So after a few (5, actually) years, he finally gave in to meet my Mum. But I'm glad we waited, anyway, cause I know Mum doesn't like publicising things that aren't certain yet, and since we're both ready it just seems appropriate.

HE MET MY MUM FOR THE FIRST TIME!

Mum is completely fond of him. She got all nervous before meeting him (really, Mum..) and as soon as they met, Shahrul was nervous too I could tell. It was quite funny. He was aware of how much closer I am to Mum, and I kept telling him to talk to her HAHA.

After lunch at home, we went out together cause lil brother decided he wants to get on a LRT. Mum was getting comfortable by then, him making a few jokes I don't get, made my Mum laughed, entertaining the ever annoying lil brother, met sister's fiance, and had dinner together.


 Bonding session with the lil bro haha.




But most of all, the fact that my Mum actually hugged him and cried when he was about to leave really touched me. I don't recall seeing Mum like that with anyone else, so I knew how much Mum adores him. The next day when I sent her off at the station, she didn't even shed a tear!! Pfft.

But then I knew, he won my heart when he won my Mum's.

So today is my last day in Penang. Will be going to KL tomorrow and spend the rest of my life there.

I hope this tight feeling in my chest will be over soon. I hate leaving :(

Anyway, the guy I left in Japan after graduated actually came home for new year!! WELCOME HOME :) albeit the verryyy shorttt holiday, he decided to come home after all. God bless him. And since we live in different state, we might have our paths crossed if we get real lucky. Pfft.

And I stumbled across my old pictures in Picasa's web album, after signing up for Google+ a few days ago. (I think I like Google+ better than Facebook.) 


This was 2008. I hate growing up.


P/s : Ooh if you're celebrating, merry christmas!!



I don't know why but this song seems to be in ALL engagement/wedding videos that I've seen on Facebook/Youtube.

And that fact annoys me because I WANT THIS SONG TO BE PLAYED ON MY WEDDING TOO.

I don't freaking care. I want it. (and this has nothing to do with the fact that it's played on twilight, btw)

Future husband please take note.


A plumber my Mum called came today to fix the pipe in the bathroom. I recalled seeing him a few times over my childhood years; but I don't remember any conversations I've made with him.

But this one is worth remembering.

While he was doing his thing, we chatted for a bit. He's old enough to be my uncle, so I called him Pakcik.

He asked about my study and work. When I told him I took chemical engineering, he got excited.

"I took engineering too. Aeronautical engineering. You know, airplanes and stuff."

I almost choked.

He said, learning all about the mechanical stuffs is great - he's always wanted to make things. But after he graduated, he realized that he wants to make things happen for people and his family - not working his ass off for some company who won't even give him some time with his family.

So later he started studying all about house stuffs - how the electrical works, how the fan on the ceiling is connected, how the phone cords are working, etc. He studied them all, up to the point that he opened up all the parts in washing machine, and assembling them back together, because in engineering we've learned the knowledge, but not the skills. He said, "I want to do stuff that's beneficial for my own family, do my own work, get my own money rather than working for other people."

I don't know how he did all that, but somehow I wish I had his guts.

He kept telling me that getting into Petronas is a good chance to give back to our country, because Petronas is a Malaysian, and that I should never take it for granted. "Like the youngsters nowadays." He told me to work and do something that I know for certain will contribute to my life and my family's, because then I'd be contributing to my country.

"I got an offer to work in Dubai, but it means leaving my family so I rejected. Why earn big but live an unhappy life? I'm happy now, I watch my kids grow, I do things around my house myself - I do what I've always wanted to do."

Mum knows him for quite a long time, and said she really cannot put into words of what this Pakcik actually does for a living - "because he can do pretty much anything." I guess his dream really came true, seeing just how happy he is now.

I wish I had his guts.

Since I'm stuck at home, I've been having a few series' marathon including the Korean drama, the famous zombie series The Walking Dead (thanks to Star Movies for the marathon weekend), and also The Vampire Diaries.

Like what my sister said, gotta make full use of the holiday now before reality kicks in again. (She knows me too well.)

So after a few episodes of TVD's Season 2, I noticed this leather screw bracelet Elena Gilbert always wear. Before anything else, I looked for CC Skye first cause, you know, where else could you get a screw bracelet?

And it's the same exact one she wore!


I've seen my friends wearing these gorgeous CC Skye bracelets or something similar, but I've always thought these types of double wrap screw bracelet isn't my thing - I simply didn't see myself comfortable wearing it. CC Skye has some of the most gorgeous bracelets but they're just a bit too edgy for me. But then again, I've never tried one. And it's a good thing for my purse that we don't find CC Skye easily here (or if you KNOW any store stocking them, DO SHARE! Though you'd risk getting abusive emails from my boyfriend after that hehe. Sorry.) and online shopping is just not the same here like when I was in Japan. At least not for now.

Double wrap screw bracelet in navy

Double wrap screw bracelet in gunmetal

Some other CC Skye bracelets that I'm dying to own :


And 2012's new year resolution is coming. Great.

So after everything was confirmed, the girls took me out to celebrate at this super nice place in Penang.



SO. NICE. The beach view was amazing - it felt like we were in California, or something. The hot weather ruined everything though.

But it was great just hanging out with them, like the old days. I've known these girls since high school - we'd always plan to go back to Penang during weekends, pack our things, take the bus to the ERL station from our school, take the ERL train from Cyberjaya all the way to KL Sentral, and from KL Sentral to Pudu. We'd conquer the bus with our chit-chats and annoy other people but we didn't seem to care - that's just how we were.

So it meant a great deal for me when they took trouble to surprise me with the outing plan; cupcakes by the awesome beach.


Haha aren't they cute?!

The best thing about it is, each of them represents the phases I've had in my life - school batch, Japan's flag (the red ones - apparently the flag picture was a complete fail HAHA.), WD logo, Petronas logo. They missed out Kobe's picture though!

But it was the perfect outing for me. Leaving Penang means leaving the good friends I have here, so I've been having mixed feelings - not to mention leaving my family and live on my own.

God, this is SO NOT FUNNY. But deep down I knew this is what I always wanted.


If I could, I'd drag all of them to KL with me. But that would be too sad.
Sheesh adulthood, I hate you.


So it's official.

I've started my career in engineering field since I graduated in March, and up until now, manufacturing line is always the one thing I rather familiar with. Been at two different workplaces in a pace of less than a year, I realized there are so many things that a degree can't teach you; only experience. Go do something, and you'd find yourself thinking "why on earth everything I've learned from the past 4 years in uni doesn't even link with this job?"

Of course, one with less than a year experience still counts as a fresh graduate, so I can't say much. If you're in the manufacturing line, you'd either love it or hate it. For me, I still feel like in between - it's tough for a chemistry background like me, yet the challenges are what keeps me excited everyday.

So when this offer came, I had to think hard. But settling in oil and gas business is once in a lifetime chance, so I can't give it up.


Everything started when I applied for all top oil and gas companies in Malaysia, only to be kept waiting for several months without any response - until in August I was called for a Technical Assessment Interview for this position, and a few months after that I was called for their Structural Interview (SI) in KLCC. It was a hard time for me, because I'm still working and I have very very few annual leave left and I have to travel KL-Penang, go to the interview and to work on the very next day. Exhausted, yes; but at that point I figured well at least it's one of the great experiences I've had in my life. 

So there. It's been like, a week or two since I've left my previous company and will be starting a new phase next month - to tell you the truth, I have no idea what to expect. Preparations are beyond crucial; I know I have to do everything differently now. It's like, going back at this point I've been before, only the direction is different.

InsyaAllah, everything will be smooth. It's already been the best year, 2011 - graduated, and working. Please pray for my next year to be equally as, if not better :)

So basically, this is the first time an entry post title practically sums up everything I wanted to convey in this post.

Yes, I've been happily tucked away in my blanket everyday watching this.


Mary Stayed Out All Night (or also known as Marry Me, Mary)

The story revolves around this young, cheerful girl who is used to dealing with her father's debt problems. She met a playboy, free-spirited indie singer who's in a rock band and fate has it, the girl has to marry another guy because of her father's debts. In order to convince her father not to marry her off to some guy, she told her father that she's married and asked the indie singer to "pretend" to be her husband.

I must tell you, I'm really not one of the girls who watch Korean dramas and listen to Kpop all the time, and the one thing that made me watch this drama is because I stumbled upon one of the OST on Youtube, and decided to give it a try.

Little did I know, the most gorgeous man on earth actually plays the main role.


The female lead was played by Moon Geun Young, whom I recognized in My Little Bride. She's actually my age, which I think is pretty cool - she looks like 16!

For me, this drama is a lot similar to Full House - it has all the typical Korean romantic scenes; karaoke sessions, bicycle rides, playing in the snow, kiss on the forehead - and then while reading about the drama, I found out that the creator was the same creator who made Full House! No wonder lahhh pschttt.

You know, at least compared to other Korean dramas, this doesn't have the stereotype ordinary-girl-with-super-perfect-guy lead roles. The male lead is potrayed as a playboy, yes, but at least he's not this perfect guy who has everything - while the female lead is always, always the weak ordinary girl. I love that like Full House, the female lead is potrayed to be yes, ordinary - but also shines in some way to capture the whole story. And less screaming, too - Mum doesn't seem to be bothered with this drama cause she said it doesn't have "screaming scene" so much like other Japanese and Korean dramas hahaha!

Which I guess, is true. On some level. 

Been listening to the OST all week now. You're Beautiful (another drama starring Jang Geun Suk, who also played as the lead singer in a band) has the best OST songs, though.


But still, I think this drama beats Full House anytime. In my heart, at least.


My little brother finished his SPM a few days ago, much to the start of his freedom and an absolute annoyance to me. I mean, dude, I'm done with SPM agess ago, chill. Pfft.

But watching him busting his ass off those few days before his last paper really gave me a warm trip down the memory lane. I was him precisely 7 years ago, and I can still remember what I did on those crucial times of my life. Yes, I was this perfectionist nerd who thinks getting all A1's in your certificate is all that makes my life worth it.
I'm glad I did.

But relating to that, I find it frustrating that I no longer have that kind of strong drive anymore. Take work, for example - I was required to learn all the new things given that I'm starting at a new place, but I slowly feel like I'm a student who takes forever just to learn how this one tiny machine works. I used to love learning new things; but now at 24, it just doesn't feel normal anymore. I get tired. I get frustrated. I get confused about priorities; ones that aren't even that hard to prioritise. 

But to let this get down is downright worst - so I figured that all you have to do is take a deep breath, and get your ass to work on things you could've done to start. Google helped me on that!

  • Accept that you are not the same anymore. Yes, at 17 you might have the strongest will to success among your peers, but time and place changed that. You lost it over the years, but it doesn't mean you lost it completely - I realize I'm still the girl who wants to be on top of everything; just that the priorities have changed. I have a boss to impress, colleagues to be friendly with, subordinates to communicate to. Learning is in all of them.
  • Slot an hour. Regardless of how busy you are, try to find that one (or two) hour just to concentrate on work you feel you need help with - and do just that without interference. Find that extra hour between meetings/lectures, before lunch break, after lunch break, or at night between two of your favorite shows and just get that one piece of work done. Even if it's not done in that one hour, at least it made a huge difference rather than doing nothing.
  • Work on a list of things seriously. I was somehow never really keep up with lists I've done, but those that I do really helped. It sounds simple, but try to list down everything (yes, even something as petty as replying emails) as detail as possible, and try to look a month ahead so you won't miss out on things.
  • Talk to your tutors. Especially if you have one that you truly trust, use him. Tutors are someone to help us with the workloads, and they're even paid to do so. I had a tutor back when I was in the first year at uni, and I met him like..twice a year. Seriously. The one thing I regret the most about my uni life. He could've helped me tonnes with the homework, given that I didn't really have Japanese at my fingertips, but I was too shy to ask him. (he was really, really, really good-looking - the type of Japanese guy you saw on TV.) Lesson learned. But if you find it hard to talk to him, ask your department to get another tutor that's suitable for you - there must be a lot of students wanting to help. 
  • Get a study buddy. As I started working, I was assigned a buddy to help me with the study stuffs - and I'm glad I did! Getting a buddy whom you can get along with to do work can be really beneficial. If you're a student, you can organize study sessions regularly at school library, give each other tests and mock exams for preparation, or just hang out together to get that stress out of your system. You can also see if you're lagging behind on work among all of them, and this could be a kick start to a healthy competition. In high school, we did exactly that, and I still remember on the day we went to get our SPM result, a friend in my study group came up to me and thanked me for helping her with her Add Maths. She said Add Maths was the one subject she was weak in, and that she won't get a good grade in Add Maths if it weren't for me. It was the sweetest thing she's ever said to me, and I'm glad at least I left school knowing I've made a difference in someone's life.
  • Tackle one thing at a time. When you have that lists, try to get one thing done thoroughly than going at a bit of everything at once. It rarely works, trust me, been there, done that -__- 
  • Use all the technology you've got. If you have alarms on your gadgets, use them to alert you about important things you need to get done - yes, alarm. I used to type things and save them on my phone screen so that whenever I see the screen I'd be reminded of them. I was that lazy, I know. But it really helped - I took a nap between my study time and when I woke up, I knew where I left off!
I've seen other senior engineers work - and I can't imagine how I'd be when my time comes. So I realize that preparation is crucial; you don't want work to be a complete burden after 10 years!
 

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