I know it sounded a bit pathetic. Actually I've forgotten about the 18 colours coloured pencils after that and went for watercolour for art class as soon as I entered secondary level.

The coloured pencils won't be any useful when I can paint with watercolour and it's easier too for watercolourists, so it was all watercolour through my secondary school days.

Now that I'm no longer in school, the coloured pencils fetish came back when I was at @Mybookstore one day. I saw something I'd always wanted when I was 12 except for that when I was young there wasn't any jumbo size coloured pencils.

I grasped a box without hesitation. Now, I don't even know what am I going to do with these coloured pencils yet but I'm happy like a child to have a set of 18 colours jumbo size coloured pencils :)

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I Missed July

By the time I got my fingers back on the keyboard and started typing again I realised that I've missed July. I'm not, that 'I've been lazy, been busy or neglecting jan-el.blospot.com' nor neither was I in rehab for FAD (facebook addiction disorder) or what-so-ever that had kept me away from facebook-ing or updating jan-el.blogspot.com.

Gosh! I missed crap-ing like I used to on jan-el.blogspot.com.

When I think about the word 'isolation', the song 'under the lemon tree' pops up in my head. "isolation is not good for me, isolation, I don't want to sit on a lemon tree, I'm stepping around in the desert of joy." Yeah, that kind of isolation I'm feeling right now... NOT the part, 'I've been waiting for someone but nothing happens' kind of feeling.

I feel isolated from the rest the world I once belonged. I missed.... I missed July.

You won't be reading me and the electrical towers stories on jan-el.blogspot.com like it used to be. I'm complacent and have found what I'm doing now... what I'd call my passion. The feeling, the passion I've been waiting for. Yeah, that kind of 'I've been waiting for' feeling.

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The Month Of May

This May marks my 1 year here in Sibu. Time flies eh?

Chatting with my niece one night before we both dose off and journey into our respective dreamland, she was stating my monotonous usual daily routine of, "I go to work in the morning, come home half past four in the afternoon then straight to the computer, sometimes I cook dinner, then back to the computer again after dinner and finally go to bed and the routine goes on and on...

There was never a day, I joined the party goers heading a pub in the town and drink myself drunk so I can blog about my glorious night out. Kidding! I'd rather sit at home knitting and do-cooking-cooking on my free time *Muahaha!

My 6yo nephew gave me a reference one day while I was chopping pork in the kitchen. He patted me on my backside, (as that was how high he could reach to pat instead of patting on my shoulders) saying, 'you'd make a good housewife'. He surprised nevertheless amused me. Grinning back at him, I said, 'yeah!?...' (almost wanted to ask where did he learn how to say that?) I sometimes wondering, how a nephew of mine, only a 6yo could come up with such flattering words?

Throughout the year in Sibu, I was hardly seen around socialising among the group of people. So much so that I felt life took a dash change out of a sudden and if I say, I wanted to but I could not fit into the group of people, will that only mean, 'such a fake excuse' but yet, who are those people that I can fit myself into? :) 364 days had I spent in this lonely place!

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Cross Stitching

Cross-stitch is counted-thread embroidery, any embroidery in which the fabric threads are counted by the embroiderer before inserting the needle into the fabric in which X-shaped stitches are used to form a picture. Yes, it's said to be one tedious time consuming hobby. It was my teenager days past-time hobby nevertheless where I could go on practically stitching non-stop throughout the school break.

A pastor's wife once visited our home in one of those days, used one of my cross-stitches to illustrate about life, making sense that although some people may look calm and nice on the outside, but no one knows what's in the inside of them not referring to those wolves in the sheep costumes though. She then turned the cross stitch over where knots and clutter threads revealed the opposite appearance of the beautiful cross-stitched picture. Somehow, I always remember that...

Observing my niece stitching her first cross stitch picture, from counting where the first stitch should start, keeping stitches to the same direction to picking the correct thread color according to its numbers. It does make me think, life is complicated with a busy life seems par for the course yet it should be beautifully simple!

The result. After have coached my niece with her first few stitches. She is now progressing through, neat stitching by keeping the stitch facing the same direction.

This is my niece first cross-stitch of a cartoon picture she started during her first term school break this year, she is a beginner working on beginner's Aida count fabric. It's however fun only for those who are really into it as a hobby.

6-stranded DMC cotton floss threads so far is the best brand, I've used during my teen-cross stitching days.

This cross stitching thingy somehow got me an ideal, rather than working on those designs that can be purchased for RM5 a piece from the shops, I've sourced for free downloads converting own pictures into cross-stitch graphs :) However, as I've just got started with my new excitement, it will take sometimes to materialise.

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Victoria Beckham

On CNY's eve, I had my hair washed and set at my regular hair salon for RM30 while on any normal day, it's charged at RM12. That however isn't something surprising in this part of the country I'm living in as it was how hair salon business' usually deal at festive seasons particularly at CNY! Like telling you, 'this is a festive time, fork out a little than normal if you want to look good.'

I think I blogged quiet a few about my hair on my blog as I always consider appearance about the way I look is as important as anything else in a circular surrounded by people where class is concerned although I don't usually go beyond what I can have except for always looking good.

I walked into Fabian hair stylist for my very first time in Sibu after had considering my regular hair salon isn't that up to date on the latest hairstyles and when comes to styling my hair, I usually have problems communicating with what I want in Mandarin as most hair salons in the town or most I've been to are operated by local Chinese mostly using Mandarin as their common language and from many experiences I had before, I have my hair done not according to what I've wanted it. At certain points I underestimate them for can't do it right and in order to avoid any disappointment especially on a special day. I gave Fabian a try.

After I was seated, I asked for Victoria Beckham's short hairstyle :) Fabian's professionalism and friendliness is beyond any I have ever run across not even at Alan's when I was in Miri. Next, I'd expect it will cost professional price as well but to my astonishment my Victoria Beckham's hairstyle cost me RM30 which is very reasonable considering a wash and a cut, bargaining over that price would be self-disgracing.

What's important is I have a new hairstyle which I absolutely love, and of cos I didn't dye my hair blonde like Victoria's.

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Novelty in Dreams

Today is the eve of CNY. We have decided not to hassle ourselves with the cooking and have ordered eight course meal from a restaurant for the dinner and catered some food for the open house. So, instead of looking busy, I'm rather 'restless' for feeling I'm free, free from market hassle, free from peeling onions, shallots and garlic kind of chores to get the feel of participating in CNY mood around the house.

I woke up with a mindset, 'a lot of things needed to be done...' but instead I turned on my laptop and browsing through some online news. Global financial crisis is gripping the world, tipping the world into a recession and on the earlier news 50,000 civil service contract staff to be laid off after Chinese New Year. On local Chinese daily today says, we must not use 恭喜发财 'kong sii fatt chai' this year to greet others as 'chai' has a sound alike as 'retrench' in mandarin. Hmmm...

On the other account, a night before I had a dream, I left my laptop at a bakery kitchen while attending to give new staffs some baking tips. I reached home with all kind of worries submerged in my mind all about my laptop and all important data inside. Then I had a novelty dream I frequently have with different episode of drama each time like was written in a novel, puzzled me:

Aaron was only less than a year old when I found myself pregnant again shortly after Luke has gone to a better place far away. I can't cope with the lost and was traumatised, was on the verge of a nervous breakdown when my in laws, fearing for Aaron's safety took custody over Aaron and I was not allowed to see him. From time to time, I would come by my in laws' house looking only from a distance at my son Aaron with a shattered heart. I would say, 'my baby will never going to know that I'm his mom.' As time passes, my second child was born and before I had the chance to take a real good look at it, it was taken away by my in laws leaving me not even knowing what's my baby's gender and its name. My sister in law was a vicious woman.

One day, I came by demanding my in laws to return my children to me. My sister in law stood in the way threatening me with all kinds of malicious acts. That was the first time I saw my second child, it's a boy and he has one lazy eye. Aaron was playing in the yard, he has grown up so much and has started running. Looking at Aaron, I suddenly uttered out, 'Aaron has a look exactly just like Luke, he is so handsome.'

I don't know the drama's ending but it goes along with fighting for custody over my children. In real life, there is no Aaron, no Luke and no vicious in laws neither do I read emotional books except for John Crisham's books and motivational books neither do I have been watching a lot of emotional drama movies to have caught in such a dream. Oh, what a dream. Yeah! I said that myself when I woke up with heart palpitation, what a dream! The night before, I had a dream I was chased by a group of mob..... with machine guns, hand grenades and a lot of chasing and a night before, I was telling God, he doesn't care as much anymore.

This morning, I heard my 5yo nephew muttered, 'Oh, my gawd!' while he was on his computer game and puzzled me, where did he learn that from?

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Tears In My Eyes...

My eyes fixed on the screen in front of me, the tears that welled in my eyes a second ago flow slowly down my cheeks when I saw a tiny hand reached out from a cut open belly of a woman during surgery. It gripped the forefinger of a doctor that stunned him for a second. In his witty, explicit medical terms, a below 18 weeks old fetus is not human, but fetus, tumor, and parasite in her as he put it in persuading the woman to abort the child that has been diagnosed to have threatened to claim her life if she continues with her pregnancy. She refused to give the consent to terminate the child, Dr. House corrected her, 'it's fetus!'... the ending was both mom and child were saved, a child was born. Well that was Dr. Gregory House if you want to know. One of my favorite on Astrol.

I woke up to find it's a good news, Obama sworn in as 44th president. First ever black, 'and its first African-American leader' as BBC put it. He isn't very black as he's mixed of black and white parentage. However, giving a hope with his plans for the US economy and the ending of the war in Iraq. He is expected to earmark billions of US dollars for stem-cell research, advancing a field of medicine that promises the end of misery for millions of people worldwide.... I have tears in my eyes.

While outside the house, the high pressure cleaner spraying sound is loud indicating a conscious of the need to keep up the good appearance of the house during Chinese new year, clean new look as Chinese are preparing themselves to welcome the lunar new year. Less then a week to go, three more days to be precise to Chinese new year's eve big dinner, where kong kong, po po, uncles, aunties, big and small nieces and nephews come around, dinner would be served like every year with auspicious prosperity-eight to everlasting-nine course meal to welcome the new year, this remains the important event in most Chinese homes.

A Bintulu's friend just informed me Sibu-Bintulu road is inaccessible following these few days heavy pour. He may need to fly home. I once heard on the local radio, weeks away from CNY on a Chinese channel broadcast saying, to all 'dear beloved children, please make the effort to go home to be with your parents this CNY.' That somehow one reminder don't forget them. Have a great CNY, everyone.

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Light Brown, I Love My Hair Color!

It's durian season again!
When durian season comes in Sibu the scenario 'durian everywhere' can be seen around the town.

Early in the afternoon durian vendors come out and occupying parking lots where the crowd are to sell their durians. Durian everywhere!

***

I love my hair color!
My hair usually grow out very fast and naturally curly, I think I've blogged a lot about my hair and rebonding on my blog on the regrets and so forth after my hairdo. I had a total makeover and cut my hair really short on auspicious day of 080808 at my first salon in Sibu and on certain occasions I wish I still have my long straight rebonded hair :)

I went back for the second time to the same salon and had my hair steamed to maintain my hair silky smooth.

After the hairdo :)

Under the bright lights turn my hair silky light brown ;)

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Total Makeover

On an auspicious day of 080808, I went for a total makeover ;) to my first salon in Sibu.

I am satisfied with the way Ann's Salon handles my hair, did a treatment on my bristle hair, a cut and rebonding that charged me the service worth paying for.

After four and a half hours at Ann's Salon... I have a new look ;)

And I reached home just in time for the Olympic Opening Night. And I've got to share, China Olympic Opening was the great and I was touched albeit it unnecessary rumors flying around the globe on $45bln spent on so forth.

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An Old Photo

I was browsing through an old family photo album one day and looking through our childhood old photos. Most of my growing up times were spent in Sarikei. And I can still remember well where and when were most of the photos taken as I stroll down the memory lane.

This one particular photo caught my attention. We were at a neighbour kid's birthday party at Sarikei and I've got naturally curly hair ;) I still remember it well, how I used to love my orange dress my mom made me that I wore it every alternate day. It was a nice lace dress I've got :)

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Birthday

I've been procrastinating...
Reached workplace this morning to find I had a flat tyre. Probably I was driving on the flat tyre that caused damage to it when I was informed I need a new tyre after my colleague sent to fix it at the nearby workshop. One good news is, I got the tyre replaced for free :)

I tried to sleep in on Sunday as much as I needed plenty of sleep lately but woke up when I suddenly remember B-dog is probably waiting for her food at the door like she often does in the morning. After I made her something to eat, I went back to my room, switched on the TV and lie down on my bed for a while.

I heard the incoming message ringtone on my phone, couldn't be bothered much. It's probably Hotlink spamming my handphone again with their don'tknowwhat offers (I've been receiving Hotlink messages like few times a day and it's annoying)

Mom's the first to call that morning to wish me happy birthday, followed by smses from dad and my sis... and messages from few friends, and a message 'see you at 6.30pm...' Aww! another year older.

Thank you all for your birthday wishes and lovely messages on my fb, smses and messages left on my blog.

We had Siamese food that evening, some chilled red wine to go along and lovely birthday gifts :) thank you Lyn, thank you zie for the gifts.

Thank you, darling!

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:)

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Henna My Hair Brown

It was those times, I wasn't working but catching the Columbian telenovela on TV3 a lot in the afternoon on the couch at home although couldn't understand any word they were saying but reading on the Malay subtitle to follow with the movie. I was so much into their way of fashion, hairstyles and hair color.

Henna brown highlights
I love having my hair highlighted, strip color brown, blond over black hair over and over again. But believe me I don't spend a lot on coloring and highlighting each time except for rebonding and straightening which left me sad most of the time after the procedures especially the hair thinning look. Not kindda of thinning hairstyle can completely alter the look but it's more like losing lot of hair.

My first hair highlights turned out to have my boss telling me 'you look like those girls at 'warong' (food stall) 'puo'k kampua' (in foochow making foochow's dry noodles)' I think he meant Lala or Ah Lian. It was a miserable mixed color more like of yellow dead weeds on my head.

An Iban girl.
When I was a kid, those who have yellow hair are those kids exposing themselves too much under the hot sun. Thus when I saw one later, what come to my mind was an Iban boy I knew from school who had spent many hours with his parents on their farm during school breaks and returned to school with his sunburn damaged hair and darkened skin. But today that sort of color is a trend for young people.

It was in Kuching later I found out my Malay friends don't buy over-the-counter dye colors to color their hair instead they use inai (henna). Inai is known to me for Menhdi (Malay weddings hands tattoos) but not as hair dye until not only my Malay friends use them as hair dye, my Indian friends and a lecturer and a friend from UITM who told me about inai hair colors.

Inai (Henna) is an all-natural, safe hair dye that permanently colors hair without harsh chemicals.

Henna leave produces a red-orange dye molecule, this molecule has an affinity for bonding with protein, and thus has been used to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather, silk and wool. (wiki) Henna does not leave my hair dry. According to resources I found, henna is commercially cultivated in western India, Pakistan, Morocco, Yemen, Iran, Sudan and Libya. Presently the Pali district of Rajasthan is the most heavily cultivated henna production area in India, with over 100 henna processors operating in Sojat City.

Interesting, in the Bible's Song of Songs and Song of Solomon, henna is referred to as Camphire was used as hair dye from as early as in the Bible times.

Henna has many traditional and commercial uses, the most common being as a dye for hair, skin and fingernails, as a dye and preservative for leather and cloth, and as an anti-fungal.
The only place I know where to get henna hair dye in Kuching is, (they are available plentifully) at India Street, Kuching in any one of those Indian spices shops near Kuching Waterfront for only less then RM2.00 or most per-pack or 6 packages in a box. Henna is approved by Malaysia Ministry of Health as safe to use products. (get a genuine with Export Quality label on it)

Try this mixture for better result:

Henna powder, warm water, lime juice 1 teaspoon. Stir into thick paste. Lime juice is added to help release the color. Let it stand for at least once hour before applying on your hair.

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We Can Make A Change

A friend called out of a sudden and invited me out for dinner, I was prepared to cook at home for my housemates.

Me: I'm going out to see a friend...
Housemate: Will you be long...?
Me: I may join her for dinner.
Housemate: Have you cooked?
Me: Yeah, I've cooked the rice in the pot.
Housemate: (sad look on his face) Oh, but I don't want to eat alone...
Me: *---*

Today, is the day! Most Malaysians will be heading to polling stations where they were stationed to cast their vote. I just can't wait to know the results. Everyone (maybe not everyone) most probably will be sitting right in front of a TV or radio to catch the broadcast of election results this evening. So, who have you voted? I want to see changes in the country. Don't you?

I was reading maimun's blog earlier on. She is the oldest candidate in the general election. Amazing and interesting, she has her own Facebook networking profile, a Gmail account, and even her own blog and she is a 89 year old nenek (Grandma).

Apo kono eh Tok Mun, bilo Tok minat kat politik???

I saw Pisaca Web Album on Maimun's blog. Clicked on the sign-in and found out I've got an account with Pisaca Web Album which I've forgotten long time ago and had uploaded a lot of photos.

Impressed by the grandma's enthusiasm I was made even ashamed of myself. First, for didn't make an effort to be at the polling station at 500km away from where I am to cast my vote. Second, I do not have the passion like the grandma's who wishes to see changes in her state (Terengganu) to the extend she cycles around her kampung campaigning although I heard a lot about Sarawak and it bad site of the politics. She is one of the women of courage like Deborah in the Old Tastement who fought for her own race and country.

I stared blank into the sky this morning, hoping to see changes for better Sarawak after today's polling day. Every vote counts. Every state matters. Everyone’s needs are important and should be addressed. When the country is prosper, people are happy.

Like of someone describes life's happiness lies beyond the clouds, happiness lies above the sky.

At Bukit Telaga Minyak, Miri or better known as Canada Hill.

Behind me is the Grand Old Lady (built in 1910) The first oil well drilled by Shell, and is now a state monument and one of Miri's tourist attractions.
Looking at what we have in Sarawak. Our economy is largely dependent on its rich natural resources like oil. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate to what we have and what the country is able to provide.

***Web's Article***

• Sarawak's Endangered Peoples a wanted man in his own country, a Sarawakian that still live in exile.
  

"What could you possibly learn from those people? How will you talk to them? Are you crazy? Those people are just tribal people".

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