From the desk of the Amazing ‘Ainur…

assalamualaikum w.b.t and kia ora….

hi all…i don’t really feel like writing, but i need to be doing something…i really need to keep myself busy…i’ve been doing too much thinking lately and i know that that’s not good for me…i watched ‘the human stain’ (an incredible movie starring anthony hopkins, nicole kidman, gary sinise, ed harris, WENTWORTH MILLER, etc) two days ago and i found one line that i really, really like: "action is the enemy of thought". true, isn’t it? when you are DOING something, you spend less time THINKING about things…i personally think that ‘thinking’ is the root to all problems…but so is ‘NOT thinking’, come to think about it…hahaha…i’m not making much of a point here, am i?

what have you guys been up to?…well, whatever it is, i hope that you guys are enjoying yourselves…my first week of mid-term break turned out to be an eventful one…i went to auckland to visit my best friend…on the bus to auckland, i sat beside a tranvestite! i kid you not…i spent close to 12 hours sitting beside him/her…don’t get me wrong, i have nothing against tranvestite…it’s just that he/she was HUUUGE! if i’d known earlier that i’d have to sit beside him/her, i’d insist on paying only half the price that i had to pay for the seat…it’s really not fair because he/she took up my side of the seat too…it’s time like this that i really wish i am bigger…

things went uphill once i arrived in auckland…my best friend literally screamed once she spotted me…nice friend, huh?…and that’s when the laughter started…i could now proudly say that i spent four days in auckland laughing…oh, and we managed to squeeze in some sightseeing as well…auckland is really a nice place…friendly and too-cute-to-be-true cafe owner…over-eager and ever-helpful shop assistant…and not to mention the cashier who talked funny…and then there’s the merciless best friend who seemed to love making fun of you (zue, kedai beg di victoria park market. enough said), who gave you a friendship pendant shaped like a LIZARD, of all things (but it’s kinda cute, though), who suggested (’dared’ is more like it) that you STEAL a sign posted on a cute guy’s door (and for some rather incomprehensible reasons, you did)  and who forced you to buy a pair of sandals even though it’s clearly TWO sizes bigger that the size you usually wear (i didn’t buy it though, much to her annoyance)…these, gentle ladies and kind sirs, are the recipe for a PURRRFECT and unforgettable vacation…

on the way back to wellington, i sat beside an old lady who was also HUUUGE…this time the bus got stranded on the highway (in the middle of nowhere, might i add) because of heavy snow…instead of moving forward, the bus was sliding backwards…after 15 minutes of that, the bus driver asked the guys on the bus to get out and push the bus…ladies who were of ’substantial’ sizes were also asked to push the bus…it’s time like this that i feel really glad, thankful even, that i’m both horizontally and vertically challenged…when the guys and girls got back on the bus, they looked like frosty the snowman…honest…at around 4.30 am, the bus stopped at a BP station…i went to buy a hot drink and when i went back to my seat, guess what i found?…the old lady was sleeping, like there’s no tomorrow, on both her side and my side of the seat…her FEET were on MY seat… and what’s more, she was hugging MY pillow…my pillow, for God’ s sake! i was too scared to wake her up, so i had to stand there and wait like a complete idiot…i’ve always known that i’m one of the unluckiest human beings on the face of the Earth…

things went downhill when i arrived in wellington….received news that one of my friends had recently passed away…she’s smart, like Einstein-smart…she was just 21…my age, exactly…her death makes me more aware of my own mortality…we don’t know when we are going to die, do we?…that’s the whole point, isn’t it?….we can’t know…death is a surprise…for each and every one of us, whether we like it or not…and that’s what it does too: it often surprises you…my friend’s death surprises me, as it does her family and other friends too, i’m sure…it was also a much-needed wake-up call…an eye-opener…makes me realize that there’s no such thing as being "too young to die"…our youthness always makes us a little bit cocky…we sometimes think that we are invincible…that we can afford to do stupid things now because there’s time for repentance later…guess what?…sometimes the ‘later’ part never materializes…sometimes we don’t get to live to be 30 or 40 or 50…

after that, i received news from home that my dear grandma had passed away…a few days earlier, my older sister e-mailed me a picture of hers, my grandma i mean, taken at my cousin’s wedding…my grandma is the only person on Earth who calls me ‘Rahmah’…nobody, and i mean nobody, calls me by that name except for my late grandma…i have so many fond memories of her…my grandma is a kebaya-and-kain batik-wearing type of grandma…when i was younger, i went through this phase where i really wanted to be (or look, i really don’t know which) like her…so i asked her to give me some of her kebaya so i could wear it too…she gave me some of the smaller ones and i remember, rather vividly, wearing one during hari raya…i remember wearing a shiny, butter-yellow kebaya…i thought i looked cool…what can i say, i’m a late bloomer…in retrospect, i probably looked like a grandma…anyway, the news about her death crushed me…i keep seeing her faces…and sometimes i feel so sad that i literally couldn’t breathe…you probably know the feeling…

well, i did tell you that my first week of break was eventful…you know what?…writing about my friend’s and grandma’s death is not the catharsis that i thought it would be…before i started writing, i went close to two minutes without thinking about either of them…well, i probably should stop now anyway…i can’t focus anymore…ok…ilalliqa’

p/s: this particular entry is a bit morbid, isn’t it?

"Live everyday like it’s your last; because one day, you’re gonna be right" -Ray Charles-

‘ainurRAHMAHellias

assalamualaikum w.b.t and kia ora…

hello, people…one more week before mid-term break…two mid-term in-class tests before the break…can’t wait…i can’t wait for the break…not the tests…tests are generally not as fun as breaks…see the logic?

well…the world is certainly a lot of fun these days, isn’t it?…it’s one crisis after another…the israeli army is expanding their ground offensive in lebanon…iraq is on the verge of a civil war…mel gibson was arrested for drunk driving (now, THAT’s what i call ‘news’)…the british intelligence foiled a major plot to simultaneously blow up at least 10 american jetliners…and get this…i heard this ‘news’ a little over 5 minutes ago: THE BECKHAM’s ‘rock-solid’ marriage is on the rocks!!!!! can you believe it? alin, i can almost hear you whooping! i know you’ve been praying for this for a long time…

but seriously…the world’s a bad and scary place to live in right now…not that there’s any other option…let’s say…other planets are inhabitable, so we migrate to these other planets…now that we’re there, wherever ‘that’ is, what do we do?…we would fight there too…it’s us…it’s MAN…maybe that’s why Gandhi said: in order for the world to change, we need to change…the problem is we refuse to change…we refuse to learn…history teaches us that wars, more often than not, cause more problems…wars don’t solve anything…you’d have to be a fool to believe otherwise…people actually died in wars…buildings are demolished…civilisations destroyed…so we take a stand…we say that wars are bad…wars are counterproductive…we don’t like wars…but still we go to war…we actually support warmongers…what does that say about us? it’s like the Americans, in a way…they say they don’t like Bush Jr…they say he made bad calls…they say he’s the reason why people in other parts of the world hate Americans…and yet when he, again, ran for presidency in 2004, they voted for him…he gets reelected…talk about irony…

you see? we don’t learn…it’s truly interesting to see how we are easily hoodwinked by the people in the position of power…they could be spewing total BS and people would still believe them without so much as batting their eyelashes…man are funny that way…

my IR lecturer talked about this this afternoon…he quoted his professor, Howard Zinn, who said that : "man are generally good, good things will come from people if they are informed"…it’s true, isn’t it?…man are good…but sometimes they get greedy…this is exactly when things go bad…so i’m waiting for these people to come to their senses…i’m waiting for somebody, anybody, people who are informed, to tell these other people that they are wrong…and that they are being stupid…somebody need to educate these people so they too are informed…i’m trying to have faith in man…maybe someday, when they know better, they’ll turn around…hopefully…

my lecturer also told the class that it’s ok to be passionate…it’s ok to take side…it’s ok to stand up for what you believe in…and that’s what i’m trying to do…what i want you guys to do…there will be times when you will be at loggerheads with other people…there will be times when you will be hated because of what you believe in…Muhammad’s (p.b.u.h) quest to spread the word of God wasn’t always smooth sailing…but did he stop? did he succumb to the pressure? exactly…i have good examples…my parents and siblings are all passionate people…you should see my baby brothers…"kami bagi pinjam gunting kat sapa2 yang bapak dia sokong ………(the name of a political party) saja"…see? and they are not even 12 yet…

okay…anyway, have you guys heard john mayer’s new song yet? it’s called ‘waiting on the world to change’…yup…the guy’s informed…he writes beautiful, emotionally charged lyrics, has a sweet, soulful vocal, he’s gorgeous (the hair…need i say more?)…and more importantly, he’s not afraid to let the world know what he believes in…and that, lads and lasses, is why i love him…i posted the full lyrics on my profile…read it…and listen to the song…it’s good…it’s currently the most downloaded song on iTunes…and no, i don’t get paid for ‘advertising’ him…well, time to go…ilalliqa’…

‘ainur rahmah ellias

assalamualaikum w.b.t and kia ora…

hello, people…how are you guys doing?…hope everything’s fine and dandy…i really shouldn’t sit down and write this, you know…i have an assignment due this thursday…and i really should start doing it…or at least think about it…but everytime i start to make an outline, i start to feel sleepy, or hungry, or just plain bored…assignments always have that effect on me…

today, in case you guys don’t know, is the 27th day of the Israel-Lebanon conflict…27th day…when the conflict began, i didn’t think that it would last this long…and judging by the number of bombings and airstrikes these last few days, it looks like the two parties won’t be stopping any time soon…not really a cheerful thought, that one…but i could be wrong…let’s all hope that i’m wrong…because i think that we have seen enough of blood and tears in the last 27 days to last us a lifetime…it’s time for a cessation of hostilities…the time for diplomacy is now (Condoleezza Rice, or DR. Rice as they all call her, said this; which, if you ask me, is about the only wise thing she has said since she becomes Secretary of State)

what really gets me about this brand new middle east crisis is that it could have been avoided…Hizbullah kidnapped the two Israeli soldiers in the hope that they could be use as a bargaining tool for a prisoner-swap…there are currently 10,000 Arab prisoners inside Israeli jails…and some of these people were captured for reasons unknown even to them…but, alas, the Israeli government rejected the term and instead, launched an airstrike against Lebanon…and they haven’t stopped since…it’s not like there is no precedent for this whole prisoner-swapping thing…it has happened before…they have in the past released Arab prisoners in exchange for abducted Israeli soldiers…why won’t they do it now?

they swore to destroy Hizbullah, as it is a threat to their security (and everyone else’s too, or so they say) and their very existence…they know where the Hizbullah fighters are…they claim to know every single one of the Hizbullah’s stronghold…yet their bombs always stray…hitting villages full of civilians…hitting bridges and main roads and power generators and airports …hitting places THOUGHT to be used by Hizbullah fighters to fire their Katyusha rockets…’thought’?…i thought you ‘knew’ where they are…because of this, because of your unfounded ‘thoughts’, hundreds of civilians had to needlessly die…i watched this interview on TV the other day in which a pro-Israel activist said  "in wars throughout the history of the world, civilians are always the ones who pay the price, so the ever-increasing number of civilian casualties shouldn’t come as a surprise"…that is so very reckless and thoughtless of him…if i were at the rally, i’d go find the guy and smack him…moral of this war, or any other wars, for that matter: people are expendable…is that it? is that what you are saying?

what i learn from this crisis is it helps to have powerful ‘friends’…or even one powerful ‘friend’…a friend who can augment your supply of long-range missiles…who can block the UN-resolution for an immediate cease-fire for you…who can talk other people into backing you up…must be nice to have that kind of friend…it’s really touching to watch the US admin show of loyalty towards the Israeli admin…what i find ironic…no, actually, what i found funny, is the fact that the U S of A supplied food to the Lebanese and bombs to the Israelis…what are they trying to do?…fatten the Lebanese up before they are hit by your bombs?…and how are they going to distribute the food anyway when all of their main roads and bridges are demolished?

i have never, in all of my 20 years of living, supported the use of any forms of violence…except in cases of self-defence, that is…the way i see it, the Hizbullah began attacking Israel because they were attacked first…the Lebanese’ territorial sovereignty was blatantly violated by the Israeli armies…and i can’t understand why anybody would want to delay the process of peace…why can’t we have an immediate cease-fire and work towards a lasting peace from there?…if the Israeli and US government wish to endear themselves to the Arab world by fighting Hizbullah, which they think is the bloody thorn in their, as well as the whole of Arab nations’, side, then they are sadly mistaken…the hatred and hostilities towards the two of you will increase tenfold when this conflict ends…if it ends…they wouldn’t want anything to do with you…it is not even impossible for them to sever all ties with you…but, hey, that’s just what i think…but seriously, i think the Israeli and US government choose the wrong nemesis…the Hizbullah has proven time and again that they are capable militarily…they have always been in top form, and if the rumours of the Iranian and Syrian administrations supplying them with weapons are true, then they are in a better shape…i’m sure that this crisis will also further encourage people to hate Islam and Muslims…but to tell you the truth, i just don’t care anymore…people who haven’t an inkling of what Islam is about are in no position (in fact, they have no right) to judge us…what you say won’t hurt me…not anymore…i am proud of the fact that i am a muslim, in fact, i have never been prouder of that fact…

and one more thing before i stop…the Israeli government has invested BILLIONS of dollars to reestablish, or repair, to be more precise, Lebanon  after its’ 15-year Civil war ended in 1990…why would you want to attack them now?…don’t you want to reap the rewards of your investment?…

i’m truly sorry if this piece of writing offends anybody…that is never my intention…and i’m sorry if you think that the argument is a bit lopsided…it is meant to be lopsided…i wanted everyone to know whose side i’m on…most people would choose to be ‘on the fence’…well, not me…i’m not the world’s most balanced and coordinated person…besides, i’m afraid of height…i’d feel more comfortable not to be ‘on’ anything and instead, opt to stand firmly on one side of the fence…well, this is it…until next time…au revoir…      

"Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind" (John F. Kennedy)

‘ainur rahmah ellias

Assalamualaikum w.b.t and kia ora…

Hello, people…how’s your week so far?…mine’s absolutely crappy…I am forced to study things that I do not like…get lecturers that I do not like…and get this: this morning, I had no choice but to sit next to a group of guys who smelled suspiciously like cows for 60 glorious minutes…hah!…bet you can’t top that one!

All week long people have been talking about Monsieur Zidane’s head-butt…I can’t seem to stop talking about it myself…my friend, Syada, called me two days ago from some train station in Sydney to talk about it…and talked we did…at the end of the call, we both came to an agreement: we hate Marco Materazzi…yup…the guy who scored Italy’s equalizer, who netted one of the penalty shots….and most importantly, he’s the guy who caused Zidane to lose his temper….execute that now-famous and much-publicised head butt…receive a red card, thereby securing Zizou a spot on Football’s Hall of Fame (and possibly Hall of Shame as well)…and all in his very last international appearance…do you know why I hate that materazzi guy now?

Zidane deserved to be red-carded because what he did was clearly intentional… but I applaud Zidane for doing what he did…that guy deserved to be head-butted…Willy Sagnol, just hours after the match, made a public comment that he was sure that Zidane was provoked…after that Zidane himself gave an official statement saying that he was insulted by Materazzi…that scumbag!…so far, I’ve heard 3 wildly different theories about the nature of the verbal insult:

                     i.            “your sister’s a prostitute” – Brazilian TV channels

                   ii.            “you’re the son of a dirty terrorist” – ESPN

                iii.            “you abused steroid when you were playing for Juventus” – anon

Colourful (and not to mention inventive), aren’t they? Materazzi’s not only a good footballer, but he’s also an eloquent orator…well-rounded guy, that one…William Gallas said that when he saw Materazzi after the match, he felt like smacking him…If I were Gallas, I’d probably stuff my fist(s) in his mouth…knock a few teeth off…gross, I know…but it’s for a good cause…that’d surely bring his feet back on terra firma…

I’m a firm believer of the saying “THE BEST DEFENCE IS THE BEST OFFENCE”…that’s probably why I think that what Zidane did was nothing short of admirable…not many people have the guts to do that, you know…and he ended up being the recipient of the ‘Golden Ball’ award…what a way to end the World Cup…I wouldn’t want it any other way…oh…this morning he issued a formal apology…by ‘he’, I mean Zidane…I’m not sure what he’s apologizing for or to whom…he speaks rapid French…even if he speaks slowly, I’d still have trouble understanding him, seeing as how the size of my French vocabulaire is positively minuscule…    

Okay…got to stop my ramblings now…anyway, one of my friends made this comment during the world cup:

          “team England kuat sebab players die romantic”

Can somebody please explain to me what it means? I’m completely baffled…

Mademoiselle ‘ainur rahmah ellias

assalamualaikum w.b.t and kia ora…

hello, ladies and gentlemen and assorted others…how are you guys doing?…hope you are all still alive and kicking…my holiday’s coming to an end…already…you know what they say…time flies when you are having fun…one of my friends offered me another way to look at it: time’s fun when you are having flies…see?…my friends are all slightly out of it…but that’s ok…most of the time I’m not quite sane myself…

i’ve spent my holiday doing nothing…nothing that is of value, I mean…well, that’s the beauty of holidays really…you can sit around doing nothing and still be able to fell good about yourself…besides, it’s not like I have lectures and tutorials to attend, or books (academic) to read or assignments to write (and bomb!)…all the things that I mentioned are all hazardous to one’s physical and emotional and mental stability…which is why breaks are necessary…

I’ve been watching a lot of TVs lately…there’s so many interesting things on TV right now…new TV series…huge sporting events…box-office movies…now you see why I can’t bear to be parted from the TV for even 5 minutes…so much to see but so little time…I’m still on cloud nine from France’s victory over Brazil in the World cup quarter final…the france/brazil face-off was one hell of a match, wasn’t it?… clash of the titans…and I, along with millions other France supporters, am glad that France won…not that I don’t like Brazil, because I do…but frankly, the Frenchmen need to win this game more than the Brazilians do…it’s their only chance to redeem themselves and revive their flagging reputation after that ungraceful, undignified and, not to mention, humiliating, early exit from the 2002 World Cup…I feel relieved to see that the Frenchmen haven’t yet lost their mojo…monsieur zidane could still produce all of his fancy footwork…and monsieur henry’s as sharp as ever…that, to me, is a surefire sign that the best is yet to come…the Brazilians weren’t really performing up to their usual standard that day and that single goal proved to be their coup de grace…well, tough luck…some days you have it, some days you don’t…

While I’m ecstatic that France got through to the semis, I’m gutted that all of my favourite tennis players have been prematurely shown the exit door by relatively ‘weaker’ players at wimbledon…andy roddick, david nalbandian, martina hingis…all out…already…andy roddick was beaten by his namesake, andy murray…the guy’s from Great Britain, no less…all the more reason to hate people who win because they have home-ground advantage…playing at wimbledon gives murray the upperhand…albeit an unfair one…I believe in karma, you see…murray outplayed roddick and yesterday he was beaten by marcos baghdatis…ha!…take that!…that’s what you get for beating my favourite player…I sound silly, I know…

Nada and I just finished watching ‘the da vinci code’…it was hilarious…the movie’s not, the subtitles are…who does all the translating, anyway?…the subtitles were ridiculous…nada and I were laughing our heads off reading them…when the characters say ‘shit!’, the subtitle says ‘tahi!’… ‘damn!’ becomes ‘haram!’ and when sir leigh teabing says to remy, “we should toast our victory” the subtitle reads “kita patut memberi roti bakar….”, when Langdon says that “I pray that Jesus would keep me alive…” the subtitle says “saya berharap jesus akan menendang…” it’s ‘keep’, not ‘kick’, ace! Reminds me of a subtitle that I came across years ago…the actor says “we will begin shooting the movie…” and the subtitle goes “kita akan mula menembak filem ini"…people…

Well, I should probably try to get some sleep now…plan to watch the germany/italy showdown…hope germany’ll lose…it’s not like I have something personal against them but like I said…I don’t like people with home-ground advantage…to the Frenchmen: “Bonne chance, monsieurs”…may the force be with you…okay…this is it…bye…

mademoiselle ‘ainur rahmah ellias

assalamualaikum w.b.t. and kia ora…

i’m happy…really, really happy…just submitted the last of my written assignments last friday…that’s a huge load off my shoulders…now i can concentrate on my upcoming tests and exams…yeah, right…

you guys are probably familiar with the term racism and islamophobia…but do you guys know what the term ‘xenophobia’ means? well…basically it is the feeling of fear or hatred towards strangers or foreigners. prior to my coming to new zealand, i’ve been told that kiwis, some of them anyway, are xenophobics…i didn’t really believe it then because i wasn’t supplied with a justification…now…i can confirm that it’s true…i have seen evidences of their xenophobia…and as Gil Grissom (head of the CSI Vegas team) always asserts , "Evidence don’t lie"…

before you proceed, please note that what i’m writing about only applies to some, possibly only a handful of, kiwis. well…last night, my housemates and i went grocery-shopping…some of us took a cab home…nada and ida chose to walk home (they, ida especially, are very fond of walking, kinda like lizzie bennet in ‘pride and prejudice’, only they don’t wear gowns)…on the way home, they passed a car full of rowdy, and possibly more than just a little bit drunk, guys…one guy stuck his head out of the car and shouted "ARAB BASTARDS", i repeat "ARAB BASTARDS", in their faces…that, ladies and gentlemen, is a classic example of racism, xenophobia AND islamophobia…

come to think about it, that proves the guy’s idiocy as well…i’ve got a useful tip for that moron: the next time you want to open your mouth, make sure you’ve got your facts in order…first and foremost, ida and nada are in no way Arabs…well, nada studied arabic for five years, but that’s about the extent of her "arabness". ida had none, at least not that i know of. secondly, arabs, mostly, are not bastards…pre-marital sex and thus pregnancy are frowned upon in all arab countries…illegitimate children, or quoting the guy’s colourful word: ‘bastards’, are hard to find…shame on you, buddy!

actually, it seemed that he had a problem with people, specifically girls, wearing headscarves…he assumed that girls who don headscarves are all arabs…well, they are not…arabs and asians look nothing alike…they probably think that all arabs are terrorists…again, they are not…i can assure you, that nada and ida did not in any way looked or behaved like terrorists last night…they did not have bombs hidden underneath their scarves or strapped on their waists…what did arabs ever do to this people? nobody, and that includes arabs, deserve to be treated with that much contempt…he did something that is inexcusable…there are certain lines that you just don’t cross but he crossed it last night…and he shouldn’t be judging people based on what they are wearing…wearing headscarves, which to me is a cool thing, doesn’t make them less human…or less worthy of being treated with the utmost civility and respect…and just because you’re ‘white’, doesn’t make you smarter or more superior than the rest of us…you are what you do…you’d do well to remember that…

moral of the story: don’t judge a book by its cover…the ‘pride and prejudice’ novel has a dull cover..but once you open it, you’ll discover a true masterpiece…a gem…inside. and…you probably shouldn’t drink either….when you are drunk, you lost control over all faculties of your mind…you do stupid things…you say stupid things…you get in trouble faster than you can say ‘Arab bastards’…so…stay sober…it’s cool…we should all try it…

i really should stop now…nice to let these things out in the open…ok, then…bye!

p/s: i’m really proud of the fact that i’m a muslim.

‘ainur rahmah ellias    

assalamualaikum w.b.t. and kia ora…

hello, people! what are you guys up to?…not that i can hear you…anyway…nada was asking me just now about whether i like my new life….my new life being my life in wellington…and i said "no"…i don’t like my new life…it’s kind of DULL…this is what i do everyday for the last three months: i wake up, shower, have a quick breakfast, go to class, sit in the lecture theatre for 50 minutes (i find a suitable seat, i open my notebook but instead of writing down notes, i’ll just scribble my lecturer’s name all over the page), go home, have lunch, watch tv…….sleep. this is what i do everyday, i swear…saying that my life is ‘dull’ is probably understating it…i really wish that your life (wherever you are and whoever you may be) is better and more ‘happening’ than mine…

do you guys know that mother’s day is coming up?…have you guys bought a card for your mom yet?..i have…going to mail it tomorrow before class…do you guys love your mom?…do you miss her?…i think my mom is the best…but then again, don’t we all think that our moms are the best?…and believe me, they are the best…which is why i think we should send them cards or call them to show that we think they are the best…so they feel appreciated…and loved…mommies are special creatures, aren’t they?…one of my classmates brought her baby to class today…the baby, being babies, couldn’t stop moving…and making unrecognizable sounds…but Gita (i think her name is Gita) was very patient…she played with her son while trying to participate in the discussion that was going on in the class…she let him play with her eraser…she let him yank her hair…she let him crawl all over her…and when she looked at her son, she had this kind of expression on her face…like she thinks he’s the most beautiful baby on earth…which is kind of sweet, really…and touching…i spent most of the lecture looking at them instead of the lecturer…couldn’t help it…the baby’s cuter than the  lecturer…u understand…

ok, back to my point…moms are great…i love my mom…and i’m sure you do yours…let them know that you love them…they’ll love you for it…not that they don’t love you now…of course  they do…it’s sort of their job…they’ll love you more for it…ok?

"kasihanilah Tuhan…ibu yang telah melahirkan diriku…bagaikan kasih ibu sewaktu kecilku…moga bahagia ibu di dunia dan di akhirat sana…"

‘ainurrahmahellias

assalamualaikum w.b.t and kia ora…

by the way, ‘kia ora’ is the only maori word tht i know. n i think it’s a beautiful word…

these last few days, i’ve been thinking about ‘logic’. i find it interesting to note that what i think is perfectly logical, is not perceived the same way by my friends. n i don’t necessarily agree with what they think is logical. u with me so far? sometimes, i am baffled by my friends’ sense of logic. have u ever been in a position where u couldn’t quite see the connection between

ur

friends’ sentences?

i have a few examples here:

"wey, die kaye la." "mane awk tau?" "sbb die ade Singaporean girlfriend"

"mak saye suruh saye sambung buat master in islamic studies kat UIA" "knape UIA?" "sbb UIA ade swimming pool"

"tapi kawan sy tu mmg sesuai pun kawin" "knape pulak?" "die pandai jahit butang"

"wey, die org terengganu eh?" "eh, jangan…die bijak tu!"

"wey, abg tu ade girlfriend tak?" "eh, jangan…die pandai masak…"

when my friends said this, i went "huh?"…i really2 couldn’t see the logic of these sentences…the overall effect is of course hilarious…i don’t know about you guys but i think that those excerpts are funny…as in stomach-cramping, foot-stomping , head-banging funny…

plus, i have developed a new obsession here: collecting my friends’ funny oneliners, such as:

"mane-mane pun babi" (someone said this when we were talking about the kiwis’ obsession with pork)

"aku tak sangka aku akan kawin semuda ni dengan lelaki setua tu"

"wey, susu ni rase macam lembu la"

"tengok budak2 ni (pointing to a group of 5 year-old kiwis), kecik-kecik pun dah fluent english"

"kalau sy nak bercakap tentang lelaki, mestila ade lelaki untuk dicakapkan tentang" (yang ni paling menang, zue!)

see? my friends do say the darndest thing…they say the unexpected things at the least expected time…which makes them sort of ‘cute’ in my eyes…which again proves one thing: jokes are everywhere…you just have to find them…and when you do, do not deny the laughter that would follow…just laugh…laugh out loud, if you must…good muscle exercise…plus, it makes your eyes sparkle, which in turn makes your face radiant…and laughter’s supposed to be the best medicine…so let us all find things that we could laugh about…

‘ainur

assalamualaikum w.b.t and hello…

i’m back…and that means that something interesting has happened…yes…this time in the form of a mixed netball tournament…we had one this afternoon…organized by Wellington M’sian Students’ Association (WMSO)…lasted till 2 pm…

and as i predicted, we lost spectacularly… by ‘we’ i mean my housemates, the te kotahinga girls…we imported Jarod from Cumberland, Azhar from U of Auckland and a med student we met yesterday at the gym, kak Huda, to join our team…we lost both games…first to our friends from Stafford Hall and second to a bunch of really uptight, and not to mention overly tall, people from McKenzie Hall…that’s ok…we were gracious losers…

you know what’s cool about the team that my housemates and i assembled?…we didn’t know anything about netball…zero knowledge about the rules, positions etc…we were ill prepared…save for sayda who knows a few things about the game…she basically did everything…she explained the rules, she even assigned our positions…but…in true IPBA tradition, what we lacked in knowledge and skill, we made up in spirit and enthusiasm…we played like maniacs…we were loud…we had fun…which is more that what ’some’ people can say…

in the second game, nada was paired with a tall guy…which was strategically bad, really…everytime the ball was in his possession, we would scream "Nada, gagau!" or "Nada, kepak cekak die!"…because that’s really all that she could do…she kept jumping up and down and waving her arms, hoping that she could snatch the ball…which of course she couldn’t…if you ask me, that guy seemed to enjoy bullying relatively shorter people…

our team also has the shortest GS…kak Huda is shorter than me…but she was fierce…waaaay fierce…and also a sharp shooter…she’s quick…jarod’s our GK…a sharp shooter as well…you see, nice pairing…sayda was crazy on the court…aggressive…quick…predatory…which make for a lethal combination…ida was ida…kalut as usual…jie only played for 10 minutes…azhar was all over the place…the umpire told him off for sucking a lollipop while playing…seriously…leny just got back from auckland…she went straight to the Sunday market for fresh veges and fruits…and still managed to make it in time for the game…

we lost but we gave it our all…i feel really, really proud of the team…we were competitive and we played a nice, clean game…by the way, i didn’t play…i was the cheerleader…the official provider of moral support to the team…or as Ida said, "Ainur’s our manager"…that’s probably why we lost…

by the way, all of us overslept this morning…the tournament started at 9…we got there at 10.15…just in time for our game against Stafford Hall…hardly no breakfast, no warm-ups, no stretching of limbs…they just jumped right in…cool, huh?..

p/s: Jie and Sue Fin played in jeans…or was it khakis? 

assalamualaikum w.b.t and hello….

easter break is finally here!!! i’m excited…really, really excited…got so many things planned…you know the drill…places to go…people to see…i’m sure you guys have no idea how much i loooove holidays…i practically live for holidays…

i was browsing through some of your friendster pages just now…by ‘you’ i mean those of you who are on my ‘friends’ list…and i discover something…i guess i didn’t look properly the last time i viewed this girl’s page…syikin’s primary photo is of her and me…taken during our last outing together…one day before i was scheduled to leave for wellington…thank you, syikin…that was very nice of you…i’m flattered…old, but sweet, memories started to resurface soon after…started thinking about how much i love to spend time with zue, hana, min, syikin, fadzilah, zaera, syada, nisa, nada, chinot, among others…i could talk nonstop for hours with these people…no inhibitions…no fear of being too frank…nothing…but around other people, i suddenly get tongue-tied…started to feel awkward….i found this quotation years ago that i totally like…it has something to do with how you’re at your most comfortable when you’re around people who make, and can make, you laugh…i think it’s true…the people mentioned above have one similarity: they all have a dry, and sometimes warped sense of humour…you can usually find me laughing my head off when i’m around them…so, moral of the story: find friends who can make you laugh…they’re the best kind of friends anyone could ever have…

went on a trip yesterday…got a chance to see a part of wellington that i’ve never seen before…and you know what?…i think wellington is gorgeous…the place we went to yesterday…what was it called?…yes, wakanae and paraparaumu (don’t you just love the names?)…these places are absolutely gorgeous…as in Lord of the Rings-gorgeous and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones-gorgeous…and i’m not making this up…i swear…ask any one of the other vic u bed tesol cohort 2 students  who went on the trip yesterday and i’m sure they’ll vouch for me and my claim…and we met so many nice old men…yes, they’re a bit on the old side…but they’re nice…real friendly…nice, friendly, old men…

okay…this is probably the longest post in my entire blogging career…got to stop now…i’ll write again as soon as something interesting come up…right now i’ve got to get ready to go to the gym…watch my housemates play volleyball…last week it was handball…they came home with bruised arms, legs, foreheads…i still can’t figure out why other people like to hit them…can’t they see that the people they’re hitting are delicate ladies?…my housemates would kill me if they see the word ‘delicate’ associated to them…anyway, until next time, bye…..

‘Ainur

p/s: kak najah, if u r reading this, i miss u guys very much…very much…my love to baba, mama, abang, cheeky, tammi, naiim, yaim and aman…