Away

I’ll be away from today. Should have been since Friday, but a lot of things happened, like my things from England arriving, finally. Hehehe. Anyway, yes, I will be going back to my mother’s hometown today for Eid, which will be on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the man on the moon.

Sorry for the lack of updates. Been super busy baking. I have several drafts, to be honest. However, every time I realize I should go down and bake. And now my Mom suddenly say that I need to bake more.

Hmmmm…

My room is in a super big mess. My wardrobe is bursting. And I don’t know how to arrange my books because there’s so many of them!!

Nonetheless, I’m just sooooo happy my things from England has arrived!!

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri or Eid Mubarak everyone!! Have a blessed Eid.

And Faliq, I hope by the time I come back to Selangor, you’ll be back in East Midlands. If not, curse the idiotic British government!!

Oh, will be back by Saturday next week, I think…

Ta!!

Unbelievable.

Journalists professing to be unbiassed and educated are soooo biassed and so uneducated.

Why are Malaysians just ungrateful for the little things that the government do to ease our lives?

Why do we always want everything that could be given?

They point out how unwell our economy are.

Yet, in another article say that we have a big current account surplus so we’re doing well so we should subsidize petrol more.

Seriously, could you decide what you want to write?

Especially when it is facts to back up your opinion, not just reporting facts?

Sheesh!!

Unbelievable, that studying UK judges’ adjudication manner is affecting how I judge Malaysian journalist.

Ah well. After all, the tutor wasn’t a UK citizen and the definition of adjudication was given by a Canadian academic.

Adjudication is not region or subject specific after all.

Human rights is not just discussed by lawyers anyway.

Sociologists, politicians, journalists with no such training, mamak stall occupiers…

People keep saying that I’m crazy to want to go to Northern Ireland to study.

I would respond because it make sense to study the Northern Irish situation at the place itself, right?

At first I was surprised how such thing could happen.

After all, the Irish are a very proud bunch. They are very proud to be Irish.

Yet, during those situations, they concentrated on their differences; their politican ideology and their religion.

So many people were killed.

We should be proud of one thing, we Malaysians.

We have more differences than the Irish then.

Yet, how many people were killed because of our differences?

Did May 13 become as long as the situation in Northern Ireland?

Must we really emphasize our differences?

Do you really think than unity in diversity that impossible?

Oh, I do want to emphasize that I would leave the country the moment it turns secular like Turkey, or have the government superimpose a single race on all the citizens. It’s fake and would never actually address the tension between race.

Not to mention breaching one’s human right to identity; usually worded in someone’s right to private life.

I support education instead of just hushing people and saying it is a sensitive issue.

Seven sensible pumps

I have seven sensible pumps.

For work. Bought them with my mom when we were in England.

Seven.

Goodness.

And all soooooo not me!!

Blah.

I want to buy shoes!!!! Grrrr…

Respect

Why is it almost impossible for Asian parents and just generally older people than you who happens to be Asian seem to think that respect is their right instead of something that needs to be earned, regardless your age?

There’s a limit to it; if you don’t respect the younger person, don’t expect the person to continue respecting you.

Here’s to a fight against age discrimination.

And I am not talking about the usual age discrimination!!

Sheeeeeeeeeeppp!!!

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Liverdance!!

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Great Irish Famine

For the life of me, I can’t remember exactly how the conversation started. I’m thinking it might be somewhere along when I was saying I want to study in Galway then switching to the constitutional rights of babies born on Ireland (i.e. including Northern Ireland, UK) to Irish citizenship (i.e. Republic of Ireland citizenship) and how people die slower than babies are born in Ireland.

To be honest, I was quite surprised, at first, till I remember I had my friend in Ireland going to a pharmacy to check if they sold condoms there.

To which he responded, “Nani, Ireland might be a Catholic country but they do accept that there are people from other religion that might allow contraception!!”

Hehehe. Sorry la!!

Still, when we had the seminar on Northern Irish abortion law, I wondered again. After all, my friend didn’t actually provide proof. Picture or whatever.

So when I went to Dublin, I just had to check it for myself.

I couldn’t stop laughing while Fatin was weighing herself. Okay, I wasn’t laughing out loud for too long. I didn’t want to be admitted to the Irish equivalent of Tanjung Rambutan when I came from the town with the biggest teaching hospital in Europe.

Imagine my Law School receiving a letter stating that I’ve been detained under the Irish equivalent of Mental Capacity Act. And my personal tutor wondering why in the world did he get a crazy personal tutee. Must be why he decided to specialize in mental health law.

Haha.

Anyway, so… I think I was saying that surely they would have enough land in their tiny island to cope with the old population, what with the people dying during what I called “Great Potato Famine” since I remembered it was due to potatoes. I remember that “singer” saying the Catholic church hid potatoes in Father Ted!! See… you get to learn history while watching such a stupid show; not so stupid after all. I love watching Father Ted. Hahaha. So silly.

So… Beda was saying the Irish should diversify their crops. Including creating a new motto for them.

Majulah agriculture untuk negara.

Hahaha.

Just try imagining any Mat Saleh trying to say that?

Hahaha.

I remember the mushrooms that I buy from Sainsbury’s come from Ireland. They do tell where they get the fresh fruits and vegetables from.

So I suppose even before Beda came up with the motto, they have adopted it.

Cis, I still remember I didn’t buy Irish potatoes for Faliq when I was there.

Oh well.

I miss eating potatoes for 2 weeks straight.

A weird fact about my relationship with potatoes: I crave potatoes when I get my menses.

Weird eh?

Not chocolate, but potatoes.

Baked potatoes, roast potatoes, mash potatoes, fries/ chips, chips/ crisps, any kind of potatoes!!

Okay fine, I mean ubi kentang, not those other kind of ubis.

I don’t like sweet potatoes. Bleurgh.

I miss living in the land where people like to consume potatoes.

My mom used to say, when I was about 10, that if she put me in a competition to eat the most potato, me, a 10 year old Malaysian girl, competing with an American man, an English man and and Irish man, I would still win.

10 year old girl winning.

That’s how much I like potatoes.

Hahaha.

I hate rice. Bleurgh. Don’t like.

Cross Border LLM

I am soooo close to applying for the Cross Border LLM between Queen’s Belfast and NUI Galway. Super duper close!! Like, nail and nailbed close; 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 yocto meter. If it isn’t for Queen’s not opening the application for 2009/10 intake… I would have submitted my application. Of course, I haven’t even told my referees that I ended up rejecting the offer. Also, 2008/09 term hasn’t even started in Queen’s!!

Urgh, why the sudden urge to study in Galway? Because I stumbled upon this blog about this American guy who is studying in Galway for a semester. And the pictures are absolutely gorgeous!! Urgh. Somehow not like the gray mental pictures of what I have of Belfast. This coming from someone who’s never been there… Horrible.

Maybe because I’m just too loyal to Britain. Hahaha.

That’ll be the day… the day I suddenly lose my head and support the Republicans (American or Irish would apply)… that people would laugh at me. Like they haven’t already.

Still, considering that I am only tempted to go to NUI Galway because I’ve seen the pictures of that town but not trying to find the same for Belfast. I’m really being unfair to the latter, right?

Nonetheless, I know when I’m not being silly, I wouldn’t think of applying for the cross border programme.

Why?

Because I need to be a Northern Irish resident of at least 6 months for me to qualify to be an NHS patient. It’s the same in all the 3 “nations” that make up the UK.

And if I do the Cross Border LLM, I would have to leave Belfast after 4 months… I wouldn’t qualify. Even if I go back to Queen’s for the summer semester. It absolutely wouldn’t work.

And everything across the border would be more expensive!!!!!

I should really do that research on my and Amni’s future book, “Leprechauns and the Irish Inflation.” Where we would show how it is no longer worth it to try capture a leprechaun. Hahahaha.

To try write about Toyols and the Malaysian Inflation just wouldn’t be as funny as on the leprechauns. Mainly because the Irish has populated bigger part of the world and… Malaysia is getting more and more populated by non-Malaysians.

Still… yeah… I’m too ill to not consider these things. I need the free meds and rob the Northern Irish their tax!! Like I did to the English.

Muahaha.

Still, they have robbed me enough with the ridiculous amount of fees they require from us international students!!

Nonetheless, I miss being on that part of the world. I so very the miss that part of the world!!!!!!

I am… I don’t know what to call it even. Something-sick.

Racist ducklings ;)

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Duckie!!

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Roisin hasn’t called.

That’s the last sentence of Round Ireland with a Fridge. Finished the book quite some time ago. Hahaha. I absolutely adore the book. It is so well written and ridiculously funny!! And my Irish geography is amazing. Someone should really go around Malaysia with a toaster or something. Sadly, like all Malaysians know, it will be impossible to get people to pick you up while hitchhiking. It’ll be too dangerous; it’s suicide; asking for trouble. Etc etc.

I like that quote about taking the ferry to Kerry and make his way to Tralee. Such a cute sentence. Haha. Sadly, Hawks’s route didn’t go that way.

I do wonder, in which other country would the people go baptising a fridge or bring a fridge surfing?

Seriously???

Oh, do take note that… those people actually involved in those events weren’t drunk. The owner of the fridge, baptised Saiorse (pronounced Seer-sha. Also the name of Yan’s blue sheep ) Molloy, might have been drunk when he agreed to it, but the person who suggested weren’t.

Seriously?

Ah, Roisin (pronounced Rosheen. Interesting to note that in the book, when Hawks “say” the names,–or the Irish words–it is always spelled the way it is pronounced. However, when the Irish “say” it, it is spelled the way it is “supposed” to be spelled) was a lady, who is separated (man, I’m sure she didn’t expect that her personal life would be known by so many people) from her husband, whom Hawks met (Beda, you might find this interesting) at a bar called Murphys. He went round with flowers to her and she promised to call… And she hasn’t called yet; or at least, till the book was written. No idea if she has contacted Hawks. Would be interesting how embarrassed she felt or whatever. Hahaha.

My mom asked me… How did Hawks keep the fridge in use?

He did not use it. He stored shoes in it occassionally.

Ahh… okay this is a weird “review”, if you could call it that.

Alright.

Tony Hawks is an Englishman who never actually went to the neighboring island, until an Irish friend of his asked him to write a song for him to participate at an International Song Competition held yearly at his home town. The song was titled “I Wanna Have Tea With Batman”. Hahaha. So those who have seen my nation’s “Anthem” title, you know where I got the title from…

On the way to Cavan (the friend’s hometown) from Dublin Airport (Cavan is north west of Dublin), Hawks saw a guy hitch-hiking with a fridge. A full sized fridge. However, having been to Ireland before, and having consulted someone who lived in Ireland for now coming 4 years… I don’t trust that a “full sized” fridge in Ireland is as big as the fridge that is in my home’s kitchen. Their fridge is small!!!!!! Like, minibars. Okay not those square ones, which Hawks end up bringing around… but, just, slightly bigger, you know? And Fatin said that all the households in Ireland had fridges that small.

I could fill up a fridge that small on my own!!

(On a random note, Fatin’s fridge, at least last year, was full with butter when I was there. Kerrygold; supposedly the “cheapest” butter in Malaysia, according to my mom. Checked the price of it last week; it was more than RM7. Anchor butter, which is from NZ, is not even RM6. Taught my mom a lesson there not to look down at them. Haha.)

However, as Hawks is English… and we in England (humor me, please) have “real” “full sized” fridges… So I’ll assume that this guy manage to get the very rare in Ireland fullsized fridge and went “hitch-hiking” with it. Or at least, lets assume he did. Hawks didn’t stop by and ask the guy if he was.

Years passed (he always wanted to write that) and one day he got royally drunk and told his friends about the original “fridge man” (he later became the Fridge Man as well…) and in their drunken stupor made a bet:

“I hereby bet Tony Hawks the sum of One Hundred Pounds that he cannot hitch-hike round the circumference of Ireland, with a fridge, within one calender month.”

Both of them didn’t remember of the bet… and I can’t remember what made Hawks want to go with that bet. I’m too lazy to read it.

However, I remember that the fridge cost 130 Irish pounds and the bet is in 100 British pounds.

I love economics, and since now Ireland uses Euros… I checked on Wikipedia… (I’m too lazy to check if I can get the exchange rate at that particular time, regardless of my love for economics) The exchange rate for British to Irish pound on 1st Jan 1999 was GB£ 1 = about IR£ 1.287.

Correct me if I’m wrong… Using that particular exchange rate… The economic benefit of doing the bet is zero. Since the exchange rate has cancelled off each other.

No surprised that people keep calling Hawks eejit when he told them the price of the fridge and how much the bet was about.

Nonetheless, I’m the one being technical. In the book, you would think that British and Irish pounds cost the same.

I, however, know that Scottish and English pounds cost different in RM, which was why I refused to use cash when I was in Scotland, in case I got Scottish pounds. Regardless of the fact that Scottish pounds are rare in Malaysia, the exchange rate still shows that Scottish pounds is cheaper than English pounds.

Quite weird eh? It’s the same country’s currency yet it can have different rates.

Anyway, in a way, Hawks cheated. He got the backings of Gerry Ryan, a radio talk show host, was it? Yeah, so people knew where he was. He kept getting offers to stay at B&Bs for free… An offer for a fridge party–whatever that was… It’s really interesting, how the Irish mentality works. I can’t remember how Hawks worded it, but it is something along the lines of it being the weirder your act is, the wider the welcoming arms become. Okay that doesn’t make sense but you might get what I mean, right?

Hawks manage to go around Ireland in about 3 weeks, if I’m not mistaken. He went around the coast. However, the map provided had marks of where the towns that he dropped by or mentioned in Republic of Ireland (it is a map of Ireland the island; Northern Ireland included. Except for a stint in… Armagh was it… for the shooting of an interview for RIreland TV [they shot at a place where had a sign "Snippers at Work"])… Except for Athlone. Poor Athlone. It’s all alone, in the middle of Ireland, indicated on the map, with no friends near it… and not mentioned in the book.

Why include the town in the first place? If it is so insignificant? (Okay those from Athlone will so come after me to say their town is insignificant. Wiki states that it is the most developed town in the Irish Midlands. Hah!! Not like the English Midlands *beams*) Just felt like wasting ink?

What did Father Jack Hackett do in Athlone anyway?

I have to say… that my favorite quote from the book has to be this:

“Shrugging, I decided, was good. More people should shrug. You never see a politician shrug (they see it as a sign of weakness), but surely one of the reasons the problems in Northern Ireland have been prolonged is because the politicians on either side never shrug. There is no other physical gesture which comes as close to an embodiment of the fridge philosophy-a quiet acceptance of what has gone, and a healthy lack of concern about what is to come.”
Tony Hawks in Round Ireland with a Fridge, p151-152.

Malaysian politicians should adopt that as well, I think.

Which reminded me of a “moment” during my therapy session last Wednesday. “So why did you want to go to Belfast?” my psych asked. “Whose idea was it?” It was mine, and my mother has never been keen on me going to Northern Ireland. I wanted to go there, you know. I thought, hey, maybe there would be less Malaysians in Queen’s than there is in any of the English universities. Or so I thought… Googled and found out there’s 200 odd Malaysians in the whole university. What the hell right? Still, coming from the university who has the most Malaysian students…

So I said how I found out about it (an article written by a Professor there… The title had the word “comparative” in it, and then I was interested in doing comparative law) and checked out their website… and saw their modules… And realize, hey, it suits me more; equality. And modules on ethnicity, ethnic conflict and ethnic conflict management!!!! My type of modules!! And where better to learn it from a place with such horrible history on “ethnicity” to learn how did they cope? To be honest, I am no longer sure how the situation is; good or bad. Haha. Still, didn’t have any new cases on the PIRA in ECHR class…

I caught her students’ expression; they stated that they can’t believe the situation in any country could be as bad as Malaysia.

Malaysians just don’t know how lucky they are; not having dropped much blood in this kind of fights. May 16th is the worst that we have.

Interestingly, both my psych and I was like “you guys just don’t know how lucky you are not to be there at that time!”

I sound as if I’m in my 40s, when in truth, when those snippers were at work, I was just an adorable baby, innocent to the world’s horror.

My psych, on the other hand, might have been in Dublin already. I suppose she said from experience.

So, we don’t want Malaysia to ever end up like Northern Ireland, right? So we should adopt the Fridge philosophy; the politicians especially. Lets start shrugging!!

*shrugs*

Heeee

Oh, on the political fiasco in Malaysia… I have to say I absolutely love Alia Ishak’s current facebook status:

“Alia Ishak is finding it really funny that Malaysians have so much time to entertain the political circus there when the FINANCIAL SYSTEM around the world is crashing!”

Very true indeed!!

Credit Cards

I went to HSBC today. To open an account, obviously.

Having used HSBC in England (I wouldn’t open with them the second time round. Their service suck), I was curious if the bank card would look like my credit card.

Got a really friendly girl. Felt at ease with her and had no problems chit chatting about my silly habits; especially when she was counting the coins. How I used to pay the bills using coins if it was a lady at the counter but not if it was a man since men can’t be bothered to count every single sen. It amused me to no end. However, now my mom pays the bills somewhat like direct debit, so I am cheated out of my silly little “pleasure”.

Anyway, she was surprised at first that I had a HSBC credit card already. It was obvious that it was Malaysian; the design of the card. I said it was supplementary. She responded “so soon can apply for principle already!!”

I just smiled.

Of course they would want more business, right?

However, I would still stick to being a supplementary of my mom’s credit card. It’ll be much easier to accumulate the points to get the freebies.

Also, regardless of having my own credit card, I very much doubt I’ll get the same credit limit as my mom does.

Not that I need it to be that high anyway, to be honest.

However, I don’t see the need to pay separately, even when I do earn my own income. I’ll just pay her. The same reason; easier to collect points.

And we’re currently paying a lower rate anyway for the supplementary card annually.

Hahaha.

So, unless I get a “free for life” principle credit card, or my mom decide to stop with the HSBC one and just keep her CIMB Enrich one, which is free for life, I would stick to being supplementary.

I feel like I’m repeating myself. Oh well. Too bad. Haha.

There’s this comment that I received, on my Silver Heels post. From someone I don’t know. I don’t really like comments because of this; I don’t know how to respond to it. Nonetheless… since it ties with the topic I’m talking about… I am somewhat responding to the comment.

The commentor told me that she uses a credit card to pay for her shoes… Can’t remember what now and I’m too lazy to check which bank’s credit card is she using. She sounds like someone my age, or maybe younger. I’m not sure.

I’m not an advocate for people to get credit cards, regardless of the fact that I do have one. Especially younger ones. Yes, it is convenient, not having to pay with cash and carry a lot of cash around… Still… Some people seem to think that they could spend to the limit of the credit card and pay the minimum amount without any dire consequence coming… Which is basically how people fall into debts in the first place.

Quite silly to be in debt at such a young age, right?

Murder

My mother is trying to kill me. She’s making pineapple jam and did not close the door. Thank goodness I was away most of the time. I’m breaking into hives. Oh no!!!! I’m itchy all over. Oh man!! I hate this stupid allergy. It sucks like hell. Urgh. So I’m in her room, the only room where the door was closed (damn, is the grammar correct? Faliiiiqqqq!!!!! Comment!! edit: knew you would help. Thanks!!). Nani hates pineapple. And if you hate her enough to kill her, she’s telling you the simple cost effective way to kill her; feed her pineapples.

I absolutely hate fatal allergies. And also those that you react by getting hives. Super ANNOYING okay!!! Itchy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Biasness?

We know that the Sept 16 takeover didn’t happen.

No biggie to me.

However, I realize a few of my acquaintances had in their MSN personal messages and status as being something along the lines of changes takes time.

Intrigued, I asked one of them, “change for what?”

“For Anwar to be the prime minister and for the Federal Government to change to Pakatan Rakyat.”

Rich, coming from someone who made so much noise on how slow the Ministry of Higher Education was with AUKU and the various “slowness” of the BN government.

However, when it comes to the opposition… all the time they need could be afforded.

Just, when changes that really do need a lot of time for the results to be seen… He deemed it slow.

Interesting eh, how biased people can be due to their political views?

I find it absolutely fascinating!

I personally find it sad that people can cloud their judgments on the current government due to their own political view, due to the party that is in power.

Why can’t we be grateful for what we do have?

If we do want to give a critique… Constructive criticism should be what we give. Not just mamak stall critique that we Malaysians seem to embrace so gladly.

Psych appt

I can imagine myself storming into her room and say exasperatedly “I should be in Northern Ireland right now instead of here!! And hearing proper Irish accent!!” in 3 hours time.

Seriously.

Like, I sooooooo miss the UK. Like, seriously.

Sounds like I should go to a Southern California university that is full of bimbos instead.

No idea which one, so don’t even bother asking.

Not that I want to; hear proper Irish accent, that is. However, not yet facing her and hear her talk like them (does those 5 years change you that much? I mean, seriously? What happened to the first 18 years of your life???) makes me wonder if I’m going to regret like hell for not going to Queen’s.

Imagine asking to change doctors. On the referral letter she writes there “patient can’t stand the way I speak; makes her regret even more for not pursuing her Master’s degree.”

And my next psychiatrist would laugh at me and say I really have a problem and put me into the psychiatric ward and make me take all sorts of drugs.

And I’ll start trying to strangle everyone with the IV they use to feed me the drugs.

Sigh. I’m quite frustrated, as you can see.

Haven’t slept for over 48 hours. Bleurgh. No idea why I can’t sleep. I’m exhausted. Sigh.

Maybe I should go shower and get ready instead.

Mom is around coz, uber awesome Selangor is having public holiday, unlike pathetically lame Kuala Lumpur. Blek.

Like super interesting; every year on Nuzul Quran, the medical and dental faculty would still be working while the rest of the university is on leave, because, hah!! The main campus is in Selangor.

See, it’s awesome to live in Selangor.

Oh, we also have holidays on Thaipussam. KL doesn’t!! Hahahahahaha.

See… uber awesome.

What do KL have that we don’t anyway? Just Federal Territory Day. We have Sultan Selangor’s Birthday.

Blek.

I am being uber lame. I know.

Still, I live in a super awesome area.

Baking and photography

So I thought I wanted to indulge my two very much enjoyed activities; baking and cooking (which reminds me, I’m thinking of changing my blog title, again. Cameras [hoho!! plural!!], cookies and kambing. Kicking out cartoon coz I am not as crazy over that for now). Like Smitten Kitchen, you know? Just for fun, and they might make interesting subjects.

However… I keep forgetting to do it before it is too late, like when I start eating my cake and what not. So I say, forget it. On top of that, living in the hot and humid climate makes baking during the day when the lighting is awesome rather annoying. And since I hate my flash like hell… Nah… Forget it. It will be the last time I combine my passions.

I’ll stick to photographing botany. Not that there’s much available considering that I live near KL. A suburb of KL. Ladida.

Started baking last Saturday. Made the Nestum cookies without eggs. Used margarine and just one cup of sugar instead. Somehow, I prefer it with margarine. I don’t know why. Maybe when I was in England, the butter was too rich? I don’t know. And it is not soooo sweet. Just nice, just one cup of sugar. And it didn’t feel so hard due to the melted sugar inside. I recommend reducing the sugar for it and like I mentioned in that post, to bake at a lower temperature, say 160 degrees, so that the cookies wouldn’t rise so much as to make it loose the shape.

Made it with my dentist/ friend who came over at our place for iftar. I am thinking of asking her to refer me to one of her colleagues, to be honest. I no longer feel comfortable having anybody in the medical  and dental profession that are my friends treat me. The new changes, I guess. Also, with her being my mom’s “friend” as well… I don’t want her to accidentally tell my mom anything.

Oh, not because I don’t trust my doctors. Just that I don’t trust my mom enough on these things, and we’re only human. I try my best to ensure that my relationship with my doctors remain in the realm of doctor-patient relationship as much as possible. If they can’t maintain in that way when I’m their patient, I move on and find another that could.

I’ll just see how it goes.

Anyway, my dentist/friend is in her early thirties. Now an associate professor already. Superb in her work, with the most senior people in the University going to her to deal with their dental problems. An endodontist; those that do root canal? Yeah, quite scary.

However, she’s quite hopeless in other area. Not that much unlike Beda now. Haha.

On tasting food, she used to say, “the comments that come out of my mouth is only one: Yum!”

She can’t really tell if the food has gone bad or whatever. Quite, hopeless, as I’ve mentioned.

I wouldn’t embarrass her, regardless of the fact that you wouldn’t know who she is…

The recipe calls for the cookies to be cut with a cookie cutter. At first, she could only do it with two hands. It was quite odd, seeing someone doing it so slowly. Haha.

However, towards the end, she got trained well and only needed to use one hand to cut and transfer the cookie onto the baking tray.

I suppose not so hopeless. Nonetheless, if you saw how she was initially, you would have been worried. Haha.

It’s fun, baking. And even more satisfying when you finally found the best recipe for what you’re making!! Haha!!

The book that I was going crazy over in this post? Tried the recipe for the sponge fingers there; didn’t work out. It tasted like another type of biscuit that I was crazy over, so it’s not so bad.

However, wonders of the internet!! Love the internet!! Anyway, due to the wonders of internet, I found the most perfect recipe for sponge fingers!! It turned out superbly and I will be using them when I make tiramisu tomorrow. (Edit: the tiramisu turned out wonderful!! I am soooo not going to ever buy sponge fingers again!!) The lady who authors that website is absolutely amazing. There’s a conversion table for just about everything!! Now I know I can make buttermilk and can bake those sinful cakes on Smitten Kitchen!! I’m obsessed with that blog. Haha. Made one of their cakes; just the cake though. As it is, it’s super rich and super yummy!! Though it taste too much like eggs, so Faliq would hate it. Haha.

I am really tempted to just quit with law and go into baking!! It’s just so much fun!! And sooooo satisfying when you can actually see that you made something!!

Baking is therapeutic.

However, annoyingly, I couldn’t get a springform pan here.

I’m going to bake the cake nonetheless. And get it out immediately so that it wouldn’t settle. Hopefully it’ll be fine.

I want choco cake!!!!!!

Baked on Saturday. Now that might be interesting to tell about.

Toodles!!

16th September

16th September. The date Malaysia was created.

The date they say there will be that crossover crap.

Possibly the biggest political event in Malaysian history. Probably.

And I can’t be bothered. I’m more interested about Sarah Palin. And whether it is going to be Republican or Democrats winning.

Heck, even between Republican and Unionist is preferable.

The latter being Northern Irish politics. Or Irish generally, I’m not sure. I don’t know.

However, it signifies my interest more.

16th September is the date I was supposed to arrive in Belfast. Of course it is just a one plus hour flight from London, I would arrive in 2 island in one day. First time going to Terminal 1 instead of taking the Piccadilly line to get to St Pancras.

Yet I’m here in Malaysia. Staring at my laptop. Watching Grey’s Anatomy when I don’t like it, just to pass the time.

Because I know if I were to bake, I don’t have anyone to feed the things to.

I know, in my heart of hearts that I want to be on that tiny island north east of the Atlantic. Suffering the cold. And studying about something I’m passionate about.

Nonetheless, I know that what I am doing now is for my own good. To take a break after 15 years of non-stop studying.

However, why can’t I convince that to myself?

September 16th was supposed to be a life changing date.

Now, it’s just another day where Anwar Ibrahim will be the biggest hypocrite in my eyes.

Not that he hasn’t; following the events of the pass few days.

I accept people could change.

However, not that drastically.

A note on freedom of expression

I have maintained all this while that, in my opinion, the Malaysian government had not breached the freedom of expression of journalist due to the self-censorship done by the editors. I might explain it further later. Or maybe it’s just mainly because, self-censorship is a form of expression; you are exercising your negative right not to express yourself, and you choosing exactly what not to express. The freedom of expression of the journalists might be breached; but not by the government but their own editors.

However, due to the new development of the detention of the Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng under the ISA… Well, I can’t continue saying that, can I?

Ahhh… I broke my promise with my GP. Ah well. Been breaking it all this while after all.

What in the world, really… detaining a journalist who reported on the racist comments. So what if she was campaigning for Pematang Pauh anyway? I don’t get it. And the racist comments are deemed to be racist anyway. So why detain her for reporting something that is true? I admit that I haven’t been reading the news lately. But seriously…

Of course, I don’t really know the exact wording of the provision which they use to detain her.

Oh, I can’t be bothered so much about Raja Petra and Teresa Kok, to be honest. I am not exactly a fan of his anyway. And I am not supporter of absolute freedom of expression, even the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution kind. (To be honest, I think it is downright silly, the definition that the Supreme Court has reached for it. Urgh. Main reason why I don’t want to study US Civil Liberties) And Teresa Kok… Well, I don’t really care much about politicians, government or opposition, and I’ve no idea what is the deal with the mosque anyway. Better not bother commenting, I would think.

Nonetheless, being trained in human rights (or civil liberties. Whatever), I would never condone ISA or any provision of the sort. I could never ever accept a detention without trial. It just… doesn’t bother me as much. Okay that doesn’t sound right. I am not as moved as to defend it. However, if I’m the only person defending it, I would speak up. One thing about me is that, I tend to avoid the big civil liberties such as those of refugees, war victims, etc. I rather deal with things that you actually don’t realize and probably don’t care. One thing I’m passionate about is age discrimination that we Asians go through. Oh, not the senior citizens stuff. The younger people being less respected by their elder. With education, you can’t really say that the older are wiser. That’s too generalized!! Bleh. Not continuing here.

Blogger

I decided to stalk the few famous people who are amongst my facebook friends.

Okay, I admit, there’s only one; Amir Muhammad.

I heard of his existence when I was in A-levels, while I was still painstakingly deciding what in the world was I going to do. My mom came back from work one day and said “oh, you know what? Amongst this year’s fellows (Mr Muhammad would know and I am not giving the fellowship away since it might give away my mom’s identity. I’m avoiding that) is this guy who did law in England even though he had no intention of practicing law.”

I was like, “really? There’s such crazy people in this world?”

Nonchalant and in somewhat admirable tone, she said “yeah. He picked law so that he would be able to get a loan. He just wanted an overseas education to broaden his mind.”

Wow, I thought. And here I am wondering should I pick law if I don’t want to practice it. Sadly, after 3 years of studying for my degree, I’m still thinking about it.

I finally met Amir the day before I flew back to England last year. I insisted on getting his book, “Malaysian Politicians say the Darndest Things” before I left, especially since I wasn’t sure if my mom would bother getting it (though admittedly she would get it if I insisted anyway). Good thing I did insist, in a way, as well. Since when I went to MPH when I first came back, I couldn’t find a copy of the book. :S Admittedly, my copy is nearing Port Klang now. Ohh!! Might have even… urgh… not landed… Harbored? Yeah, should be harbored. Or harboured, for you British English enthusiast.

Didn’t ask him much though. I was worried about my unfinished packing at that time. The only question I remembered asking him was why law. His response? “Because it was the easiest” and accounting would be boring. My friends thought the guy was crazy just from that quote; even more so when they found out he did law without planning to practice it. Ah well. The benefit of being a Malaysian, with government providing us education loan. Unlike in Singapore. We Malaysians don’t realize just how lucky we are compared to our neighboring countries.

Damn, the introduction is being too long.

Anyway, I can’t remember for the life of me how I found out Amir Muhammad had facebook. Nonetheless, I added him, thinking I would probably would want to ask him some stuff. However, I have yet to do that. Heck, I can’t even figure out if I do have any questions to ask him. I’m doubting myself too much.

Back to the topic; why the title of this entry is “blogger”.

Maybe I’m being big mouth and “advertising” the event without his permission, but I would assume he would appreciate the advertising. And even if it is supposed to be a hush-hush event… Well… I don’t exactly have many readers anyway. Okay more like repeat visitors. I do somehow get at least 10 hits a day. However, none are repeat visitors. My statcounter’s recent visitor map has a sign from every continent. Which makes me proud even if they don’t drop by again. Admittedly, most of them are searching for Wacky Woolies anyway.

ANYWAY!!! Hmmm… Maybe I do have a question for him; any tips on how to stay on one topic.

Gahh!! Blogger blogger!! Anyway, he created an event for his new video, Malaysian Gods, which would be screened on the 20th of September, a Saturday, at GSC 1Utama. It’s damn near to my place, and only will cost RM10. A fraction of the amount I had to pay for Sex and the City that I watched in England. Okay fine, about half. Haha. Anyway, anyone who stumbled onto my blog who’s interested in watching should get their tickets here. It states there that ” This movie ticket will be available on the 1th of September.” Not being the author of that website, please don’t ask me when is the “1th of September.” I’m guessing from the 13th to the 19th; unlikely before that since Amir only created the event yesterday.

The main topic: blogger. In the event listing, he wrote there “Media and bloggers masuk gratis – but you need to reserve as well.”

Media, who in the right mind wouldn’t understand the term, right?

I’m curious as to how could you be classified as a “blogger”.

After all, it is not hard to start a blog. And the definition of a blogger is someone who has a blog. The author of a blog. Blablabla.

However, being lumped with the media… And I’ve done law and know that some weird interpretation rule states that if there’s an ambiguity, you try finding out from the other companion words that were used with the ambiguous words. Shit, this is A-levels law. I can’t remember what rule is it. Golden rule? Whatever.

One would assume that he would mean that the said blogger would need to have a certain amount of following, right?

However, kepoh me saw that on the wall of the event, there’s a guy who wished that Amir had mentioned that bloggers could go in for free earlier.

Opened his facebook profile, clicked on the link of his two blogs, and couldn’t find a hit counter. So I opened his profile (oh, he uses blogspot). Not that many people have checked his profile… and the two blogs… Well… one seems like a poetry blog and the other is a fashion blog of some sort.

So does he qualify in getting the free seat, if, hypothetically he hasn’t paid for the event?

Admittedly, it is possible that he got invited and I didn’t. Why would I get invited anyway?

Still… I am very the curious.

After all… RM10 is a lot to an unemployed

PS: Got the answer; restricted to movie bloggers. Ahh… now that makes more sense

Sudden urge

I’ve been staying at home for the pass few days. And I’m bored out of my mind. I have yet to finish tidying my room, admittedly, but I just feel like going out!!

Arrggghhhhh!!!!!

I don’t know where to go or what to do. Just, get out of the house.

Maybe I’m just getting crazy looking at words words and more words all the time. Maybe I need to go shoe shopping. Cures my fidgeting every time. And I am thinking I need to get shoes which are not classified as “fuck me shoes”. Was looking at my collection of shoes, after I got rid of a big chunk of it; what’s left are mostly fuck me shoes. Not sensible to wear to work, right? Not as if I work in the theatre business or something.

Okay okay. I’m just creating reason to buy more shoes, I admit.

However, I really need to get sensible heels, I think. Strappy ones, because after living in Britain for 3 years (it’s as if I never went back for summer holidays!!), I can’t stand wearing those ballerina flats.

And HSBC just texted my mom, telling that if we swipe our cards 7 times, we could get RM30 PADINI voucher.

A good reason to splurge, yes?

Hahaha.

I know, it is lousy.

Urgh!! I wanna go out!!!!!!!!!!

Why do I have such few friends near me?

OCPD

Meet Nani.

Yesterday, no one would think Nani suffers from OCPD; Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. Maybe Schizotypal personality disorder, some sort of anxiety or panic disorder, Bipolar Disorder or even Depression, but never OCPD. She’s too messy for it. Too messy and too lazy for it.

Probably the symptoms have appeared once in a while. In her baking (ignore the fact that she hardly measures anything), in how she washes the dishes (especially mugs), needing her bedsheets to be changed every week without fail… Probably.

However, still, never ever being victim of OCPD.

On the 4th till 5th of August 2007, Nani went to a conference organized by the UKEC at Nikko Hotel, KL. It was the first MSLS, and Nani was content sitting next to Tasha and a stranger on the first day. She didn’t bother introducing herself to anyone. Then, before the event started, someone that looked familiar sat in front.

Oh no. Is it that girl who thought Nani was trying to get her boyfriend in A-levels? No, she looks a bit different. Still, to be on the safe side, Nani didn’t bother saying hi. Hmmm, the guy next to her didn’t look familiar. Oh well. The last she heard about the girl, she has broken up with her boyfriend before we finished A-levels as he would be continuing his studies in England. Ah well… Just ignore her.

4th of August happened… No, Nani kept among her group. Admittedly, she didn’t know all of them, and Amni was just too far at the back and went back early because she can’t be bothered. Observing the girl in front of her, Nani doubts it is the same girl from her pass. Sounds different and what little she’s heard her say, it is very unlikely she is the same girl.

Next day came and the guy next to that girl decided to introduce himself to Nani. His name was Raja Adamullah, and he would be going to York to study PPE (okay I can’t remember the exact facts already). The girl next to him got dragged along, and she introduced herself as Ain Zubaida.

Relieved washed through Nani; it is not the same girl, definitely. She seems nice, this Ain Zubaida. She would be going to City to do Acturial Science this coming fall. Oooo, a contact in London!!

It was a tiring day, so Nani decided she wanted to go back early as a talk she wanted to attend was cancelled and she didn’t see the point of staying, what with getting insulted and her group didn’t want to hear her opinion on things. She got Adam and Ain Zubaida’s contact. The latter had her own name card, how cool is that? Haha.

Nani added Ain Zubaida on facebook and finally got her MSN. Nani found out Ain Zubaida wants to marry an Irish. Nani also found out Ain Zubaida goes by the very kampung name of Beda. Drop the H as it doesn’t appear in her name and would like to avoid being confused with the Malay word for “surgery” (bedah). Nani gets along well with Beda after all her complaining about how tough 3rd year law is.

On the last week of first term, Nani went down to London and stayed at Beda’s and found out that Beda likes to tidy and vacuum her room. Not so much, initially. Then slowly, Nani realize that Beda suffers from OCPD.

Years pass by, and Beda needs to move out from her halls and to a house. She got a uber-awesome apartment north of London, where she will be staying with 3 other girls.

One of them also suffers OCPD.

Together, they made the apartment uber-familiar for guests to find things. They label what should be where on the drawers and shelves.

Seriousleh!!

Nani went there when she went to pick up her mother who was coming for her graduation. She brought things down that she would not be able to finish as she stupidly decided to reject Queen’s offer on doing an LLM there. She saw that Beda wasn’t kidding when she said her housemate labelled the places to store things. She could arrange the things she’s leaving for Beda and housemates.

Now, Nani is tidying her own room. Yesterday, she went to Tesco and one of the things she got herself is self-adhesive labels.

To label her room with.

Like Beda and her housemates did for their kitchen.

OMG.

Beda, what have you turned Nani into?

First, taught her it is possible to like a bunch of people due to their accent (Nani is sane enough to not agree with her which accent that should be); now OCPD.

What next?

Love for maths?

OMG that would be the antithesis of Nani Salleh!!!!

Uber silly

Here I am, in Malaysia, with the friend I want to contact, who lives in the same town I live in.

However, I don’t have his phone number here.

I only have his Irish mobile number.

Yes, a number for a country halfway across the world from here!!

I feel stupid. Texting an Irish number to contact someone in Malaysia.

Sad sad sad.

And how careless!!

Gahh!!

A hah!!!!

Smitten Kitchen uses butter for her cupcake icing!!!!!

Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!

Damn, this makes me feel like trying!! Doesn’t help that I found that my mom has a set of icing decorating kit!!

Weeee!!!!

Maybe I should just screw law and human rights over and step over to baking. Since it makes me soooo happy. Human rights just make me miserable, thinking about the situation.

On another note, I can’t be bothered to talk about the budget anymore. I do have a draft of it, but I can’t be bothered to “perfect” it already. All my discussions with friends, my friends keep saying I’m a BN supporter, when I’m not even anybody’s supporter. I am just generally grateful for what little things the government is doing for us. I mean, we’re not in Utopia, and even in Utopia there might be problems as well. Though then you wouldn’t call it Utopia… Hmmm. Whatever. No point pondering what we didn’t get; concentrate on what we have gives us more happiness. Just thinking about what we could have gotten would just make you miserable. Don’t you think? Lets leave the critiquing to the learned unbiassed academics that would be able to give constructive criticism instead of just mamak style critique we Malaysians seem to enjoy. Probably why our mental health is deteriorating, in my opinion. Mine, I know is pretty much because of that. My GP even told me to not read the newspaper for at least 6 months. Settle my life first before the big picture. Not that I am listening; I still read the papers. However, just for finding any new interesting words for me to use…

So yeah, I don’t want people to bombard me with how I am a BN supporter and a typical Bumiputra and all. You know, the irony of people calling me a racist is that, they’re actually the one who is racist. They can’t imagine another person being able to think for people in general; it must be because of they think that their race is superior. So someone not supporting their race would be racist in their minds.

How ridiculously sad.

On Malaysian politics… My mom’s various contacts were telling her that the crossover on the 16th of September is a very real possibility. Not really caring about what happened in Parliament, she thought, whatever. Initially. Then people started saying the possibility of the UMNO people not allowing their members to change their party suddenly.

Which might mean a repetition of the May 13th incident.

My mom wasn’t around during that period; she was already in Australia doing her first degree (which is why she gets extremely annoyed when people say she wouldn’t be anywhere if she weren’t considered a Malay officially. She’s biologically Chinese. However, just think, if she went away before even the event that created NEP was even in the minds of people, how in the world could she benefit from it?). She only heard what  had happened.

And my mother being my mother, she decided we should stock up on food, just in case it happens!! Even though she was never a Scout, she still subscribe to the “Be prepared” motto.

So when we went to Tesco today…

… our total was more than RM500. -_-

I honestly think she overdid it.

15kgs of rice!! And we hardly eat rice in the first place!!!

Canned food, boxes of milk, dried food, cookies, cereal… OMG.

I was too embarrassed to even take a picture of the amount of food we bought.

And even if I did take a picture of it… I wouldn’t put it up on my blog.

Not that my internet connection allows it anyway!!

Hahahahahahaha.

Desserts!! Yum!!

I’m reading what I consider might be the best dessert book ever. Hahaha. It tells you how to make literally anything!! And if the ingredient is not straight forward “sugar” or “flour” or “egg” or whatever, they usually have the recipe to make it!! There’s a recipe to make sponge fingers (those that you use to make tiramisu. Yum yum!!), red current preserve, gula melaka (seriously!! Like, the type that you buy, in blocks that one? Yeah!!)… All sorts!! And regardless of the fact that there’s a gula melaka recipe, it is not Malaysian. The book is called “The World Book of Sweets and Desserts” by Nina Froud and Tamara Lo. My mom got it when she was studying in University of Essex in 1974/75 (yes, my mom is that old) and she told me she hardly opened it. Hrmph. A true non-dessert eater!!

There are no pictures in here. However, reading it, I could just imagine how it would turn out. OMG thank goodness I’ve broken my fast. If not it’ll be torture!! Or maybe not… Salivating would have done a bit of good, since my mouth was soooo dry today.

I found one recipe which is cute. “Mrs Sarah Harrison’s Goofeberry Fool.” Reading throughout the recipe (it is quite short, admittedly), I realize it is a spelling error. The book was written during those times where things are typed on a typewriter instead of a computer, I guess, so the typist didn’t realize the mistakes so much. Though it is weird that the said typist skippled D and went straight to F from S. Words such as fclad (scald) and ftrain (strain) tickles me!! Hehehe.

Ahhh!!!! Can’t wait to be trying all these recipes!!

OMG I’m going to be fat. A sad fatso at that, since I wouldn’t be able to make people fat along with me. Sigh.