bujanglapok 2009

We have moved!

2009-09-18T19:51:00.002+08:00

finally! my new blog's set up. check it out at teacherhafiizh.blogspot.com

Revamp alert

2009-05-10T21:59:00.002+08:00

It's days before my wedding. Instead of worrying or preparing, I decide to avoid all that and think about perhaps launching a new blog.

After all, I can't very well remain bujanglapok after I get hitched.

2009-05-09T19:19:00.003+08:00

Today my tuition kid asked me if I auditioned for Anugerah (Malay TV's singing competition) today. For no apparent reason.

Art As It Is Special

2009-05-06T23:00:00.005+08:00

With my impending wedding date nearing, I have to get through the semestral case conferences. Part of my job is to update what the kids have done in my class and the photos below are, in a sense, part of my portfolio.

A big part of my work the last term was to teach the kids to use scissors and glue. What better way then to have the kids practice on mosaics?

So after they mastered the art of cutting and pasting, it was time to move from the abstract to more conventional designs.

Some of the works-in-progress....

And the more complete ones.

Notjog

2009-05-02T22:57:00.004+08:00

Today I planned to go out jogging. For the first time after so long, I finally had time to run just before maghrib. I came back after tuition, put my bag down, turned on the computer and take a quick break.

Next thing I know when I look out the window the sun had set.

It has begun

2009-04-27T22:48:00.001+08:00

Tomorrow I will sign papers at the ROMM.

Watchmen

2009-02-28T23:26:00.002+08:00

I was walking along the corridor when my phone rang and an unfamiliar number flashed across the screen. Against my better judgement I thought I would answer it anyway. It turned out to be some woman named Suzanne who wanted to know if she was talking to a Mr Hafez.

Then it started to get weird. Did I take a picture of myself jumping? With my hands up in the air?

That telemarketer-like call turned out to be Suzanne Walker from 91.3fm. She was calling me to tell me that I had won tickets to watch Watchmen this coming Monday. Apparently without my knowledge Sidah and Khairul had endeavoured to send in an entry for a contest to the station. They did this just hours before while I was stuck in the meeting.

The contest was to send in photos of people in the most superheroic poses they could find. I don't think mine was the best - but it was good enough to win the pair of tickets. More importantly it was for a movie I really wanted to watch.

Let's hope it's half as good as the comic.

Term 1 Week 5 Report

2009-02-02T23:54:00.003+08:00

After the thankfully short CNY work week, I find myself at the mid-point of the first term. It's a good time as any to reflect on the progress we've made.

Amazingly the first delivery of our stationery supplies only arrived today! All this while we have been making do with whatever paints, paper, brushes, stamps or recycled materials that we could get our hands on.

Not to mention that we were supposed to only start on the fourth week but we already had students coming into our Prevoc room on the 2nd week. It's all been a mad rush since then.

Even so Yazid managed to prepare bookmarks for the Parent's Orientation two weeks after we started.

He also got the kids to decorate these paper boxes.

My kids were learning to stamp on markings made on paper. With a little bit of marker and the photostating machine, pretty soon I had strips of flowers ready to be made into bookmarks.

After that it was just a matter of laminating and threading ribbon through them and there you have it.

The students under me were also dabbling with paper mache. Unfortunately the first few attempts did not turn out like they should.

In case you are wondering, that was supposed to be a huge heart. So I thought I would go back to the basics and make simple round shapes from balloons.

Apparently big shapes are harder to pull off so I finally managed to get them to make my valentine hearts.

I still haven't decided what I would do with them. Maybe fill them up with something and seal them to make paperweights probably.

Have a happy valentines!

What Time Is It – HSM2

2009-02-01T12:34:00.006+08:00

Rules:
1. Put your music on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
I Want It All – HSM3 Soundtrack

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Watch The World Burn – Hans Zimmer

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Get Back – Demi Lovato (I didn't even know I had this song)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Right Now (Na na na na) - Akon (Yeah baby, I wanna make love!)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Harvey Two-face – Hans Zimmer (Hahaha you got to love Zimmer's song titles)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Vespertillo – Hans Zimmer (I don't even know wat this means - but it's heroic)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Bust It Baby – Plies ft Ne-Yo (LOL)

WHAT IS 2+2?
I Don’t Care – Fall Out Boy (That's right)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
I Will Survive - Cake

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
High School Musical – HSM3 (Ahahahahaha)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Hot n Cold – Katy Perry (Interesting)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Always a Catch – Hans Zimmer (I guess I don't wanna grow up!)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Love You More – The Streets (Ceh)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Just Dance – Lady Gaga (Double ceh)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Aggressive Expansion – Hans Zimmer (Very interesting)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Teenage Love Affair – Alicia Keys (Ok Sidah's gonna kill me)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Like a Dog Chasing Cars – Hans Zimmer (Huh?)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Dangerous – Akon ft Kardinal

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Thunder – Boys Like Girls

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Give It To Me - Madonna

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Blood on My Hands – Hans Zimmer (Wahahahaha *evil laugh*)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Next Plane Home – Daniel Powter (Oooooh)

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Decode – Paramore (Finally paramore!)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Make It Mine – Jason Mraz

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Whatever You Like – T.I. (Cheers to independence and trust)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
A Little Push – Hans Zimmer (Apaseh?)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
When There Was Me and You – HSM1 (Heh)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Introduce a Little Anarchy – Hans Zimmer (Cool)

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, WHEN YOU MEET YOUR BOSS?
I Hate This Part – Pussycat Dolls (Hahahaha I can imagine)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
What Time Is It – HSM2

Prevoc @ Yishun Park

2009-01-07T21:42:00.003+08:00

So it's a new year and a new term. I am also starting a new adventure setting up a Prevoc Department in Yishun.

The aim is to have the kids produce craft products such as cards or bookmarks. We are also looking into services that they can provide such as simple delivery to classes. Basically they would be applying the skills they learnt in class in the prevoc room and showcase their contributions.

So this is my new room. That's my AM co-teacher Yazid.

We decided to go with a round-table concept - like King Arthur.

I will be in the afternoon session so I am looking forward to waking up late. The earliest I have to be in school is 10:30. Who knows, I may even squeeze in a morning run before school?

Right.

Iphone Problems and FIxes

2008-12-17T12:26:00.004+08:00

I can't tell you how much I treasure my iPhone. Once you get the hang of it, it's very tough to put it down. However, it's definitely not perfect. Here are some tips I've learnt from experience. Hopefully it'll help because the net is THE place for troubleshooting tips.

Turn off 3G and GPRS

Turning off 3G should be your very first step unless you have a huge (also known as expensive) data plan. When I first got the phone and I asked the sales person how to switch off 3G, he told me it wasn't possible. I dunno if he was just misinformed or was following company protocol. Let's hope it was not the latter.

Go to SETTINGS >> GENERAL >> NETWORK >> ENABLE 3G. Just switch it off. For the more visual people out there, refer to this.

Don't activate your GPRS. Usually you'd have to reply to a sms and save settings the returned sms. Since the iPhone does not support MMS, who needs GPRS.

You definitely want to avoid horror stories like this and this.

Free iTunes account

Unless you want to jailbreak the phone, you would want an iTunes account. This would let you download free apps from the app store. You would need a credit card (debit card not accepted) if you want to buy paid apps.

Basically download iTunes. Click on iTunes store and make sure your country at the bottom of the page is set to Singapore or the US. Then click on a free app and proceed to download it. You'll get a prompt to sign in or sign up for new account. Sign up for it and make sure u click payment option as NONE.

See here if you are lost.

When I first tried it, it gave me this error message “You did not complete the entire form. Please enter your credit card number. The credit card expiration date you entered ha already passed. Please enter a valid expiration date.” I gave up and cursed iTunes. A few days later I tried again and suddenly it worked. I did nothing different, so I guess if it doesn't work you just have to be patient. I wished I could be more helpful but there you go.

iTunes and syncing

A major, major bugbear to me because I faced so much difficulty loading songs into my iPhone. In fact 3 days after use, I was trying to update my firmware to v. 2.2 and thanks to syncing problems, my iPhone turned into iBrick. I had to go back to Singtel to get it reset.

Apparently the root cause of all of this lies in the fact that it is definitely USB-port-related. From what I've read it seems that it has to do with the iPhone drawing power from your USB ports.

In my case, the solution was plugging the cable to the ports at the back of my computer as opposed to the front. The back ports were better powered than the front.

Other solutions included unplugging any USB mouse and plugging it again (for laptops mostly), plugging in USB drives on another port and transferring a file to the computer from the drive while iTunes and the iPhone was trying to sync and basically unplugging all USB connected devices.

Apps autoclose themselves

This problem happens when you sync to 2 or more computers with iTunes.

After my phone became an iBrick and I reset it, I tried downloading songs on iTunes on Sidah's computer instead. Worked perfectly. (This was before I discovered I could just plug the USB at the back instead of the front.) Then I opened an app and it closed within 2-3 seconds. WTH.

The solution? If you are syncing with 2 or more computers you need to authorize-deauthorize all the computers u are syncing on. When in iTunes, click STORE>>DEAUTHORIZE. Then click STORE>>AUTHORIZE and sign in with your iTunes account. Once it is authorized, sync again with your iPhone. When you unplug it, it should be functioning fine.

Hope this helps!

Investing Tip 1

2008-11-17T23:57:00.000+08:00

The logical way to fight generational risk is to borrow money to make large, regular investments in stocks while young, then use a proportion of later savings to pay back the loan rather than to pile into the stock market in middle age. That sounds risky, but it is, in fact, exactly what people do in the housing market. Knowing that they will need a place to live all their lives, they tend to buy a small house and gradually trade up to a bigger one, paying off their mortgages only late in life.

Taken from here.

I'll have to remember this.

bujanglapok@kooshi

2008-11-12T10:57:00.000+08:00

Sigh Sidah is addicted to lingerie! She seriously buys one every fortnight, no kidding. One of her favourite shops is the kooshi online store. So once a brick-and-mortar shop opened up in parkway parade, there we were among the first shoppers to be at the grand opening.

I looked pensive because I was thinking of things I could have bought with the money instead.

And yes, these are the official photos of the opening taken from their facebook site.

In Conversation

2008-10-04T18:36:00.005+08:00

I recently have started dabbling in shares and stocks of our local STI. A friend of mine was surprised to hear this especially with all the negative sentiment right now of the economic turmoil. I explained to her that sometimes when the market is bad, it's a huge opportunity to buy shares and wait until the economy recovers and reap the gains.

She got very interested and started asking me how shares work. As expected she asked if it was halal because it sounded very much like usury. That led to my explanation of how money isn't really money, money is actually debt. If you really thought about it, we are all living in an age of usury and there is nothing we can do about it, sadly.

I doubt very much she understood most of what I was saying but I think she got an inkling of what I was trying to convey. She went quiet for a while, probably thinking of something to say.

"So....what else is new in your life?"

"Don't you have my blog address? Everything's there, with pictures even!"

"Yeah I know, I saw." she laughed. "I miss talking to you, though. You sound so much smarter in person."

"C*&%*@."

The Proposal

2008-07-26T20:36:00.003+08:00

Ah ok sorry guys for the late update.

So as we set off from our little picnic island, we took a little toilet break at a little marina they called One Degree Fifteen .

So then we were moored off just behind Sentosa's Songs of the Sea. Sidah didn't know it yet but it was here that I was going down on bended knee.

I'd say my timing was just perfect.

After the light show Sidah was still in a state of shock. She kept staring at the ring.

Here was what Sidah was staring at.

While I was watching the show.

So finally we said goodbye to our captain and crew.

And took the bridge to get to Vivocity.

On hindsight, the walk was a bad idea. We should just have taken a cab. We just had to end the night with cake.

After that it was a nice private ride on the London Cab back to her place.

Henderson Waves

2008-06-03T18:16:00.000+08:00

I am sure you must have heard about the trail that stretches 9km from West Coast Park all the way to Vivocity. I considered walking the whole route but then I unconsidered it just as quickly.

The Henderson Waves is one of the highlights of the route so Sidah and I decided that we would just go there today and break up the rest of the routes on other days. Basically the Waves bridges Telok Blangah and Mount Faber. Of the two hills, Telok Blangah has always been my favourite so we decided to cross from there.

The view is always nice from up high.

Unfortunately I prefer if there were no other people around. It was hard to take pictures.

We just clicked in between the lulls in human traffic.

There are photo opportunities everywhere. I love the design and wooden construction.

We basicallly stayed at that one section because we didn't want strangers in our photos. And we wanted to be free to express ourselves without looking silly.

Of course you keep the nice shots and delete the ugly ones. Thank God for digital photos.

Over on the Mount Faber side, there is a nice little corner to eat and snap.

There's also a small little trail which leads to this quaint little bench.

Felt a bit sad to walk away in the end.

It's a lovely little bridge to visit.

How I Proposed

2008-05-28T23:20:00.010+08:00

Some time ago Arzme related to me a conversation he had with Sidah. Apparently somehow they ended up talking about proposals. She didn't expect me to propose since it was clear we had already applied for a flat together. That's the Singapore way, after all.

We had to postpone our anniversary celebrations this year thanks to our hectic work schedule. She probably hated that because I know she's the sentimental type. Now at this point I thought, hmm I should go all out and make it a day to remember. And I needed a ring.

Now for twenty-odd years of my life I've never bought a ring. Previously I did have rings but they were Captain Planet rings I (sigh) stole from supermarkets. I blame the bad crowd I was with during that time. The pakaging for those toys also made it too easy to just nick it from the toy figures.

Anyway this was the fourth ring I bought in a matter of months this year. It was the cheapest of the four but definitely the shiniest.

So I had been trying to find a nice dining place but they were either too expensive or too common. Also I needed a private space to propose. Nothing seemed right. So I just junked the dining option. That made it so much easier. I'd just propose on a boat!

That was how I found myself at the edge of the island in Tuas. This was where Raffles Marina was. I didn't even know there was a marina there.

It was here that I found a boat. It was also the cheapest boat I found. It looked like a gift of God but I think perhaps it was just a trick of the lighting.

So we were all set for Saturday. Or so I thought.

On Friday afternoon, Raffles Marina called to tell me that their boat broke down. So now I had to get another boat within the next 24 hrs. Drama!

I did manage to get another boat. A better boat..... a more expensive boat. So on Saturday morning I found myself in another marina to settle the new boat stuff, rush to Bugis to shop for my sailing outfit and then get back to bathe and get ready.

I managed all this without much trouble. I actually had time to sit down a while to watch tv. That turned out to be a bad idea, cos ironically I Propose was on. The guy even stole my idea to propose on a boat!

He even got the same bloody blue box. Copycat.

Anyway at 4pm I was waiting under her block in a London cab. Somehow I knew she was very surprised....

and worried at the same time.

She got over it fairly quickly.

Once we reached the marina, the cam-whoring began.

Here was the boat. No regrets in the end.

It was a beautiful day as we left the marina.

We joined the captain on the top deck.

We picked up speed as we left harbour with the wind in our hair.

Sorry, her hair.

We passed some familiar sights along the way.

Otherwise we just sat back and enjoyed the ride.

We went back below to check out the rest of the boat. We were still making good speed.

This was the corridor to the bedroom.

The door led to the attached bathroom.

This was the main bedroom.

I noticed we were slowing down so I went outside to check. Land ho! We've arrived.

This was the view from the captain's deck.

Here was the view from inside our cabin.

While captain and crew were busy mooring us to the jetty, I was playing Captain.

Then Sidah plak sibuk-sibuk.

So I reported her to the Captain.

So we both ended up being thrown off the boat.

Luckily we brought ice cream.

So we had a little picnic.

And sat back to enjoy the sunset.

Before too long it was already time to leave.

We had to say goodbye to our own little private retreat.

We were still only halfway through our trip though. Look out for the next entry coming soon....

Happy Birthday Khairul

2008-05-13T21:55:00.005+08:00

I used to have everyone's birthdays diligently noted in my computer. Chicks love it when a guy takes the effort to remember. Unfortunately the crash of 2005 meant I lost everything.

That loss was felt yet again this year when we couldn't remember Khai's birthdate. We were divided between the pro-thirteenths and cannotbethirteenths. In the end we celebrated his birthday with durian cake and his neon-green G-shock gift a day early yesterday on the 12th.

That meant that we had to come up with some way to commemorate today. The birthday boy even came prepared with a change of clothes. I guess he was expecting some sort of hydrotherapy. The truth was we had no idea what to do.

Cue newspaper and masking tape.

Halfway through our mission, we were caught in the act. Khai came at us with his supersoaker. He was still on the clock so he couldn't leave the school compound so we just took cover behind the car. We managed to finish that side before we made our great escape.

Happy birthday to our brudder Khai.

March Holidays

2008-03-07T23:00:00.003+08:00

I cannot imagine working in a job where there are no school holidays. I am so used to slogging for 10 weeks and then taking a break from all that is school.

The unofficial farewell committee organized a BBQ to say goodbye to ...um... I kinda lost track of who was saying goodbye. The point is we had food and it was delicious.

It took a while to get started though. We didn't have those pits you usually find at the east coast.

Some people also didn't really understand what BBQ food was.

For satay however, everyone naturally went into the squatting position and knew what to do. And they say we don't have culture.

Eventually people realized there were chairs.

Most were there for the food and company...

... others had karaoke on their mind.

There was also some poolside entertainment.

It was too dark and too censored to show you what happened. In the end two wet guys ended up eating up what was left of the food. Enough said.

Happy Holidays!

Many Happy Returns

2008-02-13T13:00:00.002+08:00

Thought I'd just devote a short entry to all those who bought me gifts for my birthday. I don't usually get many gifts (since I don't really give them either hehehe) but this year I received more than I usually would have. I guess the buoyant economy played a part.

So thanks to my old friends who still remembered. Thanks for the offers of birthday makan treats, sorry that my day was fully booked. We'll work it out later I guess. Even my family got me something. Sidah, as usual, spent way too much on me once again. And finally thanks for all the sms-es.

I am so glad that my friends at work didn't realize it was my birthday until it was too late. Still, I guess I could have done without the last-minute gift.

Bujanglapok Learns To Cook

2008-02-10T16:23:00.001+08:00

So much for updating my blog regularly. My first entry for the new year is in February!

2008 has been much much busier workwise than 2007. I actually volunteered to take charge of publishing a newsletter for my school. I should have known how much more it was than publishing oh say, a blog. Anyway 3 more pages and we'll be ready to go to print!

Here's a preview of the front page.

Class-wise I am also doing Adaptive Living Skills (ADL) for the semester. ADL is fancy special education teacher talk for cooking class. We've done milkshakes, cheeseburgers, hot dogs and chocolate-covered bananas.

The last were a total failure. Don't get me wrong - they tasted great but the presentation left a lot to be desired.

I had the chocolate and honeystars.

I had a bright idea to freeze the bananas. My mistake was putting them in the freezer instead of the normal compartment.

See for yourself.

I still went ahead with it. They tasted great but definitely not appetizing enough.

My other projects went much better. Look how cool and organized my two workstations are for cheeseburgers or hot dogs. I forget which.

Wish I could show you the end products but good things never last long enough for pictures....

RCBS @ St James

2008-01-28T23:55:00.003+08:00

I think every few months we say goodbye to some of our colleagues. It's sad but the turnover in special ed and Rainbow Centre in particular is a bit on the high side. I blame the low pay. People expect us to be equally or better paid than mainstream teachers but the reality cannot be further from the truth.

There are reasons to stay though. The kids for one thing. For me, a big reason why I still am in this line is because it's so hard to find colleagues like the ones in Balestier.

And they sure like to party. Even a farewell can be turned into an occasion. Who wouldn't like to makan?

I think this is the first time our principal joined us to say goodbye. She resisted so far because it might seem that she's actually encouraging us to leave. Hehehe.

Of course after she left, it was time to party!

This is my favourite picture for the night.

Sidah's Sky Birthday

2008-01-15T22:00:00.001+08:00

January has dreadful weather. I was riding to Jurong to pick up Sidah and I got caught in heavy rain. By the time I reached her place, I was drenched to the skin. Not a good start to any date, especially when I was planning to surprise her with a birthday Sky Dining experience!

It was a nerve-racking ride to Vivocity. Sidah still thought we were headed there to visit a photography exhibition. She only realized it as we walked to harbourfront centre and I waved the receipt in front of her.

As part of the package we got a complimentary ride to the station at Mount Faber from Harbourfront. Sidah managed to get over her huge shock to start taking the first pictures.

She regretted not charging her camera to the max. I mean, you won't expect to take many pictures at a photography exhibition after all.

We were a few minutes early for the 6pm start. So we wandered around the Jewel Box area.

Basically Sky Dining is just putting a table into a cable car and serving us a course at each stop at Mt Faber station. Think of it as a very scenic, private dining experience.

It's a lovely idea! Cheers to whoever thought of it.

The food is not halal-certified as they serve wine. They gave the usual no-pork-no-lard assurance. First course is the Cream of Tomato Soup served with Garlic Crostini.

I thought it was nice, but then again I was starving! It was a good start because who wants to eat when there's a lovely sunset to snap as your background.

It was also nice to laugh at people who were still stuck in the office. You could actually see some in meetings while you are dining.

One reason I made it a point to go early was to catch the sunset.

I am so glad the weather held. It was slightly cloudy but the cool weather in exchange was a fair trade.

About half an hour later, we were back at Mount Faber to have our 2nd course. There were 2 options on the menu and I ordered both so we could share.

Pan-fried Dory Fish Fillet in Cajun Spice
Served with sauteed garden vegetables and mashed potatoes

Grilled Chicken with Pommery Mustard Jus
Served with sauteed garden vegetables and potatoe Wedges

I wanted to tuck in straight away!

Sidah however wanted to take pictures of the dishes first.

I had to wait quite a while before she let me tuck in.

I was so glad when she was finally done and I could take a bite.

Verdict : Good!

Earlier the staff at Mt Faber station took a picture of us. We were then presented with copies of the pictures in different sizes. They also put the pictures into keychains! They let us make up our minds at the end of the trip if we wanted to purchase them. A cheaper option is to just ask the guys at the other stops to take it with your own camera.

Sidah still bought the package for its sentimental value though. Oh well.

Final course is the Apple Crumble Served with strawberry coulis. I hated it. I wanted to throw it out the window. Sidah thought it was ok.

Fortunately I bought a cake from the same restaurant so at least I didn't go hungry during dessert.

Happy birthday!

Again we didn't get to eat it until we finished taking pictures.

All in all a memorable night.

We still got one more ride to the Harbourfront after they removed the tables but you can just pretend you misunderstood the instructions and take another extra round. Might as well get your money's worth! I only wish I had brought my own tub of ice cream....

Little Miracles Reunion

2008-01-10T20:00:00.005+08:00

I can't believe it was in 2004 when I went to Surin, Thailand as part of a YEP expedition. Save for Colin and the occasional bump-ing into some of them by accident, I hadn't seen most every since.

So it was nice to finally gather for a Little Miracles mini-reunion of sorts.

The guys ending up sharing business plans. I have no idea what the girls talked about. There were promises to go up to Melaka or plan some other expedition.

Who knows if anything would materialize? At the very least it was nice seeing them all again. Ah those good old days...

Updates

2007-11-18T23:11:00.001+08:00

I know I haven't been updating this blog. It hasn't been because of the lack of content though. I've just been so busy lately.

I finally found the time to make some entries, so here they are.

True Colours Concert

Raya RCBS

Number 1 Costumes

Chocolate Buffet

Fullerton Chocolate Buffet

2007-11-18T21:28:00.001+08:00

I really liked what they did to the old Fullerton Post Office. It's just as lovely inside as out.

Even the roof is so grand.

Yet this time I wasn't there to just sibuk-sibuk hang out at the lobby as a cheap date. We were actually there to do some dining.

Of course what chocolate buffet is complete without a 5-tiered fountain!

The food looked even more enticing when they were on our plates.

The rest of the pictures show a disturbing trend. Eat-pose-eat-pose-eat-pose and so on...

When they finally chased us out at 9.50pm (the buffet closed at 9.30pm), it was a beautiful night outside.

The pictures were blurry. I blame the sugar for shaky hands and fidgety subjects.

It was only some time later that the effect wore off and we could sit still to snap a picture. We even asked a non-sugar-enhanced stranger to take it. As you can see, it worked!

Number 1 Costumes

2007-11-05T23:01:00.001+08:00

Yazid, Sidah and I ended up one night at No. 1 Costumes at the Beach Road area. While they went off looking for nautical-themed costumes, I amused myself with their selection of hats.

Sidah completed her Gypsy-pirate costume.

Yazid was far less glamourous.

Spinach only made his pants smaller.

Meanwhile, I found a hat.

Then a cape to match.

Meanwhile Sidah found some boots.

I think they really go with what I was wearing though.

Yellow is so not my colour.

Raya RCBS 2007

2007-11-03T23:59:00.001+08:00

Rainbow Centre Balestier jalan raya!

This year we didn't take the bus, but squeezed into 3 cars. We also held it right after this year's AGM. So the bunch of us were in full raya dress at the early Saturday meeting.

Our first stop was Arzme's. His was the first house by the virtue that he needed to go home to take his samping.

Next, we made our way to our Boss' place. Peggy, Fairuz and I chose to walk rather than squeeze. The house was about 3 carparks away yet we three still managed to get lost.

From Jurong we crossed the island to get to Pasir Ris. This was Senior Teacher Syifaa's house.

Wan moved for the first picture. So I took revenge for the second.

Finally.

Next senior teacher's house is Siti! We played Find-the-18-cats at her place.

None of the cats wanted their picture taken.

We went to Eipic Coordinator Izah's house. By then though we were so tired we forgot to take a group photo. My excuse was I wanted to rush to the next house to catch Man U vs Arsenal.

I'm so glad Talib had cable.

Finally, the last stop was our own Head of Programme, Shah!

Every house had food, and all of it was yummy. I think we went to less than 10 houses altogether. All that food however made it seem like 50.

True Colours Concert

2007-10-23T20:59:00.000+08:00

I had been roped in to perform for RC's Margaret Drive School's 20th anniversary. Unwittingly I found myself being part of a big dance production. I didn't realize how big it was until the day before when we had the dress rehersal at the actual venue, the auditorium of Singapore Polytechnic.

I wished I could have shown you pictures and videos of the special kids taking part. Made up of both current and former students of Rainbow Centre, they were truly the stars of the show.

And you should have seen their performances. The concert really got me to see them in a whole new light. They were committed to their dance routines and you could see how much heart they put into their dancing.

The adults, on the other hand, had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. I think to distract the audience from our talent (or more specifically the lack of it) they had us dressed up in technicolour costumes.

They did grow on you though. The babes looked rather fetching as the night wore on.

They taught us to dance but left on my own, I still struggled to pose for pictures offstage.

Most of the photos here are actually from Wan's cam. I feel so sorry for ruining so many of his pictures.

We also had our guest performer, Mr Lim Yu Beng. I was to shy to take pictures with him. Others did not have that problem.

All this wouldn't have been possible without these people. For one thing, if Linda (far left) hadn't called me up I wouldn't have been part of this experience. I mean how can you say no to a vice principal really.

In the end it was a wonderful evening. Truly a show to remember.

TPJC Raya 07

2007-10-21T23:40:00.001+08:00

We're having the TPJC Jalan Raya this Saturday, 27th November. We'll be meeting at Aina's house at 10am.

Here's a look at some of the group pictures we took the last few years. The gaps are the years I never got any of the pictures.

Year 2004

Year 2005

Year 2006

Ok this year I'm bringing my own camera.

bujangmechanic

2007-10-11T15:50:00.001+08:00

2 days before raya my mum sent me to the NTUC for the umpteenth time to buy 30 cents worth of daun pandan.

I must have been gone for less than 15 minutes. When I got back, I found pieces of windshield on my seat.

SOMEBODY KNOCKED DOWN MY BIKE AT THE PARKING LOT.

Thing is I was fasting so I couldn't beat up anyone. Some guy from the nearby bus stop came over to tell me he saw a pickup back into my bike. The uncle apparently picked the bike up so he thought the guy was going to wait for me. Next thing he knew the uncle had sped away.

Nice.

All I could do was ride back to my parking lot to inspect the damages.

The front windshield was gone.

As was the right side mirror. It must have dropped on the right side.

Huge scratch on the tank.

Even the rear seat was chipped. And I had just rewrapped it about a week ago!

It was late, almost buka time so I had to put off the repairs till the next day.

Luckily I had the necessary tools.

I had to unscrew the whole upper part and get rid of the broken pieces.

New double bubble windshield - $23.

New side mirrors - $30.

I managed to bargain with the LAB uncle to $50. Too tired to push for more discount.

I'm broke even before raya! Maybe my raya ang pows should be reduced to $2.....

Raya Handyman

2007-10-08T23:49:00.001+08:00

I hate the last few days of puasa leading up to raya the most. This year I was busy putting up curtains (4 sets mind you), carrying the new living room sofa set up the stairs, throwing out garbage and old furniture, moving old and heavy wooden furniture and carrying back litres and litres of soft drinks back from the NTUC.

All that in the afternoon and terawih at night. Even after that there was my preparations for the coming case conferences to worry about.

The trick to getting things done for me is find a job I really, really hate to do and instead of doing that I start on another project that I don't really hate so much.

So instead of working on my progress reports for my 3 kids and the projected goals for the next year, I decided at 11pm to fix the IKEA lamp that had been lying around the house since.... June?

Now some people are under the mistaken impression that you had to buy the lightbulbs from IKEA because they are the only ones that fit. And IKEA charges a premium for them.

Actually you can get them separately at your friendly neighbourhood shops for much much less.

The trick is knowing which bulbs to buy. Check the box and it'll tell you.

In this case the bulbs you're looking for is size E27 and max 150W. The latter tells you the maximum energy output or put more simply, how bright the lamp is.

The bulb you're buying should have the same numbers. The one I chose was E27 and 100W.

Proper tools are always encouraged.

Don't you just love IKEA packaging? I wished they'd pack my holiday bags.

Remember what I said about proper tools? Reading glasses for reading instructions.

Aiyah, it's more fun to figure it out yourself.

It fits!

See? It even lights up and everything.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all.

Mah Motors Open House

2007-09-10T23:21:00.000+08:00

Mah Motors is probably one of the biggest bikeshops in Singapore. They were having an open house so Suhaimi and I decided to drop by.

There was one thing that really caught my eye - cheap fullface helmets!!

I like red!

Don't you think it matches my bike?

The price on the display said $80. When we asked however, apparently only one row of the helmets were at that price. The red one I had my eye on was $130 after discount! Sigh.

For $80 I could get this.

I decided to think it over as we explored the rest of the open house. This bag I liked because it could hold a fullface helmet easily. Unfortunately it has little space to store anything else but hey, I could sure use it!

At about $90, it cost more than the $80 helmet though.

I also managed to psych Suhaimi into getting on the bike he intends to buy. Must psych him to add me as subrider....

In the end Suhaimi and I both ended up grabbing a helmet each. He wore his straight out of the shop.

I waited till I got home before gleefully unwrapping my new fullface helmet.

Now if only I had enough money left for a decent red raincoat....

Rainbow DnD 2007

2007-09-09T00:39:00.000+08:00

Heh sorry guys for the late updates.

Anyway last Friday was Teacher's Day and Rainbow Centre had its annual Dinner and Dance. It was also the 20th anniversary of RC so we all were encouraged to remember the good times.

The next week was the one-week September holidays. I was celebrating Teacher's Day my own way - by taking MC on Thursday and early super long weekend. So I was in two minds about going but in the end, makan free pe so takkan nak tolak rezeki plak.

I consoled myself that no matter how bad it was at least I was at a table with some of my closest colleagues.

I didn't win a single thing in the lucky draw. And the food was terrible. You wouldn't know it by looking at Suryani though.

Oklah she wasn't that hungry. She was just doing most of the serving. Hey, I had bruised ribs ok. It hurt to stretch.

Of course the food was not really important. D&D is just an excuse to take pictures with everyone dolled up!

Ok so most people dolled up. I just wore what I wear to weddings hehehe. Thankfully not everyone was into suits. I go for simple wear anyday!

Some pictures are more memorable than others because of the nostalgia factor. For example this picture with my first and best class partner. Talib and I had a real ball when we had a whole classroom practically to ourselves. Ah the good old days of low teacher-student ratios.

Usually we just stand and pose when taking pictures among us guys. When we take unisex photos however, you can't fail to notice the height disparity between the girls and guys in our school.

But hey the different heights make for good group photos.

In this picture we just bent our knees to Su's height. Hey you couldn't tell from the picture but my knees hurt!

Much easier to sit down.

Unfortunately Imran and I always had problems sitting straight when we sit. Weird.

There was hardly any dancing. It was pretty dead. Yazid and I tried to reflect this in our picture. That's Yazid trying to look sad.

Now that I look at it, Yazid would have looked very freaky if he was on his own in that frame. Especially in that suit. Funeral photographs come to mind.

The frame proved very popular with everybody. I guess if you saw someone holding up a frame, you knew it was one of those photo moments. Cameras came up everywhere.

All those cameras and all I got was this lousy picture.

When you put all the pictures together, it looks like one of those behind-the-scenes kinda shots.

You can see how we actually managed to squeeze ourselves into the frame. More importantly you wonder whose hand was that holding the frame? And why? It's paper mache, it's not that heavy...

Apparently some guys didn't get the concept of being "in the frame".

Su was kinda irritated with my bunny pose when she saw how the photo turned out. She much preferred traditional poses. Boring kan!

Some photos took a few shots to get it right. But it was worth the trouble!

Thankfully the night wasn't a total waste. I wanted to just call it a night but Khai insisted we all tried to find some dancing to do in the building. So we all (the happening people) went up to the 70th floor.

Lovely view but the dancing was much better here too.

Ok so my dancing was still the same bad dancing. What's new.

Nobody brought a cam up so I just used my phone. Can u spot the difference between these 2 pictures?

Hint : Wearing black.

Here's another try if you got the previous one wrong. What's different in these 2 pictures?

Hint : Wearing black again.

In the end, our group whittled down to these 5 survivors.

I think by the time we had supper and reached out respective houses, it was almost subuh. Oh well, more pictures to come if I ever get them. Thanks to Suryani, Faizzah and Sidah. I really should get my own camera.

Here's to another year of teaching!

Christina Aguilera

2007-07-06T22:46:00.000+08:00

Heh I thought my concert-going days were over, but I managed to scrounge out for $100 seats at her Back to Basics concert.

I think Nisa and I were pleased with our balcony seats, at least until we tried taking pictures. She was cursing the fact she didn't bring her camera for fear of it being confiscated while my digicam is still holidaying in Bali with some taxi driver. Camera phones just don't cut it this far from the stage.

Apparently cameras WERE allowed and someone posted in the forums that the stuff actually helped people take pictures.

My best picture was this.

Others, sitting closer to the stage and with cameras that had some semblance of zoom, got much better pictures.

She brought her props from the circus.

And of course her dance entourage.

For all the showmanship, I think the crowd really enjoyed her short monologues.

All picures except the pathetic first one was taken from this forum.

Apparently there were a lot of gays in attendance. Just for the record, I was there with Nisa ok! We were high up in the balcony seats, where the people were dancing in the aisles.

There goes my concert budget for the whole year. No regrets though. Just to hear her do Hurt and Beautiful live was worth it.

Alfiah's Wedding

2007-06-21T00:08:00.000+08:00

Every holiday there is sure to have some Rainbow Centre wedding. This June it was little Alfiah's turn!

Suryani and I took a lift from Sidah.

I think Suryani was very impressed by Sidah's yellow sports car. Hence this picture.

I was impressed with the wedding. They had kuda kepang! Su thinks they're from Sri Warisan.

If you thought that was impressive, check out the cake!

We couldn't have any though.

Anyway here's the happy couple.

Eh wait, that's a picture of us. And look! All of us make a little heart shape.

This is the happy couple!

KL menjerit - Part II

2007-06-11T01:37:00.001+08:00

Then we came to the highlight of the trip. Well at least for me. We were headed to Times Square!

KLCC - KL Sentral (Putra) --> KL Sentral - Imbi (Monorail)

I was excited enough to take pictures to document my journey to the Largest Indoor Theme Park in Malaysia!!

I was pretty disappointed with the station though. I thought the stop would have a fancier name.

Times Square has 13 floors of shopping but we were only concerned about Level 7. That's where the Supersonic Odyssey was.

The rollercoaster was on a higher level and we had to take the escalator up. Sidah was excited.

I was super pumped up!

Unfortunately the ride didn't live up to the hype. It was insane to be zooming past shoppers on a speeding rollercoaster but the ride was missing huge vertical drops. Instead it relied on twists and turns. Even the 36o degree loop looked more impressive than it was.

It was still fun though.

We went twice as it saved us the trouble of going up the escalator again. Next ride? The DNA mixer.

In my NS days we had a funfair where one ride looked very similar. That ride went round like the hands of a clock. This one had more dimensions to it - the ride spun us forwards and back. Imagine the effect you get from the viking ship or top gun without the swinging and it'll be close to this experience.

It was a mistake to make it our second ride because after that Sidah was freaked out.

She had to sit down and bought a drink to calm her nerves. When she was done we took the nearest line. It had a lot of kids lining up so it should have been safe.

The Dizzy Orbit is a simple ride. They bring you up to a height and spin you around then you're back down. It was on the ride that I discovered Sidah had a fear of heights.

Good thing she hadn't realized what was in store. I think after this she made it a point to observe the rides before she got on them.

She decided to play safe and try the most kiddie one next, the Dizzy Izzy.

The scariest thing about it was the name. Yet Sidah was still visibly shaken.

Actually I think that was the scariest ride for me personally. They should have a height limit - at some points I was close to hitting my head on some of the claws of the machine as we spun around.

Next we tried the Ooort's Express. It was the longest ride of my life! We spun and spun and spun and spun.

I didn't feel so good after that. Sidah still had fear in her eyes.

We needed some time to recover so we were back up on the escalator and in line for more rollercoast-ing. My excitedness had worn off by now.

It took a lot of convincing but I finally got Sidah on the last ride.

It wasn't Top Gun. Not even close. Basically it just spun you around 360 degrees. There was little thrill in it for me.

Haiz. All in all after the novelty factor wore off, the rides were just so so. No matter. The important thing is that I finally got to ride on the rollercoaster in Times Square!

KL menjerit - Part 1

2007-06-10T00:45:00.001+08:00

Even though I didn't plan to leave Singapore for the June holidays, I ended up across the causeway all the way up to KL.

Colleagues of mine were in Sabah - a group of them were climbing Mount Kinabalu, rafting and what not. I was on MSN with some of them the night before the flight and next thing I know, the next day I found myself on a bus to Larkin. I met up with Yazid, Syam and Sidah and we were headed to KL!

When we reached Puduraya, we all letak bag then we're off to KLCC.

We first had to navigate through the city's rail network made up of the KL monorail, star line, putra line, ERL and KTM commuter. Sidah spent her Monash years in KL so thankfully we had someone who knew her way around.

I'll have to write the route down so that I won't forget the next time.

Puduraya --> Plaza Rakyat - Masjid Jamek (Star) --> Masjid Jamek - KLCC (Putra)

The first thing we did there was to try and get up to the sky bridge. Unfortunately...

.. so we just walked around and shopped. The shopping mall was a lot shorter than I expected until I remembered the towers are mostly offices.

After all that walking, the most memorable part about the mall is the toilet.

All toilet bowls should be fitted with that mini water cooler thingy.

By the time we got back to Pudu it was dark.

The streets were still alive though.

We took our bags and met up with Irzam, Sidah's friend from her uni days. He and his wife, Mariam had kindly agreed to put us up at their house while we were in KL. Irzam had parked his car at Bukit Jalil station so we were taking rail again. To think Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones had waited at the same station.

Thanks to Mariam and family for putting us up for the two nights. I wished I had pictures of Bilal, her cute son but they're with Sidah. It was a nice little house in USJ 24.

The next morning we left with Irzam on his way to work. As such we arrived at KLCC bright and early to get our hands on tickets we missed yesterday.

We queued at 8.30am and got 1pm tickets to go up those high speed lifts. We spent the rest of the morning outside in the park.

We had lunch at Chilli's with a view.

We were so starved but the orders took their time to leave the kitchen.

By the time I was finished, I was so hyped up that I could have climbed up the towers.

Turns out we had to watch a video before we stepped on the lift.

The view was great...but then that was it.

Next up, Times Square!

June Weddings

2007-06-02T23:23:00.001+08:00

So while most holidays I would have been overseas and missing weddings, I couldn't miss Tini's wedding today. She'd have killed me.

So there I was up early on a bright sunny Saturday morning missing Kidscentral's Prince of Tennis to attend the solemnization. It was interesting because it was the first one I actually attended. The rest of the times I either made some excuse to slip out or I was busy occupying some relative's baby.

No such luck this time.

It was exceedingly longer than normal. Poor Colin probably couldn't understand most of it.

Tini was involved for a short while.

After that it was all Colin's show. And the Tok Kadi. And friends.

It took a while for me to stop calling the upacara akad nikah as an engagement. I learnt a lot of things about Malay weddings which I previously subconciously blocked out.

This time I paid attention because it felt like the Tok Kadi was singling me out sometimes....

...but then again, he pointed to a lot of people.

There was of course the customary handshakes. Colin always had a good grip so no problems there.

He did ok when it came time to read the contract. I would have been nervous.

Finally he's signing off as a married Mikhail Lai.

There'll be more pictures I'm sure. I will update them when I receive any new ones. Once I reached the buffet downstairs with the eclairs, my camera pretty much stayed in my pocket.

All I got was this unflattering picture of the bride, but it was the only one I had of the cute kids. The small boy was actually my ex-tuition kid's little brother. His mum freaked me out earlier when she recognized me and called me by name and I had no idea who she was and I couldn't for the life of me remember why she seemed so familiar.

Ah glorious desserts. And satay. Lovely wedding spread there. I'll try get pictures of the couple and gang to put up here.

It's the holidays

2007-05-26T21:19:00.000+08:00

I can't believe that I don't have school on Monday!!!

So what do I do with all this free time? I research the spoilers for the new Transformers movie! Now I am so darned excited.

Of course you young punks who have no idea why this old man (he played one) is so excited about these huge robots, I think you would only understand when 10 years from now they make this movie properly.

Badminton Fever

2007-05-22T22:56:00.001+08:00

Since the Rainbow badminton tournament (which I ehem ehem got 3rd in the doubles), badminton fever has caught on in Balestier. The past 2 weeks we've been going to the badminton courts at the CC near our school to play friendly doubles.

I don't know how long this fad would last, especially since it's the holidays next week. We'll see if it'll continue next term. For now though, it's good to sweat it out after work.

Of weekends and to do lists

2007-05-21T00:22:00.000+08:00

So here I am after midnight on a Monday morning with work looming in a few hours' time typing on my computer and wondering where had my weekend gone.

Now I can't sleep. This past week I've taken to writing things down in an old notebook I found and taking pleasure in crossing out the tasks I've completed. I think some people have called this a to-do list.

So now when I get sleepless, like tonight, I look at my list and see what I can cross out. In the past 15 minutes I've cleaned and wiped my helmet visors, took out the inner lining of the helmets to put in the wash, filed the letters and correspondence I've received this past week, tidied up my desk and am seriously considering riding out to return my DVDs due today.

I get things done but lose sleep.

The upside is I get my best ideas at these times. Like now I'm realizing that I'm exhausted because I had a busy weekend. So I had no time to rest.

There's no way I can not go out on the weekends so I'm thinking to overcome this I should devote my weekdays to resting. So no more late nights. Early to bed and sleep sleep sleep. That should be my weekday routine.

Hmmm.

I better write that down on my to do list.

Of Meetings and Birthdays

2007-05-13T13:36:00.001+08:00

Saturdays are not meant for waking up early to head to Margaret Drive for the Annual General Meeting. Especially when you sit through it to find out that maybe the measly 3-5% increase in civil servants pay won't really trickle down to you after GST, CPF and whatnot.

It ended well though. I received my 2nd runner's up trophy for the badminton tournament and a pair of Swensen's vouchers (don't ask how much, it makes me sad esp when I realized I have to split it with my doubles partner). Then they had a mini lucky draw from the uncollected prizes from the last D&D. They should have lucky draws at every meeting!

Arzme my doubles partner even picked up (ladies') fragrances so I hope he won't ask for the Swensens' vouchers....

After that Khai gathered the gang up to head to West Coast for a birthday treat. He treat everybody and all we got him was a cake.

Wan got Khai and Germ posters too as birthday gifts.

As you can see, Germ was more surprised than Khai...

So the saturday didn't turn out so bad after all.

Still Floorball-ing

2007-05-09T22:29:00.001+08:00

I finally attended my first training session in God-knows how many months. Since the Tampines Sports Hall rear area is under renovation, the Knights shifted our training to Valhall.

According to this article it's been around since November last year but it's new to me. Yes I am that out of the loop....

Interestingly while trying to find out more about the location, I found a blog to the person who did the graphics for the Valhall website. Ah the magic of Google.

I love the location! I managed to Maghrib at home and still make the 7.30pm meeting time. Of course I can't imagine making my way there without a bike.

The court is pretty small though. Unfortunately for me, small courts mean less time on the ball and more running off it. It was good to have a mid-week break from work though. Looking forward to next week.

Rainbow goes to Sentosa

2007-04-26T20:35:00.001+08:00

The rain didn't help. I got drenched just trying to get to school. Not a good sign if you plan to head to the beach the rest of the day.

Yet by the time we managed to herd the hundreds of bodies into the seven 45-seater coaches and three mini buses, the skies had cleared and we found ourselves at the sunny sands of Siloso beach!

So us teachers, volunteers and the kids were let loose at the Sapphire pavilion.

Walt Disney had kindly set up bouncing castles for the kids.

Unfortunately one of my kids had a phobia of stepping onto the sand, while the other was freaked out the moment he stepped onto a bouncing castle. So no I didn't get to jump around. So wasted.

We had to settle for balloon sculptures from Mr Balloon Man.

Nope he didn't give me any balloons.

My kids got their arms painted. I asked for a rose and a I LOVE MUM banner below but they only did dragons.

We also got to visit Underwater World.

Fantastic! Unfortunately my kid freaked out (again) when he saw the giant crabs.

After that, I guess the tunnel was like a haunted house ride for him.

We survived though. Everyone enjoyed themselves. Special thanks to the volunteers from Walt Disney and Wan's friends, in particular Queenie and Lynette who helped my class.

Now if only we didn't have school the very next day....

This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

Busy Busy Busy

2007-02-28T21:56:00.000+08:00

I just realized the last time I published on the blog it was exactly a month ago, 28 Jan 2007 to be exact!

Since then a lot of (boring) stuff have happened - most significant being that I have left NIE and am now back in Balestier for my TP (that's Teaching Practicum for the non-cikgus among you). As much as I whined and complained about NIE, I really missed the breaks after every hour of class. No such luck when you're in a classroom teaching.

I'm still adjusting to the change and it didn't help that we had barely enough time to adjust and prepare before given our class placements. I think every one of my coursemates were longing for a break after the flurry of assignments. Fat hope.

It's been so hectic that I almost missed renewing my road tax. Curse February and its deceptively short month. My bike was in the workshop and it just struck me that today was the due date.

Thankfully I took a risk to go down to get my bike even though no one answered calls to the workshop. I had earlier called them to tell them there was no way I could collect it in the pouring rain. I was very very lucky to catch the owner just as he was walking out. He'd already locked up for the day but turned around to head back the moment he recognized me walking up the path.

Then I was speeding my way to the inspection centre and made it with minutes to spare. I just made their 5.30 closing time. Then I realized that I forgot my road tax letter. Great.

I pretty much gave up and went home. Until I remembered that the post office at the airport was pretty much 24hrs. Actually I checked it up on the net and the airport post office closed at midnight. More importantly there WERE post offices opened till late - in particular the one at Towner Road. It closes at 8pm but only on Wednesdays.

There is a God.

Singapore vs Malaysia

2007-01-28T01:49:00.001+08:00

I know there had been press about how fast tickets were being sold, but it was still a surprise to get to the stadium and find out tickets were sold out. While I was waiting for Khai and gang, people actually came up to me to ask if I had tickets.

You wouldn't have guessed that it was going to be a full house when the teams started warming up.

The crowds were only starting to fill up the seats behind the goals.

You could feel the excitement building up as more and more people filtered in. Brings you back to the good old days of the Malaysia Cup.

The intermittent drizzle was a worry but when it was finally time for the teams to come out and play, it was turning out to be a picture-perfect night to be out watching soccer.

The Kallang Stadium became a sea of red and white, save for a small pocket of yellow resistance from the Malaysians. I think everyone who came were hoping to help cheer on Singapore to the final.

The home side were definitely inspired by the crowd. I was quite impressed with their performance, especially with their build-up play. Too bad they didn't seem to be able to finish off their moves.

It didn't really matter. We roared at every attacking opportunity while heckling the visiting team any chance we got. We were looking for any excuse to make noise!

I had forgotten how much fun it was to cheer the Lions live. It's been a while since we had a 60,000 strong Kallang wave and full-blooded tet-tet tet-tet-tet tet-tet-tet-tet b****! ringing around the stadium.

Unfortunately cries of the latter grew more and more frequent, especially after Lionel made a howler from one of the first real save he had to make. The crowd definitely became more subdued as the scoreline sank in.

Paper aeroplanes were flying all over the place from the paper advertisements NIKE had handed out freely as the action thinned. Some of the supporters were still hopeful of a comeback as the Singapore team started pumping more balls into the box.

Somehow one of those hopeful balls ended with the ball in the Malaysian net. 1-1!

The crowd just went wild. I had no idea really what happened. I guess I'll have to try and catch the replays.

Both teams had chances to end the stalemate but in the end it came down to penalties. It was worth the price of the ticket just to have been there when the final spotkick was taken.

I had thought the cheers after the equalising goal was loud. It was nothing compared to the celebrations as the Lions booked a place in the final against Thailand.

The skies opened up as the match ended, making everyone rush for the exits. It was pouring as we finally got out of the stadium. The rest had a wet walk to their cars parked near the KFC while I made my way back to my 60 cent parking space. Two wheels meant I got through the jam and home earlier than most.

So now the question is - who's coming with me to the final?!? You know my number.

Muse Concert

2007-01-25T22:27:00.001+08:00

The morning of the concert I opened up the papers to read that 6,000 people had bought tickets to the concert. Another 500 just got on sale that day itself. And I thought Muse would cater to a niche crowd.

Then my concert date for the night told me that a friend of a friend was already queuing up to get in....at 2pm!

So of course when I got there, the crowd had already swelled. For me it was the first time I was at a concert at Fort Canning and the crowd filled up the whole slope. So much for a picnic concert.

Thank goodness I am tall. I got a pretty good view of the stage.

I lost Hani when she squeezed through with her friend to get a better view. I chose to stay behind. I don't think many poeple would appreciate a 1.78m guy trying to squeeze to the front.

No matter. The crowd makes a concert. You don't need floating balls but they help.

Shameless Ang Mohs have no problems with making their way through the crowd though. So when a group of them were pushing their way through to the centre, I followed them to get a better view.

They promised to return soon. I had better start saving for the tickets again....

This album is powered by
BubbleShare
- Add to my blog

How to keep fit

2007-01-11T00:26:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow I have PE.

If I were in the US I guess this would be called gym class. Here it's called Adaptive Physical Education. I was planning to wear my JC PE t-shirt. It's comfortable and it'll be a nice thing to wear it out in public. But I just realized I'm wearing it now as I'm typing this.

Please come dressed in sports shorts or long tracks and running or sports shoes (no sandals or slippers!). During your practical sessions, you will be exposed to various activities that will help you with your Physical Education lessons pertaining to general and special education lessons. Attempts will be made to integrate theoretical and lecture material with the physical activity. Micro-teaching forms an integral part of the process of learning to teach physical education. Consequently, your full participation during the practical sessions is important.

Of course the girls are worried about what to wear. I'll probably wear what I wear to floorball training. If I had the time or money, I would have printed my own t-shirts to wear to the class with these slogans :

I sweat for Adaptive PE.

I'll be wearing this same t-shirt every week until I save enough to repair my washing machine.

I'm with clumsy ---->

I failed my NAPFA but I can pass Adaptive PE.

Looking back at 2006

2007-01-03T16:07:00.000+08:00

Memorable Quote

Summer : Remember when the boys made us watch that movie about the gay guys on the mountain?

Marissa : Lord of the Rings?

Summer : Yeah.

Earshot Cafe @ The Arts House

2006-12-29T23:55:00.001+08:00

Sidah asked me to join her to watch some of her friends perform. Having long ago abandoned my dreams of becoming a performing artist, I almost never decline an opportunity to watch live music. And it's cheaper than going to concerts. It's free!

The Earshot Cafe was a very cosy location. The food was a bit expensive though.

We were there to support two of her friends. Mohd was the first up on stage, probably because he arrived early with us.

Shaz also performed with his band. I finally got to see him do his thing.

Their bassist really looked like he was enjoying himself.

There were 3 other bands performing. For the life of me I can't remember this band's name.

I do remember Koffkoff though. He was the highlight of the night I feel.

Yet the night will forever be burned into my memory for me running out of petrol on the PIE.

I had only taken out my bike from the workshop a few days before. Apparently they had turned my fuel knob to reserve. I only realized this as I reached down to turn it as my bike was stuttering. I came to a stop one flyover away from my exit.

The picture is blurry because its a night shot. I don't have the steadiest hands. But I bet it would have been worse if I had taken the picture AFTER I had pushed my bike UP the expressway and down to the nearest filter lane.

After that it was an expensive cab ride to the nearest Shell station to fill up a $2.70 can (petrol not included) and bring it back to pour into my bone-dry tank. I had to shower when I got home before waiting for subuh before I could turn in to sleep.

Oh, what a night.

This album is powered by
BubbleShare
- Add to my blog

Rainy day game

2006-12-28T21:35:00.001+08:00

What do you do when you are bored?

Try this. It took me ages to get to level 1...

Update : It took me a year to get to level 2 hehehe. dec 2006 to jan 2007! I'm stopping after the first 30 levels, cukup! cukup!!!!

Heh, credit this time goes to Adigal when I was browsing her blog.

My results

2006-12-27T23:29:00.001+08:00

NOTIFICATION OF EXAMINATION RESULTS

Name : ABDUL AL HAFIIZH BIN OTHMAN

Regn/Matric No : 060001K28 Date of Release : 22-Dec-2006

NRIC No : S8104821E

First Year (Semester 1) Examination for Dip.Spec.Ed.

NED100 Introduction to Special Education
B+ 4.00 3.0
NED101 Ed Psychology I : Theories and Applications for Learning and Teaching
B 3.50 2.0
NED102 Ed Psych II : Providing for Individual Differences in Learning and Teaching and Classroom Management
A- 4.50 2.0
NED103 Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) for Engaged Learning
B+ 4.00 2.0
NED104 Practice and Intervention Techniques
A- 4.50 2.0

Prescribed Modules

NED160 Sensory and Physical Disabilities
A- 4.50 2.0
NED164 Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
B- 3.00 2.0

Total No. of Academic Units Obtained : 15.0
Cumulative Grade Point Average : 4.00

Grades & Points:
A+, A 5.00
A- 4.50
B+ 4.00
B 3.50
B- 3.00
C+ 2.50
C 2.00
D+ 1.50
D 1.00
F 0.00

REGISTRAR
Date Printed : 27-Dec-2006

This is a computer generated statement which requires no signature.

Grace's X'mas Party

2006-12-25T23:59:00.001+08:00

Merry X'mas to Grace! We celebrated her return to Singapore by making her hold a party. 'Tis the season, after all.

Jokes aside, it was nice to see her after her long sojourn in the US. I wonder if I'll still be in BSS by the time she returns.

Some of us tried to be useful. Wan Chee pretty much took over the carving tools. The turkey was nice, especially when cut into more bite-sized pieces.

Of course while others are hard at work, some choose different pursuits. Cam-whoring for example.

The food was fantastic. The desserts were great! So great that you could hide in a corner and eat all day. Which I did.

Of course, you can run but you can't hide. Since I was sitting on a chair, my cover was pretty much blown.

In the end, we found it really tough to leave in the end. Mostly because Su insisted on taking pictures.

Most of the pictures never captured the real me (read : they make me look ugly). But then what is my blog without her pictures!

This album is powered by
BubbleShare
- Add to my blog

Celebrity Lookalikes

2006-12-24T14:52:00.001+08:00

http://www.myheritage.com

As if.

Holidays in 2007

2006-12-21T13:52:00.000+08:00

I was very surprised to see our Mufti on TV yesterday night informing us Muslims that Hari Raya Haji this year falls on 31st Dec, New Year's Eve. I guess Hari Raya Aidilfitri seems still fresh in memory.

Good thing is it saves me having to worry about what to do on that night.

Another good thing is that today, with the calendar that came with today's copy of the Straits Times, I found out that we're having a holiday on the 2nd in lieu of Hari Raya Haji.

I'd like to thank the calendar people and whoever does the public holiday scheduling. I don't start school till Wednesday! YEAH!

Nike Sale @ Expo

2006-12-18T12:00:00.002+08:00

So fresh back and broke from Bali, where can you find me?
Ans : Nike sale!

I went with Yani and Sidah, who had her siblings in tow. So there we were 3 bored colleagues trying to find something to do during the holidays. As such, it's not such a big surprise to find another fellow BSS shopper already queueing.

OK I lied. It was a big surprise. We quickly got over it though as we realized it was a ticket to cut the winding queue to the cashiers.

Bargains were there, but you really had to rummage to find them. Su and I even fought for this pretty top.

Being a gentleman, I let her have it. I had to settle for this $50 expense. Guess what's in the box?

It was my first purchase using my Mastercard (ceh, mcm orang kaya). OK so maybe I bought it because it was in my favourite colour. On the other hand, perhaps it'll inspire me to physical activity.

Hey if buying last year's running shoes inspired me to jog, I may just resurrect my flagging professional soccer career!

Bali 2006

2006-12-15T11:52:00.001+08:00

The Airport

'Mr Abdul Hafiizh Othman and Mr Arzme, of flight G-A-8-2-5 to Jakarta please report to gate 47 for immediate boarding.'

So Arzme and I found ourselves reenacting our own Changi-airport-based Amazing Race to dash to the gates. When we boarded the plane, the first faces we saw were of Fandi and his family. As we made our way to our seats at the back of the plane, clearly we were the last passengers to take our seats.

I think both of us regretted not recording that announcement on our handphones....

Sanur

We spent the first 4 days in Sanur. Arzme had gotten 4 nights free stay at this beautiful villa with a shared pool right at our doorstep. We literally could step out of our unit, take 5 steps and find ourselves underwater.

We shared the pool with 4 other units, but we only had one other family there at any one time. The first day we had a honeymooning couple next door to us but they generally kept to themselves. On the few occasions we did strike up some general conversations, though the guy offered stuff we felt bad for declining - like smokes and liquor.

Arzme and I walked down the streets of Sanur a few times but we couldn't find any places of interest. In the end we decided to stay in and make full use of the stove to cook ourselves a feast of instant noodles with sausages in a can.

The girls arrived the next day, along with our new neightbours - a Chinese family, probably Singaporean too. The honeymooners had left, and we hardly saw the family at all save for them returning home after dark and leaving in the morning. So we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

We brought the girls around with the same results. We did manage to find the local supermarket though (Hardy's) and we finally had real food.

The night life in Sanur left much to be desired so naturally Arzme got us all packed to head to Kuta for the famed clubs. We did enjoy ourselves at Hard Rock Cafe where Arzme enjoyed the trademark birthday celebrations, complete with traditional music and lots of whipped cream.

Here are the vids...but it was dark in the club.

It being a Sunday there was a concert showcasing Shannou. Not to my liking though. I was glad to head back to our villa for much needed rest and MTV.

Kuta

We packed our bags and headed to Kuta once more when our stay at the Emerald Villa's came to an end. Unfortunately in my haste I left my camera in the cab. My favourite digital Canon Powershot camera (my only one). I had checked the seat and around for items that I may have left behind but missed my camera that I had placed on the dashboard.

I was ready to forget that and not let it ruin my holiday so I was very glad when they suggested we all sign up for rafting down Telaga Waja.

This album is powered by
BubbleShare

Yet this experience was all the more exciting because the girls actually fell into the water at one point! Sidah was hanging on for dear life while Intan was pretty calm. Apparently Intan had gone quiet after getting smacked on the face in Sidah's panic.

No harm done but we lost Sidah's paddle and she was more subdued for the remainder of the journey, poor thing. Intan also was a bit short of breath at the end, though I believe that was more due to the climb up the hill at the finishing point then anything else.

So much for the monsoon. The December waters weren't anymore choppy then my June experience. This rafting experience was definitely more exciting. I wished I had pictures though...

Kuta's nightspots were not as happening as I remembered. Later I read that most of the nightlife had moved up to the Seminyak region, so perhaps we were missing out. In the end we became regulars at the old favourite, Hard Rock.

The live music was great. Kudos to the in-house band, they really rocked.

This album is powered by
BubbleShare

Sidah got upclose to the band during the audience participation segment. Some of the singers also came down to mingle with the crowd when they were between sets which I thought was really cool.

Sadly Arzme had to leave the day after to make another trip to Cambodia so (unsadly) I was in the company of my two girl colleagues.

Road Trip

We went on a road trip to watch a Barong performance, shopping in Batubulan and stopping by the picturesque ricefields of Tegalallang.

This album is powered by
BubbleShare

By now Sidah had gotten over her trauma and was excited to see the ricefields she had been wanting to see.

We also stopped by Ubud for a short stop. We managed to book a room in advance for the day after. The girls were charmed by the high-rise living and impressive bathroom.

Our final destination was to the volcanic crater of Gunung Batur. We actually meant to make a trip down to the Danau but thanks to miscommunication, we were stranded on the slopes. Next time we were going to be more specific when renting a car with a driver. The young driver insisted that he was only paid as far as the village of Penelokkan, not down to the lake.

Thankfully the breathtaking view was a welcome distraction. We were lucky also to find a delightful little place to bunk in. We were worried that there were only high end hotels in that area.

This album is powered by
BubbleShare

In the end we really enjoyed our night's stay. Dining was a pleasure thanks to the backdrop. Our hosts were also very kind. The only complaint was the incessant touting when we first arrived. It got much better the day after, but by then it was time for us to leave already.

This album is powered by
BubbleShare

Ubud

Thankfully Ubud turned out to be another highlight of the trip. Intan particularly loved sitting on the ledge reading her books or writing in the journal. Sidah was as usual happily clicking away and gushing about the poster bed and bathroom. I was busy calculating how much over my budget I was.

This album is powered by
BubbleShare

Ubud is well known for its culture and dining. We took the opportunity to catch a Kecak performance. We found ourselves early for the performance so we stopped by a cosy restaurant for drinks and pictures.

This album is powered by
BubbleShare

We spent the rest of the days exploring the town. We didn't get very far. I think everyone was half-glad I had left our Lonely Planet guide with the trek maps inside back at our hotel room. We were pretty much exhausted by the heat.

This album is powered by
BubbleShare

During the walk we stumbled upon a group of kids doing their own rendition of the Barong. We saw them again at lunch - apparently they were going from house to house to give blessings - shades of Halloween.

We ended up staying one more night in Ubud then planned. Even so I think we all felt we did not manage to really explore the town. Before we knew it, it was already time to send Intan off for her flight home.

Legian

Sidah and myself had booked ourselves a package deal to stay at the Legian Paradiso. Our hotel was the poorer cousin of Kuta Paradiso. It was waaaay too far from the beach.

We still had to find one night's stay in Kuta before checking in to Legian Paradiso. So we ended up back in Poppies Lane. That stay would be remembered for its meals. We had pizza for dinner even though we were quite full because there was a 2-for-1 deal. Then we planned to have breakfast by the pool, which turned into breakfast in bed since the pavilion turned out to be in need of cleaning.

This album is powered by
BubbleShare

The last four days in Paradiso was more of a relaxing end. I really enjoyed the buffet breakfast especially since we ate enough for us to skip lunch.

This album is powered by
BubbleShare

As part of the package we visited Uluwatu. The beautiful spots always have a temple, and this one was no exception.

We witnessed another Kecak performance, this time with a sunset backdrop. Afterwards I went hungry when we visited Jimbaran Bay for the seafood dinner.

This album is powered by
BubbleShare

I'm glad I got my Kecak-Fire dance video as a keepsake.

To make up for it, I bought 3 A&W shakes the day after to last me through the last day. I am starting my cardi-aerobic-fitness-strength-training programme the week before christmas to lose all the pounds I put on. I'll miss Bali!

Goodbye Kuta old friend.

bujang @ siblings camp

2006-11-30T02:09:00.001+08:00

I was roped in for another camp this week. A short 2d1n this time for Rainbow Centre. They organized a camp for the siblings of the children with special needs to help them cope and hopefully build a network of support among themselves.

The camp was led by Balestier's very own Khairul @ Buga Buga and his assistant Talib @ Bugi Bugi.

The children were divided into 4 tribes, the Squirrels, Bears, Giraffes and Zebras. I was assisting the Bears.

Personally I thought my tribe was the best at working together.

As one of the tasks, each tribe was to construct a jeep from given materials.

This was the Squirrels' entry.

Presenting the Giraffe's mode of transport.

This was Zebra's.

If you thought they were good, take a look at the Bears.

Here's the side views.

Don't judge the exhaust by size.

When the group were performing tasks, our jeep had to be parked.

B, B-E, B-E-A-R Bears!

On the second day, I had to leave my group to help out with the campfire.

First, we had to steal some sand.

I learnt it was used to prevent the fire from spreading out of control. It was used to form a boundary where the flames are not supposed to cross.

The wood was drenched with kerosene.

Then we prepared some kerosene bombs.

Sure they looked harmless, but throw one of these babies on an open flame and you get quite an effect.

The wood was piled up with kerosene soaked newspapers, extra wood and the kerosene bombs we made making up the centre. Tadaaaa.

While we were busy outside, the tribes had made themselves at home inside. Literally. Each tribe had constructed their habitats. Guess which tribe made which.

When night fell, it was time to light the campfire. Buga Buga did the honours.

Success!

We placed sparklers too for effect. Remember those kerosene bombs?

I was very impressed.

We moved back inside for the performances.

Of course there was lots of dancing, led by Bugi Bugi. Wait, I just realized why he got his name.

In the end the Bears came in 2nd. Again, it surely must have been rigged!! No matter, we all know which was the best tribe of the camp. Goooo Bears!

Concert Alert : MUSE

2006-11-27T18:01:00.001+08:00

MUSE is performing live in Singapore!

16th January 2007 @ Fort Canning Park. Early bird tickets are $85.

These guys are known for their rocking live sets so it's a must go!

Tickets go on sale at SISTIC only on Friday so for more information you can go here.

bujang @ camp star

2006-11-26T19:59:00.001+08:00

As part of my commitment to the Knights floorball and the YEC, I was a camp facillatator for the past few days. Camp Star was held from Friday, 24th to the 26th. The camp brought back memories of those camps I had during my time in VS, especially the ice breakers.

I was in charge of the Blue team.

It was a sports themed camp and we basically played soccer, basketball, floorball and tchoukball. The kids were to learn sportsmanship, teamwork and respect (STAR geddit?).

The highlight of the camp was the tchoukball tournament, organized by the children themselves. Unfortunately unlike the other activities, we facillatators weren't allowed to compete.

My team performed very well. Others were not, much to the dismay of some facillatators.

With my expert training, strategy and guidance, the Blue Alans were the undefeated tournament winners. Oh Chee Meng helped too.

We got medals, but the rest had to make do with certificates of participation. Ceh.

These are the White Stevens led by Adip and Andrew.

Here are the Green Tigers with Michael.

And finally Farizam's Yellow Ronaldos. They were also the overall point champions. I'm pretty sure it was rigged.

I think the kids had fun. Perhaps not so much as some facillatators though.

I'll expand the entries if I ever get the rest of the camp pictures from Rezal.

Siti's BBQ

2006-11-21T14:38:00.001+08:00

You'd think since it was the holidays I'd spend time catching up with friends. Instead I spent the first holiday weekends with the same colleagues again. At least this time it was minus the kids.

We had a bbq at East Coast. Of course it rained. So no one came before sunset. Rain or shine, it was our job to get the fire started.

That smaller flame was my very own creation....

Thankfully the rain stopped and made it a wonderfully cool evening. We had the whole beach to ourselves too.

The bbq was to say farewell and thanks to our lovely contract teachers.

They came a bit late though so we took most of the group photos without them.

I'll forever remember the taste of those Ayamas hotdogs with the melted cheese straight from the bbq melting in my mouth. Heaven. Goes without saying we were all out before most had made it down to the pit. Going early sometimes has its privileges.

Balestier and Birds

2006-11-21T14:15:00.001+08:00

On the 17th, my school visited the Jurong Bird Park for its annual year-end programme outing.

I had lost my voice during the superhero graduation and now I find myself having to trek around the park with a slight fever and aching joints. Luckily the place is much smaller than I remember. Either its changed with the recent renovations or more likely, places seem much bigger when you're ten years old.

I can't really show you many pictures, because we need permissions to display any pictures of our some of our kids faces in public.

However here's a pic of our team's mascot. The spotted-crowned pigeon decided to join us on our trek.

Apparently I look like some birdkeeper because birds kept flying to greet me, probably thinking it was feeding time or something. This one swooped down on me. By the time I got my camera out though, it had realized its mistake and was looking rather disappointed and giving me an accusing eye.

My favourite part was the world's largest aviary. Very nice though I miss the world's largest waterfall. It was the world's largest disappointment to find my childhood memory was no more.

Mind you, I forgot my camera so all the pictures are from my SE750i. Its brilliant when outdoors in sunlight, but disappointing in low light conditions. So all my penguin pictures didn't turn out right. This was the best.

Other pictures I meant to take are of the surprisingly huge owls and eagles. One of the eagles looked big enough to carry off one of the smaller kids. I'm not kidding about their size! I'll try get some additional pictures of the birdshow and what not. For now you just have to make do with these I guess.

Superhero Graduation

2006-11-19T00:47:00.001+08:00

Fot this year's graduation, we had a superhero theme. Teachers, students and parents were all encouraged to dress up.

People had trouble figuring out who I was. Some even thought that was how I normally dressed. Basically I shopped the whole day yesterday to figure out what to come as.

Anyway I was a student from Xavier's institute (see t-shirt). People mistook me for Cyclops or Wolverine but my superpower was actually making people do work, like Mr Potter here.

Of course, I was unnaturally irresistable to the babes too.

I had to use more extreme measures on some though.

The $30-odd t-shirt made it a much more enjoyable experience. It would have been better if I had remembered to bring my $600-odd camera I had left at home!

Hari Raya TPJC

2006-11-19T00:09:00.001+08:00

I love TPJC raya outings for the group photos.

Candid shots don't do me justice though.

Luckily they don't serve food bawah blok.

Hari Raya NTU

2006-11-18T22:33:00.001+08:00

I don't really know the people who live in these two houses....

I think the most action happened when we were waiting under the block for Yazid to fetch the car from the MCP.

We always had some thing to debate about.

Some people of course had no idea what the rest were talking about.

In the end they all ended peacefully enough.

Last stop - Daud's

Hari Raya Balestier

2006-11-18T21:45:00.001+08:00

We had to wait for hours at the first house. Some people had to bathe.

Yazid's house will be remembered for bread and curry.

Most people use the travelling time on the bus for conversations.

Others spend it taking pictures.

Guess which category I fall into?

Wan keeps a sword in his house.

I had run out of kuih by this time, so they had to make do with soto.

I thought this picture was badly framed, until I realized the photographer was trying to keep all of Lisa in the picture.

We visited the Boss. She's not so scary when not in school.

Arzme had PS2.

Some people sibuk je time orang nak main game.

No wonder I lost the match.

His house was also the last house so we went crazy trying to finish our (digital) film.

Them again between shots.

Here's their final shot.

The guys started with 3.

And ended with 5.

We may not look like models, but we always have more fun.

Selamat Hari Raya

2006-11-18T21:35:00.000+08:00

My hiatus was supposed to end on the first day of raya, but I have been busy with school and, um, work at school so here's the raya outings in review. I just realized that I never bother to bring my camera to family gatherings for raya, so all the pics I have are of friends. *shrug*

I'll be uploading them up soon. For now here's wishing all a merry hari raya, maaf zahir dan batin.